Chronicle Parker
PARKER 1.17.13
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 12
AN OPENING STATEMENT
January 18, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourparkernews.com
School board member resigns Gerken’s seat will be filled within 60 days By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
Gov. John Hickenlooper gives his State of the State address Jan. 10 to a joint session of the Colorado General Assembly. For more coverage of the governor’s speech and a look at the opening of the 69th General Assembly, turn to Page 12. Photo by Courtney Kuhlen
Fresh food, fresh faces Cherokee Trail students win Fruits & Veggies Challenge By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com First-grader Savannah Duncan hesitated when asked to name her favorite vegetable. “Are green beans a vegetable?” asked the Cherokee Trail Elementary student. “Then that’s my favorite vegetable.” Her favorite fruit? Cut, unsweetened grapefruit. Claims like that warm the hearts of Douglas County School District Chef Jason Morse and Nutrition Services Director Brent Craig. Both have worked years to fine-tune the taste buds of Douglas County students and elicit in them a love of fruits and vegetables. Watching more than 600 students eat grilled chicken, salad and berries in the Parker school cafeteria Jan. 10, both felt a well-earned sense of accomplishment. Cherokee Trail won the Fruits & Veggies Challenge, during which elementaryschool students throughout the district competed for four weeks to earn the distinction of consuming the most fruits and vegetables. As a reward for winning the title, Nutrition Services staff prepared a gourmet-variety feast for Cherokee Trail students. They responded with cheers and a handmade banner declaring both their pride and appreciation. “When I walked in this morning and saw that sign, I almost cried,” Morse said. The challenge is one of many tools Craig, Morse and other Nutrition Services employees use to accomplish their gustatory goals. “The concept of competition really helps,” Craig said. When it comes to healthy eating, peer pressure also is a perfectly acceptable method. If the most popular student in a group is enthusiastically eating vegetables, others likely will follow suit. In winning the district challenge, Cherokee Trail cafeteria manager Dawn Jeffers’ favorite method was the challenge.
Douglas County School District Chef Jason Morse, left, prepares a special dessert of berries with the help of student chefs Jan. 10. Cherokee Trail Elementary School in Parker was rewarded for winning the district-wide Fruits & Veggies Challenge. Courtesy photos by Douglas County School District Nutrition Services “I usually will dare them to try it,” she said. Principal Kasey Maas opted for the power of repetition. “We made announcements every morning of the challenge,” she said, “and our ladies that work in the cafeteria also kept reminding them.” Those combined efforts kept Cherokee Trail consistently ahead of other schools. They edged out students at other schools “by about two-tenths of a pound per capita,” Craig said. Their day in the sun may be short-lived, however. Nutrition Services staff already are cooking up other competitions on an even grander scale. Recently, Craig said, school districts from other states called to suggest elevating the healthy-eating challenge to a multi-state level.
Cherokee Trail Elementary first-grader Savannah Duncan takes a break from eating the special meal served at the school Jan. 10. Students were rewarded for winning the school district’s Fruits & Veggies Challenge.
Douglas County School Board Vice President Dan Gerken resigned the week of Jan. 7, and already has stepped down from his seat. He cited growing family and work obligations. Board President John Carson said the group will begin the process of finding his replacement during the Jan. 15 board meeting. Gerken Gerken was elected to the board in 2009, and his term was set to expire in November. He did not return calls for comment, but Carson said there is no mystery surrounding his resignation from the education reform-focused board. “We depend on people being willing to take a lot of time out of their lives and work and families to do this,” he said, noting board members invest at least 20 hours a month to the unpaid post. “Dan has served selflessly in that capacity for over three years now. I greatly appreciate what he’s done for our school district.” Carson said Gerken first approached him about resigning shortly after the new year. “I tried to talk him out of (resigning), but he made his decision,” he said. Though the board has often been criticized for its fast-paced reform efforts, Carson said he doesn’t believe that was a factor in Gerken’s resignation. “If you run for office, you have to be prepared for that,” he said. “Speaking for myself, the reason I got involved in public education was to make some changes in public education that I think have been needed for a long time. I know Dan felt that way as well.” In seven years on the board, Carson said this is the fourth vacancy filled by appointment. “It’s not an infrequent occurrence,” he said. The board has 60 days to fill the empty seat. Any candidate must live in Gerken’s district — District D — which extends from Castle Pines to the southeast corner of the county. Potential school board candidates must be at least 18 years of age, a 12-month resident and registered voter of the district, and have no direct or indirect interest in district contracts. All current school board members are registered Republicans, but the office is officially nonpartisan. “We’re just looking for people that are interested in improving public education, continuing to make our school district the best, and keep making it stronger,” Carson said. Gerken, a father of two, lives in Castle Pines with his wife, Gina. He is chairman and co-founder of Gerken Taxman Interests, a commercial real estate investment and development company.
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