November 11, 2021
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
HighlandsRanchHerald.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 49
Many Colo. voters have soured on Democrats Survey offers ‘warning sign’ for Dems a year ahead of 2022 vote BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
It was a celebratory mood at the election-night watch party of the Kids First slate for Douglas County school board, held at the PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS Ascent on Main in Parker on Nov. 2.
School board victors set sights on mask rules Winners say they’ll work with health agency, superintendent BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
One candidate called it the race
of a lifetime. And after months of simmering tension within the electorate, the Douglas County School Board election did indeed draw national attention as it became another contest defined by COVID mask-mandate disputes and critical race theory, or CRT. At stake was whether the Douglas County School District would begin “backing away from COVID
and masking, and backing away from CRT, and backing away from some of the sex ed” programs in place, candidate Mike Peterson told Colorado Community Media. “I think it’s a macro issue that we’re seeing nationwide, and it’s about who has the role in raising their children,” he said. SEE VICTORS, P20
Congressional Gold Medal given to WWII vet Family accepts honor at ceremony in Highlands Ranch BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
At a ceremony in Highlands
STAYING ON TRACK Young auto racer has the drive to win
P10
Ranch, the family of World War II veteran Earl R. Harris accepted the Congressional Gold Medal on his behalf.
Harris’ children and grandchildren accepted the medal during a ceremony held on Oct. 27 at the Highlands Ranch Veterans Memorial. Diane De Rito, Harris’ SEE MEDAL, P23
ACCESSING THE OUTDOORS
Colorado provides recreational opportunities for people with disabilities P16
Colorado voters have a less favorable view of Gov. Jared Polis, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and President Joe Biden compared to four months ago, according to a new poll released exactly a year out from the 2022 election. But while Democrats’ favorability numbers may have decreased, and Biden’s job approval took a hit, Polis’ approval numbers have stayed steady. Andrew Baumann, a pollster at the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group, which conducted the survey, said the results are “certainly a warning sign” for Democrats, namely when it comes to Biden’s decreases, which could affect the midterms. The Rocky Mountaineer poll of 800 Colorado registered voters was conducted Oct.19-24 by Global Strategy Group, in partnership with ProgressNow Colorado, a liberal political advocacy nonprofit. The survey was weighted to match Colorado’s voter registration split and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. SEE DEMOCRATS, P18