BUS DRIVER

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“ e video is incredibly di cult to watch,” the statement said. “Riding a bus to and from school should be a happy, enjoyable experience for students.” dents were in a “hazardous location” and he told the students four times to sit before hitting the brakes. He apologized for his decision. e district also thanked those who reported the incident.

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“We are so grateful to the parents and the principal who reported this incident, allowing us to take swift action and ensure this driver was never again allowed behind the wheel of a DCSD bus,” the district statement said.

Fitzgerald has not responded to an interview request from Colorado Community Media.

In a letter Fitzgerald wrote to the district after the incident, he said stu-

“I am sincerely sorry for my choice of actions today in my e orts of training students,” he said. “I am still 100% responsible for my actions in trying to both educate and control students on the bus. Being a new driver, I did not make the best decision and if I were able to redo what I did I would rethink my decisions.”

Fitzgerald was hired by the school district in October 2022. e day of the brake check incident was his rst driving a general education route instead of a special education route, according to reporting from KRDO. Fitzgerald was a substitute bus driver on the Castle Rock Elementary School route. He is scheduled to be in court on May 12.

ARBOR DAY

“And it’s perfect ’cause our last tree was an ash and it died, and we kinda need to replace the tree.” ey were among several families and neighbors who gathered April 15 in the parking lot of Cook Creek Pool to participate in the celebration.

One of the partners of the event was Douglas County Master Gardeners, which is part of the Colorado State University (CSU) Extension O ce in Douglas County.

John Murgel, the horticulture and natural resources specialist for CSU Extension, said that handing out trees to attendees at the end of the event was his favorite part.

“Trees in general make people so happy, so it’s just great to see people happy and going home to plant a tree,” he said.

Waggener said it’s always a joy for people to plant, and he hopes those who attended the celebration found a love for nature.

“I think my favorite part of today was … seeing people connect the dots and asking questions, getting engaged,” he said. “If one person can learn something, then I think I’ve done my job.”

Honoring Emma Lou Wilson is year’s Arbor Day celebration featured a tribute to Emma Lou Wilson, Lone Tree’s rst city clerk.

“Elected in 1996, her dedication to civic service and her unwavering commitment to the community she lived in continues to serve as an inspiration to all of us,” said Mayor Pro Tem Wynne Shaw.

Wilson, who passed away in October 2022, planted the city’s o cial “Lone Tree” for Arbor Day in 1997, located at the intersection of Lone Tree Parkway and Yosemite Street, according to the city’s website.

“ ere really is no better time or opportunity to honor her than today,” Shaw said. “Emma Lou

Wilson’s legacy serves as a reminder that each of us has the power to make a positive impact on the world around us.”

“I hope you’ll join me in celebrating her memory and her lifetime of service to the City of Lone Tree, and that you will think of this remarkable civil servant as you are planting the trees that you receive today in your own yard,” she added.

In honor of Wilson, the city recently planted a tree at the civic center that will be later coupled with a plaque, Waggener said.