South Metro Fire to hold spring election

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

South Metro Fire Rescue, a re rescue authority that serves approximately 560,000 people in the south Denver metro area, will hold an election this spring to select four members of its board of directors. e agency will accept self-nominations through Feb. 24. e agency covers many cities and towns, including Bow Mar, Castle Pines, Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Fox eld, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker, along with nearby unincorporated portions of Arapahoe, Je erson, and Douglas counties.

South Metro Fire Rescue is governed by a seven-member board of directors who are publicly elected and oversee an annual budget of more than $127 million, according to the agency’s website.

Each board member represents a speci c geographical portion of the overall re district, known as a director district, the agency explained in a 2020 governing body document.

Four of the directors’ terms expire in 2023, including Sue Roche of District 1, Jim Albee of District 3, Cindy Hathaway of District 4 and Renee Anderson of District 5. e agency announced the election will be held May 2 and it will be a mail ballot election. e director position is a fouryear term and people can nominate themselves for one of the four open seats. According to the agency’s website, all candidates must complete a self-nomination form and either email the completed form to DEO@southmetro.org or hand deliver the form to 9195 E. Mineral Ave.

Ballots will be mailed to all eligible electors between April 11 and April 18, per the agency’s website. ere will not be an election precinct or polling place, but ballots can be dropped o at 9195 E. Mineral Ave. in Centennial, according to the agency’s resolution about the election.

Residents who are interested in learning more about the election and how to become a candidate can nd information, including the self-nomination form, at bit.ly/ southmetronom. ose who wish to check which district they live in and who represents them can visit: bit. ly/southmetromap.

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When it comes to procuring wood, Pickrel said he tries to be a good steward of the land.

“A tree is an amazing thing to me. I love trees,” Pickrel said. “I don’t like it when dudes just go knock down trees because they think there’s money in it. A good live tree just kind of needs to be there.”

So Pickrel typically buys his slabs — long, lengthwise cuts from large tree trunks — from small businesses with sustainable practices. He said he looks for folks that are not clear cutting but are, instead, removing trees that are already dead.

Wood from these trees often have knots, holes or other irregularities that result in slabs with more character and beauty than average, run-of-the-mill lumber, according to Pickrel.

“ ey’re a lot funner to work with,” he said.

While someone in his family was always building something where he grew up in rural Colorado, Pickrel himself hasn’t always been in the woodworking business. He spent four years in the Navy before getting a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and pursuing a career in information technology.

But, ultimately, IT wasn’t the right path for him, so he left the industry eight years ago and started “making more sawdust” at his father’s sawmill, Mountain Heart Woodworks, in Elbert. In time, Pickrel started his own business designing and constructing custom wood furniture alongside his father’s operation. e showroom in Parker is an extension of the wood shop and sawmill in Elbert and gives Blacksheep Woods a presence in the Denver metro area.

“We work really closely together out there. … ere’s a strong tie between us and Mountain Heart Woodworks,” he said.

Already a part of the woodworking community, Pickrel looks forward to becoming a part of the Parker community as well. More than a location to sell his wares, Pickrel hopes the new storefront evolves into a place where people that love wood can come out and enjoy it and each other — whether they’re a woodworker, a builder, an interior designer or retail customer.

“I want it to be a cool place to come to, not just a regular old business,” he said.