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October 27, 2016 VOLUME 114 | ISSUE 52 | 75¢
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DouglasCountyNewsPress.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Speeding a problem, neighbors say But police say data shows street has little evidence of violations
By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com Jennifer Toole hears engines revving and cars speeding along Butterfield Crossing Drive on warm summer nights. But not during the day. Nearby neighbor Jane Pepin says, despite occasional speeding, drivers overall travel at a reasonable pace on the street. But for Bryan Ren, and many other residents along Butterfield Crossing Drive between North Meadows Drive and Meadows Boulevard — an approximate one-mile, two-lane residential road in Castle Rock — speeding is a real concern. “There’s a lot of people driving way too fast,” said Ren, who lives at the corner of Butterfield Crossing Drive and North Sungold Lane. The issue of speeding on the street,
particularly among young people — Butterfield Crossing Drive directly faces the entrance to Castle View High School — has come to the forefront following the recent death of a student in a car crash a few blocks away. Castle Rock Police Department data shows a few, mostly fender-bender accidents along Butterfield Crossing Drive, none related to speeding. But many residents living along the street say speeding is a persistent problem. “People just fly up and down this road,” said Scott Davies, who also lives at Butterfield Crossing Drive and North Sungold Lane. Police and witnesses say Castle View senior Kyra Connolly, 17, was driving on the wrong side of the road Sept. 20 when her vehicle sideswiped another car and collided head-on with a Douglas County School District truck. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. Speeding continues on Page 12
Police info, traffic study finds average speed below posted limit By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com Castle Rock Police Department data shows that between January and Sept. 21 police wrote 39 citations to drivers on Butterfield Crossing Drive. In that same time frame, six traffic accidents occurred along Butterfield Crossing Drive. Last year, it was 10. That list included mostly fender benders or parking lot accidents from nearby Butterfield Crossing Park, Police Chief Jack Cauley said. None were related to speeding, which he said is important to note.
An event as serious as the one that claimed Castle View senior Kyra Connolly’s life is an “anomaly” for the area, Cauley said. A traffic study from 2013 found that 85 percent of drivers on Butterfield Crossing Drive, both east and westbound, traveled between 36 and 37 mph. The speed limit is 35 mph. The average speed of vehicles was 32 mph, and an average of 5,000 vehicles passed along the road each day. For residents who believe speeding or hazardous driving issues exist in their neighborhood, the town offers a Study continues on Page 12
Grants boost trails $3 million extends East Plum Creek route
By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A sizable crowd gathered on Oct. 21 for the screening of “Auto Shop of Horrors,” a film shot in Castle Rock last year. Here, John Manka helps introduce the film. Manka owns the auto shop where the movie was filmed. Photo by Jessica Gibbs
Movie shot at local body shop reaches public via special screenings By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A
film shot in Castle Rock last year is complete. “Auto Shop of Horrors” has been made available to the public through screenings in Wyoming, Denver and as of Oct. 21, Castle Rock. The storyline follows a serialkiller mechanic who believes eating enough human eyeballs will enable him to see the future. And, the gory deaths of his customers live up to the horror-film genre. An audience that attended the Oct. 21 screening held at the Doug-
“I’m always looking for fun and interesting characters.” Paul Neal Rohrer, actor, “Auto Shop of Horrors”
Thanks to $3 million in grants from Great Outdoors Colorado, Castle Rock’s East Plum Creek Trail and a regional trail project begun by Douglas County that will connect Highlands Ranch to Parker are on their way to completion. Great Outdoors Colorado, or GOCO, invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds in state parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. The grants are two of Grants continues on Page 9
las County Fairgrounds cringed for the victims and laughed during the movie’s moments of comedic relief. All the crew and actors are from Colorado and one of the main characters, Paul Neal Rohrer, has lived in Castle Rock since 1987. The acting coach and actor said it was an easy
and fun project to shoot. He plays the detective who investigates the missing-person cases in town. “I’m always looking for fun and interesting characters,” Rohrer said. “This was one.”
STATE BATTLES
Movie continues on Page 9
Softball teams move into the final part of the season with tournament games. PAGES 25 and 26
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.