Lone Tree Voice April 18, 2024

How Columbine changed us

See seven pages of coverage starting on P14

Denver to Istanbul flights on Turkish Airlines begin June 11

More international routes are in the hopper

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Turkish Airlines has announced that it will begin ying from Denver to Istanbul on June 11.

At 6,130 miles, or between roughly 12 and 13 hours in the air, the ight will be the longest scheduled pas-

senger route to and from the Mile High City, eclipsing the 5,788-mile ight between Denver and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport operated by United Airlines.

Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance partner airline, like United. at means passengers will be able to transfer to United Airlines ights once they arrive in Denver.

In Istanbul, passengers from Denver will be able to connect to destinations through Europe, Africa and Asia.

e ight will be operated three times weekly — Tuesdays, ursdays and Fridays — on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft. A fourth frequency, on Sunday, will begin on July 9.

e announcement comes as international ight options from Denver International Airport have proliferated in recent years. Flights to Paris, Dublin and Zurich have all been added recently, and United Airlines and Lufthansa have added frequencies to London, Munich and Frankfurt.

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said that the airport is trying to land ights to Amsterdam, Ethiopia’s Bole Addis Ababa International Airport and other parts of Japan.

“We are being very, very ambitious in terms of trying to increase our global connections around the world,” he said.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the new route will lead to 350 new jobs in Denver and have a $20 million economic impact.

Colorado Republicans split over removal of journalist from assembly

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County Republicans are split in their responses to the removal of a journalist for e Colorado Sun at the state party assembly in Pueblo on Saturday.

Reporter Sandra Fish was asked to leave the GOP event, where party

delegates vote on candidates for the primary ballot, because state party Chair Dave Williams alleged her reporting has been “unfair.”

Williams did not provide any speci c examples and the Sun refuted Williams’ characterization of their work. Fish was the only reporter asked to leave, though several other journalists were in attendance.

SPEAK OUT!

Responses from Republican ocials to the decision to remove Fish have ranged from condemnation to approval, including at the local level.

State Rep. Brandi Bradley, who represents parts of Douglas County in the House, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she had no qualms with Fish’s removal because she thinks the media “shuts down” conservatives. Bradley previously employed Williams as her legislative aide at the state Capitol.

“

ey never represent Republicans and why should they have access into a private organizations assembly,” Bradley wrote.

In another post, Bradley called the controversy around the decision a de ection from political battles at the statehouse, saying she would not “take the bait.”

e X account for the Douglas County GOP echoed Bradley’s comments in a post of its own, which incorrectly called Fish an activist for the Democratic National Committee. Fish is a data journalist who has reported since 1982, including covering seven former Republican assemblies in Colorado.

sioner Lora omas, state Rep. Lisa Frizell and Deborah Flora, a candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.

Flora, who was not at the assembly, called the move wrong and a violation of the First Amendment in a post on X.

“We need to instill pride in our party and win over Coloradans through our principles and shared values,” Flora wrote. “ is action goes against that.”

For her vocal disagreement, Flora was berated by the state party, which responded that Flora is a “dishonest, say-anything” politician and endorsed her competitor U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

omas said in her newsletter that she felt the action was wrong for many reasons, but mainly because she believes it was a violation of Fish’s constitutional rights.

“Constitutional rights apply to all,” omas said. “Not just the speech you like.”

Frizell, who represents Castle Rock in the Colorado House, also shared First Amendment violation concerns.

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“Is (the Colorado GOP) obligated to let DNC activists into a state party event,” the post falsely claims.

On the other side, Republicans speaking out against the move included Douglas County Commis-

Fish’s removal has been widely condemned by other news outlets and media organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

How Does the Idea of ‘For-Sale-By-Owner’ Change Under the NAR Settlement?

The number of sellers opting to sell without a listing agent was surprisingly low even before the NAR settlement, which will have the effect of cutting in half the commission charged by listing agents thanks to the removal of a co-op commission for buyers’ agents, .

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has reported that only 7% of homes sold during 2023 were sold without the services of a listing agent. Another 4% of sellers began without an agent but ultimately changed their minds and decided to hire a listing agent.

mission cannot include the offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent, so listing commissions will henceforth be 2.5% to 2.8%, seriously reducing the appeal of trying to sell one’s house without professional assistance.

The main argument for going FSBO (for-sale-by-owner) has been to avoid paying the typical 5 to 6 percent listing commission. But that commission included the 2.5 to 3 percent commission shared with the agent representing the buyer. Under the NAR settlement (if approved by the courts), the listing com-

CEFF Offers 2 Earth Day Films

The Colorado Environmental Film Festival is celebrating Earth Day with two films: The Engine Inside (about bicycling) tonight, April 18; and Deep Rising (about seabed mining) on April 21. Ticket info is at https://ceff.net/earth-day.

In my real estate classes as a new agent at Coldwell Banker back in 2002, it was drummed into us that “listors last,” so we should focus on working with sellers instead of buyers. The NAR settlement has struck a serious blow to anyone who specializes in working with buyers.

In light of this, NAR is offering its Realtor members a free “Accredited Buyer’s Representative” (ABR) course, and, even though Golden Real Estate specializes in working with sellers, all of us have signed up for this course so we can receive the advice which it will offer when representing buyers in the changed landscape of real estate transactions.

Of course, I will share with you what I learn from that course, which I’m taking on June 17th. Hopefully, the court will have confirmed or rejected the NAR settlement by then, so we’ll know for sure what lies ahead.

As I wrote last week, the inevitable

Renovating? Consider Adding a ‘Back Kitchen’

I can’t take credit for this idea. Last year Pro Builder magazine had an article in its May/June issue about new ideas in kitchen design, and one in particular caught my attention: adding a “back/ messy” kitchen.

Nowadays, especially with open floor plans, the kitchen has become a center of entertaining. Guests gather around the host or hostess as they prepare and deliver various courses of food.

A back kitchen allows for dirty dishes to be out of sight immediately. This keeps the kitchen area clean and attractive — and quiet — throughout the evening. There could even be a second dishwasher in the back kitchen.

The back kitchen could also be where prepared courses are staged for bringing out during the party. Think of it as a “butler’s pantry” that is off the kitchen instead of between the kitchen and the dining room.

Most people nowadays have both a walk-in pantry and what’s being called a “Costco closet” for those bulk purchases so many of us are making these days. A larger pantry big enough to satisfy both needs could be attached to the back kitchen instead of the main kitchen, cleaning and simplifying the main kitchen design.

Another feature which makes a lot of sense is to have seating on two sides

(adjoining, not opposite) of the kitchen island instead of just one. This facilitates guests talking to each other, while still including whoever is at work on the business side of the island.

Open floor plans typically show the kitchen open to the family room, but not the formal dining room. How about an Lshaped open floor plan in which the dining room is open to the kitchen on the side, with the family room open to it at a 90degree angle?

Here’s a floor plan from Pro Builder showing this concept, in which ‘A’ is the island with 2-sided seating, ‘B’ is the pantry/Costco closet, ‘C’ is the back kitchen, and ‘D’ is a barn door for closing off the back kitchen/pantry.

effect of the NAR settlement will be that many or even most buyers will call listing agents directly instead of hiring an agent to represent them as a buyer. Only time will tell how that process will shake out.

If I worked solely as a buyer’s agent, I would be very nervous about what the future holds for me.

Buyer agents will still be able to earn a commission by selling new homes. Because the new home market is so competitive, builders are unlikely to reduce the commissions they currently offer to agents. Most builders, I have found, offer a 3% commission to agents who bring them a buyer, although that commission is applied to the base price,

not to the price after adding upgrades of flooring, appliances, counters, etc.

The challenge for real estate agents has always been getting buyers to call them before registering at a builder’s sales office, because most builders will not pay agents who did not register along with their buyer. We tell buyers to visit as many new home communities as they wish but not give their names until they are serious and want us to represent them. Then we can go with them on a return visit where they and we register together. That way, the buyer has the advantage of professional representation, and we are compensated for being their agent.

This column and the ’Back Kitchen’ article appeared in last Thursday’s Denver Post.

Real Estate Activity Has Surged Since Jan. 1st

For most of 2023, the number of closed transactions fell while the number of active listings surged until some of them either expired or were taken off the market for the holidays. Starting in January there was a marked increase in sales, combined with more sellers putting their homes on the market.

The charts at right are from Denver’s MLS and cover the 15-month period from January 2023 through March 2024 for REcolorado listings only, limited to a 20mile radius of downtown Denver.

The second chart shows how sharply the median days a listing was active on the MLS rose through most of last year, peaking at over 30 days in January but plummeting, just like last year, in February and March. Meanwhile, the median sold price, which had been slumping slightly during the last half of 2023, turned sharply upward in January, February and March.

From studying current MLS data, this trend is continuing in April.

Of course, the real estate market varies greatly from city to city and from neighborhood to neighborhood. If you’d like to monitor the market in your city or your specific subdivision, any of our broker associates or I could create what we call a “Neighborhood Alert” for you. You define the area you want to monitor, and we pro-

Active Listings Closed Listings

Median Sold Price

Median Days in MLS

gram the MLS to send you an email notification every time a home in that area is listed, goes under contract, sells or expires. With our help, you’ll be the neighborhood expert where you live — or perhaps in a neighborhood where you want to buy. Call us; our phone numbers are below.

Wildlife photo exhibit runs through April in area church

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A church in Highlands Ranch doubles as a wildlife photography exhibit through the end of April, showcasing nearly 60 photos by 25 photographers through the Mile High Wildlife Photography Club. e display at St. Andrew United Methodist Church is the largest art exhibit the club has done in recent years, said Randy Anderson, who has been with the Denver-based club for nearly ve years and serves as its vice president. He added that several images can be purchased.  “ ey always have art or quilts or paintings,” Anderson said of the church. “ ey’ve never really had photography.”

With art exhibits booked through 2025, the church hosts exhibits to help showcase artists’ work and to encourage others to nd their artistic side through joining art groups and meeting local artists.

While most of the exhibits include paintings or drawings, photography has made an appearance, representing another level of patience when it comes to artwork.

e Mile High Wildlife Photography Club, founded in 1976, provides members the chance to learn more about wildlife and scenic photography through practice and speaking with professionals who have traveled across the globe. Also a competitive club, they have twice won in the “nature’s best photography” category at the Windland Smith Rice International Awards.

With one image in the exhibit — not for sale — Anderson said the feedback has been fantastic.

“I think it just brings a real sense of the world around us and the nature that’s around us, even within our own cities,” Anderson said. “It creates kind of this visceral reaction. It’s almost like you’re there.”

Anderson added that most wildlife photographers are conservation focused, including himself, and want to help educate the public about the importance of protecting wildlife, public lands and parks.

“Having a show like this where maybe a lot of people are seeing your photographs that aren’t necessarily people that get out a lot — at least in the woods — makes them kind of realize how important it is that those types of things be saved

and conserved,” Anderson said.

e show runs Monday through ursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through the end of April. e club has been invited back for 2026.

e following show, starting in May, will feature the artwork of “Fling the Paint” artists.

Using mediums such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels and gouache, “Fling the Paint” is a small

group of artists that meet monthly to paint indoors but will spontaneously go outside to create their pieces.  eir work mostly involves landscapes and orals, but they often include still lifes, which will all be displayed at the upcoming exhibit.

A handful of the artists will be at the opening reception on May 5 from 10 a.m. to noon to speak with guests about their work. Some unframed artwork will be available for purchase.

One of the artists, Sheila Littlehorn, who works exclusively in oil, says it’s nice to be able to discuss the artwork with people who are interested in art.

“It’s just nice for any artist to get your work up on to an exhibit so that people can see it,” Littlehorn said.

To learn more about St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s art groups, visit their website at https:// gostandrew.com/arts/.

Over 20 photographers from the Mile High Wildlife Photography Club have nearly 60 photos of wildlife and landscapes in the St. Andrew United Methodist Church art exhibit. PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Colorado pumps $21 million into fast EV charger expansion

Grants will create 46 sites with a total of 290 ports

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado will spend $21 million to expand fast charging networks for electric vehicles throughout the state, with new grants awarded for 46 sites encompassing 290 charging ports, state o cials announced. e expansion will boost Colorado’s existing public fast chargers by nearly 30%.

A set of DC fast electric chargers on the east side of Limon adds some muchneeded firepower to Colorado’s I-70 charging network, but the actual charging speeds experienced vary widely.

about “range anxiety” — fear of running out of battery charge before nding a convenient charging station — and vehicle pricing. EV sales have stagnated after climbing quickly in some states, with observers citing continuing high prices despite federal and state tax credits, and consumers reluctant to learn new fueling systems and locations.

More than 100,000 EVs are now registered in Colorado, the Colorado Energy O ce said, and with “the pace of adoption growing, the expansion of the charging network is necessary to meet consumer demand.”

e new charging stations will be funded jointly by federal money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the state Community Access Enterprise. Future rounds of grant funding will continue to build out the public charging network, with an emphasis on guaranteeing charging access in communities disproportionately impacted by historic air pollution.

Private companies and governments will build the fast chargers to ll gaps federal o cials identied along alternative fuel corridors considered keys to smooth transportation ow. Direct-current fast chargers can give EVs a signi cant mileage boost within 15 to 45 minutes of plugging in, depending on electrical service and how many other cars are plugged in at the same time.

State and federal EV boosters are scrambling to assure consumers

“Colorado is building one of the most comprehensive EV charging networks in the country,” Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew said, in the release announcing the grants. “We believe that nearly every Coloradan will have access to DC fast-charging within a matter of years.”

Most of the charging stations should be online by the end of 2025, state o cials said.  is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Trial starts in Christian Glass case in Clear Creek County

Andrew Buen stands before a jury on charges including second-degree murder

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As many as 1,500 summonses were sent to Clear Creek County residents to nd a jury of 12 impartial people to sit as jurors in a trial over the death of Christian Glass.

Selected county residents began reporting for jury duty April 8 at the Clear Creek County courthouse. Final questions, or “voir dire,” to jurors from attorneys and the judge were a major order of business for

the lengthy trial in Fifth Circuit Judge Catherine Cheroutes’ courtroom.

After jury selection, attorneys for the prosecution and defense for former Clear Creek County Sheri ’s Deputy Andrew Buen, who faces multiple charges, including murder in the second degree, were slated to make opening statements, highlighting the arguments they were to make before jurors.

Glass died on the night of June 10-11, 2022, when he was stranded in his car near Silver Plume. He had called 911 for help, saying he was trapped and, when o cers arrived, they asked Glass to leave his car. He refused in what turned into a long stando that ended when o cers broke Glass’ car window and used a Taser on him. Buen shot Glass ve times, killing him, according to an

REMODELING DONE RIGHT

As many as 1,500 summonses were sent to Clear Creek County residents to find a jury of 12 impartial people to sit as jurors in a trial for Andrew Buen in the death of Christian Glass.

indictment.

e criminal trial is expected to take as many as three weeks, according to the Clear Creek County court schedule.

Updates on the trial will be available online at the Clear Creek Courant.

PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Douglas County Schools explores AI pilot program for students, teachers

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County School District is considering piloting an arti cial intelligence (AI) program for students and teachers at several schools next year.

e district is exploring a partnership with Khan Academy, a nonpro t educational company, to pilot an AI program called Khanmigo <https:// www.khanmigo.ai/> in 28 schools.

Superintendent Erin Kane said it’s important for the district to be a leader on incorporating AI into education, so students are prepared for the workforce.

Kane said her philosophy is that AI won’t replace people, but people who can leverage AI tools will replace those who can’t.

“Our kids need to go into the workforce understanding this technology and how to leverage it, the guardrails, the ethics, all of the di erent pieces,” Kane said.

e school board voiced support for the pilot program and appreciation for the district’s approach to teach new tools while mitigating risks.

“I was super skeptical, but while it seems like there will be things to iron out, this seems like such a great op-

portunity,” board president Christy Williams said.

Douglas County is the rst school district in Colorado to considerlook at piloting the Khanmigo program, Kane said.

“ is is really the forefront, so we’ll be stumbling our way through together, but this is a great way for us to dip our toe in,” she said.

AI opportunities for students include personalized learning, tutoring, interactive learning tools, removing language barriers and more. Kane said those tools will help create an equitable learning environment because all students will have access to them.

“ e personalized learning component of this technology gives us a way to have culturally relevant lessons that we’ve never had before,” she said. “Now every student has a free tutor.”

For teachers, AI can help build rubrics and lesson plans, which Kane said could free up an average of ve hours per week.

Some risks the district is concerned about are plagiarism, hindering writing skills, false or misleading information, privacy issues and deepfakes, which are digitally altered videos or pictures used typically to spread misinformation.

e Khanmigo program will help the district mitigate many of the risks that come from open AI programs, such as privacy concerns and misinformation, Kane said.

“Just like anything else, if it’s garbage in, it’s garbage out,” she said. “Khanmigo provides the guardrails we need for our students for privacy, cheating, all of that stu .”

A few of the unique elements of Khanmigo are a chat function with historical gures or literary characters, generated feedback on writing and breakdowns for math and science problems.

Kane described the program as a “framework” for students and teachers to learn how to use AI.

“So kids will have a writing sandbox where they’re following the writing process and researching, outlining, rough drafting, and the teacher has full visibility,” Kane said. “Khanmigo can tell the teacher if it thinks someone is stuck or if someone wrote their outline in four seconds.”

Steve Colella, district chief of sta , said the district is looking to create a task force focusing on AI implementation in the district and will continue to look for programs to help the district and students.

Former police o cer guilty on child pornography charges

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

An Arapahoe County jury has found a former law enforcement o cer guilty of possessing child pornography.

Following a four-day trial, Jerry Stinnett, 65, a former Cherry Hills Village police o cer, was convicted of “sexual exploitation of a child — 20+ items (video)” and “sexual exploitation of a child — possession of pornographic material,” according to prosecutors.

tional Center for Missing and Exploited Children in July 2020, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Ofce, which covers Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

“Perpetrators of these kinds of crimes need to know they can’t hide behind screens,” Joel Zink, a senior deputy district attorney, said in a statement after the verdict.

He called child porn images and videos “unthinkable” and said they indicate children who are subjected to “horri c victimization.”

tion in Colorado.

In October 2020, the Colorado Springs Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force submitted a federal subpoena to obtain more information for the IP address, ultimately linking the address to Stinnett’s home in Aurora. e Colorado Springs task force turned the case over to the Aurora Police Department.

e jury issued its verdict March 28 and Stinnett’s sentencing is set for July 5. He faces up to six years in prison and must register as a sex o ender.

Authorities investigated Stinnett after an internet service provider, Yahoo, led a CyberTip report with the Na-

e report from the internet provider said child pornography was uploaded and shared, according to prosecutors.

e center for missing and exploited children obtained an internet protocol, or IP, address from Yahoo and was able to pinpoint the computer’s loca-

Authorities executed a search warrant at Stinnett’s home and con scated computers, tablets and cellphones. During a search of the devices, detectives found three dozen sexually explicit images and videos of underage boys and girls, according to prosecutors.

Stinnett worked in law enforcement for two decades before retiring in 2013, according to the DA’s o ce.

After a 3,500-gallon fuel spill, o cials don’t expect incident to a ect water quality

The spill happened on I-25 in the Castle Pines area in late March

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After a diesel-fuel tanker crashed on Interstate 25 in the Castle Pines area and spilled thousands of gallons of fuel along the highway, crews worked to pump pooled liquid out of the nearby ditch. But fuel still seeped into the land — roughly 1,500 gallons remained on the ground.

Amid the rolling hills of Castle Pines, o cials don’t think the massive spill has a ected the community’s water quality — at least so far. “ e spill has been contained, mitigation measures are doing their job and no diesel made it into the stream,” said Ron Redd, manager of Parker Water and Sanitation District, adding: “At

this time we have no concerns.”

Parker Water serves the east Castle Pines area. On the city’s west side, water provider Castle Pines North Metropolitan District says the fuel spill won’t impact the district’s water supply.

Meanwhile, crews are working to nish the cleanup, remove contaminated soil, and replace it with new soil and seed, according to the City of Castle Pines. at process could take weeks, according to Colorado State Patrol.

Here’s a look at what happened and how local o cials reacted to the accident.

Vehicle drifted, crashed

In the middle of the night, the fuel tanker, hauling 9,500 gallons, rolled over about a quarter of a mile south of Castle Pines Parkway on southbound I-25.

No other vehicles were involved in the March 30 crash.

e driver, a 32-year-old man from Longmont, was cited for careless driving, according to the state patrol.

spokesperson for South Metro Fire. e spill was on the Colorado Department of Transportation right-ofway, said Camden Bender, spokesperson for Castle Pines.

e city doesn’t expect the fuel to affect water supply in the area.

“South Metro Fire Rescue’s response team was able to contain the fuel spill and prevent it from spreading to any areas that could have impacted water supply,” Bender said on April 4. “Additional soil testing has been done to con rm that fuel has not spread toward water supply areas since the initial accident.”

“ e investigation shows the vehicle drifted into the center barrier and then overcorrected back across the interstate leading to the accident,” said Sgt. Patrick Rice, a spokesperson for the state patrol. “ e exact cause of the drifting is unknown.”

In the aftermath, crews transferred 6,000 gallons of fuel from the rolledover vehicle into a new tanker and pumped 2,000 gallons out of the ditch near the highway. But 1,500 gallons remained on the ground, and that fuel was not able to be pumped out, Rice said.

O cials speak on water supply

South Metro re ghters built ve dams in the ditch to stop the spill from advancing, according to the re agency.

“ e diesel fuel was completely stopped approximately 100-150 yards from the tanker,” said Brian Willie, a

Castle Pines North Metro District’s manager, Nathan Travis, said the fuel won’t have any impact on the district’s water supply.

“Our renewable water comes from Chat eld Reservoir,” Travis said. “And our wells (draw water from) a con ned aquifer, which are, by de nition, not inuenced by surface events.”

As for the east Castle Pines area, Redd said the spill is in Parker Water’s watershed but about 2 miles from the agency’s reservoir.

“We will for the foreseeable future test the tributary to the reservoir and monitor for any changes to the water quality,” Redd said. “We also have an emergency response plan that would place oating barriers to contain the fuel.”

Redd added: “ e important thing is (workers) have built interception pits to collect any diesel that may ow or leach through the soil towards the stream and there is no sign of it getting past that area.”

Emergency personnel respond to a dieselfuel tanker that rolled over and caused a large spill along Interstate 25 on March 30 in the Castle Pines area.

COURTESY OF SOUTH METRO FIRE RESCUE

Cultivating Community Heath & Wellness

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Accessible playground at Prospect Park will save Sterling Ranch parents long drive

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Sterling Ranch mom Cori Levinson is used to having to travel to Castle Rock or Denver to take her son Ricki, 6, to an accessible playground. However, thanks to feedback from Levinson and her neighbors, they will soon have an inclusive park within minutes of their homes.

e unincorporated Douglas County community in April broke ground on Prospect Park, which will feature an accessible playground and pool for people with disabilities.

A group of residents, including parents of children with disabilities, were heavily involved in planning the park features and shared their excitement at the groundbreaking.

Levinson said it means a lot to know Ricki will be included and feel “like he belongs.”

“I’m really proud that our community came together and heard a lot of our voices,” she said. “ is is a very special moment. As a parent, you just want to see your kid be able to play alongside others and that a community or a place thought of them, too.”

e playground is expected to open this fall with the addition of the pool following in spring of 2025. e park will also include locker rooms and bathrooms, a concession stand, a bandstand, a basketball court and turf elds.

Jessica Towles, director of community experience and resident support with Sterling Ranch, said the goal is to bring together residents of all ages and abilities in a space everyone can enjoy.

Towles said the resident feedback helped make the park not just compliant with the Americans with Dis-

abilities Act, but truly inclusive.

“We want it to be a place where kids with disabilities can play with others and engage to break down the stigma,” she said. “We have so many residents who will bene t from this beyond those with special needs, like our veterans and seniors.”

e park costs around $5 million and was funded in part by the nonpro t Miles for Madison, which works to build more inclusive parks and playgrounds. Douglas County also contributed $2.5 million to the

project.

Douglas County Commissioner George Teal said the resident engagement was the key for the commissioners to support the neighborhood amenity.

“Parks are not just pools and playgrounds, but they’re a place where families can come to be a part of the community and where our children learn, from taking turns on the swing set to helping a kid up when they fall,” Teal said. “ at’s where community is taught.”

Sterling Ranch mom Cori Levinson and her children Ricki, 6, and Camila, 2, celebrate the groundbreaking of a new accessible playground and pool at Prospect Park. Levinson is part of a group of residents who advocated for the park to be inclusive for people with disabilities.

PHOTO BY MCKENNA HARFORD

Thu 4/18

Bunny Blake Music: Earl's Kitchen + Bar @ 5pm

Earls Kitchen + Bar, 8335 Park Meadows Center Dr, Lone Tree

Sally Van Meter @ 6pm

Swallow Hill, 71 E Yale Ave, Den‐

Fri 4/19

Omnium Gatherum @ 5pm

INSOMNIUM + OMNIUM

GATHERUM + WILDERUN in Englewood @ 5pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

ThxSoMch @ 6pm Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood

Insomnium @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Noise Pollution: The AC/DC Experience: AC ฀DC Tribute - Noise Pollution at Tailgate Tavern @ 6pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Ray Bonneville: Swallow Hill Music with Seth Walker @ 6:30pm

Swallow Hill Music Association, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Michael Carbonaro @ 1pm

Pace Center, Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Mark Masters Comedy: Castle Rock Comedy Show presents Am‐

ber Autry with host Mark Masters @ 6pm

Spotlight Theater, 680 Atchison Way Suite 100, Castle Rock

La Reunion Norteña @ 8pm Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Sun 4/21

Allegheny @ 6pm daniels hall, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Missy Raines & Allegheny at Swallow Hill Music - Denver CO @ 6pm Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Tue 4/23

SWEET SPINE @ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Holler Choir @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Old 97's @ 7pm

Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood

Sat 4/20

Kalimba Intimo Tour USA @ 6pm

D’Cartier event center 2, 3181 W Alameda Ave, Denver

Giant Rooks + Friedberg @ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Old 97's @ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, Englewood

ElderPunk at Fraco’s in Littleton @ 7pm

The Toad Tavern, 5302 S Federal Circle, Littleton

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Thu 4/25

12U-18U Tryout @ 4:30pm / $30

Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136

Rotating Tap Comedy @ Coal Mine Ave Brewing @ 6pm

Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company, 9719 W Coal Mine Ave unit a, Littleton

VOICES

For editor, Columbine attack still reverberates through years

In the middle of a nothing-inparticular phone call, my dad in Indiana suddenly asked me: “Where is Columbine High School?”

“Four or ve miles southwest of here — why?” I said from our westfacing back porch in Denver’s south suburbs on a beautiful spring day in 1999.

My hyperactive dad, who had been watching a cable news channel while we talked, replied: “Somebody is shooting kids there.”

Within seconds, two air ambulance helicopters thundered low and fast directly over our house and streaked southwest.

I was a copy editor at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and as I watched the helicopters race toward Columbine, I knew that I should expect to be called in early for my night shift at the newspaper. I wanted to see our young sons before getting ready for work, so I got o the phone and trotted the block and a half to their elementary school.

In those pre-smartphone, lesswired days, the sta at our sons’ school didn’t yet know about the attack a few miles away. I walked past the open door of the teachers’ lounge, where a teacher I liked was

STAFF COLUMN

nishing his lunch break.

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“What brings you here?” he asked. When I told him the little I knew about what was happening at Columbine, he responded, “ at will de nitely be on Channel 9 tonight.”

Word of the attack reached the school administrators about that same moment, and a lockout began. I was a familiar volunteer at the school, and I was allowed to stop by our sons’ classrooms to see them for a few minutes before I returned home to prepare for work.

I wanted to listen to breaking news about Columbine while getting ready for work, so instead of showering, I lled the bathtub and placed a radio on the bathroom oor so I could hear updates. I was sitting in the tub when the Je erson County sheri con rmed that several kids had been murdered, and I broke into a series of uncontrollable sobs.

Work that rst night was frantic, with uid news stories changing as reporters and editors tried to distill

reliable information from the deluge of impressions, sights and interviews, plus the gut-punching images from our photographers. e ensuing nights at the newspaper were a slog through the bad nondream of Columbine, including a night when I worked the “makeup” editing shift in the composing room, making sure through multiple editions that yearbook photos of the children who had been killed were paired with the right captions: Cassie Bernall is the girl with the wide smile and hair parted on the side; Corey DePooter is the boy with the pronounced straight eyebrows; Rachel Scott is the girl who looks like my sister as a kid ... at was the night I ate a mayonnaise-heavy sandwich that had sat atop my warm computer terminal for hours before I was able to take a break, and the resulting case of brutal food poisoning felt bizarrely welcome because I needed so badly to puke my guts out.

All that was 25 years ago. Now, low- ying helicopters still ash me right back to the moment just after my dad told me about the attack in progress. ese days, I still can’t talk about the Columbine attack for more than a few seconds before my voice breaks. Our little

suburb has its markers of the tragedy — the trauma center where the most grievously wounded children were own, the pawnshop where a paralyzed girl’s mother asked to see a revolver and then hurriedly inserted a bullet that she used to kill herself at the counter — and I see those places many times each week and remember.

But I got o light. I got o easy. I’m an outgoing person who is always getting to know more people, and here in Denver’s south suburbs, that means I’ve gotten to know many people who were hit intimately by the Columbine attack, people who were there, people who helped save terribly wounded children, people who tried to save children who died, people who lost dear ones, people whose dear ones survived but were damaged in ways that can’t be undone. Every year I know more people with lifetime memberships in that undesired club.

People I trust tell me good things have been forged from the pain of that horrible day. I want to believe they’re right.

Scott Gilbert is an editor in our newsroom who worked for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver at the time of the Columbine attack.

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Scott Gilbert

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Love letter to Douglas County

On March 27, 2022, my husband and I went mountain biking on the Hidden Mesa Trail in Douglas County. Sadly, about 20 minutes into the ride, he passed away very suddenly and without warning.

First responders included fellow riders, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Castle Rock Police, Franktown Fire Protection, and Castle Rock Fire and Rescue. My husband passed away in a very scenic place surrounded by the beauty of Colorado he loved so much.

is is a love letter to the Douglas County commissioners and Parks and Open Space sta who worked through my request to have a plaque placed on the bench near where he died. ere was no precedent for my request, but they gured out how to help me honor a good man in a way that was respectful to him and the beautiful place in Douglas County where he passed.

With all the negativity launched toward local, state, and federal government these days, it’s important to acknowledge this act of kindness. ere are no words to express the depth of my gratitude.

Karen Hancock, Denver

Look at water numbers

e Centennial Water column in the Herald along with an eNewsletter has been quite e usive over recent projects. What was lacking was the speci cs of cost associated with the project and how a bond is being used to nance. Recalling that last November voters rejected a bond, 5B, for new school construction might cause some wonderment as to how this bond was passed. Fact is “Speci cally, we (Centennial Water) do not fall under TABOR requirements. Our debt issuance does not need to be approved by voters.” So the stated claim that the bond “passed” is a bit misleading as it was never put to a vote.

quirements for the coming year, and the infrastructure fee may increase over time to fund future projects. Over the long term those increases will probably be similar to in ation.”

Seventy million dollars at 4.25% over 30 years is not $150,000,000 but the ~$30M delta is maybe so small as to be unimportant to Centennial. e infrastructure fee mentioned is the monthly $7.50 fee recently added to every water bill which equates to approximately $4M per year, again not enough to pay $150M in 30 years. And the statement of increasing the fee (for a xed loan amount) to o set in ation seems unclear as well.

All of this for a project to construct a hazardous chemical storage facility that can best be described a prepping for the unimaginable. To be followed by Phases 2, 3 and 4, their inherent costs and questionable merit, and the forthcoming new/increased fees to pay for them — that do not need to be approved by voters. Might want to think about that.

Bret Rogers, Highlands Ranch

Consider Calvarese

While Congressional District 4 (Douglas County and the Eastern Plains) is historically a Republican district, it may no longer make sense to return a Republican to Congress. Our previous Republican representative, Ken Buck, resigned from Congress citing the dysfunction of the Republican majority. He went further noting that he “got a lot more good work done with the Democrats in charge.”

Back to the question as to how much the Phase 1B bond value is and how will it be paid for. From Centennial Water: “ e debt issuance was $70m at an average interest rate of 4.25% over 30 years. If we don’t renance the debt or retire it early, we would pay about $150,000,000 (not adjusted for in ation or the time value of money) over the 30 year period. Yes, the infrastructure fee will cover the cost of this debt. We reassess our plan every year when we look at re-

Candidates of all stripes will make promises during the campaign, but Republican promises are of scant value because the Republican majority seems incapable of delivering results. Republicans barely keep the government open, much less fund the Farm Bill or pass a “right to repair” bill.

If you care about e ective government, it may be time to elect a Democrat to Congress that will help break the logjam of dysfunction. I would encourage you to consider Trisha Calvarese as our next representative. She grew up in Sterling and Highlands Ranch, is knowledgeable on the issues, enthusiastic, and well versed in the ways of Washington. She will be able to hit the ground running as our representative.

Douglas Willey, Highlands Rach

How Columbine changed us

25 years later, the tragedy is a study of recovery, resilience and triumph

BY MICHAEL DE YOANNA EDITOR IN CHIEF

Twenty- ve years have passed since that April day that etched sorrow into the hearts of Columbine High School. Two armed students took the lives of 12 of their peers and a cherished teacher and then their own lives. e reverberations of that tragic day have rippled through the years, leaving a sad narrative of killers and victims often repeated in the mainstream media.

But what that narrative misses is Columbine’s story of recovery, resilience and triumph.

It is in the school’s very fabric, where the emphasis is that every individual, from the principal to the rst-day freshman, matters.

As Columbine sophomore Madison Price told us, “It’s just the kind of thing that you can feel.”

It’s kind of a soft nding for a newsroom that spent months parsing through stories of grief and perseverance in our interviews with survivors, past and present school o cials, teachers, security experts

and even media critics.

Our newsroom sought the answer to a simple question: How has the 1999 Columbine shooting changed the school over the years — and everything else?

On one hand, nothing has changed. Gun violence is rampant in the United States. Take, for instance, the stunning tally of deaths and injuries provided by the Atlas of American Gun Violence, tracking incidents across the country down to the neighborhood level. Such an atlas is only necessary because of the almost-daily barrage of headlines chronicling shootings. Yet some are so large and horri c that everyone knows them by name, like Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

e specter of violence is woven into the lives of children in schools at an early age.

And schools across the country have increased security measures in the years since the Columbine shooting, which took the lives of students Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly

Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough,Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend and Kyle Velasquez, and teacher William “Dave” Sanders.

e Je erson County School District, which oversees the high school, points to classroom doors that lock from the inside. ere are single-point entry systems at schools that ensure students, sta and visitors pass through controlled checkpoints. Add to that security cameras, once a rarity, metal detectors and scanners.

Much of the changes are meant to ferret out people carrying guns. Yet our reporting did not take us to the raging debates over guns, like whether background checks are enough or if teachers should be armed.

Instead, we explored how chaos among rescuers during the Columbine incident led to improved coordination today, working to bridge gaps to make all schools safer.

And we looked at the media’s role during and after the shooting. One harsh takeaway from University of

Our series will run this week and next week.

This week, we focus on the stories of those closest to Columbine High School — the survivors and students and teachers. Next week, our series will look at how security has changed and the lessons learned from how the media covered events.

To read our entire series, go to www.ColoradoCommunityMedia .com.

Colorado Boulder professor Elizabeth Skewes was that news coverage of shootings can desensitize Americans and even be harmful to survivors. Knowing that helps explain the goals of Je erson County schools at the district’s recent media day for press organizations looking to report on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

Reporters who went to that event heard many of the same things we learned in our reporting, which often involved initially-reluctant sources opening up to trust our reporters and editors with their stories. ey wanted us, and our readers, to know that the shooting doesn’t de ne Columbine. Instead, what de nes it is a kind of indomitable spirit that emerged and evolved with intentionality since 1999. It plays out for many every April 20, the anniversary of the shooting, in the school’s Day of Service, now in its eighth year.

“We have turned that day into something so positive,” teacher Mandy Cooke told us. “And that is what I am most proud of — is making sure that our current students know how to be better humans in the world, instead of this awful, tragic thing that happened to us.”

And Cooke knows. She was a student at the school in 1999 and is among three survivors we interviewed who returned to the school to help it turn the page of the adversity to a brighter chapter.

Frank DeAngelis, a rehabilitation advocate and past principal of Columbine High School, stands in Clement Park at the Columbine Memorial near Littleton on April 8, 2024.

PHOTO BY BEAR GUTIERREZ

Frank DeAngelis’ shoelaces and support

A principal’s journey of healing and leadership

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the days following the shooting at Columbine High School, its principal, Frank DeAngelis, started leaving his shoes untied. e loss of his students and a teacher, who was also a friend, left him feeling he had no control over his life.

“People would say, ‘Tie your shoe!’ and I said, ‘ at’s the only thing I have control over,’” he said. But piece by piece, and with the help of his community, DeAngelis started his journey toward healing. It was just like tying his shoes, one lace over the other.

He still thinks of the tragedy every day — reciting the names of the victims who were killed before he gets out of bed. But his journey to heal hasn’t been lonely. In the years following the tragedy, he has leaned on his community and channeled his energy to help others — and still does, even in retirement.

DeAngelis started working at Columbine in 1979, right after he graduated from college. Before he became the principal, DeAngelis had been a history teacher, football coach and baseball coach there.

He worked closely with students, and enjoyed that his role gave him the chance to get to know so many of them — in the cafeteria, on their sports teams and on the stage.

On the day of the shooting, like so many others, he said, his life changed forever.

After the tragedy, he led the school until every student in the area who was in class on April 20, 1999 — down to the preschoolers — graduated.

“Because they were impacted by it,” he said. “Even though they were not there, they saw everything.”

His leadership in those years is a common theme among students and sta connected to the school.

ey say DeAngelis helped the community to heal, and they call his leadership a model for how to live. ey consider him a bedrock for the community and say he brought people together in the wake of tragedy.

One Je erson County School District sta member said the community would not have recovered without DeAngelis — and that his impact goes far beyond Columbine.

We found a community guided by those who became united in shared pain with a fierce determination to heal.

In that regard, no name came up more often than former Principal Frank DeAngelis, who led

the school, its staff and generations of students out of the shadows of tragedy.

“People said that Columbine really needed me — I needed them,” he said.

For many, he is a beacon of hope, even in his retirement, as he aids others affected by similar hardships.

Now, as it has been for decades, Columbine is just anoth-

er high school. People look forward to football games. They’re studying for tests. Students are discovering who they are and who they might be when they become adults.

To Cris Welsh, a student at the time of the shooting who is now a teacher at Columbine, it’s all very ordinary, except for one thing.

“We exist to extend the notion

that one can recover,” he said. “That the awful things that happened to us are outside of our control, but how we respond to those awful things is totally within our control.”

Columbine is a symbol of hope, he said, not only to itself but well beyond.

“If you are determined to overcome the things that happen to you, you can do it,” he said.

ON THE COVER: Photos taken by Colorado Community Media sta and Bear Gutierrez show former Columbine High School Principal Frank DeAngelis, current teacher Mandy Cooke, crosses honoring 13 shooting victims at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, and Columbine keepsakes. Historical photos from the 1999 Columbine High School attack were taken by Rocky Mountain News sta , courtesy of Denver Public Library.

Crosses at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Centennial honor the 12 Columbine High School students and teacher who were slain.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Just like any other high school

Three Columbine employees and survivors reflect

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On a mild Monday afternoon, Mandy Cooke was walking on a path near the high school where she teaches social studies. Nearby, a few students were warming up for track and eld practice. e team’s coach spotted his colleague and shouted, “ ere’s Mrs. Cooke!” and the students waved.

It was like any high school in America. e school’s colors — navy and white — accented the track as teens ran, stretched and laughed. Behind them, the word “Rebels” was painted on a shed near the eld. A coach blew a whistle and the kids came into a huddle, as others walked through the nearby parking lot with backpacks on.

But unlike other high schools in America, this scene happened close to a memorial with the names of 12 students and a teacher who were killed in a mass shooting on April 20, 1999.

Cooke sometimes gets concerned reactions when she tells people she works at Columbine High School.

“I still have teacher friends who are like, ‘I don’t know how you walk into that building,’” Cooke said.

She probably gets asked this question more than some other teachers, as Cooke is a survivor of the shooting. She was a sophomore at Columbine in 1999.

Twenty- ve years later, she works alongside several other survivors, hoping to support and care for students in the same way teachers and sta supported and cared for them in the wake of the tragedy.

Cooke works with friends she grew up with, including fellow teacher Cris Welsh and Noel Sudano, a school counselor.

Cooke and Welsh went to preschool together, and Cooke took piano lessons from Sudano’s

mom. ey all attended Dutch Creek Elementary School and then graduated together from Columbine in 2001. All three now live in the same neighborhood, where they are raising their own kids.

A similar call led them all back to their high school.

For Welsh, who teaches social studies, there was no other choice.

“I wanted to be there for my students in the same way that teachers had been there for me — I wanted to kind of pay that forward,” Welsh said.

In a time of “total, complete chaos,” he said, the teachers at Columbine represented stability. He drew a lot of strength from his relationships with his teachers in the months and years that followed the tragedy.

“ ey had gone through exactly what we had gone through,” he said. “ ey showed us kindness,

and consideration and compassion at a moment where so much of that seemed to be lacking in the world … I think, in each of us, there was a desire to extend that to another generation in what, regrettably, seems like an increasingly unstable world.”

Sudano said the adults at school were willing to show students their humanity, which was healing for her. One teacher, who was usually rather intimidating, gave her a hug a few days after the shooting.

“I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this helps me understand the magnitude of what we went through,’” she said. “And, it also helped me feel that safety of like — even this authority gure, we’re all in the same situation, and we can all depend on each other.”

ese connections, the trio said, were a critical part of the healing journey for not just them, but

many of the Columbine survivors.

“Our generation grew up where we could only process through genuine communication with each other,” Welsh said. “And I think it made a big di erence.”

He said he wonders if social media — with its inherent social pressures and opportunities for criticism and damaging words — has prevented some victims of school shootings from processing their experiences e ectively.

“I would not want to have posted my opinions and ideas and emotions online for the world to see” after the shooting, he said. “I wanted friends, not the world.”

Because of the closeness and familiarity of being among people who understood what she had gone through, Cooke said she remembers never wanting to leave the Littleton area after she graduated.

From left, Columbine High School employees Noel Sudano, Cris Welsh and Mandy Cooke stand in Clement Park, adjacent to the school. All three of them were sophomores at the school when the shooting happened in 1999. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

HIGH SCHOOL

“I was so comfortable because we bonded and came together, and I knew I was protected there,” she said. “And then, I knew going to school in Fort Collins, I wasn’t.”

Cooke started college at Colorado State University. She said the rst page of her psychology textbook was about the Columbine shooting.

“Going out of that bubble was very di cult for me,” she said.

Sudano had a similar experience as an undergraduate student at DePauw University in Indiana, where she learned “very quickly how just saying the word ‘Columbine’ triggered all sorts of reactions.”

Cooke, Welsh and Sudano said the students who attend Columbine are generally aware of the history, but mostly don’t think about it unless adults mention it. For them, Columbine is just their school. Going there is “not something that seems abnormal to

them until people around them tell them that it is abnormal,” Sudano said.

“I think their rst thought is not the shooting,” Welsh said. “ eir rst thought is, you know, the history test that I just made them take.”

So, for all three, working at Columbine is not strange. In the decades since the tragedy, they have come to know it as a tight-knit, service-oriented — and otherwise completely regular — high school.

“It was a high school, it always has been,” Welsh said. “If there is any special nature to Columbine, it has been the family or community atmosphere that we have created. It’s been the desire to aid and support and service others. If there is a di erence between us and other high schools, that’s it.”

Welsh said Columbine has been portrayed in many negative ways by the media. He, Cooke and Sudano said they want people to see Columbine as a wonderful place instead of the site of a national tragedy.

e Columbine community re-

members and honors the victims, but they do it in a way that is forward-thinking and hopeful, they said.

Sudano said she wants people to know that Columbine is “a school that’s thriving.” e employees say they don’t let the shooting de ne their experience there.

“It is such a hub in our community for everybody, kids and adults,” Cooke said. “( ey) go to basketball games, go to football games. It’s just such a rallying point for me, that I don’t think of the shooting every single day.”

“We have a job to do,” Welsh added. “I can’t be thinking about my students and getting ready for the AP test or whatever it is we’re focused on at the moment if I’m constantly obsessing about the past. I’m not saying it’s not there, to a certain extent, but you don’t walk in and immediately have ashbacks to April 20.”

Cooke said the employees are in a place where they are ready to never forget, but still move on with their lives. She is a mother and wants to spend her time and

energy focusing on her kids.

“I’m in a really good place in my life,” she said. “I don’t want to be sad.”

Her kids — who are in fth and seventh grade — look forward to going to Columbine someday.

It’s a place where students study for history tests and do chemistry experiments. ey laugh in the hallways and are late to class. Students change in the locker rooms for practice after school and look forward to things like football games and prom.

Columbine is like any high school in America, only it is stronger than it was before 1999. To Welsh, the school is a symbol of hope.

“We exist to extend the notion that one can recover,” he said. “ at the awful things that happened to us are outside of our control, but how we respond to those awful things is totally within our control … If you are determined to overcome the things that happen to you, you can do it. ere are people out there who have done it, and you need to look to them.”

Columbine High School teacher Mandy Cooke reflects in the Columbine Memorial in Clement Park.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

Columbine and columbines

Mother, daughter reflect on impact of April 20, 1999

BY ELISABETH SLAY

ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In her home in Parker, Cindy Woodman gazed at trinkets that people sent to her daughter, Crystal Woodman Miller, following the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. On the walls and a large wooden bookshelf — surrounding the ornaments, small sculptures and decorative boxes — paintings showcase columbine owers.

When Cindy looks at the knick knacks in her “Columbine Room,” named for both her favorite ora and the high school, they sometimes remind her of the day that would change their lives forever.

“Just to walk through there every single day is just a quick reminder, but it’s not that it puts me in pain or agony — it’s a happy reminder that I still have Crystal,” Cindy said.

Although the interview with Columbine survivor Crystal was conducted through FaceTime, her emotion was felt as she nodded in agreement with her mother and delved into the intricacies of how her life was in uenced after she went to school on April 20, 1999.

“I am so much of who I am today because of what I went through,” Crystal said. “ ough I am not de ned by Columbine, I am more of the woman, the mom, the wife, the friend, the philanthropist, the speaker, the author that I am today because of what happened that day.”

Crystal’s perspective

After the tragedy, Crystal had a decision to make: Fall apart or forge ahead. She chose the latter, and embarked on a journey that has spanned decades, where she helps the “survivors community.”

At the beginning of her journey, following the shooting, Crystal started sharing her story and eventually found her voice.

source for others,” Crystal said. “My work has been toward that e ort for almost 25 years, and so I want to continue to walk with this community and link arms with them and let them know that they’re not alone.”

Over the last several years, she’s been a speaker at schools and communities impacted by shootings. In addition, she’s assisted in opening a therapy retreat for survivors of mass shootings.

Additionally, Crystal has written three books: “Marked for Life,” which is about her journey, and two children’s books: “A Kids Book About School Shootings” and “A Kids Book About School Shootings: For Survivors.”

Her children’s books o er tools and advice for both students who survived a shooting or other trauma and parents and other adults to help them talk with children.

Crystal said among other things in her life, her experience at Columbine has impacted her perspective as a mother.

“Because of my perspective on life and how I view each day as a gift, I love being a mom and I love that I am given the opportunity in life to be able to raise and shape these young people to go far beyond anywhere I’ve been,” Crystal said.

As a mother, Crystal said she takes on the joy and responsibility to teach her children “what it looks like to live courageously in a crazy world.”

“I know what it’s like to have fear so rip your life that you can become paralyzed, and I want my kids to not have to walk through that,” Crystal said.

Crystal was thinking of her children and her perspective as a teenager in 1999 when writing her books. She wanted to re ect how she would address things with her children and how issues were addressed when she was younger.

“As school shootings and mass shootings became more commonplace, I saw myself really

starting to respond and just be there for others and to just be a re-

Crystal Woodman-Miller is a survivor of April 20, 1999, and has dedicated her life to helping the “survivors’ community.” Woodman-Miller is a mother of three and currently lives in Edmond, Oklahoma.

COURTESY PHOTO

Cindy Woodman, mother of Columbine survivor Crystal Woodman-Miller, stands in front of a well-known painting that honors the lives lost on April 20, 1999. The painting hangs in her “Columbine room,” which serves as a constant reminder that she still has her daughter.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

COLUMBINE

“We want to make sure kids are talking about the hard things and we’re giving them the language and the space to do so,” Crystal said. “We want to give them tools when they face their little fears and anxiety and we want to empower them to use their voice.”

Crystal said she has shared pieces of her story with her children and will continue to do so until they’re ready to hear it completely.

Cindy’s perspective

Cindy said the weeks and months following the shooting were hard for Crystal and their family, but over time, she saw Crystal overcome.

“I went through my tough times after that, but Crystal was always strong. She would amaze me,” Cindy said.

the screen, with tears in her eyes.

Like Crystal, Cindy said the Columbine shooting in uenced a lot of elements in her life.

“I am a di erent person today than I would’ve been had I not gone through that, and I think overall I am a better person because of that,” Cindy said. “I think one of the biggest things I mostly just learned is that I need to give myself grace.”

More to know

Crystal listened to Cindy’s words through Facetime during the interview happening at her home.

“I thank God that we still have her,” Cindy said while looking at her daughter, on the other side of

DEANGELIS

As a survivor of the Columbine shooting, Crystal said she has been “asked every question under the sun” about that day.

“I think the thing that I like to tell of (is) the hope and the goodness,” Crystal said. “I like to tell of the stories of resilience and the stories who’ve gone on to be impacted greatly, but have gone on to make an impact greatly.”

“He’s the reason today that schools all over this country are able to move forward after tragedy,” said John McDonald, who was the executive director of school safety for Je co Public Schools from 2008 to 2022.

DeAngelis recognizes that his community leaned on him for hope and survival, but said this relationship went two ways.

Crystal believes various elements have led to this point including families, culture, the media, guns and mental health.

“Just talking about one facet isn’t the end date of a much deeper, much greater conversation,” she said. “So, we really need to come to the table not screaming and yelling at each other because I think we’re closer on the issues than we are apart.”

For Crystal, it’s hard to visit communities and see that these tragedies keep happening.

“It’s so heartbreaking that this continues to be an epidemic that has swept the world,” Crystal said. “ at there’s countless … people who’ve had to now experience this — people who know the pain, who know the heartache.”

“People said that Columbine really needed me — I needed them,” he said. “If I would have gone somewhere else, I would always be concerned about them.”

Since retiring in 2014, DeAngelis has dedicated his life and career to helping others face tragedy in their own lives. He is a member of the Principal Recovery Network, a group of “current and former school leaders who have experi-

‘We are Columbine’

During her senior year, following the shooting, Crystal said she felt the community really come together.

Crystal now lives in Edmond, Oklahoma and she explained that the teachers, administrators and faculty of Columbine High School created a camaraderie and closeness that continues to reign in the hallways of the school today.

enced gun violence tragedies in their buildings” across the country.

“You can’t determine what happens to you, but you can determine your response,” DeAngelis said. “No one would ever wish that a Columbine (would) happen, but it did. And, so, how can I go out and help others?”

In the 25 years since the shooting at Columbine, mass shootings at schools have become tragically common.

DeAngelis has reached out to other school leaders in the wake of some of those tragedies, sharing advice on things that helped him — like going to counseling, nding a support system and taking care of one’s family and spouse.

umbine’ echoes in the halls of our school and in our hearts forever.”

Cindy said to this day, people will ask her how she and Crystal are doing and she’s grateful for the thoughtfulness of the community.

“ at just says how wonderful the community is,” Cindy said. “ at they still remember and they still have a heart for it all and still feel the pain and joy of it.”

“Our kids were on trajectory to go there,” Crystal said. “ ey were in the Columbine school district and there was a lot of pride even in my kids, sporting their Columbine sweatshirts and T-shirts, going to the football games and still showing up at Columbine because we love Columbine. ‘We are Col-

“I just talk about my journey and taking care of yourself,” he said. “(I talk) about where we were and lessons learned, but then also the recovery piece.”

Crystal said it’s important to remember that not all stories are “bright and cheery and happy.”

“ ere’s a lot of pain and people are still hurting deeply so we can’t forget those who are still thinking about it every single day,” Crystal said.

Crystal encourages people, especially in the Columbine community, to continue to reach out and support each other.

“Don’t do it alone, and know there are still people ghting on their behalf, love them and are here for them,” Crystal said. “We don’t forget the 13 beautiful lives that were lost. We don’t forget their families. We don’t forget to remember them because we carry them with us every single day. We carry their stories. We carry their legacies.”

the school for so many years, and what still drives his work in supporting and educating others today.

DeAngelis lives by his own advice. He still goes to counseling to take care of his well-being. Getting help and leaning on others are the main pieces of advice he gives to people recovering after tragedies.

“You’re not in the journey alone,” he said.

He said his remembrance of the 13 victims each morning helps drive him forward.

“ ey give me a reason to do what I’m doing,” he said.

He is also part of the Je Co/ DeAngelis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting school and community safety. DeAngelis travels around the country, sharing wisdom with rst responders, administrators and students.

Part of the foundation, the Frank DeAngelis Center for Community Safety, trains law enforcement and school safety o cials to respond to emergencies in a real school environment. e center conducts about 200 training sessions a year, he said.

DeAngelis said his Catholic faith is a large part of what drives his work. He said there is no clear reason why his life was spared, but he believes God has a plan for it. at’s what drove him to stay at

He laments the world’s obsession with returning to the topic of the shooting at the school. DeAngelis said Columbine and the community that surrounds it, including its alumni, are focused on helping others, moving forward and working to make the world better.

Although he is not the principal anymore, DeAngelis is still intimately involved with the school and its community.

“I can assure you, 25 years later, our community is stronger than what it was,” he said. “Because that’s what happens when families go through troubled times or tragedy — they come together.”

Parents may qualify for grocery money

Summer EBT program to o er up $120 per child

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Starting in June, hundreds of thousands of low-income Colorado families will get $120 per child to pay for groceries during summer break. e program, called Summer EBT, aims to help parents of children who attend preschool through 12th grade in public schools pay for food when free school meals are unavailable or harder to access. State o cials expect families of more than 300,000 children to bene t.

A Colorado law passed during a special legislative session in November enabled the state to join the new program, which is mostly funded by the federal government with a small contribution from the state. Nearly three dozen states are o ering the program this year.

In recent years, Colorado has taken several steps to reduce the num-

Harmon is ideal candidate

I am writing to express my wholehearted endorsement of Marissa Harmon for mayor of Lone Tree. Having closely observed Marissa’s dedication, enthusiasm and drive, I rmly believe that she is the ideal candidate to lead

by voters in 2022. A program similar to Summer EBT was in place during the pandemic, but it expired last summer.

Colorado families are eligible for Summer EBT cards if they receive public bene ts such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Colorado Works, or if their children qualify for free or reducedprice school meals.

Most families will automatically receive a letter in May for each child eligible for Summer EBT, with preloaded cards arriving in the mail shortly after. To access the money on the card, families must set up a personal identi cation number. ey can do this by calling 888-328-2656, entering the card number, and following the prompts.

Families who believe their child is eligible for Summer EBT, but who didn’t receive an eligibility letter can contact the Summer EBT Support Center at 800-536-5298 (text 720741-0550) or email cdhs_sebt_supportcenter@state.co.us.

ber of children who go hungry in the state. Starting this school year, the vast majority of Colorado students

our city into an even brighter future.

Marissa’s unwavering commitment to the betterment of Lone tree is evident in her continued vision for our community. She envisions Lone Tree as a place where families thrive, businesses ourish, and innovation thrives. Her leadership has already propelled our city on a path of success, and I am con dent that under her guidance, Lone Tree will continue to prosper.

can get free school meals regardless of family income because of a universal meal program approved

She possesses a rare ability to listen, understand, and translate ideas into actionable plans. With a dedicated team of supporters, she consistently achieves remarkable results for our city. I acknowledge that we are fortunate to have two exceptional candidates vying for the position of Mayor. However, it is Marissa’s exceptional qualities and proven track record that compel me to endorse her candidacy wholeheartedly. I urge all members of

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

our community to join me in supporting Marissa Harmon for mayor. Let us come together to ensure that Lone Tree continues to thrive under her leadership. ank you for considering my endorsement.

P.S. Drop o your ballot at Lone Tree Municipal Building 9220 Kimmer Drive or mail it in before May 7.

Steve Roper Lone Tree

The Summer EBT program will provide thousands of low-income Colorado families with grocery cards preloaded with $120 per school-age child.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EYECRAVE PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

NORTON

Embracing the concept of equal business stature empowers sales professionals to engage with clients as strategic partners rather than mere vendors. By demonstrating respect, con dence, and a collaborative mindset, salespeople elevate discussions to a peer-to-peer level, fostering mutual trust and transparency.

In the realm of sales, the line between success and failure often hinges on the approach taken by salespeople. While assertiveness is celebrated as a key trait, it’s essential to di erentiate between professionalism, assertiveness, and the stereotypical aggression often associated with salespeople.

Assertive salespeople learn to strike a balance between con dence and respect in their approach. Assertiveness involves advocating for one’s o erings and recommendations while still acknowledging and respecting the autonomy and preferences of the client. Assertive salespeople are adept at articulating their value proposition, overcoming objections, and guiding clients through the decision-making process. ey exude con dence without resorting to manipulative tactics or pressure.

In contrast, the stereotypical aggressive salesperson employs highpressure tactics, coercion, and manipulation to close deals at any cost.

Aggression is characterized by a win-at-all-costs mentality, disregard for client boundaries, and a transactional approach to sales. Aggressive salespeople prioritize short-term gains over long-term relationships, often leaving a trail of disgruntled clients in their wake.

Ultimately, the key di erence between professional, assertive, and aggressive salespeople lies in their approach to client interactions and relationship-building. While professionalism and assertiveness foster trust, collaboration, and mutual respect, aggression erodes trust and undermines the foundation of sustainable business relationships. By embodying professionalism and assertiveness, salespeople can navigate the sales landscape with integrity, con dence, and empathy. We have all had some level of interaction with salespeople, and we all probably have horror stories from our awful experiences with the less than professional salesperson. As always, I would love to hear your stories and experiences at gotonorton@ gmail.com. And if we nd ourselves in sales or working with salespeople, when professionalism coupled with the right amount of assertiveness is present, it really will create a better than good purchasing experience for everyone.

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

Weekly Carrier Routes Available

•

Part-time hours

Adaptable route sizes

• No suit & tie required!

revious carrier experience encouraged; reliable vehicle and email access, required.

no telephone inquiries - but email us at:

JOIN OUR TEAM

Operations Assistant

Colorado Community Media is hiring an Operations Assistant to work with managers and staff to ensure tasks are completed as needed.

We believe that a creative, learning environment staffed with talented people who want to grow and utilize the newest and best tools will result in a dynamic and successful culture that has a positive impact on our clients’ businesses and our community.

Our brand is one of the most trusted in the communities we serve. We’ve built this reputation by providing award-winning news coverage and top-notch customer service, and by being engaged in our communities at all levels.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Be an excellent multi-tasker working on several projects simultaneously.

• Be deadline oriented.

• Possess an understanding of all Microsoft Office products.

• Perform administrative tasks i.e. updating reports, delivering items as needed and more.

• Excellent customer service and communication skills.

Join our team, working from our Englewood office and remote. This position offers competitive pay starting at $17.50/per hour and a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision. Life and paid holiday, vacation, sick and personal time.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented community to apply, including people of color, veterans, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.

Interested applicants can submit a resume and cover letter with references to VP of Sales and Advertising

Erin Addenbrooke at eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new sw & web apps; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Engin or rltd; 2 yrs exp prfrmg Hadoop admin in a Data Wrhse envrmnt, use SQL & Hive queries; 1 yr exp incl use at least 2 of follow: HDFS, Map Reduce, Spark, or Kafka. Salary: $87,443 to $130k/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-at-comcast/ benefits. Apply to: Job_Candidates@comcast.com

Ref Job ID# 3330. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).

Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new sw for data pltfrms; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Engin or rltd; 2 yrs exp dev sw for data pltfrms; admin big data pltfrms use Hadoop, Hadoop File Sys, & Hive; 1 yr exp incl use Spark, Kafka, & MapReduce. Salary: $87,443 to $125k/ yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-atcomcast/benefits. Apply to: Job_Candidates@comcast.com

Ref Job ID# 1010. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).

Eng 4, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Prov tech ldrshp in dsgn & dev new SW & web apps; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Eng or rltd; 5 yrs exp dev apps; use Java/J2EE techs, Spring, Hibernate, Web Srvcs, Soap UI, Toad & Oracle; 3 yrs use Spring MVC, Spring Boot, HTML or HTML5, GIT, Eclipse & Elastic Search. Salary: $128,448-$140,000/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-atcomcast/benefits. Apply to: Job_Candidates@comcast.com Ref Job ID# 2827. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).

Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new SW & web apps in Agile dev environ, use Scrum frmwrk; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Eng or rltd; 2 yrs dev REST & SOAP websrvcs use Java; dev & deploy cloudbased apps in Spring or Spring Boot; wrk w/i Agile dev environ & use Scrum frmwrk; process DB ops use PL/SQL; use Maven for build automate; prfrm version ctrl use Git; build & deploy SW use CI/CD tools incl GoCD & Concourse; deploy apps into Pivotal Cloud Foundry; use operational tools incl App Dynamics; 1 yr dev prgrm & automate tasks use Linux shell script. Salary: $87,443$125,000/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-atcomcast/benefits. Apply to:

Job_Candidates@comcast.com Ref

Job ID# 3993. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).

Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new SW & ETL scripts use Python, Spark & Scala; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Eng or rltd; 2 yrs exp dev SW & ETL scripts use Python; prfrm data analysis & profile use SQL; dev DB archtctr use Teradata, Oracle & MySQL DBs; 1 yr build single pg apps in Angular, use HTML & TypeScript; & create & host DB apps use AWS RDS & AWS EC2. Salary: $87,443$130,000/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-at-comcast/ benefits. Apply to:

Job_Candidates@comcast.com Ref Job ID# 7440. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).

Help Wanted

Speech-Language Pathologist

Remote or in person FT or part time Speech-Language Pathologist or SLPA Positions

Available for the 20242025 school year. Open to School Internships. No Contract Agencies. Able to provide supervision for CFY hours. Join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of professionals for the 202425 school year. Complete assessments, attend IEP meetings, provide direct services and indirect services for students in PreK-12th grades. Competitive salaries: SLP - $50,450-$56,050 & SLPA- BA $41,000- $46,600 based on 186 day contract. Salaries given are based on a full-year contract. Salary commensurate upon experience. May also be eligible for loan forgiveness! Excellent benefits, including full health benefits & mileage reimbursement. For in person providers there is flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home.

Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

Help Wanted

Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

East Central BOCES is seeking a Part-Time 3 day a week Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for the 2024-2025 school year. Salary Range- $27,750$32,790 for 112 days dependent on experiences and education. Hold or be able to attain a Colorado Teaching License with an endorsement as a Special Education Specialist- Deaf/ Hard of Hearing required. Complete assessments, attend IEP meetings, provide direct and indirect special education services. Excellent benefits including access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement and fully paid health insurance, including vision and dental. May be eligible for loan forgiveness program. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work from home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. EOE

Seasonal Groundskeeping Jobs

Special Education Teacher

For a significant needs program located at the Strasburg School District for 2024-25 School Year. Current Colorado Special Education Teacher license required. BA salary range $41,000$47,300 & MA salary range $46,250-$52,550, based on experience. Excellent benefits. including full health benefits! Collaborative work environment with lots of free continuing education opportunities available. May be eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 7752342, ext. 101 or tracyg@ ecboces.org. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online” at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

School Psychologist or Intern

Full-Time School Psychologist or Intern to join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of professionals for the 202324 school year - School Districts East of Limon Area Requirements: Educational Specialist (Ed.S.), Colorado certified. Provide PreK12 intervention including assessment, development of IEP’s & consultation services. Competitive salaries: ED.S $57,800$66,200 & Intern $53,590$59,550, both commensurate upon experience. Excellent benefits including dental, vision, and medical insurance. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. May also be eligible for loan forgiveness. Flexible schedule. Use of a car or mileage reimbursement. Questions contact Tracy (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces. org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

Misc. Notices

WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA.

A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit

Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!

COMMUNITY SHREDDING DAY

BRING YOUR DOCUMENTS

April 27th

SATURDAY, 10AM – 1PM ON SITE UNLIMITED PROFESSIONAL SHREDDING

1400 S. University Blvd

St. Michael & All Angels’ CHURCH PARKING LOT behind the church

$7.00 / banker box or $25/car trunk load/ pick-ups negotiable

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

Merchandise

Firewood

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-9299587

Miscellaneous

Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, we’re cutting installation costs in half and offering a FREE safety upgrade! Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 3/31/24 Call 1-844-501-3208

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866433-8277

Miscellaneous

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JUNE 13-16, 2024

PARKER’S FAVORITE WEEKEND!

H FOOD

FUN THINGS TO DO:

• Enjoy your Favorite Festival Food

• Shopping Marketplace

• Music on Four Stages

• Street Performers

• Carnival Rides for the Whole Family

• Free Kids Crafts

• Silent Disco – Dance, Dance, Dance!

• Get Dizzy in a Water Bubble

• Bungy Jumping

• Jump and Slide on the In atables

• Nurf Terf Battles (Nurf version of Paintball)

AIR ACADEMY CREDIT UNION

EAST MUSIC Stage – Live Music ALL Day

Friday 8 pm – 10 pm Sisters of Rock

Saturday 8 pm – 10 pm

Shelvis and the Roustabouts

Sunday 6:30 pm – 8 pm

Ryan Chrys & the Rough Cuts

THURSDAY, JUNE 13

1 pm – 10:30 pm: Carnival Only

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

Fri 1 pm – 10:30: Carnival

Fri 4 pm – 10:30 pm: Fesival

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

Sat 10 am – 10:30 pm

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

Sun 10 am – 8:30 pm

MAIN STAGE – Live Music ALL Day

HEADLINERS:

Friday, June 14 presented by 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm: Kory Brunson Band

Saturday, June 15 presented by 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm: Wash Park Band

Sunday, June 16 presented by 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm: That Eighties Band

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

®

parkerdaysfestival.com

CARNIVAL RIDES & GAMES:

presented by

BUY DISCOUNTED UNLIMITED CARNIVAL RIDE WRISTBANDS ONLINE

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides: $35 each Good any one day during the festival

Sold online through 12 noon Wed. June 12

4-Day MEGA Unlimited Carnival Rides: $89 each Good all 4 days of the festival

PURCHASE DURING THE FESTIVAL

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides: $40 each

TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL RIDES

Food, Beverage & Ride Tickets may be purchased at Festival Ticket Booths.

CORE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Community Stage – Entertainment ALL Day

supported by Allegro Music

Parker Days Festival is brought to you by the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation