We found the first one for you!
October 6, 2016 VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 27 | FREE
Count the pink ribbons in this week’s paper! Enter your guess online at CastleRockNewsPress.net for a chance to win weekly prizes! Brought to you by
See ad inside for details. Winner will be announced in next week’s paper.
CastleRockNewsPress.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS
Autistic student’s case goes to top court Parents seeking reimbursement for cost of sending the boy to a private school By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Val Lovenstein harvests some of the last raspberries of the season at the Hidden Mesa Research and Demonstration Orchard in Franktown on Sept. 20. The orchard donated over 2,500 pounds of produce to the Parker Task Force this year, benefitting families who use the food bank there. Photo by Tom Skelley
Fruits, vegetables of their labor Research orchard provides produce to Parker Task Force By Tom Skelley tskelley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A
fall breeze cut through the endof-summer sun in Franktown, a cool signal to volunteers at the Hidden Mesa Research and Demonstration Orchard to bring in the last crops of
the season. Green thumbs from the Douglas County Master Gardener program gathered the remaining canary melons, lemon cucumbers, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables as roosters and chickens continued their patrol for freeloading grasshoppers. “I thought it was a great year overall,” said Andy Hough, environmental resources coordinator for Douglas County’s Division of Open Space and
Natural Resources, of the late September harvesting. The orchard — which also shares its bounty with the Parker Task Force — is in its fifth year of trying out new cultivation methods and various crops that can thrive in Colorado’s temperamental climate. This season’s above-average temperatures had some positive and negative Orchard continues on Page 10
Chefs compete in world food contest
The United States Supreme Court has announced it will hear the case of an autistic Douglas County School District student whose parents say he wasn’t provided with the level of public education required by federal law. They are seeking reimbursement for the child’s tuition and related expenses at a private school. The question centers on what educational benefits are guaranteed to a child with disabilities by a public school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The case, which dates to 2010, will likely not be heard by the Supreme Court until at least 2017. The student involved is identified only as Endrew F. in court documents. He attended Summit View Elementary School in Highlands Ranch. The suit was filed through his parents, Joseph F. and Jennifer F., according to the documents. The attorney for the family is listed as Jack D. Robinson, with Spies, Powers and Robinson, P.C., of Denver. Robinson said the case would prove that the standard of a “free appropriate public education” is set too low, and that students with disabilities deserve a meaningful education. Court continues on Page 14
Jeff Gebott and Adam Feinberg participated in Taste of Douglas County By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Adam Feinberg, left, and Jeff Gebott, right, will compete at the 2016 World Food Championships in November. Courtesy photo
Two chefs who participated in this year’s Taste of Douglas County event will soon be competing in the 2016 World Food Championships. Jeff Gebott is a Top 3 chef from the Taste of Douglas County competition. He’s also a general manager and corporate chef with Southern Hospitality, a barbecue restaurant in Lone Tree. The Justin Timberlake-backed restaurant chain also has locations in Denver and Colorado Springs.
Find all of this week’s advertisers online
ShopLocalColorado.com Please support our local advertisers for their contribution to keeping our community connected, and tell them you found them in the News-Press!
Chefs continues on Page 14
PUMPKIN TIME
It isn’t autumn without the popular flavoring added to just about everything. PAGE 16
CASTLE ROCK NEWS-PRESS OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 5 p.m. Classifieds: Tue. 8 a.m. Obituaries: Mon. 4 p.m. Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.