Week of June 16, 2022
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LoneTreeVoice.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 30
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 17
Poll finds lack of support for school funding Committee recommends board ask in November anyway BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A poll of Douglas County voters showed that less than 40% of the community is willing to approve new funding measures for the
school district in an election this November. But an ad hoc committee formed to explore the issue thinks the school board should still try. “We cannot guarantee that a bond in 2022 and a mill in 2022 will pass. As a matter of fact there is a significant chance that it will not,” said Brad Geiger, a committee member who presented the findings to the school board. “But if we don’t do it now, when do we?” The 22-person Mill Bond Explor-
atory Committee, made up of what the group calls “multi-partisan” members, outlined several urgent funding needs for the district, including building maintenance, expansion of schools, competitive compensation, staffing shortages and security measures. “I’m not going to tell you that the district will fall off a cliff if we don’t find more funding in the next two years,” Geiger said. “But I will tell you that these needs will grow, they will get worse and the impacts
will affect our students, our staff and our community.” The 2021-22 Master Capital Plan identifies between $765 million and $847 million in capital projects, including $423 million for new construction. One of the most pressing issues Geiger identified is growth in student populations. In five years, Coyote Creek Elementary School, which serves Sterling Ranch, could SEE FUNDING, P8
Site plan for 80-acre regional park passes first vote, city council up next Next vote slated for June 20 Star Harbor Academy, to be built in Lone Tree, is envisioned to be a multi-faceted space business, providing training for spaceflight, supporting research and development efforts in the industry and helping educate people on space discoveries and potentials. COURTESY OF STAR HARBOR ACADEMY
Star Harbor to bring public spaceflight training to Lone Tree Mayor Millet welcomes project with open arms BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Lone Tree is getting the first public spaceflight training facility for aerospace professionals and
enthusiasts alike. Star Harbor Academy, started by a collection of aerospace professionals, astronauts and former NASA employees, is envisioned to be a multi-faceted space business, providing training for spaceflight, supporting research and development efforts in the industry and helping educate people on space discoveries and potentials.
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The academy will be one of the first commercial businesses to offer spaceflight training outside of NASA facilities and the only to have training available to the public. “It will be professional crew training, spaceflight participants or tourism, then there’s also SEE SPACEFLIGHT, P5
BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The final site plan for Lone Tree Regional Park, an 80-acre park located near I-25 and RidgeGate Parkway, passed its first vote of approval June 8 during the South Suburban Parks and Recreation board of directors meeting. Next up for the proposal is the Lone Tree City Council. The council will vote on the measure during the June 20 regular meeting. SEE PARK, P11
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