Highlands Ranch Herald 110421

November 4, 2021

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

HighlandsRanchHerald.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 22

VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 48

Tri-County Health halts COVID-19 services to Douglas State agency to take over pandemic duties in breakaway county At Arrowwood Elementary School, the pick up/drop-off lane sign was named in honor of school custodian Don Matte. The sign COURTESY PHOTO was stolen on Oct. 5.

In 2016, Nikki Brooker was working as a substitute teacher at Bear Canyon Elementary Schoo in Highlands Ranch. When a mother from the school shot herself and

Tri-County Health Department is no longer providing COVID-19 services in Douglas County as of Nov. 1, county leaders said.

That announcement, along with news that the state public-health department will be taking over those duties, were made during a Nov. 1 Douglas County commissioners’ work session.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised that Tri-County is reneging on another deal that they have made with us, that we made in good faith,” said county Commissioner Lora Thomas in the meeting.

At press time, neither Tri-County nor the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment had responded to requests for comment.

It’s the latest chapter in the divorce of Douglas County from Tri-County, the agency that has provided its public health services

SEE PROGRAM, P15

SEE TRI-COUNTY, P3

Tribute sign stolen at Arrowwood Elementary Administrators ask for public’s assistance

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Administrators at Arrowwood

Elementary School are asking for the public’s help to locate a street sign stolen in early October.

Barbara Kientz, administrative assistant for the Highlands Ranch school, said it is not just any ordinary sign. The Don Matte Loop sign was created in honor of a school custodian who

died in 2015.

Kientz said she noticed the sign missing on Oct. 5. While the school did not file a report with the local authorities, administrators have sent emails to parents asking for help in locating the sign.

SEE SIGN, P13

Support program for moms looks to expand Strong Mama Gala set for Dec. 3 in Centennial

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A local program aimed at help-

ing moms who are struggling with mental health is raising funds to expand services through partnerships with local hospitals.

ON TARGET, INDOORS Local archers taking aim at indoor ranges

P16

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ELECTION RESULTS ONLINE

Visit ColoradoCommunityMedia.com for election results here and in nearby communities

2 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

Commissioners give State of County address Updates focus on big issues; event was canceled in 2020

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Douglas County commissioners gave their updates on the county’s economic recovery, major road projects and more during their annual State of the County Event on Oct. 27.

The event, located at the Denver Marriott South in Lone Tree, included breakfast for nearly 200 attendees and was livestreamed to the community. A recording of the talk is posted on the county’s YouTube page.

During their presentation, commissioners provided updates on current projects, gave data on employment in the community and spoke briefly about their newly-formed public health department. The three commissioners took turns speaking about various topics.

Ten videos produced by the county were played throughout the presentation, ranging from subjects like the county’s Winter Shelter Network and the East/West Regional Trail to the Mental Health Initiative and the Youth Crisis Response Team.

This was a return for the event, which was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board of Douglas County commissioners speak about the State of the County Oct. 27.

The economy Commissioners shared information about the county’s economic recovery following the pandemic shutdowns.

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• Existing home sales in Douglas County increased by 4.7% between the first quarter of 2020 and the same period in 2021.

• In that same period, residential building permits increased by 173%.

• Also during that time, 740 new businesses came to the county.

• About 3,700 housing units were added to the county in 2020.

• In April 2020, county unemployment was 10% but decreased to 4.2% as of August this year.

During the pandemic, the county was also able to distribute more than $20 million in federal CARES Act money to restaurants, small businesses and nonprofits, according to the presentation.

Commissioners are also in discussions about how to spend $68 million in American Recovery Plan Act funds and are considering supporting work in mental health, water and wastewater, broadband, the workforce and other economic recovery projects, Commissioner Lora Thomas said.

The county plans to give a “temporary property tax credit” for the 2021 taxable year, which will be collected next year, Commissioner Abe Laydon said.

In 2022, the county is set to pay off its final debt payment on open space bonds, making the county debt-free, Commissioner George Teal said.

New health department During the pandemic, the commissioners had a series of heated disagreements with Tri-County Health Department, their public health agency for the past 55 years. On Sept. 1 the commissioners voted to form their own health department following a required mask mandate approved by Tri-County.

The day before the State of the County speech, that new health board’s first-ever public health order was temporarily halted by a federal judge. The health order, which al-

PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

Douglas County Commissioner George Teal, who also serves on the county’s new board of health, gives remarks during an Oct. 27 State of the County event.

lowed anyone to opt out of any mask mandate in the county, was put on pause for at least 14 days after the school district filed the legal action against the county’s health department. Thomas and Teal are both on the new health board.

Commissioners didn’t speak about the judge’s decision and only briefly mentioned the new health department.

“Our goal is that Douglas County will have an effective and efficient public health department, delivering public health services that represent the true public health needs of Douglas County,” Laydon said.

A community health assessment, which was set to be completed in October, will be used to create a public health improvement plan and will inform the budgeting process in 2023, Teal said. The county had previously decided to continue receiving all public health services from Tri-County until the end of 2022.

Tri-County has since ceased providing COVID-19 services to Douglas County, according to a Nov. 1 announcement from the county.

SEE COUNTY, P25

Highlands Ranch Herald 3

November 4, 2021

Douglas County needs you Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity in your community? Share your talent and expertise on one of our many Citizen Advisory Boards, Committees or Commissions. Apply online Dec. 1 at douglas.co.us and search for Board and Commissions.

Need help with home heating costs?

Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) beginning Nov. 1. For more information or an application, please visit douglas.co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org Douglas Benevento was selected as the president of the new Douglas County Health PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER Department’s Board of Health Sept. 30.

TRI-COUNTY FROM PAGE 1

for more than half a century, largely over disagreements about COVID-19 safety policy.

After Douglas County formed its own health department in September, county commissioners made a deal with Tri-County to continue receiving all services, including those related to COVID-19, from the agency.

Then, the Douglas County Health Department approved a public health order that required all entities in the county, including the school district, to allow people to opt out of mask requirements. The order also limited the scope of COVID-related to quarantines in the county.

Emails obtained by Colorado Community Media through a public records request show that before that health order was approved Oct. 8, Tri-County told the new Dougco health board that these measures would make it difficult for Tri-County to continue providing COVID-related services.

“Removing nearly all mitigation measures to control COVID-19 transmission in schools is greatly concerning and with decades of public health experiences and expertise, TCHD cannot support this action,” Jennifer Ludwig, the deputy director for Tri-County, wrote to the county board of health president, Doug Benevento, according to the records obtained

by CCM. Benevento responded to Ludwig’s letter that he was “truly disappointed.”

“My hope was that we could find a common ground that we could meet the needs that have been expressed by parents and teachers and I was disappointed we could not,” he said.

On Oct. 11, After the county opt-out order was approved, Ludwig told the county that “TCHD wishes to amend the IGA,” a refer-

ence to the intergovernmental agreement between Dougco and Tri-County Health.

“We would like to make this effective immediately to clear up the mass confusion in the community,” according to the email.

Tri-County and Douglas County soon began discussions of transitioning COVID-19 work to the county, according to the emails.

When asked by CCM, neither the county nor the health department provided a specific timeline for when it would occur.

A federal judge later temporarily blocked Douglas County’s opt-out order at the request of the county school district, which had previously mandated masks inside its schools.

Now, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will take over COVID-related services including case investigations and contact tracing until the new health department is able to find a way to provide them on its own, county officials said Nov. 1.

“I’m certainly glad that they will be filling in those gaps but I’m confident that Douglas County will be able to step up and fill in and begin to handle that independently from the state at some point,” said Commissioner Abe Laydon during the Nov. 1 meeting.

In an earlier interview about the transition, county Commissioner George Teal told CCM that the county is looking at providing these services through the help of a private company.

While Teal said in the Nov. 1 meeting that he found the decision

by Tri-County to hand off COVID services to be “very disturbing,” he added that he’s “not bothered at all” by the move based on confidential COVID-19 data that the commissioners received during an executive session that morning.

“This is a good time for this to happen,” he said.

In the same meeting, commissioners asked their legal counsel to look more deeply into why some data related to COVID-19 is required to be kept confidential.

Online Tax Lien Sale Nov. 4 The annual Tax Lien Sale will be held via internet auction on Nov. 4. For guidelines and to register visit zeusauction.com The statutory interest for the 2021 Tax Lien Sale is 9%. More information is available at douglas. co.us/treasurer or by calling 303-660-7455.

Behind on your rent caused by COVID-19 impacts?

Funds are available to assist Douglas County residents who rent an apartment or house and are impacted by COVID-19 and struggling to pay their utility bills or rent.

See if you qualify and apply today at douglas.co.us/ rent-assistance

Need a COVID-19 vaccine or test?

Vaccinations are being offered throughout Douglas County by various providers. Douglas County also has three FREE drive-thru testing locations. Visit douglas. co.us and search for COVID-19 to find a vaccine provider or testing location near you.

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas, participate in-person or remotely, or watch select meetings via live stream visit douglas.co.us and search for Meetings and Agendas.

County Offices Closed Nov. 11

@douglascountyco

Douglas County offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Many county services are available online at douglas.co.us/online-services

Visit douglas.co.us

4 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

Colo. school board election spending skyrockets Douglas, Jeffco, Denver, Cherry Creek among top districts for donations

BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

More cash flowed into Colorado school board contests this year than in previous election cycles as teacher unions, charter school advocates and wealthy individual donors opened their purse strings to influence closely contested races across the state.

The spending is part of a national trend of contentious school board elections, supercharged by COVID- 19, the social justice movement and other hot-button concerns.

The Colorado Sun analyzed candidate and committee campaign finance filings through Oct. 13. The review showed that candidates in 20 school district contests in the election that ended Nov. 2 had raised more than $1.9 million, about $672,000 more than candidates in the same districts raised in all of 2017.

In five districts — Cherry

CHART BY THE COLORADO SUN

Creek, Windsor, Summit, Falcon and Eagle — candidates are raising tens of thousands of dollars in races that didn’t record a single political contribution four years ago.

School board candidates in Colorado aren’t subject to fundraising limits like candidates for state legislature, governor and Congress.

“It’s just a continuing escalation of out-of-control money in these local races,”

said state Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat who lost a 2011 Denver school board race and last year tried in the state Legislature to limit contributions in school board contests. “It’s pretty staggering.”

The increase in spending is most dramatic in the Douglas County School District, where four of the seven seats on the board were up for election. (Visit

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Eight Douglas County candidates, four of whom were endorsed by the Colorado GOP, raised more than $444,000 through midOctober, nearly double the $231,000 raised by the eight candidates who ran in the district four years ago.

The four GOP-endorsed candidates this year raised 71% of the total. Although school board contests are nonpartisan, both Democrats and Republicans endorsed candidates this year.

In the Cherry Creek School District, six candidates who were vying for two seats had raised nearly $156,000 through the middle of the month. Four years ago, the election was canceled because the two seats drew only one candidate each.

But it isn’t just suburban Front Range districts seeing more money pour into school board contests this year. Through Oct. 13, candidates in Mesa County raised four times the total raised in 2017. And candidates for the Montrose County School District board raised more than three times the amount candidates raised in all other previous Montrose County school board elec-

tions combined, according to The Montrose Press.

Big money from teachers unions, individuals Teachers unions have been the biggest spenders in school board contests. Their candidate contributions focused mostly on districts in Denver, Jefferson, Adams and Larimer counties.

But individual donors also spent big this year.

Lone Tree real estate developer Eric Garrett donated $30,000 each to four Douglas County school board candidates — Mike Peterson, Christy Williams, Becky Myers and Kaylee Winegar, running as the “Kids First” slate — who were also being supported by the Republican Party.

Mike Slattery, who co-owns The Emporium in Castle Rock with his wife, Andrea, gave $20,000 each to the same candidates, while Andrea Slattery gave $10,000 each.

And R. Stanton Dodge, who lives in Castle Pines and is the chief legal counsel for DraftKings, gave $12,500 to each of those four Douglas County “Kids First” candidates.

Stephen Keen, a Fort SEE SPENDING, P5

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Collins lawyer, donated $40,000 to Jefferson County school board candidate Paula Reed and $10,000 each to Mary Parker and Danielle Varda in the same district. All three candidates were supported by the Democratic Party.

This year’s large individual contributions stand out compared to prior contests.

The Colorado Sun looked at contributions of $10,000 and more in school board contests statewide in 2017 and 2019. There were five

individual contributions of $10,000 to school board candidates in 2017 and 21 in 2019.

That compares with 26 such donations by individuals this year through mid-October, a statistic that doesn’t include donors who gave multiple times that added up to $10,000 or more.

Teachers unions’ small-donor committees made seven donations of $10,000 or more to school board candidates in 2017 and 14 in 2019.

That compares with 14 such donations so far this year.

Outside cash focused on Denver, Aurora contests Independent expenditure commit-

tees — similar to federal super PACs — also spent heavily this year.

Ten such groups spent nearly $1.5 million on mailers, digital ads and other campaign efforts in 13 districts around the state, including Denver, Aurora, Jefferson and Douglas counties.

Most of the independent spending — nearly $818,000 — was in the four Denver Public Schools contests.

The top spender among the committees was Students Deserve Better, which spent in Denver, Jefferson County, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Brighton and two Larimer County districts. That group is funded by teacher unions.

Parents for Great Schools, another committee that spent large sums this year, was focused on the Denver races.

It’s funded by Denver Parents for Public Schools, a new nonprofit group that doesn’t have to report its donors.

And Colorado League of Charter Schools Action, funded by a nonprofit of the same name, spent in Denver, Aurora and Douglas County.

The Colorado League of Charter Schools Action nonprofit also doesn’t have to disclose its donors.

To explore candidate and committee reports through Oct. 13 and independent spending reports, go to followthemoneyco.com.

Last year of limitless fundraising?

Sirota, the Democratic state representative from Denver, said her 2020 bill to limit individual contributions to school board candidates at $2,500 “failed because of COVID.” Lawmakers took a more than two-month break in mid-session and severely altered the agenda upon returning in late May. Sirota’s bill died in a Senate committee.

She said she is considering bringing the legislation back in 2022, but hasn’t made a decision yet.

“It’s probably a better bill to run during an even year,” she said. “It’s less likely to disrupt the middle of a campaign cycle in an even year.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com.

The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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November 4, 2021

Forum confrontation occurs as heated school board race closes Sheriff’s office investigates incident at candidate event

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Kevin Leung, a Douglas County School Board member who was running for re-election, filed a report with the county sheriff’s office after a heated confrontation with an audience member at a candidate forum.

The development came as the closely watched school board election was nearing its Nov. 2 conclusion, with tensions among community members splashed across social media.

(For election results, go online to ColoradoCommunityMedia.com.)

Leung, who was elected to the board in 2017, told Colorado Community Media that he was leaving a private forum held at Wind Crest Senior Living in Highlands Ranch on Oct. 20 when a man who appeared to be upset approached him.

Leung said the man appeared to be dissatisfied with answers to questions he had asked during the forum about teacher turnover and a former district superintendent. After the event concluded, the man continued asking Leung about the topics and told the school board member he was not adequately responding, Leung said.

“He finally said this to me, ‘You are not qualified at all. You don’t speak English,’” Leung said.

Leung said at that point, he took

Kevin Leung

COURTESY PHOTO

out his phone and attempted to record the conversation. He alleged the man grabbed the phone from him and then “shoved it back to me” when Leung asked him to return it.

Leung’s fellow candidate and slate member Juli Watkins told Colorado Community Media that she witnessed a portion of the conversation and observed Leung mostly listening to the man.

“The man was yelling at him that

he couldn’t even speak English and it was clearly aggressive,” Watkins said.

Leung said he filed the sheriff’s office report because the man took his property.

A spokeswoman for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on Oct. 26 that detectives were investigating the incident. Another spokesman said on Oct. 28 that possible charges were pending in the case but said he

could not disclose additional details while the case remained open.

The person involved could not be reached by Colorado Community Media for comment. A spokeswoman for Wind Crest said the man is not affiliated with the center and was escorted off campus after the incident.

“While the incident occurred at Wind Crest, it did not directly involve or impact any of the community’s residents or employees. As always, the safety and well-being of all who live and work at Wind Crest remains our top priority,” the statement said.

Holly Osborne Horn was the campaign manager for the Kids First slate of school board candidates, which included Leung’s opponent in the election, Christy Williams.

Horn also attended the Oct. 20 forum and said both men acted inappropriately.

The man had asked “a strange question” during the forum about teacher turnover, calling a former superintendent a “racist, hell-on-wheels superintendent,” she told Colorado Community Media.

Horn said the man and several other audience members grew frustrated with what they felt were indirect answers to that and other question. She was sitting a few seats away when the confrontation with Leung began, she said, although she did not hear exactly how the conversation started.

SEE INCIDENT, P10

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November 4, 2021

Behind the curtain at the county coroner’s office Elected official leads staff that investigates deaths

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Inside the Douglas County Coroner’s Office in Castle Rock, there’s an autopsy suite equipped with modern equipment to carry out medical examinations. There is a refrigerated room holding cadavers, with bodies in black bags on metal gurneys.

The office has black, electric, unmarked SUVs used to transport bodies to the office from the scene of death.

The office’s mission is “providing the citizens of Douglas County, medical professionals, and members of the justice system accurate, scientific, and unbiased medical-based determinations of cause and manner of death in cases falling under the jurisdiction of the office,” its website says.

Like other coroners across the country, County Coroner Jill Romann is an elected official, now serving her second term after first being elected in 2014. Previously she was chief deputy coroner.

Romann is not a physician, but she has three decades of experience in the field, including 21 years as a board-certified medicolegal death investigator for coroner’s and medical examiner’s offices in Colorado, Min-

County Coroner Jill Romann going over things to check during an autopsy.

Douglas County Coroner’s Office staff: (from left) Jessica Carlos, Senior Forensic medicolegal death investigator; Jill Romann, coroner; Nick Lobello, chief deputy coroner; Taylor Lowry, MDI; Lauren Stockton, manager of coroner administration.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

nesota and Wisconsin, her county biography says.

Throughout her time working in death investigation, Romann has

given a lot of thought as to the most efficient leadership for the position of coroner.

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INCIDENT FROM PAGE 6

As they spoke, she said each man seemed angry and the man asked Leung to speak slower.

Horn said she did not hear the man make a comment about Leung being unqualified because of his accent.

“I heard him say, ‘Slow down, I can’t understand your English,’ or ‘You don’t speak English well,’” she said.

Horn said she observed Leung take out his phone and hold it close to the man’s face while the man asked him more than once to remove it. Eventually, “he either swats at the phone or he grabbed the phone,” she said.

As the man was escorted out, Horn said she heard him say he should not have touched Leung’s phone and that he was wrong.

Horn said Leung had an opportunity to de-escalate the situation or prevent it by avoiding the man but had not.

“Neither party was solely guilty.

I don’t think anyone was innocent here. It was like both of them played a part,” she said.

Leung immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong. His first language is Cantonese, and he began learning English at a young age, with a focus on learning to write in English.

Leung called the comment at the Oct. 20 forum regarding his speech hurtful. It’s important to address instances of bullying and discrimi-

nation, he said, so young people and other immigrants feel encouraged to speak up.

The past 18 months “have not been easy for the Asian American people, because of COVID-19,” he said.

“I’ve lived in this country for 33 years. I know I have (an) accent,” he said.

Leung attended another candidate forum at Legend High School on Oct. 25. Candidates on both slates urged civility among attendees and respect for forum rules in their opening remarks.

Leung began his comments by discussing his upbringing in Hong Kong, living with illiterate parents in extreme poverty, who he has said escaped from communist China.

Leung attended college in the United States. At the Oct. 25 forum, he said he worked hard to obtain two master’s degrees and open his own businesses, and considers his life now as living the American dream.

He wants to make his children proud and be a productive member of society through his service on the school board, he told Colorado Community Media.

“Instead, I hear a comment like this, implying that I don’t belong, and I have no busines even coming trying to serve,” he said, referring to the confrontation at the earier forum.

The incident came amid a hotly contested race for four seats on the school board. Fierce debates played out among members of the public in recent weeks as COVID-19 policy galvanized voters, with supporters

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of each slate trading online barbs.

Leung and Watkins were part of a slate of candidates called CommUNITY Matters that advocated continuing certain policies of the current board.

They faced off againts the Kids First slate, including Williams, that vowed to set a new direction for the district and were critical of DCSD’s response to issues including COVID safety rules, equity and academic achievement.

Rumors swirled on social media following the Wind Crest forum incident, including a post describing Leung as the aggressor.

The post was shared dozens of times across multiple pages. It was unclear who authored the statement. Commenters launched into debates, some defending Leung and pointing out the information was unverified, while others discussed voting him out of office.

Horn, the campaign manager for the Kids First slate, said she did not think the post was “blatantly false” but added, “I do think it was definitely sensationalized.”

She and another senior consultant on the Kids First campaign said they do not know who wrote the statement.

Watkins said the post was “a complete misrepresentation of what happened.”

Leung said he was hesitant to respond to the social media furor because the post’s original author was anonymous, and he did not want to further spread its claims.

“I choose to ignore that because there is no truth and no merit in that,” he said.

CORONER FROM PAGE 8

“Unfortunately, they are the lowestpaid physicians out there because they are government employees. We have a 50% to 60% shortage in the nation of board-certified forensic pathologists.”

Medicolegal death investigators like Romann come from a variety of fields, including anthropology, law enforcement, paramedics, mortuary science and nursing. Romann explained that of all medicolegal death investigators nationwide, only 4,000 people have tested for board certification, and roughly 245 have passed.

“At the Douglas County Coroner’s Office, all death investigators are required to test,” Romann said. “I have got the most board-certified medicolegal death investigators in one office outside of New York City.”

Jessica Ray has worked as a death investigator for nearly 10 years, specializing in cases involving opioid addiction and characteristics of opioid-related death. She is boardcertified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators and is currently the highest-trained death investigator at the Douglas County Coroner’s Office.

“Doing this job is like a calling for me. I don’t even really consider this a job,” Ray said. “I love to serve people in this capacity and learn about people’s stories, like how they get to a place in life where they end up in a coroner’s office.”

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Mask use was mixed at an Oct. 26 Douglas County School Board meeting, where people gave public comment for hours about COVIDPHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS 19 policies in the district.

Fraught school board meeting follows lawsuit ruling People support, oppose the district’s COVID masking rules

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

They’re sociopaths. They should resign. Nothing but dictators. They don’t care about kids, they just use them as political pawns. That’s a few of the comments slung at Douglas County School Board members and the superintendent during an emotional, hours-long board meeting on Oct. 26.

“They are possessed with the spirit of tyranny,” a man said about the board.

But to other speakers, the board is a desperately needed sign of hope in a county where other elected officials have walked back COVID-19 safety measures. Those speakers supported masking mandates, for their vulnerable loved ones, and their children with disabilities.

Several lamented COVID-19 misinformation shared at meetings.

“I appreciate you fighting for the mask mandate,” said a mother to children with disabilities.

Like numerous others during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oct. 26 school board meeting stretched late into the night after dozens of people gave public comment.

The agenda included talks about compensation, a capital master plan and staff recognition, but most people had come to talk about masking policies and COVID-19. A few broached equity in education, too.

The crowd cheered and applauded as leaders from four charter schools requested waivers from the district’s

common communicable disease policy, an effort to set their own COVID-19 protocols.

Leman Academy, Aspen View Academy, North Star and American Academy wanted waivers from the disease policy. American Academy and Leman also requested waivers from the equity policy.

“We only want the autonomy that we had last year where we had the ability to determine our own COVID protocols and practice,” said Erin Kane, executive director of American Academy.

Multiple times, board President David Ray asked the audience to refrain from outbursts after they heckled people who supported masking or shouted their support to people who opposed mandates.

Ray said it created an unsafe environment for people who might have a different opinion, although that argument did little to pacify people, who frequently laughed when he said that.

Emotions in the community ran high earlier in the day on Oct. 26, coming just a week before the final day of a contentious school board election.

That afternoon, a federal judge had granted a temporary restraining order requested by the district’s civil lawsuit against the new Douglas County Health Department.

That halted enforcement of a public health order that let people opt out of masking mandates in the county.

For at least two weeks from the date of that order, the district will be able to resume its policy requiring masks unless someone has a medical exemption.

The Oct. 26 meeting capped with a tense moment between two attendees.

After the last speaker, Ray announced a meeting break. A man

stood up and urged the room not to mask their children. The district could not force students to cover their faces, he said, citing the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

As he spoke, Sarah Wu, the campaign manager for Juli Watkins, a candidate for Douglas County School Board, appeared to lose patience. She sat through much of the meeting knitting, but now yelled at the man, “Just shut up.”

She told him to get out, then began briskly walking toward him from across the room. People including school board member Kevin Leung rushed to stop her, calming her down and leading her away. A woman in crowd told her not to do something she might regret. Another shouted, “Arrest her.” A woman shouted that people who wore masks were cowards.

Wu left the room minutes later.

Board President David Ray asked security to clear people from the area.

It’s not the first exchange between public speakers that raised eyebrows. At a meeting in September, Douglas County GOP officer and vocal supporter of the Kids First slate Steve Collier was leaving the lectern after his public comment.

He looked at a man seated in the audience who spoke earlier in support of issues like the district’s equity policy.

As he passed by, Collier leaned in and rapidly jabbed his finger toward the man, yelling, “Hi, buddy.” The man had little reaction beyond shaking his head.

A district spokeswoman was not immediately able to confirm if the district received complaints about either incident or if the district would take action. On Oct. 26, the meeting resumed and finished its regular agenda, concluding with an executive session about the lawsuit.

Highlands Ranch Herald 13

November 4, 2021

Judge temporarily halts county’s mask opt-out policy School district again requires facial coverings

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER AND JESSICA GIBBS EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A federal judge on Oct. 26 issued a ruling sought by the Douglas County School District, temporarily halting a public health order by the county’s new Board of Health that allowed people to opt out of mask mandates and restricted quarantines.

The school district later announced it is reinstating its previous quarantining policies and will require masking for everyone inside its schools unless an individual has a written medical exemption.

District Superintendent Corey Wise said in a statement that the policy is aimed at giving every child, regardless of their circumstances, a fair shot at a safe education.

“As a school district, we strive to do everything possible to protect the health, safety, and learning of every single child, especially our most vulnerable and those with significant health conditions who are particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Today’s ruling allows us to do just that,” Wise said the day of the ruling.

In a statement, school board President David Ray called the ruling “a win for the families of students with high-risk medical conditions,” and said no one should have to choose between sending their children to school and risking their health.

“All of our students deserve access to in-person learning, and the court’s decision allows us to continue enacting policies that ensure students — including those with disabilities and underlying medical conditions — have the ability to do so, safely,” Ray said.

Issuing a temporary restraining order in connection with a lawsuit filed by the district, U.S. District Judge John Kane ordered the newlyformed Douglas County Health Department not to enforce the public health order for at least 14 days.

Before the public health order, the district mandated the wearing of masks inside its schools as a COVID safety measure. The county order allowed adults to opt themselves out of the district mask rule and students to opt out with a parent’s note.

“I find the risk of irreparable harm to plaintiffs is significant and they have sufficiently demonstrated that the public health order denies student plaintiffs reasonable accommodations of science-backed mask

SIGN FROM PAGE 1

Kientz said Matte started working as a custodian for Arrowwood at the time of the school’s opening in 2000.

“He was instrumental in the daily running of this building, and he took great pride in keeping our building very clean,” Kientz said.

“Visitors frequently commented

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/SHUTTERSTOCK

and quarantine requirements,” Kane said.

The ruling came after arguments were presented by the Douglas County Health Department and the school district Oct. 25 and 26 in support of the district’s suit challenging the county health department.

The suit’s plaintiffs include nine families of students said to be at high risk of COVID-19.

“The order denies student plaintiffs reasonable accommodations in the form of adequate masking and quarantining protocol necessary to provide them with equal access to public education,” Kane said in his ruling.

Kane said he would revisit the issue for a possible preliminary injunction Nov. 8.

In a statement in response to the ruling, the Douglas County Health Department said it disagreed with the decision.

“We remain confident that when we have more time to make a full case we will be able to demonstrate that the Douglas County Board of Health struck the proper balance of public health protection and parental involvement in health care decisions for their children,” according to the statement, released through a spokesperson.

“Our order allowed the school district to continue its mask mandate even though the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment lifted its statewide mask mandate for students in July,” the statement said. “We would continue to encourage the Douglas County Board of Education to make partners of all parents in decisions that fundamentally impact their children.”

Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon responded to the decision with a comment to reporters.

“While Douglas County continues to remain virtually without any pediatric COVID hospitalizations, including students with disabilities, this school board refuses to relinquish their militant grip on kids’ and parents’ personal health care choices in order to maintain senseless, one-size-fits-all authoritarian policies,” he said.

The district and families of highrisk students sued the county’s new health department Oct. 20, alleging that the agency’s new public health order violated civil rights of students with disabilities.

“The message is simple: In these very complex times, our most vulnerable children cannot be left behind,” Ray said in a statement at the time.

The Douglas County health agency passed its first public health order on Oct. 8. The order allowed parents and guardians to opt children out of masking mandates in the county with a note saying masks negatively affected a student’s mental and physical health. Adults can opt themselves out.

The health order also placed more limits on how people without COVID symptoms could be quarantined if exposed to COVID-19.

It was that order that Kane’s ruling temporarily blocked.

The district’s lawsuit says in the course of five days, its “rate of mask-wearing dropped from 97% to 83%, and over 4,500 students and over 500 staff were exempted from wearing a mask” after the health order passed.

Douglas County set up its own public health department amid a long-running dispute with the TriCounty Health Department over COVID safety rules. Tri-County had been Dougco’s public health agency for decades.

on how this place sparkled — especially the windows.”

Kientz said Matte also had two children attending Arrowwood.

In 2014, Matte was diagnosed with cancer. Kientz said while going through treatment, Matte never missed a day of work.

In 2015, Matte died due to complications of surgery.

Kientz said following his death, the school wanted to honor Matte’s memory. Administrators decided it was fitting to name the pickup/

dropoff lane in Matte’s honor in 2015.

Kientz said over five years there has never been a problem with the signs until now.

After attempting to get the signs returned through emails to school parents, Kientz said now they are hoping to find results by reaching out the community.

Anyone with information about the signs can contact Kientz by email at Barbara.Kientz@dcsdk12. org.

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14 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

November 4, 2021

VOICES SPORTS

Personal growth precedes, boosts professional growth

L

ast week I had the privilege to participate in a professional development program for salespeople delivered by my good friend and mentor Bryan Fla- WINNING nagan. Although WORDS I have seen Bryan and many other corporate trainers deliver quality programs for more than 20 years, I still pick up something new, or a lesson that needed to be reinforced.

Michael Norton I listened to this one sentence, and I was immediately transported back to hearing Zig Ziglar talk about how important it is to develop the person, not just the skill set. Here is what was said: “Personal growth always precedes professional growth.” Having spent most of my professional career in the personal and professional development industry, I know this to be an accurate statement.

Working with companies of all sizes, one of the questions I receive is around guidance for a sales training program or leadership development

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The county health board follies When will this Board of Health farce end?

At a town hall, Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon insisted the new BoH will “not cost one more penny” than the $2.5M/year paid to the Tri-County Health Department now under their intergovernmental agreement (IGA).

That is inaccurate. In the IGA, the commissioners agreed to pay the $2.5M/year currently paid through 2022. But the commissioners also agreed to pay up to an additional $360K to offset administrative costs for leaving.

The BoH also discussed the requirement to hire a medical director, a position likely requiring $300K/year in salary/benefits, while the county has paid consultants, so far, $80K. This cursory look shows the BoH will cost the county approximately $1M more than TCHD through 2022.

And before the meeting, Adams County announced it was also leaving TriCounty, putting TCHD’s continued existence at risk … along with the county’s plan to provide public health services through 2022.

The BoH is also embroiled in a SEE LETTERS, P15

A publication of

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program that can help companies accelerate growth. And before I answer, I ask a question in return, “What have you done so far to build the people in your organization?” Almost everyone will answer with a list of courses or companies that they have worked with to address or focus on a specific skill set such as sales training, time management, communication skills, customer service training, presentation skills, etc.

When this happens, I pause and reframe the question. I acknowledge that those skills absolutely help develop capabilities, and then I ask them to think about some of the other character traits that can impact their people personally and professionally while still helping the company to grow. Some understand my question as they recognize that when we work on building our people, the people will in turn help us build our business.

Equally, if not more important than the skills mentioned above, are the softer skills training such as confidence, developing a positive attitude, building winning relationships at home and at work, goal setting and achievement, and learning to work and live with hope. When

we can instill or work to strengthen these qualities, our people will be in a much better frame of mind to receive the other skills-based training that can further their career while contributing to their team and the organization.

Having been in the people building business for most of my life, I can share with you that unfortunately many organizations miss this opportunity. This is a shame because there is so much available data that supports the fact that when we work on the personal growth aspects of our people, the professional growth always follows. Companies who overlook investing in personal development opportunities often find themselves paying substantially higher replacement costs.

Sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that all the people we hire or who are already a part of our team don’t need any help in their personal growth. This is flawed thinking because each of us will go through life’s challenges, and we may not always be prepared for the impact or toll those challenges can take on our lives. Even some of our people whom we see as strong and capable may be going through

a hardship that can cross over into their professional work. We all bring our home life to work and our work life home, both the good and the bad.

Self-confidence helps us to develop a positive outlook and attitude.

A positive attitude contributes to building winning relationships.

Confident and positive people who work well with others become goals oriented and results focused. And when we can help develop all these character traits in our people, hope abounds. And as John Maxwell says, “If there is hope in the future, there is power in the present.”

Personal growth precedes and accelerates professional growth. If you have questions about how to go about this for you and your team, I would love to hear from you at mnorton@ tramazing.com. And when we can live and work with confidence, a positive attitude, establish winning relationships, realize our goals, and become filled with hope, it really will be a better than good year.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager, and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

Dual-tasking can help with balance

A

s you age, you may start to notice changes in your balance, or may have already experienced a fall. Noticing changes in your balance can LIVING & feel intimidating AGING WELL or even scary at times, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in this journey to maintain or improve your balance. In fact, most falls are Sadie Schanbacher preventable.

With the proper education and training for balance, you can achieve significant improvement in your balance and reduce your risk of falling.

A common misconception about balance is that it relies mostly on your body’s strength. The truth is, balance is just as much of a challenge for your brain as it is for your body, and strength only plays a small part. There are many things that impact your balance in addi-

tion to strength, such as vision, lighting changes, medications and more. For example, if you need to use your hands to get out of a chair, this may be a sign your coordination has changed, or that your strength has declined.

Balance is a reflex, and you can improve your balance through physical exercises (such as onelegged stands) and cognitive exercises (such as solving math problems or playing memory games).

What’s most effective is combining these exercises at the same time, also known as “dual-tasking.” Dualtasking challenges you to think and move at the same time, which helps your balance reflexes and better prepares you for the world and its many uncertainties. One real-life example of dual-tasking is being asked a question while walking — oftentimes if this happens to an older adult, they’ll typically stop walking in order to answer the question. This is because the part of the brain that controls balance has declined. The good news is that dual-tasking balance training can significantly improve balance after

just a few weeks of training.

There are also plenty of things you can do at home to help improve your balance in your everyday routine. Try some of these helpful tips in your free time around the house: • Adjust your stance.

• Every time you brush your teeth, challenge yourself to stand with your feet closer together.

• Focus on your footing.

• Focus on stepping from heel to toe when you’re walking. This gives your brain the information it needs to assess the walking surface.

• Talk while moving.

• Train your brain and body to work together by counting items around a room or carrying on a conversation. Listening to music is a great distraction as well.

• Lift your feet over imaginary objects.

• Practice lifting your feet over imaginary objects to prepare yourself for everyday trip hazards, such as rugs. Trip hazards exist everywhere — learning to safely and consistently step over them is better

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Highlands Ranch Herald A legal newspaper of general circulation in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the Herald is published weekly on Thursday

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Send address change to: Highlands Ranch Herald, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

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November 4, 2021

PROGRAM FROM PAGE 1

her two children, it rocked the community and Brooker, being a Type A personality, could not stand by and gdo nothing.

Brooker founded the nonprofit .You Are Not Alone Mom 2 Mom (YANAM2M) and never looked back, developing a community service where mothers can get help before they do something that cannot be reversed.

Brooker, of Highlands Ranch, started hosting weekly meetings and assigning sponsor moms to anyone asking for help. , Joan Mahoney, currently of Elizabeth, said YANAM2M helped save her from what she described as a “very dark time in my life.”

Mahoney explained that she and ther family had been living in Littleton when her husband lost his job, forcing them to move in with her in-laws. Add in an unexpected third pregnancy, and Mahoney said life got overwhelming.

“I started having suicidal thoughts,” Mahoney said. “I was convinced my family would be better off without me. I was evening starting to plan it. I started reaching out and reaching out. YANA was the one that reached back.”

Brooker assigned Mahoney to a sponsor mom, Carol, who came from a similar situation. Mahoney said

AGING FROM PAGE 14

than avoiding them long-term.

• Shift your weight.

• Hover your hands inside a sink for safety and shift your weight from one leg, then the other. If this is too easy, try it with your eyes closed.

The state of Colorado cares about its older adult residents and their health and wellness needs. Part of your health and wellness includes your balance, which is why Colorado provides helpful resources for balance training. One program that is offered to older adults is free access to Nymbl (website: co.fallsfree. com), a dual-tasking balance training app that can be done in the comfort of your home. If you have

LETTERS FROM PAGE 14

lawsuit with the school district.

Private plaintiffs provided advanced notice, and a draft complaint, to the county and district regarding what action would occur if the new dilettante BoH removed Tri-County’s masking requirements. The district saw the losing position of the BoH and supported the students as a plaintiff rather than be a named defendant.

The temporary restraining order hearing was a lopsided embarrassment for the BoH when trying to justify its public health Order under the rules of evidence and subjected to cross-examination.

Stop the madness.

Robert C. Marshall Highlands Ranch

before long she learned she had that group of supportive moms, was not alone and what she was feeling is relatable.

Mahoney said while she was meeting with Carol, Brooker would personally watch her children.

“I didn’t have to worry and look over my shoulder to make sure they were OK,” Mahoney said. “(Brooker) orchestrated all of it just to get me out. Carol would call and check on me knowing I was not going to call them.”

YANAM2M started small and has continued to grow steadily over the last five years.

Now, Brooker said it is time for the program to take a step into anothefr level. Aiming to mimic the La Leche organization’s model, Brooker said she is working with local hospitals to reach moms while they are still in the hospital after delivering a baby.

La Leche works with mothers to breastfeed their infants. Consultants for the program go into hospital rooms to provide support and coaching to help interested moms start the breastfeeding process as smoothly as possible.

Not only has the La Leche program made a difference in the lives of many mothers, Brooker said they are her model because it all started in a basement in 1956 with two mothers.

Brooker said mental health is just as important to new moms as breastfeeding, and she would like to make connections with them as soon as possible.

According to the American Psychology Association, in the U.S. one in seven women suffer from postpartum depression, meaning 800,000 new mothers are impacted each year.

While a mother who just delivered a baby may not know if they need mental health guidance, Brooker said making the connection early to let them know YANAM2M is always there is important for future reference.

Brooker said moms will continue to get follow-up calls after three months, six months, nine months and at the 12-month mark. Moms who want continued assistance will get it. Those who don’t will have their wishes respected, Brooker said.

Postpartum depression does not have a timer, Brooker said. It may not start as soon as the baby is born, she said. It does not just go away at the one-month or one-year mark, she said. Women can be impacted by postpartum depression for years, she continued.

Mahoney said postpartum and prepartum depression is real, and if a mom is dealing with financial and family stress, things can only get worse. Programs like YANAM2M are a valuable resource, she said.

For the new program to see success, Brooker said up-front costs have to be met. Brooker said the

OBITUARIES MORRILL

questions about your balance or fall risk, you can always start by talking to your doctor about these topics.

Sadie Schanbacher is the marketing coordinator for Nymbl Science. For additional information, or to access resources or services, please call 1-800672-6854 or visit co.fallsfree.com.

This column is hosted by the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County. Please join us for our next virtual online presentation from 10-11 a.m. on Dec. 2, when presenter Nathan Estrada, clinical VP with Nymbl Science will present about Nymbl’s fall prevention program and how to improve quality of life by enhancing your balance. For more information, please visit www.MyDougCoSeniorLife.com, email DCSeniorLife@douglas.co.us or call 303-663-7681.

A telling moment At the most recent school board meeting, a woman said (and this is a direct quote): “How dare you put special-needs kids before my own kids?”

Not only is it required by law for the school board to take into account the needs of high-risk students — a hard-won victory from decades of fighting from our special-needs parents across the country — is it not our Christian and moral obligation to look after the “least of these” and to do so as well?

For years friends have told me we are no longer a Christian nation, and I have pushed back. But hearing that comment at the school board meeting, I realize now that maybe my friends are right.

Christina Marriott Highlands Ranch

organization relies on grant funds, but a lot of programs only want to provide financial support to organizations helping low-income families.

YANAM2M is for all mothers, Brooker said, no matter which income class they may fall.

Brooker said in the metro area, several of the mothers who have committed suicide are considered middle-class.

“Depression does not know income or standing in the community,” Brooker said. “Depression can impact any mother at any time. They all need our help. Programs like this are tough to explain and understand.

Mental health is not always explained through simple scientific reasoning.”

To raise the funds to get the new program operating in Highlands Ranch and, eventually, at other hospitals along the Front Range, Brooker will be hosting the Strong Mama Gala fundraiser on Dec. 3.

With a goal to raise $100,000, Brooker said the special event will be held at the Village Workspace, 7173 S. Havana St. #600, Centennial, with free food and drinks. With a hefty goal, Brooker said she estimates it will cost $70,000 in the first year to get the new program going.

The Strong Mama Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the website at yanam2m.org.

KaeLyn Morrill

October 18, 1961 - October 21, 2021

KaeLyn Morrill passed away peacefully on October 21, 2021, in Denver, Colorado following a series of complications from brain surgery on April 5, 2021. She was born in Logan, Utah, on October 18, 1961, to Stanley G. and Gwena McKee Morrill. She was the oldest of 12 siblings—one birth sister and 10 adopted brothers and sisters. She was just nine years older than her youngest sibling. She has lived in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Ontario Canada, South Dakota, and Colorado.

KaeLyn is remembered by many for her brilliant mind and her kind heart. She was always willing to help others. She loved to read and study. Even in her preteens, she was designated the official tutor for some of her younger siblings. She graduated with honors from Steven’s High School in Rapid City, South Dakota. After achieving a perfect

36 on her ACT test, she went on to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science at Brigham Young University in three years. She continued to tutor others throughout her high school and college years. She worked in the computer engineering industry for many years. She also studied nutrition and chemistry and created an online health program and a blog for those seeking better health through nutrition. She created a cook book for healthy eating and was in the process of creating another cook book and another website.

KaeLyn enjoyed music and loved to play her baby grand piano. One thing she is remembered for is her small, private piano recitals.

KaeLyn will be dearly missed by her family, friends and husband Ray Ericson.

In Loving Memory

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. 303-566-4100 obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com Self placement available online at highlandsranchherald.net

16 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

November 4, 2021

LIFE

LETTING

IT FLY Isaac Smith, of Highlands Ranch, draws his bow while target-shooting at Quick Draw Archery’s indoor range on Oct. 15.

PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

Littleton-area resident Adrian Evangelista practices target-shooting archery on Oct. 15 at Bear Creek Archery near Englewood.

Castle Rock’s Chris Treloar, a staff shooter at Quick Draw Archery in Highlands Ranch, draws his bow while target-shooting at Quick Draw’s indoor range on Oct. 15. Treloar started practicing archery about three years ago and has competed in tournaments across the country.

Conifer-area resident Dave Cenedella, right, looks to buy a new compound bow at Bear Creek Archery near Englewood on Oct. 15.

Cenedella has been practicing archery for about six years and made a range in his yard.

Archers find their own aims, outlets on indoor ranges

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

c r rchery is more than how Katniss Everdeen won the i L Hunger Games.

It’s whatever the archer wants it to be — a friendly competi- s tion; a therapeutic outlet for one’s c i frustration; a challenging, physical exercise; a mental game; a way i w to hunt; a way to make friends; a discipline; a skill; a sport; and much t more. a Littleton-area resident Adrian Evangelista said shooting every day l t at Bear Creek Archery, in unincorporated Arapahoe County near n Englewood, is a way to get out of w the house. p “(Archery) teaches you how to t manage your frustration … and learn from your mistakes,” he said. a “ … Life could be boring without U sports.”

As the weather turns colder and the days get shorter, many archers s p have moved indoors for targetshooting and tournament season, r o which runs until March. c Archery in general has become more mainstream in recent years, and its popularity has grown dur- w ing the pandemic because it’s a “CO-b VID friendly” activity, Bear Creek a Archery owner Dave Marsh said. M Kevin Lewis, who owns Quick Draw Archery in Highlands Ranch, said the sport usually sees an uptick in interest after the Summer Olympics. But, Hollywood is also responsible for archery’s increasing popularity, especially among girls.

After 2012’s “The Hunger Games” movie came out, Lewis said everybody wanted to be like Katniss. He also wondered whether Disney’s upcoming “Hawkeye” TV show will likewise generate interest in the sport.

Evangelista, who started archery in 2013, recommended people give it a shot at least once, saying, “If you like it, you like it.”

A

Setting their sights on indoor competitions This time of year, Lewis said indoor ranges see a mix of people doing it for fun, children learning the sport, and archers practicing for tournaments.

For a serious archer, he said, indoor and outdoor archery are two completely different games. There are more options outdoors, including hunting and 3D target courses; but indoor has its own world of events and specialists too, Lewis explained.

Conifer-area resident Dave Cenedella said he and his wife plan to compete in the Thursday night league at Bear Creek Archery.

Cenedella, who’s been practicing archery for six years, said he enjoys bow-hunting and shooting in his backyard range. Like rifle-shooting, archery requires self-reliance, he continued, but it doesn’t impact SEE ARCHERY, P17

Highlands Ranch Herald 17

November 4, 2021

ARCHERY FROM PAGE 16

one’s hearing like rifle-shooting does.

“It’s super-challenging,” Cenedella said of archery. “There are so many variables, and you have to do everything the same way every time.”

Right now, Colorado’s best archers are preparing for this February’s Vegas Shoot, the annual indoor “Super Bowl of archery” in Las Vegas.

Castle Rock’s Chris Treloar, a staff shooter at Quick Draw Archery, said the tournament world is a lot of fun. He’s competed in indoor and outdoor competitions, winning several across Colorado.

Treloar also enjoys the ritualistic side of archery. The state has a huge archery community, with lots of shops and organizations, so there’s something going on every night, he said.

Fellow staff shooter Rick Typher, who lives in Highlands Ranch, appreciates how archery is therapeutic and a mental game, stating, “It’s a battle against yourself.”

Littleton’s Nathan Hartford, 14, takes aim while target-shooting at Quick Draw Archery’s indoor range on Oct. 15. Nathan and his PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN dad, Ben Hartford, started practicing archery a few months ago.

Un-bow-lievable fun Whether archers only recently started shooting or have been practicing it for years, local indoor ranges have something for everyone, including private lessons and classes for all experience levels.

Many rent out recurve bows, which are generally easier to draw but harder to hold, local professional archer Steve Marsh explained.

Meanwhile, compound bows are

earlier this fall. Ben used to do it at camp, and revisited it when his cousin gifted him a bow. Since then, he and Nathan have been practicing how to sight their targets.

“It’s a skill,” Hartford continued.

“The more you do it, the better you get.”

Isaac Smith, a college student from Highlands Ranch, started five or six years ago and described it a fun hobby that he revisits whenever he can. He enjoys both indoor and

individualized and end up being harder to draw but easier to hold, he said.

“You can’t expect to master (archery) overnight,” he said.

Marsh, who works at Bear Creek Archery and shoots for the Matthews Archery team, described how he started archery at age 8 but didn’t become proficient until he was 20.

Littleton’s Ben Hartford and his son Nathan, 14, started archery

Castle Rock resident Chris Treloar, a staff shooter at Quick Draw Archery in Highlands Ranch, pulls arrows out of his target while shooting at Quick Draw’s indoor range on Oct. 15.

outdoor archery, and likes setting up makeshift ranges whenever he goes camping.

“It can be relaxing if you don’t stress about it,” he said.

Madison Myles, who lives in the Parker area and started archery when she was 10, also has an outdoor range at home and tries to shoot at least once a week.

“I like the joy of it — the adrenaline rush,” she said. “It’s fun. Just try it out.”

Parker-area resident Madison Myles, foreground, and Highland Ranch’s Isaac Smith shoot a compound bow and a recurve bow, respectively, on Oct. 15 at Quick Draw Archery. The business features a 20-yard indoor range and retail for archery supplies.

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18 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

Monarch Magic comes to Butterfly Pavilion

T

he Butterfly Pavilion at 6542 W. 104th Ave. in Westminster, a unique Colorado facility that claims to be the first accredited, stand-alone nonprofit invertebrate zoo in the world, is celebrating MonSONYA’S arch Magic, an event that started SAMPLER with the release on Nov. 1 of more than 300 monarch butterflies in the Wings of the Tropics butterfly conservatory.

Monarchs are a popular symbol in the Mexican tradiSonya Ellingboe tion of Dia de los Muertos and are recognized for their 3,000-mile migrations from Canada and the northern United States to the oyamel fir forests in the mountains of Mexico, where they are expected about now.

What a treat to be in the midst of these lovely creatures, who actually don’t travel here much on their own when migrating. Appreciation of all pollinators is in order. Tickets: $13, $11, $9, with some discounts available for multiple tickets. See butterflies.org, 303-469-5441.

Curtis Center The Of Order and Chaos Art Collective was launched in 2019

by Richard Rodriguez, Elizabeth Rouland, Dan Oakleaf, Sascha Ripps and Kevin Weckbaugh, and the

taineering Center in Golden. More about cowboy poets when we hear ...

Monarch butterflies, like these in the Butterfly House at the Denver Botanic Gardens’ PHOTO BY MARK HARDEN Chatfield Farms, are being spotlighted at the Butterfly Pavilion.

group holds its debut exhibition at Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, opening Nov. 6 with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

Our note says the group originally planned to explore the visual idea of “Equalization,” working with repeated patterns and textures to find order, but has expanded to mark a journey through the chaos wrought

by COVID and a year in lockdown ... The first two years of working in community weren’t as expected.

Curtis hours are Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They will be in the gallery to talk to visitors from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 13, 20, and Dec. 4, 11, 18.

Admission is free. 303-797-1779.

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Arts guild workshop Well-known area artist Victoria Kwasinski will return to lead a workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 20 for Heritage Fine Arts Guild members and guests at Littleton First Presbyterian Church, 1609 W. Littleton Blvd. in Littleton. The focus will be on good composition, using abstract designs and patterns, using oil pastels. Cost is $35 for guild members and $50 for non-members, with a limit of 12 students. (HFAG membership costs $40.) Visit heritage-guild.com/membership for sign-up forms. For more information, contact Mary kay Jacobus at mkstudio@comcast.net.

Boulder Dinner Theater Boulder Dinner Theater, 5501 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, is offering performances of Irving Berlin’s classic “White Christmas,” playing Nov. 13 to Jan. 8, 2022. Older readers will happily recall the early movie with Big Crosby and Danny Kaye and younger ones will know the music to this award-winning show.

See bdtstage.com for reservations or call 303-449-6000. Into 2022, watch for The Glenn Miller Orchestra to appear Feb. 22-23. Formed in 1956 and touring worldwide since.

Plan ahead The always-popular Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering will happen Jan 15-16 at the American Moun-

‘Firekeeper’s Daughter’ author Young adult thriller author Angeline Boulley, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians and author of “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” will talk via Zoom at 6 p.m. Nov. 12. Books are available at Book Bar, 4280 Tennyson St., Denver, and will include a signed bookplate while copies last. Her talk, sponsored by Arapahoe Libraries, requires registration at arapahoelibraries.org or call 303-LIBRARY (303-542-7279.) The book is about a Native teen who must root out corruption in her community.

Boulley, a former director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The library can assist with information on how to access Zoom, if needed.

Pop-up shows Groups of Littleton Fine Arts Guild artists will host pop-up shows at the Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave., Littleton, through Nov. 7: Linda Birch, Ivy Delon, Karen Shaw, Kathy Triplett, Loren Gilbert. Nov. 9-14: Teri Hendrix, Pam O’Mara, Chris Johnson, Sally Vander Kamp, Rebekah Griffith. Open 11 a.m. to 4 .m. Tuesday through Sunday. 303-795-0781, depotartgallery.org. Admission free.

Denver Art Museum Opening Nov. 14 at the Denver Art Museum: “Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France” with more than 100 artworks from 1855 to 1913. This exhibit is curated by Timothy Standring, curator emeritus at the Denver Art Museum and presented on Level Two of the Hamilton Building. Through March 13, 2022. 720-865-5000, denverartmuseum.org.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.

Highlands Ranch Herald 19

November 4, 2021

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20 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

Former mayor pivots to fight pancreatic cancer Wings of Hope raises awareness, funds for progress

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Of all cancers, pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest to suspect, screen for or treat. For Castle Pines resident Maureen Shul, the disease took away two family members and changed her outlook on life.

In 2007, Shul was stepping into the political arena, leading the charge to incorporate Castle Pines.

As that vision became reality in 2008, Shul said advocates thought it was only fitting that she become the city’s first mayor.

Shul said politics and the path she was following all changed when her brother and mother died of pancreatic cancer in the same year.

Shul said when her brother was diagnosed, she had never even heard of that form of cancer.

Pancreatic cancer begins in the pancreas, an organ in the upper part of the abdomen, behind the stomach and in front of the spine.

The pancreas is shaped like a fish with a wide head, a tapering body, and a narrow, pointed tail. The pancreas is part of the digestive system.

Dr. Richard Schulick, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, said it is because of where the pancreas is located that catching cancer at an early stage without proper screening is next to impossible.

“Pancreatic cancer is just a bad and tough cancer compared to other cancers we deal with,” he said. “With breast cancer you can feel a mass. With colon cancer, you have bleeding. This cancer is deep in the middle of the body, and you can’t see it or feel it.”

Besides the inability to see or feel pancreatic cancer, Shul said neither her mother nor brother had symptoms.

Symptoms for the disease can be minor and can often be overlooked

Wings of Hope Founder Maureen Shul with Dr. Richard Schulick.

by a regular physician, Shul said.

If someone goes to a doctor with severe stomach pain, Shul said it is not uncommon for them to be sent home without further testing.

Schulick said other symptoms besides stomach pain may be unexplained weight loss, or a sudden case of jaundice.

Because it is usually diagnosed at later stages, Schulick said, pancreatic cancer is the third deadliest of all cancers.

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be 60,430 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021. Of those, 48,220

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Shul said her brother died after a four-year battle. Not long after her brother died, Shul said, her mother was diagnosed with the disease in October. By January, her mother died.

At that point, Shul said, politics were no longer important and doing something that made both the lives of her brother and mother matter became a priority. After years of work, Shul started the Wings of Hope Foundation.

After doing more research, Shul said, she quickly found that unlike the situation with other cancers, the system is way behind in creating regular screening protocols and finding successful treatment options for pancreatic cancer because

by the time a diagnosis is made, the disease has progressed too much.

“There really are not all these survivor marches for pancreatic cancer because there are not a lot of survivors,” Shul said. “It is left to family and friends to carry on the fight. It was a no-brainer to start a foundation where everything we raise goes directly to research where answers can be found.”

Since starting Wings of Hope, Shul has raised more than $1.5 million that goes directly to research.

The foundation carries no overhead, she said. There is no expensive CEO salary, as the organization is run with volunteers, she said.

“Where we are now with pancreatic cancer is where breast cancer research was 40 years ago,” Shul said. “Research and results have to move forward.”

Schulick, who is also a professor and chair of the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, said the work Shul does through Wings of Hope is invaluable.

“What she ultimately does is create pots of money to set aside for cutting-edge research,” he said. “Many of the projects getting funded may not work, but the ones that do have high rewards. She provides a steppingstone, a mechanism, to do this research and make progress.”

The only way to screen for pancreatic cancer is an MRI or CT scan. Shul said because of her family connection, she gets tested every six months.

While the cause of pancreatic cancer is mostly unknown, Schulick said family ties are not something to ignore. Anyone with a direct family member who has had pancreatic cancer should go to regular screenings.

Schulick said progress is being made through research to identify the cancer through blood tests.

To continue raising funds through Wings of Hope, Shul said she hosts one major fundraiser a year and several small events like golf tournaments.

Shul said losing her brother and mother made her take a hard look at what matters in life, and making a difference so other families do not go through what she did is the ultimate goal.

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Highlands Ranch Herald 21

November 4, 2021

Douglas County joins in on state’s opioid settlement County will work with municipalities to dole out funds

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County will participate in a statewide settlement agreement following litigation that aims to hold the makers of pain pills accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.

The Douglas County commissioners agreed Oct. 19 to sign onto a memorandum of understanding with the Colorado Department of Law and all other counties and municipalities that agree to the framework.

“The structure of the settlement is such that the state of

Colorado and other states stand to get significantly more money from these defendants if local governments, like Douglas County, participate in the settlements,” said John Feeney-Coyle, a senior assistant attorney general in the Colorado Department of Law, during a meeting with commissioners.

Colorado stands to receive more than $400 million from the settlement, 80% of which will be distributed to local governments either directly or on a regional basis. Douglas County is considered its own region under the MOU. “It has been AG (Phil) Weiser’s belief that the best way to solve the opioid crisis in Colorado is from the ground up starting with local governments,” Feeney-Coyle said, “You all, I think, know better than anyone else the impact this

crisis has had on your citizens.”

The national settlement, for a proposed $26 billion, is with the opioid manufacturers or distributors Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, McKesson Corporation and Cardinal Health Inc. The funding each county or municipality receives is required to go toward programs that aid in abating the opioid epidemic, Feeney-Coyle said. The agreement also mandates that the county work with its municipalities to decide how the money will be spent.

It asks that the county form a regional committee to make those choices.

Commissioner George Teal said that while Douglas County hasn’t been impacted as deeply by the opioid epidemic as other parts of the state, these funds may offer a chance to take a proactive stance

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on the issue.

“As were rolling out our public health department and we are breaking away from Tri-County over time, maybe this is an area we look to, quite frankly, to get a head start on and move forward with a prevention program that makes use of these funds,” he said.

The decision was unanimously approved by the commissioners.

“We are so grateful that Colorado so far has been able to sort of stand out and be a beacon for collaboration on this important issue” Feeney-Coyle said.

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22 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

November 4, 2021

SPORTS

Arapahoe, runner-up a year ago, won the Class 5A girls team title with defending champion Cherry Creek coming in second.

PHOTO BY JIM BENTON

State cross country titles decided in Springs South metro athletes from Creek, Chaparral take individual firsts

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Riley Stewart of Cherry Creek High School won another Class 5A girls individual cross country title

and Tanner Brown of Parker-area school Chaparral captured his first 5A boys championship on Oct. 30 at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs.

In the 5A team competition, Centennial school Arapahoe won the girls title and Mountain Vista edged crosstown Highlands Ranch school Valor Christian by two points to take home the boys title.

Arapahoe, a runner-up to Cherry Creek in last season’s girls state

meet, reversed places with Creek’s Bruins as the Warriors had 42 points while second place Cherry Creek finished with 60 points.

The 5A boys team chase was close as Vista had five runners in the top 20 to garner 59 points. Valor’s fifth runner was 22nd and the Eagles had 61 points.

Stewart won her third straight individual title and couldn’t say if anybody pushed her during the race, which she won with a time of

17:20.9. Valor Christian’s Brooke Wilson was second in 17:47.4 with Emily Lamontagne of Arapahoe finishing third with a time of 18:01.3.

Aidyn Woodall of Castle Rock school Douglas County was sixth.

“It feels amazing,” said the Stanford-bound Stewart. “The conditions were nice. It was nice and cool and there wasn’t a lot of wind. This title was pretty amazing because it was a SEE COUNTRY, P23

Arapahoe misses chance against Grandview Warriors come out of loss with three-way tie for regular-season top spot

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arapahoe High School, of Centennial, had an opportunity to outright win the Centennial League football regular season championship on Oct. 28 in a game against Grandview, of Aurora.

However, the Arapahoe Warriors started slow and nothing much went much better in a 32-13 loss to the Wolves at Legacy Stadium in Aurora.

Both Arapahoe and Grandview finished the regular season with 8-2 records and tied for first place in the Centennial League with 4-1 records.

It wound up being a three-team tie

for first place after two-time defending state champions Cherry Creek, of Greenwood Village, beat Aurora school Smoky Hill 35-10 on Oct. 29.

Arapahoe surrendered an 81-yard touchdown run to Grandview sophomore quarterback Liam Szarka on the Wolves’ third play of the game.

Then a snap over the punter’s head and a blocked punt produced safeties that pushed Grandview ahead 11-0 in the first quarter.

The teams played even until Grandview’s Moosah Alsafarr, who rushed for 134 yards, scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to increase the Wolves’ lead to 25-7.

Arapahoe scored late in the third quarter on a 12-yard run by DJ Montoya but any comeback hopes were exhausted when Grandview’s Kahden Rullo scored on a 10-yard run after a recovery of a muffed punt runback with 70 seconds remaining in the game.

Pyreese Miller tallied Arapahoe’s

other TD on a 22-yard run with 41 seconds left in the first half.

First-year Warriors coach Joe Nuu praised Grandview before getting into the mistakes by his own team.

“They were just the better team tonight,” he said. “They played great. We felt like we could do some things. You can’t give up a blocked punt, a missed field goal and think we’re going to win the game.

“Even at the end when they stripped the ball from us. It should have been a lot tighter game than it was.”

Arapahoe now awaits to see whom it will play in the playoffs “We’re in the playoffs,” said Nuu. “We just don’t know if we will be in the top eight. The kids are not happy when I told them that.

They’ll get over it. We’re 8-2. Holy cow. It’s a great record. We’ll come back but we held our own destiny in our hands.”

Arapahoe’s Pyresse Miller (10) tries to turn the corner against the Grandview defense in the Oct. 28 game. Miller scored on a 22-yard run later in the second quarter but the Warriors wound up losing the game, 32-13. PHOTO BY JIM BENTON

Highlands Ranch Herald 23

November 4, 2021

State prep playoffs open with Arapahoe win Warriors score 3 goals in 8-minute span against Chaparral

“Chaparral is a good team,” said Hampshire. “Because we jumped on them so early, all of a sudden it was hard for them. Their boys battled and they continued to battle.

“Down the stretch of the season they did some great stuff against Mountain Vista (5-1 win) and against Regis (3-2 win) so we just played extremely well. We needed to because the last three games we did not play well. This was good for us. It was a really good game for us offensively.

Once you score goals it relieves a little pressure off our defense.”

Senior Caleb Ballard led the way for Arapahoe with two goals and two assists for six points to give him 35 points for the season.

Will Grauberger had two goals while Ramzi Maalout, Blake D’Agostino, Clark Roe and Marshall Gueller each scored once.

Goalie Alex Bissett had to make just two saves as he notched his ninth shutout of the year.

At press time, Arapahoe was slated to face Colorado Springs’ Rampart in the second round on Nov. 2.

In other first-round games involving south metro teams, secondseeded Valor Christian’s Zac Brooks got the goal in a 1-0 win by the Highlands Ranch school against Doherty, of Colorado Springs. Rock Cayon’s Owen Barnett had a goal and three points in the Highlands Ranch school’s victory over Poudre, of Fort Collins. Matt Relijanovic and Bailey Voit scored for Castle View, of Castle Rock, in a 2-0 triumph over Chatfield, of Jefferson County.

Mountain Vista, of Highlands Ranch, used goals by Kyle Atkinson, Tristan Larsen and Diego Ramirez to down Aurora Central, 3-1. Cherry Creek, of Greenwood Village, lost a shootout 4-1 against Fossil Ridge, of Fort Collins, after the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Luke Williams scored in the second overtime period to lift Grandview, of Aurora, to a 2-1 win over Regis Jesuit, also of Aurora.

good to get the win.”

Connor Kennedy of Littleton

school Heritage was sixth among the Top 10 in the 5A boys race.

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arapahoe High School boys soccer coach Mark Hampshire is well aware how the games and preparation change once the regular season ends and the state playoffs begin.

Playoff games have more emotion and intensity and the Class 5A firstround state playoffs games were held Oct. 27.

“Playoffs are remarkably different,” said Hampshire. “The first 15 games of the season you want to give yourself an opportunity to get into the playoffs. You start figuring out players, what players can do, what systems can do, but the playoffs start and mentally everything shifts because you know you are one and done. If you don’t win, you don’t get another chance. The emotions are higher.

“This is year 30 for me,” Hampshire continued. “There are things through the later part of the regular season we hope we can do when we get into the playoffs. We back off a lot in the amount of time we train, we target specific things we need

Arapahoe’s Marshall Gueller races off the field after scoring a goal in the Warriors 7-0 first round playoff win over Chaparral on Oct. 27. Clark Roe (16) and Gabe Haughton (3) PHOTO BY JIM BENTON follow Gueller.

to work on in our training. At this point, the kids own it. We can do a little bit of the chess game and that kind of thing as coaches. We want the kids to have fun and experience this and own whatever happens.”

Arapahoe, of Centennial, owned Parker-area school Chaparral in its first-round match, scoring early and often in a 7-0 victory at Littleton Public Schools Stadium.

The Warriors scored in the first 14 minutes of the contest and tallied three goals in an eight-minute span to take a 5-0 halftime lead.

COUNTRY FROM PAGE 22

way to finish my high school career before I head to college.”

Wilson was the closest runner to Stewart but her dreams didn’t come true.

“In my dreams I was hoping to compete with her but I was really happy with where I was compared to her,” she said. “I was really happy with my race. Everything that I was planning before all kind of fell into of what actually I wanted it to be.”

Brown, a sophomore, ran in a time of 15:44.7 to edge Valor Christian’s Ty Garrett who was second in 15:48.3.

Brown exceeded his hopes.

“I came I here hoping to get a Top 5 but I was feeling good and able to keep up with the pack until the end,” said Brown. “Going up that final hill into the stadium, I knew I could take it because I’ve always felt so strong on that hill when we would come down to practice and in last year’s race. I felt great. It was the best race I’ve run.”

Arapahoe’s girls had their five scoring runner place in among the top 18 individuals.

“We won freshman year but we have improved a lot since then,” said the Warriors’ Emily Lamontagne. “As a whole we had a really good team. We were definitely hoping for a good showing down here.

We definitely wanted to run the best that we could.”

Lamontagne’s third-place finish led Arapahoe with Ava Mitchell coming in fourth, Anna Bridges 11th, Ava Escorcia 16th and Karli Holmes 18th.

The 5A boys team chase was close

Chaparral sophomore Tanner Brown surprised even himself by winning the Class 5A individual state cross county championship on Oct. 30 with a time of 15:44.7.

A return to authentic.

PHOTO BY JIM BENTON

as Vista had five runners in the top 20 to garner 59 points. Valor’s fifth runner was 22nd and the Eagles had 61 points.

Vista’s boys knew they had come in either first or second but didn’t know they had won until it was announced over the public address system that Valor was second, which set off a celebration among the Golden Eagles athletes. It was the third straight title for the Golden Eagles and seventh overall boys cross country state championship.

Vista’s Jayden Nats was fifth in the individual race with a time of 16:01.6, Tyler Downs was eighth, Benjamin Anderson 11th, Luke Urban 20th and Aaron Yoccom 21st.

“We knew it was close,” said Nats.

“I was nervous. When I finished I looked back and saw Valor was just alternating finishes. I had faith in my teammates. We’ve had a tough season with injuries and sickness.

We have lots of alumni and fans in the stands to cheer us on and it was

The Schweiger Ranch Austrian Christmas.

Saturday, December 4th, 11-5 pm.

Welcome all to this free event, celebrating Austrian food and drink, holiday lights, Santa Claus and real reindeer.

Inspired by the genuine holiday traditions of the Austrian immigrants who settled Schweiger Ranch.

“Frohe Weihnachten!”

10822 S. Havana Street, Lone Tree.

Just east of I-25, south of RidgeGate Parkway.

Registration is required for 2021.

Visit schweigerranch.org/austrianchristmas to sign up.

24 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

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Highlands Ranch Herald 25

November 4, 2021

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

Commissioner Abe Laydon helps deliver the State of the County address in Lone Tree pn Oct. 27.

PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

COUNTY FROM PAGE 2

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 110,000 tests for COVID19 have been given and almost 80% of county residents have gotten at least one vaccine dose — as of the day of the State of the County event — according to the commissioners.

Transportation projects Among the announcements around transportation was a timeline for the $419 million, 18mile I-25 South Gap project, which is scheduled to be completed by November 2022, Thomas said. That project includes widened shoulders, new express lanes, added bridges and deer fencing for the major roadway.

Teal spoke about the Waterton Road extension, from Rampart Range Road to Moore Road, which is set to be finished by fall 2022. Laydon added that construction on the C-470 Trail over Yosemite Street will begin later this year and is expected to take one year to finish.

Other projects discussed include the widening of County Line Road between University Boulevard and Broadway, the widening of Crowfoot Valley Road and improvements at the intersection of Havana Street and Meridian Boulevard.

General issues The board also gave notes on various other programs in the county.

A few of the facts provided include: • In 2020, there were nine wildfire missions and in 2021, there were four. This year, there was also one search and rescue.

• The Douglas County Homeless Initiative was formed this year.

• In 2020 nearly $164 million were given in Veteran Affairs compensation, pension, education and medical care in the county.

• Volunteers donated more than 5,700 hours of their time to help older adults in the community in 2020.

• This year, the county began work on restoring the historic Greenland Post Office and the Rock Ridge Cemetery.

• Lisa Frizzell was named 2020 Colorado Assessor of the Year by Colorado Assessors Association.

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November 4, 2021

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COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

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Time To the Check Furnaces & Boilers Serving Front Range since 1955 Serving the Front Range sinceHeaters 1955 Furnaces • Boilers • Water Rooftop • Mobile Water HeatersHVAC • Rooftop HVAC •Furnaces Commercial Commercial Residential • Install •• Residential Repair • Replace Install Inspections • Repair • Replace Free Furnace & A/C Startups

Free Estimates Estimates ••720-327-9214 Free 720-327-9214

Landscaping/Nurseries

Lawn/Garden Services

Landscape & Concrete

LAWN SERVICES C.Y.  FREE ESTIMATES 

Landscaping • Yard Cleanup • Sod Concrete • Sprinklers • Fertilization Tree Trimming/Cutting • Planting Retaining Walls • Flagstone Fencing • Gutter Cleaning Power Raking • Aerating

720-436-6158

SIZE OF YARD MOW & TRIM MULCH & TRIM AERATION POWER RAKING

SMALL $25 $25 $30 $75

MEDIUM $30-$35 $30-$35 $35-$40 $90-$105

LARGE $40$40$45$120-

I don’t take the grass or leaves away, but I do supply my own bags.

RAKING LEAVES  FERTILIZING

Trash / Rubbish / Debris and Junk Removal

Lawn/Garden Services

I have all my own equipment.

In business since 1991.

Serving Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker and Centennial

Professional and Reliable Year Round Service Rubin (720)434-8042 Kerwin (720) 519-5559

Personal Garden Service. Yard & garden maintenance, preparation, cleanup (weeding, bush trimming, etc). Year-round service. Joe Marino 303-961-1495. Mornings Home Number 303-621-1121.

Colorado Lawn Care

A Better You at Any Age!

Cell: 720-690-7645 Office: 720-621-6955

Call or come by to speak to one of our friendly Diesel Experts

Call Today for a FREE ESTIMATE 303-427-2955

Electricians

• Residential Expert • All electrical upgrades • No Job Too Small • Senior Discounts

Light to medium duty trucks and equipment

303-997-4763

Health and Well-Being

Over 25 years experience

& Drive-in repair shop specializing in:

JIM 303.818.6319

Call Ed 720-328-5039

Affordable Electrician

Offering a full service fuel shop specializing in:

Turbos • Injection pumps • Injector testing/rebuild

Bathrooms

Over 30 Years Experience Licensed & Insured

720-244-3623 303-471-2323

Concrete/Paving

Scott, Owner - 720-364-5270

TM

BEST PRICES

Solutions

Low rates, Free estimates

Deck/Patio

Carpet/Flooring

Carpet

Cowboy Fencing is a full service fence & gate company installing fences in Colorado for 23 6 years.

Residential/Commercial/ Farm & Ranch Fencing

Concrete/Paving

Dewhurst Construction

Contractor for Hire

For all your diesel repair needs

Greska’s Carbon-60

Alpine Landscape Management

Aerate, Fertilize, Fall Clean-up, Snow Removal, Trim Bushes & Small Trees, Senior Discounts

720-329-9732

Health Energy Vitality

PROFESSIONAL

www.C-60.com 720-600-6040

TREES/ SHRUBS TRIMMED

Oral & Topical Supplement

OUTDOOR SERVICES Planted, Trimmed & Removal • Sod Work • Rock & Block Walls • Sprinklers • Aeration • Stumps Ground • Mulch

Licensed / Insured

DICK 303-783-9000

CHRIS YOAKAM 303-745-7676

Fall & Winter

Landscaping, Fall Aeration, Overseed, Fertilizer, Gutter Cleaning, Lawn/Leaf Cleanup, Fence & Deck Install/Repair, Tree & Shrub Trimming/Removal, Snow Removal Residential/Commercial

scottcindy4242@gmail.com 720-202-9975 Licensed/Insured

Highlands Ranch Herald 29

November 4, 2021 Insurance

Roofing

Plumbing

M4 ROOFING

PLUMBING & SPRINKLERS

Free Instant Phone Quote Repair or Replace: Faucets, Sprinklers, Toilets, Sinks, Disposals, Water Heaters, Gas Lines, Broken Pipes, Spigots/ Hosebibs, Water Pressure Regulator, Ice Maker, Drain Cleaning, Dishwasher Instl., for coupons go to vertecservices.com CALL Vertec 303-371-3828

Lawn/Garden Services

CONTINENTAL INC. Commercial and Residential

Lawn Maintenance Mow – Edge - Trim Call for a Aeration & Fertilization Sprinkler Repair FREE quote

720-283-2155 Continental8270@yahoo.com

PEREZ PAINTING LLC

Interior / Exterior Paint Specialist Front Door Refinishing Specialist Interior Painting Winter Specials FULLY INSURED

720-298-3496 Lawn/Garden Services

Painting

RON’S LANDSCAPING

L.S. PAINTING, Inc.

vandergang@comcast.net Painting

Littleton Based & Family Owned

303-948-9287

• Stain and Renew Custom Handrails • Custom Interior & Exterior • Residential & Commercial Painting • Paint Kitchen Cabinets • Free Estimates - Insured • 30 Years Serving Metro Denver • Satisfaction Guaranteed

“We’re Crazy About Plumbing” CUSTOM HOMES • REMODEL FINISHED BASEMENTS SERVICE AND REPAIR Licensed • Insured ALAN ATTWOOD, Master Plumber

PH: 303-472-8217 FX: 303-688-8821 Plumbing

Residential Experts We paint over 800 Homes Per Year No Deposit Ever Satisfaction Guaranteed 5 year, 7 year and 9 year Exterior Warranties 2 Yr. Interior Warranty Licensed & Insured up to $2 Million Locally Owned and Operated In business for 29 years Free Color Consulting & Samples

35% Off

All Int. & Ext. CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE

720-328-2572

www.innovativepaintingllc.com

970-286-3014

Licensed & Insured • Insurance Claim Experts 34 Years Local Roofing Experience Residential & Commercial

schultzroofingcompany.com schultzroofing@icloud.com

Drain Cleaning + Plumbing Can do repair work on Everything in your home!

7 Days a week No extra charge for weekends 35 yrs experience

Roofing/Gutters

Have a Hail Damaged Roof?

CALL Anytime 720-308-6696

- Call Golden Spike Roofing - We are 100% Local & Have Great References - Roofing • Siding • Paint • Windows • Gutters

Sprinklers

- Call Dave Vaughn 720-427-7422 - davegoldenspikeroofing@gmail.com

SPRINKLER BLOW OUTS $50 AND UP

Call Bryan 720-690-3718

Senior Services

Worried About Medicare?

Let’s review your options over the phone. If you’re confused, we can help!

It’s that time of year and I’m local!

Tile A+

Rating BBB

LS@LSPaintinginc.com www.lspaintinginc.com

Plumbing Residential Experts

Roofing

Done Dirt Cheap

Painting

Call or email Ron 303-758-5473

303-797-8600 www.M4Roofing.com

Plumb-Crazy, LLC.

Dirty Jobs

Yard Clean-up, Raking, Weeding, Flower Bed Maintenance, Shrubbery Trimming Soil Prep - Sod Work Trees & Shrub Replacement also Small Tree & Bush Removal Bark, Rock Walls & Flagstone Work FREE Estimates Family owned business with over 35 yrs. exp.

We live in the neighborhood!

A+ Accredited rating with the BBB 18th year in business Great Google reviews

ANCHOR PLUMBING

Residential: Hot Water Heat • Forced Air Water Heaters • Kitchens • Baths Service Repair • Sprinkler Repair

(303) 961-3485 Licenced & Insured

To Advertise, Call Us At:

303-566-4100

ANYTHING TILE

● Marble ● Repairs ● Granite Counter Tops Remodeling is my specialty!

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(303) 646-0140

Thomas Flooring & Tile • All Types of Tile • • Granite-Ceramic • • Porcelain • • Natural Stone •Vinyl • •Bathroom Remodel•

32 Years Experience • Work Warranty

303-781-4919 FREE Estimates Tree Service

ABE’S TREE & SHRUB CARE Abraham Spilsbury Owner/Operator

• Pruning • Removals • Shrub Maintenance • FreeEstimates Certified Arborist,Insured, Littleton Resident 720.283.8226 • C:720.979.3888 aspilsbury@msn.com

Karl Bruns-Kyler (303) 416-6304 www.theBig65.com

Tree Service

A-1 Stump Removal Stump grinding specialist

Most stumps $75.00 and up $55 Minimum.

Call Free estimates.

Licensed & Insured. or 39 years experience. text 10% off when coupon presented

A father and son team!

Call Terry or Corey 303-424-7357

Windows

TOP WINDOW CLEANING #1 in Customer Satisfactions

10% OFF to NEW CUSTOMERS Over 20 Years Experience Insured / Bonded Call Today For A FREE Estimate Quality work guaranteed Gutter, Tree Trimming/Removal

720-400-6496 topwindowcleaning.net

To advertise your business here, call us at 303-566-4100

CLASSIFIEDS

30 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

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Charles Paeplow Cornerstone Homes Realty

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Highlands Ranch Herald 31

November 4, 2021

DIA chief: ‘Holiday season will be tough’ Security lines long amid passenger surge, labor shortage

BY MATT BLOOM DENVERITE

Lizzie Johnson describes her most recent trip through Denver International Airport as “stressful, to say the least.” She’s flown in and out of the airport for decades, but this time was different.

When the Denver resident arrived at DIA on Oct. 15 with her husband and two kids, the Transportation Security Administration security line wrapped all the way through the baggage claim area and beyond, she said. At one point, she and her husband got separated in the crowd and had to call each other to link back up.

“There were lines and confused people everywhere,” Johnson said.

“I’ve never seen it that packed.”

Passenger traffic has bounced back sharply at DIA since the pandemic began, leading to record long security wait times and parking bottlenecks at the airport. The airport is currently seeing the fastest recovery of any U.S. hub, according to DIA leadership.

Flight records show more than 24 million passengers passed through the airport between January and June. The numbers remain high and are projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by early next year.

In a wide-ranging press conference Oct. 22, airport CEO Phil Washington asked for patience during the surge, saying DIA was struggling to meet demand due to capacity limits and labor shortages in almost every department.

“We intend to make things better,” Washington said. “But we have a lot of work to do.”

Washington, who took the CEO job

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington at a Sept. 10 event.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER CASTOR/ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Passengers fill the Great Hall at Denver International Airport as they wait to pass PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG/CPR NEWS through the south security checkpoint on Oct. 22.

three months ago, outlined several immediate changes to help meet projected demand during the upcoming holiday season. They include the reopening of shuttle parking lots, construction of four new TSA security lines and the addition of more information kiosks, with workers known as “purple shirts,” to help passengers navigate the terminal.

Airport staff will shoehorn the new TSA lines into the existing security infrastructure as soon as possible, Washington said. He did not offer a clear timeline for the project.

Starting this weekend, the Pikes Peak shuttle lot will open on a temporary basis. The space has been closed for months due to ongoing bus driver shortages.

To help with recruiting, Washington said he is looking at waiving commercial driver’s license requirements as a hiring condition. The solution would require drivers to use smaller vans to ferry passengers from the lots to the airport.

“I think it should be permanent,” he said. “Because this is going to be an ongoing issue as passenger volumes increase.”

Since opening in 1995, DIA has seen visitation skyrocket to roughly 70 million passengers each year.

Numbers plunged during 2020 due to the pandemic, but the airport projects volume to reach 80 million by 2025 and 100 million by 2035.

Many of its current challenges stem from the fact that the facility was built to serve roughly 50 million passengers each year, Washington said. Several long-term construction projects are in the works to expand capacity, but some have hit roadblocks in recent years.

“The holiday season will be tough,” Washington said. “But I see light at the end of the tunnel in terms of next year and after the holidays.”

Inside the terminal Oct. 22, security lines snaked well into the baggage claim area. Passengers said they were surprised by how

busy the airport was, but some noted premium options like TSA PreCheck helped them reach their flights in time.

Jim Overmeyer drove to the airport from Congress Park to pick up two friends coming into town for a concert. It took him 15 minutes just to find parking, he said.

Then he got lost in the terminal’s maze of construction walls.

“This is crazy,” he said. “But I understand they’re doing what they have to do to stay relevant.”

In late October, the airport opened the first phase of its Great Hall expansion after a series of delays. The extra space will open up the main terminal and allow for better foot traffic flow, Washington said.

He emphasized passengers should still plan to at least give themselves a two-hour cushion when trying to make a flight in the coming months.

This story is from Denverite, a nonprofit Denver news source affiliated with CPR News. Used by permission.

For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Bids and Settlements Public Notice REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) #040-21 INVESTMENT ADVISOR for DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO The Treasurer of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests proposals from responsible and qualified Investment Advisors to provide guidance in the management of the fixed income portion of the County’s portfolio.

The RFP documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com.

RFP documents are not available for purchase

from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.

While the RFP documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic proposal responses.

RFP responses will be received until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 10, 2021 by Douglas County Government, Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Five (5) copies of your proposal response must be submitted in a sealed envelope, plainly marked “Request for Proposal (RFP) #040-21, Investment Advisor for Douglas County, Colorado”. Proposal responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated and any proposals so received will be returned unopened.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said proposal and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the suc-

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

cessful vendor.

Please direct any questions concerning this RFP to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-660-7434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 939990 First Publication: November 4, 2021 Last Publication: November 4, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) #045-21 SECURITY SERVICES The Purchasing Division of Douglas County Government, in conjunction with the Facilities Management Division and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests proposals from responsible, qualified firms for the provision of Security Services at the Robert A. Christensen Justice Center, the Highlands Ranch Substation,

the Downtown Castle Rock Government Campus (Philip S. Miller Building, the parking structure, and the Wilcox Building), the Human Services Facility, and the Highlands Ranch Motor Vehicle Office and Park Meadows Motor Vehicle Office locations.

The RFP documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com.

RFP documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.

While the RFP documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic proposal responses.

RFP responses will be received until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 by Douglas County Government, Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Ten (10) copies of your proposal response must be submitted in a sealed box, plainly marked “Request for Proposal (RFP) #045-21, Security Services”. Proposal responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated and any proposals so

received will be returned unopened.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said proposal and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the successful vendor.

Please direct any questions concerning this RFP to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-660-7434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 940001 First Publication: November 4, 2021 Last Publication: November 4, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

###

Highlands Ranch Legals 11.4.21 * 1

32 Highlands Ranch Herald

November 4, 2021

FREE ADMISSION!!

Holiday Craft Show & Mini-Market Third Annual

Hourly will be raffles held!

Sign u

Saturday Dec. 11

Sunday Dec. 12

8am - 4pm

p chance for your cash to to win sp the sho end at w!

8am - 2pm

Douglas County Fairgrounds 500 Fairgrounds Dv. Castle Rock, CO.

Come shop for unique gifts and special items during the annual Colorado Community Media Holiday Craft Show and Mini-Market; With more than 100 exhibitors filling the Douglas County Fairgrounds, this is the best place to find that special, personal gift for friends and family. The show will feature handmade crafts in all areas from metal and leather, to flowers, baskets, ceramics, and so much more.

Bright Little Brains Rozanne Steyn Brightlittlebrains.com

Carol’s Creative Cards Carol Smith Cjaysmith.com 303-886-6730

Discovery Toys

Julie Olivett - Team Leader 303-437-7067 YourToyLady.com

Nerdy Sheep Fiber Arts Nerdysheepfiberarts.com info@nerdysheepfiberarts.com

Suelyn’s Creations

Suelyn Gnormley 720-201-3930 facebook.com/SuelynsCreations

ADMISSION IS FREE TO THE PUBL

Vendor applications being accepted now.

Apply Today Contact Event Producer Thelma Grimes at tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com All applications must be approved to participate