Chronicle Parker
Parker 5-17-13
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 29
May 17, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourparkernews.com
Rec center expansion proposed Renovation would cost $12 million to $15 million By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com Town council will soon decide whether to go forward with a renovation that will expand and “reinvent” the Parker Recreation Center. At the direction of council, Parks and Recreation Director Jim Cleveland presented three options for the proposal during a
study session May 13 at town hall. The rec center opened in 1994 and has become “old and outdated,” and the size and amenities are no longer sufficient to satisfy the level of demand, Cleveland said. All three project options include plans to double the size of the pool. There are waiting lists for aquatics programs and the existing pool lacks a leisure component, with the exception of the water slide. It has limited appeal for kids and seniors, Cleveland said. Lap lanes, a zero-depth area with a play structure, and a lazy river are among the improvements being considered.
The recreation staff recommended a new lobby and revamped parking lot with 85 to 95 more spaces; the outdoor inline hockey rinks would be removed to add parking. The town would likely increase the number of family changing rooms because there is sometimes a line to get into the only family changing area available. Options 2 and 3 include plans for more exercise rooms on the second level to increase the number of fitness classes. If council approves option 3, a half-gymnasium also would be added to accommodate more basketball, volleyball, gymnastics,
fencing, pickle ball and other sports. Cleveland said such moves would help maintain the center’s long-term appeal. He is taking a businesslike approach to the proposed renovation by trying to find opportunities for revenue generation. The project would also turn weaknesses into strengths and possibly recapture those Parker residents who travel to Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Aurora for indoor fitness. New or renovated square footage ranges from 21,000 square feet for option 1 to Expansion continues on Page 8
Teachers’ salaries get boost District budget also would bring higher per-student funding By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
Shawn Schaffner, a firefighter/paramedic with the Larkspur Fire Protection District, observes a lesson in knot-tying during a multi-agency rope rescue training May 7 outside of Castle Rock. Photos by Rhonda Moore
Firefighters practice rope rescues Agencies heed lessons of Castlewood Canyon By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com A Christmas Day rescue, which called on a team of 20, prompted local fire agencies to boost their training on steep-terrain rope rescues. Fire agencies from Franktown, Elizabeth, Castle Rock and Larkspur on May 7 honed their skills on climbing cliffs such as those in Castlewood Canyon State Park. Castlewood Canyon was the site of a Christmas 2012 rescue that required the help of Douglas County’s search and rescue team. The team was joined by Franktown firefighters to rescue a 20-year-old man who had fallen about 50 feet when he slipped near the park waterfalls. While the man was brought to safety within about two hours of the call, the experience moved agencies to include multiagency rope training on their 2013 list. “In Franktown, we have Castlewood Canyon with a lot of recreational climbing,” said Ryan Bray, Franktown firefighter. “We found we need to familiarize ourselves with the capabilities of surrounding agencies. Different skills call for different thought processes, and this is a skill we need to practice and improve.” Bray helped lead the day of training on a cliff east of Castle Rock with terrain similar to that at Castlewood Canyon. The training was made up of three sessions throughout the day, to include firefighters from all
Ethan Howard, 18, takes the first few steps down the side of a cliff during rope rescue training among four area fire agencies. Howard is an EMT at the Larkspur Fire Protection District. agencies and all shifts. To mimic a complicated rescue, the cliff was selected for its 90-degree drop, calling for the use of a tripod pivotal to a successful rescue. The tripod is set near the cliff’s edge to add height at the peak of the climb, giving rescuers who are carrying equipment more control in the first few steps while
lowering down the side, Bray said. “They are fun calls,” he said. “We added more challenging components, rather than a low-angle call.” A rescue in such conditions would begin with having a rescuer rappel to the bottom to assess the victim’s condition, Bray Rescue continues on Page 8
The Douglas County School District plans an average 4 percent pay increase for teachers in 2013-14, one of several good-news budget recommendations announced May 7. But under the district’s new pay-forperformance program, not all teachers are guaranteed an increase. Teachers rated “ineffective” would not get more money, according to DCSD. Pay for performance is “a bit of a change from the past,” said school board president John Carson. “But we expect, by and large, teachers are going to do well under (pay for performance), so on average it’s going to be 4 percent.” DCSD cites the improvCarson ing state economy and indistrict savings for allowing the budget changes, which also include more money for students and the elimination of a $25 parent-paid technology fee. The expected state-provided per-pupil revenue will increase by about $165 per student. The district also will add its own money to that pot for a total funding increase of $200 per student, which totals $11.2 million. “We’re going to be able to put $200 more (per student) into the classrooms because we’ve found efficiencies in the overall budget, so we can do even a little better than what we’re getting from the state,” Carson said. DCSD plans to cover the $2.2 million annual increase in contributions to the Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado, and the $1.2 million increase in medical plan costs for all teachers. That leaves $12 million — or 4 percent — for salaries, half of which will be a permanent pay increase and the other half a one-year, one-time bump. “This will be our second consecutive year of raises after a number of years where the economy didn’t allow for raises,” Carson said. “Now we’re back on track to where we think we’ll be able to continue giving our teachers regular raises.” Salaries continues on Page 8
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