Week of March 3, 2022
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
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INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 14
Parker Town Council addresses antisemitic flyers Records offer
detailed look at day superintendent Wise was fired Meetings, texts and calls track board members’ behavior BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
mation about your congregation and what it’s all about.” The Parker Police Department began hearing reports of antisemitic flyers being left at people’s homes Sunday morning, according to spokesperson Josh Hans. They heard about 10 reports. Hans said the agency determined the flyers do not rise to the level of a hate crime. “We certainly understand that
Douglas County School Board member Elizabeth Hanson hung up the phone on board President Mike Peterson in less than seven minutes. He called Jan. 28 to let Hanson know he and Vice-President Christy Williams met privately with then Superintendent Corey Wise earlier that morning. They had told Wise the board majority of Peterson, Williams, Becky Myers and Kaylee Winegar individually agreed the district needed to go in a new direction with leadership. Hanson lambasted Peterson, ended the call, sent fellow minority Director David Ray a text reading “9-1-1” and then called Director Susan Meek. Hanson and Meek decided to ask the superintendent about the meeting directly. They looped Wise into their call.
SEE ISSUES, P3
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From left, Parker Mayor Jeff Toborg stands with Rabbi Avraham Mintz and Rabbi Meir Simon and the town council after presenting COURTESY OF TOWN OF PARKER them with an award Feb. 22.
Mayor says town is ‘disgusted by it’ BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Parker Town Council responded to reports of antisemitic flyers being distributed throughout the community during a Feb. 22 town council meeting, calling the situation abhorrent.
Two rabbis from Chabad Jewish Center of South Metro Denver had been scheduled to attend the meeting for about a month to receive an award from the town, said Mayor Jeff Toborg. “We absolutely can’t believe this happened in Parker,” Toborg said as part of a statement from the town council. “We are disgusted by it but … out of this we do look forward to working with you for educational opportunities, for cultural opportunities and really to share the infor-
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Senators come out against San Luis Valley water proposal
Scientists hopeful butterflies making a comeback
2 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
Briefly In Parker
DougCo man who attacked wife with sword sentenced to 14 years A Douglas County man who attacked his wife with a Samurai sword was sentenced to 14 years in prison Feb. 14. Thomas Keller, 59, pleaded guilty the same day for one count of attempted second-degree murder, according to a news release from the 18th Judicial District. “Violence is not a normal part of any relationship,” said District Attorney John Kellner, according to the news release. “This defendant attacked his wife and nearly killed her. His circle of blaming her for his aggression and then apologizing and saying it will never happen again ends here.” On Dec. 19, 2019, Keller’s wife
called 911 and told the dispatcher her husband was “out of control” with a knife. “While the wife was on the phone, the 911 dispatcher heard her scream, “Tom get away from me, put that sword away!” according to the release. At the time, Keller’s wife was hiding in a bedroom closet. Her husband broke through the door and swung a katana-type sword at her, severing two arteries and three tendons in her wrist. She was able to get past Keller and run into the street, where an arriving deputy immediately applied a tourniquet, which was later said to have saved her life. Keller was found in the house and taken into custody after a brief
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Construction begins for Glendale Farm Dog Park The 17-acre Glendale Farm Dog Park by I-25 near Castle Pines was set to begin construction on a set of renovations on Tuesday. The renovations will include trail improvements, new dog water stations, added parking and improved accessibility, according to a news release from the county. The park, which Douglas County called its “most popular pooch playground” sees 330,000 visitors every year. The work will be completed in two phases with the first being scheduled to begin March 1. standoff, according to the release. Phase one will include the con“This defendant had been prestruction of the southern parking viously charged for felony level lot and trail and is expected to take domestic violence with the same eight to 10 weeks. victim and received treatment. Yet “For safety, the southern parking here we are in court sentencing him lot will be closed during construcagain after another domestic viotion,” according to the release. lence offense,” said Senior Deputy “Please park in the northern lot.” District Attorney Valerie BrewsThe second phase will include ter, who prosecuted the case with the reconstruction of the northern Deputy District Attorney Sherri Giger, according to the release. “The parking lot and Glendale Farm Trail and will begin as soon as the defendant tried to blame alcohol first phase is finished. During that and at times the victim for his time, the northern parking lot and behavior. This sentence is a clear the Glendale Farm Trail will be message that the defendant and the closed. defendant alone is responsible for The project will also improve his actions. But for the strength and drainage, erosion control, odors, courage of this victim the people muddy conditions and vegetation, would not have been able to hold according to the release. him accountable.” Danielle West honored as Parker’s 2022 Local Business Person Of The Year The largest online referral network for small businesses, Alignable.com is announcing the results of its national search for leaders who’ve gone above and beyond guiding peers and supporting entire communities as they strive to recover. Recently, Alignable’s network chose Danielle West of Strike Tax Advisory as Parker’s 2022 Business Person Of The Year. The 2022 contest had 64% increase in participation over last year. In all, more than 2,400 small business owners were elected by their peers to be their Local Business People Of The Year across the U.S. and Canada. During the contest, which ran from Jan. 10 to Feb. 11, more than 160,000 votes and 32,000 testimonials were posted praising thousands of local leaders for helping their peers and communities through a turbulent year with many challenges. West received a special badge on her Alignable profile, recognizing this big win. In past years, the awareness generated through similar contests has spurred expanded connections, as well as new business for many winners. “This has been a fun and rewarding contest to watch
unfold,” said Alignable’s President & Co-Founder Venkat Krishnamurthy. “Local business owners are the heart and soul of their communities and they ought to get way more recognition for all they do. Friendly competition aside, this contest generated some incredible peer testimonials (to the tune of 32,000+), showing exactly why small business owners are stronger together.”
Parker Chronicle 3
March 3, 2022
Best of Best voting opens Philip S. Miller Grant deadline March 18 Non-profit -- 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 – organizations serving Douglas County residents can apply for the annual Philip S. Miller Grant program. The deadline is March 18. Visit douglas. co.us and search Miller Grant.
Need help with home heating costs? Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org
Choose your favorites around metro area by April 15 BY LISA SCHLICHTMAN LSCHLICHTMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
It’s time to recognize metro Denver’s best by voting in Colorado Community Media’s 2022 Best of the Best contest, which gives readers a chance to weigh in on what they love most about their communities. “Best of the Best gives our community bragging rights to say, `we’re the best,’” said Mindy Nelon, CCM marketing and community engagement specialist. “When we reach out to the winners and let them know they won, they are super excited. Best of the Best continues to grow year after year, which means our community loves it and that makes me proud to be involved.” Contest voting opened March 1 and will continue through the
ISSUES FROM PAGE 1
these flyers are upsetting to our citizens and not something we want to see in our town, however, based on a review of the Bias Motivated Crime Statute, the flyers and the manner in which they were distributed does not appear to meet the elements necessary for a hate crime,” he said in an emailed statement. During the town council hearing, Rabbi Avraham Mintz said when he’s been in Parker he’s only experienced “love, respect, compassion from people of all walks of life.” “The way we get rid of darkness is not by engaging with it but by responding with light,” he
end of April 15. Readers can vote on their favorites in 17 different categories, including automotive, beauty and wellness, community, entertainment and lifestyle, events, finance, fitness, food and beverage, home and garden, medical, pets and animals, professional, real estate, religion, retail, retirement and travel. “Best of the Best is 100% reader voted, therefore winners are truly the Best of the Best for the communities they serve,” said CCM Advertising Director Erin Addenbrooke. “For all winners, it is an honor to display the Best of the Best logo for the entire year showing each community they are the best at what they do.” This is the 23rd year for the Best of the Best contest. The 2022 winners will be recognized in a special Best of the Best magazine that will be published June 30. To vote, visit coloradocommunitymedia.secondstreetapp.com/ Parker-Best-of-the-Best-2022.
said “Something dark happened, I don’t think it represents Parker in any way.” Mintz and Rabbi Meir Simon accepted an award from the community “for their outstanding contributions to the residents of Parker.” Council member Laura Hefta nominated them for the award. “The Chabad Jewish Center is a center that welcomes all people and provides so many opportunities for education and growth in not only Parker but in the South Metro Denver Area,” Hefta said. In his statement from the town council, Toborg said Parker is “not a place of division.” “Parker is that hometown where people come together and help each other out,” he said. “Not tear each other apart.”
Skip the trip - motor vehicle services just a click away. Renew your driver license or motor vehicle registration and more from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop. You can also renew vehicle registrations at MVExpress kiosks. Find information at DouglasDrives.com
What’s happening with your County government? Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas and to participate in-person or remotely visit douglas.co.us and search for Meetings and Agendas.
Funds available to veterans Emergency assistance is available for veterans struggling with housing (mortgage/rent), transportation, employment, healthcare or other emergency needs. To apply for the veteran assistance funds visit douglasveterans.org or call 303-663-6200.
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4 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
Lawmakers reviewing laws regarding penalties for fentanyl posssession House Bill 1263 made possession of up to 4 grams of almost all drugs a misdemeanor in 2019 BY JESSES PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and state lawmakers are rethinking a 2019 law that made possession of thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl a misdemeanor as overdoses from the potent opioid continue to rise. The law is getting even more attention after five adults died from a suspected fentanyl overdose Sunday in Commerce City. Last year, 803 people died from fentanyl across Colorado, up from 520 in 2020, the latest data from the state health department show. Officials say last year’s total could be even higher, citing a three-month reporting delay. House Bill 1263, which had both Democratic and Republican sponsors, passed three years ago with broad bipartisan support. It made possession of up to 4 grams of almost all drugs for personal use a misdemeanor, with exceptions for “date-rape drugs,” such as ketamine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate, also known as GHB, which remain a felony to possess in any
As fentanyl cases are going up in the state, lawmakers will consider revising a bill SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE passed in 2019 that made possession a misdemeanor.
amount. Critics have complained that allowing people to possess 4 grams of fentanyl is ludicrous since that could amount to as many as 2,000 fatal doses of the drug. Fentanyl, which is fatal at about 2 or 3 milligrams, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. The 2019 measure still allows prosecutors to pursue felony drug distribution charges against people who possess any amount of illicit drugs, but prosecutors warned in 2019 — and continue to warn today — that isn’t enough. “The only people (who) can fix this are the governor and those elected to the Colorado legislature,” El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen, a Republi-
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can, wrote in an open letter Tuesday. There are signs that Polis and lawmakers are planning to heed that call. Polis, a Democrat, last week told The Unaffiliated, The Colorado Sun’s politics and policy newsletter, that the 2019 bill, which he signed into law, “got some things wrong.” “When somebody has enough fentanyl to kill 1,000 people or 2,000 people, absolutely we need additional criminal sanctions to make sure that they can be detained and prevented from harming Coloradans,” Polis said. The governor said he’s hopeful bills will be passed this year that allow “for additional criminal penalties around fentanyl.” That’s something Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, also a Democrat, has called for as well. “We all know that criminal penalties don’t solve an issue,” he said. “Having that ability can be helpful in reducing deaths from fentanyl. But, sadly, no matter what the laws are across the 50 states, fentanyl deaths have increased. And to get at that not only includes increased criminal sanctions, but also includes education, prevention efforts.” House Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver, said Tuesday that he is working with public health officials and law enforcement to get the policy right. He thinks a bill may be introduced within a week, but wouldn’t share specifics. “We’re trying to find the right total policy solution,” he said. “Is 4 grams of fentanyl a lot of fentanyl? Yes. Will it kill a lot of people? Yes. Does putting addicts in jail solve the problem? No. We’re working with all the stakeholders involved to arrive at the right place. I believe that we will get there.” Garnett warned, however, that he thinks the situation with fentanyl in Colorado is “going to get worse before it gets better.” The 2019 bill was aimed at treating drug addiction as a public health issue as opposed to trying to use jails and prisons to address the problem. The idea was to save the harshest penalties only for dealers. State Rep. Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat who sponsored the 2019 measure, warned back then that keeping fentanyl possession as a felony would be unfair because people may have substances mixed with fentanyl and not realize it. The five people who died in Com-
merce City on Sunday are suspected of having ingested what they thought was cocaine but what really was fentanyl. But lawmakers also now believe that fentanyl may require a different approach because it is so potent. Sen. Pete Lee, a Colorado Springs Democrat who was also a prime sponsor of the 2019 bill, said he’s amenable to changing the policy. “I am open to considering modifying the bill,” he said Tuesday. Rep. Shane Sandridge, a Colorado Springs Republican who was one of two GOP prime sponsors of House Bill 1263, said making drug possession a felony doesn’t deter people from taking drugs. But he’s drafted legislation, which hasn’t been introduced yet, that would make having any amount of fentanyl a felony because of how potent it is. Sandridge, a former police officer, also wants to implement a 25-year minimum prison sentence for people who deal fentanyl and make it a crime to expose people to the drug. He even wants to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction in state law. He said the slate of legislation he’s proposed constitutes “an allout war on fentanyl” and would make Colorado’s fentanyl laws among the most stringent in the nation. Republicans on the 2022 campaign trail have attacked Democrats over the 2019 bill. Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican, blasted the reforms during a speech Tuesday on the Senate floor. She is running for Congress this year in the 8th Congressional District, which includes Commerce City. “There are times when the legislature just gets it wrong,” said Kirkmeyer, who wasn’t a state lawmaker in 2019. “It’s time to put party affiliation aside, break through the one-party grip in this legislature, and admit that well-intentioned reforms sometimes bring about disastrous consequences.” Garnett said the attacks are immensely frustrating since the 2019 measure passed with much GOP support. The bill cleared the Senate by a 20-15 vote. It advanced out of the House 40-25. A handful of Republicans in both chambers backed the bill. (Democrats have controlled the legislature and the governor’s office since 2019). The speaker even chastised a reporter Tuesday who said during a news conference that House Bill 1263 was passed by Democrats. “You should go back and make sure you look at the bill,” he said. “You gotta make sure you frame this right.” (Editor’s Note: Colorado Sun staff writer Olivia Prentzel contributed to this report.) This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
Parker Chronicle 5
March 3, 2022
Bennet, Hickenlooper oppose exporting water from San Luis Valley U.S. senators also alert federal agencies of project BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
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Both of Colorado’s U.S. Senators will oppose a project currently being considered by Douglas County commissioners to import groundwater from the San Luis Valley. The senators announced they would oppose the proposal in a joint press release on Feb. 21. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, both Democrats, also asked the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to step in if they are asked to review the project. “This export proposal continues to seek funding to move forward despite the fact it would exacerbate local water challenges, even with conservation efforts,” according to the joint statement. “In addition to concerns from the (Rio Grande Water Conservation District), five San Luis Valley counties are opposed to this proposal.” The water proposal comes from Renewable Water Resources, which is headed by former Gov. Bill Owens and Sean Tonner, who served as Owens’ deputy chief of staff. Douglas County’s commissioners have been hosting “due diligence” meetings since Jan. 18 to consider if they will spend up to $20 million of
Sen. John Hickenlooper speaks at a U.S. Geological Survey event.
their federal COVID relief dollars on the initial investment required under the proposal. The three-person board is so far split over the topic with Commissioner George Teal in support and Commissioner Lora Thomas against. Commissioner Abe Laydon has said he’s not yet decided and he’s only interested in a win-win solution for Douglas County and the San Luis Valley. The project proposes pumping 22,000 acre-feet of water out of the San Luis Valley’s confined aquifer every year and transferring it to Douglas County. RWR has said the plan wouldn’t cause any harm whatsoever but representatives from water conservation districts in the San Luis
PHOTO BY BOB WOOLEY
Valley have said the opposite. “After hearing concerns from our San Luis Valley constituents about this proposal for months, the (Rio Grande Water Conservation District’s) letter from yesterday, and considering Colorado’s current exceptional drought, we both oppose this proposal,” wrote Bennet and Hickenlooper. In a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hickenlooper and Bennet pointed to Public Law 102-575, also known as the Wirth Amendment, which requires any project exporting water from the San Luis Valley not adversely affect public resources, according to the release.
“We ask for your attention under the Wirth Amendment, if an opportunity for review comes before your agencies,” according to the letter. The proposal has also had public opposition from Governor Jared Polios and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who wrote a joint op-ed with state Sen. Cleave Simpson, RAlamosa. “We’ve seen this before — water is sold off, farms dry up, local economies contract, communities are forever harmed,” Simpson and Weiser wrote in a joint op-ed in the Alamosa Valley Courier. “In the case of the Valley, the RWR plan comes at a time when we are desperately working to manage a depleted aquifer and protect this community’s future.” Polis says he’s against inter-basin transfers that don’t have local support in the impacted communities, according a statement emailed through a spokesperson. “This is a proposed inter-basin transfer with deep concerns and opposition in the San Luis Valley and the Governor is opposed,” according to the statement. Water for Colorado, a coalition made up of advocacy groups like Conservation Colorado and The Nature Conservancy, also announced they will oppose the RWR project. “Our coalition urges collaborative solutions to Colorado’s water supply concerns that do not irrevocably harm one community in favor of another,” according to a statement from the coalition.
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6 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
New information released in Franktown-area double homicide Judge orders release of arresting documents for Casey Devol BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
New details have emerged in a double murder case in the Franktown area after a judge in the 18th Judicial District ordered the release of the arrest affidavit on Feb. 22. Casey Devol, 29, was arrested Feb. 9 for allegedly killing his sister and his sister’s boyfriend. The victims, Jessica Mitchell, 32, and Bryan Todd Gray, 34, were discovered Feb. 8 in a garage adjacent to a house on Russellville Road where the two lived. Devol appeared in district court virtually from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 22. Judge Patricia Herron started the hearing by acknowledging that many people in the virtual courtroom were friends and family members of Devol and his sister. During the hearing, the court addressed 14 motions from the defense, including a request for a gag order and a request to prohibit the prosecution from obtaining Devol’s jail records. The gag order was not granted, and Herron agreed to review
Deputies continue to investigate what happened in the double murder case. S
any request by the prosecution to view jail visitor logs but said it was likely that they would be handed over to the prosecution. Ara Ohanian from the public defender’s office represented Devol in the case. Ohanion objected to Devol’s arrest affidavit being released to the public, saying the case has gotten “quite a bit of publicity.” Deputy District Attorney Andrew Steers said the affidavit doesn’t contain the full facts of the case
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and therefore should be permitted to be open to the public. Herron agreed. The affidavit revealed that someone who worked with Gray discovered him and Mitchell inside the garage of the Russellville Road home at about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8, according to the affidavit. Mitchell appeared to have been shot in the stomach and had a “pry bar” on top of her. Gray appeared to have been shot in the head and had a plate of food — a hot dog and beans — on top of him “as if he was getting ready to eat,” according to the affidavit. Investigators also reported the rear door to the home was left ajar. According to the affidavit, the “Deputy described the residence as ‘ransacked’ and stated multiple drawers were open throughout the home.” When the responding deputies looked at the security footage for the home, they saw someone entering the garage where Gray and Mitchell were found “carrying multiple handguns and a long gun.” The day after the victims were discovered, someone who identified themself as a friend of the family said they suspected Devol, Mitchell’s brother. The affidavit stated the caller said they “knew that Casey and Jessica did not have a good relationship” and that Devol had not showed up to his job at Castle Rock Water in two days. Devol worked as a plant mechanic for Castle Rock Water and was awarded with the Water Treatment Maintenance Award by the American Water Works Association six months ago, according to a 2021 Colorado Community Media report on the accolade. Investigators then compared Devol’s license photo to the video surveillance footage and determined it was the same person. Deputies also found that Devol’s 2001 Ford F-250 truck was scanned by a camera at South Gilbert Street and Plum Creek
HUTTERSTOCK
‘We’re getting the same information from witnesses and people interviewed that this kind of behavior would be out of character for the suspect.’ Tony Spurlock, Douglas County sheriff
Parkway in Castle Rock at about 7 a.m. Feb. 7, and the vehicle was an “exact match” for the one captured at the scene on video footage. On Feb. 9, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help in finding Devol, calling him “armed and dangerous.” A few hours later, Devol was found in Salina, Kansas. Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Feb. 11 that his office did not yet have a clear understanding of the motive in the case. Devol had his first appearance in court Feb. 14 and was charged by the 18th Judicial District with two counts of first-degree murder and felony animal cruelty. Spurlock confirmed that a dog named Cleo was also found dead at the scene. Comments have poured into the sheriff’s office’s social media accounts from people saying they are a friend of Devol’s and surmising there must be more to the story. “We’re getting the same information from witnesses and people interviewed that this kind of behavior would be out of character for the suspect,” Spurlock said.
Parker Chronicle 7
March 3, 2022
School board further debates superintendent search Minor amendments made amid ongoing concerns about process BYJESSICAGIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The school board continued deliberations about the timeline to find DCSD’s next superintendent on Feb. 22. The board majority agreed to make minor amendments, but not everything some minority directors had pushed for. In a 4-3 vote, the board added a second day to the initial screening and interviewing of applicants, in case directors need more time to assess the applicant pool. They agreed to recruit community members to serve on panels through an email blast on Feb. 24. They also clarified in the timeline that staff should compile feedback received from finalist panels and forums and send it to the board for directors to review as they make their selection. Former Superintendent Corey Wise was terminated without cause on Feb. 4 in a split vote, with majority Directors Mike Peterson, Becky Myers, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar voting to remove him. Directors David Ray, Susan Meek and Elizabeth Hanson dissented. Majority directors have expressed their desire to fill the position swiftly, particularly as the district is exploring putting a mill levy override and bond measure on the November ballot. The board previously discussed the search timeline on Feb. 16, which originally
Members of the community have come out in support of the majority school board members as they take steps to do what was promised during the 2021 election. The board members do have supporters who agreed with terminating former SuperintenPHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES dent Corey Wise.
called to select finalists in roughly a week’s time. That sparked brushback in the community and concern among minority directors, who emphasized that selecting the previous superintendent took roughly four months. Hanson asked to remove the item from the Feb. 22 consent agenda — a group of agenda items often approved through a single vote without discussion. Hanson said she was not asking for another lengthy conversation on the issue but wanted the ability to vote against the timeline, saying she still believed it was an inadequate process. Directors Meek and Ray asked numerous questions, pushing again to slow the search process down some and take more measures to gather feedback about
the qualities staff and community members want in the next superintendent. “We heard extensive public comment, that our community, honestly it’s more divided than ever,” Meek said. The superintendent search and removal of Wise was much discussed during public comment on Feb. 22. Supporters of the conservative majority directors praised removing him and urged them to stay strong amid criticism. Firing Wise, a well-known DCSD veteran, has also been widely condemned by people who say his termination was politically motived. At one point, a group of 10 principals stood together before the board while one read a statement urging directors to include administrator and employee feedback in their search process.
Director Williams noted the board spoke at length about the superintendent search timeline at their previous meeting and agreed to extend it more than what had been initially proposed. “I don’t mind that we feel a sense of urgency,” Ray said during the Feb. 22 meeting, adding he was worried about rushing the process too much, leading to a careless search. Ray expressed concern multiple times that the timeline did not allow directors enough time to both screen applicants and conduct screening interviews before deciding on finalists. Both tasks were initially proposed to take place March 1. Ray had also suggested using a national recruiting firm the district worked with during its last search to help DCSD find qualified candidates. Winegar said she preferred seeing the crop of applicants DCSD receives before deciding if the board needs additional help. “It just feels like it’s failed pretty badly in the past, so why not try this way,” she said. Peterson proposed adding a second day to the timeline for applicant screening and interviewing, if directors cannot finish both processes in a single day. The board added March 2 as a flex day. Williams also said the timeline, with a couple changes, is a good starting point and can be amended again if the search process needs to be longer. Under the approved timeline the board will vote on finalist March 3 and hold community forums with finalists March 10. The board might make a contract offer on March 22.
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8 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
WISE FROM PAGE 1
He confirmed that Peterson and Williams informed him that morning a “strong four” on the board wanted him out, Hanson said. While the three of them spoke, Wise got a text message. Erin Kane texted Wise a photo. Kane, a former interim superintendent for the district, was rumored as the majority’s favored replacement for Wise. The picture showed a computer screen displaying two paragraphs. The first was from the Jefferson County Schools superintendent contract citing the professional responsibilities of the superintendent, Hanson said. The second paragraph was from Wise’s own contract about the same topic, she said. “Our conversation at that point shifted,” Hanson said, describing all three as shocked. Less than an hour after Wise was told he could step down or face removal, Hanson wanted to know, “Why is Erin Kane looking at your employment contract?” “This was just one more piece of the puzzle that made absolutely no sense to any of us,” Hanson said. This timeline was revealed through public records and interviews by Colorado Community Media. Meetings, calls, texts In a whirlwind marathon of inperson meetings, phone calls and text conversations, Jan. 28 became the catalyst that spurred Douglas County Schools into weeks of uproar — quickly called board meetings; alleged open meeting law violations; a subsequent lawsuit over those claims; protests and walkouts; the official firing of Wise; rumors that Kane was pre-determined to succeed Wise; fears about retaliation against teachers critical of the board; and a controversially short timeline to find a new superintendent. The pendulum of district controversies swung into motion at roughly 7 a.m. Jan. 28 when Peterson and Williams met with Wise at a Parker coffee shop, bringing to his attention desires among majority board members to change leadership. Public records including recorded phone calls among board members obtained by Colorado Community Media through records requests offer more detail on how the day unfolded and exactly what was said regarding the consequential meeting with Wise. Directors Williams, Myers and Winegar have not responded to repeated
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Details of how former Superintendent Corey Wise was terminated came to light PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES through a Colorado Community Media investigation.
interview requests with Colorado Community Media between Jan. 31 and press time. Peterson declined an interview for this story, a spokeswoman said. He provided responses to some emailed questions. In public meetings, all majority directors have emphatically maintained they followed open meeting laws and defended their decision to remove Wise, saying he was not the right leader for DCSD. Kane initially agreed to an interview about communications between her and Wise on Jan. 28 but later provided a statement through a spokeswoman, declining to speak with Colorado Community Media. Kane said she inadvertently texted Wise on Jan. 28. Both Peterson and Kane have publicly acknowledged Peterson asked Kane several weeks ago whether she would be interested in the superintendency if it became vacant. “Based on that, I had the impression Corey might be leaving. It is not unusual for superintendents to leave when school boards flip (look at me, Susana Cordova, etc.),” Kane wrote in her statement, referencing the former Denver Public Schools superintendent. “I could never have predicted how that departure (Wise’s) came about, and I am saddened for everyone involved — especially our district.” Kane said she and Wise remained friendly during his tenure, “even when we disagreed,” and that it was unfortunate she “inadvertently sent” the Jan. 28 text. “I was thinking about him and looked at his contract to see if he was protected (he was — with one year of salary), and I noticed the way it was written gave the board more power over the day to day than I believed was typical
so I compared it to the Jeffco contract,” Kane said in her statement. In the Jan. 28 calls, majority directors said the desire to change district leadership had heightened in the previous couple of weeks to the point Williams and Peterson decided to bring the issue to Wise directly. Peterson has said his intent was to let board members Ray, Meek and Hanson know ahead of time that he and Williams planned to meet with Wise, but that timing did not work out. Peterson and Williams began notifying the three minority members in the hours after the meeting, starting with Hanson. Peterson and Hanson spoke by phone at approximately 7:20 a.m. Williams called Ray and the two spoke at approximately 10:30 a.m. Peterson connected with Meek a few minutes past noon. Two issues took center stage in the more than 40-minute conversation between Williams and Ray and the roughly 15-minute conversation between Peterson and Meek. One was a deep mistrust among directors, which had brewed throughout the start of the majority directors’ terms but developed into a chasm throughout their conversations. That division within the board partly fueled the second major issue before them — that majority directors agreed Wise should be removed from his post — amid other frustrations with the district. How they broke the news Both Williams and Peterson stressed to minority directors they had spoken with majority directors in one-on-one conversations. “Very conscious of open meeting laws,” Peterson told Meek in that vein.
Concerns about Wise’s leadership were brought to Peterson’s attention over the previous couple weeks, Peterson said, which they relayed to the superintendent that morning. He indicated to Meek that Wise asked if the majority was sure they wanted to move forward with wanting new leadership. “And I said, ‘well, we have four of us. We will talk with the other directors, but you know, once four are committed to moving in a different direction.’ You know, I wanted to talk to him, and frankly see if he wanted to do things on his own terms,” Peterson told Meek. Peterson told Meek that Wise had four days to come back to the directors with a decision about his next steps, so he could speak with family and legal representation if he wanted to. Peterson said depending on Wise’s decision — whether he wanted to retire, wait longer to retire or not retire yet — the situation could progress in one of several ways. Peterson said he and Williams had already discussed with the board’s legal counsel, Will Trachman, all the options to end Wise’s contract. Williams opened her conversation with Ray by briefly talking about the contentiousness of running the district, and how she thought being a board member would go differently. And she wanted to cut to the chase, she said. “I’ve talked to the other directors, or at least the newly elected directors, and we’ve all been on the same page that we just feel like we need different leadership in the district,” Williams said. “Because we don’t feel, well there’s a lot of reasons, but we don’t feel supported. We feel like there’s pushback at every turn. And there have been things that have been going on behind our backs that we’ve found out about.” Williams told Ray she and Peterson met with Wise that morning and informed him about the majority’s position. “And so, he is considering, at this point, a resignation,” Williams said. Williams told Ray “we are prepared.” She said she sincerely took on being a board member with hopes of working with Wise, and she knew “there’s a lot of people out there that aren’t going to believe” her on that point. As their conversation progressed, Ray asked Williams why she and Peterson felt they had “the authority” to deliver Wise the message they did. “What we said, we said to Corey is that, you know, we do have a strong four that, that are prepared to move SEE WISE, P9
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WISE FROM PAGE 8
forward. And we hope that’s not the direction that this goes. But I can tell you that the four newly elected people are prepared,” Williams said. Ray pushed for more clarity and asked Williams, “so you said that you have a strong four to move forward with what?” Williams at first stumbled in responding and eventually said “that he could consider his resignation, but we wanted a different direction for the future.” She later definitively told Ray the district would go in a different direction with leadership. Their reasons Wise undermined newly elected directors, Williams said, and did not quell division among board members. She told Ray that after observing Wise outside board meetings, she did not think Wise was good at decision making. She was upset members of Wise’s leadership team had met with some board members without Peterson’s knowledge. “He’s doing things behind the scenes to, to hurt us,” she said. Williams did not name which directors or district leadership she was talking about but clarified Ray was not part of those meetings. Peterson also referenced meetings he had not been aware of and his perception that staff received directions he was not aware of. Meek asked which meetings and among whom Peterson was speaking about, pointing out the board is not “engaged in staff meetings.” Peterson
Superintendent Corey Wise hangs his head after the Douglas County School Board of Directors voted to fire him withPHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES out cause.
concurred the board has one employee, the superintendent, and directors can’t tell the superintendent “who to hire, who to fire, you know, or, or how to direct his staff.” “I can’t test Jonny Grusing. I can’t check, test Andy Abner,” he said, referencing the district’s head of security and an assistant superintendent. Peterson also discussed a letter that dozens of district principals signed urging the board to keep DCSD’s equity policy as is. On Jan. 25, majority directors approved a resolution telling the superintendent to evaluate potential changes to the policy. Wise has said he did not know district building leaders were coordinating that letter. “That’s not a specific cite, that would never rise to, like, cause or anything like that. But it’s just an example of if you don’t know what your staff is doing, that’s one indicator, one metric of, you know leadership and what’s happening in the district,” Peterson said. Williams said the board could not wait to change leadership until the end
of the school year while the district also worked toward pursuing a mill levy override and the possibility of a bond in November. “We can’t do that. We don’t have the time,” she said. Peterson said he told Wise that “normally we would be having this conversation maybe a little later in the year.” But because the district might pursue a mill levy override and bond, they wanted to ask about his retirement plans now “and frankly, if you would consider moving those up,” he had said to Wise, according to Peterson’s conversation with Meek. Meek said superintendent turnover leads to significant employee turnover and would lessen the odds DCSD can pass a mill levy override or bond ballot initiative. Peterson told her he had assessed that risk. Although Williams offered some insight into her rationale, she said she had a lengthier list of concrete reasons she believed the district needed new leadership. In their Jan. 28 call, Ray and Williams agreed to have a separate meeting to discuss more of Williams’ specific reasons for replacing Wise. Ray told Colorado Community Media that meeting did not take place. The choice to record Hanson was the only one of the three minority board members who did not record her conversation. Hanson told Colorado Community Media she recalled telling Peterson he had no idea what he was doing, that employees would leave in droves and that she refused “to be a part of this.” Any search to replace Wise would be a sham, she told Peterson, because
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she strongly suspected Peterson was maneuvering to hire Kane in Wise’s place. Peterson said by email he learned during a public board meeting that Meek had recorded him, when she asked on the dais if he preferred whether she cite a transcript of their conversation or play a recording. “I did not anticipate that board directors would feel a need to record their conversations with other directors and not let them know they were being recorded,” Peterson said. Meek and Ray confirmed to Colorado Community Media they did not tell the board president or vice president they were being recorded during the Jan. 28 calls. Colorado is a one-party consent state, making the recordings legal. Both said it was their first time recording a fellow board member. Ray said he had to Google steps to record a call on his phone and wanted to, having been tipped off that the conversation with Williams would be about an ultimatum given to the superintendent. “I wanted to make sure that I had a recording of what was said just for my own protection in terms of if we were asked to actually present in a litigated situation, I would have the details and the facts,” Ray said. Meek said “trust just did not exist” after she heard the majority directors acted on a decision about Wise’s employment before speaking with all board members. She also said she distrusted Peterson because he has unilaterally acted without board authority before, she said. She wanted to protect herself from a “he-said, she-said situation.” “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me, as the saying
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March 3, 2022
Judge’s order pending after DCSD lawsuit hearing Lawsuit seeks to bar ‘serial meetings’ among board members BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Douglas County School Board is awaiting a judge’s written order that will decide whether to temporarily ban directors from using what’s often called “serial meetings” or “daisy chain” meetings. Douglas County resident Robert Marshall filed a lawsuit against the board and its majority members on Feb. 4, alleging directors Mike Peterson, Becky Myers, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar used serial meetings to evade quorum rules so they could privately discuss removing former Superintendent Corey Wise. The board majority terminated Wise without cause in a publicly noticed special meeting on Feb. 4. Marshall filed suit after a board minority of David Ray, Susan Meek and Elizabeth Hanson publicly alleged on Jan. 31 the majority broke open meeting law by holding backdoor meetings about removing Wise. As part of the lawsuit, Marshall is seeking an injunction to prohibit serial meetings moving forward and asking a judge to find the practice a violation of open meeting law. District court Judge Jeffrey Holmes said at the close of a Feb. 25 preliminary injunction hearing he needed time to assess evidence in the case before issuing his order. That included recorded phone calls among board directors, and similar cases cited in attorneys’ arguments. It is unclear when the order will be issued. Steve Zansberg, a well-known open-government attorney who joined Marshall’s legal team, said during the hearing that a central issue in the case is that four directors discussed a crucial matter of public business — replacing a superintendent — out of the public’s eye. “The public is completely in the dark,” he said. Colorado open meeting law says three members of a local public body, or a quorum if that is fewer, gathering to discuss public business
Members of the Douglas County School Board appeared in court last week to answer to PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS a lawsuit that claims the majority members violated sunshine laws.
constitutes a public meeting. Worsening the incident is that there are no public records of those conversations, Zansberg said. Peterson, Myers and Williams testified on Feb. 25 that the majority directors held one-on-one conversations in the weeks before Wise was fired and individually came to the conclusion DCSD needed new leadership. Directors independently conveyed those views to Peterson and Williams. Testimony revealed the majority spoke about their concerns exclusively through phone conversations. During their training as new board members, they felt DCSD legal counsel had warned them that discussing district busines in writing would be subject to record requests. Peterson said he has begun relying more on email communication since this dispute unfolded. Peterson, the board president, and Williams, the board vice president, met with Wise on Jan. 28 to inform him of the majority’s position. They wanted to give Wise the opportunity of leaving on his own terms, they have said. Meek also testified on Feb. 25 about her call with Peterson on Jan. 28, in which he informed her afterwards that he and Williams met with Wise. During the Feb. 25 hearing, Peterson, Myers and Williams testified that Wise was not ordered to resign, and that they merely informed him a board majority wanted to go in a new direction with leadership.
Wise, Peterson and Williams walked through all options to end his contract in their Jan. 28 meeting, according to directors’ testimony. That included retirement, termination with cause and termination without cause. The directors also asked the superintendent to consider resignation as one of his options. The majority has adamantly maintained they did not violate any open meeting laws. They testified that they only spoke in one-on-one conversations and did not take formal action in the Jan. 28 meeting with Wise. Defense attorneys said the majority directors were abiding by the board’s well-established practice of having “two-on-one” meetings, where two directors meet with the superintendent. During testimony, Peterson listed numerous examples from district calendars of one-on-one meetings and two-on-one meetings between the DCSD superintendent and directors, including under the previous board. Hanson told Colorado Community Media the district’s practice of twoon-one or one-on-one meetings was never used to make formal decisions or violate open meeting laws, only to have discussion. “I wish the attorneys who represent the entire board had taken the time to speak with the entire board before making arguments about our past practices,” she said. The defense, which has filed a motion to dismiss the case, also stated
Marshall should be challenging the issue of serial meetings through the state legislature, not court. State law affords local public officials more flexibility to discuss issues two at a time, defense attorney Matthew Hegarty of the firm Hall and Evans, LLC said. Despite telling minority directors on Jan. 28 that the majority had decided to replace Wise, the three newly-elected directors testified that they had not made a firm decision and could have changed their minds after the Jan. 28 meeting with Wise. “That was under oath,” Hegarty said. The defense argued issuing a preliminary injunction would interfere with the board’s ability to do routine business because it would make any private mention of district business among directors a violation of law, and that it would bar one-on-one conversations. Zansberg said the defense didn’t closely read the motion for a preliminary injunction. The request specifically asks the judge to prohibit three or more directors from violating open meeting laws, including through the use of serial meetings. They did not ask to halt one-on-one conversations about district business, which is legal, Zansberg said. Zansberg said Peterson’s testimony showing he shared the views of two other directors with Williams and then planned the Jan. 28 meeting with Wise is evidence of illegal serial meetings. “That’s a confession right there,” Zansberg said. The majority could have chosen to discuss the personnel matter in a properly noticed executive session, but evidence showed their goal was to avoid a public meeting, he said. Whether directors intentionally or knowingly violated the law isn’t relative to issuing an injunction either, Zansberg said, arguing that well-intended officials can violate open meetings law. In some cases, they did so after receiving erroneous legal advice, he said. “Lawyers make mistakes,” he said. (Editor’s Note: Watch for updates on the expected court ruling by visiting www.coloradocommuntymedia. com.)
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Parker Chronicle 11
12 Parker Chronicle
I
LOCAL
VOICES
Women march on
n March, we celebrate women in history, which was also one of my favorite classes in college. Learning the timeline of how and when we got our right to vote, when we entered the workforce and how we have transformed society by generation is fascinating to me. FROM THE In some interviews I recently attended EDITOR with two Castle View High School interns, we talked to several generations of women on how education has changed throughout history. It was fascinating to listen to a woman raised during the World War II era vs. the millennial now. Our Silent Generation guest talked about how being proper was much more important than an education. She talked about her dad telling her she was here to Thelma Grimes get married and have children. She did not attend college. She talked about how much she loved her job at a bank that she had to quit once she became pregnant, noting that even though she was married, women did not show their pregnancies in public. Then, we talked to her daughter who was told by her parents that they had a savings account that was supposed to go toward her wedding. Instead, her parents agreed to let her go to college. She, being in the baby boomer generation, was the only female in the engineering program. For the millennial female, there was no other option. Her parents made it clear she would go to college, and she would succeed on her own merits. For me, there are so many women that I have come to know and respect over the years. It is hard to list all of them. First, I will list my mom. She did not have a career or go to college, but she raised me and my brothers and quite a few other kids in and around our family. While I just call her mom, many kids around me called her “Step-in-Mom” or “Pattymom.” I never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom like her. What I truly respect about my mom is that she accepted that I did not want the same path as she and other women in my family. While she did not completely understand my career ambitions, she supported them. She helped me reach my goals and I respect and appreciate her for doing that for me. She had to wait a long time for grandkids, but I eventually fulfilled that dream for her. Besides my mom, I must bring up the women I currently work with at Colorado Community Media. In the media industry, it is no secret that is has been a male-dominated field. Women have steadily worked their way up. At Colorado Community Media, I could not be prouder of the changes that have taken place in 2021 and 2022. We have Linda Shapley serving as our publisher, bringing decades of experience. We have Lisa Schlichtman serving as our executive editor, bringing decades of experience. We have Kristin Fiore and myself serving as regional editors, bringing decades of experience. And, we have a slew of young journalists who I cannot brag about enough. In the south, we have Jessica Gibbs and Elliott Wenzler making us proud week after week. It would take a lot more space to list all the amazing women we have working hard in every department to get the news to you every week but they all deserve praise and adoration. The women at CCM are strong, dedicated and born leaders and I am proud to call all of them my work family. (Editor’s Note: Thelma Grimes is the South Metro Editor for Coloroado Community Media. She can be reached at tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Here we go again with DCSD As a longtime educator, 51 years, I was again amazed when a partisan group took over the school board and fired the superintendent without cause. I was in Castle Rock in 2009 when another partisan group took control to make Douglas County a World Class School District. They might have succeeded if they had explained what that meant. That school board had no salary schedule like other school districts, but had bands in which they put different classes. Teachers were no longer professional, but treated like factory workers. Their pay fell to $17,000 less than Cherry Creek. Teachers soon left for other districts. The school board tried for a voucher system, but got shot down in the courts because it is unconstitutional to use public money for private schools. All over the United States, school boards, mayoral and governorship races are seeing outside money coming in to support partisan groups. I hope that the new Douglas County School Board is wise enough to understand that breaking laws, having no public comments, and firing a superintendent of schools who has a fine reputation as a longtime teacher and superintendent is no way to start their work in making our district a great school district. Their actions are going to cost the Douglas County School District hundreds of thousands of dollars which should be spent on our children’s education. Derald E. Hoffman, Highlands Ranch
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Four directors harmed many people To the Douglas County Board of Education: My name is Mike Dubrovich and I have been a resident of Douglas County for the past 37 years. I served as an elementary principal in the district from 1985 to 2004. I have had four kids go through Douglas County Schools and now my grandchildren are enrolled here. It’s obvious to me that four of you conspired with each other by contacting American Academy director Erin Kane about becoming our next superintendent before you fired Corey Wise for no reason. Which makes me wonder. Was Ms. Kane in on your plan from the beginning? After all, she did contribute money to your election campaign. But now that the cat is out of the bag about what you’ve been up to behind the backs of your fellow directors, you need to consider your options. First, you could just go ahead and appoint Ms. Kane in the position and acknowledge what everyone already knows. This game was rigged from the beginning. Or you could not hire Ms. Kane. Just throw Erin under the bus to save your own skins and say it was all a big misunderstanding. But that won’t sit very well with all those dark money campaign contributors who paid thousands of dollars for your many TV commercials. Or you could simply do the honorable thing. Resign. You’ve left your mark on this school district. It’s not pretty, and you’ve harmed a lot of people. My advice SEE LETTERS, P13
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Parker Chronicle 13
March 3, 2022
Is selling an art or is it science?
T
WINNING WORDS
OBITUARIES CORLETT
Molly Anne Corlett
June 19, 1998 - February 17, 2022
his is a question that gets asked a lot in the world of professional selling. Thought leaders and subject matter experts have debated it for years, and in the end, we all have come to recognize that it is a little bit of both, selling is an art and a science. Anyone in a professional selling role has probably learned this lesson through trial and error. Trying to learn sales scripts, a sales process, and adhere rigidly to both while selling leaves no room for interpretation, or art, and often times the salesperson comes off sounding a little bit robotic. Too much science and not enough art. And the salesperson who sticks to their own artistic interpretation of how to sell and strays so far away from their sales process also learns that too much art without any science isn’t effective either. The best salespeople take their craft very seriously. They study the sales process or the selling system that they follow, they do their research and gather valuable data and insights, and they leverage that knowledge to be in a better position to help their customers. And the very best salespeople know that they must learn how to do this in their own voice, with their own personality, and couple their scientific approach to selling with their own artistic nuances and style. Having spent time with thousands of salespeople over the years, I have a great appreciation for superior selling skills coupled with artistic impression. Unfortunately, I have also observed some truly awful attempts at selling where the salesperson didn’t use art or science, they basically defaulted to brute force. When salespeople do not have a system or process to follow, or they weren’t blessed with the personality or gifted with natural sales qualities, they default to brute force. What does “brute force” selling look like? Making as many calls as possible, speaking with as many people as possible, quick to present their products or services, does not ask any questions, assumes they know it all, tries to force the sale, and forcing their own agenda on their prospects, muscles their way through objections without tact, and generally isn’t very successful. There are always exceptions to
every rule, but given my choice, I would take the top performing salespeople who have learned the value and have practiced and apply both art and science when selling. There are other well-known Michael Norton categories of salespeople such as the relationship builder and lone wolf. And there have been many studies and much research conducted relative to which type of salesperson is the most effective. My belief is that there is no one style that is better than the others. I know many lone wolves who excel in sales. I also have worked with many relationship builders who crush their numbers and have established trust with the customers. But I would say this, the very best of the best that I have seen blend a bit of all the styles with their own personality and voice. They are artists, and they are scientists, and they are typically on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to income. The one good thing about sellers who default to brute force is this, they are usually motivated and have a good work ethic. Imagine if we just took the time and invested in their development where we can harness the power of their fearlessness and willingness to get the job done with a proven sales process, while teaching them how to turn some of their brute force energy into artful communication and style, how much more effective they could become as professional sellers. What do you think? Is selling an art or a science? Have you enjoyed working with very polished and professional salespeople? Or have you ever been completely turned off by the brute force salesperson? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@xinnix.com, and when we can apply both art and science to everything we do in life, it really will be a better than good year. Michael Norton is the grateful president of XINNIX, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and
Molly met the love of her life and soulmate, Drew Schlegel in elementary school...though they didn’t quite know it at the time! Their love story began as a strong friendship and grew as they spent time together in college.
LETTERS
County voters need to be aware of is Commissioner Thomas’ support for the fair housing plan that would allow Douglas County to receive millions of our tax dollars in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). These funds are designed to help worthy projects for those in our community that often get forgotten such as the physically disabled and those in need of support due to developmental issues or other things that impede their full participation in the community. My wife and I support one of these initiatives at Tall Tales Ranch currently in development at the Schweiger Ranch site adjacent to
OGBURN
FROM PAGE 12
is that you leave now before you harm any more. Michael Dubrovich, Parker Lora Thomas does best for county The recent comments by Smith Young that labeled Commissioner Lora Thomas as a “liberal … who has made politics her career” and a “chameleon” as part of his opposition to her candidacy for Douglas County sheriff have motivated me to reply in an effort to clarify for the voting public my experiences working with her. One of the issues that Douglas
SEE LETTERS, P26
“Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” St. John Paul ll - Molly’s Instagram Banner. A gift to the world for 23 years, Molly Anne Corlett was the sweetest and kindest angel on earth who has now become an angel in heaven. Molly was a friend to all and a fervent servant of God. She made the world a better, brighter, holier, and happier place by her presence and her love. Molly’s smile and laughter radiated her caring nature and love for others. Molly brought so much joy to the world when arriving on 6/19/98. She has been greatly loved since day one. Many are feeling enormous sadness and immense grief when she departed to heaven all too soon on 2/17/22 as a result of a rupture of a previously undetectable and asymptomatic Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). As we all navigate a world without our beloved Molly, we must be grateful for the time we had with her and carry on her lasting legacy of love and faith. Molly’s list of accomplishments are long, varied, and a testament to who she was. In her entire academic career, including a Master’s Degree in BioMedical Engineering, Molly never received anything less than an A. At Chaparral High School, Molly was a National Honor Society Member, Undergraduate Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Senior Female Athlete of the Year. She was a National Merit Finalist, also earning a full-ride academic scholarship and Biomedical Assistantship at The University of Iowa. Though she was brilliant in her academic accomplishments, Molly was well rounded and participated in many sports and other activities throughout her life. In fact, Molly was a 16, yes, 16 time Varsity Letter winner in high school, earning letters in the following areas for all four years - lacrosse, cross country, Student Government, and academics. Molly was so influential in Student Government that Chaparral named an award for “great impact and positive influence”, the “Molly Corlett Award” that is given annually. She packed a lot of living into her short years and she truly made every second count! Molly was always a positive example for others. We find solace in her strong belief in God and God’s presence. She was deeply religious and shared her faith with others on a daily basis. In her short 23 years, she brought the faith of Jesus to many, both by her message and actions.
The happiest day of Molly’s life was on January 6th, 2021 when Drew proposed to her in the idyllic setting of Grand Lake, Colorado, one of their favorite places on earth. Drew and Molly were the perfect pair and had the greatest of loves, a virtuous love, and they helped each other grow in their love of God and their Catholic faith. Molly was absolutely glowing as they planned their future together and set a date for their wedding, July 22, 2022. Molly and Drew wanted a mountain wedding so others could help them celebrate in their beloved Colorado. Sadly, this was never to be. Molly leaves behind grieving parents, John and Cindy Corlett, sister Megan, and fiancé Drew Schlegel. She is also survived by grandmas Norma Mason and Connie Corlett, Aunts and Uncles, Charlie and Julianne Mason, Nick Mason and Allison O’Neal, Stacie Mason and Dak Le, Jolene and Randy Lucas, Jenny Corlett and Jen Weltzin, and cousins CJ Mason, Cody Mason, Hannah Lucas, Dylan Lucas, and David Nagel. Molly is also survived by future inlaws, Mike and Angela Schlegel who accepted Molly into their lives as a daughter. Molly is preceded in death by grandfathers Charlie Mason and John Corlett, Jr., Uncle Jeff Corlett, and Aunt Judy Corlett. Please honor Molly’s legacy by “living and loving like Molly”; exhibiting kindness toward others, reading your Bible and scriptures daily, and caring for the less fortunate. Molly continues to give in her death by being an organ donor and she will live on through the lives of others while continuing to make the world a better place. Please consider being an organ donor. Molly’s beautiful and short life is a reminder to us to live in the moment, be grateful for what you have, care for others, and love with your whole heart. A Celebration of Life will be on Friday, March 11th from 5:00 - 8:00 PM, followed by a Funeral Mass on Saturday, March 12th at 1:30 PM. Both will be at Ave Maria in Parker, Colorado. All are welcome to honor Molly’s life. A livestream link will be available to distant family and friends. As Molly’s impact on the lives of others is not over, a foundation will be formed in Molly’s honor called “Molly’s Miracles”. More information will be forthcoming on how to become involved in sharing Molly’s Miracles throughout the world. #MollysMiracles. 1 Corinthians 13:13; And now these three remain; Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Jeffrey Allen “Jeff” Ogburn July 11, 1965 - February 19, 2022
Jeffrey Allen Ogburn, age 56 ,entered the gates of Heaven on February 19, 2022. Jeff was a loving husband, father and friend. He was an exceptional State Farm Insurance Agent in Boulder, Colorado.
Jeff was born July 11, 1965 in Strom Lake, Iowa. He is survived by his wife Lezlie Leier, his three children Kelsea Steed and son in law Trent, Tanner Ogburn and daughter in law Kenzie and Austin Ogburn and his wife Emily and daughter Eloise, stepson Andrew
Maldonado and wife Maggie and their children, Grey and Lachlan and his father Gary Ogburn and his two brothers Scott Ogburn and Todd Ogburn and their families.
He is preceded by his mother Maurene and stepson Alex. Please join us to celebrate Jeff’s life Friday March 4th @ 1:00 pm with a reception following: Crist Mortuary 3395 Penrose Place, Boulder, Colorado.
obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com
14 Parker Chronicle
LOCAL
March 3, 2022
LIFE
After decades of decline, populations flutter back. BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Walk into Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion and head into Wings of the Tropics, where about 2,000 butterflies flutter in a tropical garden filled with plants, trees and humidity. Near the entrance there is a hatching exhibit where cocoons transform into butterflies. Peer in the window next to the display, and Shiran Hershcovich may be working in the lab with others to make community science come alive. Hershcovich is a lepidopterist, a person who studies butterflies and moths, and most recently, she discovered monarch butterflies may be making a comeback in Colorado. “We are enthused to find that monarchs in Colorado showed an approximate 180% increase from the mean over the past seven years of our monitoring efforts,” Hershcovich said. This rise in monarch numbers in the state is the most significant increase in the past 30 years, according to the 2021 Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network report. The network — which Hershcovich describes as “people-powered” — sends community scientists out into designated areas and trails to count butterflies across Colorado. Butterfly-monitoring programs also operate across the country, including California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and Texas. This is the ninth annual report from the net-
work, and 2021 stood out as having the highest number of volunteer hours recorded since the program’s inception. Important invertebrates As pollinators, butterflies help keep ecosystems alive, Hershcovich explained. By pollinating native plants, they are propagating biological systems, and they serve as important food sources at every step in their life cycle. They also indicate healthy ecosystems because butterflies are picky eaters. The monarch’s host plant is milkweed, and it will only reproduce on milkweed. Therefore, if its host plant is decimated, the butterfly will be the first to disappear. In addition, butterflies help connect people to species of insects. “They are great ambassador animals,” Herschcovich said. “They can be a great gateway point into loving insects. If we started with roaches, it would be pretty hard to get people on board.” The monarch’s steady decline According to Herschcovich, there are two populations of monarch butterflies: Eastern monarchs and Western monarchs, with the Rockies sitting in between the two. And while the recent increase in monarchs is promising news, Herschcovich noted the species has been in a steady decline for decades. Since the 1980s, the Western monarch saw its population decline by 99%, and the Eastern monarch population has decreased by around 80% since the 1990s, Hershcovich said. Even so, the species continues to be denied federal protection from the Endangered Species Act. “Monarchs are one of them too, but they just didn’t make it to the priority, and they didn’t meet all the criteria, I guess,” she said. Without government protection, Hershcovich said, conservation becomes vitally important, and that’s where community science can make a difference. Volunteer conservationists Community scientists can be anyone — a neighbor, a teacher, the average Joe. All it takes is some time to train and explore. Steve Chady, the Pavilion’s longest serving vol-
unteer at eight years and a wannabe lepidopterist since age 12, is one of those community scientists. Between May 15 and Sept. 15, he heads out to Broomfield County Commons Park six times to complete the same walk while counting as many butterflies as he sees. “If you enjoy outdoors and you’re passionate about the environment, it’s a way to contribute to conservation,” Chady said. “Everyone comes with a built-in scientist,” Hershcovich said. “Science is just being curious and having that sense of exploration and looking
‘They can be a great gateway point into loving insects.’ Shiran Hershcovich, lepidopterist
for answers.” Without 61 volunteers counting butterflies across Colorado, the monitoring study would not be possible, and the effort is always looking for more volunteers. In total, the group counted 124 Eastern monarchs in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, Ouray, Routt and Weld counties. “We only know those numbers because of community scientists, so it’s people dedicated to the cause, who are going out and donating their time to count monarch populations,” Herschcovich said. She said the percentage increase in monarchs recorded this year took into account volunteer hours to provide a more accurate number. Because the report relies on volunteers, some years see more hours counting butterflies than others. Counting butterflies aids conservation efforts. Herschcovich noted that conservation can seem like a major problem with only major solutions, and she sees that line of thinking applied to climate change as well. Yet, she believes some answers can be simpler than most folks may think. “Community scientists really take matters into their own hands and revolutionize what we can do for conservation,” she said. Climate change, wildfires, droughts, urbanization, herbicides and many other factors contribute to the decline of butterflies, and Hershcovich said it all comes down to habitat. “When there are big SEE MONARCH, P15
Parker Chronicle 15
March 3, 2022
MONARCH FROM PAGE 14
droughts and water sources disappear or diminish, the host plant (ex. Milkweed) habitat also diminishes, and when we expand urban zones, we also essentially erase healthy habitat for monarchs, and when we plant gardens instead of planting native plants — we put grassy lawns — that’s also removing additional habitat,” she said. She said the 2019 and 2020 fire seasons were probably linked to the large declines during those years. On the flip side, she explained the increase in monarchs — both nationally and across the state — is likely due to more favorable climate conditions such as milder temperatures during the breeding season and better
rainfall. She also noted decreased use of pesticides and more monarch conservationists planting milkweeds and native flowering plants to support the species as other factors contributing to the rise in monarch numbers. “While it’s difficult to point to a single cause of increase, it’s likely an aggregation of behaviors and conditions that have boosted monarch numbers around the country,” she said. Colorado residents can help restore monarchs and other butterflies by planting native plant species in their own yards, and the Pavilion has those plants for sale in the spring. “Everyone gets to participate in creating a safer world for monarchs and invertebrates in general, and really ecosystems,” Herschcovich said.
Community scientist and the Pavilion’s longest serving volunteer Steve Chady, left, and lepidopterist Shiran PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI Hershcovich, right.
A monarch butterfly.
PRESENTS
COURTESY OF JENNIFER QUERMANN
Common morpho (Morpho peleides) rests on PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI a flower.
Top: Postman butterfly (Heliconius melpomene plesseni), Bottom: leopard lacewing (Cethosia PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI cyane).
Chinese paper kite (Idea leuconoe).
The Fleetwood Mac Experience
PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI
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16 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
‘Life is a Beach’ brings warm glow BEST OF THE BEST
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“
Life is A Beach” is the title chosen for a new Littleton Fine Arts Guild exhibit at Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton Gallery, scheduled March 8 to May 15. Watercolor artist Randy Hale was juror. Think SONYA’S spring and summer with these artists! SAMPLER Richard Simpson’s acrylic painting of the Great Sand Dunes makes one feel warmer by just looking at it! The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and during productions. Sonya Ellingboe (“Once on This Island” will run April 8 to May 8.) Town Hall is at 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. Jazz It was a nice surprise to see and hear Greg Gisbert as a guest artist with the Wynton Marsalis Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at Newman Center recently. The Heritage High graduate has been performing, recording and teaching, most recently at University of Northern Colorado. He has performed with many of the jazz greats through his career and has been a faculty member at the University of Denver, Manhattan School of Music, University of Miami and Juilliard. Opera Denver Lyric Opera Guild will hold finals for its 39th Annual Competition for Colorado Singers from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 at Calvary Baptist Church, 6500 E. Girard Ave., Denver. Admission is free for visitors, who can sit in and hear an afternoon of arias by young singers who are beginning their careers. The DLOG members will award $36,000 to winners of this competition, which may allow them to travel for auditions or enroll in special training with a master. Preliminary competition will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 5 for the 15 spots in the finals. Visitors may also sit in on preliminaries. (Also at Calvary Baptist.) Finals will be livestreamed via the YouTube link on the DLOG website (denverlyricoperaguild.org/2022-competition.) Masks
Richard Simpson’s acrylic painting of the Great Sand Dunes will be displayed in the Littleton Fine Arts Guild’s “Life is a Beach” exhibit at Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton COURTESY PHOTO Gallery, running from March 8 to May 15.
are required to attend the competition in person as well as proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within the previous 72 hours. Accompanist for all events will be Jeremy Reger of University of Colorado and judges are Colorado professional musicians. Arvada Center George Orwell’s fable, “Animal Farm,” adapted for theater by Nelson Bond, is next for Arvada Center’s Repertory Theater actors and runs through May 21 in repertory. Jessica Robblee will direct. It will run in repertory with “The Liar” and “Stick Fly.” arvadacenter.org, 720898-7200. The Arvada Center is at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. When you visit, allow time for the fine “Art of the State” exhibit in the galleries. Athena Project An exhibit at the Dairy Block in Denver called “Women in their Infinite Forms” will be held March 5 to 31, with a special free “Art Strut” from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Cocktails and Comedy Fundraiser from 7 to 9 p.m., (tickets: $75 advance/$80 at the door) on March 5 at the Maven Hotel, 1800 Wazee St., Denver. Commissioned artists: Michelle Lamb (Littleton), Teresa and Caasel Castanada, Ellum, Adelina Gonzales, Chelsea Minter-Brindley, Faatma Be One, Pam Schmidt, Sarah Wallace Scott, Louis Trujillo, S.L. Yang. Tesoro lecture The Next Tesoro Historic Lecture
will be March 5-6 with Dr. Charlie Carillo speaking about “The History of La Confradia de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno” at 4 p.m. March 5 at the Lone Tree Hub, 8827 Lone Tree Parkway and at 2 p.m. March 6 at Tattered Cover Bookstore, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. Reservations needed. (There is also a dinner lecture at the Fort Restaurant, 19192 Highway 8, Morrison on March 6. Reservations: 303-839-1671. Antarctica Lone Tree Arts Center presents Aidan Dooley in a one-man performance: “Discovering Antarctica: Heroic Tales of Shackleton, Crean and Scott” at 7:30 p.m. March 8 and 1:30 p.m. March 9. At 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree. Call for tickets, 720-5091000 or see lonetreeartscenter.org. Englewood Arts Presents Afternoon concert on Saturday, March 19 at 2 p.m.: Jason Shafer, clarinet, Yi Zhao, violin and Margaret McDonald, piano: Khaturian: Suite; Bruch: Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano; Brahms: Sonata in E-flat. Tickets: $30, $25, $10. Hampden Hall in the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway. 303-8068196. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.
A Colorado legend: Rattlesnake Kate Long musical running at Denver Center through March 13 BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As lights go up on a large stage covered with weathered wood, a cellist, Neyla Pekarek sits spotlighted in a simple chair and begins to play and sing a song about Western women. She is soon joined by cast members, bringing an audience into the world premiere of a new musical “Rattlesnake Kate,” in the Wolf Theatre at Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It’s the first musical commis-
sioned by DCPA Theatre Company and grew out of a concept album, “Rattlesnake,” which Pekarek created after she learned about the remarkable, independent Kate Slaughterback, born in northern Colorado in 1894. Kate, who was divorced six times and ran her own farm near Greeley, was riding her horse across the prairie in 1925, carrying her young adopted son, when they crossed paths with a migration of 140 rattlers. Legend has it that she shot a number of them and when she ran out of bullets, grabbed a wooden sign and eliminated the rest. Pekarek, a graduate from University of Northern Colorado’s strong musical theater program and formerly a member of the well-known band The Lumineers,
presented her concept of a musical about Kate Slaughterback to Chris Coleman, DCPA’s artistic director, who saw theatrical potential, commissioned her to develop music and lyrics, with book/script assistance by playwright Karen Hartman, for a production, originally scheduled for January 2021. Songs and story were first presented in concert version during a session of DCPA’s 2019 New Play Summit, then developed into a truly unique work that will run through March 13. Coleman directed the large, strong cast (most are members of Actors Equity) and Christopher Jahnke orchestrated and arranged Pekarek’s SEE LEGEND, P18
Parker Chronicle 17
March 3, 2022
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LEGEND FROM PAGE 16
music, while Dominique Kelley was choreographer. Described as “a campfire tale,” the production is enhanced by lighting as three different actors present parts of the story as Kate, Katie and Katherine. Perhaps this could have been spelled out a little more clearly, somehow, for an audience unfamiliar with the story, although the reasoning is understandable — this woman had many facets. At the Greeley Historical Museum, one can view a dress Kate wore, created from the skins of many rattlesnakes. Yes, she really did wear it, we are told — and it was part of Pekarek’s initial introduction to Slaughterback’s story. Perhaps “Rattlesnake Kate”
runs a little too long, though I have no real suggestion of where it might be trimmed. It’s truly exciting to see a colorful new work in its very first-ever production and especially following a COVID-induced theater drought! “Rattlesnake Kate” is scheduled to run through March 13 at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. See denvercenter.org for tickets or call the box office 303893-4100. Masks are required here and at other area performance venues. Also scheduled through the season: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” by Albee, “In the Upper Room,” also new, “Choir Boy” by Tarrell Alvin McCraney and “Quixote Nuevo.” While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.
The musical “Rattlesnake Kate” is running at Denver Center for the Performing Arts COURTESY OF ANDREWKELLYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM through March 13.
A historic figure for modern times
S
ometimes, a person becomes a legend whether they planned to be or not. It is a safe bet that Kate Slaughterback, an infamous Greeley frontierswoman, didn’t plan on going down in history as Rattlesnake Kate. But that’s how things happen sometimes.
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And now Kate’s story is being told on the stage thanks to a collaboration by Aurora native and musician Neyla Pekarek (formerly of The Lumineers) and playwright Karen Hartman. “Audiences are going to come away empowered. It’s a show about strong women,” said Gina Naomi Baez, who plays Celia in the production. “The show is really for everyone and very inspiring to see all the trials the characters go through and triumphs they have.” “Rattlesnake Kate” is making its world premiere at the Wolf Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, March 13. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. most days, with several matinees at 2 p.m. and two 8 p.m. performances as part of the Colorado New Play Summit. Directed by Chris Coleman and featuring choreography by Dominique Kelley, the musical is based on the true events of Slaughterbeck’s life, including the event that made her famous: About 100 years ago she “fought tooth and nail, armed with a single rifle and a `No Hunting’ sign, to save her son from 140 rattlesnakes,” according to provided information. The event made Kate (played by Alyse Alan Louis) a worldwide celebrity, but her story goes beyond that – after she became famous, she still had to fight to find a partner, be treated as an equal and ensure other women get a fair shake. The musical had its first reading at the 2019 Colorado New Play Summit and ended up being the first musical commissioned by the DCPA Theatre Company. The creatives behind it spent some time working on it in New York City and that’s where Baez first came upon the project. “This is the longest process I’ve been a part of – I’ve done a new
musical before, but I came in at the end of the process,” she said. “Celia is Kate’s friend and the only woman you see her confiding in and getting advice from. She’s really sassy and speaks her mind.” Clarke Reader Getting to see how a character develops from the initial idea to a fully realized creation has been fascinating for Baez. She said they played around with many ideas for her and ended with her being a more feminine, discrete woman – but one no less strong for that. Since the show is brand new, audiences get the rare treat of seeing something they aren’t familiar with. And the premiere being in the same state as the actual woman is from adds an extra layer to everything. “It’s great to hear the audience reaction since they’re seeing all this for the first time. They don’t know what to expect yet,” she said. “If you’re from Colorado, you’re going to walk away being really proud to be from here.” Get information and tickets at denvercenter.org.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
CJRO brings early summer to Arvada Center While we’re not quite in summer weather yet, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra is bringing a little Brazil to the Arvada Center with Brazil Calling: Featuring the Music of Antônio Carlos Jobim. The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 at the center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Guest artists include pianist Victor Mestas and Carl Dixon on percussion, and they’ll be joined by vocalist Heidi Schmidt. The
orchestra will be led by artistic director Drew Zaremba. Tickets are available at www. coloradojazz.org/concerts.
LSO highlights the importance of timing In life, timing is everything. The Lakewood Symphony Orchestra is celebrating this truth with its “Timing is the Key,” concert, held at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. The show will feature Sarah Switzer playing the viola in the performance of Viola Concerto in D Major, Op. 1. Switzer is a recent Yale University graduate, where she served as the principal violist of the Yale Symphony Orchestra for three years. Other included pieces will be Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major, K. 138, and Humperdinck’s selections from Hansel and Gretel. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10. For information and tickets, call 303-987-7845 or visit www.lakewoodsymphony.org. Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Hiss Golden Messenger at Bluebird Theater The New York Times wrote the following about the music made by North Carolina’s Hiss Golden Messenger: “There is just something about Hiss Golden Messenger’s music that makes it feel like a golden-hued summer day even when it’s not.” I really can’t put it any better than that. Hiss Golden Messenger will be bringing some of that sun-tinged music to the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5. Get tickets at www.bluebirdtheater.net/events. Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@ hotmail.com.
Parker Chronicle 19
March 3, 2022
Police chief in changing town urges respect for homeless Elizabeth lawman says people are equals who deserve care
and oranges. Always take bottles of water, regardless of the time of year. Dehydration is also a common problem among the homeless. Gift cards are a safe choice. You will know what your financial help is going to.
BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Editors note: Elizabeth, a oncesmall town on the edge of the Colorado high plains in Elbert County, is a center of an area of sustained growth due to Front Range demand. Elbert County News freelance writer Chancy J. Gatlin-Anderson saw a recent post about homelessness on local social media spiral into a debate so divided that she asked Elizabeth’s police chief, Melvin Berghahn, to share his views on the issue, as someone whose interactions with homeless people are face-to-face. Berghahn, who has been serving in law enforcement since 2004, began his Elizabeth police service in 2015 and served as a sergeant and commander before becoming chief in January 2021. Here is Gatlin-Anderson’s interview: Following a recent flurry of comments about homelessness on an Elizabeth-area Facebook page — sparked by a resident’s post complaining about a person at the Elizabeth Walmart who appeared to be homeless — town Police Chief Melvin Berghahn engaged in a eQ&A with the Elbert County News regarding issues around homelessness. The terms “homeless” and “suffering from houselessness” are used interchangeably below. Is there some sort of town policy about this? Or general way y’all handle people experiencing homelessness? The police department will always help the best we can. This includes helping the homeless address any current pressing concern and trying to help them get on the right track. In the past we have purchased gasoline for vehicles, we have purchased food, and given rides. Together with a mental health provider, Elizabeth officers connect people who are homeless with community groups, including churches, food banks, shelters, and veteran organizations. We also help people who are unsheltered with smaller tasks, whether that’s getting an ID, finding warmth for the night, or even paying for a ride, hotel, or meal to make sure they are safe going forward. Many times, we will have medical professionals check on them to help ensure they are healthy and safe. The initial check is at no cost and helps greatly as we go forward with helping find resolution and resources. It is important we, as police, advocate for the homeless. Officers are well equipped to venture into dangerous situations and can deal with complicated predicaments and capitalize on resources as needed. It’s not always safe to get involved with difficult circumstances. Historically police departments have dealt with homeless concerns by capitalizing on the penal code. Our approach is to get involved, get
Elizabeth Police Chief Melvin Berghahn, shown as one of the volunteer judges in a January Elizabeth School District spelling bee, says it is important that police advocate for homeless people. FILE PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON
people off the street, and eliminate the problem they may cause by getting services and resources introduced. Do you have any suggestions for residents who encounter people experiencing homelessness while in Elizabeth? A few things people can do for the unfortunate and homeless is to get to know them. Spend time with them. Ask them their names and remember them. Tell them yours. Shake their hands. Be open and friendly. Allow them to tell their stories. Listen. Remember. The unfortunate and homeless are our equals. Honor them, respect them, and treat them with respect and care. Feel honored that they are willing to share their lives with you. Find out from them what they most need. Your presence may be at the top of the list. If you’re giving them “stuff,” personally hand it out. Remember. you’re “sharing,” be it your time or your stuff. If you distribute food, small items that can be held in the hand and that don’t need plates, silverware, ovens, or refrigerators work best. Give them new socks and underwear. Bag them individually in Ziploc bags, marked with the size. Give hotel size, single-use toiletries like soap, lotion, shampoo, razors (bag one or two disposable razors in Ziploc snack size bags) and so on. Give them clean clothes, blankets, and similar items that are in good condition. Launder and fold them and label them with sizes. Dirty clothes and blankets usually end up in a dumpster. Find toothbrushes that have covers. Many of the unfortunate and homeless have significant dental problems and cannot eat items that require a mouth filled with good teeth, such as apples. They can usually handle bananas, tangerines,
Are there things that people should not do when in encounters with those suffering from houselessness? A few things not to do for the unfortunate and homeless. Never give them money. If they tell you they need it to buy a specific item, buy the item for them. Never tell them your address or take them to your home. Don’t go alone. Don’t go in large groups. Groups of three to five work best. Don’t go after dark. Mid-morning to midafternoon works best. Do not drop off cases of bakery products, such as loaves of bread, packages of rolls, whole cakes and pies, packages of frozen dough, unbaked pizzas, and so on. Most of this will end up in the garbage. Try to avoid giving out “packets” of items, such as a toothbrush, lotion, apple, socks and soap, unless you tell them what is in the packet and ask them which of those items they need. Otherwise, they sort through the packet after you’ve left and throw away the items they don’t want. Don’t take your wallet or purse or wear expensive jewelry or clothing. Don’t give them new clothing, with a few exceptions (socks, under-
wear, and possibly shoes). Three reasons why not to give new items: A. Expensive new items may endanger them in areas with high populations of street people, where it is likely they’ll be mugged (and possibly beaten) and lose that new coat you gave them. B. They frequently sell those items to raise cash to fund their habits. C. Many do not have access to laundromats. When the sweatshirt you gave them gets filthy, if they can lay their hands on another one, they’ll throw the filthy one in the trash. Do you see the homelessness/houselessness issue shifting in Elizabeth as a result of the development and growing population? Why and how? The Town of Elizabeth is not seeing a shift. With the practices and interventions that can be offered to others, it reduces the likelihood of seeing it in Elizabeth in the future. While being able to provide resources, such as alcohol/substance abuse counseling, we can provide resources for food assistance, financial assistance, and housing assistance. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office is a resource to also help prevent someone from becoming homeless. Along with the resources we have a good plan going forward to help those in need.
20 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
Coloradans worried about water, wildfires and cost of living About 3,500 residents surveyed by Colorado College BY CHRIS OUTCALT THE COLORADO SUN
Public concern about climate change and challenges involving water quantity and quality have increased sharply during the past decade, with more than 70% of Coloradans now viewing drought, inadequate water supplies and low levels in rivers and streams as a serious issue, according to new results from a long-term poll run by Colorado College. “We definitely see some extreme concerns about water,” pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy said. “We’re consistently seeing now folks really concerned about droughts and reduced snowpack.” The telephone and online interview polled 3,440 residents of eight Mountain West states. Weigel led the study with pollster Dave Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates for Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project, which aims to enhance the public’s understanding of socioeconomic challenges in the Rocky Mountain West. In particular, concern over inadequate water supplies is up 30 percentage points since the poll was first conducted in 2011. Alarm about climate change is up 25 percentage points compared to responses from 12 years ago. “We called it global warming in the very first survey,” Weigel said. “This has really inched up quite dramatically over the years.” During its first few iterations, the poll sampled residents in
While inflation goes up, Coloradans are concerned about the cost of living, a Colorado College poll finds. PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL
A recent survey shows Colorado citizens are concerned about a variety of issues, includSHUTTERSTOCK ing cost of living, wildfires and water.
Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Montana. The poll has since expanded to include Idaho, Nevada and Arizona. “This is a tool for policymakers and the public to gauge citizen attitudes,” said Katrina MillerStevens, director of the State of the Rockies Project. Heading into an election year, there’s greater attention on policy, and Metz said high numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents indicated
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that a public official’s stance on conservation issues will be an important factor in determining who they vote for. “What really stands out is the degree to which, despite all the change in the world, the levels of support we’re seeing for most of these ideas has remained very steady, Metz said. This year, for example, 86% of respondents said a politician’s stance on the environment was either “important” or “very important,” with 41% making up the latter category. In 2016, only 31% of respondents identified this issue as “very important.” A possible explanation, Metz said, is that a significant number of people indicated that they changed where and when they recreate outdoors due to crowding or the impacts of climate change. Those numbers were highest in Colorado, where 58% of respondents said they made adjustments because of crowding and 31% shifted because of climate change factors. One question that was new to this year’s survey, and also received high levels of concern, was about the rising cost of living, which more than 70% of respondents deemed either “extremely” serious or “very” serious in every state except Nevada. In Colorado, that figure hit 73%; both Idaho and Montana topped 80% on this question. “Younger people and more Re-
publican voters register that as a more serious problem,” Weigel said. “It’s definitely a top-tier concern.” Not surprisingly, given that the poll was conducted in the days after the Marshall fire, Coloradans also indicated a high level of concern about wildfires. In Colorado, 76% of respondents said they were either “extremely” concerned or “very” concerned about “uncontrollable wildfires that threaten homes and property.” Montana was the only other state in which the concern registered that high, also at 76%. On the question of how to address water quantity challenges, respondents overwhelmingly favored using water more wisely (81%) as opposed to diverting water from rivers in less populated areas toward more densely populated communities (14%). “There’s a very clear mandate across the Mountain West that they want to focus on conservation,” Weigel said. Among Coloradans, 86% supported “creating new national parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges and tribal protected areas to protect historic sites or areas for outdoor recreation. And 83% of Coloradans supported a national goal of “conserving 30% of land and inland waters in America, and 30% of its ocean areas by 2030.” This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
Parker Chronicle 21
March 3, 2022
Xcel Energy seeks $18 per month rate hike Public Utilities Commission request meant to recoup $1 billion BY MARK JAFFE THE COLORADO SUN
Xcel Energy is seeking $950 million in natural gas and electricity rate increases that would raise the average residential utility bill by $16.49 by the end of this year with the increase climbing to $18.32 by 2023. Three proposed rate hikes — one for electricity, one for natural gas and one to recoup money from a spike in natural gas prices in the winter of 2021 — are now before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. And that is just the beginning, consumer advocates say. “We are going to see more increases,” said Cindy Schonhaut, director of the state Office of Utility Consumer Advocate. “There are additional increases that have been decided and haven’t been fully implemented.” It is all part of an ongoing trend, Schonhaut said. An analysis by the consumer advocate office, which represents residential and small business customers in rate cases, found that since 2019 the average residential electricity bill is up 27%. This piling on — or pancaking — of rate requests has consumer groups worried about bill shock at a time inflation is pushing all prices higher. “Xcel is asking for the stars, the moon and the sun and they’ll probably just get the moon, but that’s still quite a lot,” said Bill Levis, the former state director of consumer advocacy and now a consultant to AARP, which represents retirees and older citizens. “The commission really has to be concerned because they see the people who can least afford it — the low-income and elderly — are going to have to pay for it,” Levis said. As a regulated utility, Xcel must gain the approval of the PUC for any investments in new projects or increases in customer rates. Denise Stepto, a spokeswoman for Energy Outreach Colorado, which helps low-income households pay utility bills, said in an email, “we know that bills will be higher for all customers. For lower income customers this means a higher percentage of their income is going toward keeping up with their energy bill.” And in a protest filed by the Utility Consumer Advocate in Xcel’s gas
Wind turbines near Matheson are part of Xcel Energy’s 600-megawatt Rush Creek Wind Project on Colorado’s eastern plains. Rush Creek, which became operational in October 2018, uses 300 turbines to generate enough electricity to power 325,000 homes. Xcel estimates the project will cut 1 million tons of carbon emissions each year JOHN LEYBA/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN from its system.
rate case, the agency questioned whether the proposed increase, along with the impact of other hikes and the COVID pandemic, would affect consumers and small businesses “in an unjust, unreasonable, or discriminatory fashion.” Xcel executives, however, say they are faced with the demands, many embedded in state laws, of transitioning to clean energy and providing electricity and natural gas for a growing economy. “It’s important to note the increases are paying for a more robust, reliable system and helping us meet our climate and clean energy goals — something that will benefit all our customers,” Michelle Aguayo, an Xcel spokeswoman, said in an email. “We understand that families are dealing with cost increases across the economy due to inflation,” Aguayo said. “We remind our customers that if they’re having trouble paying their bill, to contact us as quickly as possible so we can help set up a payment plan.” As to how much of a percentage increase the pending rate requests represent to the average residential customer depends upon which rate case one looks at since Xcel offers different average residential bills in each of the three rate cases it has filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. “Xcel does a good job of comparing apples and oranges,” Levis said. “There are so many add-ons to the bills it is not possible for people to know what they are paying for. Part of the problem is that they are not
comparing the same things.” One proposed settlement, with parties including the PUC staff and the Colorado Energy Office, would cover the $550 million in extra electric and natural gas costs incurred by Xcel as a result of a severe winter storm in February 2021 — which the utility said led to natural gas prices soaring a hundred-fold. Electric bills would temporarily rise $1.49 and natural gas bills $5.59 under the settlement. The increases would take effect in April and extend through September 2024. In that case it said the average electric bill was $74.55 and the average natural gas bill was $47.55 On Jan. 5, Xcel filed a $182.2 million settlement, which included PUC staff and the consumer advocate office, in its electric rate case that would increase the average bill $5.25. Xcel said this represents a 6.4% increase on the average $81.42 electric bill. Xcel then filed a natural gas rate case on Jan. 24, seeking a net $188.6 million in new revenue, which
would raise rates in three steps over three years for a total increase of $8.14. The first increase, which would go into effect in November, would be $4.16, about a 6.7% increase Xcel said on an average residential gas bill of $62.42. “In our filings, the commission usually requires that we present average customer bills based on the rates that are in effect at the time,” Aguayo said. “That’s why filings made at different times have different average bills. Bills change primarily because fuel prices change.” Less in doubt is the dollar amount that will be added to customer bills. When the second step in natural gas rates would go into effect the additional charge increases to $18.32 before falling to $13.40 when the last extreme weather surcharges expire in September 2024. Based on the latest filings the average gas and electric bill is about $143.84, which would mean the rate hikes would add up to a 12% increase in 2023. The rise in rates, however, will not stop there. The PUC is now reviewing the utility’s $1.7 billion Power Pathways regional transmission project — 560 miles of transmission lines encircling eastern Colorado — designed to bring wind and solar electricity to Front Range population centers from rural areas. Then comes Xcel’s $7 billion electric resource plan with aims to double the amount of renewable electricity generation and storage. A Utility Consumer Advocate’s analysis estimates that just those two projects will boost the amount customers will have to pay by 44% in 2031 compared with what they are paying today. “The energy transition is going to be expensive,” Schonhaut said. This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media. FROM $
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22 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
Colorado kids as young as 10 are being locked up Child advocates want to set the minimum age at 13 BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN
Elementary school kids as young as 10 are sent to juvenile lockup in Colorado, one of 15 states that sets that age as the minimum to face prosecution. Now, a coalition of child advocates is attempting to raise the bar to age 13. More than 650 times, kids ages 10-12 were locked up in juvenile detention centers in Colorado from 2015-19, even though all but two of them were released after being deemed not dangerous enough to stay behind bars, according to data from the Colorado Division of Youth Services. On average, those kids stayed in lockup for about 11 days before they were sent home. Being handcuffed and thrown in detention, no matter how long the stay, is traumatizing and increases the likelihood that a child will return to detention or adult prison, say advocates of raising the prosecution age to 13. A bill scheduled for its first hearing later this month at the state Capitol would prohibit the prosecution of 10-, 11- and 12-year olds, except in cases of homicide. The proposal is raising concern among prosecutors and law enforcement officials, who say that arrests of elementary school children are rare and already handled with discretion. Plus, children in the juvenile justice system are getting therapy and other services that they likely would not get otherwise, and until Colorado has a better plan to help those kids, the state should back off from such a massive policy change, they urged. The proposal mimics a 2018 California law that banned prosecution of younger children except for murder and rape. It also would raise the age to 14 years old from 12 that a child could face prosecution in adult court in Colorado. The push is aimed at revamping the juvenile justice system so that kids aren’t branded criminals “for exhibiting behaviors that are consistent with their developmental stage in
Kids as young as 10 are being sent to SHUTTERSTOCK detention.
life,” said Dafna Gozani, senior policy attorney for the National Center for Youth Law. Children who are minorities and those who’ve been abused are more likely to get arrested and locked up, where they face more violence, she said. Also, Black children are way overrepresented in the juvenile justice system in Colorado and nationwide. Of the 417 children who were detained in Colorado in a five-year span, 81 of them, or 19.4% were Black, according to state data. Less than 7% of 10-12 year olds in Colorado are Black, however. Also, 80% of the young kids held in juvenile detention were there for nonviolent offenses, including 15% of them for trespassing or criminal mischief, Gozani said. The effort, whose prime sponsors include Democratic Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and Republican Sen. Don Coram, is part of a national movement to “end the criminalization of youth,” including attempts to keep prosecutors from charging juveniles as adults, said Apryl Alexander, an association professor of psychology at The University of Denver. A bill that failed last year would have prevented elementary school children from being handcuffed on school grounds. Children who are arrested and held in detention, even for a few days, are labeled as criminals by peers and often treated differently when they return to school, she said. Many were already victims of abuse, bullying and neighborhood violence before they were arrested, she said.
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“Why don’t we get them treatment instead of incarcerating them?” asked Alexander, who is also the director of the Denver FIRST Juvenile Justice Project. “The juvenile justice system was intended to be rehabilitative.” But Tom Raynes, executive director of the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council, said the proposal represents a massive policy change that actually might harm children. Entering the juvenile justice system triggers a host of therapy and treatment options, in juvenile centers or in the community, that children otherwise would not receive, he said. And other agencies — such as child protective services — are not equipped to handle an influx of kids who get in trouble but never enter the juvenile justice system, he said. The data showing that children stay an average of 11 days, and that almost all of them are released, proves that prosecutors are more interested in getting kids services than on putting them behind bars, he said. “This is a significant policy shift,” said Raynes, who previously was district attorney for the 7th District, which includes Gunnison and Ouray. “I’m not averse to getting more kids out from the juvenile justice system umbrella, but we have to build the alternative first.” Besides, Raynes said, prosecutors and law enforcement already handle cases involving elementary school children “very carefully and with discretion.” A statewide mandate that prohibits them from making caseby-case decisions is not necessary, he said. Colorado is one of 15 states that prohibits prosecution of kids under 10, and 28 states have no minimum age, Raynes said. “Is it an eye-opener for an 11-yearold to be arrested? It is,” he said. “But hopefully through the services and therapy, we intervene in a positive manner.” Prosecutors also want discretion regarding which cases are suited for adult court, he said. In one egregious case, a 12-year-old boy in Burlington shot and killed his parents and tried to kill his younger brother and sister in 2011. He was sentenced to seven years in the juvenile system. Instead of the legislation as written, Raynes said he will push for a study of how best to handle the youngest offenders, including a vetting of the issue by the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice. Colorado Counties, Inc., is also against the bill, concerned that it will prevent children from getting mental health treatment. “Making this policy change in the absence of building out the continuum of services has the potential to push children into the
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child welfare system when there are no signs of abuse and neglect,” said Gini Pingenot, director of external affairs for the association. Data collected by Colorado Counties found 677 children ages 10-12 were arrested in Colorado in 2021, about half of them for crimes against people. Stacie Nelson Colling, with the Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, which represents kids in court, called the number of elementary age children held in lockup “heartbreaking.” “I hear stories of a kid’s handcuffs sliding off their arms because they are too big. Their feet don’t hit the ground when they sit in a chair,” she said. “They’re terrified.” Phillip Roybal was one of those kids. At age 12, in his third week of eighth grade, he was arrested on campus for a property crime he committed outside of school, and expelled from school. Roybal recalled the shame he felt getting handcuffed at school. Now 27, he’s the youth organizing manager for Colorado Circles for Change, which helps minority children who have been in the juvenile justice system or whose families reach out for help. Roybal spent his high school years in youth corrections, eventually earning his GED at age 19. As a kid, he didn’t see his life as traumatic – even though he was raised by a single father who had recently gotten out of a prison while his mother, who was addicted to heroin, was in prison. “I didn’t see those as traumatic experiences because that was baseline for what I knew, “ he said. “I was left to my own decisions. And at 12 years old, I didn’t have the capacity to make those right decisions.” While it’s true that many kids don’t access treatment services until they are in criminal trouble, that’s not how it should work, Roybal said. Colorado should address that access to treatment as it raises the prosecution age to 13, he said. The bill says that law enforcement could take children age 10 and up into temporary custody for safety reasons and then refer them to other services, and that the state would use existing youth detention funding to pay for those services. “What are we waiting for?” he asked. “Are we waiting for other youth to overdose, to be lost within the juvenile justice system? We are tired of waiting.” This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media. ON AVERAGE, AARP MEMBERS ENJOY
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Parker Chronicle 23
March 3, 2022
Colorado deactivates crisis standards for health care system The standards provided guidance and liability protection during periods of high stress BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado on Feb. 17 deactivated socalled crisis standards of care for the health care system, another sign of the improving pandemic and the state’s move toward handling COVID as a normal part of life. Crisis standards of care provide guidance and liability protection to health care workers when they are dealing with situations where they don’t have enough resources to treat patients at the level they normally would. The state has a number of crisis standards plans, covering everything from hospice and behavioral health care to care at hospitals. The two plans deactivated deal with how hospitals can operate when staffing levels are strained and how emergency medical services can operate when they are receiving a high demand for their services. The plans, for instance, allowed hospitals to operate with higher staffing ratios than they normally would, and allowed EMS services to focus on being available for emergency calls over time-consuming patient transfers. The state has never activated the
Hospitals statewide are deactivating crisis standards and COVID numbers continue to PHOTO BY JOHN INGOLD decline.
most well-known plan, which covers how hospitals choose which patients receive potentially life-saving treatment when there are not enough resources to go around. Colorado now has no crisis standards of care in effect. “The decision to deactivate these standards is based on recent modeling and steadily declining cases and hospitalizations, suggesting the immediate strain COVID-19 places on Colorado should continue to decrease in the coming weeks,” Dr. Eric France, the chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in a statement. The deactivation comes amid increasing hope that the pandemic is relaxing its grip in the state. The average number of new infections being reported per day is the lowest it has been since August. So is the number of people in the hospital with confirmed cases of COVID. The average percent-
age of COVID tests coming back positive is approaching the state’s goal of no more than 5%. Hospitals remain very full, with about 90% of the state’s staffed intensive care and acute care beds currently in use. But hospitals say they are starting to feel a little less pressure, though more than a third of hospitals say they are expecting to face a staffing shortage in the coming week. “We recognize that health care systems continue to face challenges due to chronic staffing issues across the economy, and we thank health care workers for their service protecting Coloradans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” France said in his statement. In early February, the state’s Combined Hospital Transfer Center, which helps move patients around when space is tight, moved to its lowest level of activation. When Pitkin County’s mask mandate ends on Feb. 22, there
will no longer be any county-wide mask orders in effect in the state. State health officials projected “cautious optimism” about the spread of COVID in the state, noting infections and hospitalizations were decreasing and that an estimated 90% of state residents are now immune to the highly transmissible omicron variant. Most are also protected against severe disease, state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said. Though the state continues to recommend that people wear masks indoors, lower disease rates suggest Colorado could soon return to a “more normal phase of living,” with residents able to make their own decisions about mask usage, COVID-19 Incident Commander Scott Bookman said. “We’re moving to a spot of personal choice coming up, I think, into March,” he said. “For those who are all up to date on their vaccine in their household, I think we’re reaching a point where they are going to be able to go back to living their lives with a bit more normalcy. For those who have vulnerable people in their home, for people who work with vulnerable populations, we may still need to see more precaution.” This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
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24 Parker Chronicle
LOCAL
SPORTS
March 3, 2022
Big third quarter helps Chaparral beat Palmer Luke Williams scores 24 in second-round 5A playoff game BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Luke Williams, a senior and team captain for the third-seeded Chaparral boys basketball team, didn’t like the way his Wolverines played in the first half of the Feb. 26 second round 5A playoff game against Palmer. Taking the team on his shoulders, Williams led Chaparral to a thirdquarter rally, outscoring the Terrors 30-10, leading to an 81-46 victory. Williams, a 5-foot-11 guard, scored 11 points in the third quarter. Gavin Carter put up three points in the quarter and Jeff Arstingstall and Joel Speckman each scored eight points. “We just wanted to make sure we got the win,” said Williams. “We said we had to pick it up. We were a little rusty. We hadn’t played in a week. The first half wasn’t good enough. We’ve got to come out stronger against better teams. I didn’t like the way we played but the second half showed more.” Williams had a banner game, finishing with 24 total points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Speckman, the 6-foot-9 senior, finished with 16 points and seven
Valor Christian’s Mariah Hilliard, 4, drives under the basket for a shot in the Feb. 25 girls 5A second-round playoff game against Mountain Vista. Hilliard scored the first seven points of the second half and finished with 12 points for the Eagles, PHOTO BY JIM BENTON who rolled to a 61-15 win.
rebounds. “We really guarded in the third quarter, which led to some easy looks on the other end,” said Chapparral Coach Nate Rohert. “We need to keep our edge, have two great practices, and be ready to go on Wednesday (March 2) for the Sweet 16.” Results for the March 2 contest were not available at press time. As of Feb. 28, Chapparral was 19-4 for the season, drawing a first round bye, facing 40th-seeded Mullen in a Sweet 16 contest. Elite Eight games are slated for March 5 at the Denver Coliseum. “We are playing more like a family and more together,” said Williams. “We took our defense more seriously.”
Chaparral senior Luke Williams, 20, keyed a third-quarter spurt that led to a lopsided 81-46 victory over Palmer in a 5A second round playoff game on Feb. 26. Williams PHOTO BY JIM BENTON finished the game with 24 points.
Valor overwhelms Mountain Vista 61-15 Raegan Beers continues to dominate with a double-double game BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Valor Christian basketball player Raegan Beers is making up for lost time this season. Beers, a 6-foot-3 senior who will be playing at Oregon State next season, scored 16 points, nabbed 12 rebounds and had four steals as top-seeded Valor overwhelmed Mountain Vista, 61-15, in a Class 5A second round girls playoff game on Feb. 25. In her junior year, Beers was forced to watch the Lady Eagles from the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury. “There is a huge difference,” admitted Beers. “Last year I had played with the players on the team for a long time of my career, and it was an adjustment sitting and watching them play. I am playing with a whole new team this year. “We are still learning each game
and practice. We are going to get better. It was frustrating last year, having to go out there and sit the bench and watch my team and best friends win the title without me. It was pretty tough but it was a great growing and learning experience for me. I feel like I missed out on last year so I feel like I have to get it back this year.” Early in the game, Valor had five different players score, jumping on a quick 17-2 run. With Mariah Hilliard scoring the first seven points in the third quarter, Valor continued to roll. Continuing to dominate on defense, the Lady Eagles held Mountain Vista to a scoreless second half. “I’m really proud of our defensive effort,” said Valor Coach Jessika Caldwell.“I feel like we’re moving in the right direction and I’m really proud of how we’re continuing to grow. I’m excited to see what this team is capable of.” Besides Beers, sophomore Hilliard and freshman Quinn Vansickle each had 12 points. Junior Macey Huard dropped 10 points SEE VALOR, P25
Raegan Beers of Valor Christian, 15, puts up a follow shot as one of her 16 points as the Eagles rolled to a 61-15 victory over Mountain Vista in a second-round girls 5A PHOTO BY JIM BENTON playoff game on Feb. 25.
Parker Chronicle 25
March 3, 2022
South metro boys hoops roundup Feb. 23: • Heritage trimmed Pine Creek, 53-51. • Cherry Creek rolled over Castle View, 73-47. • Highlands Ranch eliminated Arvada West, 62-55. • After a slow start, Heritage outscored Pine Creek by seven points in the second half to secure its win. Junior Henry Hossfeld led the Eagles with 18 points. Creek used big second and third quarters when the Bruins outscored the Sabercats by 18 points to advance into the second round. Creek shot 54% from the floor and had three players finish in double digits, led by senior Asher Hofzinger with 21 points. • Arapahoe, Valor Christian and Ponderosa lost opening games in the state 5A playoff bracket.
BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
South Metro teams that won second-round games on Feb. 26 included: • Top-seed ThunderRidge, which overcame a nine-point first-quarter deficit and edged Heritage, 54-48. • Mountain Vista topped Overland, 72-63. • Rock Canyon ousted Poudre, 66-46. • Vista and Rock Canyon clashed in a Sweet 16 matchup. • Douglas County defeated Columbine, 77-64. • Eaglecrest beat Highlands Ranch, 68-45 • Regis Jesuit got past Chatfield, 71-47. • Rangeview downed Cherry Creek, 54-51. In the first round of play on
South metro girls hoops roundup BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Valor Christian senior center Raegan Beers, 15, forces Mountain Vista’s Grace Roscoe, 42, to take a jump shot in the second-round 5A girls playoff game on Feb. 25. Beers had 16 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots as the top-seeded Eagles rolled to a PHOTO BY JIM BENTON 61-15 victory.
VALOR FROM PAGE 24
and snagged eight rebounds “We do have a lot of weapons and what is really good is you can take something away and we have other players that can score,” said Vansickle. “That’s what’s makes us dangerous. We have a lot of girls that can score.” Lily Boydstun was Mountain Vista’s leading scorer with six points. “We’re young,” said Golden Eagles Coach Mike Willahan. “We
have a lot of freshman and sophomores on this roster. We need to get a better seed next year when we’re not running into the No. 1 seed. Mountain Vist is currently 11-13 on the season. “At the startof the season we had to learn how to win and not to lose,” Willahan said.. “We were playing some of our best basketball down the stretch. Hats off the Valor. They are talented, loaded and have a good coach.” Valor, now 20-3, faced Air Academy in a Sweet 16 game on March 1. Resutls for the contest were not available at press time.
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As the 2021-22 season continues, girls basketbal teams continue to push toward the playoffs. Last week, several south metro teams hit the paint. Contests from last week included: • Highlands Ranch dominated Cherokee Trail, 73-43. • Cherry Creek rambled to a 68-37 victory over Vista Peak. • Chaparral rolled over Denver South, 62-34. • Mountain Vista and Legend were the only two south metro schools to win first-round games, which were played on Feb. 22.
• The Golden Eagles outlasted Rocky Mountain 65-57 and Legend got past Palmer, 62-52, to advance to the second round while teams from Ponderosa, Douglas County, Castle View and Rock Canyon lost openinground contests. • Legend jumped to a 13-point halftime lead in its win over Palmer. Freshman Mason Borcherding scored 20 points for the Titans and senior Hailey Houlberg had a doubledouble with 14 points and 11 rebounds. This week, south metro teams will continue to participate in the Great Eight games on March 4 at the Denver Coliseum.
Part-time Evening Trash Collector Up to $19/hour, 2-3 hours a night starting at 8pm. Doorstep trash collection within assigned apartment communities.
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26 Parker Chronicle
March 3, 2022
C R O S S W O R D LETTERS P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 12
RidgeGate RTD Station. Opposition to accepting any federal funds under CDBG has for several years denied the residents of Douglas County financial support to important programs such as Tall Tales Ranch. My experience with Lora Thomas over the years has been as someone who works for our community, often for those poorly represented, and she has proven to be compassionate, fiscally aware, innovative and strong. All qualities that Douglas County residents need in their next sheriff. Greggory S. LaBerge, Denver Attack on Lora Thomas won’t fly On Feb. 17 this newspaper published a letter to the editor that some might have read as indicating that Lora Thomas, who is running for Douglas County sheriff, is endorsed by outgoing Sheriff Spurlock. She is not. Spurlock is a supporter of the Red Flag Law that Thomas has always condemned as unconstitutional. Similarly, calling her a “RINO” and a “liberal” will strike Douglas County residents as ridiculous. The citizens of this county know and trust Lora Thomas as a conscientious steward of taxpayer money and champion of law and order, the most qualified candidate to run a sheriff’s department suffering from infighting, chaos and serious management problems. A 26-year veteran of the Colorado Highway Patrol and the first woman captain and then major in its history, she knows law enforcement. With her AA in criminal justice, BA in finance and MBA from Regis University, she has cut costs, including slashing the coroner’s department budget by a third, refunding $1.5 million to Dougco taxpayers over her coroner’s term. As a leader in pioneering community response teams (CRT),
pairing a specially-trained police officer with a mental health clinician, Thomas proposed a CRT especially for schoolkids following the tragic 2019 STEM shootings. Lora Thomas is the only candidate combining management skills, extensive law enforcement experience, plus a creative approach to current problems. Anyone attempting to defame and discredit her will only discredit himself. Joy Overbeck, Parker 35 years of Parker Task Force It is with gratitude that I pay tribute to the community-minded individuals that came together 35 years ago to form the Parker Task Force for Human Services. Parker Task Force was created in February 1987 as an all-volunteer nonprofit organization and remains so to this day. While the organization has grown and added programs and services, the nucleus is the food bank serving the communities of Parker, Franktown and Elizabeth. I commend the many volunteers, past and present, who have generously volunteered to serve their neighbors in need. Their commitment enables the organization to operate effectively and efficiently with a spirit of caring. The giving nature of the Parker area community is amazing. Community food drives are still the primary way that the shelves of the food bank are stocked. The Town of Parker continues to be supportive and provided the floor space in various town buildings for the first 27 years of Parker Task Force operations. Thank you to everyone who has helped the Parker Task Force to carry out its mission of providing food and limited financial assistance to those in need in our community. Together we make a difference. Steve Budnack, Parker Volunteer chairman
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Parker Chronicle 31
March 3, 2022
More students attend Colorado charter schools However, access is not equal BY ERICA MELTZER CHALKBEAT COLORADO
More Colorado students than ever are enrolled in charter schools, and those students posted higher test scores than those of students in district-run schools during a pandemic-disrupted school year. At the same time, Colorado charter schools continue to enroll students with disabilities at some of the lowest rates in the nation, and many parents don’t think charter schools will accommodate kids with specialized education plans related to disabilities. Two recent report point to the potential promise of charter schools and changes that still need to happen for them to function like truly public schools, open to all students. More than 15% of all Colorado students now attend charter schools, putting the state third behind only Arizona and Washington, D.C., for proportion of charter school enrollment, according to a report from the Keystone Policy Center, a nonprofit that works on a wide range of policy issues. Charter school enrollment rose during the pandemic even as enrollment in traditional district-run schools declined. The analysis excluded online charter schools, which also at-
Charter school enrollment continues to rise according to recent data.
tracted more students during the pandemic. “Enrollment didn’t drop in the charters, and it actually grew, which suggests something about how the schools were interacting with their communities,” Senior Policy Director Van Schoales said. Colorado did not closely track whether schools offered remote or in-person learning in the 202021 school year, and many charter schools followed the COVID practices of the district in which they were located, so it’s hard to say how remote learning shaped parent choices. General frustration with pandemic schooling may have
SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
prompted more families to exercise school choice. Families that wanted fewer COVID restrictions as well as those who wanted more safety precautions might have found options among charter schools, said Alex Medler, executive director of the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers, who was not involved in the Keystone report. “Everything has been massively disrupted, so parents who might not have thought to exercise choice have become more motivated to do so,” he said. The Keystone Policy Center also found that charter schools on average had higher participation in state standardized tests than
did district-run schools and their students performed better. And while test scores are often strongly tied to students’ race and socioeconomic background, that was less true at charter schools, the report found. At the same time, there was considerable variation among charter schools, with some posting dramatically worse results than those of district-run schools. “It’s easier when you have freedom and flexibility to either do really well or fail really hard,” Schoales said. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat Colorado. More at chalkbeat.org.
www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices
PUBLIC NOTICES
Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Bids and Settlements Public Notice INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #011-22 JANITORIAL SERVICES for DOUGLAS COUNTY FACILITIES The Department of Facilities, Fleet and Emergency Support Services of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests bids from responsible and qualified firms for the provision of Janitorial Services, as specified, at various Douglas County buildings. The IFB documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. IFB documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website. While the IFB documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic bid responses. Bid responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “IFB No. 011-22, Janitorial Services for Douglas County Facilities” and mailed or hand-carried to the address shown below prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed
bid responses will not be accepted. Bids will be received until 2:00pm on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Bids will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any bids so received will be returned unopened. Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said bid and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the successful bidder. Please direct any questions concerning this IFB to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-6607434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Legal Notice No. 941584 First Publication: March 3, 2022 Last Publication: March 3, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) #003-22 OPEN SPACE ON-CALL GATE (MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & INSTALLATION) SERVICES The Department of Open Space and Natural Resources (OSNR) of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully
legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com
requests qualifications and pricing from responsible and qualified individuals/firms to assist the County, on an as-needed basis, with gate maintenance, repairs, and installation at various County Open Space properties. Individual projects/ services will be discussed, negotiated, and issued as required throughout the 2022 calendar year. The RFQ documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. The RFQ documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website. RFQ responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “RFQ #003-22, Open Space On-Call Gate Services” prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed responses will not be accepted. RFQ responses will be received until 2:00 p.m., on Friday, March 18, 2022 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any responses so received will be returned unopened. Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all responses, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said response and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items and/or services with the successful firm.
Please direct any questions concerning this RFQ to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor at 303660-7434 or criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Legal Notice No. 941578 First Publication: March 3, 2022 Last Publication: March 3, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #004-22 OPEN SPACE TRAIL & TRAILHEAD MAINTENANCE
While the IFB documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic bid responses. Bid responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “IFB No. 004-22, Open Space Trail & Trailhead Maintenance” and mailed or hand-carried to the address shown below prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed bid responses will not be accepted. Bids will be received until 3:00pm on Friday, March 18, 2022 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Bids will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any bids so received will be returned unopened.
The Department of Open Space and Natural Resources (OSNR) of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests bids from responsible and qualified companies for the provision of Open Space Trail & Trailhead Maintenance, as specified. The County’s intent is to award to only one (1) company for services related to Open Space Trail & Trailhead Maintenance; however, the results of this IFB do not obligate the County in any manner. The bid responses, fees, reference checks, and past-experience will all be considered in the evaluation process.
Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said bid and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the successful bidder.
The IFB documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. IFB documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.
Legal Notice No. 941583 First Publication: March 3, 2022 Last Publication: March 3, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press
Please direct any questions concerning this IFB to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-6607434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
###
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