Voice
Lone Tree 5/9/13
Lone Tree
May 9, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlonetreenews.com
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Coyote kills dog in Lone Tree Owner of pet describes predator as huge, fearless By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com A coyote struck again in Lone Tree recently, snatching and killing a small dog near Sweetwater Park. The most recent victim, a bichon frise/shih tzu mix named Mimi-T, reportedly slipped out of the door of a Lodge at Willow Creek apartment and into a gully near the park about 12:40 p.m. April 28. Mimi-T’s owner, Jeanne Trosch, said a coyote so large it resembled a wolf snatched the dog, according to the report. Trosch started screaming and chasing the coyote, “praying he
would drop her,� she said. “He started shaking her as he was running. Once he went down into the creek area, I knew she was gone forever. I turned around and started crying.� Trosch described the coyote as huge and fearless. “We’ve seen them before and normally, they’re pretty scrawny and afraid,� she said. “This one is really brave. He walks back and forth by our apartment. What’s frightening is there are little kids who play out there. I just wish they could catch him.� Mimi-T is the third dog killed by a coyote in Lone Tree so far this year. In spring 2012, six dogs were killed in the Lone Tree and Acres Green area and police said they believed a specific, unusually large coyote attacked most, if not all, those pets. Dog owners also reported a large coyote came un-
usually close to them while they walked their dogs, and appeared unafraid of people. City officials were so concerned about the animal’s unusually brash behavior, they authorized police to kill it. The large coyote vanished before police could do so, and city spokeswoman Kristen Knoll said police can’t say the animal who killed Mimi-T is the same one. “I don’t think we’ve identified a particular coyote in this instance,� she said. “No police officer saw the coyote in this most recent incident.� Lone Tree Police encourage people to report coyote sightings by calling 720-509-1399 or filling out an incident report at the city’s web site, www.cityoflonetree.com. Knoll said the city wants to know about any coyote interaction, even a sighting. “We track everything,� she said.
5ISFF EPHT IBWF CFFO LJMMFE CZ DPZPUFT JO -POF 5SFF TP GBS JO File photo “So that really helps us to pinpoint coyote activity to keep residents and their pets safe.� Like many Colorado communities, Lone Tree has a coyote management plan that outlines ways
to resolve human-coyote conflicts. Suggestions include hazing the animals and monitoring their activity, and killing them when such action is considered necessary.
Election overhaul advances Republicans incensed over proposed changes By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
Students Jeremy Gonzalez and Helene Gautier consult with teacher Katy Waskey during a ProStart class at ThunderRidge High School. Photos by Jane Reuter
Local students cook like real pros
ThunderRidge team takes top honors in competition By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
5IVOEFS3JEHF )JHI 4DIPPM TFOJPS .BEJTPO (JMMBN QVUT UIF ĂśOJTIJOH UPVDIFT PO B WFHFUBCMF USBZ EVSJOH BO "QSJM ProStart culinary class. Senior Jeremy Gonzalez helps slice bread on the table behind her.
ThunderRidge High School senior Hailey Howell’s hands shook while she and her teammates competed in the annual Colorado ProStart Invitational cooking competition. The seven-student team had an hour in which to combine an estimated 60 ingredients into a three-course meal pleasing to both eyes and taste buds. “The worst part was taking the plates to the judges,� Howell said. “Something could shift or you could fall.� The plates bearing pan-seared fish tacos, bison with blueberry sauce and ginger snap tuile not only made it safely to the judges’ table, but past their approving palates. The ThunderRidge team took first place overall during the March 1 event at Denver’s Johnson & Wales University. The honor is a feather in the cap of a Cook continues on Page 11
A major Democrat-sponsored overhaul to how elections are conducted in Colorado passed the Senate on May 2, much to the chagrin of incensed Republicans who uniformly object to the effort. House Bill 1303 — the “Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act� — would make substantial changes to the state’s voting and registration process, primarily by allowing residents the ability to register to vote all the way up through Election Day. Also, every registered voter would receive a ballot in the mail. That includes socalled “inactive voters� — those who currently Report do not receive mail ballots because they did not vote in the previous election. The bill essentially does away with polling precincts as we know them, and instead sets up “polling centers� where any eligible voter can show up to cast a ballot. Democrats believe the bill modernizes elections and allows for greater involvement in the voting process. “At the end of the day, all we will find is that more people who are registered to vote will do so,� said Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora. Democrats are touting this as a bipartisan piece of legislation, because the vast majority of county clerks in the state support the measure, including those who are Republican. But Republicans senators were apoplectic over the bill, which they dubbed the “Voter Fraud Act.� They argue that allowing
Capitol
Election continues on Page 12
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