February 25, 2016
VOTING STARTS NEXT WEEK!
VOLUME 114 | ISSUE 17 | 75¢
DouglasCountyNewsPress.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
MAD Week helps former child slaves School in Ghana trains young people saved from forced labor By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@coloradocommunitymedia.com Jessie Teerman, the American director of the Ghana-based Challenging Heights School, told stories of children who were taken from their homes and families against their will and made to be workers. Most days, they only eat a single meal. For these children, going to school is not an option. “We run a rescue program for kids who
Lexi Kagan, an 11thgrader at Castle View High School, speaks to her classmates during the kickoff rally for MAD Week. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando
have been enslaved and made to do forced labor in Ghana,” Teerman said. “We rescue kids, but we can’t accommodate many more without room.” Castle View High School students hope they can help by raising $30,000 during their Make A Difference Week to aid the school in Ghana. The amount would be enough to build three new classrooms and accommodate 300 additional students per year, Teerman said during the Feb. 19 MAD Week rally at the Castle Rock school. Other Douglas County high schools also have similar events, mostly called Wish Week, MAD continues on Page 11
PRINCESSES GATHER AT CASTLE
Castle Rock Parkway to be four lanes Capacity needs, traffic flow examined as town moves forward on road projects By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Princess Elsa talks to tea party attendants at Cherokee Ranch and Castle. Photos by Shanna Fortier
E
Kaelyn Cornella, 6, of Castle Rock, attends the tea party with her sister and cousin.
lsa and Anna weren’t the only princesses at Cherokee Ranch and Castle on Feb. 20. The great hall of the historic castle in Sedalia hosted a sold-out group of young princesses for an afternoon tea. The Princess Tea Party is held three times a year, coordinating with the change in seasons. “It’s the perfect place for a princess to come to a real castle,” said Abby Burch, marketing and event coordinator at Cherokee Ranch and Castle. “We wanted to make it fun for the little kids by doing a princess tea.”
Evelyn Cornella, 3, of Parker, makes her way to her table with a plate of goodies.
Additional improvements to the North Meadows Extension Project will include widening Castle Rock Parkway — a new road which initially began as a two-lane project in October 2013 — to four lanes. Additions will also include adding bypass lanes to the roundabout at the I-25 interchange. “We’re reacting to the market and anticipating the traffic now and the additional capacity needed,” said Bob Goebel, public works director for Castle Rock. Castle Rock Parkway is located between Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 85 and was scheduled to be completed this summer. The recently approved decision to make this road four lanes instead of two is not expected to change the completion date of the project. “This is a no-brainer,” said Castle Rock Mayor Paul Donahue. “Anything we can do to improve the flow of traffic from the beginning … I’m really happy we are able to do this.” Both the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and the Castle Rock Town Council voted to move forward with project additions at their respective Feb. 16 meetings. The additional improvements could add another $2 million to the $66 million price tag already on the North Meadows Extension. Of that $2 million, Douglas County will pay up to $750,000 and Castle Rock will cover the rest. “We see the regional benefit of having the connection,” said Art Griffith, Douglas County’s public improvement project Traffic continues on Page 11
DOUGLAS COUNTY NEWS-PRESS (ISSN 1067-425X) (USPS 567-060) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 | PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Douglas County, Colorado, the News-Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 5 p.m. | Classifieds: Tue. 8 a.m. | Obits: Mon. 4 p.m. | Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.