LETTERS

roughout her previous board service, Pam earned the support of many across the district for her work ethic, integrity, fair-mindedness and compassion. Pam was always thoroughly prepared for each board meeting, adding thoughtful comments and often a fresh perspective to decisions that came before the board, and she had a remarkable ability to listen carefully to help nd workable solutions to constituents’ issues and requests. We all will be well-served if Pam is elected once again on May 2.

You may vote in this election if you are a resident and/or property owner within the district boundaries:

1. At the polls on Tuesday, May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Goodson Recreation Center, 6315 S. University Blvd., Centennial.

2. By absentee ballot — Voters who have signed up on South Suburban’s Permanent Absentee Voter (PAV) List automatically receive a mail ballot for every South Suburban May election. To be added to this list, visit www.ssprd.org and search “2023 Election.” e link to the Application for Absentee Ballot is on the Elections page. To speed the application process and receive a ballot for this election, take a phone photo or make a PDF of your completed application and email it to Elections@ ssprd.org. Questions? Call South Suburban Elections at 303-483-7011 during regular business hours, M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit the Elections page to learn more about all six candidates running for the two open seats in this election. With your vote on May 2, Pam Eller will again work collaboratively with the board, sta , and residents to maintain and strengthen our recreational amenities for the personal and nancial health of our entire community.

Kay Geitner, Centennial, 20042012, board chair 2010-2012

Sue Rosser, Centennial, 2008-2016

John Ostermiller, Littleton, 20092018, board chair 2012-2018

Mike Anderson, Lone Tree, 20102018

Zoning plans hurt homeowners

Douglas County commissioners are considering zoning regulations changes that would let them approve new high-density developments without regard to the character of the existing neighborhood. ese changes would give developers an easier route to getting multi-family, HUD projects, apartments, and other urban-style housing inserted into Douglas County’s longtime single-family traditional communities. Governor Polis is attempting a similar result with the terrible SB23213 that steals the zoning authority of citizen-elected council members in towns across Colorado, handing one-size- ts-all control to the state in the name of more “a ordable housing.” e county’s proposed zoning changes come after the commissioners voted 2-1 ( omas and Teal yes, Laydon no) to rezone so a 220-unit apartment complex can be built on the northwest corner of Scott Avenue and Parker Road. Over 50 upset homeowners from Stone Creek Ranch and the Pinery, many of them residents for decades, testi ed at the January commissioner hearing to voice their concerns about strained water resources, more tra c, and other problems. e month before, the eight-member Planning Commission had voted unanimously to deny the developer’s rezoning request because this large development didn’t meet some of the rezoning criteria, primarily that it was not compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhood according to current zoning regulations and the Douglas County Comprehensive Master Plan. Two commissioners ignored the advi- sory body they had appointed and voted to rezone anyway. Now the proposed zoning criteria changes would essentially allow more apartments to be built by removing the requirement for new development to preserve the character of the existing neighborhood. Zoning is the mechanism that determines the very nature of a community; zoning criteria preserve the reasons that residents love Douglas County and have invested their sweat, tears and savings into their homes and raising their families here. ese families have every right to expect local government to preserve their communities without being labeled NIMBYs. Government should not permanently alter neighborhoods after thousands of families have moved in, trusting the existing rules.

Also, changing the zoning criteria as proposed would make it nearly impossible for citizen groups to appeal the commissioners’ rezoning decisions. It’s probably not a coincidence that the local homeowners’ group that objected to the rezoning is doing just that; their appeal is now before the Colorado District Court. Bit by bit, state and even local governments seem allied in their determination to chip away at our property rights and urbanize our neighborhoods. If you’re concerned, email your county commissioners who will meet in May to vote on the new zoning rules: BOCC@douglas. co.us

Joy Overbeck Parker

Polis wants renters, not owners Jared Polis’ SB23-213 is designed to make us all renters forever instead of homeowners who can build wealth and equity by living happily in our beautiful Colorado communities. is bill would impose ”a ordable housing” that is, apartment buildings, on town and cities, overriding their local control with dictatorial statewide mandates (coloradocommunitymedia.com/ stories/local-leaders-oppose-govpolis-housing-bill-for-taking-awaylocal-control,428079) But it’s market forces that govern housing prices, and its in ation, and out-of-control homebuilding regulations, and especially the disastrous construction defects law that are making homeownership too costly for so many of our citizens. e legislature should x these problems before trying to change all of our communities into look-alike cities with citi ed apartment housing.

Our Colorado property rights are being trampled on by Colorado legislators bent on turning Colorado

SEE LETTERS, P23

FROM PAGE 12 fears, developing strategies and coping mechanisms to help overcome their fears in certain situations. And some of us face our fears head on.

It’s not that the fear isn’t there, it’s just that they acknowledge their fear and summon the courage to deal with it in that moment. Still there are others who say they have no fear, that they aren’t afraid of anything, and these are the folks who lie about other things too.

We all have fears, and that’s normal and okay. What we should strive to work towards is not letting our fears stop us from achieving our goals. We can never let our fears get in the way of who we want to be and what we want to do. When fear wins, we lose, and when we allow fear to cheat us from achieving our goals it’s a double loss.

Here are a few things that I have learned to lean into when I have felt fearful. First is this that hope and fear are the same thing, a belief that something is going to happen in the future. So why not live with hope instead of fear, hoping that something good will happen and not anything bad. Second is turning fear into an acronym, F.E.A.R. stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. And lastly, the famous quote said by so many, but I will choose this version, “Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the realization that there is something more important than fear.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Here’s the good news, Carolyn overcame her fear of public speaking by learning how to be overprepared with her content. She learned other helpful speaking tips from Toastmasters, and she is doing awesome. Allen not only survived his 90-day performance improvement plan, he is also back to focusing on doing his sales behaviors, following a sales process, and winning business. Fear for both is a thing of the past. Are you holding on to any fears that are keeping you from achieving your goals? I would love to hear your hope and fear story at gotonorton@ gmail.com and when we can never allow our fears to cheat us out of our goals and dreams, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In a state that has over 400 breweries and almost 100 distilleries, approaching the topic of sobriety can be a hard conversation for many people to have.

But with low-key, no-fuss non-alcoholic options at many establishments across the metro, it doesn’t have to be a big deal if you don’t want to drink, whatever your reasons.

Mocktails that you wouldn’t even know were NA

Golden Moon Speakeasy in Golden uses all its own distilled spirits and creates unique craft cocktails at’s all the more reason that general manager Kayla Veatch sees to o er quality, non-alcoholic options.

“My overall philosophy when I changed the menu was to have the same options as the alcohol menu,” Veatch said.

So no, you won’t have to order a water if you’re the designated driver. e mocktails at Golden Moon use highly steeped teas to replace alcohol and utilize many of the same syrups and NA ingredients the cocktails use.

Mocktails are a great option for people ready to slow down on alcohol for the night, people taking certain medications, pregnant people and people exploring sobriety, Veatch said. e speakeasy even serves mocktails to children before 9 p.m.

Having an inclusive menu makes an establishment like this a gathering place for groups, Veatch explained.

“People can still come together….if I didn’t have mocktails, I wonder if they would still be excited to come,” she said about group members who don’t consume alcohol.

Some of the mocktails Veatch makes include the Cloud City, which features an earl grey tea base, ginger, lemon and elder ower, or the Cheshire Cat, which features a butter y pea ower tea base, passionfruit juice and lime. Veatch even makes a copycat smoked whiskey.

Golden Moon Speakeasy is located at 1111 Miner’s Alley in Golden.

An alcohol alternative

For those looking for another NA drink option, perhaps with health bene ts, kombucha has been a popular choice.

Kombucha has been added as an option at many breweries, bars and co ee shops around Colorado; but Marc Gaudreault owns one of only two kombucha tap rooms on the front range.

Before the pandemic, the Trubucha tap room in Lone Tree had space for people to sit inside and enjoy a glass of kombucha. According to Gaudreault, Trubucha actually grew during the pandemic, and the demand for his product is so great he needs most of his shop space for fermenting the kombucha in huge vats.

Still, Trubucha boasts 31 taps in the store and has a spacious patio for people to enjoy kombucha, lemonade, ginger beer or cold brew.

So, what is kombucha? Put simply, Gaudreault explained, it’s lightly fermented tea. But the health bene ts are much more lengthy, he said. Most notably, the drink has an abundance of natural probiotics,