A giant check heralded the arrival of more than half a million dollars in federal funding for Douglas County’s e orts to support the public’s mental health.
e parents of Kendrick Castillo, a student killed in the 2019 STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting,
have not accepted a $387,000 settlement from the school.
e couple continues to reject the school’s settlement o er in an e ort to make the information they have gathered from the shooting public.
Court lings on behalf of John and Maria Castillo show the parents hope to bring light to the full set of events that resulted in Kendrick’s death with the goal of helping pre-
vent future violence. Kendrick, 18, lost his life when he tackled one of the shooters on May 7, 2019. e two students who attacked STEM are currently serving life sentences.
In February, Douglas County District Court Judge Je ery Holmes ordered STEM to pay the Castillos
SEE TRIAL, P3
One of Centennial Water and Sanitation District’s biggest users cut its outdoor irrigation usage al-
most in half over a two-year period by updating sprinkler systems and implementing drought-resistant landscaping.
Wind Crest, a senior living community on 85 acres in Highlands Ranch, was using over 33 million gallons of water on outdoor irrigation in 2020, which put them in the
top ve biggest water users in the district, according to Centennial Water Conservation Specialist Paige McFarland.
So Wind Crest and Centennial Water partnered to conduct an irrigation analysis, which looked for
SEE WATER, P7
“It is no surprise to parents that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis for our children. We’re near the bottom of the nation in terms of our rates for youth suicide,” said U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, who secured the funding as part of the federal spending process.
Crow’s comments came during a March 20 news conference with Douglas County’s elected leaders, where o cials announced that the funding would ow to several of the county’s e orts to develop a safety net for people experiencing a mental health crisis.
“With this funding, it’s our goal to develop reliable follow-up support to keep individuals and families engaged in treatment following a crisis, while avoiding cycling through the emergency or criminal justice system to address mental health needs,” said Laura Ciancone, Douglas County’s coordinator of mental health programs.
at “is a very costly track and we all pay for it,” Ciancone said. “Stabilizing
SEE HEALTH, P8
After playing basketball since he was hardly bigger than a basketball, playing and coaching hoops at the collegiate level, and working for an NBA team’s minor league squad, Davyon Collins is taking his knowledge and skills to … e golf course?
Yes, the golf course. It actually makes perfect sense once you’ve gotten to know who Collins is and what the 26-year-old stands for.
Last year, the Houston native packed his bags and headed north to begin working as the second-ever PGA WORKS Fellow for the Colorado PGA Section, which is based in Larkspur.
Funded by the PGA of America’s charitable arm, PGA WORKS is a strategic initiative designed to diversify the golf industry’s workforce. e fellowship program o ers a one-year, paid immersion in the Colorado PGA Section, giving fellows a taste of what a career in the golf industry can provide.
Collins said the game of basketball opened many doors for him. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Dallas Christian College, where he played point guard and was a four-year Academic All-American and voted team captain his senior season. He received a master’s degree from Dallas Baptist University, where he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant. After graduating from DBU, he spent a year on the Southwestern Assemblies of God men’s basketball coaching sta . His education and knowledge of the game helped him land a community development and gameday operations gig with the Texas Legends, who are the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA G League a liate.
Now, the basketball lifer is turning his attention to the world of 9-irons and birdies and fairways, hoping to use the game of golf to open doors for others, including and perhaps especially those who didn’t know those doors existed in the rst place.
“ e game of golf is kind of tucked away,” Collins said. “People know about it because it’s in front of their faces, but I’ll ask someone the question, ‘Have you seen a course? ere’s a course two minutes away that you pass by every day that you don’t know anything about.’”
Collins said people will drive by the same golf course time and again without ever thinking about stopping for any number of reasons: they fear they’ll be judged for their golf skills, or lack thereof; they don’t even know where to begin (“Should I get a cart rst?” “Where do I even get a cart?” “Where’s the driving range?” “Does this course have a dress code?”); or, worse yet, they may feel like they don’t “belong” based on their sex or the color of their skin. Hop online and you’ll see what Collins is getting at. A Google search for “PGA Tour player demographics” yields results like “Golf’s Lack of Color” and “Diversity Remains Golf’s Biggest Challenge.”
According to a Golf Diversity & In-
clusion Report published a few years ago, the makeup of American golfers at all levels is 77% male and 80% white. Among golfers in the professional ranks, 75% are male and 86% are white. And golf-industry workers — everyone from caddies to greenskeepers — are 90% male and 88% white.
“Out of all the sports, other than hockey, I would say golf has the most room for growth when it comes to diversity and inclusion,” Collins, an African American, said. “ e game is, to be totally honest, an older, male game. It’s mostly 45-andolder men who play it.
“I feel like within the game of golf, you don’t need the money. e money (to enhance the game’s diversity and inclusion e orts) is there. You just need people who care about other people.”
Collins wants to be and has been one of those people.
As the local PGA WORKS Fellow, he supported PGA REACH Colorado’s charitable programs, which include the Colorado PGA Junior Tour; the PGA Jr. League; Golf in Schools; Drive, Chip & Putt; and PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) — all of which are designed to grow the game of golf and make this “tucked away” game available to people of all ages, ethnicities and skill levels.
“My heart’s in growing the game and getting it into the hands of people who have never played,” Collins said. “For me, it’s really important to get them in the game so they can teach their children and so on and so on, and also to break the ‘ is is a 45-year-old white man’s sport’ stereotype.”
Apparently, Collins is doing the job he was hired to do … and then some.
Six months into his one-year fellowship, which began in May 2022, he was o ered a full-time job with
‘My heart’s in growing the game and getting it into the hands of people who have never played. For me, it’s really important to get them in the game so they can teach their children.’
Davyon Collins$387,000, lowed Davis that not of need court etary the timony on course fully information succeeded School about ing sacri lis, want public the and view munity tiality, master mine submitted TRIAL
the Colorado PGA Section. He’s now the manager of the section’s Junior Development Series, which gives players ages 6-18 an opportunity to gain competitive golf experience in a more relaxed and fun environment.
In addition to now managing the junior series, Collins is still supporting all the national initiatives he promoted while working as a fellow, including the Drive, Chip & Putt junior skills competition.
In fact, Collins will be at the Masters Tournament next week at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia to help coordinate the Drive, Chip &
Putt National Championship, which will take place the Sunday before the Masters tees o on April 6. ink about that for a moment — a 26-year-old who had never played golf or even swung a club before landing the fellowship will be at professional golf’s biggest event.
“I can’t wait. It’s going to be so exciting,” said Collins, who eventually wants to work in a diversity and inclusion capacity for the PGA of America. “ e practice rounds are what I’m most excited about. I’ve heard those are the best.”
It’s safe to say that a door to a world Collins initially knew nothing about was opened to him.
He’s waded into that world.
And he’s enjoying every moment of it.
and what can be made public. e discussion started on March 22.
Visitdouglas.co.usandsearchChildWelfareto knowthesignsofchildabuseandneglectandwhat todoifyoubelieveachildisatrisk.
The County’s main slash-mulch site, at 1400 Caprice Drive in Castle Rock, opens April 1 and will remain open Saturdays only from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. through Oct. 28. For more information, directions and a list of acceptable items, visit douglas.co.us and search Slash
Mulch
Gather your friends or neighbors and adopt a road for littler pickup. Douglas County’s road adoption process is now online and easier than ever. For details, visit douglas.co.us and search for Adopt a Road.
$387,000, the maximum damages allowed under state law and the Claire Davis School Security Act, and ruled that STEM paying the damages is not an admission of liability.
Holmes’ order also said payment of the damages would preclude the need for a trial.
However, the Castillos told the court they aren’t looking for monetary relief, but want a jury trial for the purposes of hearing public testimony and receiving a judgement on STEM’s culpability. During the course of the lawsuit, STEM successfully fought to make a majority of the information presented con dential.
“John and Maria Castillo have succeeded in using the Claire Davis School Safety Act to nd the truth about what led up to the mass shooting at STEM that their son Kendrick sacri ced his life to stop,” Dan Caplis, an attorney for the Castillos, told e Denver Post. “Now the Castillos want to share that evidence with the public so that all schools can learn the lessons from the STEM shooting and be safer moving forward.”
Caplis did not respond to interview requests from Colorado Community Media.
To address the issue of con dentiality, Holmes appointed a special master (a retired judge) to determine what information from the submitted evidence is con dential
Nicole Bostel, the STEM spokesperson, said in a statement that the school has resisted making all of the information public because of concerns that it would result in privacy and security violations.
“With the release of certain documents, vital information and details about our current safety practices would be made public, leaving our students and sta vulnerable,” she said. “Additionally, some of the documents include information about students who were not involved in the incident on May 7, and releasing their information would be unfair and violate their privacy.”
However, Bostel said the school trusts the special master will “operate in the best interest of both the Castillos and STEM as we reach a resolution that satis es both parties.”
“Our community is still healing from the events of May 7, and STEM is committed to ensuring that we continue that process forward,” she said.
Caplis told the Denver Post that regardless of the outcome of the meetings with the special master, the Castillos plan to appeal Holmes’ ruling in an attempt to go to trial.
ough the Castillos lawsuit originally also named the Douglas County School District as a defendant, Newsbreak reports that the Castillos and the school district settled in December with the district agreeing to release information related to the attack.
A recording captured audio of an incident where Casey Devol allegedly killed his sister and her boyfriend in rural Douglas County, according to prosecutors.
“What we have are recorded statements of the murder itself which were made by one of the victims,” said Andrew Steers, a chief deputy district attorney.
He added: “It’s clearly a recording of the incident. It’s clearly a recording of the murder.”
e existence of the recorder was not known, Steers said, until the autopsy in the case that left Jessica Mitchell, 32, and Bryan Todd Gray, 34, dead in the Franktown area. ey were discovered in February 2022 in a garage adjacent to a house they lived in on Russellville Road. Mitchell was Devol’s sister.
Authorities don’t know why someone chose to record the interaction, Steers said during a March 22 hearing in Douglas County District Court.
e recording captured the events leading up to the murder: ree people appeared to be having a dinner and at one point talked about a birthday gift, Steers said. At some point, the man authorities say is Devol leaves and returns
and kills the other two people and a dog.
e audio “goes on for a long period of time, recording just silence at certain points,” Steers said. e recorder eventually died and was recovered as authorities investigated, according to Steers. e recording “settles as fact whether the defendant acted in self-defense, whether he was intoxicated, whether there was an argument beforehand,” Steers said, arguing that the audio contradicts what Devol told authorities.
“ ere were no threats,” Steers said.
Mitchell was found with a “digital recorder device,” according to her autopsy report.
A coworker of Gray’s discovered him and Mitchell in the Russellville Road garage at about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8, 2022.
Located in Kansas
Former Douglas County
Sheri Tony Spurlock holds up a photo of Casey Devol at a media briefing. Devol is the suspect in a double homicide that occurred Tuesday. PHOTO BY
ELLIOTT WENZLER
Devol was found and arrested at a hotel in Salina, Kansas, on Feb. 9, 2022. He complied when o cers attempted to place him in custody, according to testimony at the hearing.
Authorities in Kansas saw a handgun and a white towel with what appeared to be blood on it in plain sight at the hotel, where they entered Devol’s room.
Looking through the windows of Devol’s vehicle, an o cer saw a “taken apart” gun, according to testimony from a Salina Police Department o cer in the hearing.
Public defender Ara Ohanian, Devol’s defense attorney, took issue with what he said was a failure to read Devol his “Miranda rights.”
ose are the rights, under United States law, of an arrested person to have an attorney and to refuse to
answer questions.
“All three o cers testi ed that no one read Mr. Devol his Miranda rights” in the o cers’ early interactions with Devol, Ohanian said.
But Devol “volunteered” information regarding rearms that he had, without being questioned or prompted, said Nate Marsh, deputy district attorney.
Later, he “was read his rights; he voluntarily waived them in writing,” Steers said.
e Miranda warning was given appropriately, Judge Patricia Herron found.
Video footage also found
Autopsy results show the victims had bruising and shallow injuries and had been shot by two di erent rearms.
e report, released by the Douglas County Coroner’s O ce, shows both victims also had meth, alcohol and marijuana in their systems. In addition to the toxicology reports, notes were made in both autopsies that each had a history of methamphetamine use.
Deputies discovered security footage for the home that showed someone entering the garage carrying “multiple handguns and a long gun.” After a tip from a friend of the family, investigators alleged that Devol is the person in the video. Devol has been charged with two counts of rst-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty in September. Devol is slated for a jury trial starting June 12.
Holistic Expo
set for April 15-16
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMe Centers for Spiritual Living in Parker will be hosting the second annual Holistic Expo and Creative Market, On April 15-16, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock.
Spiritual community, the Centers for Spiritual Living in Parker, is inspired by the philosophy and teachings of Ernest Holmes. e inclusive group recognizes all paths in a spiritual sense and holds services, guided meditations and youth ministry.
From artists and craftsmen to healing practitioners, the Holistic Expo and Creative Market will include 115 vendors and hourly workshops throughout the weekendlong event.
“We focus on nutrition and wellness, Reiki, intuitive healing, jewelry, crystals and all these other things,” said event coordinator Amy Schmidt. “So it’s de nitely a really cool variety.”
After researching websites and meeting each individual, all the Colorado-based exhibitors were hand selected
by Schmidt for the event.
“I’ve seen them in person at the di erent area shows and visited them personally, so there’s a lot of really impressive work,” said Schmidt.
Focusing on health and wellness, through the variety of workshops and presentations, visitors will learn about the physiological and biochemical processes of the human body function. Workshops include topics such as consciousness communication, vibrational sound therapy, IV therapy, signs, animal totems and the basics of beginning meditation.
Workshops start Saturday at 11 a.m., going until 4 p.m.. Sunday’s activities will be held between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m..
Sunday will start with a talk from the Centers for Spiritual Living.
e expo will also include several artists and craftsmen that will bring di erent items for sale. e craft of artisans will be explored through handmade paintings, sculptures, clothing and food items.
“Enjoy the beauty of all the di erent creations that all the di erent artists will have there for sale,” said Schmidt.
e event is a mixture of di erent holistic practitio-
ners with art and candles, upcycled items, herbal remedies and essential oils. Visitors will have the opportunity to shop from intuitive jewelers and artists.
In addition, door prizes will be available, as well as a used book sale and a luncheon provided by Little
Reds Kitchen.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the whole community, tons of people enjoying this, having a large turnout that are engaging in the community and having a good time,” said Schmidt. “And bringing somebody to the community that’s really
going to serve them and provides an alternative way of helping them improve their lives.”
Tickets are on sale for $5 on the Holistic Expo and Creative Market website at www.expocslparker.org, along with the hourly workshop schedule.
In the rising popularity of pickleball, the City of Centennial realized its current regulations do not comprehensively address outdoor courts — particularly the noise generated by the paddle hitting the ball.
Now, the city is taking a pause on pickleball court developments to assess what regulations may be needed.
e city council approved a temporary ‘pickleball moratorium’ that city sta recommended during the March 21 meeting. E ective immediately, the establishment of new permanent, outdoor pickleball courts near residential areas will not be permitted in Centennial for six months.
“Moratoriums are an ordinance that temporarily suspend certain approvals (and) activities within a city to allow us time to study, address (and) create regulations if deemed necessary,” said Neil Marciniak, the city’s director of community and economic development.
“ e recommended ordinance … presents you with two questions: Whether to allow unregulated pickleball to be constructed within the city and accept the potential for consistent or reoccurring noise complaints and other impacts that may come along with it, versus tak-
ing a brief pause to study the issues possibly regulate to limit those noise complaints and other potential
impacts that may come along with pickleball,” he said.
e moratorium applies to projects that have not been built or established by the city yet and are proposed to be within 500 feet of residential properties, residentially zoned areas, or residential land uses, he said.
“It puts a six-month pause on the city accepting, processing or reviewing and then an issuance of approvals or permits for outdoor pickleball courts, again, within that 500 feet,” Marciniak said.
Pickleball courts that are already established, permitted and in use currently are not subject to the moratorium, he said. It also does not apply to indoor pickleball courts, courts that are more than 500 feet from residential areas, or temporary courts. A temporary court, for example, is when a tennis court is temporarily altered to be used as a pickleball court.
There is no shortage of videos, news stories and research on the apparent conflict between pickleball courts and adjacent residential uses, Marciniak said. Research shows that one of the main concerns regarding noise from pickleball courts is that the sound that is produced by the impact of the paddle hitting the ball is classified as an “impulsive sound” and is “near the most sensitive frequency range of human hearing,” he said.
Yet, the city’s noise regulations, land development code and municipal code do not specifically address noise or other impacts from pickleball courts, he said.
“This is certainly not a war on pickleball from the city. Our goal here, really, is to create some predictable outcomes for our residents, for pickleball operators, for players, for the community at
large,” Marciniak said. “And at this time, the regulations that the city has in place to regulate pickleball courts are not equipped to ensure that predictable outcome throughout the city.”
The moratorium provides time for city staff to study the impact of the pickleball courts and potentially create some new regulations, if the city decides it is necessary, he said. Staff intend to engage with experts in the noise and acoustics field to advise the city on the impacts and potential mitigation options, such as noise-reducing materials like fences, padding and landscaping.
Engaging with residents, pickleball operators, parks and recreation districts and homeowner association (HOA) groups will also be a priority, he noted.
“We’re trying to prevent the noise issue becoming an issue in the city, and we’re asking for some time to be able to study the issue and create standards around it to prevent those noise issues,” he said.
In Centennial, there are currently two permanent outdoor pickleball courts that the city sta are aware of — one in Chenango Park and the other in Smoky Hill Park. However, Senior Assistant City Attorney Jill Hassman noted the city is aware of various HOAs and metro districts interested in adding a pickleball court.
“We know that pickleball is the number one growing sport in the nation, and we also are aware that there’s a huge demand for it. And so, though we only have two permanent courts now, the demand is massive to add so many more permanent courts,” Hassman said. “I think the city is better poised to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to noise.”
inefficiencies, like sprinklers spraying sidewalks or spraying too long. The analysis prompted Wind Crest’s resident action council to endorse a project to address water usage, resident Sara Jo Light said.
“We wanted to raise the bar and be consistent with efforts in the state,” Light said.
With the data from the analysis and overwhelming resident approval, Wind Crest began the process of switching out its irrigation system for a more water-friendly one. The changes made resulted in a savings of more than 15 million gallons in 2022, or a reduction of 45% from 2020.
With over a thousand sprinkler heads on the property and some as old as 15 years, replacing the system was no easy task. Wind Crest’s Senior Facilities Director Andrea Simmons said it was a team effort over the course of several months.
“We did a lot of customizing and a lot of assessments, so we are hitting the grass areas, are we overshooting into the rocks or watering the sidewalk,” she said.
In addition, the community built 16 native-species gardens last year and, this year, will add a pollinator garden and begin to change out its landscape from turf to remediated soil, native grasses, drought-resistant trees and wildflowers.
“Now going forward, we do a master landscape plan and start looking at what areas of grass we
can start cutting back, so that’s what we’ll focus on this year,” Simmons said. “We’re hoping to keep seeing our (water usage) numbers decreasing because it was shocking to see the difference.”
McFarland said outdoor irrigation typically accounts for roughly half of the district’s annual water use, so changes to watering systems and landscaping can make a huge impact.
“There’s a multitude of benefits beyond water conservation and water conservation is just the be-
ginning of having a more sustainable landscape,” she said.
To support those efforts, Centennial Water offers annual funding for homeowners associations to conduct irrigation analyses, like Wind Crest, on a first come, first serve basis. This year, Centennial Water budgeted $90,000 for irrigation analyses.
The irrigation analysis helps water users pinpoint the big issues and prioritize changes, McFarland added.
“It helps know where to begin
because we can’t solve a problem if we can’t see what all the issues are,” she said. “It’s important to be an example and for everyone to equally do their part in relation to the amount of water they use.” Being an example for other homeowner’s associations is why Light felt compelled to share the success at Wind Crest.
“I would love to see our property be a role model for all of Highlands Ranch,” Light said. “Our tagline for the project was ‘Protect the land, ensure your legacy.’”
people during a crisis and connecting them to services (is) key to addressing mental health needs and preventing the revolving door of crisis response.” Crow, who represents much of the south and east Denver suburbs in Congress, spoke to what he sees as the broader context of mental health support.
“As a society, we will not be judged by the number of lanes on our highways or how tall our buildings are,” Crow said. “As a society, we will ultimately be judged on how we treat each other and how we come to aid and help those who need a hand. Because there’s no person in this room who hasn’t needed help at some point in their life.”
Walk-in crisis center, youth unit planned e demand for mental and behavioral health services for children and adolescents exceeds the capacity for services around Colorado, including in Douglas County, Ciancone said. With the new federal funding — and dollars from the federal American Rescue Plan Act — new programs are unfolding in Douglas County, including the following:
• A walk-in crisis center that will serve as an alternative to the emergency room for all ages. e facility will provide 24/7/365 walk-in crisis support, counseling, deescalation, and information and referrals for individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis, according to a county news release.
• A child and adolescent crisis stabilization unit that will o er 16 beds to serve youth ages 8 to 18 experiencing a mental health crisis.
• A veterans mental health clinician that will provide support for veterans who experience nancial and geographic barriers to accessing care.
• A suicide prevention grant program that will support “data-driven countywide work” speci cally focused on middle-aged men, prenatal and postnatal women and families, older adults, and youth ages 14 to 24.
Each member of the U.S. House of Representatives was able to submit up to 15 community project funding requests to bene t state or local government grantees or eligible nonpro ts. e House Appropriations
Committee then considered requests when writing the annual federal spending bill.
Douglas County’s check represents one of the buckets of funding Crow requested for his area.
Separately, Douglas County commissioners dedicated $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to grants for local organizations’ work on suicide prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery, the county said in a January news release.
( e American Rescue Plan Act is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill signed into law in March 2021 with a goal to support the economic and public health recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.)
Programs take shape
e county is partnering with its community mental health organization, AllHealth Network, to open the all-ages walk-in center and the child and adolescent crisis stabilization unit, which Ciancone called a “ rstof-its-kind facility in Douglas County.”
Douglas County and its partners aim to support people before and after they use the walk-in center, making sure they get the services they need closer to home, Ciancone said.
Ciancone also spoke to the timeline for new resources unfolding, noting AllHealth Network recently nalized plans with a developer for the walkin center and the crisis stabilization unit. O cials estimate around a year to a year and a half until opening.
Regarding the suicide prevention grant, “we have received applications, there’s a committee reviewing and we should be making awards in April,” Ciancone said.
e county has launched its veterans mental health program with a clinician, she added.
e county’s community response team — a coresponder program that pairs law enforcement o cers with mental health professionals to help adults and youth experiencing a mental health crisis avoid the emergency room or jail — is also expanding, Ciancone said. e county has six community response teams, according to a March news release, and it may have nine teams by summer or fall.
County initiative approaches a decade
Crow thanked the county and its partners for their work to bolster mental health in the area.
“I cannot thank you enough for working day in and day out, putting
your heart and your soul on the line to frankly help save our kids’ lives,” Crow said.
For nearly a decade, the county has run an e ort to help address mental health in the community.
With support from the Douglas County commissioners, and in response to several tragic mental health-related incidents, the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative was established in 2014 to “unite community partners, address unmet mental health needs, connect people to mental health services and prevent those in need from falling through the cracks of the mental health system,” the county’s website says.
Today, the county’s mental health initiative includes more than 40 entities.
Some of its programs include:
• e county’s community response teams of law enforcement o cers and mental health professionals who help people nd mental health support.
• e Care Compact, a program helping adults with complex mental health needs navigate bene ts and overcome barriers to accessing care.
• A peer recovery team that pairs a “case manager” and peer recovery coach to help high-risk and highneed individuals served by the community response teams and Care Compact nd care and avoid treatment gaps. (“Case management” is a term that generally refers to helping manage a person’s situation as it relates to nding resources.)
• And an ongoing, multi-year public outreach e ort that aims to help “eradicate stigma associated with mental health,” the county said in a news release.
e new funding will allow the expansion of the county’s Care Compact program, evidence-based treatment programs and parent support, stipends for community-based outpatient mental health and substance use treatment and intensive in-home treatment, and “technology integration” of a web-based case management platform and a faith-based community portal to support access to care and connection to resources for basic needs, like food, transportation and housing, Ciancone said.
Due to recent redistricting, the area Crow represents — Colorado’s 6th Congressional District — now only includes a sliver of Douglas County: a small portion of the far south Aurora area. Before, the district also included Highlands Ranch.
Englewood Arts presented Colorado Symphony Principal Cellist Seoyoen
Min on March 18 in another of its excellent Saturday matinee series concerts at Hampden Hall. She was accompanied by pianist Hsiao-Ling Lin in three classical works spanning the past three centuries.
Included: Beethoven (1770-1827)
“Cello Sonata No. 4 in C, Op. 102” (1815); Ginastera “Pampeana No. 2 Rhapsody for Cello” (1950); and Grieg “Cello Sonata in A Minor, Op. 36 (1883).” e Ginastera work refers to the plains, pampas, in Argentina.
ere is a connection to Colorado’s eastern plains in that work. He was an important 20th-century classical composer.
Min’s inaugural season with the CSO was 2019/2020. e native of South Korea has been an active soloist in the U.S. and South Korea. She was also featured with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, where she performed the Fredrich Gulda Cello Concerto with Christopher Dragon.
She made her South Korean debut at the Youngsan Art Hall in 2016 and has performed in solo engagements with the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra, Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Academy Ensemble, the Seoul Soloists Cello Ensemble and OZ Ensemble.
She is a founding member of the Edith String Quartet and has partici-
pated in a number of chamber music collaborations throughout her career.
Included: a cello ensemble with Lynn Harrell and with Kyung Sun Lee in the Virtuosi Seoul Ensemble, as well as the St. Lawrence Quartet.
In her home community, she performs with Englewood Arts as a chamber musician and soloist and with the Front Range Chamber Players.
e contemporary music scene in South Korea has drawn her interest as well. In the summer, she performs as a guest artist with the Southeastern Young Artists in Georgia, with the Grand Teton Festival as principal cello and the “Going Home Project” Orchestra as assistant principal.
Seoyoen Min is a private teacher in her home community and has been a guest faculty member at area music institutions. Most recently, she has taught a master class at the University of Wyoming, where she also taught at the UW Cello Festival.
Her personal mentors include musical gures such as Lynn Harrell, Gary Ho man, Xenia Jankovic, Peter Bruns and Tilman Wick, she wrote.
She holds a master of music degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where she studied with Hans Jorgen Jensen and a bachelor of music degree from Seoul National University.
Watch for her name as summer music programming begins to appear in our paper and elsewhere in the area, as summer announcements begin to appear.
Rodgers and Hart’s “Carousel” is presented by Performance Now eater Company through April 2 at Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. ink: “If I Loved You,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” ... 303-9877845, Lakewood.org/ LCCPresents.
Zikr Dance e Zikr Dance
Ensemble is touring with “Mysteries, Rites and Revelations” and the premiere of “Mobile.” Performances locally: April 2 — Lone Tree Arts Center; April 11 — Highlands Ranch Southridge Recreation Center; April 14-15 — Lakewood Cultural Center. See zikrdance.com.
College gallery
Colorado Gallery of the Arts at Arapahoe Community College, 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, is holding an Artist Invitational through May 5: Works by Andrea Gordon, Cindy Young, Amber Seegmiller, Jodee Sweets, Anthony Snyder, Sisel Lan, Mary Murphy, Nicole Hartman, Z.A. Handler, Amy Mower. Gallery hours: Monday to Friday, 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.; ursdays until 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 8, noon to 3 p.m.
ACC benefit
Mark the calendar again! Arapahoe Community College will hold its “Wine, Art and Design” bene t in Littleton, at ACC Art and Design Center, 24oo W. Alamo Ave., from 6:30 to 9 p.m. See arapahoe.edu/foundationevents.
Lone Tree
Tunes on the Terrace at Lone Tree Arts Center has ticket packages available for June 23: Six One Five Collective; July 7: e Hot Lunch Band; July 21, 8 p.m.: Pink Martini, featuring China Forbes; August 4: Face Vocal Band. All performances will take place. If moved to the Main Stage, patrons will be noti ed via email on the day of the performance. All outdoor seats have a corresponding seat in the Main Stage theater in case of inclement weather. No cancellations within 72 hours of the performance. See lonetreeartscenter. org.
Curtis Center Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E. Orchard Road in Greenwood Village, continues with Month of Photography through May 6. Works by Ben Cooper and Jaime Belkind-Gerson are exhibited. Open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BY RACHANA PRADHAN KAISER HEALTH NEWS
e Biden administration’s decision to end the COVID-19 public health emergency in May will institute sweeping changes across the health care system that go far beyond many people having to pay more for COVID tests.
In response to the pandemic, the federal government in 2020 suspended many of its rules on how care is delivered. at transformed essentially every corner of American health care — from hospitals and nursing homes to public health and treatment for people recovering from addiction.
Now, as the government prepares to reverse some of those steps, here’s a glimpse at ways patients will be a ected:
e end of the emergency means nursing homes will have to meet higher standards for training workers.
Advocates for nursing home residents are eager to see the old, tougher training requirements reinstated, but the industry says that move could worsen sta ng shortages plaguing facilities nationwide.
In the early days of the pandemic, to help nursing homes function under the virus’s onslaught, the federal government relaxed training requirements. e Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services instituted a national policy saying nursing homes needn’t follow regulations requiring nurse aides to undergo at least 75 hours of state-approved training. Normally, a nursing home couldn’t employ aides for more than four months unless they met those requirements.
Last year, CMS decided the relaxed training rules would no longer apply nationwide, but states and facilities could ask for permission to be held to the lower standards. As of March, 17 states had such exemptions, according to CMS — Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington — as did 356 individual nursing homes in Arizona, Cali-
Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
Nurse aides often provide the most direct and labor-intensive care for residents, including bathing and other hygiene-related tasks, feeding, monitoring vital signs, and keeping rooms clean. Research has shown that nursing homes with sta ng instability maintain a lower quality of care.
Advocates for nursing home residents are pleased the training exceptions will end but fear that the quality of care could nevertheless deteriorate. at’s because CMS has signaled that, after the looser standards expire, some of the hours that nurse aides logged during the pandemic could count toward their 75 hours of required training. Onthe-job experience, however, is not necessarily a sound substitute for the training workers missed, advocates argue.
Adequate training of aides is crucial so “they know what they’re doing before they provide care, for their own good as well as for the residents,” said Toby Edelman, a senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy.
e American Health Care Association, the largest nursing home lobbying group, released a December survey nding that roughly 4 in 5 facilities were dealing with moderate to high levels of sta shortages. A looming rollback of broader access to buprenorphine, an important medication for people in recovery from opioid addiction, is alarming patients and doctors.
virtually or over the phone without rst conducting an in-person medical evaluation. One of those drugs, buprenorphine, is an opioid that can prevent debilitating withdrawal symptoms for people trying to recover from addiction to other opioids. Research has shown using it more than halves the risk of overdose.
Amid a national epidemic of opioid addiction, if the expanded policy for buprenorphine ends, “thousands of people are going to die,” said Ryan Hampton, an activist who is in recovery.
e DEA in late February proposed regulations that would partly roll back the prescribing of controlled substances through telemedicine. A clinician could use telemedicine to order an initial 30-day supply of medications such as buprenorphine, Ambien, Valium, and Xanax, but patients would need an in-person evaluation to get a re ll.
For another group of drugs, including Adderall, Ritalin, and oxycodone, the DEA proposal would institute tighter controls. Patients seeking those medications would need to see a doctor in person for an initial prescription.
David Herzberg, a historian of drugs at the University at Bu alo, said the DEA’s approach re ects a fundamental challenge in developing drug policy: meeting the needs of people who rely on a drug that can be abused without making that drug too readily available to others.
e DEA, he added, is “clearly seriously wrestling with this problem.”
During the pandemic, CMS has tried to limit problems that could arise if there weren’t enough health care workers to treat patients — especially before there were COVID vaccines when workers were at greater risk of getting sick.
For example, CMS allowed hospitals to make broader use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants when caring for Medicare patients. And new physicians not yet credentialed to work at a particular
hospital — for example, because governing bodies lacked time to conduct their reviews — could nonetheless practice there.
Other changes during the public health emergency were meant to shore up hospital capacity. Critical access hospitals, small hospitals located in rural areas, didn’t have to comply with federal rules for Medicare stating they were limited to 25 inpatient beds and patients’ stays could not exceed 96 hours, on average.
Once the emergency ends, those exceptions will disappear.
Hospitals are trying to persuade federal o cials to maintain multiple COVID-era policies beyond the emergency or work with Congress to change the law.
e way state and local public health departments monitor the spread of disease will change after the emergency ends, because the Department of Health and Human Services won’t be able to require labs to report COVID testing data. Without a uniform, federal requirement, how states and counties track the spread of the coronavirus will vary. In addition, though hospitals will still provide COVID data to the federal government, they may do so less frequently.
Public health departments are still getting their arms around the scope of the changes, said Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.
In some ways, the end of the emergency provides public health o cials an opportunity to rethink COVID surveillance. Compared with the pandemic’s early days, when at-home tests were unavailable and people relied heavily on labs to determine whether they were infected, testing data from labs now reveals less about how the virus is spreading.
Public health o cials don’t think “getting all test results from all lab tests is potentially the right strategy anymore,” Hamilton said. Flu surveillance provides a potential alternative model: For in uenza, public health departments seek test results from a sampling of labs.
“We’re still trying to work out what’s the best, consistent strategy. And I don’t think we have that yet,” Hamilton said.
Kaiser Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at Kaiser Family Foundation. KFF is an endowed nonpro t organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
Thu 4/06
Cooking with Elle @ 3pm
Apr 6th - Apr 27th
Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora
Tue 4/11
Casino - Bally's @ 12:45pm
Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora
Colony House @ 6pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
Little Image @ 6pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
Phat Daddy @ 7pm
Q's Pub and Grill, 10133 W Chat‐�eld Ave, Littleton
Wendy Clark Band: Wendy Clark at The Englewood @ 7pm
The Englewood Tavern, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood
A Flock of Seagulls & Strangelove-The DEPECHE
MODE Experience at Parker
Arts PACE Center @ 6:30pm
Parker Arts, Culture & Events Cen‐ter, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Anavrin's Day: Tailgate Tavern Main Stage @ 7:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Tony Medina Music: The Open Mic at The Alley @ 5:30pm The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton
Wed 4/12
Ladies Night @ 5pm / $10
Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora
DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo at 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 7pm Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan
Thu 4/13
Teague Starbuck @ 5pm Modern Brew - Kitchen, Coffee, Bar, 8221 S Holly St, Centennial
WHL U.S. Development
Combine: Denver - GOALIE @ 11pm / $399
Apr 6th - Apr 9th
South Suburban Family Sports Center, 6901 South Peoria St, Centennial. 888-844-6611 ext.
3354
Diego Figueiredo
@ 11pm
Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S Allison Pkwy, Lakewood
Flag Football:Adult FREE AGENTSThurs-Coed Female-Spring 23 @ 11:30pm
Apr 6th - Jun 22nd
Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker
Fri 4/07
Quilting- Beginner
@ 2pm Apr 7th - Jun 16th
Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora
Anavrin's Day: Tailgate Tavern
Main Stage @ 7:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Sat 4/08
Boogie T @ 10:30pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
Sun 4/09
Colorado Country Dance Social @ 6pm / $10
Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora
Bunny Trails at Belmar @ 10am / Free
Belmar, 7337 West Alaska Drive, Lakewood. janet@see-janetwork.com, 303-815-3504
Science: The Ancient Norse (612yrs) @ 2:30pm
PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Love and Theft live w/ Woodland Park @ 6pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia
Dave Mensch - Tailgate Tavern - Parker, CO @ 11am
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Brad Williams @ 6:30pm
Comedy Works South, 5345 Land‐mark Pl, Greenwood Village Music City Hit-Makers; From Nashville with Strings @ 6:30pm Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree
VOICES
Governing with emotion
is o cial said too many lawmakers are governing with “emotion.”
at resonated with me. It means lawmakers set aside data and debate in the name of looking popular, especially on social issues. ey’re going with what makes them seem caring and supportive in an economy that’s simpli ed to haves doing well and have nots forever struggling to get a leg up.
Thelma GrimesIn this equation, the haves and the haves nots get a lot of attention as the shrinking middle class gets ignored.
Let’s be honest, a lot of the bills we have owing through our state and federal governments are feel good. ey sound like the right thing to do but they are not going to make a di erence the daily lives of many average constituents.
Some of my favorite books about how franchises and businesses have thrived in this country can be used as examples on why we are failing. In “Good to Great” and “Built to Last,” the most successful businesses over the years succeeded because of their willingness to evolve and run a business as a business, meaning emotions do not play a part.
With so many newer lawmakers at the Capitol, I am becoming increasingly concerned with the lack of e ort to make the lives of average workers better.
While rent control bills are important, I have seen little discussion on what is going to happen when middleincome homeowners are hit with what are expected to be extremely high property taxes this year. I have also seen little in the way of help for young couples and families looking to buy their rst home. I don’t blame those who simply give up.
I see very little in terms of how my children, who go to a great school district, are going to get better educations in math and reading as Colorado falls behind. ere are a lot of distraction bills about our education system. Very few mean my kids will get better learning tools.
When I go to the grocery store and ll three or four of my paid-for bags for my household of seven, I wonder what is being done by our lawmakers to help families like us. We have joked that this Easter we will color potatoes instead of eggs because the cost is so outrageous.
I am hearing from some sources in the retail industry that butter is about to be as expensive as eggs, if not already.
I bought 13 items, recently, and spent nearly $100. Don’t get me started on the big shopping trips where meat, lunch supplies and necessities push the nal bill to shocking amounts.
I feel like I am part of the ignored population this year. My husband and I work hard. We live in a good school district. We do what we can to help the economy. at must mean lawmakers think I do not need help. ey must think that my struggles are not as important as the feel good social bills we hear about nonstop.
I work hard and I have a right to ask what is happening to help relieve the pressures we in the middle are feeling. Many middle-class families lost something during the pandemic and the high-in ation economy that followed it and persists today. Families are struggling, hoping not to drop to low-income status. Lawmakers don’t seem to feel much for them.
elma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media
LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Adding value through relatable life experiences
would have to do most of the work. Robin was intimidated at rst and just wished that she would have been paired with someone closer to her
By the end of the training
A publication of
Call first: 9233 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124
Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110
Phone: 303-566-4100
Web: HighlandsRanchHerald.net
MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com
THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com
MCKENNA HARFORD Community Editor mharford@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Sean was in the same training session, and although new to the company, he had many years of experience in the industry. Since he had been in the industry for so many years, he had a lot of knowledge that others in the training class had lacked. Sean also brought with him so many relatable life and work experiences, making it easy to connect the concepts being taught to his job function.
During an exercise the facilitator paired the newest person with the most experienced person to go through the exercises together during the training. at meant that Robin, the new college graduate, was partnered with Sean, the most tenured person in the training. Initially both Robin and Sean felt uncomfortable about the pairing. Sean believed he would learn nothing from someone so young and inexperienced and that he
ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Robin and Sean were working and collaborating so well. At the end of the day the facilitator asked for lessons learned from the training. Robin shared that although Sean was much more experienced, that his willingness to share information and connect real-world stories to the exercises helped her to connect the dots better to the concepts being taught. And Sean shared that although he believed that his young counterpart could ever teach, “ is old dog any new tricks,” that Robin’s natural curiosity taught him that he certainly did not know it all and it reminded him of the need to be more curious himself.
I don’t know about you but I get to experience this very thing every day. Our own team is made up of some very young, incredibly bright, extremely driven, and curious team members. We are also blessed with, let’s just
SEE NORTON, P13
Columnists & Guest Commentaries
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St udents and families in the Pikes Peak region are gearing up for spring break later this month. Whether it’s a sandy beach or the snowy slopes, there are several skin care tips to keep in mind.
e most important advice a dermatologist can give you is: no matter the season, protect your skin from solar radiation. ere is nothing that will bene t your skin as much, especially if you are thinking long term.
Whether you are going to enjoy the break on the mountains or at the beach, protect your skin
say, a little more gray than the rest of the team and lots of lessons learned over the years. And we have others on the team somewhere along their own career and life journey that bring so much to the team in the way of critical thinking, wonderful experience, and knowledge.
What makes our team meetings work so well is that those of us who have been around for a while appreciate the new thinking and insights that those just coming into the business are bringing to each situation or opportunity. And I watch in awe as the seasoned veterans share their wisdom through role plays and pressure testing ideas while the younger team members really pay attention.
Some Colorado GOP insiders and opinion writers bemoan the election of far-right, conspiracy theorist and election denier Dave Williams to head the Colorado GOP, and want the sane Republicans to step up. And they are correct in that his leadership will only drag the party down more.
But contending that there are “sane’’ Republicans in our midst is a stretch.
Republican state legislatures around the country have passed draconian laws targeting women, the LGBTQ community, rape victims, the Trans community and anyone who doesn’t look and act as they do. And they have forestalled any meaningful gun reform laws. We avoid such measures in Colorado because Democrats hold the majority. But that didn’t stop state Republicans from introducing bills that would ban abortion, dissuade enforcement of federal rearms laws, pass anti-Covid vaccine requirements, slash our state’s budget, restrict transgender athletes’ rights, etc. at’s not sane. at’s spiteful.
e Grand Old Party was never
from ultraviolet rays by using sun protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, as well as applying sunscreen to the exposed areas. For skiers, although most of the skin is covered by gear, it is very easy to forget the face. Don’t make that mistake. At high altitude, you are exposed to signi cantly more intense ultraviolet radiation than at sea level. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen on your entire face and neck before you put on your scarf, face cover, helmet or goggles. Even though you think most of your skin is covered, it is common to have people with intense facial sunburn after a day in the mountains - the classic skier sunburn that only spares the areas around the eyes, which are covered by the goggles. A useful tip is carrying in your pocket a sunscreen in a stick, so you can apply to the face without even taking your gloves o , while waiting in lift lines. It is easy
We are all learning from one another regardless of age or experience. When we do not know what we do not know, it’s a best practice to stop pretending to be a no-it-all. And that’s something I will also brag on my team about, no one is afraid to ask for help. Our team culture is to be there for one another and help in any way that we can, respecting that everyone on the team brings relatable life experiences regardless of age. It’s about who they are and what they bring that matters most.
How about you and your team? Is everyone valued and respected for what they bring to the opportunities and meetings? Is everyone learning to be more curious and instead of telling, asking better questions? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can openly talk about, share, and learn from one another’s life experi-
to lose track of time when we are having fun in the slopes, so make sure to reapply every few runs.
After a fun day in the mountains, most people like a hot shower or a hot tub. While this feels lovely, remember that, associated with the dry air of the mountains and of heated spaces, this will dry your skin. Apply thick moisturizing cream to your skin at the end of the day to prevent dry or itchy skin.
If you are going to be at a sunny destination to enjoy the ocean or the pool, more of your skin will be exposed to the sun. Clothes provide a physical barrier to protect your skin, and there are several brands that o er clothes with ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) number, which are made for outdoor activities. ey have cool breathable fabric, and some also can be used for swimming.
Regarding the sunscreen for the beach, look for one that is
ences, it really will be a better than good life.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach,
water resistant (stays e ective for 40 minutes in the water) or very water resistant (stays e ective for 80 minutes in the water). Even if your skin remains dry while using a water-resistant sunscreen, you’ll need to reapply the sunscreen every 2 hours. Also, don’t forget your feet! If you’re wearing sandals, be sure to apply sunscreen to all exposed skin.
Remember that it does not matter if it’s a cloudy day on the mountain or at the beach. Ultra-violet A rays can go through clouds and cause skin damage.
Good skin care should happen all year round, but spring break is a great time to remind us of that, as we prepare to step out of the house and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
Dr. Renata Prado is a board-certied dermatologist and board-certi ed Mohs Surgeon at Vanguard Skin Specialists
consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
that grand. Just look at the in uence of McCarthyism, the John Birch Society and the Federalist Society on the GOP. Scapegoating, conspiracy rheories, homophobia, and erce anti-woman sentiment abound.
Moreover, these pundits repeat the worn-out and useless tropes of Democrats causing crime, in ation, debt, etc. with no fact checking.
e Colorado GOP candidates ran on such a platform last year and voters saw through that and they were soundly defeated.
Sanity prevailed - for the Democrats.
Lynne Popkowski LittletonLove the headline
Your headline in the Lone Tree Voice for the week of March 23...”Laydon, omas attempt civility”...was a journalistic gem! Editors of a major newspaper would be envious of your wit and perception. In a single phrase you capture a possible cure of our local and national political divide. anks for your clear thinking.
Larry Norton Lone Tree
Caring, compassionate hands — and sometimes feet — are used by massage therapists to help improve the lives of their clients. Massage is an ancient practice, and there are more than two dozen types throughout the world, therapists say.
Four massage therapists interviewed by Colorado Community Media say massage has become more accepted by the public, and more scienti c research is being done to document the health bene ts.
Massage can help with pain and injuries; decrease muscular tension; reduce blood pressure, swelling and in ammation; release endorphins; and much more, according to massage therapists.
“Even people who don’t have speci c problems can bene t from massage,” Destine Robertson with Alpine Medical Massage in Centennial and Conifer said. “Everybody has so much stress, and massage can help relieve that.”
People’s perceptions of massage have come a long way, the therapists said.
“A lot of people think of massage as pampering and relaxing,” Ti any Shocklee with Hearth re erapeutics in Golden said, “but it can help people who have many other issues, too.”
Massage therapy is not an easy profession, requiring hours of training, a certi cation exam and licensing in Colorado.
“It’s become a more regulated eld,” said Mary Davis with Healing Traditions Bodywork in Evergreen, “which I think is best. I think it’s needed and necessary to protect people when they are potentially vulnerable going in for a personal treatment like massage.”
But education doesn’t stop at the 600 hours of initial training for most therapists. ey continue to learn di erent techniques to add to their repertoire.
“ e single most popular, most widely done type of massage in the
U.S. and maybe in the world is Swedish massage,” Davis said. “ at is part of your basic training. It is a bit lighter, more relaxing, with long strokes. en what I do and what a lot of therapists do is integrative massage. We have received additional training in areas that have spoken to us.”
Davis said most of the time she’s integrating di erent styles and techniques in one massage.
“I have a toolbox, and I pull different things out based on what I’m feeling that day in their tissues and what they need,” she explained.
Jenna Courage of Littleton erapeutic Massage Center said she has blended together many styles to create her own technique.
“I make each session specialized for each client,” Courage explained. “Some techniques I use on one client but not another. I feel like I am learning from my clients. ey come in with something new, and I gure out how to work with it, then take that knowledge and use it on someone with a similar issue.”
Some massage therapists like Shocklee chose the practice as their rst career, while others nd massage therapy along their career paths. Davis and Shocklee have been massage therapists for 19 years, while Robertson has spent 22 years in the profession and Courage 31 years.
“Massage is important for me,” Shocklee said. “It’s what I’m meant to do. It helps me stay connected to myself. For me to go to work feels very focusing and a relief from other parts of my day that may be chaotic. It’s doing something that is single-minded by working with one person.”
Courage was working on a premedicine degree when she realized she had a strong interest in alternative health care. She visited a massage school and signed up the
Ti any Shocklee with Hearthfire Therapeutics in Golden massages a client’s shoulder. Shocklee also o ers ashiatsu massage during which she uses her feet. COURTESY PHOTOS
FROM PAGE 14
next week.
Robertson, for example, worked in a bakery before moving to massage therapy, quipping that kneading bread dough helped pave the way to her next career. However, she said she should have known that massage therapy was her calling because as a young girl, she rubbed her grandmother’s shoulders. Her grandmother suggested massage therapy as a career.
Davis had a 20-year career in the nonpro t sector rst.
“I like doing things that help people, but I didn’t want to make the commute and sit in an o ce,” Davis said.
Helping others
e massage therapists agree that they continue to practice massage therapy for so many years because of the relationships they have with their clients and because of their ability to
help others with a multitude of issues.
“It’s a pretty amazing feeling to have somebody come in (for a massage) in pain or with an issue that is a big problem in their lives, and you’re able to gure out how to work with them to help either greatly improve or resolve that issue,” Courage said. “Just the feeling of seeing them feel better, to know that they are healthier, happier, more functional in their lives, and you helped create that.”
Shocklee added: “I feel like it’s very rewarding being able to increase people’s wellbeing. It de nitely can be therapeutic for me to help other people and make them feel better. For me personally, doing things like continuing education so I can keep learning new things and taking care of myself have helped me to be able to do it as long as I can. When I rst started, I didn’t think I’d be doing it that long.”
Davis says she usually see an immediate impact from the massages she provides.
“It really motivates me and makes me feel good,” Davis said. “It gives meaning to my work. I feel like I am having a positive impact on people’s lives.”
that are similar to yogic stretching. The therapist uses palms and fingers to apply firm pressure to the body, and you will be stretched and twisted into various positions. Myofascial release therapy: involves releasing sti ness in the fascia, the connective tissue system that contains each muscle in the body. The therapist uses massage and stretch to any areas that feel tense with light pressure.
John F. Barnes Myofascial Release: a treatment used to treat chronic pain from the following: back, neck, menstrual, jaw, headaches, and others.
Ashiatsu massage: a technique where massage therapists use their feet to apply deep pressure to your body. It’s often called barefoot massage. Methods allow the deep tissues, joints and muscles to be massaged while easing the nervous system.
Reiki: a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is based on the idea that an unseen life-force energy flows through people and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s life-force energy is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
Match the correct Easter chick with it’s shadow!
Homar Alvarado
Profession: Program and project management
Biography: My family and I have lived in HR since 2011 — a promotion brought us here from Maryland. I joined the Marines after high school in Texas and we served for nine active years. While mostly attending night school while in uniform I’d earned an undergrad degree that taught me government program budgeting, planning, contracting and program management and I’ve been working in this space since 2007. I also earned a DU MBA in 2016 which has ampli ed my knowledge and impact. Outside work hours, I’m a dedicated husband, dad, community servant and veteran community advocate.
Website: www.HomarForHR.com
Why are you running for the Highlands Ranch Metro District?
Simon Sinek convinced me years ago to “start with why.” I’ve found my “why” and it’s simple — I’m here because I want to serve. I want to serve this community I love and you — my friends, neighbors, and our families. I have the aptitude and the attitude to serve our community with conviction, strength, and vigor. As our
Profession: Sales with a construction and real estate development background
Biography: https:// www.linkedin.com/in/ jimfreiberg4952/details/ experience/
Why are you running for for the Highlands Ranch Metro District?
To promote complete nancial transparency and voting accountability on the board.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Highlands Ranch right now and how will you address it?
Growing real estate taxes — lower the mill levy.
What are some initiatives you would like to see put in place by the metro district? e quality of continued supply of clean drinking water.
What is your philosophy on growth and maintaining Highlands Ranch character? Growth and character are two di erent issues but they must develop together, as one a ects the other. Certainly the master planing standards for the Highlands Ranch community need to be maintained, so as to continue to draw new people to Highlands Ranch as
Profession: Airline captain
Biography: Andy Jones is a retired Navy captain, a devoted husband and proud father of three children who have lived in Highlands Ranch since 1989. He is currently in his 25th year as a captain and professional instructor for a major airline. He has 39 years of professional and military experience demonstrating a dedication to public service, inspired leadership of people, exceptional management of resources, and impeccable integrity.
Andy has volunteered in our community for 21 years,
• Board member for HRMD (served as vice chair)
• Over ve years as a delegate on the Highlands Ranch Community Association (HOA)
• Represents HRMD on multiple boards and committees including the Centennial Airport Noise Roundtable, Douglas County Youth Initiative, and the Douglas County Community Foundation
• Served as the Governing Board president at Platte River Academy Public Charter School in Highlands Ranch and for three years as the vice chair of the DCSD District Accountability
Nancy Smith
Profession: Retired. In my working years, I worked in patient recreation and social service in several hospitals including the University of Michigan Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. I also worked as a case worker in an adoption agency; teaching in a children’s outpatient psychiatric clinic; and surveying for the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center and the Child Welfare League of America. Biography: I grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Vassar College. My husband and I have been married for over 50 years. We have one son. In 2000 we moved to Highlands Ranch to enjoy beautiful Colorado. I am retired but busy with volunteer and recreational activities. I am an experienced leader having served on the Metro District board and as an HRCA delegate for many years. In 2003 I started the Highlands Ranch Senior Club and served on the board for 10 years. is club continues to thrive. Currently I chair a group that creates greeting cards that are sold to bene t local charities including the Crisis Center and the Children’s Hospital. I
owner / pack burro race owner
Biography: Married to my bride Amber of 25 years, four children, and three grandchildren. By trade I am a furniture master and have been in the furniture repair industry since 1988. My company has been in all lower 48 states and has operated as one of the largest furniture repair companies in the United States doing work for large companies and furniture manufacturers. Served as the media relation o cer of the Summer Heritage Sport of Colorado Pack Burro Racing from 2009-2021. In 2015 I was elected as the Douglas County Republican vice chairman. 2018 was elected as Republican chairman of Colorado House District 43. I am currently the Republican chairman of Colorado Senate District 30. Serve on a board of a nonpro t, ReDONKulous Ranch Sanctuary and Rescue Inc. You will also nd one of my companies at: www. beverageburro.com. We put smiles on faces. Website: www.bradwann.com
Why are you running for for the Highlands Ranch Metro District? Our incumbent has
daughters grow into young adults and nd their paths, I have more time to give. I want to give my time, expertise, knowledge and experience to work for our Highlands Ranch and its future.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Highlands Ranch right now and how will you address it?
ough I’m not currently routinely exposed to the direct and frequent insights of all challenges facing our community, I can say that our water stability and sustainability is amongst my top concerns. I’ve read several articles on the subject and it seems that some experts deem the matter of signi cant concern. As HRMD oversees the contract with Centennial Water, I plan on diving deep into the matter to thoroughly evaluate. Public safety is another of
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Committee (DAC)
• Serves on the board of a charitable organization called Hope Light, which raises education funds for refugee children in South Sudan
Andy Jones is running for reelection to the Highlands Ranch Metro District Board, North Central Region. He is impassioned about our quality of life, safety and protecting our amazing parks and trails. As a senior citizen, he advocates for and supports enhanced services for the senior community in Highlands Ranch and that will be his #1 priority, yet with children who recently graduated from public schools, he also represents young families. He believes in strong, accountable leadership, lower taxes, and enhanced senior services. He also preaches sensible business practices for district resources, scally conservative budgeting which retired debt four years early and the need to maintain transparency in local governance. He brings a balanced vision for our metro board, to be representative of and responsive to all citizens.
Why are you running for for the Highlands Ranch Metro District?
After 30 years in the military, I just can’t turn o the passion to serve and so desire to continue sharing my extensive leadership experience with our Metro District team. I have a full understanding of the role and scope of a highly e ective board including: upholding basic duciary principles (retiring our debt in 2021) while looking at key challenges through the prism of “risk.” e process of assessing risk factors and making policy decisions based upon them allows me as a board member to ask hard questions and make choices in collaboration with our general manager and county partners.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Highlands Ranch right now and how will you address it?
Safe neighborhoods, the need for growing senior services, parks, low taxes and maintaining Highlands Ranch as the most desirable place to raise a family and retire, must be pri-
my focus areas. I’ll work on creating relationships with law enforcement to ensure HR is a safe place for our residents.
What are some initiatives you would like to see put in place by the metro district?
I do have a special project in mind that I’d like HRMD and community support behind. If you’re familiar with my work within our veteran community, you’d know how much I honor and respect our vets. If done well, I can see this idea being adopted and replicated across the country. Here’s what I want to do — I want to honor and celebrate every young man, woman, and their families who opts to join any branch of the service after high school by bringing our community together to host an Annual Hometown Heroes Sendo Banquet.
What is your philosophy on growth and maintaining Highlands Ranch character?
There is little to no more hori-
orities coming out of one of the most challenging eras in our lifetime. is will take serious and sober leadership that has experience in operating in austere budgeting times. We must protect the quality of services while also taking care of every employee. I have that experience as a serving board member during the last three years as well as personal and existing relationships with HRCA, DCSO and Douglas County leadership.
What are some initiatives you would like to see put in place by the metro district?
We let the county commissioners know that we will be applying for all available funding coming out of the recent Open Space sales tax extension. When initially passed, Highlands Ranch was not eligible for the funding given to municipalities. We will not be overlooked by the county sta and commissioners, but with the largest population in Douglas County, we will be seeking our fair share of funds to keep our parks and trails in superior condition. I know every elected o cial in Douglas County and will continue to build on the strong relationships and partnership opportunities.
What is your philosophy on growth and maintaining Highlands Ranch character?
Highlands Ranch after 40 years is a built-out community and growth is no longer on our plate. However, our “character” must be protected by constantly improving our fantastic quality of life with additional senior services, amazing parks and trail systems, recreation opportunities like pickleball, that address every age group’s needs. Our “character” is dened by remaining the best place to raise a family and retire. I continue to live here, because of the e cient use of our tax dollars, while maintaining a high quality of services and the environment, making it one of the destination communities along the Front Range.
What do you see Highlands Ranch becoming in the next 20 years? We consistently rank as one of the best places to live in the US. Why modify our vision of the destination community for people from around the country and state to live?
zontal growth (new development) potential here in Highlands Ranch. Our master-planned community of nearly 36k homes on our 22,000 acres of space is complete per existing designs. Where there’s opportunity for growth or expansion, then, is within the community we already have. Growth opportunity lies in the quality of life that we here enjoy. The work I will take up will focus on improving upon the safety, quality of life, services and offerings that make our Highlands Ranch a world-class community and wonderful place to raise our children.
What do you see Highlands Ranch becoming in the next 20 years?
A strong, proud, and tightly knit community that produces the brightest and best academic, community leadership and athletic talent the state of Colorado produces. I see Highlands Ranch as being the rst and foremost Denver suburb that comes to mind when anyone across
e challenge is maintaining the high level of service, balanced with di cult economic times for our residents. I would sustain the lowest tax rates in the Front Range while providing the best quality of living and services that our residents expect. With a 96% satisfaction rate in recent surveys, why would residents want to change direction to individuals that don’t understand basic functions of the board or HRMD?
What are other priorities or concerns you have for Highlands Ranch?
First and foremost, a board mem-
the country considers which Denver suburb to be the most desirable for raising a family. We’ve lled out our allocable land space so it’s the things we focus on and design now that will determine what we look like in 20 years and that work lies in focusing on culture and supporting activities.
What are other priorities or concerns you have for Highlands Ranch?
I’m a dad so my concerns and priorities are the same as every HR parent. I want a community that is safe for our kids, an environment that cultivates and unleashes our kids’ potential, and an activityrich community that o ers fun for parents, too. Look, I don’t have it all gured out but I’m open and I’ll lean on my genuine interest in everyone’s perspective and concerns to actively listen — to our neighbors, educators, law enforcement, others on the board, and the HRMD sta — to heighten my awareness. With a humble heart, thanks for your time and attention.
ber must have a complete and clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the board and the organization. My opponents clearly haven’t read the scope of municipal services set in statute and the list of de ned services. It is just as important to know what we cannot do as is it is to know what we can do. e board members hire one employee and oversee the strategic vision and budget for Highlands Ranch Metro District. We set the tone of a customer responsive, transparent and scally sound organization and deliver with a smile.
held this o ce since 2006, and while I applaud her sense of community, dedication to the job and her many accomplishments, no one should hold elected o ce for that long. We are in unprecedented times and they require fresh eyes. I will bring my outof-the-box thinking combined with the community experience I’ve gathered over the nearly two decades my family and I have lived in Highlands Ranch. I am a conservative Republican to my core and want those values expressed on this board.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Highlands Ranch right now and how will you address it?
After two years of a closed economy, unprecedented and still rising in ation, banks collapsing, and Colorado homeowners facing up to a 50% in-
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served on the Littleton Newcomers Club board for ve years and created their newsletter for three years. For Douglas County I was appointed to serve on the Douglas County Senior Services Strategic Planning Committee. For HRCA I have been appointed to many committees including the Redistricting Committee; two bylaws committees; Mansion Vision I and II; and the Future Facilities Committee for Southridge.
Why are you running for for the Highlands Ranch Metro District?
As a current member of the Highlands Ranch Metro District (HRMD) Board, and the most experienced Board Member, I have gained valuable knowledge about the workings of HRMD and our community including taxation and budgeting issues. As a leader with extensive experience, I have a unique perspective and a great deal to contribute as we move forward with signi cant large projects including the Senior Center, Pickleball Courts, the Toepfer Park expansion, the Historic Park, ongoing water saving landscape conversion projects, and our ongoing fence replacement project.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Highlands Ranch right now and how will you address it?
We have had historic growth in home values which could result in a signi cant increase in the tax burden on homeowners. With the elimination of the Gallagher Amendment, the Legislature is currently discussing options to deal with this. In our budgeting process we may have to make adjustments to deal with the way that the Legislature eventually decides to address
FROM PAGE 18
their destination choice.
What do you see Highlands Ranch becoming in the next 20 years?
crease in property tax, I believe it is up to the board of the Metro District to prioritize, limit the scope, and if necessary, delay projects. I am prepared to vote to hold the revenue neutral on the mill levy to provide any possible relief to homeowners. e budget is derived from our citizens’ mortgage payments, and we must be sensitive and vigilant, balancing community projects and growth with the nancial needs of the individuals we serve.
What are some initiatives you would like to see put in place by the metro district?
I believe more people need to understand what the Metro District is and the work it does. Under 2,000 residents voted in the last election because they simply don’t understand they have a voice. As a governing board we should spend some time educating the public about what HRMD does. I will commit to serving for no more than two terms. I believe we have an amazingly intelligent and bright community, and that no one
this issue, which might be a reduction in the residential assessment rate or one of several other ideas being discussed at the Capitol.
What are some initiatives you would like to see put in place by the metro district?
We have an excellent sta including a new GM who has been with us as nance director for many years. ey are well equipped for the future as they handle adjusting our budgeting to accommodate the results of a legislative decision on taxes; and planning the wonderful projects on the horizon. In addition, it is also important to consistently maintain all aspects of our community including the public and common areas, parks, playgrounds, open space, parkway landscaping and fencing. is is especially signi cant as our infrastructure begins to age.
What is your philosophy on growth and maintaining Highlands Ranch character?
I am committed to cost-e ective delivery of quality services, asking the tough questions and helping to make the tough choices to avoid the need to raise taxes. As an incumbent and experienced leader on the Metro District board, I have voted to: cut taxes twice, cutting our Metro District tax rate in half; pay o Metro District debt four years early; build the senior center without property taxes; renovate the Highlands Ranch Mansion without property taxes; change our re and emergency services provider, resulting in improved service; collaborate with South Suburban Parks for disc golf and pickleball.
What do you see Highlands Ranch becoming in the next 20 year?
Having served many years on this board I have extensive experience and a unique perspective to
An established, well maintained, and well functioning community with plenty of recreational opportunities.
What are other priorities or concerns you have for Highlands Ranch? Health and welfare of the Highlands Ranch resident.
should hold a monopoly on these positions. Term limits are a must.
What is your philosophy on growth and maintaining Highlands Ranch character?
My philosophy on growth and community character is simple. Not changing HRMD’s mission beyond scope, no growth into other areas outside of their scope. I would make my decisions based on a single question, is this the job of the Metro District board? Highlands Ranch has been a great place to live for so many years precisely because there is a balance between common sense and common good. I will stand on that to make sure one does not overtake the other.
What do you see Highlands Ranch becoming in the next 20 years?
Hoping leaders have set the foundation of making Highlands Ranch the template utopia of freedom to live in. at the wonderful parks and trails are the best maintained and well kept
help guide us in the coming years. By adding the senior center to our community, we will have opportunities for all ages and abilities of residents. We have many playgrounds, four HRCA rec centers, and the Backcountry wilderness area. Creating a place for seniors to gather lls in a major gap in the list of our great amenities. With effective leadership from the Metro District, the HRCA and the county, I see Highlands Ranch continuing to be a wonderful, vibrant community for our residents.
What are other priorities or concerns
in the State of Colorado. Having the most creative ways to pay and maintain our beauty. To have parks and trails for our mental health, physical health and self-worth in our community. Twenty years from now my children say thank you for keeping Highlands Ranch home.
What are other priorities or concerns you have for Highlands Ranch?
To not put one more taxing item onto the citizens of Highlands Ranch. Making the government as small as possible, so the burden to the citizens is small. To listen to the people’s concerns and navigate those to best represent our community. As director I will ask lots of questions, looking forward to working with sta , builders, county, HRCA and many others. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and transparency will be always on my radar. Working hard for tomorrow, not with a wish list, but a real plan. What a blessing it is to live in such a great place.
you have for Highlands Ranch?
Highlands Ranch’s infrastructure is aging. It is vitally important that we maintain a high quality of service for all aspects of our community. We need to work with the county on issues of street repair, tra c control and snow removal and with Xcel on streetlights. Plus we need to keep our focus on our public and common areas, parks, playgrounds, open space, parkway landscaping and fencing. e Metro District, Douglas County and HRCA must work together to ensure that Highlands Ranch remains a quality place to live.
A bill advancing in the Colorado legislature would encourage schools to begin teaching students lifesaving skills before graduation, but critics contend it’s little more than a “feel-good” measure devoid of vital requirements and funding.
Colorado is one of 10 states where laws don’t mandate CPR training for high school students, according to the American Heart Association.
In February, the Colorado House passed a bipartisan bill to add training for CPR and how to use an automated external de brillator, or AED, to the Colorado Department of Education’s comprehensive health education high school curriculum.
But the proposal stops short of requiring public high schools to adopt the revised curriculum, or subsidizing the e ort. Instead, they would be strongly encouraged to implement the training on their own.
“ e bill is a noble e ort and is something that needs to be done,” said Lynn Blake, vice chair of the Eagle County Paramedic Services board. “However, it’s a feel-good law until mandates and dollars accompany it.”
In 2021, Colorado reported 3,727 cases of cardiac arrest — in which the heart abruptly stops beating — to the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, or CARES, which tracks incidents occurring outside hospitals. is number is likely an underestimate, as the data was collected from less than 80% of the population. Last summer, Colorado became the rst state to establish an o ce within its state health department dedicated to collecting data on cardiac arrest incidents and nding ways to increase survival rates.
Nearly 90% of cardiac arrests experienced outside of a hospital are fatal, according to CARES. CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival if performed immediately after the heart stops beating.
So, the more bystanders who know how to administer CPR, the better, said Blake, who was 27 when she
was stricken by cardiac arrest. A woman nearby performed CPR on her, and a few minutes later, paramedics arrived and shocked Blake three times with an AED, which saved her life. A 2022 study by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that states that require CPR training in schools have higher rates of CPR being performed by bystanders, thus improving survival rates.
“We have a huge need for people to learn to act quickly in emergency situations,” said state Sen. Janice Marchman, a Democrat sponsoring the bill. “ at’s why it would be great to train high school students not just to do CPR, but also to use the AED machines.”
e bill encourages each public school to adopt a curriculum that includes “hands-on” training on performing CPR and using a debrillator. However, the proposal doesn’t allocate money to school districts to support the training, according to the bill’s scal note. A single CPR manikin and AED trainer together cost around $600, according to the American Red Cross store. School districts might be eligible to apply for a comprehensive health education grant funded by the state education department, to help pay for lessons, Marchman said.
e bill also stops short of making CPR training a graduation requirement for public high schools, leaving Colorado an outlier while 40 other states plus Washington, D.C., command it. Alabama has mandated CPR training for high school graduation since fall 1983 and Iowa has done the same since 2009.
All Colorado public schools are bound by the state’s comprehensive health academic standards, so it’s likely that most schools would abide by the change without making it a graduation requirement, Marchman said.
Colorado Senate Republicans are con dent schools will be eager to equip students and teachers with these lifesaving skills, caucus spokesperson Joshua Bly said.
e Colorado Department of Education’s role is to implement policy, not speculate on why CPR and AED training is not mandated in high schools, department spokesperson Erica Grasmick said.
is isn’t the rst time Colorado lawmakers have sought CPR training in high schools. A 2012 bill pushed
by the American Heart Association tried to mandate CPR and AED training for high schoolers. But the Colorado Association of School Executives opposed the legislation, as its members argued that school districts should be able to “decide what is important at a local level” as they are “tasked with the di cult job of balancing budgets.”
Not mandating CPR and AED training in high schools is a signicant loss, said Blake. “If I was the author of the bill, I would require that all students and administrators, teachers, coaches — anyone who is involved with any kind of education — to be trained in CPR,” she said.
Still, Blake sees this bill as a step in the right direction. “Stakeholders are eager to return to the Capitol in coming sessions with an even more robust bill, including CPR and debrillator requirements and funding,” she said.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonpro t organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
Boys volleyball became a sanctioned sport in Colorado three years ago and has steadily been growing.
“ e level of volleyball is rising and rising,” said Legend boys volleyball coach Ryan Lindstrom. “It’s getting better and it’s getting bigger.”
When the Colorado High Schools Activities Association sanctioned boys volleyball before the start of the 2021 season, players and teams were reluctant to jump in.
“When it was rst sanctioned, Legend was the only school in Parker with a team,” Lindstrom said. “We had kids from Ponderosa and Chaparral try out for the team. is year, Douglas County made the amazing choice to go 100 percent. So all Douglas County schools have boys volleyball teams, which is fantastic.
“We’re lucky at Legend to have some really good players. We have 42 boys in the program. We didn’t cut anybody. We want them to keep playing volleyball.”
Legend’s Paxton Wright has been playing volleyball since he was youngster.
“I was super happy (when boys volleyball was sanctioned),” he said. “I have a deep passion for the sport ever since I was young. I just love it and want it to become a bigger sport in the state.
“When I rst started playing it was a club level thing and then my freshman year at Legend we got second in the state, last year we got third and this year we are trying to make it rst,” he said.
Legend (6-1) is ranked third in the CHSSANow.com state poll, defeating underRidge, 3-0, in a Continental League match on March 23. e set scores were 2510, 25-15 and 25-17.
“We think we’re pretty good,” said
Rock Canyon’s girls soccer team is o to slow start with a rugged nonleague schedule.
e Jaguars, the third-ranked team in the CHSAANow.com state rankings has started the 2023 season with a 0-2-1 record.
Rock Canyon opened the season with a 1-1 double overtime tie against Arapahoe, a perennial playo team, which is also ranked in the top 10.
Eighth-ranked Fossil Ridge blanked the Jaguars, 2-0, in a March
21 game at Echo Park.
Rock Canyon then dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to fourth ranked Pine Creek on March 23.
“We have a really tough nonleague schedule,” said Rock Canyon coach Mat Henbest. “We de nitely think it will help us down the road. e schedule does prepare us.”
e Jaguars have had trouble scoring in the early games this season.
“It is easier to defend than it is to create,” said Henbest. “It does make a di erence.”
Mid elder Addison Vali, a senior who has committed to play for SMU next season, had the lone Rock Canyon goal in the game against Arapahoe. Nicole Fraser scored for the Jaguars in the overtime setback
at Pine Creek.
In early season games involving teams ranked in the top ten in the March 20 state rankings, it seems thatdefenses of the teams might be a little ahead at least according to the numbers.
In games completed before March 22, the combined o ensive production was 2.368 goals per game while the top 10 ranked teams have allowed just 0.842 goals a game.
Rock Canyon gave up two second half goals in the loss to Fossil Ridge despite having a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Nicola Frazer got the gamewinning goal for Pine Creek in the second overtime period to defeat the Jaguars in the March 23 contest.
Lindstrom. “I think we’ll be in the top ve or six in the state for sure. We expect to be very competitive through the whole year.”
Wright is grati ed about Legend’s start this season.
“We’ve started o pretty strong,” he said. “We’ve got our chemistry going. Communications is the key to our success. We’re just swinging well, ghting well and passing well and playing at a good level.”
Wright, a 6-foot-4 junior, had a strong game against underRidge (0-3) with 13 kills, three aces, two blocks and 10 digs.
Senior Reece Lindstrom had six aces and 12 assists while senior Tommy Gibas had ve kills and DavisRoach contributed nine assists.
Registered Occupational Therapist/ COTA
Full-Time and part-time Registered Occupational Therapist/COTA for 2023-24 School Year! OTR must have, or be eligible for appropriate Colorado licensure. Provide Pre-12 intervention, assessment, direct & indirect services just east of Denver on I-70, Bennett, Strasburg Byers & Kiowa areas COTA Needed for Limon & Surrounding Areas
Support from an experienced COTA is available for OT. Full Time Salary range: MA $50,450$56,050 PhD $55,700 -$61,300. Part-Time Salary prorated based on the number of days employed. COTA Salary range BA $41,222$46,600. Excellent Benefits. Access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement. May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program! Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ ecboces.org.
Intermediate Bridge Engineer
Sought by Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. Greenwood Village, CO: Load rating of bridges. Design concrete and steel structures. Telecom. allowed. Salary: $84,552 - $107,500/ year. Send Resumes to Miriam Garcia at 818 Town and Country Boulevard, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77024. Refer to Job Code: 1022TS.
Sr. SW Test Engineer Visa U.S.A. Inc., a Visa Inc. company, currently has an opening for Sr. SW Test Engineer (multiple openings) (REF57761G ) Highlands Ranch, CO. Job duties include: responsible for designing, creating and executing test plans and test cases for the Debit Processing Services applications. Responsible for reviewing requirements, assessing the appropriate course for testing, executing those plans and ensuring all anomalies and issues are appropriately addressed. Position reports to the Visa Highlands Ranch, CO office and may allow for partial telecommuting. The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $85,300.00 USD to $132,300.00 USD. Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for an annual bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position is eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Program, FSH/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time off and Wellness Programs. Qualified applicants should apply by emailing resume to careersus@visa.com. Must reference job code: REF57761G
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No Sales, no Investment, No Risk, Free training, Free website. Contact Susan at 303-646-4171 or fill out form at www.wisechoice4u.com
Educational Audiologist
East Central BOCES is looking for a part-time Educational Audiologist for the 2023-24 school year
• CDE Special Services and Colorado Audiologist licensure required; CCC’s or AAA certificate; knowledge of current technologies in Audiology including HAT systems and cochlear implants preferred.
• Experience with children 0-21 preferred.
• Complete evaluations, provide direct services, and consultation services, manage hearing equipment and oversee hearing screening program.
• Benefits include: a signing bonus, mileage reimbursement
• Flexible scheduling with some opportunity to work from home.
• May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program.
• Ph.D. Salary $51,450-$60,550.
• For Questions, please contact Tracy at tracyg@ecboces.org or 719-775-2342 ext. 101.
• To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE
Staff Software Test Engineer
Visa Technology & Operations LLC, a Visa Inc. company, currently has an opening for Staff Software Test Engineer (multiple openings) (REF58615F) in Highlands Ranch, CO. Job duties include: Design and develop test plans and functional test cases from business requirements and conceptual documents with a focus on coverage, performance and automation. Collaborate with the Development, Product and System Architecture teams to analyze, debug and resolve design and code issues. Position reports to the Visa Highlands Ranch, CO office and may allow for partial telecommuting. The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $116,563.00 USD to $177,800.00 USD per year. Salary may vary depending on jobrelated factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for an annual bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position is eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Program, FSH/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time off and Wellness Programs. Qualified applicants should apply by emailing resume to careersus@ visa.com. Must reference job code: REF58615F.
Speech Language Pathologist or SLPA Positions
FT & PT Speech-Language Pathologist or SLPA Positions Available for 2023-24 School Year! Open to School Internships. Able to provide supervision for CFY hours. Join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team of professionals for the 2023-24 school year. Administer assessments, provide direct, indirect & consultation services for students PreK-12th grades. Competitive salaries: SLP - $50,450-$56,050 & SLPA- BA $41,000- $46,600, both commensurate upon experience. May also be eligible for loan forgiveness! Excellent benefits, including full health benefits & mileage reimbursement. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ ecboces.org
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Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 176 HIGHLANDS RANCH FILING NO. 122-H, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO
Which has the address of:
4705 Hunterwood Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
Legal Description of Real Property: Lot 272, Highlands Ranch Filing No. 111-B, County of Douglas, State of Colorado.
Which has the address of:
2179 Gold Dust Ln, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 3/16/2023
Last Publication: 4/13/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 1/19/2023
DAVID GILL
DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 3/9/2023
Last Publication: 4/6/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 1/11/2023
DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
DAVID R DOUGHTY
Colorado Registration #: 40042 9800 S. MERIDIAN BLVD. SUITE 400, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112
Phone #: (303) 706-9990
Fax #: (303) 706-9994
Attorney File #: 22-028513
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE
DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0013
First Publication: 3/9/2023
Last Publication: 4/6/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
PUBLIC NOTICE
Trust (DOT): 10/25/2013
Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $198,115.35
The
of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property:
Lot 13, Highlands Ranch filing No. 108-D, County of Douglas, State of Colorado.
Which has the address of:
3730 White Bay Dr., Highlans Ranch, CO 80126-5020
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 3/30/2023
Last Publication: 4/27/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 2/3/2023
DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
MARCELLO G. ROJAS
Colorado Registration #: 46396 3600 SOUTH BEELER STREET SUITE 330, DENVER, COLORADO 80237
Phone #: (303) 353-2965
Fax #:
Attorney File #: CO220011
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE
DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0030
First Publication: 3/30/2023
Last Publication: 4/27/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press PUBLIC NOTICE
Highlands Ranch NOTICE OF SALE
Trustee Sale No. 2023-0018
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 3/16/2023 Last Publication: 4/13/2023 Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 1/20/2023
DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
RYAN BOURGEOIS Colorado Registration #: 51088 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700 , DENVER, COLORADO 80204 Phone #: (303) 350-3711
Fax #: Attorney File #: 00000009703596
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
AMANDA FERGUSON
Colorado Registration #: 44893 355 UNION BLVD SUITE 250, LAKEWOOD, COLORADO 80228 Phone #: (303) 274-0155
Fax #:
Attorney File #: CO21342
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/ Legal Notice No. 2023-0017 First
Trustee Sale No. 2023-0013
To Whom It May Concern: On 1/11/2023 11:34:00 AM the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.
Original Grantor: LLOYD RUSTIN HIGBEE AND TIFFANY HIGGINS HIGBEE Original Beneficiary: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, not in its individual capacity but solely as owner trustee for RCF 2 Acquisition Trust c/o U.S. Bank Trust National Association Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 5/27/2005 Recording Date of DOT: 6/7/2005 Reception No. of DOT: 2005051396 DOT Recorded in Douglas County. Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $359,200.00
Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $273,270.87
May
On 1/18/2023 3:01:00
the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.
Original Grantor: Kim Marie Torrez-Hruska Original Beneficiary: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Beneficiary, as nominee for Bank of England., its
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Borrower's failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 207, HIGHLANDS RANCH, FILING NO.
112-A, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO
Which has the address of:
9307 Desert Willow Trail, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Highlands Ranch NOTICE OF SALE Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0006
To Whom It May Concern: On 1/5/2023 1:28:00
PM the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.
Original Grantor: Steve Busheff
Original Beneficiary: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. ("MERS") as nominee for M&T Bank, A Corporation, Its Successors and Assigns
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 11/30/2018
Recording Date of DOT: 12/3/2018
Reception No. of DOT: 2018072375
DOT Recorded in Douglas County.
Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $304,000.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $290,401.17
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: the failure to make timely payments required under said Deed of Trust and the Evidence of Debt secured thereby.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 288, HIGHLANDS RANCH FILING NO. 122-R, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO
Which has the address of: 10664 Evondale Street, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Borrower's failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 43, BLOCK 2, IMPERIAL HOMES AT ROXBOROUGH VILLAGE FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.
Which has the address of:
7867 Kyle Way, Littleton, CO 80125 NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 3/2/2023
Last Publication: 3/30/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 1/5/2023 DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
N. APRIL WINECKI
Colorado Registration #: 34861 9800 S. MERIDIAN BLVD. SUITE 400, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112 Phone #: (303) 706-9990
Fax #: (303) 706-9994
Attorney File #: 19-023524
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0001
To
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property
First Publication: 3/2/2023
Last Publication: 3/30/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press City and County Public Notice
hearing of the Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County, Colorado, will be held on April 11, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., in the Commissioners Hearing Room, 100 Third St., Castle Rock, CO on the final passage and adoption of a proposed Ordinance:
ORDINANCE NO. O-023-001
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, COLORADO
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING BUSINESS LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS TO REGULATE MASSAGE FACILITIES AND TO REGULATE AND PROHIBIT UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF DETERRING ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESS AND PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING, WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED PORTIONS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado, (“Board”) is authorized to enact this ordinance pursuant to C.R.S. § 30-15-401.4, in order to establish a licensing authority to regulate massage businesses and to deter and shut down illicit massage businesses; and
WHEREAS, C.R.S. § 12-235-101 et seq, known as "The Massage Therapy Practice Act" ("the Act"), regulates the profession of massage therapy to provide for consistent statewide certification and oversight of massage therapy professionals; and
WHEREAS, the Board finds that the purpose and intent of the Act is to regulate and protect legitimate massage therapy businesses in order to also safeguard and promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens, including those residing within Douglas County, while recognizing that massage is a legitimate health care professional activity that provides benefits to the residents of the County; and
WHEREAS, the reputation and success of legitimate massage therapy businesses is denigrated and undermined by individuals who mask their unlawful sexual activities and human trafficking by falsely posing as massage therapy businesses; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, COLORADO, THAT:
PART I: GENERAL
Section 1. Definitions: Except as otherwise indicated by context, the following words, terms, and phrases shall have the following meanings for purposes of this ordinance:
(a) "Advertise" or “advertisement” means to publish, display, or disseminate information and includes, but is not limited to, the issuance of any card, sign, or direct mail, or causing or permitting any sign or marking to be placed on or in any building or structure or in any newspaper, magazine, or directory, or any announcement or display via any televised, computerized electronic or telephonic networks or media.
(b) “Agent” means an individual designated by a massage facility to act on behalf of the massage facility under this ordinance.
(c) “Applicant” means an individual acting on behalf of a massage facility to apply for a license.
(d) “Client” means an individual who enters into an agreement for massage therapy for a fee, income, or compensation of any kind within the County.
(e) “Control” means the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of an applicant, licensee, controlling person, manager, agent, or employee, in any way.
(f) “Controlling Person” means a person directly or indirectly possessing control of an applicant or licensee.
(g) “Employee” means any person who performs any service at a massage facility on a full-time, part-time, or contract basis, whether the person is designated an employee, independent contractor, or otherwise. “Employee” does not include a person exclusively engaged in the repair or maintenance of the massage facility, or in the delivery of goods to the licensee or facility.
(h) "Erotic parlor" means a facility that entices clients through advertising or other business practices directed towards sexual desire, lust, or passion.
(i) "Fully clothed" means fully opaque, nontransparent material that must not expose an employee's genitalia or substantially expose the employee's undergarments.
(j) “Home business” means a business, profession, occupation, or trade that is conducted within a residential dwelling unit for the economic gain or support of a resident of the dwelling and is incidental and secondary to the residential use of the lot, and that does not adversely or perceptively affect the character of the lot or surrounding area. This use shall not include an animal hospital, day care, health clinic, hospital, kennel, tearoom, or hemp fabrication, manufacturing, or processing.
(k) "Illicit massage business" means a business that may provide massage but engages in human trafficking-related offenses, as described in C.R.S. §§ 18-3-503 and 18-3-504.
(l) "Licensing authority" means the governing body of the Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County, or any authority designated by County charter or County resolution.
(m) “Manager” is an individual authorized by the licensee to exercise overall operational control of the business, to supervise employees, or to fulfill any of the functions required of a licensee or massage facility by this ordinance.
(n) "Massage facility" means any place of business where massage therapy or full-body- massage is practiced or administered. The term "massage facility" shall not include:
(1)Training rooms in public and nonpublic institutions of higher education, as defined in C.R.S. § 23-3.1-102(5).
(2)Training rooms of recognized professional or amateur athletic teams.
(3) Offices, clinics, and other facilities at which medical professionals licensed by the state of Colorado, or any other state, provide massage services to the public in the ordinary course of their medical profession.
(4)Medical facilities licensed by the state.
(5)Barber shops, beauty salons, and other facilities at which barbers and cosmetologists licensed by the state provide massage services to the public in the ordinary course of their professions.
(6) Bona fide athletic clubs not engaged in the practice of providing massage therapy to members or to the public for remuneration, or an athletic club that does not receive more than 10 percent of its gross income providing massages to the athletic club’s members or to the public.
(7)A place of business where a person offers to perform or performs massage therapy:
(i)For 72 hours or less in any six-month period; and
(ii)As part of a public or charity event, the primary purpose of which is not to provide massage therapy.
(8)A place of business where a licensed massage therapist practices as a solo practitioner, and:
(i) Does not use a business name or assumed name; or
(ii) Uses a business name or assumed name and provides the massage therapist's full legal name or license number in each advertisement, and each time the business name or assumed name appears in writing; and
(iii) Does not maintain or operate a table shower.
(9) The licensing authority may verify the exempt status of a business or facility in keeping with the intent of this ordinance.
(10) The licensing authority may promulgate additional exemptions to the definition of “massage facility.”
(11)If there is a continued pattern of criminal behavior regarding sexual misconduct, or criminal intent that is related to human trafficking disguised as a legitimate exemption, the licensing authority may, at its discretion, determine that a practice is no longer exempt from the definition of “massage facility.”
(o) "Massage" or "massage therapy" means a system of structured touch, palpation, or movement of the soft tissue of another person's body in order to enhance or restore the general health and well-being of the recipient. Such system includes, but is not limited to, techniques such as effleurage, commonly called stroking or gliding; petrissage, commonly called kneading; tapotement or percussion; friction; vibration; compression; passive and active stretching within the normal anatomical range of movement; hydro massage; and thermal massage. Such techniques may be applied with or without the aid of lubricants, salt or herbal preparations, water, heat, or a massage device that mimics or enhances the actions of human hands.
(p)"Massage therapist" means an individual that has fulfilled the requirements for state licensure under C.R.S. § 12-235-108 and has a valid massage therapist license issued by the state of Colorado to engage in the practice of massage therapy. The terms “masseuse” and “masseur” are synonymous with the term “massage therapist.”
(q) “Mobile Massage Unit” means a vehicle or other movable enclosure specifically equipped for a massage therapist to provide massage therapy inside the vehicle or enclosure.
(r) "Person" means a natural person, partnership, association, company, corporation, or organization or managing agent, servant, officer, partner, owner, operator, or employee of any of them.
(s) “Sexual Act” means sexual contact, sexual intrusion, or sexual penetration as defined in C.R.S. § 18-3-401.
(t) "Solo practitioner" means a licensed massage therapist, as defined in this ordinance, performing the practice of massage therapy independently.
(u)"Table shower" means an apparatus for the bathing or massaging of a person on a table or in a tub.
PART II: MASSAGE FACILITY LICENSES
Section 2. Licenses generally; minimum requirements.
(a) The licenses required by this ordinance are in addition to any other applicable licenses or permits required by municipality, county, or state. Massage facilities licensed under this ordinance shall comply with all other applicable ordinances and laws, including zoning ordinances.
Section 3. License required.
(a) Each new massage facility in Douglas County must obtain a massage facility license prior to opening for business and operating as a massage facility; and
(b) Each existing massage facility that operated in Douglas County prior to May 11, 2023, and which continues to operate in Douglas County, thereafter, must submit a complete application for a massage facility license on or before December 31, 2023; and
(c) No person shall be permitted to operate a massage facility in Douglas County without a valid massage facility license.
Section 4. Application.
(a) In addition to the requirements of any other applicable laws, codes, or regulations, each application for a massage facility license shall contain the following information:
(1) If the applicant is an individual; satisfactory proof that he or she is 18 years of age or older.
(2)If the applicant is a legal entity; satisfactory proof that each of the individual officers, directors, managers, partners, members, principal owners, and/or anyone with a 10 percent or more financial interest of such entity are 18 years or older.
(3) Whether the applicant, or any of the other individuals required to be listed in the application pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section 4, have been convicted of, or entered a plea of "nolo contendere" that is accepted by the court, for a felony or misdemeanor, in any Federal, State, or Municipal court in any of the United States jurisdictions or possessions, for prostitution, solicitation of prostitution, any human trafficking related offense, fraud, theft, embezzlement, money laundering, or similar crimes. Failure to disclose any such criminal conviction may result in denial of the license application.
(4) Whether the applicant, or any of the other individuals required to be listed in the application pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section 4, is registered as a sex offender or is required by law to register as a sex offender, as described in C.R.S. § 16-22-103.
(5) Whether the applicant, or any of the other individuals required to be listed in the application pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section 4, has a pending criminal action that involves or is related to any offense described in subsections (a)(3) and (a)(4) of this section 4.
(6) Whether the applicant, or any of the other individuals required to be listed in the application pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section 4, has voluntarily surrendered any license to practice as a massage therapist or operate a massage facility as a result of, or while under, civil or criminal investigation, or had a previous license under this or any other similar massage facility law or regulation in another jurisdiction or possession of the United States, denied, suspended, or revoked, and if so, the name and location of the massage facility for which such license was surrendered, denied, suspended, or revoked, as well as the date of such surrender, denial, suspension, or revocation.
(7) Whether the applicant, or any of the other individuals required to be listed in the application pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section 4, has been an officer, director, manager, partner, member, controlling person, and/or principal owner of any legal entity which currently operates or previously operated a massage facility or business meeting the definition of massage facility in this ordinance and the name, dates of operation, and location of such business or businesses.
(8) Satisfactory proof of the applicant's ownership or right to possession of the premises wherein the massage facility will be operated. The applicant shall have a continuing obligation to provide, where applicable, subsequent evidence of the right to possession of the premises.
(b)The licensing authority shall receive, review, approve, or deny license applications.
(c) The licensing authority may require a reasonable administrative fee not to exceed one hundred and fifty dollars for issuing or renewing licensure applications. Such fee shall not be based on the number of employees.
Section 5. Sheriff’s Office Review.
(a) Prior to the issuance of any massage facility license, the corresponding application and background check information shall be referred to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The licensing authority, or the licensing authority’s designee, may utilize the applicant’s or licensee’s criminal history record to determine whether the applicant or licensee is approved or denied a license based on the criminal history information.
(b)The Sheriff’s Office shall not be authorized to approve or disapprove any license application.
Section 6. Issuance; denial.
(a) If, after reviewing the application and conducting an investigation, the licensing authority finds that the individual applicant and each of the individuals required to be listed in the corresponding license application satisfy the requirements in section 4:
(1)Are 18 years of age or older; and
(2)Have not been convicted of, or pleaded nolo contendere to, an offense involving prostitution, solicitation of prostitution, any human trafficking related offense, fraud, theft, embezzlement, money laundering, or similar crimes; and
(3) Are not a registered sex offender or required by law to register as a sex offender; and
(4) Have not (a) voluntarily surrendered any license to practice as a massage therapist or operate a massage facility as a result of, or while under, civil or criminal investigation; or (b) had a license to practice as a massage therapist, or to operate a massage facility or similar license, revoked or suspended by the State of Colorado or a political subdivision of Colorado, or a regulatory board in another United States jurisdiction or possession, for an act that occurred in that jurisdiction that would be a violation of this ordinance; and
(5) The proposed location of the applied-for massage facility has not had a similar license revoked, suspended, or surrendered for cause within the last 24 months; and
(6)The administrative fee has been paid.
(b)Then he or she shall, following receipt of the complete license application and background check, approve the issuance of a massage facility license to the applicant for use at the location identified in the license application as the situs of the business.
(c) The licensing authority shall be empowered to place reasonable conditions and restrictions, on a case-by-case basis, upon any massage facility license that would otherwise be denied, revoked, or suspended. The licensee shall have the right to a hearing before the licensing authority to review any such conditions or restrictions.
(d) Only if, after reviewing the application, the licensing administrator finds, in addition to findings required by any other law, code, or regulation, that:
(1)The required administrative fee is not paid; or
(2) The County zoning or subdivision regulations do not allow for the operation of a massage facility at the proposed location; or
(3)The applicant has been convicted of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere that is accepted by the court for a felony or misdemeanor for Prostitution, as described in C.R.S. § 18-7-201; Solicitation of a Prostitute, as described in C.R.S. § 18-7-202; a human trafficking-related offense, as described in C.R.S. § 18-3-503 or 18-3-504; Money Laundering, as described in C.R.S. § 185-309; or similar crimes; or
(4) The applicant is registered as a sex offender or is required by law to register as a sex offender, as described in C.R.S. § 16-22-103; or
(5) The applicant has a pending criminal action that involves or is related to the offenses described in subsection (d)(3) or (d)(4) of this section 6; or
(6) The applicant has one or more previous revocations or suspensions of a license to operate a massage facility.
(e)Then he or she may, following receipt of the complete license application and background check, issue a denial of the application. In the event of a denial, the licensing authority shall explain in writing, with reasonable detail, the reason for the denial.
(f)A licensing authority or its designee shall have discretion to deny an application after considering, in accordance with C.R.S. § 24-5-101, an applicant’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere that is accepted by the court for felony or misdemeanor Fraud, Theft, or Embezzlement, as described in C.R.S. § 18-4-401.
(g)In the event that the licensing authority takes into consideration information concerning the applicant’s or licensee’s criminal history, the licensing authority shall also consider any information provided by the applicant or licensee regarding the criminal history, including, but not limited to, evidence of mitigating factors, rehabilitation, character references, and educational achievements, especially the mitigating factors pertaining to the period of time between the applicant’s last criminal conviction and the consideration of the applicant’s application for a license or renewal.
Section 7. Temporary license.
(a)The licensing authority may issue a temporary massage facility license upon receipt of a complete massage facility license application involving the sale or change in ownership of a business. Such temporary license shall be valid for thirty days, and the licensing authority shall renew the temporary license every thirty days until approval or denial of the massage facility license.
PART III: REGULATION
Section 8. Limitations on operation – prohibited acts.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person in the business of operating a massage facility, or any manager or employee thereof, to:
(1) Allow a person who does not hold a valid massage therapy license pursuant to C.R.S. § 12-235-107 to perform massage in a massage facility.
(2)Advertise to a prospective client that services including prostitution, sexual acts, escort services, sexual services, or services related to human trafficking disguised as legitimate services, are available.
(3) Permit sexual acts or sexual services within or near a massage facility or in relation to massage therapy.
(4) Deny inspection of a massage facility by law enforcement, the licensing authority, or the licensing authority’s designees.
(5) Refuse, interfere with, or elude immediate identification of employees of the massage facility to law enforcement, the licensing authority, or the licensing authority’s designees.
(6) Fail to immediately report to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office any act of sexual misconduct occurring in a massage facility.
(7) Allow an employee or contractor of a massage facility to provide massage therapy without being fully clothed.
(8) Require client nudity as part of a massage without the client’s prior consent.
(9) Allow a massage facility to be open and practicing massage therapy without a licensed massage therapist on the premises.
(10) Permit a person in a massage facility to make an agreement with an employee or contractor to engage in any prostitution-related offense in the massage facility or any other location.
(11) Permit a massage facility to be used for housing, sheltering, or harboring any person, or as living or sleeping quarters for any person; except that an owner and the owner’s family members who operate a massage facility as a home business are exempt from the prohibited activity in this subsection (a)(11).
(12) Operate an erotic parlor on the premises of a massage facility.
(13) Operate a massage facility without a valid massage facility license.
Section 9. Required Acts.
(a) Every licensed massage facility shall be required to:
(1)Maintain a list of all employees on site including the start date of employment, full legal name, date of birth, home address, telephone number, and employment position of each employee.
(2) Require that all licensees and employees have at least one of the following forms of valid government identification, and immediately present such identification to the licensing authority or the licensing authority’s designees upon request:
(i)A United States military card or military dependent's identification card; or
(ii)A United States Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card; or
(iii)A Native American tribal document; or
(iv) A valid Colorado driver's license or Colorado identification card issued pursuant to article 2 of title 42, unless the applicant holds a license or card issued pursuant to part 5 of article 2 of title 42; or
(v)A valid driver's license or identification card issued by another state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States that is compliant with the federal “REAL ID Act,” as amended; or
(vi)A valid United States passport; or
(vii)A valid United States permanent resident card; or
(viii)Any other valid type of identification that requires proof of lawful presence in the United States to obtain.
(3) Require licensed massage therapists to maintain copies of valid massage therapy licensure, as required by C.R.S. § 12-235-107, and a form of identification containing the therapist’s name, address, and social security number or individual taxpayer identification number, that must be immediately presented to the licensing authority, the licensing authority’s designees, or law enforcement upon request.
(4) Maintain a complete set of records including a log of all massage therapy administered at the facility. The records shall include all accounts, invoices, payroll, and employment records of the massage facility. The log shall include the date, time, and type of each massage therapy administered, and the name of the massage therapist administering the massage therapy. The licensee shall retain the records and log book for a minimum of one year following any massage therapy. The records and log shall be subject to inspection upon request by the licensing authority, the licensing authority’s designees, and law enforcement, during normal business hours, in compliance with applicable law.
(5)Operate under or conduct business under only the designation specified in the license.
(6) Ensure that all employees and contractors remain fully clothed in professional attire while administering massage or otherwise visible to clients on business premises, including premises designated by the client through an outcall massage service or mobile massage unit.
(7) Maintain a valid massage facility license prior to and during all periods of operation.
Section 10. Inspections.
(a) The licensing authority, or the licensing authority’s designees, shall be responsible for enforcement of this ordinance including inspection of massage facilities.
(b) No owner, manager, massage therapist, or employee shall fail to immediately grant full massage facility access any time such establishment is open for business, to the licensing authority, the licensing authority’s designees, or any other person authorized or required by law to inspect the massage facility.
(c)All rooms, cabinets, and storage areas shall be subject to inspection and any locked rooms, cabinets, or storage areas shall be promptly opened for inspection.
(d)Each massage facility shall keep a complete book of records to include a log of all massage therapy administered at the facility, as required in section 9 (a)(4) of this ordinance, open to inspection without unreasonable delay.
(e)Inspectors may request to review a Stateissued massage therapist license for any massage therapist or other employee of the massage facility at any time during an inspection.
(f) All owners, managers, massage therapists, employees, contractors, or persons occupying the facility other than clients shall present identification and shall not elude identification.
Section 11. R evocation or suspension of license; Penalties
(a) The licensing authority, or the licensing authority’s designees, may revoke or suspend a license for violating any prohibited act pursuant to section 8 of this ordinance.
(b) The licensing authority, or the licensing authority’s designees, may temporarily suspend a massage facility license with a hearing to be scheduled within 15 days when the licensing authority finds:
(1) The licensee willfully failed to disclose any information on the application as required; or
(2)The licensee knowingly permitted a person who does not hold a valid license pursuant to C.R.S. § 12-235-107 to perform massage therapy; or
(3)A pattern of activity that the massage facility is committing human trafficking-related offenses as described in 18-3-503 and 18-3-504; or
(4) The licensee failed to permit an inspection in accordance with section 10 of this ordinance any time the facility is open for business.
(c)A law enforcement officer may follow the penalty assessment procedure described in C.R.S. § 16-2-201 for any violation.
(d) The licensing authority or its designees may impose the following additional penalties when it is found that a licensee has violated any of the
Highland Ranch Legals March 30, 2023 * 2
Before the council voted on whether to approve the moratorium, a public hearing was held, providing the community a chance to share their opinions. Of the 20 people who spoke during the public hearing, 11 were in favor and nine opposed the moratorium. Several council members said they received numerous emails regarding this issue as well.
Mayor Stephanie Piko said the council received a “substantial number of comments,” many of which were speci cally tied to the proposed outdoor pickleball courts at Life Time Fitness, an athletic country club resort located at 5000 E. Dry Creek Road.
Piko said the council is aware that Life Time has submitted an application to amend its site plan to allow for the new outdoor pickleball courts.
“ is moratorium is not directed at or about any proposed pickleball courts at Life Time Fitness or elsewhere in the city,” she said. “Because this is a quasi-judicial matter, it is not appropriate for city council to conduct any investigation or speci cally discuss Life Time Fitness or its pending application. So city council would appreciate it if when you direct your comments … that you keep them on task of the moratorium.”
e rst people up to the podium were representatives of Life Time.
“I’m here today to speak on behalf of Life Time and our active application for a site plan amendment currently under review of the city. We’ve been working on this application for several months, including conducting community outreach and commissioning a sound study,” said Ashley Astor, a development manager with the Life Time property development team.
Life Time has more than 160 locations across the United States and Canada, and it currently operates more than 450 indoor and outdoor courts with a path to operate more than 600 by the end of 2023, she said. She noted that Life Time is
willing to share its resources and knowledge of pickleball design with Centennial for future pickleball developers.
“Adoption (of) this moratorium will halt our in-progress application,” Astor said. “We don’t think we’re the type of project the city needs to delay.”
Allison Alteris also spoke during the public hearing on behalf of Life Time and the organization’s opposition to the temporary moratorium.
“We are not here tonight … to seek your approval of Life Time’s plan or to deliberate over the merits of it. We’re here tonight to seek your approval of Life Time’s ability to just continue processing their plans with the city,” Alteris said.
“If the moratorium were adopted in its current form, the city would be prohibited from continuing (to) process Life Time’s amendment, which essentially means no more technical review, no more referral review with any outside agencies and it would just be frozen in time.”
“What we respectfully disagree with is halting e ectively eight months worth of work and missing a seasonal construction opportunity when they’re e ectively already providing what the city wants, which is sound studies, community outreach and then responsive design. e city, in our view, doesn’t need the moratorium to get Life Time to give it what it wants,” she added.
Alteris said that Life Time developed an amendment to the moratorium that would allow in-progress applications, like Life Time’s, to continue through the city’s critical review process while the moratorium is in place. Ultimately, there was no motion made by the council to amend the proposed moratorium and include the language Life Time provided.
Others who opposed the moratorium spoke about the value of the sport to physical and mental wellness.
“You need to consider the health, safety and welfare of all the stakeholders, which include the people that play pickleball,” said Michael Evans, a Centennial resident.
Some of the health bene ts of pickleball include lowering heart
prohibited activities described in section 8 of this ordinance:
(1)A fine of $300.00 for a first violation.
(2)A fine of $600.00 for a second violation by the same person or licensee.
(3)A fine of $1,000.00 for a third or subsequent violation by the same person or licensee.
(e)A massage facility that engages in two or more violations of this ordinance is a public nuisance, as described in C.R.S. § 16-13-303, unless the violation is already a public nuisance, as described in C.R.S. § 16-13-303. The County Attorney of Douglas County, or the District Attorney acting pursuant to C.R.S. § 16-13-302, may bring an action in the District Court of Douglas County for an injunction against any massage facility that violates this ordinance.
(f)T he licensee may appeal the revocation or suspension of a license in accordance with C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4).
Section 12. Fees.
(a) The application and annual license fees shall be established by the licensing authority in accordance with the provisions of section 4 (c) of this ordinance.
Section 13. Repeal.
(a)All ordinances, or parts of ordinances, of the County of Douglas, Colorado, in conflict herewith are expressly repealed.
disease risk and reducing loneliness, Evans said.
“I think that, when you’re looking at the City of Centennial, these are the types of activities you want to be making (for) your children and your residents,” he said.
Supporters of the moratorium, on the other hand, also highlighted mental health, with many expressing concerns about what it would be like to live near an outdoor pickleball court and to frequently hear the sound of pickleball. Many residents referred to the proposed Life Time pickleball courts in their comments.
“I think it’s important that we take a step back, consider all the facts before deciding on allowing a development. I think it’s better for us as a city to make an informed decision, albeit slightly delayed, than deal with future complaints and litigation,” said Ray Sandifer, a Centennial resident living near Life Time. “Given the proximity of our homes, the noise generated by these courts will disrupt our quality of life and the ability to enjoy our homes and our yards with our families.”
Many of those who spoke, regardless of whether they supported the moratorium, agreed that pickleball is a great sport.
“Our issue is not with pickleball. Pickleball is … a great sport,” said Michael McKenzie, of Centennial. “As long as it’s not too close to our neighborhood.”
Following the public hearing, the proposed moratorium was approved by the majority of the council in an 8-1 vote. Councilmember Candace Moon was the only opposing vote, saying that the city is missing the mark and should be talking about noise.
“We have to decide whether to vote to look into the noise that pickleball makes or we have to decide another route. I personally think that we need to decide another route,” Moon said. “We need to decide: Do we really want to take a bandaid approach, which I believe this ordinance does, in looking speci cally at one cause factor of noise? Or do we need to sit down
Section 14. Adoption. (a) Pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 30-15-405 and 406, County ordinances are typically adopted on First Reading at a Board of County Commissioner Business Meeting. Subsequently, after notice has been provided in the newspaper, the Board of County Commissioners will adopt an ordinance at Second and Final Reading, which is conducted at a public hearing. If adopted as an “emergency ordinance,” the ordinance will take effect immediately. Otherwise, all ordinances go into effect 30 days after publication after Second and Final Reading.
PART IV: CERTIFICATION
The Douglas County Clerk shall certify to the passage of this ordinance and shall have on file copies of this ordinance available for inspection by the public during regular business hours.
INTRODUCED, READ AND ADOPTED ON FIRST READING on ____________, 2023, and ordered published in the DOUGLAS COUNTY NEWS-PRESS. THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, COLORADO
By: Abe Laydon, Chair
and rewrite our noise ordinance in our land development code?”
Moon asked for the council’s support in directing sta to review the city’s noise ordinance and develop a more speci ed ordinance to address the noise issues and complaints that have been brought forth. e council supported the direction.
Several council members who supported the moratorium said they still have lots of questions that need answers.
“I think a moratorium is appropriate. ere are so many loose ends that have not been tied up in terms of what is acceptable and what’s not acceptable for pickleball courts that are close to residential areas. And I think what my perspective is, is that we do need to be proactive on this,” said Councilmember Mike Sutherland.
“I am not against pickleball,” said Councilmember Christine Sweetland. “Centennial does not hate pickleball. We are pickleball enthusiasts — there’s several of us on this council that play pickleball, so don’t walk away with that.”
“We should be a community of neighborhoods that work together, and this feels like it could easily drive a wedge if we don’t have some good parameters put into place,” she added.
Sweetland, who works as an real estate appraiser, said that the government is one of the in uences on property values.
“By doing nothing and by not enacting this moratorium, that a government decision of doing nothing could impact property values — I’ve never thought that in the four years I’ve been on this council, but this moratorium, I think we need more information to ensure that that doesn’t happen,” Sweetland said.
Multiple members of the council thanked those who attended the council meeting and encouraged the public to stay engaged.
“Talk to people, tell two friends, have them tell two friends,” said Mayor Pro Tem Richard Holt. “Let’s get the information — the correct information — out there and check the website. at’s going to be the freshest, most viable information that’s out there.”
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, COLORADO
By: Abe Laydon, Chair ATTEST:
Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 945218
First Publication: March 30, 2023
Last Publication: March 30, 2023
Publisher: Douglas County News-Press
Public Notice
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
A public hearing will be held before the Douglas County Planning Commission on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 6:00 P.M., and before the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 2:30 P.M., in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO, for a proposed amendment to the Douglas County Zoning Resolution. The proposed amendment revises the approval criteria for Administrative and Major Amendments to Planned Developments in Sections 1514.01, 1514.02, 1520.01, and 1520.02.
For more information call Douglas County Planning at 303-660-7460.
File No. / Name: DR2022-007
Legal Notice No. 945213
First Publication: March 30, 2023
Last Publication: March 30, 2023
Publisher: Douglas County News-Press
Metropolitan Districts
Public Notice
NOTICE OF POLLING PLACE ELECTION SOUTH SUBURBAN PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the electors of the South Suburban Park and Recreation District of Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson Counties, Colorado.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on the 2nd day of May, 2023, between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. The Board of Directors of the District has designated the following polling place: Goodson Recreation Center 6315 S. University Boulevard Centennial, CO 80121
At said election, the electors of the District shall vote for two (2) Directors to serve a four-year term of office of the Board of Directors of the District:
The names of persons nominated for a FourYear Term are as follows: Michael G. Edwards
John Priddy Pam Eller Ken Lucas Elizabeth Watson Alexis Barrere
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that applications for absentee ballots may be filed with Jennifer King, Designated Election Official of the South Suburban Park and Recreation District at: 4810 E. County Line Road, Littleton,
