Lone Tree Voice 033122

Week of March 31, 2022

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

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INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 6

How thirsty is Douglas County?

Water providers work to transition to renewable sources

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On an average day, 25 people move to Douglas County. Each one needs to

drink, shower, water their lawn and wash their dishes.

The full impact of that growth is difficult to see, but it’s easy to understand: more people need more wa-

ter. And in a county where thousands of homes rely on a limited supply of underground aquifers, water providers are constantly working to shift to more sustainable resources before they run out.

Some aquifers buried under Douglas County have lost two to six feet in depth

of water. Local water providers have noticed their supply wells aren’t producing like they once did.

“It’s like sucking water out of the bathtub with a straw,” said Rick McLoud, water resources manager for Centennial Water & Sanitation. “There’s only so much water in the bathtub and the

sooner you suck it out with a straw, the sooner it will be gone.”

Centennial Water, which provides water to about 100,000 customers in Highlands Ranch and Mirabel metro districts, is one of the county’s providers that has SEE WATER, P6

Lone Tree plans plantings for Arbor Day Grant to fund 22 new trees

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Blue and Scott Gessler, says its fees are normally $425 an hour but that it will charge DCSD $225 an hour for attorneys’ time and $150 to $175 for paralegal work.

Blue is a former deputy attorney general for Colorado and Gessler is a former Colorado secretary of state. The board also retains Hall and Evans, which had represented board directors in the lawsuit to date.

Lone Tree received a $3,000 grant from the Colorado Tree Coalition to support the city’s Arbor Day plans of planting 22 trees at various locations.

Eight trees will be planted at the municipal building, four at the Lone Tree Arts Center and 10 near the pedestrian bridge at Lincoln Avenue.

Additionally, in partnership with Lone Tree Elementary and South Suburban Parks and Recreation, trees provided by SSPRD will be planted in the elementary’s biodiversity garden.

“When you go to plant a tree, you’re thinking about right place, right tree,” said Lone Tree’s Forester Sam Waggener.

This year also marks Lone Tree’s 20th anniversary as a Tree City USA, which, among other things, means the city has invested in the urban canopy. Waggener said Lone Tree budgeted around $15 per person for tree maintenance this year.

SEE SCHOOLS, P11

SEE TREES, P25

The Douglas County School District continues to deal with the fallout after Superintendent Corey Wise was fired.

PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES

Douglas County School Board hires more legal counsel Majority directors said they want to bolster legal team in lawsuit fight

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Douglas County School Board has retained a second law firm in its defense against a lawsuit

alleging the four board majority members violated open meetings laws.

The board’s debate about whether to bring on more counsel also broached the majority’s desire to appeal a judge’s order that prohibits serial meetings, as the four directors maintain they followed Colorado law to the letter.

The engagement letter for the Greenwood Village based firm Gessler Blue Law, run by Geoff

20 22 SPECIAL SECTION

PULL-OUT SECTION INSIDE!

2 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

Denver transfers 33 bison to tribal nations in an effort to bolster and conserve herds Herds are from Douglas and Jefferson counties

BY KYLE COOKE, BRIAN WILLIE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

On a snowy, blustery March morning, Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) donated 17 bison yearlings to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma.

The bison had been staying at two of the Denver Mountain Parks: Genesee Park in Golden and Daniels Park in Douglas County.

“This is what we should’ve been doing for decades as owners and as stewards of these wonderful animals: returning them, as we have nurtured them and raised them, but returning them back to our Indigenous leaders of this land, the caretakers of this land,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who spoke at the March 21 event at Genesee Park.

According to DPR, this year is the first time in “recent history” that Denver is not holding a bison auction; that tradition ended last year when the department said it would instead “select tribes across the country that will accept the bison to build and enhance conservation herds on tribal lands.”

In total, Denver is transferring 33 bison this year: 15 to the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming; 17 to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma (which happened Monday); and one to the Tall Bull Memorial Council in Colorado.

Jordan Dresser is a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming. He was at Monday’s event at Genesee Park.

“Being able to reclaim the bison is a big moment for us because it’s taking back what was taken from us,” Dresser said.

American Bison used to roam North American grasslands in massive herds but were nearly

A bison at Genesee Park west of Golden.

COURTESY OF RMPBS

extinct in the 19th century due to commercial hunting and diseases. By 1900, there were fewer than 1,000 bison in existence, according to DPR. On March 22, there are about 31,000 free-range wild bison in North America. DPR operates two bison herds in the name of conservation: one at Genesee Park and another at Daniels Park. The herd was first established at City Park by the Denver Zoo, but moved to Genesee Park in 1914 and expanded to Daniels Park in 1938.

DPR’s executive director Happy Haynes said she hoped the bison transfer shows “a commitment to working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities and recognize the More than 30 bison were relocated.

SEE BISON, P3

COURTESY OF RMPBS

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Lone Tree Voice 3

March 31, 2022

Briefly In Lone Tree

What would you do if you suspected child abuse or neglect?

Call 303-663-6270 or 1-844-4CO-KIDS. Visit douglas.co.us and search Child Abuse FAQs for additional information.

Full property tax payments due

Celebrating 20 years of partnership This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Partnership of Douglas County Governments (PDCG). According to the town’s

announcement, the collaboration and cooperation fostered within the organization plays an important role in the City of Lone Tree’s success.

Ballet Ariel presents American in Paris Experience springtime in Paris, Ballet Ariel style with three ballets at the Lone Tree Arts Center on April 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Ballet Ariel professional company’s newest premier ballet is set to Gershwin’s orchestral classic “An American in Paris.” As a composition written to evoke the streets of Paris, this “rhapsodic ballet” is the match for Ballet Ariel’s choreographers gift for creating narrative ballets. A young American woman traveling to Paris for the first time is transformed by the magic and vibrancy of this magnificent city steeped in history and enveloped in romance.

No other woman in history embraced the indomitable spirit of Colorado more than Margaret “Molly” Brown. Ballet Ariel’s original ballet, “Tale of Molly Brown” poignantly tells the story of her humble beginnings in Leadville, and her marriage to the soon to be fabulously wealthy JJ

Brown. Drawn to Europe, Molly Brown reveled in the culture and opulence of the early twentieth century, one of these visits leading to her near death experience on the Titanic. Director Ilena Norton creates a powerful dramatization of her survival on a crowded lifeboat in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic that earned her the title of the unsinkable Molly Brown.

Purchase tickets at lonetreeartscenter.org/ticket_detail. php?instanceid=7840.

BISON

bison in Grand Canyon National Park. Polis and Neguse were unsuccessful.

Dresser hopes people can learn lessons from Indigenous peoples’ treatment of bison.

“The bison was important to us not only for our cultural ways but also for everyday use. We used the bison for meat, also for household items. We utilized every single part of the body.

So that’s important for today’s world because we live in a society that’s so wasteful.”

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current and future contributions of Indigenous communities in Denver and Colorado.”

“Oppression and inequity is built over hundreds of years, and it can be dismantled piece by piece,” added City Councilwoman Jamie Torres, who represents District 3 in Denver.

Various Colorado officials have made recent efforts to preserve the country’s bison population.

In addition to DPR’s bison transfer last year, Governor Jared Polis and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Boulder) recently asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to put a stop to the National Park Service’s plan to kill a dozen

South suburban matching gifts program Each year, South Suburban Parks & Recreation’s Matching Gifts Program helps individuals, neighborhoods, homeowner associations, sports groups, businesses, and other organizations to turn their ideas into reality.

Applications for 2022 projects are now open at ssprd.org/matchinggifts-program.

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

Payments must be received by the Treasurer’s office by April 30, 2022. Payments received after the due date must include applicable interest. To obtain the amounts due or to pay online, please visit douglascotax.com and search for your account using the Public User Access.

E-check payments are free.

Funds available to veterans Emergency assistance is available for veterans struggling with housing (mortgage/rent), transportation, employment, healthcare or other emergency needs. To apply for the veteran assistance funds visit douglasveterans.org or call 303-663-6200.

Need help with home heating costs?

Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) through April 30.

For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

Decode Douglas County Visit eight Douglas County Open Space or Park locations, and look for clues to crack the code. Pick up or print your 2022 booklet today, discover new places including Sandstone Ranch, and decode the secret of Douglas County outdoors! Visit dcoutdoors.org/decode to start your outdoor adventure.

Free Noxious Weed and Wildfire Prevention Workshop Did you know noxious weeds on your property can damage native flora and increase the risk of a wildfire spreading to your home? Learn to ID and eradicate them. Join land, vegetation and wildfire experts for a workshop from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 16, in-person or online.

Visit douglas.co.us and search Noxious Weed Education.

Visit douglas.co.us

4 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

Colorado is reshaping early childhood system Some school districts are nervous about proposed changes

Big changes for school districts Right now, about a quarter of Colorado’s 4-year-olds attend state-funded preschool, which serves children with certain risk factors. More than threequarters of those slots are housed in school district classrooms. Most other children attend preschool elsewhere,

BY ANN SCHIMKE in child care centers or private preCHALKBEAT COLORADO schools, for example.

In expanding to serve all 4-yearAs Colorado prepares to launch olds whose families want 10 hours of free universal preschool, lawmakers tuition-free preschool, the state expects are taking up legislation that could to lean on private providers. The idea reshape Colorado’s early childhood is to give parents a choice of settings landscape and reverberate for decades and help accommodate the influx of to come. new students.

Many advocates and early educators The state no longer will rely exclulaud the changes laid out in the bill, sively on school districts to administer including the creation of a new state state-funded preschool locally. Instead, early childhood agency, saying it will nonprofits, community groups, and elevate the profile of early childhood districts all will be able to vie for the issues, cut red tape for families and job. providers, and dramatically expand These changes, along with many preschool access. others included in the legislation, But the plan also has prompted confollow recommendations that a state cerns about how school district roles early childhood commission issued in could change and whether they’ll be November and January. Still, school left serving a disproportionate share district officials have questions and of students with special needs. And concerns. some early childhood leaders worry Smith, of the Cherry Creek district, about how fast the process is moving, said, “We don’t need private providhow many details are unresolved, and ers. We can accommodate this interwhether there are enough providers to nally,” speaking about any additional meet new enrollment demands. students who want slots under the Angela Fedler, who heads several universal program. early childhood programs for the Delta Currently, the district houses all of County School District in western Cherry Creek’s 800-plus state-funded Colorado, said, “I love the idea of unipreschool slots in its classrooms. versal preschool. I believe in the idea But many districts already contract of universal preschool. I do have some with community-based providers fears around it as well.” to offer state-funded preschool slots.

Denver, the state’s largest district, is one of them.

Priscilla Hopkins, the district’s executive director of early education, PRESENTS: said the use of both public-school — � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �classrooms � � � and � private � � �preschools � often called “mixed delivery” — works well.

“I think parents want high-quality Thursday, April 21, 2022 preschool,” she said. “As school dis6:30p.m.– 10:30p.m. tricts, that needs to be our north star.”

Fedler, of Delta County, agreed, but Location: worries that private providers could Cielo at Castle Pines, shy away from the universal preschool A NIGHT IN 485 W. Happy Canyon Rd, program if subject to lots of new qualCastle Rock, Co. 80108 ity requirements.

“It’s hard, especially in rural ColoAttire: rado, to get people to want to work Black Tie Optional with little learners,” she said. “If we start asking more of them, how many For more Information visit: more of them will walk away?”

“We’re moving really fast for such a big jump,” she said.

Bill Jaeger, vice president of early childhood and policy initiatives for the Colorado Children’s Campaign, said of the legislation, “There’s a lot of reimagining of the early childhood system to make it child-, family-, and provider-focused and break down those silos, and that requires significant statutory change.

“There is a degree of urgency,” he said, noting that some of the bill’s provisions need to get underway as soon as possible.

State lawmakers recently moved up the department’s July 1 start date to this spring. The governor likely will name an executive director in the coming weeks. Among other things, the department will roll out universal preschool in the summer of 2023. The initiative, funded largely with a voterapproved nicotine tax, is a top priority for Polis.

Scott Smith, chief financial and operating officer for the Cherry Creek school district, said his district supports universal preschool but noted the state had “some blind spots and some missteps” in planning, including leaving too small a role for school district leaders during the early stages.

“Not including school people from the beginning really left us behind,” he said.

Smith and other school district leaders said state officials have recently held regular meetings to gather feedback from district staff.

Arapahoe Community College Foundation

www.arapahoe.edu/ foundationevents

What about disabilities?

Some school district leaders worry that the universal preschool program — specifically the availability of slots All funds raised will be used in private programs — could hurt for student scholarships, children with disabilities. student emergency funding Currently, the vast majority of those and the mission of the children are served in public school ACC Foundation. classrooms that also include a sizable share of typically developing children.

But there are questions about what � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �happens � � if � lots � of�families � � with � typical children opt for private programs, segregating children with disabilities in public schools.

“We want to make sure we don’t become the special education preschool,” Smith said.

Theoretically, the families of WOODS � SON PIANO COMPANY children with disabilities may choose community-based preschools when universal preschool launches, but it’s not clear whether or how those programs will provide free therapies

or other services outlined in those preschoolers’ special education plans.

Mat Aubuchon, the director of early childhood and elementary programs in the Westminster district north of Denver, said under federal special education law, school districts must ensure that students with disabilities get the right services from qualified staff members.

“We don’t want to set an expectation that [special education] services can just happen anywhere,” he said.

Aubuchon said he’s not opposed to the mixed delivery model, but said it must be planned carefully to ensure preschoolers with disabilities are appropriately served. Placements, he said, will have to be determined case by case.

Other sticking points Besides providing for an expanded field of preschool providers, the new legislation envisions a simple application process — one that allows families to easily apply for universal preschool and other early childhood programs.

Just about everyone agrees with the idea in principle.

But some school leaders worry that integrating technologies from different programs into one application is too complicated to roll out in a year.

If it’s not done well from the get-go, it’s just “one more confusing thing for families to deal with,” said Aubuchon.

Claudia Strait, who heads the Early Childhood Council for Yuma, Washington, and Kit Carson counties in eastern Colorado, said many families in her area don’t speak English and aren’t computer savvy, so she hopes the new application process won’t leave them out.

Some early childhood leaders are also leery about the plan to empower the new agency’s executive director to make rules, which spell out how state laws should be implemented.

The provision is meant to make the new department nimble, but some observers worry it puts a lot of power in one person’s hands.

“We’d prefer to see some sort of accountability,” said Smith of Cherry Creek. “I’m not sure what mechanism exists right now that would hold that executive director accountable.”

About half of state agencies have a rule-making board and half don’t.

The new early childhood department would have a rule-making advisory council and state officials also say the executive director would have to follow state laws that require public hearings and testimony on state regulations.

Aubuchon said a rule-making board might be beneficial for the first couple years of the new department, with that authority transferring to the department’s executive director later on.

Strait said she’s a little nervous about the new executive director having so much power, but is also circumspect about the many unknowns that lay ahead.

“It’s just like anything else, anything that’s new, it’s going to be hard adjusting,” she said. “The longer that it’s in place, the smoother it gets.”

This story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat.org.

March 31, 2022

Lone Tree Voice 5

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March 31, 2022

WATER FROM PAGE 1

p T a t

noticed declines in well production.

That’s because the water they’re pulling to the surface is depleting.

And it’s not replenishing itself.

Growth is expected to continue in the county, with nearly 60,000 more people projected to move to the area by 2030, according to the state’s demography office. That means the community’s thirst is only going to increase.

To meet those demands, water providers are planning a mix of conservation efforts, wastewater projects and new infrastructure for renewable resources of water. The county government is also looking at how to bring in more water and is considering spending a portion of their $68 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act on the issue.

‘Over-reliance on groundwater’ As Douglas County’s development has surged since the 1990s, many of the largest communities such as Parker and Castle Rock have relied on groundwater to fill residents’ bathtubs and sinks, said State Engineer Kevin Rein.

In Colorado, the Office of the State Engineer administers water rights, manages wells and their permits and monitors water use, among other water-related duties.

Groundwater from aquifers makes up about 65% of the water used by Parker Water and Sanitation, which is the provider for Parker and parts of Lone Tree and Castle Pines, and

by Castle Rock Water. Centennial Water uses about 20% groundwater.

Those ratios can change depending on drought conditions.

According to the state engineer’s office, Douglas County has about 440 municipal wells, which are used to drill into the aquifers.

“Douglas County is unique in that its overreliance on groundwater in some ways has spoiled it in the sense that we’re not as subject to the hydrologic cycle as other areas are,” said Brock Smethills, president of Sterling Ranch Development Company and a board member of Dominion Water and Sanitation.s That’s because areas relying on renewable surface water and snow melt will feel the impacts of a drought year more acutely.

A simulation produced by the United States Geological Survey shows that from 1880 to 2003, about half of the water removed from the Denver basin aquifers came from the South Denver Metro Region, said Suzanne Paschke, the Associate Director for Hydrologic Studies for the Colorado Water Science Center in the USGS. “That is where most of the storage depletion is occurring in the basin, according to our simulations,” Paschke said.

Aquifer is depleting Since 1996, the state engineer’s office has been advising those using wells in the Denver basin to be aware that the aquifers contain a finite amount of water, Rein said.

“We recognize the non-renewable nature and we have advised… that anyone using this resource should recognize that it’s non-renewable and it may not even last for the 100 years it’s allocated on,” Rein said.

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A map from the State Engineer’s Office shows the 445 existing municipal wells in Douglas County.

In 2003, news reports said the aquifer was in such decline that some areas of the county could run dry of groundwater in 10 to 20 years.

Studies completed by the United States Geologic Survey in 2011 and 2019 showed that aquifer declines were continuing but stopped short of giving predictions on the amount of time until they’re empty.

“We can pull out less now than we used to when we first started,” said McLoud with Centennial Water.

“We’re feeling its finiteness.”

Mark Marlowe, the Castle Rock water director, said many of their wells have seen declines in water levels, though he added it’s difficult to determine how widespread that withdrawal is within the basin.

“There’s a big supply but it is going to become more difficult to extract that supply over the long term,” Marlow said. “Quite frankly, we want to protect that supply for periods when surface water is not available.”

That’s because as the water level in the aquifer decreases, more wells must be drilled to maintain the same amount of production, causing increases in costs.

Castle Rock is currently working with Colorado State University to study their deep groundwater, Marlowe said.

“There’s still a lot to know and learn about the Denver basin groundwater in terms of how long it will be sustainable as a resource,” he said.

Ron Redd, the district manager of Parker Water and Sanitation, said from their well monitoring, they’ve also seen declines in multiple aquifers.

“On average we can see a two-tosix-foot decline,” he said.

Douglas County sits on a layer of several aquifers, including the Arapahoe, Denver, Dawson and the Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers. Most major water providers use the water in the Arapahoe and Denver aquifers, which reaches depths of 1,700 and 600 feet beneath the ground, respectively.

“While the aquifers are thicker there, I think there’s so much use that it’s heavily impacted,” Pashcke said.

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Rueter-Hess Reservoir, which was completed in 2012, is owned and operated by Parker Water and Sanitation. It has a capacity of 75,000 acre-feet. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

Development is growing While communities like Highlands Ranch are essentially built out, areas like Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Sterling Ranch and Castle Rock have hundreds if not thousands of homes scheduled to be developed in the coming years.

“Water is a linchpin of development around the Denver Metro Area,” Brock Smethills said.

The state engineer’s office is required by statute to allow developers to continue using the Denver basin groundwater.

“Our State Engineer’s office personnel, we’re really bound to allow this water’s use, according to the law,” Rein said. “And they should be mindful of our advice that we’ve given them about the non-renewable nature of the resource and again be aware that they may need alternate supplies in the long term or the short term.”

Under Douglas County’s guidelines for development in unincorporated areas, only the western part of the county is not allowed to rely on their groundwater for development, said Steve Koster, assistant director of planning services for the county.

Those communities must provide either a renewable water source or

use groundwater from the eastern part of the county.

Koster said the county is not actively looking at requiring or incentivizing developers to instead look for renewable resources of water.

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Projects to address p All the major water providers w in the county have said they are p confident in their plans to address growth and water demands. t Parker Water and Sanitation “ is working on a project that will i partner with a water conservancy t district in Sterling, a town in eastern Colorado, to capture unused p water during high runoff years e from the South Platte River there a and store it to pipe back to the i town. The project won’t impact ex- b isting water rights and won’t allow t buy-and-dry of nearby agriculture, d o Redd said.

In order to meet Parker’s projectedi water demands, the project will need p to be complete by 2040, Redd said. m That project would get Parker Water to 75% renewable water and a would provide water for more than b 300,000 people in Douglas County, including in Parker, Castle Rock andm s S SEE WATER, P7

Lone Tree Voice 7

March 31, 2022

WATER FROM PAGE 6

portions of Castle Pines and Lone Tree, according to a project proposal. Castle Rock Water is a partner on that project.

Over the next 20 to 30 years, Castle Rock plans to invest about $500 million on renewable water projects including new pipelines, additional storage and water rights. Marlowe said the reason they spread out those projects over time is to keep rates for their customers down.

By 2050, Castle Rock plans to move to 75% renewable and by 2065 have a 100% renewable system for wet or average years.

Dominion Water and Sanitation, which serves about 1,200 homes in Sterling Ranch, plans to be 90% renewable by 2040. Sterling Ranch is slated to add about 11,000 more homes to their community in that same time period at a rate of 450 homes per year. Dominion also plans to include about 700 other existing homes from smaller communities to their service area soon.

Right now, Dominion is 100% renewable but is set to drill wells in the Cherokee Ranch area to blend some groundwater into their system, making it more droughtresistant, Cole said.

They are also planning to build a river intake on the South Platte River and a wastewater treatment facility, which will provide at least 1,600-acre-feet of water per year to Sterling Ranch.

An acre foot is the equivalent of a one-foot-deep pool about the size of a football field. Most homes in Douglas County use less than half an acre foot per year of water.

In the next few years, Dominion Water will also begin the state’s first pilot program for rainwater harvesting.

Paschke said she doesn’t want her work for USGS to be interpreted to mean the only solution is to completely get rid of groundwater.

Instead, she said, she advocates for a combination of approaches, including water reuse and conservation.

“It’s a balance of maybe there’s more reliance in drought years when there’s less surface water, relying more on groundwater,” she said.

Water wasted Conservation and education of the public are also big parts of all the water providers’ plans to continue providing water to the community.

“We consider water conservation to be a water supply,” Marlowe said.

“Especially given how much water is still wasted on outdoor irrigation.”

Castle Rock plans to incorporate programs in the coming years that encourage more efficient utilities and lawns that don’t require heavy irrigation. At the statewide level, a bill being considered by the legislature this session would pay residents up to $2 per square foot to rip out their irrigated turf and replace it with less thirsty alternatives.

Sterling Ranch has focused on a program they call “demand management” that allows residents to have a live look at their water usage and bills.

“It gives the residents the information to manage their water,” said Harold Smethills, an owner of Sterling Ranch and board member

A diagram from a United States Geological Survey study shows a visualization of the Denver Basin aquifer system.

COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

of Dominion Water.

Their community also has banned the use of bluegrass, a type of turf that demands lots of water. Instead they offer a variety of drought-resistant plants for landscaping.

Water providers are also working to educate their customers about the realities of the water supply.

“It’s important to us to educate and help customers understand what the water supply situation is, especially constant education so we don’t just have to go out and educate when we have a drought,” said Stephanie Stanley, the director of finance and administration for Centennial Water.

Multiple entities, including Dominion, Parker Water and Castle Rock Water have already built or are planning to invest in wastewater treatment plants to reuse their existing supplies as much as possible.

Even with all the plans set, water managers say the job isn’t complete.

“There’s a lot of work to do, we’re not done,” Marlowe said. “We live in a state that is an arid state and we need to continue to work on this for sure.”

McLoud, with Centennial, said he sees one main goal for water providers in the county.

“The work is to obtain surface water,” McLoud said. “People are doing various things to do that and they all have the pressure of the groundwater usage pushing them to be successful.”

Lisa Darling, the executive director for the South Metro Water Supply Authority, said she’s confident in the plans the Douglas County water providers have produced but that issues such as climate change continue to demand attention.

County funds As the commissioners consider how to approach the issue, $68 million in federal funds has the potential to aid in addressing the water demands of a growing community.

One proposal for the money, which the commissioners have dedicated six 2-hour meetings to discussing, would pump about 22,000 acre feet per year to Douglas County from the San Luis Valley.

Renewable Water Resources, the private company proposing the project, says that’s enough for 70,000 houses.

The project has been met with ire from many in the valley, though, as multiple water conservation districts and elected officials there

Sterling Ranch, in partnership with the Denver Botanic Gardens, connects homeowners with drought-resistant plants for their landscaping. The community doesn’t PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER allow bluegrass.

have said they don’t have enough to spare and it would damage their agriculture-based economy. Opponents from across the political spectrum have come out against it including Rep. Lauren Boebert, Gov. Jared Polis, Rep. Cleave Simpson and Attorney General Phil Weiser.

Both state senators, John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennett, have also opposed the project.

So far, all the major water providers in Douglas County have said they are not interested in using the water from the proposal. Darling says that’s in part because many providers have already heavily invested in other projects.

“It would be difficult to foresee a provider saying ‘oh well I’ve got so much invested in that but heck, I won’t do that anymore I’m going to go swing over to this other project,’” she said.

If commissioners decide to invest the initial fee of $10 million, the project would then have to go through the water court process before it could begin. While it’s possible ARPA funds couldn’t be used directly on the project, RWR has suggested the county use the federal

dollars to backfill their general county budget.

Commissioners have also heard presentations from Parker Water, who asked them to consider using about $20 million of the federal funds to fund their South Platte River project, and Dominion, who asked for help funding their regional wastewater plant in partnership with Castle Rock Water and the Plum Creek Reclamation Authority.

With new projects, costs are also a factor. Water providers often work to spread out infrastructure needs to keep their customers’ costs down.

That’s one concern Darling has with the county considering funding multiple major water projects.

“I don’t think it’s practicable to expect to have a number of these huge projects and play on that same customer base,” she said. “That’s a huge economic impact.”

Still, as water becomes harder to find, Darling says costs are likely to go up regardless.

“It would be hard to believe that in future, anything that is becoming scarcer would become less expensive,” she said.

8 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

O’Toole’s Garden Center was ‘lifeblood’ for many Plans to close longtime business in Littleton send shockwaves for patrons, partners

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

There is much that patrons and community members love about O’Toole’s Garden Center in Littleton beyond just the rows of eye-popping, verdant vegetation.

There’s Pickles the cat, the store’s unofficial mascot, who can be seen lounging in plastic growing trays atop wooden, soil-dusted shelves.

There’s the fact that it’s a familyowned business with more than 30 years of stories and legacy. But maybe most importantly, it’s a place where people gather, where you’re treated as a friend and where community thrives.

It’s why when store owner Adele O’Toole announced March 22 that the business would be closing Aug. 31 after selling its property to a developer, shockwaves could be felt throughout the Littleton community and beyond.

North Carolina-based developer Lennar Multifamily Communities, which bought the property from O’Toole, had been eyeing the neighboring site at Columbine Square for a new mixed-use development for

years.

O’Toole said the store had been on “borrowed time.”

“That will leave a hole,” said Rick Townsend, who helped found the Columbine Memorial in Clement Park following the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School.

“I believe those are the places that become kind of the lifeblood of the community,” Townsend said.

“O’Toole’s has really been invaluable to us … we always knew they were there to help us when something came up.”

A legacy of community Much of the store’s character is embodied by manager Chris Ibsen, who for years has helped spearhead various community involvement efforts.

Townsend lost his daughter, Lauren, more than 20 years ago in the attack on Columbine High School that ended with 15 dead. Ibsen’s daughter Tara, also a student at Columbine at the time, survived.

“O’Toole’s has been very generous to us over the years,” Townsend said, recalling that Ibsen would donate flowers whenever the roses around the memorial were looking thin or when the annual remembrance ceremony was held, which called for columbine flowers.

Todd McPherson, who helps run a longstanding food bank through the nonprofit Integrated Family Community Services(IFCS), said O’Toole’s and its manager Ibsen

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have been champions for the organization.

“They’ve been just amazing, just greater than anyone could ever expect,” McPherson said. “We feel like we’re ingrained in the O’Toole family … our philosophy intertwines, so we’re overjoyed to partner with them.”

McPherson said the store has “had their back day to day” and regularly helped with food drives, turning its space into a drop-off where community members can leave food to be taken to the nonprofit. Ibsen has led several fundraising initiatives for IFCS, such as the “buck a basket” campaign that gives IFCS a portion of sales made from gardening supplies as well as barbecues and other community events.

And the store itself has served as a canopy under which IFCS can connect with local residents who share a common goal of getting fresher, healthier food to those who are struggling.

McPherson said the nonprofit will talk with O’Toole patrons who may be looking to donate an excess of home-grown fruits and vegetables or reserve a row of their plot for growing food just for IFCS. During the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when hunger soared and IFCS fed 5,000 to 6,000 people per month, up from about 400 to 500 before COVID, McPherson said O’Toole’s stepped up even more.

The staff’s commitment spoke volumes to McPherson, especially given that the store was facing economic hardship due to shutdowns and social distancing requirements.

“They just weathered that and said ‘it doesn’t make a difference, you guys need us,’” McPherson said.

“It’s less usual in this environment to have businesses like O’Toole’s that made people feel like family.”

Littleton resident Betty Harris, who founded and leads the Littleton Garden Gang, said Ibsen and O’Toole’s were bastions of knowledge. Whenever Harris had a gardening question she couldn’t answer, the next person to ask was Ibsen.

“O’Toole’s was kind of like an anchor there for us,” she said. “It’s just been such a big part of our life.”

The garden center was also one of Harris’ first introductions to gardening in Colorado after she moved from Virginia in 1993. It was at the store where she bought her first plant in the state, a Christmas cactus.

For Ibsen, it was these relationships that made his work at O’Toole’s more than just a job.

“If you don’t have the community spirit, you don’t have a store, I don’t care how much stuff you have in the store,” Ibsen said. “This place gave people a sense that they were part of the community, and I think that’s important to people.”

The garden center is also where Ibsen, who has served as its first and only store manager, met his wife and credits it with helping him start his family.

“O’Toole’s has impacted a lot of lives,” he said, adding that the work he does for others is a reflection of the strength of those communities. “It’s not me, it’s everybody else

around me.”

Future plans uncertain The store has finally met the inevitable, said its owner, Adele O’Toole, the widow of founder Jim O’Toole.

Plans from Lennar, the developer, to build 359 apartments and new commercial spaces in the Columbine Square area would have eaten up the vast majority of the parking area that the garden center relied on, since much of the parking was not on O’Toole’s property. With just 30 parking spaces owned by her company, O’Toole said the plans would have made business nonviable.

“I did not go looking to sell,” O’Toole said. “It was out of my hands.”

According to Mike Sutherland, community development deputy director for the City of Littleton, the area that includes O’Toole’s property is currently zoned for commercial use. But under a new land-use code approved by city council in October, developers are able to apply for zoning changes to certain commercial sites to allow for new housing, as is the case with the Columbine Square area.

Sutherland said the city has yet to receive a formal application for the plans, although it recently met with Lennar on Jan. 13 for a pre-application study.

The current plans from Lennar do not include the O’Toole’s property and Sutherland said he is not aware of how that site will factor into the proposal.

“It’s always concerning to see a good corporate citizen like O’Toole’s close their doors,” Sutherland said.

“But it does open up some possibilities for the future of both those sites.”

As of press time, Lennar senior development manager Pete Dikeou and development associate Peyton Oldenburg have not responded to requests for comment about the plans.

The news led to dozens of comments on social media from patrons who called Littleton’s O’Toole’s their “go-to nursery” and who asked, “where would people go to get their garden materials?”

But O’Toole said she is hopeful the store will be able to reopen at some point in the future, though it may not be in Littleton. O’Toole’s two other stores, located in Westminster and Lakewood, will remain fully up and running, O’Toole said.

Some of the Littleton store’s roughly 25 full-time employees could transfer to either of the two other locations, O’Toole said, who added that all will be compensated with a severance bonus when the store closes.

But for some longtime partners, hope remains.

“It’s sad to know that there’s a chapter that ends,” McPherson said.

“But there’s maybe a new chapter that opens up.”

And Ibsen knows the sun will always rise.

“This world that we’re in, there’s a lot of good, and a lot of dark,” he said. “This is a place where everybody could come in and get a little bit of sunshine.”

Lone Tree Voice 9

March 31, 2022

Bill to protect workers who use cannabis fails House Bill 1152 was rejected on a 12-1 committee vote

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

A Colorado House committee voted down a bill that sought to stop employers from denying jobs to or firing workers for their off-the-clock cannabis use, either medical or recreational.

House Bill 1152 also sought to require employers to let their employees consume medical marijuana while on the job. The legislation included exceptions for workers whose jobs are in dangerous fields or require fine motor skills, such as positions involving the use of heavy machinery.

The bill was rejected on a 12-1 vote in the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on March 23 afternoon even after the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Edie Hooton, a Boulder Democrat, offered an amendment to dramatically scale back the legislation before the vote was taken.

The amendment, which was adopted, would have erased all of the bill’s provisions and instead convened a panel to study the issue and make recommendations to the legislature about how employers can accommodate medical marijuana users. But even that wasn’t enough for lawmakers on the committee, who were concerned about any

move toward forcing employers to allow their employees to use marijuana on or off the job.

Many in the business community are fiercely opposed to the measure and testified in opposition to it on March 2.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Hooton, who has brought similar legislation for several years, said of the outcome.

“I got a lot of very, very valuable feedback about how we might be able to move forward in the future.”

The question of whether the use of cannabis off the clock can disqualify a person for a job or lead to their firing has been swirling in Colorado since voters passed Amendment 64 in 2012, which legalized the sale and use of recreational cannabis. Most states that have lifted prohibitions on pot leave the question of how to handle employees’ marijuana use up to employers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Nevada and New Jersey are two exceptions. In New Jersey, employers can prohibit employees from using cannabis while on the job or from showing up to work impaired.

But they are not allowed to penalize an employee solely because of their off-the-clock recreational cannabis use.

In 2015, the Colorado Supreme Court sided with Dish Network, which fired an employee, Brandon Coats, after he tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol – or THC – in a random drug test. Coats had a

SHUTTERSTOCK

medical marijuana card as a result of back spasms caused by his quadriplegia. Muscle spasms are one of the seven debilitating conditions for which medical marijuana can be recommended under Colorado law.

The closely watched case highlighted Colorado’s pot paradox: Marijuana is legal but consuming it can still be grounds for termination.

Amendment 64 included the following provision: “Nothing in this (ballot measure) is intended to require an employer to permit or accommodate the use, consumption, possession, transfer, delay, transportation, sale or growing of marijuana in the workplace to affect the abil-

WE’RE JUNE 10-12, 2022 MAIN STAGE:

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ity of employers to have policies restriction the use of marijuana by employees.”

Amendment 20, the 2000 ballot initiative allowing medical marijuana sales and use in Colorado, included a provision about how it does not “require any employer to accommodate the medical use of marijuana in any workplace.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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10 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

Douglas County School Board names superintendent finalist The district offers superintendency to Erin Kane

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In a divided 4-3 vote, and with one board director participating remotely from a hospital bed, the Douglas County School Board named Erin Kane as the sole finalist to become the next superintendent of Douglas County Schools.

The board listened to more than two and a half hours of public comment in its March 22 meeting, much of which focused on the superintendency and showed passionate support for each of the two finalists.

Board directors commended both — Kane and Executive Director of Schools Danny Winsor — as outstanding candidates.

Still, majority board Directors Mike Peterson, Becky Myers, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar said Kane is the leader needed to refocus the district on academic performance, pass a mill levy and bond ballot measure in November, and unify a deeply divided community.

“I am extremely humbled,” Kane said after the board voted to offer her the job.

Kane said she has spoken with people on both sides of district issues in recent weeks and found “people are tired of the conflict.”

The community has more in common that it might appear, she said, and vowed to work with all seven board members.

Director Susan Meek voted against selecting Kane, saying the charter school director should have disclosed she had prior relationships with some board members.

Peterson has previously confirmed he reached out to Kane before the position was open to see if she had interest in being superintendent.

Kane also made $50 donations to the majority’s campaigns, he said March 22.

Meek noted some people in public comment spoke about Kane attending a private retreat the majority held after they won the November election.

Kane is executive director at the charter school American Academy

and a former interim superintendent for the district. American Academy comprises three campuses and enrolls roughly 3,000 students in preschool through eighth grade.

Kane worked in the high technology industry for more than a decade before working at American Academy.

Winsor is an executive director of schools for DCSD and oversees the district’s choice programming department and postsecondary readiness programs. He is a former principal, counselor, teacher and coach. He joined DCSD in 2013 and has worked in education for 20 years.

Peterson said Kane will represent the teacher voice, and will push back and challenge any board director if needed. Peterson also said she respects the role of the parent, including in making health decisions. His “final testament is her followership,” he said, which he called emblematic of her leadership and unparalleled in the district.

Supporters of Kane who spoke during public comment on March 22 said she has the needed experience after leading the district from 2016 and 2018 as interim superintendent.

“Now, we have a chance to bring her back, and the choice couldn’t be more clear,” one woman said.

But to critics, selecting her would do the opposite. Speakers who opposed Kane said she was a divisive choice, particularly after widespread scrutiny the board majority pre-determined her as the next superintendent well before launching the search.

Winsor was a proven educator who was nonpartisan and less polarizing, his supporters said.

“Not only is his career experience far more suitable for the job, but his hiring does not continue the theme” of dishonesty and collusion, one speaker said.

Board Director David Ray had argued Winsor was a symbolic, unifying choice. Kane was a qualified leader, he said, but she came with much baggage because of community perceptions of her.

Winegar said both finalists clearly love the district, understand its needs and have a heart for children.

“For me, one was more confident, courageous and not afraid to challenge the narrative,” she said.

Winegar also made a surprise announcement at the meeting’s start

Erin Kane

COURTESY PHOTO

— she gave birth to her daughter that morning. She participated in the meeting remotely and voted for Kane from her hospital bed.

Former Superintendent Corey Wise was fired without cause in a split board vote on Feb. 4. The board minority of Directors Ray, Meek and Elizabeth Hanson vehemently opposed removing Wise, saying he was a beloved district veteran and highly qualified leader. Wise spent his entire 26-year career with the district and served in the superintendent role for less than a year.

Board majority Directors Peterson, Becky Myers, Christy Williams

and Winegar said they questioned not whether he was well-liked or a good person, but whether he was the right leader for Douglas County Schools.

Some of their concerns with Wise included his management of masking mandates during COVID-19, the district’s implementation of its educational equity policy, and suspicions he had undermined them among district staff.

In moving forward, the district and Kane will next enter contract negotiations, although it was unclear when Kane will be officially voted in as the next superintendent.

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Lone Tree Voice 11

March 31, 2022

SCHOOLS FROM PAGE 1

Douglas County resident Robert Marshall sued the board on Feb. 4 alleging directors Mike Peterson, Becky Myers, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar used a chain of private, one-on-one meetings to evade quorum requirements and plan the former superintendent’s removal.

A judge has issued a preliminary injunction in the case prohibiting the use of serial meetings or violations of Colorado open meeting law.

President Peterson said he brought the idea of retaining Gessler Blue Law before the board on March 22 so it could consider diversifying its legal representation moving forward. The resolution passed in a 4-3 vote does not require the board to use the firm but will place Gessler Blue Law on retainer for this specific lawsuit.

“My fear is if this case moves forward and we don’t have competent legal representation and variety and diverse opinions on what the impact could be,” Peterson said, “that this could create new Colorado law.”

Peterson also noted the judge pointed to cases in other states in his preliminary injunction. Colorado does not appear to have case law regarding the use of serial meetings, walking quorums or daisychain meetings, although several states have found they violate open meeting requirements.

Director Susan Meek said it’s impossible for a firm to represent the full board without a conflict of interest. What’s best for the majority directors might differ from what’s best for the district, she said.

The lawsuit names Peterson, My-

ers, Williams and Winegar individually in addition to the Douglas County School Board. Marshall sued after Meek, Ray and Hanson made public allegations that the majority broke open meeting laws by privately asking former Superintendent Corey Wise to step down.

Peterson had countered Meek, saying minority directors have a conflict of interest “to even vote on this, seeing as they were witnesses for the plaintiff,” also adding they provided evidence used by Marshall’s legal team.

Director Elizabeth Hanson fired back at Peterson for implying minority directors voluntarily acted as witnesses and informants for the plaintiff’s attorneys.

“President Peterson, that’s a gross misrepresentation of what happened, and I think you know that,” she said.

Hanson emphasized that Meek and Ray were subpoenaed to provide documents in the case and called as witnesses by the plaintiff’s attorneys, who could call anyone to testify.

“They don’t have an option whether or not to show up, and they don’t have an option whether or not to produce documents,” she said.

Ray said hiring an additional firm was premature before the judge decides on a permanent injunction or makes a final decision in the case.

Ray and Meek also argued that the firm was a lightning rod because of its political ties.

“The optics are horrible,” Ray said.

Meek said in 2013 Gessler campaigned for past DCSD board directors known as the reform board. The community would likely see that as connecting the current board with the controversial reform era, she

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‘They don’t have an option whether or not to show up, and they don’t have an option whether or not to produce documents.’

Elizabeth Hanson, Douglas County School Board member said.

Meek also called hiring additional counsel for an appeal a frivolous use of district funds.

“If you feel like it’s appropriate for daisy-chain conversations to happen outside of public meetings, work with your legislators and try to get that passed. Those are steps you can take to work on clarifying the open meeting law. Try to make changes that you can make, but do it on your dime not on the taxpayer dime,” Meek said.

Peterson chastised Meek for her comments about the reformer era and said he was only concerned with finding competent legal counsel, not with political narratives in the community.

“Mentioning a narrative that could affect this is, in some cases, a creation of that narrative or reinforcing a narrative,” Peterson said.

Ray said the firm was also controversial because Gessler representats Tina Peters in Mesa County — the clerk and recorder who was arrested on allegations of facilitating a breach of the county’s election equipment.

The comment regarding Peters drew ire from Myers, who said Ray was politicizing the debate by bringing up Peters’ case. She criticized Ray for “alleging (Peters) is already guilty,” but then appeared to imply Peters is innocent.

“She was just doing her job,” Myers said.

Director Winegar, who gave birth to her baby that morning and participated in the meeting remotely from her hospital bed, said she was interested in in finding new legal representation.

Winegar said Hall and Evans “didn’t do the best representation of us,” as evidenced by judge’s preliminary injunction in the plaintiff’s favor. She wanted to try a new firm as the board challenges the order, she said, adding “we have every right to appeal that.”

“The person who we should be looking at that’s wasting district money is the plaintiff. They are the ones who brought this case against us,” she said. “We know we did nothing wrong. Unfortunately, we disagree with how the judge interpreted the law.”

12 Lone Tree Voice

LOCAL

March 31, 2022

VOICES

Mental health dilemma

S

ince the start of the pandemic, there appears to be a lot more emphasis on doing something about the mental health crisis in this country. The problem is the help is coming at a pretty late date.

In talking to a clinician at the UCHealth hospital in Highlands Ranch, she was adamant that this crisis did not grow from the pandemic. Instead, she compared the situation to a pot, filled to the rim, and FROM THE once the COVID-19 crisis hit the world, EDITOR the pot boiled over out of control.

If we could point at something good coming from that pot boiling over — it is that we as a society can no longer just ignore or place small Band-Aids on a catastrophic problem. The state, cities, counties and hospitals and doctors are now turning their focus to the crisis and doing a lot more to address it.

Recently, through a Kaiser Permanente grant, Englewood Public Schools Thelma Grimes put $300,000 towards addressing mental health needs for students. This is a great start here. It is great that Kaiser made the project possible.

In Douglas County they are ahead of the curve. Good thinking many years ago has led to a great program there aimed at helping adults and children struggling with mental health. They continue to focus on getting people help rather than throwing them in jail cells.

They focus on going directly into homes and showing that someone cares through the Community Response Teams.

The county initiative is also inside the schools, making sure students who need help are getting it.

At the college level, a recent discussion with a school official said young adults are taking on more today than ever before. They are trying to pass full class loads while working 40 hours a week just to be able to pay rent and get by.

As this official said, all of these students are one flat tire away from having full-blown meltdowns. To some, a flat tire should be seen as no big deal, but to the student juggling everything and barely holding it together, the flat tire is the last straw.

The pandemic has shown that while we often say our young children are resilient and will be fine — evidence shows the opposite. We should be applauding what Children’s Hospital Colorado had the foresight to do in 2021. That foresight was essentially speaking out.

CHC said hospital beds are not being filled with physically sick children. Instead, they are being filled with children and teens causing self-harm.

CHC called out the state government for not doing enough to address the issue. That has led to more discussions, more effort to help our children.

The problem, however, is the pot is boiling over and the concern now is did we wait too long to really start taking the crisis seriously? Can we stabilize an out-ofcontrol situation?

I know there are a lot of local programs and community leaders who are taking on the crisis head on. As citizens, hopefully we too can jump in and help where we can.

Thelma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media

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: LoneTreeVoice.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

Learning through serving

Y

ears ago, I had the opportunity to caddie several times for a good friend of mine Chris. He was an awesome amateur golfer playing in the state’s mid-amateur tournaments.

I refer to this as an opportunity to volunteer to serve Chris as his caddie because it gave me the opportunity to spend a few days watching and learning from the other great amateur golfers like Chris.

As I watched, I became more familiar with the rules of the game. I observed the way that fantastic golfers approach different shots and how they managed the course. I was happy to carry Chris’ bag for free because he and the other golfers were helping me to learn the game and improve my own score. During one of those seasons, I was carrying his bag for the weekend, and he won the state mid-am championship. That meant that we were paired up with some really terrific golfers, so I had the best of the best amateurs to learn from along that journey.

In my earlier career I was also given the opportunity to be an observer in board of directors meetings. This meant giving up evenings and sometimes weekends, but the knowledge and experience I gained was worth every hour that I invested in being amongst some brilliant minds for a few hours every month and for a longer meeting each quarter.

During those meetings I managed to make myself useful by serving coffee,

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making sure there was water in the room, and most importantly taking notes. I also took notice of the way these leaders asked questions, including their line of questioning, it was truly impressive. I paid attention to what they wrote down as important, and how they navigated difficult decisions to come Michael Norton to an agreement amongst nine members of the board.

I was truly learning by serving.

A young man that I coach and mentor, and who lives and works with a servant’s heart, aspires to be a keynote speaker himself one day. I had an opportunity where I was delivering a keynote speech in Chicago, so I invited him to join me. I covered his travel costs, but he invested two days of his time to come and experience how corporate events like this work.

He also made himself useful by handing out books and materials and collecting business cards from people he thought that I might want to meet one day. When the event was over he shared how much he had learned, and that he was grateful for the opportunity.

Two of my favorite places to serve are

WINNING WORDS

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SEE NORTON, P13

Lone Tree Voice A legal newspaper of general circulation in Lone Tree, Colorado, the Voice is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 9233 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124.

Send address change to: Lone Tree Voice, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Lone Tree Voice 13

March 31, 2022

New options in end-of-life care

C

olorado now has more options available for care at end of life than ever before.

The vast array of options allow for more personal choice during the final days of life, as well as for funeral and body disposition. Every option available may not be right for you personally, but knowing and understanding your options will help you make the best choices for you and your loved ones.

The need for end-of-life doulas Many people are familiar with hospice care for the terminally ill. Although hospice services are immensely helpful, there is a gap between what hospice can provide and what the dying person needs to successfully navigate the end of life. This is where end-oflife doulas, or death doulas, come in.

End-of-life doulas are nonmedical support for the dying.

They are not a replacement for hospice, but are in addition to hospice to help fill the gap. One of the major gaps in hospice care today is the limited time hospice workers are allowed to spend with patients. End-of-life doulas are able to provide the time for additional care, such as offering emotional and spiritual support and companionship, serving as a liaison for the care team, completing a life review, creating leg-

NORTON FROM PAGE 12

through my church and in my community. We are a part of a small church in our town. My wife and I both have volunteer positions within the church.

Again, giving up a few hours each month is absolutely worth the investment of time as we work with others in our church, engaging and learning as they manage each of their different ministries.

In the small town that we live in, there are plenty of opportunities to learn and serve. I have coached a few young people for free, putting in the time and energy to help them improve their skills, make a hard decision, or find the right career path. Again, what I get out of the opportunity is incredible and gives me insights into how the

acy projects, developing a vigil plan, providing respite care and sitting vigil, just to name a few. Some doulas also serve as home funeral guides to help families and communities who wish to care for their own deCindy J. Kaufman ceased at home, as was both custom and tradition years ago.

Each end-of-life doula brings their own unique skills, experience, and talents to their work.

Thus, no two doulas are alike.

In searching for an end-of-life doula, it is recommended that one interviews several doulas to find the one that best fits.

LIVING & AGING WELL

Additional autonomy options at end of life Choice in care is one way to exercise autonomy at end of life.

Another is in making personal decisions about when and how one’s suffering will end. Colorado’s End of Life Options Act went into effect in early 2017, allowing the terminally ill access to medication to end their suffering peacefully and on their own terms. Since then, hundreds of terminally ill patients have been prescribed the aid-in-dying medication, even though barri-

younger generations are thinking these days. By giving of my time and serving, in return I was receiving tremendously valuable information that would help in understanding the different age groups and how they learn, what motivates them, and how they see the future.

There are so many great benefits when it comes to volunteering our time and serving other.

How about you? Is there something that gets you excited about serving others? Do you live and work with a servant’s heart? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@xinnix.com, and when we realize that we can learn while we serve, it really will be a better than good year.

Michael Norton is the grateful president of XINNIX, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself.

In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and nonpartisan journalism. It covers everything

from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun.com.

ers to access remain problematic for many people across Colorado.

The need for education still exists around this option to help those who want access.

Another available option is called Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking, or VSED. This process falls under the terminally ill person’s legal right to refuse medical care, which includes nutrition and hydration.

For both the Medical Aid in Dying and VSED options, it is best if one has an experienced support system of hospice workers and/or end-of-life doulas to safely carry them out.

Choices for body disposition Colorado is at the forefront in terms of options available for body disposition. No longer are embalming with interment or fire cremation the only two options. The desire for more environmentally friendly ways of final disposition have given way to more sustainable methods. Colorado now has alkaline hydrolysis (aka water crema-

tion or aqua-cremation), natural organic reduction (aka human composting), and a dedicated green burial preserve.

The most important thing to realize is that you have choices available and knowing your options will help you make the decisions that honor your own personal wants, needs and desires at end of life, as well as knowing you can make your last act on earth a kind one.

Cindy J. Kaufman, MEd, EdS is president and co-founder of Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative. To learn more contact 720-989-1929, cindy@coeolcollaborative.org or visit coeolcollaborative.org.

This column is hosted by the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County. Please join us for our next virtual online presentation May 5 at 10 a.m. Cindy J. Kaufman will be our presenter and provide an overview on end-of-life care. For more information, please visit www.MyDougCoSeniorLife.com, email DCSeniorLife@douglas. co.us or call 303-663-7681.

Memory In Loving

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. 303-566-4100 obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com Self placement available online at LoneTreeVoice.net

14 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

LOCAL

LIFE

Some Front Range mental health workers are using nature as a ‘co-therapist’

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

L

ots of Coloradans spend their free time hiking through the forest, climbing mountains and backpacking through the wilderness, but some of these adventurers are simultaneously working on improving their mental health.

That’s because of a variety of outdoor mental health programs along the Front Range that are using nature as a “cotherapist.”

Whether it’s the guided meditations

Climbers working with Aleya Littleton in adventure therapy make their way up the rocks.

COURTESY PHOTO

A group of climbers that work with Aleya Littleton in adventure therapy show off their COURTESY PHOTO muscles at the crag.

of forest bathing, the extended alone time of wilderness therapy or the activitybased programs of adventure therapy, there are multiple options for people who want to improve their mental health but aren’t interested in sitting in an office or a clinical setting.

Adventure therapy Aleya Littleton, an adventure therapist based in Golden, uses a variety of experiences in nature as the backdrop for her therapy work.

“It’s using nature as your office and your co-therapist,” she said. “Nature herself creates a neutral and regulating space for us to be in while we’re feeling and talking about difficult things.”

Littleton’s work includes hikes at North Table Mountain, climbing at a nearby crag or even camping and backpacking. While her clients are pulling on their climbing harnesses or stopping to take in mountain views, they’re also talking about and addressing specific mental health concerns.

Littleton, who is a trained rock climbing guide, also takes out new and experienced climbers to work on things like fear and body autonomy.

“What happens when you climb is you have to refine and renegotiate your relationship with your body, with the rock and with other people,” she said.

“You get to learn about yourself with a constant, neutral backdrop.”

One of her priorities during these excursions is to allow the climbers to make their own decisions about whether they want to push forward or come down.

“We celebrate choice and people who are learning to listen to their body,” she said. “It’s not about the actual climbing, it’s about you being good to you and making wise decisions for you.”

Littleton points out that from the research she’s seen, adventure therapy is equally as effective as traditional forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, but for some people it’s just a better fit.

“What makes the difference is that relationship with the therapist,” she said. “And your belief that it’s going to work.”

Forest bathing When Sandy Troyano tells new clients about her work in forest bathing, they often picture something involving a swimsuit.

The reality of the practice is far from that, however.

Instead of diving into a body of water, when Troyano, an Evergreen resident, meets with a client or group of clients, she walks them through a series of sensory-opening exercises followed by a long, slow walk through the forest.

“There’s a saying that the guide opens the door, but the forest actually does the work,” Troyano said.

The practice comes from a Japanese concept called shinrin-yoku, which literally translates to “forest bathing.” The sessions have an approach that’s similar to meditation, with exercises intended on opening up clients’ senses through slow, deliberate walks in nature and a focus on the present moment.

Troyano begins her sessions — which can be one-on-one, groups or couples — with a type of sensory-focused, guided meditation that includes feeling the textures of the earth, noticing smells in the air and deeply listening to sounds both near and far away.

“The next step is take a small walk, a slow walk and notice everything that’s moving around you,” she said.

Then, she invites the forest bathers to find places to sit still for about 15 minutes each, observing the world around them. The process takes about two and a half hours.

“It’s really about putting yourself into the present moment,” she said.

Troyano has worked with clients who are grieving or dealing with mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety. But she believes everyone can benefit from the practice, she said.

Troyano, who is a certified nature and forest therapy guide, said the mindfulness practice also helps clients become more in tune to the nature around them even when they’re not in the forest.

“Once you open your SEE NATURE, P15

Lone Tree Voice 15

March 31, 2022

‘1776’ on stage through April 3

F

ranklin, Jefferson, Adams, Washington ... The Performance Now Theater company, which started out in Highlands Ranch some years ago, is performing “1776” at Lakewood SONYA’S Cultural Center, SAMPLER 470 Allison Parkway, Lakewood, through April 3.

Box office: 303-9877845, lakewood. org/Government/ Departments/Community-Resources/ Arts-and-Culture/ Lakewood-CulturSonya Ellingboe al-Center/Ticketing-and-Box-Office.

Colorado Gallery of the Arts Arapahoe Community College’s Colorado Gallery of the Arts is holding an online exhibit for Littleton Student work through April 8. My understanding is that exhibits this year are online only.

See arapahoe.edu/littleton-publicschool-district-art-show-2022.

Reminder to artists Entries are invited to the All Colorado Show at the Depot Art Gallery, via CaFE, callforentry. org. Limited to the first 150 submissions of one to three works. Entry fee: $30-All Colorado at the Depot.

Juror is Doug Dawson. Deadline SEE SONYA, P18

The musical “1776” is on stage at Lakewood Cultural Center through April 3.

NATURE FROM PAGE 14

senses, you start noticing more,” she said. “More comes into you.”

Wilderness therapy When Anthony Riske was first introduced to wilderness therapy, the programs were typically nomadic backpacking trips accompanied by clinical support. The clients were often teens or young adults with substance abuse problems or lifestyle issues.

Now, his work includes more consultations for those interested in trying out “solos,” where they spend extended time alone in the outdoors as a way to treat mental health concerns.

“We spend so much time with machines that we think that we are machines now,” he said. “But really, we are a part of nature.”

Riske, who is a therapist originally based in Arvada but currently living in Costa Rica, meets virtually with clients to help them set up their own wilderness therapy experience. Often, his clients will search for an isolated area and camp there for up to 72 hours.

He recommends journaling prompts, symbolic ceremonies and books for them to engage with during their time alone.

“If you get bored, look closer,” he said he advises people. “Find the trail of ants, the different kinds of soil.”

Riske usually advises clients to slowly work their way up to spending more time alone outside and ensures that the client is comfortable with

Aleya Littleton, who has a master’s degree in adventure therapy, takes clients on hikes and climbs for their therapy sesCOURTESY PHOTO sions.

safety precautions.

Often, clients will report that during the first 24 hours alone, they remained busy with their assigned activities along with setting up camp and eating. After 48 hours, some say they feel good but somewhat exhausted from their thoughts, he said. Many of those who remain for 72 hours, though, say they reach a blissful, relaxing state.

In the past, he’s also led group backpacking trips with therapy intertwined and solo therapy meetings in the outdoors.

“People are certainly more interested in that kind of experience,” he said. “And in Colorado, you just head straight up into the foothills.”

COURTESY OF RDG PHOTOGRAPHY

16 Lone Tree Voice

BEST OF THE BEST

March 31, 2022

‘Weathered’ exhibit is treat for the eyes Depot Art Gallery hosts show through April

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

2022 BEST OF THE

BEST VOTE NOW! Through April 15th

LoneTreeVoice.net To provide the most accurate results by geographical area, Colorado Community Media does not require, but does encourage readers to vote for businesses in their immediate local community. All nominated businesses have an equal opportunity of winning, no purchase required. Please see voting website for complete contest rules and regulations.

A brisk wind was challenging several guests who visited Littleton’s Depot Art Gallery on March 22.

Appropriate introduction to the new exhibit, “Weathered,” which runs through April! The wind pushed us in through that front door.

Well-known Denver painter and collage artist Sandra Kaplan was the juror for this new collection, which covers the subject in many ways — from an approaching storm to a composition of weathered wood scraps to a wrinkled old man’s face. (“Rugged Years,” watercolor by Sharon Wink.)

It’s always fun to see what imaginative artists do with a stated theme. “Reclaimed Fences,” by Tippy McIntosh, was named Best of Theme and features pieces of an old, weathered barn, mounted on a slab of Camphor veneer. This artist’s husband is a homebuilder and she likes to incorporate building materials like this veneer in her artwork.

Paintings range from Richard Simpson’s “Parry and Eva,” a detailed small landscape/mountain painting named second place by Kaplan, to Lorraine Herrera-Bonilla’s strong statement, “Stalwart” (third place), and Mary Clarke’s glowing, circling gold and orange feline trio, “Keeping Warm on a Winter’s Night,” one of several honorable mention award-winners.

Others named by Kaplan for honorable mention were photographer Peggy Dietz’s “International,” an aerial view, Talia Johns’ “Keeper of the Souls” and Bobbi Shupe’s small, detailed painting, “History.”

Merrie Wicks’ entry is a strong watercolor of one of those sad, sagging old homes one sees in Colorado’s ghost towns. It’s called “Deer Creek Derelict” and longtime member Paul Nutting has a small, subtlyhued oil painting called “Prairie Dawn,” with mist and clouds.

Active member Pam Roth O’Mara’s work is an acrylic painting named “Winter at the Sod Home,” inspired by the sod home at the fascinating Plains Conservation Center on East Hampden Avenue in Aurora, where she volunteers time.

(Readers will want to add this spot to their “to be explored” lists for summer.)

Kathy Triplett exhibits a mosaic made from broken teacup plates and beaded cabochons on a fiddle-shaped form and another called “Ready for My Cameo.”

Near the entry door, a visitor finds a trio of handsome glass vases, with painted decoration by Chris Schranck, and member Gold Orman exhibits sculptural works in fused glass nearby.

“Reclaimed Fences” by Tippy McIntosh was named Best of Theme in the “Weathered” COURTESY PHOTO exhibit at Littleton’s Depot Art Gallery.

IF YOU GO Housed in an original Santa Fe Railway depot used by early Littleton travelers and commuters, the Depot Art Gallery, at 2069 W. Powers Ave., downtown Littleton, is open from 11

a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission is free and exhibits change monthly, more or less. 303-795-0781, depotartgallery. org.

Lone Tree Voice 17

March 31, 2022

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18 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

Ancient Egypt beckons at DMNS

A

s Barbara Bridges, founder of Denver Film’s Women+Film program explains, a festival curator is a bit of a matchmaker.

“You have audiences and these great movies,” she said. “And we say they should meet.”

For the first time in two years, audiences can meet some of the best films by and about women in an actual theater as part of the 13th Annual Women+Film Festival, which runs from Tuesday, April 5 through Sunday, April 10 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.

The event kicks off with a presentation of National Geographic Documentary Films’ “Fire of Love,” which tells the story of a married couple and volcano enthusiasts, Katia and Maurice Krafft. And it wraps up with “Charlotte,” which introduces audiences to Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish painter who grew up in Berlin at the beginning of World War II. Featuring the voice work of Kiera Knightley and Marion Cotillard, it’s another unique and powerful love story.

“What Charlotte created with her `Life? or Theater?’ work ended up being the first graphic novel,” said Matt Campbell, Denver Film artistic director.

“We love showcasing strong, powerful biopics that give voice to women that haven’t had their

due or women who should be celebrated more.”

In between those bookends, the festival will screen films like Holly Morris’ “Exposure,” which follows a Muslim chaplain, French biologist, Qatari Clarke Reader princess and eight other women from the Arab World and the West who explore the North Pole, and Mariano Cattaneo’s “The Strangest Girl in the World,” a Spanish family film about a 15-year-old with a vivid imagination and whose drawings come to life.

As a regular Denver Film event, attendees know that in addition to the screenings there will also be discussions with filmmakers and other events to bond cinephiles over their favorite art form.

“Part of a film festival is having the opportunity for filmmakers to interact with audiences and have a dialogue and conversation,” Campbell said. “To create a connection between people and spark thought is what we’re trying to do.”

If audiences can come away from a film having enjoyed what they saw on the screen and gained a little understanding for those around them, then the fes-

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Sat. April 9, 2022, 10am to 5pm Sun. April 10, 2022, 10am to 3pm

tival will have achieved its ends, Bridges added.

“Powerful women and interesting stories are what we like to provide to the audience,” she said. “I hope audiences learn about the world and are inspired by these incredible women and empathize with these incredible stories. Even if they’re so different, there’s something within these lives we can connect with.”

The schedule and tickets are available at denverfilm.org.

The power of persistence with the Lakewood Symphony The Lakewood Symphony Orchestra will perform their “Persistence is the Key” concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14 at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. The program will feature Verdi’s “Nabucco Overture,” Bizet’s Selection from “Carmen,” and Grieg’s “Symphonic Dances, Op. 64.”

Verdi’s “Nabucco Overture” features selections from the opera of the same name, along with orchestration and brass chorales. “Carmen” by Bizet is one of the most well-known and recognizable pieces of music ever written, so audience members of all ages might recognize it.

And finally, Grieg’s “Symphonic Dances,” highlight his persistent use of Norwegian folk music.

Tickets and information for this show can be found at www. lakewoodsymphony.org.

Have a creative conversation with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Explaining the creative process is a ridiculously challenging proposition, but Jeff Tweedy — the founder and leader of Wilco - does about a good of it as anyone. In his two bestselling

SONYA FROM PAGE 15

is May 15 or the first 150 submissions, whichever comes first. Must have been created in the past three years, no more than 30 inches in height and width and weighing less than 25 pounds. Hanging works are limited to 20 inches height and width, 10 inches depth. Notification by June 17.

More than 70 booths to explore along with a beautiful drive up to the Foothills Vendors: Booth space is available through the 31st

Conifer High School | 10441 County Hwy 73, Conifer

TICKETS: $5 AT THE DOOR

OR bring 2 non-perishable food items for complimentary entry for the Mountain Resource Center or the 285 Backpack Project for details: www.FoothillsHomeShow.com or email foothillshomeshow@gmail.com

Curtis Center Small prints by members of the Boston Printmakers will be exhibited at the Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E Orchard Road, Greenwood Village — one of many area exhibits that are part of the Month of Print (MoPrint). Reception April 2, 6-8 p.m. Free admission. This traveling show includes 130 small prints from across the country.

All are no larger than eight by 10 inches and are about the theme of communication. Some area galleries already have exhibits of prints, and we expect there will be more, but have not been notified. (Blame COVID!) Hours: open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 303-797-1779.

books — “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back)” and “How To Write One Song” — he humanely and humorously discusses how his life and experiences inform his writing.

In a rare opportunity, fans can hear from the artist directly at A Conversation with Jeff Tweedy at the Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place in Denver, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7. The event will feature comedian and actor John Hodgman chatting with Tweedy about his work and then will be opened up to the audience for conversation and a Q&A session.

Grab a spot for this unique event at www.ticketmaster.com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Charli XCX at the Ogden Theatre Thank heavens for the English.

While we wait for new works from our pop queens Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift, across the pond Adele and Dua Lipa are keeping us feeling things. And now we have “Crash,” the latest offering from Charli XCX to soundtrack the spring and summer. The album is another sparkling collection of club-ready bangers but - and here’s Charli’s superpower - she’s also capable of tracks that sound fantastic through headphones.

In support of the record, she’s stopping by the Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6. She’ll be joined by Atlanta rapper Baby Tate. Get tickets at www. ogdentheatre.com/events/detail/416660.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.

Reader@hotmail.com.

Genealogy group Columbine Genealogical and Historical Society meets at 1 p.m. in-person and on Zoom. Meeting April 12 at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 8545 E. Dry Creek Road, Centennial. Presenter: Jonathan Fairchild, historian for the National Park Service, at 1 p.m. speaking about Homestead Laws (Homestead Act of 1862) and techniques for researching homestead records and the effect the act had on the United States. On April 19 at 1 p.m., via Zoom, Susie Wickman will present “Mapping Your Family History.” columbinegenealogy. com.

‘Blue Ridge’ Miner’s Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden, opens a regional premiere of “Blue Ridge”

by Abby Rosebrock, playing April 15 to June 5. 303-935-3044, minersalley.com.

ACC Foundation The Arapahoe Community College Foundation presents “A Night in Monte Carlo,” its annual fundraiser to bring in money for student scholarships, on April 21 at Cielo at Castle Pines. Office phone for information: 303-797-5602.

Lone Tree Voice 19

March 31, 2022

Democrats push abortion bill through Gov. Jared Polis agreed to sign into law

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Democrats in the state legislature on March 23 sent Gov. Jared Polis a bill affirming access to abortion and contraception in Colorado.

After the vote, Polis said he will sign the measure, House Bill 1279, into law.

The legislation passed the Senate on a 20-15, party-line vote after it was debated on the floor for about 13 hours on March 22 and then more than two hours on March 23 as Republicans fought the measure’s passage.

The bill was debated in the House earlier this month for 24 consecutive hours in what was one of the longest debates in the legislature’s history.

Democrats introduced the legislation in response to questions about the future of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision protecting the right to an abortion without excessive government restriction.

The court could overturn the precedent in the coming months in a ruling in a case out of Mississippi, potentially opening the door for abortion restrictions in Colorado at the county or municipal level.

Colorado, which in 1967 became the first state to loosen its abortion laws, is among the states with the fewest

abortion restrictions in the nation.

Abortion access wouldn’t be immediately affected in Colorado if Roe v. Wade is overturned, but abortion rights advocates warn there could still be threats.

The concern among abortion rights groups is that conservative Colorado counties or municipalities could try to pass local measures banning or significantly limiting abortion access. Without the protections in Roe v. Wade, those local measures may not be challengeable in court without the passage of affirmative abortionaccess legislation at the Capitol.

But because House Bill 1279 changes only state law, Republicans would still be able to introduce bills and ballot measures seeking to limit abortion access. Only a constitutional amendment, which would require approval by 55% of voters, could more permanently settle the question.

Colorado voters have consistently rejected ballot measures seeking to restrict abortion access.

Abortion rights groups are considering whether to pursue a ballot measure in 2024 enshrining abortion access in Colorado’s constitution.

Gov. Jared Polis delivered the annual State of the State address on Jan. 13.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com.

The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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20 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

High Line Canal Conservancy announces new COO Veteran public planner Tracy Young to manage 71-mile waterway

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The High Line Canal Conservancy, a nonprofit working to protect and enhance the 71-mile waterway that runs through four metro counties, announced March 4 that it has named founding board member Tracy Young as its COO. Young has been with the conservancy since 2014, serving as its board secretary in 2020 and 2021. For the last 30 years, Young has worked as a landscaper and public planner for several urban areas and currently works as the planning, design and construction manager for Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

“I’m excited for a change, I’ve been in the public sector for over 30 years and I’ve absolutely loved every single minute of it,” Young said. “But this new position, working for the conservancy, is basically a dream job for me.”

Young said she has a long relationship with the High Line Canal, a 140-year-old human-made waterway that now serves as a popular recreation trail. She first began working on the canal with the City of Denver in 1990 and has since been involved in projects in Aurora.

“Tracy embodies everything anyone could ever ask for in a public servant and leader,” said Josh Tenneson, High Line Canal Conservancy board secretary, in a statement.

“She has always remained committed to making the community that she lives and works in a better place.”

As COO, Young will be tasked with helping implement the vision of the recently-formed High Line Canal Collaborative, a partnership of local governments, agencies and nonprofits working to provide $130 million in spending on the canal over the next 15 years.

Of that, about 20% to 30% will

Tracy Young, a 30-year veteran of landscaping and public planning, will become COO for the High Line Canal Conservancy COURTESY OF TRACY YOUNG March 23.

come from private donors, according to Suzanna Fry Jones, senior director of programs and partnerships for the conservancy. This will include individual donors, regional and national foundations and some corporate groups. About 40% to 50% of the funding will come from local and regional governments, with some possible federal funding.

The money will go towards a host of canal improvements and projects with an emphasis on accessibility and environmental stewardship.

The collaborative is eyeing new bridges, underpasses and mile markers as well as removing dead trees in the forests surrounding the canal and planting thousands of more drought-tolerant trees by 2030.

These initiatives will build on current projects already underway such as enhancements to stormwater mitigation to filter out pollutants, such as sediment, salt, phosphates and oil that may be collected by rain or snow when it touches the ground and drains into the canal.

Built with the “promise for a bet-

The High Line Canal diversion dam on the South Platte River above the mouth of FILE PHOTO Waterton Canyon. The canal is more than 140 years old.

ter future,” according to Young, the canal has historically served as an irrigation system for residences, governments and businesses. From the mouth of Waterton Canyon in southwest Douglas County, the waterway winds through Douglas, Arapahoe, Adams and Denver counties, making it one of the longest continuous urban trails in the U.S. But as climate change continues to make the state dryer, drought has been an ever-present problem for waterways like High Line.

“Water conservation is something that is on everyone’s mind in the West these days,” Young said. “We have been experiencing drought, more and more drought, and there are also pretty strong new development patterns happening in our region.”

With this, Denver Water, the canal’s owner, has signaled a need to wean current users off the waterway in favor of more sustainable

irrigation services with a focus on transitioning High Line to a purely recreational canal.

Currently, there are about 35 entities in the metro area that still rely on the canal for irrigation, including schools, parks and residences, according to Tom Roode, chief operations and maintenance officer for Denver Water.

“We have this great resource … and the challenge for us is it’s no longer a good asset for us to deliver irrigation water, but we don’t want to just let it fail,” Roode said in a previous article.

Ultimately, Young said she sees her work, and the work of the collaborative, as a means of bringing more people together to enjoy the recreational space.

“I see the canal as the way to enhance the connection between people, people from different backgrounds, people from different communities,” Young said.

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22 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

New bill would stiffen state’s penalties for fentanyl dealers But leave misdemeanor possession law in place

BY SHANNON NAJMABADI AND JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute the powerful opioid would become a more serious felony crime in Colorado under a bill set to be introduced by Democrats and Republicans in the legislature this week.

But having less than 4 grams of the drug for personal use would remain a low-level, misdemeanor offense.

The measure, which includes millions of dollars in spending, is state lawmakers’ response to skyrocketing overdose deaths from fentanyl in Colorado. Five people died from a suspected fentanyl overdose in Commerce City in February. Authorities believe the people thought they were ingesting cocaine.

The bill would: • Make possessing 0-4 grams of a fentanyl compound or mixture with the intent to distribute it a Class 3 drug felony, punishable by two to six years in prison • Make possessing 4-50 grams of a fentanyl compound or mixture with the intent to distribute it a Class 2 drug felony, which carries a penalty of four to 16 years in prison • Make possessing more than 50 grams of a fentanyl compound or mixture with the intent to distribute it a Class 1 drug felony. That comes

As fentanyl cases are going up in the state, lawmakers will consider revising a bill SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE passed in 2019 that made possession a misdemeanor.

with a prison term of up to 32 years.

• Make possessing a pill press used to mix fentanyl with other drugs a Class 1 drug felony Currently, possessing up to 14 grams of fentanyl with an intent to distribute is a Class 3 drug felony, while possessing between 14 grams and 225 grams of the drug with an intent to distribute is a Class 2 drug felony. Possessing more than 225 grams of fentanyl with an intent to distribute is a Class 1 drug felony.

“Fentanyl is extremely deadly,” said Gov. Jared Polis, who supports the measure. “It deserves different legal treatment than other drugs. I think that increased criminal penalties are a key part of our response, as well as

better detection and prevention.”

The Democrat said the new fentanyl bill is part of his broader package of legislation to address rising crime across Colorado.

Additionally, the new bill would make it a Class 1 drug felony to distribute fentanyl if it leads to someone’s death, though there is a carveout for people possessing less than 4 grams of the drug who try to assist someone who overdoses.

The measure includes a $20 million allocation to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to fund distribution of the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan.

Money would also be set aside for the purchase of fentanyl test strips.

The bill, however, leaves in place a much-criticized 2019 law that made possession of up to 4 grams of almost all illicit drugs for personal use a misdemeanor.

The 2019 measure, House Bill 1263, was meant to treat drug addiction as a public health issue instead of shunting the problem over to the criminal justice system. But critics say the 4 gram limit is dangerously out of step with the potency of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid fatal at about 2 or 3 milligrams.

Four grams could amount to as many as 2,000 fatal doses of the drug, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

Republicans have seized on the 2019 law, which passed with bipartisan support, to attack Democrats heading into the November election.

Prosecutors have called on the governor and legislature to alter the law and make possessing any amount of fentanyl a felony.

The bill attempts to balance requests from law enforcement for more tools to “get drug dealers off the street” while offering resources to help save lives, said House Speaker Alec Garnett, a Denver Democrat and prime sponsor of the new bill.

Polis — who previously said the 2019 bill “got some things wrong” — said Wednesday that the new proposal was “closer to right.” He and Attorney General Phil Weiser, a fellow Democrat, have expressed support for increasing criminal penalties tied to fentanyl.

“We’re very open to a wide range of additional criminal penalties,” Polis said Wednesday.

The one tweak to the misdemeanor possession law under the new bill

would be that offenders would have to go through mandatory substanceabuse assessment, and possibly treatment, if convicted of possessing fentanyl for personal use.

Rep. Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat who sponsored the 2019 legislation and is working on this year’s measure, too, said the new bill combines stiff penalties for high-level drug dealers with a “public-health approach.”

“It’s a tough issue. People are dying from fentanyl overdoses,” Herod said.

But “incarceration is not going to get us out of this.”

Rep. Mike Lynch, a Wellington Republican who has been working on the fentanyl overdose issue, will be one of the prime sponsors of the new bill.

Lynch said he has reservations about the bill’s price tag, which he said is $29 million, but that “it’s worth the experiment” given how lethal fentanyl is.

If it were up to him, Lynch said he would repeal the 2019 misdemeanor drug-possession law, but he recognizes that’s not “politically feasible.”

More than 800 people died from fentanyl across Colorado in 2021, up from 540 the year before, according to state health department data. That includes 19 people in Boulder County who died of fentanyl or a combination of drugs including fentanyl since February 2021.

Earlier this month, federal prosecutors announced they had filed charges against a woman accused of selling fentanyl pills to two Colorado Springs high school students. A friend of one of the students snorted a pill and died at her desk at school.

While fatal fentanyl overdoses have skyrocketed, there have been only a few dealers charged with causing those deaths.

Prosecutors say dealers who distribute fatal doses of fentanyl are difficult to prosecute given the way the drug is distributed. That’s because prosecutors must show a person knew they were dealing fentanyl and consciously disregarded the risk it could result in death — a high bar, said Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein, a Republican.

He expects convictions would increase under the new bill. “This bill really gives us a much-needed tool to respond,” he said.

Rubinstein said not all of the state’s district attorneys are OK with fentanyl possession of personal use of 4 grams or less remaining a misdemeanor. “It’s something that I think we could modify some,” he said.

“There’s questions about how much changing that number is really going to benefit us.”

But Rubinstein said the focus on treatment in the new bill is a good start.

“We’ll see if that works,” he said.

“And as this problem evolves, and as our responses evolve, we can obviously go through legislation next year, in future years to address that.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

March 31, 2022

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Lone Tree Voice 23

24 Lone Tree Voice

LOCAL

March 31, 2022

SPORTS

Chap baseball team downs Fort Collins 13-5 March 26 victory moved Wolverines into positive territory for season

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It was a tough question but Chaparral senior James Harbison answered quickly.

He was asked which he liked better, playing the in the outfield or closing as a relief pitcher.

Harbison did both on March 26 as Chap downed Fort Collins, 13-5, in a baseball game played at the Wolverines’ Eaton field.

He got an unexpected start in left field and made the most of it as Chap improved its season record to 4-3.

Harbison doubled and scored in the Wolverines’ five-run secondinning outburst and was summoned to pitch in the sixth inning. He pitched 1.1 innings, faced five batters, didn’t allow a hit and struck out the side in the top of the seventh inning.

“I like outfield more but it is always fun to come in and close too,” said the left-handed Harbison. “I felt really good. My off speed was working and had a good defense behind me. I felt good at the plate too.”

Chap head coach Alan DiGiosio did not hesitate to point out Harbison’s contribution.

“James Harbison was not scheduled to start in left field but he got the last start and then came in and closed the game for us,” said DiGiosio. “He had a pretty good showing today.”

Chap had 11 hits against four Fort Collins pitchers.

Andrew Isdale and Ryan Loomer each had two hits and combined for three runs batted in.

Isdale, a senior, was the starting pitcher for the Wolverines against the Lambkins and allowed just one hit in four innings of work before being relieved by freshman Ethan Adams and Harbison.

Chaparral shortstop Cole Jenkins (7) relays a throw to first base to complete a double play in the top of the second inning of the PHOTO BY JIM BENTON March 26 game against Fort Collins. The Wolverines won, 13-5.

Chap compiled a 2-3 record on an early-season trip to Arizona but came home to face Pueblo South on March 25 and Fort Collins on March 26.

“We played really well down in Arizona for five games,” added DiGiosio. “Two games we had the lead in and realistically we could have come out of there 5-0. Both the last two wins were nice but in this one (Fort Collins) we did a lot more things right.”

Chap held a 5-1 lead against Pueblo South but held on for a 5-4

win on March 25. Isdale and Tanner Donner each had two hits for the Wolverines.

Senior Nathan Pitts was the starting pitcher in the Pueblo South game and surrendered three hits in 5.1 innings before Nick Miszuk came in to get the save.

“We’re in a stretch of our schedule right now leading up to league where we’ve got to keep building and getting better because you know what our league (Continental) is like.

“We’ve got some young pieces and

some guys that are in their second time with us. “We’ve got a lot of arms and a lot of talent. We are just hoping we can put them in the right places and play up to our potential.”

Harbison agrees.

“We’re getting a lot better as we go along,” he said. “Those first couple games we lost, it was our first games in a while. Now that we are getting back in the groove, we’ll be pretty good the rest of the season.

We got all of it and good energy on the bench. Everybody knows their role and plays it well.”

Regis upsets Douglas County in volleyball matchup

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County won the first boys state volleyball championship sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association last year.

The Huskies went 18-0 in the historic season but on March 23, Douglas County suffered its first sanctioned loss.

Regis Jesuit pulled out a 3-2 win over the top-ranked Huskies in a match played in the Douglas County gym and the 10th-ranked Raiders snapped a 19-match winning streak for County, which opened this season with a win over Littleton.

“We are much younger this year,” said Douglas County Coach Jason Fitzgerald.

“We know we are going to get everyone’s very best and we are looking forward to the challenge. The game against Regis was another opportunity to grow into

who this year’s team will be. Chapter Two.” Douglas County, led by the play of Landon Keathley, Dillen Coney and Jensen Pascua, won the first set 25-20 but lost the next two sets.

The Huskies won three of the last four points to capture the fourth set, 26-24.

Fitzgerald’s team grabbed 5-1 and 6-3 leads in the decisive fifth set but couldn’t hold off the Raiders, losting 15-12.

Keathely and Coney, both juniors, each had 11 kills to pace the Huskies.Coney was credited with four blocks.

Zach Dubey finished with eight kills and Spencer Etchells had four blocks for the Huskies.

Pascua, another junior, had 32 assists, 18 digs and two service aces. Senior CJ Mullins was solid with 18 digs. Mullins, Pascua and Coney were the foundation of last season’s title team.

Douglas County’s Dillen Coney (15) helps lead a cheer after the Huskies won a point in the March 25 match against Regis Jesuit. The PHOTO BY JIM BENTON Raiders won, 3-2.

Lone Tree Voice 25

March 31, 2022

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

Ash trees are a concern due to the in Emerald Ash Borer beetle.

TREES FROM PAGE 1

The new tree species include bur oak, shumard oak, hot wing maple, Cleveland pear and English oak. All of the species have been identified by the Colorado State University Extension as recommended for the Front Range environment.

Waggener explained it’s important to vary species to protect the canopy from being destroyed by any one threat. Per a 2018 study, the city has more than 45,000 trees.

“When it comes to the urban canopy, you need a diversity of species because if one were to get a disease or infection, you don’t want it wiping out everything all at once,”

PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN

he said.

One major threat to trees that the city is working to mitigate against is the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle, which has not yet been found in Lone Tree but is known to be in Larimer County, Broomfield and near Westminster.

Waggener said 12% of the city’s trees are ash trees and susceptible to the beetle. Informing residents about the beetle and general tree care will be the city’s main priority this Arbor Day on April 29.

“The event itself will be focused on education around the (emerald ash beetle), as well as planting tips and tricks,” Waggener said. “Eventually the effects (of the beetle) will take place down this way, so right now it’s better to plant early and plant often.”

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26 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

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March 31, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

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30 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

New mental health commissioner to focus on ‘front-door’ access to care

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

State officials behind an ambitious, and daunting, plan to build a new government agency for behavioral health have selected a physician who directed crisis services in Washington, D.C., to lead the transformation.

Dr. Morgan Medlock, a public health expert who most recently was chief medical officer for the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health, spent the first two months on the job in Colorado touring the state’s mental hospitals, community mental health clinics and residential substance abuse treatment centers. As Colorado’s first commissioner of behavioral health, she reports to Gov. Jared Polis and is responsible for what’s been described as the state’s most monumental overhaul of mental health care in decades.

The Colorado Sun caught up with Medlock in the midst of legislative debate on how to spend $450 million in “once-in-a-generation” federal coronavirus aid to reform mental health care and substance abuse treatment in Colorado, as well as legislation that will set the rules for the new Behavioral Health Administration.

The new office will take over responsibility for more than 100 mental health and substance abuse programs that now are spread throughout at least four state agencies. By 2024, the office must create a statewide grievance system in which the public can report maltreatment or lack of access to care, and is expected to expand services, particularly in remote com-

munities, according to the legislation.

Medlock, who is on the faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Law, Brain and Behavior and was a clinical psychiatry fellow at Harvard Medical School, talked to The Sun about her plans for restructuring the system, tackling the children’s mental health crisis, and helping Colorado find its way out of the fentanyl epidemic.

She has plans to hire an adviser for children and families, as well as a deputy commissioner for equity. In addition to a medical degree, Medlock has master’s degrees in divinity and public health.

Building the ideal mental health system Medlock said her first priority is making sure people know where to go for treatment, which requires help from libraries, homeless shelters, doctor’s offices and more.

“We have got to have a strong front door to treatment, a single door of entry, and we’ve got to develop that through unique avenues. As we think about what this front door looks like, it will have a digital component where people can get help. You need to know that you can walk into certain places, whether it be shelters or libraries, schools, and receive help and guidance into accessing those resources.

We need to combine the digital solutions with the human solutions.”

After focusing on the “front door” to care, particularly for those in crisis, Medlock said she will shift to improving long-term services for those in the system.

“We need to do the same analysis across the continuum of care, and

CLASSIFIEDS

think about that in terms of intensive services, outpatient support, etc, housing support. But as we build the continuum of care, we’re focusing on the front door.”

Building up the workforce is another key priority, as is setting up a grievance system so that people can seek help from the new Behavioral Health Administration when they can’t find treatment or when they receive inadequate care, she said.

“Any system has to be accountable in a public way. And when people are not experiencing the outcomes that they deserve, and are not satisfied with care, they ought to be able to rely on us as the BHA to help them resolve grievances and concerns.”

Opioid abuse research at Howard University Before working for the behavioral health department in Washington, Medlock was the director of community engagement and new program development for the College of Medicine at Howard University, a private, historically Black university in the capital city.

“I was really responsible for being a strategy architect and opening new doors for opioid use disorder treatment to our community, and particularly, to marginalized communities,” she said. “It was my job to travel D.C., and particularly to Wards 7 and 8, where we have the highest opioid overdose rates, and meet with community members, faith leaders, those with lived experience, nonprofit directors, and talk about how do we have a comprehensive strategy for reducing opioid overdose deaths in those com-

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Reducing arrests of those with mental illness After joining the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health, Medlock focused on reducing arrests of people with mental illness and creating alternative ways to help people in crisis instead of charging them with crimes.

During her tenure, the city cut down on criminal charges against people in behavioral health crises, including by having mental health professionals — or co-responders — join police officers on certain calls, she said. Several law enforcement agencies in Colorado, but not all, use co-responders. She intends to use her background in helping people who’ve experienced trauma feel comfortable accessing care to help develop policies in Colorado.

“We took steps to work with national consultants on this issue to complete training and empowerment of our staff, to think about an individual in crisis as still a person and not a diagnosis. Not simply a charge.

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The review board researched “rootcause analyses of opioid deaths, determining what policy solutions were needed to support individuals at risk of overdosing. We also analyzed the surge of fentanyl use in Washington, D.C., which has now, unfortunately, become a matter of national importance and crisis.”

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Lone Tree Voice 31

March 31, 2022

HEALTH FROM PAGE 30

in crisis, it doesn’t mean that they cannot contribute to a joint decision about next steps, and about what they do to heal. We also need to think about housing, we need to think about transportation needs, we need to think about the context of a person’s life, and especially the economic context of a person’s life. And for our work in D.C., that became extremely important as we thought about how populations were shifting as it relates to housing and economic policy.”

Responding to the fentanyl crisis Overdoses from fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, have skyrocketed in Colorado during the past two years.

Most pills now sold on the streets that look like OxyContin or Xanax are counterfeit and contain fentanyl. Last week, a Colorado Springs woman was arrested for selling the little blue pills near a high school, where a student

overdosed and died at her desk.

Medlock, who was on the D.C. Hospital Association’s opioid task force, said finding new ways to deal with the epidemic is among her top priorities. First up, she wants to build a system in which people who need mental health treatment or substance abuse treatment walk through the same doors to receive treatment at the same place, instead of the current, splintered setup.

“The Behavioral Health Administration does want to integrate those two parts of the system, and we’re doing that in an intentional way through our administrative structure.

This issue is critically important.

And when you add the lens of the pandemic and the hopelessness and the rise in anxiety and depression and suicidality that have all increased during the pandemic, and then you include the pre-existing opioid crisis, things are really at a dire level. The BHA is ready to step in and integrate our approach for individuals in substance-use crises.”

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Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities, said she’s received approval from the governor’s office to start a search for a deputy commissioner focused on equity and system effectiveness.

“I cannot say enough about equity.

We want the work that we do to be effective across the continuum of care, and we want it to be equitable across the lifespan. Children and youth right now deserve more than what we’re providing, and we know we need to do better there. We know that racial inequities in behavioral health care need to be addressed, we know that we need a more just system of care for individuals with disabilities. And so equity cannot be overstated.”

Hiring an adviser for children’s mental health Medlock said she intends to hire a senior advisor for children, youth and families who will strategize about helping kids in mental health crises.

To start, Colorado needs more psychiatric beds for children in order to spare them from traveling out of state for treatment, she said. The governor has plans to spend federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to create new neuropsychiatric beds for children.

“Many of our kids who are now being shifted out of state are those with neuropsychiatric needs, and with intellectual or developmental disabilities,” she said. “And so I really want to applaud Gov. Polis for prioritizing this issue so that we can bring more beds online for our kids, and so that their families and parents don’t have to deal with moving their kids out of state to receive vital care.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

“Equity cannot be overstated” Medlock, who was vice chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals 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 3rd day of May, 2022, 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 places: Goodson Recreation Center 6315 South University Boulevard Centennial, Colorado South Suburban Sports Complex 4810 E. County Line Road Littleton, CO 80126 At said election, the electors of the District shall vote for Three (3) Directors to serve a ThreeYear Term of office of the Board of Directors of the District: The names of persons nominated for a ThreeYear Term are as follows: John Priddy Pete Barrett Kate M. Arkin David Lawful Alexis Barrere Susan K. Pye Elizabeth Watson Michael G. Kohut Kathleen Turley 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, CO 80126, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., until the close of business (5:00 P.M.) on the Tuesday immediately preceding the regular election (April 26, 2022) Contact the DEO at (303) 483-7011 or Elections@ssprd.org for more information. Absentee ballots must be returned to the DEO by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. SOUTH SUBURBAN PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT /s/ Jennifer King, Designated Election Official Legal Notice No.530206-60206 First Publication: March 31, 2022 Last Publication: March 31, 2022 Publisher: Littleton Independent Centennial Citizen and Lone Tree Voice

Bids and Settlements Public Notice REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) #015-22 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE and MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM The Department of Human Resources of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests proposals from responsible and qualified companies offering Employee Assistance and Mental Health Program services.

The RFP documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com.

RFP documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.

All RFP responses are due on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 4:00pm. It is the sole responsibility of the respondent to see that their proposal response is received on time. Proposals will not be considered which are received after the time stated.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

reject any and all proposals, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said proposal and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the successful vendor.

Please direct any questions concerning this RFP to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-660-7434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 941802 First Publication: March 31, 2022 Last Publication: March 31, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Misc. Private Legals Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the Same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to: KYLE DEAN COLLINSWORTH & JEANETTE NADINE COLLINSWORTH - OCCUPANT BUFFALO PLAINS 22 LLC - ANNE-MARIE FRISZELL & STEVEN J FRISZELL AKA STEVEN JAMES FRISZELL You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 2nd day of November 2017 the then County Treasurer of the County of Douglas, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13, LLC the following described real estate situate in the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, to wit: LOT 18-A PERRY PARK 1 PER LLAC 2020072726 0.889 AM/L

and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13, LLC. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent* taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2016. That said real estate was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of KYLE DEAN COLLINSWORTH & JEANETTE NADINE COLLINSWORTH for said year 2016 That on the 17th day of November 2021 said FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13, LLC assigned said certificate of purchase to BUFFALO PLAINS 22 LLC.

SION MISSION VIEJO COMPANY A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION C/O COLORADO SHEA HOMES LP - JAMES B BORGEL ASSISTANT SECRETARY MISSION VIEJO COMPANY A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION C/O COLORADO SHEA HOMES LP You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 2nd day of November 2017 the then County Treasurer of the County of Douglas, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13, LLC the following described real estate situate in the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, to wit:

That said BUFFALO PLAINS 22 LLC on the 17th day of November 2021 the present holder of said certificate, has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said real estate; That a Treasurer’s Deed will be issued for said real estate to the said at 1:00 o’clock P.M., on the 30th day of June 2022 unless the same has been redeemed. Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deed. Witness my hand this 17th day of March 2022

LOT 29 BLOCK 5 HIGHLANDS RANCH # 5 .094 AM/L

/s/ David Gill Douglas County Treasurer

That on the 17th day of November 2021 said FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13, LLC assigned said certificate of purchase to BUFFALO PLAINS 22 LLC.

Legal Notice No. 941651 First Publication: March 17, 2022 Last Publication: March 31, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the Same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to: NORMA A STALEY & TRENTON J STALEY AKA TRENTON JAMES STALEY - OCCUPANT - BUFFALO PLAINS 22 LLC - MISSION VIEJO COMPANY A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION C/O COLORADO SHEA HOMES LP - KEVIN P MURPHY VICE PRESIDENT COLORADO DIVI-

and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13, LLC. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent* taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2016. That said real estate was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of NORMA A STALEY & TRENTON J STALEY for said year 2016

That said BUFFALO PLAINS 22 LLC on the 17th day of November 2021 the present holder of said certificate, has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said real estate; That a Treasurer’s Deed will be issued for said real estate to the said at 1:00 o’clock P.M., on the 30th day of June 2022 unless the same has been redeemed. Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deed. Witness my hand this 17th day of March 2022 /s/ David Gill Douglas County Treasurer Legal Notice No. 941690 First Publication: March 17, 2022 Last Publication: March 31, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

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Lone Tree Legals 3.31.22 * 1

32 Lone Tree Voice

March 31, 2022

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