Elbert County News 0126

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TACKLING THE ISSUES: County Commissioner Danny Willcox talks about his goals and priorities P5

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CALENDAR: PAGE 5 | VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 121 | ISSUE 51

2 Elbert County News

January 26, 2017J

‘They’ve drawn a line in the sand’ Development application sets up fight between residents, owners

BY TOM SKELLEY TSKELLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Diana Love moved to Franktown from Glendora, California, 21 years ago, looking to get away from the big city and enjoy the rural living that members of her family enjoyed in Douglas County.

“We fell in love with it,” she said.

“We wanted out of the city and a place with a little bit of room around us.”

Now she and other residents of the small community south of Parker fear the city is coming to them.

An application is pending with the Douglas County Planning Commission for Franktown Village, a proposed development at the intersection of Route 83 and Route 86. If approved, the 106.9-acre development could double Franktown’s population — which was 395 as of the 2010 census — and attract more commercial traffic, threatening the agrarian lifestyle residents cherish.

Plans for Franktown Village include 286 dwelling units of singlefamily homes, duplexes and townhomes and 180,000 square feet of com-

Diana Love, president of the Franktown Citizens Coalition II, holds tight to her research into the Franktown Village development, and to her hopes of stopping it from being approved. Love and 300 members of the coalition started an online petition and set up a website to unite their efforts.

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Love, a retired attorney, heads the Franktown Citizens Coalition II, a 300-member nonprofit that organized last year to stop Franktown Village. The group has hired a water rights attorney and is looking for a land use attorney. An online peti-

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“We’re hearing from people in Elizabeth, in Parker, in Castle Rock,” Love said. “People are very riled up and very worried.”

Jack Reutzel, an attorney representing property owners Russ

Burgett and Pat Carroll, said water for the development will come from different aquifers than the one residents’ wells use and more water will be piped in from outside of the area. He said central water and sewage systems could alleviate current issues with depleted wells, but such a system could only be approved if the area has higher population density.

“We’re not doing anything that would require an amendment to the (Douglas County) master plan,” he said.

As for the question of lifestyle, Reutzel said the two sides simply disagree on the definition of the term “rural” in the Douglas County Master Plan.

Planning commission hearings on the application have been repeatedly postponed. Reutzel said he is finalizing details in the application about off-site water sources and doesn’t want to “fast track” any changes.

He estimated the plan would come before the planning commission in March.

Love said she and Reutzel met in November, and their discussions were “above board.” For his part, Reutzel agreed, but they both acknowledged things likely won’t be as friendly when they face off in front of county officials.

“It’s going to be a long fight,” Love said. “People are angry — they’ve draw a line in the sand.”

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January 26, 2017J

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Special Education Director Kim Morrison sits with Jacob Arguello as he enjoys some hard-earned free time.

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11000 S. Dransfeldt Rd

BY JODI HORNER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Elizabeth School District currently has 270 students on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and Special Education Director Kim Morrison knows each of them by name.

“It’s easier for me to establish a rapport because of the smaller size of our district — it’s a luxury.”

Upon her arrival in Elizabeth five years ago, she quickly pursued status for the district to function as an administrative unit, which the state granted.

“We used to be part of a board of multiple districts,” she explained. One of the greatest benefits is the ability to keep the Elizabeth special education students within the district rather than busing them to other locations for services.

Another advantage as an administrative unit is having more control over how funding is allocated.

“Although funding hasn’t really changed, the way it is used has changed,” said Superintendent Bissonette. There are more full-time staff as opposed to contracted employees, for example, which fosters more continuity for the students and team.

Because of the size of the district, it is unlikely that any child with needs is overlooked.

“We look at each child individually,” Morrison said. “If we see a student struggling in any way, shape, or form, we’re going to either have them in the RTI (response to intervention) process and we’re going to be providing intervention, or the teacher is going to refer them for special-ed assessment.”

If a parent has concerns about their child’s academic they can submit a request in writing to have the child assessed by the district.

Morrison also spearheaded streamlining the IEP process within the district.

Sharla Benkendorf assists Mason Wyatt as he works on a writing project.

“One of the big things we had in the beginning was I questioned the IEP process,” Morrison said, referring to the lack of consistency. “I don’t question that anymore, I can go into any building on any given day and I know what to expect.”

The district provides a continuum of services. The Opportunity Program assists students who are working through behavioral problems. Counselor Margaret Ann McKee supports students as they strive to build skills that will enable them to become mainstreamed.

“I am impressed with these guys, they’ve worked really hard to get their behaviors back so they can get to a Gen Ed classroom,” McKee said.

“They have individualized goals. We work at trying to create a wholistic plan for them, teaching them selfadvocacy skills.”

The entire special education staff includes two occupational therapists, three speech language pathologists, three psychologists and 16 special education teachers district-wide. Elizabeth also contracts through the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, based in Colorado Springs.

Morrison credits “the team” with transforming the special education program into what it is today.

“Our staff is extremely passionate about what they do here and what’s best for our kids,” Morrison said. “I feel like they are looking out for our kids’ best interests.”

Elbert County News 5

January 26, 2017

Q&A with Elbert County Commissioner Danny Willcox Official brings experience in budgeting, human resources

BY JODI HORNER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Danny Willcox was appointed as county commissioner of District II by the Elbert County Republican Party Vacancy Committee last fall. He was elected to the position in November and will serve four years, at which time he must vacate since he completed the last portion of a first term.

Willcox has lived in Elbert County for nearly 23 years with his wife, Beth.

“It was easy to build something on your own, which is one main reason we chose Elbert County — and we really liked the lot, of course,” he said.

Willcox has three grown children and a 1-year-old granddaughter, Piper.

“We tend to work out avidly,” he said of the spare time he and Beth share.

Their outdoor activities include golfing, snowmobiling, ATV-riding in the mountains and boating.

What is your background/relevant experience for the role of Elbert County commissioner?

I retired as a deputy chief of Aurora Fire Department, where I gained the skills and experience to lead governmental organizations. A paramount focus in the fire service is team building. Often your safety and survival was dependent on the performance of others. The commissioners and elected officials must function as a team, for we are equals and the operations of the county are

dependent on our ability to work together. I am confident the incoming commissioners, Chris (Richardson) and Grant (Thayer), share this philosophy and we will work together to serve the citizens of Elbert County. Additionally, I have served as an executive member of the county’s Republican Party and have enjoyed living in Elbert County Willcox for over 22 years.

Why did you decide to run for county commissioner?

I ran for commissioner for a very simple reason. Several members of the Republican Party approached me asking if I would fill a vacant commissioner position. At the time, I was heavily involved in the party, however, not as much in the operations of county. I discussed the environment of the county with many individuals. After contemplating the many discussions, I believed that I might have something to offer. I made the decision to fill the vacancy and run for the remainder of the term. I am committed to learn and do the best job possible. This is where we raised our family and intend to live for the rest of our lives.

What do you see as the greatest challenge you face, and how will you deal with it?

The greatest challenge we will face is restoring the trust of the citizens, employees and fellow commissioners. You cannot restore this trust by publishing an article that states you’re a trustworthy person. Trust, like respect, is earned, and Chris, Grant and I are committed to serving the citizens in a way that will restore

THINGS TO DO Elizabeth Library Book Sale: gently used books for children and adults for sale in the book sale room at the Elizabeth Library.

Stocked by Friends of the Elizabeth Library.

All donations from book sales benefit the Elizabeth Library.

Future Huskie DC Poms/Dance Clinic: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at Douglas County High School, 2842 Front St., Castle Rock, in the South Commons. Open to dancers ages 4-12. Parent performance to follow.

Contact Britany Ederveen at beederveen@ dcsdk12.org for cost and registration information.

Philip S. Miller Library Blood Drive: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at 100 S. Wilcox St., Castle Rock. Inside Meeting Room West. Contact the Bonfils Appointment Center at 303-363-2300 or bonfils. org.

Practice Your English: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Parker Library, 20105 E. Mainstreet. Informal conversation on everyday topics for intermediate to advanced English learners ages 17-plus. No registration required; contact 303-791-7323 or DCL.org.

Crossroads Community Church Blood Drive: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29,

at 9900 S. Twenty Mile Road, Parker. In the adult classroom. Contact the Bonfils Appointment Center at 303-363-2300 or bonfils.org.

Outback Express Public Transit Service: provided through the East Central Council of Local Governments, provides travel to Elbert County residents. Call Kay Campbell, Kiowa, at 719- 541-4275 for reservations; 24-hour notice requested. Go to http://outbackexpress.tripod.com. February schedule: Simla and Matheson to Colorado Springs, Monday, Feb. 6; Simla and Matheson to Limon, Thursday, Feb. 23; Kiowa, Elizabeth and Elbert to Parker or Colorado Springs, Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Tuesday, Feb. 21; Elizabeth to Colorado Springs or Parker, Tuesday, Feb. 14; Good Samaritan Nursing Home residents Thursday, Feb. 9.

Immunity Boosts to Avoid Getting Sick: 4-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at the Grow Youth Center in the To the Rescue Building, 10355 S. Progress Way, Parker. Taught

by Evelyn Halpin, holistic nutritionist. Call 303-931-8026 or go to www.GrowCommunityCenter.org.

SEE CALENDAR, P16

their faith in county governance, specifically at the commissioner level. It will take time and I am sure that respect, professionalism, active listening and thoughtful, unselfish decision-making processes will be an important part of our endeavor to restore their trust.

I cannot emphasize how important it is that we demonstrate behavior that is respectful and professional in the eyes of our citizens and fellow county employees. We must be more open regarding how our decisions are made and include pertinent history when applicable. We will never satisfy all; however, feeling confident that we have exercised all avenues of research in our decisions and acted without emotion will lead us to better outcomes.

Lately, the Elbert County Board of Commissioners has suffered the loss of much public trust. Describe why the public can trust you, and what is your plan to restore public trust in the Elbert County government?

I have extensive experience in governmental budgeting and human resources. I am limited in the planning arena. However, both fellow commissioners have extensive backgrounds in our local planning process. This is valuable for our focus on future development and insuring that our infrastructure is improved and protected is paramount. We manage this in our regulations and planning requirements. Our goal is

to have development not only pay for itself but to produce needed revenue for our county while protecting the look and feel of our environment.

Secondly we are committed to protecting our water supply. While surrounded by counties who are less conservative with water, it is imperative that we maintain our conservation efforts and then do everything possible to forecast the lifespan of our water. Now, we are actively involved in two projects that can do just that. Additionally, we will need to research and recruit commercial development to significantly increase the revenue side of the budget.

Elbert County is feeling a push for growth.

As a commissioner, how do you plan on working to make sure the county’s infrastructure and water supply keep up with the growing population?

The answer to this question is solely dependent on the desires and then the voters in Elbert County. Personally, I am not in favor of increasing taxes or mill levies to increase revenue. If the citizens expressed a desire to increase taxes or mill levies for a specific purpose, we would then be proactive on developing a plan to ensure that the funding is appropriated and accounted for correctly.

Historically, Elbert County has proposed increases where the intended use of the funding is either vague or oversold. This has been problematic and in some degree and has led to the mistrust in county commissioners.

6 Elbert County News

January 26, 2017J

Driver who killed motorcyclists gets 20 years in prison Philip S. Miller Grant applications due Jan. 31 Applications are accepted through Jan. 31, 2017 for the 2017 Philip S. Miller funds. For applicant requirements and details visit www.douglas.co.us and search for Miller Grants or contact Dru Campbell at 303-660-7401.

Do you ever have snow removal questions?

Visit www.douglas.co.us and search for snow to view information on snow and ice removal in unincorporated Douglas County.

Interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child?

Attend a free information session from 6-7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6 at the Highlands Ranch Library, 9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd. For more information call 303636-1KID or to register online visit http://jeffco.us/ collaborative-foster-care/information-night/

Art Encounters Call for Entries Have you considered submitting your artwork to the Douglas County Art Encounters public art program?

All applications for entry must be received via online entry at www.callforentry.org (How to Apply tab) no later than Feb. 11. Selected work will be on display from May 2017-June 2018. For more information visit www. douglas.co.us/artencounters/

Are you a Douglas County property owner?

The week of Jan. 16 Douglas County property owners were mailed their property tax notification. Visit www. douglascotax.com to pay your taxes online or www. douglas.co.us/treasurer for more information.

Online Engagement Tool of the Week

Request service, ask questions, share concerns, get involved. Visit www.douglas.co.us/about-us/citizens-connect/

Visit www.douglas.co.us

Athina Munoz was under the influence of alcohol when she crashed into Parker couple

BY TOM SKELLEY TSKELLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Athina Munoz, the driver who killed two motorcyclists near Franktown last year while texting and driving under the influence, received a 20-year prison sentence in front of a packed courtroom Jan. 20.

“There is no other way to classify what happened… as anything but a tragedy,” said Judge Shay A. Whitaker, adding that the crash “was not an accident, but a series of bad choices that ended in tragedy.”

In October, Munoz, 28, pleaded guilty to two class-3 felony counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol, causing a Feb. 27 crash that killed Brian and Jacquie Lehner of Parker and

injured another motorcyclist, Joseph Bartoletti of Colorado Springs. The charges carried a maximum sentence of 24 years and $750,000 in fines.

Munoz swerved out of the southbound lane of Highway 83 near North Russellville Road, crossing the median and striking two motorcycles, one carrying Bartoletti Munoz and the other carrying the Lehners.

At the scene, Munoz confessed to a police officer that she had been drinking and smoking marijuana in the hours before the crash. The Parker woman also admitted to checking a text message just before drifting into the northbound lane.

More than 100 people, many of them family and friends of the victims, came to the Douglas County Justice Center in Castle Rock for the sentencing, filling the courtroom and much of another room dedicated to accommodating the large crowd.

SEE MUNOZ, P7

Governor wants tax boost on pot sales, some homes State constitutional spending rules play part in school funding shortfall

BY JAMES ANDERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

Faced with complex rules on state spending, the governor of Colorado is proposing higher taxes on marijuana sales and on some homes owned by seniors to fully fund public schools.

Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper’s administration says the moves are needed to close an anticipated $106 million deficit in K-12 funding in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

In a letter sent late Jan. 17 to lawmakers, Henry Sobanet, director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, said raising the recreational pot special sales tax from 10 percent to 12 percent and reducing a senior homestead exemption on property taxes from $200,000 to $100,000 would close the schools deficit.

The exemption applies to people 65 and older who have lived in their home for at least 10 years.

“We really have to fix school funding in the big picture. We just can’t throw senior tax exemption money at the problem and expect it to make a difference,” Republican Rep. Bob Rankin said Jan. 18.

The proposals stem in part from a 1982 amendment to the Colorado

Constitution that requires that nonresidential property taxes provide a greater share of the state budget than residential property taxes.

Residential taxes help fund public schools but are expected to drop by $135 million in fiscal 2017-18, as the state shifts funding to comply with the rule known as the Gallagher Amendment.

The move became necessary because residential property values have grown faster in recent years than nonresidential values, It’s just one spending rule — in addition to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights that limits what the state government can collect in taxes — that led Hickenlooper to urge lawmakers to seriously address chronically underfunded schools.

Voters in 2015 approved the 10 percent sales tax on recreational pot — a rate set to drop to 8 percent on July 1. The money has gone to regulation of the marijuana industry, anti-drug efforts and a fund that helps schools with some expenses related to construction.

Former Democratic Sen. Pat Steadman, main author of the 2015 measure, said he worried that a higher tax could fuel the illegal pot market at a time when Hickenlooper wants to crack down on illegal sales.

The pot sales tax plus a regular state sales tax generated more than $48 million between July and December, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Elbert County News 7

January 26, 2017

Construction defects bill introduced Bipartisan measure addresses insurers’ legal costs

BY KYLE HARDING KHARDING@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Reforming Colorado’s construction defects laws in order to incentivize the building of condominiums and townhomes has emerged as a priority for both Republicans and Democrats early in the legislative session.

State Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Cañon City, and House Speaker Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, are prime sponsors of a bill tackling the issue, with co-sponsorship from House Assistant Minority Leader Cole Wist, R-Centennial, and Sen. Angela Williams, D-Denver.

“This is the first step in a multi-tier process to help Coloradans attain a home of their own, and I am pleased to be a part of this critical legislation,” Wist said in a statement.

Senate Bill 17-045 was introduced Jan. 11, the first day of the session, and has been assigned to the senate Business, Labor and Technology Commit-

tee. It targets insurance rates.

In construction defects actions in court in which more than one insurer has a duty to defend a party, the bill would require the court to apportion the cost of defense among all of them. Supporters of the bill say it would simplify and reduce litigation costs.

“By targeting insurance rates, Wist we’re addressing the problem without reducing consumers’ rights to protect the property that they spend their life’s savings to buy,” Duran said.

Grantham said that while 100,000 people moved to the state last year, only 25,000 new homes were built.

Reforming the law on construction defects has been a longtime priority of Republicans in the Legislature. They say the status quo prevents condos and townhomes from being built, leading to Coloradans facing the choice of either apartments or single-family homes, with no middle-price ground. Reform is also supported by several business groups, including the South Metro

Denver Chamber of Commerce.

Some cities and towns — including Lakewood, Littleton and Parker — have passed ordinances addressing the issue in recent years, as legislation died at the Capitol.

State Rep. Susan Beckman, RLittleton, has identified reforming construction defects laws as a priority of hers this session.

“There is a need to greatly modify the destructive construction defects law that was passed in 2008,” the Littleton Republican told Colorado Community Media in early January.

“We must ensure a market-driven economy and availability of attainable home ownership options that are not hindered by regulation and manipulation.

Rep. Kevin Van Winkle, RHighlands Ranch, also says the issue is a priority.

“Flawed laws from the recent past have made it impossible for homebuilders to meet market needs, especially for first-time homebuyers and downsizing seniors,” he told Colorado Community Media ahead of the session’s kickoff.

“Instead of attainable housing, many Colorado families are trapped in apartments, unable to realize their housing dream.”

MUNOZ FROM PAGE 6

Several supporters made victim impact statements, including the Lehners’ three sons and Jacquie Lehner’s parents, Mary and Jack Boettcher, who traveled from Montana for the proceeding.

Jack Boettcher said the loss of their daughter and son-in-law caused his wife’s health to deteriorate and robbed the couple of the chance to be grandparents.

“I would hope that something that you do today would put (Munoz) in a position where she couldn’t be a mother and grandmother,” he said. “Put her away for the maximum.”

Defense Attorney Michael Stuzynski pleaded for leniency and asked for a 10-year sentence. He argued that Munoz, who has two children, had a history of being sexually and physically abused, but she wasn’t blaming her crime on her past.

“If the maximum sentence could bring (the Lehners) back, she would have accepted it already,” Stuzynski said.

Courtney Batiste, a friend of Munoz who testified

on her behalf, offered her condolences to the Lehners’ supporters in the courtroom.

“Athina is not cold-hearted,” she said. “No one hates her more than she hates herself right now.”

Deputy District Attorney Brian Eckhardt said that while Munoz admitted to the crime, she lied about how much she had to drink.

He said her admission to drinking two glasses of wine and smoking marijuana hours before the accident didn’t correlate to her blood alcohol content, which was still more than three times the legal limit 2 1/2 hours after the crash.

“There’s a difference between a confession and an admission,” Eckhardt said. “She hasn’t confessed ever… she admits `yeah, you caught me.’ “ After the sentencing, 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said he was happy with the terms, but he added he was frustrated that Colorado’s laws regarding DUI cases may allow Munoz to be paroled sooner than he would like.

“This woman will likely do just five years of real incarceration,” he said. “This is one of those crimes that plagues every one of us.”

Developmental Pathways Accepting Grant Applications Developmental Pathways, the Community Centered Board serving Douglas and Arapahoe counties and the City of Aurora, is accepting grant applications from organizations who serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delays.

A total of $300,000 will be awarded in three different areas of need identified and prioritized by individuals and families polled, and the process will be administered by the Developmental Pathways Community Outreach Department. The three areas will be: Respite for caregivers, Transportation, and 3+ funding which supports children ages 3 to 5. Pathways seeks innovative projects geared toward capacity building, staff training, program development, and community building for families. Agencies working with non-English speakers are encouraged to apply. $100,000 will be allotted to each funding area, and applications will be evaluated monthly until the limit for each category is reached.

Grant funds are available to organizations that serve people in Arapahoe and Douglas Counties and the City of Aurora with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delays, including but not limited to: Program Approved Service Agencies (PASA), community agencies (recreation centers, places of worship, businesses), schools, and more.

To learn more about Developmental Pathways grant opportunities or specific areas of need, please visit http://dpcolo.org/dp-seeking-grant-apps/ or contact Dinah Frey at d.frey@dpcolo.org.

325 Inverness Drive South, Englewood 303-360-6600 | www.DevelopmentalPathways.org

8 Elbert County News

WINNING WORDS

Michael Norton

T

LOCAL

January 26, 2017J

VOICES Questions that might make us think just a bit differently

here are two old proverbs I would like to share with you this week. The first is this, “An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.” And the second one is this, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”

Well since typically I share my opinions way too often in these columns, I thought maybe this week I would shift it up a little bit and ask more questions as opposed to sharing opinions and observations. And is it OK if I ask you to write back and answer or respond to any or all of the questions posed?

The first question I would pose would be

around another famous thought shared by many authors and experts, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.” What has happened to us as a nation as we have endured this past election season and outcome of the election? Have we really forgotten to seek first and then to be understood?

The second proverb I quoted above seems to capture this, and unfortunately and rightly so has found us playing the role of the fool and worried more about airing our own opinions than seeking to understand others.

Long before the election, leading up to the election, and now post-election, there have been stories of marriages ending, friendships being destroyed, business partners separat-

Agriculture adds richness to Colorado life Most Coloradans did not grow up in a rural area and have never been on a farm or ranch, yet the people of Colorado support agriculture’s positive contribution to the quality of life in our state.

In a recent survey conducted for the Colorado Department of Agriculture by Colorado State University, 90 percent of Coloradans feel agriculture is important to their quality of life. Nearly all Coloradans feel that maintaining and protecting agricultural land and water is important (95 percent).

It has been a tough year for agriculture in Colorado, with prices for beef cattle and milk and major crops like corn, wheat and hay in decline. It costs farmers more to plant and harvest their fields than they can make selling their crops at today’s prices. Price levels for many farm products have returned to lows seen in the 1980s, but farmers’ costs for tractors, feed and seed, and fuel have increased with inflation.

Yet our Colorado producers continue to provide food that feeds Coloradans and the world. Colorado’s agricultural community brings your family more food and fiber choices than ever, from conventionally produced to natural, organic, grass-fed and cage-free. All of which are wholesome and necessary to feed a growing population. Whether you shop at a large grocery store or your local farmers’ market, Colorado’s entrepreneurial farmers and ranchers provide a safe and secure food supply. It’s this diversity that makes our food production systems the envy of the world.

Cutting into a prime Colorado steak, biting into a Palisade peach, eating a juicy Rocky Ford melon, and enjoying

the fire of a Pueblo chile, all accompanied by a Colorado wine or beer — it’s all part of the privilege of living in this state and enjoying our local foods.

Whether you know it or not, Colorado agriculture touches everyone in the state.

Agriculture is an important part of our Don Brown economy, generating more than $40 billion in economic activity annually and supporting more than 170,000 jobs. Jobs in transportation, retail sales, food sales and restaurants, and tourism are just a few supported by agriculture.

As well as contributing to the economy, agriculture holds a tremendous duty to protect the environment, through stewardship of the land, water and air. Land in farms and ranches provides habitat for wildlife and open space and, above all, creating wonderful food. Innovative and sustainable farming practices ensure that our state’s resources will be wisely managed for generations to come.

The majority of Coloradans surveyed felt that agriculture was always or usually environmentally responsible.

Colorado farmers and ranchers, with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, are dedicated to preserving the heritage of agriculture in our state, as well as providing an abundant and safe food supply to Coloradans and beyond. We were glad to hear that our neighbors around the

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ing, siblings who have stopped communicating, co-workers refusing to work together or even talk. There has been documented violence that speaks to the first proverb I shared, “An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.”

The questions are just too many to list in a short weekly column, so let’s just start with a few questions, shall we? Is this who we have become? Have we become a society and culture that now relies on the freedom and accessibility that social media outlets provide to air our own selfish opinions? Have SEE NORTON, P9

Attraction to distraction is understandable reaction

O

f all the things to be heartbroken about in 2016, the separation and divorce of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” stars was not one of them. For me.

There has always been an interest in the personal lives of well-known people, even if their notoriety is dubious.

That why we have autobiographies and biographies.

It’s an industry to follow and document personalities.

A paparazzi’s photo of a celebrity up to no good can put a lot of money in his pocket.

If you have ever wondered where the word “paparazzi” comes from, here it is.

Paparazzo was the name of a news photographer in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita.

Fellini said, “`Paparazzo’ suggests to me a buzzing insect, hovering, darting, stinging.”

I have another, unprintable, name for men and women who poke into the private lives of anyone with a telephoto lens.

I don’t care how much weight someone has gained or lost, or what they had done to their lips.

Others do, and (seem to) subsist on the ups and downs Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please Include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Fri. 5 p.m. for the following week’s paper.

QUIET DESPERATION

of the “Bachelors” and the “Bachelorettes.”

Why is Johnny Deep’s financial report in the front pages of a daily?

I became aware of an Craig Marshall interest in Smith named names for the first time when I heard that Eddie Fisher had his eye on Elizabeth Taylor, when he was still married to Debbie Reynolds.

Fisher and Reynolds were supposed to conform, I guess, to an idealized vision of love and marriage.

“Stay put,” America said.

It impacted Fisher’s career, and many cheered when Taylor hooked up with Richard Burton.

It went around my high school that Emily had cheated on Mike with John, while Mike was cheating on Emily with Norm.

I realized then that it was SEE SMITH, P9 ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday

by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT DENVER, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Elbert County News 9

January 26, 2017

NORTON FROM PAGE 8

we come to the point where we don’t even form our own opinions or sound judgment because we rely on what we hear or read through the posts of others? Some we know and some we have never met. I mean day in and day out someone invariably shares with me that they have deleted more friends from their Facebook account because they can no longer stand the rhetoric. I wonder if that might be an interesting statistic for Facebook to share, how many people have been unfriended over the past few months?

SMITH FROM PAGE 8

human nature to take a vicarious interest in the goings-on of others.

Later, as a college art professor, I became the subject of rumors that continue, like a noir film, to follow me out of the past.

We are often flawed characters. If we weren’t, where would literature and cinema and songs be?

“Your Cheatin’ Heart” was a hit for a reason.

Would you go to a film about a couple without conflicts of any kind? Probably not.

I know someone who doesn’t seem to know anything that is going on in the world of entertainers outside of

In the continued spirit of asking questions instead of pontificating, when did we stop thinking for ourselves? Now I am not saying that everyone has, but would you agree that there seems to be a lot of jumping on some else’s bandwagon going on? Do you think we should start or maybe just get back to having sound judgment and making our own decisions based on our own true belief systems instead of being held hostage of the belief systems of others? Do you think that if we found our way back to staying true to our belief systems, and if we took the time to listen and seek to understand others first that we may save a few marriages, friendships, working relationships, and heartache?

Do you think that there is a certain percentage of the population that simply likes to stir the pot, acting the fool just to start a quarrel? When you think about this for yourself and for your own family and friends, how many times have you changed the channel on the television or logged off of the internet because it was just too much to handle?

For me the final question is this, “Is it time for change?” And not the “Hope and Change” of a campaign speech, and not the change that a new president may or may not bring about. I am asking if it’s time to change for us? For you? For me? For all of us? Is it time to be reminded that an unfriendly person pursues

selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels? And should we also think about the fact that it is fools finding no pleasure in understanding, but that they delight in airing their own opinions?

How about you? How have you or would you respond to the questions above? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can get back to seeking to understand and then to be understood, wouldn’t you agree that it really will be a better than good week?

entertainment.

I don’t know how she does it. She must have bought a filter on Amazon Prime.

I have come to the conclusion that we all need distractions from the important stuff.

Otherwise, why would over a million people in a 650,000 population town show up to celebrate a professional football team?

I have tried to look at this from both sides. Believe it or not, that’s what I do with just about everything.

I am a known humbug when it comes to human excesses. And we excess all over the place.

Charles Dickens’ books were serialized. All of them. That means they weren’t published all at once.

It was a brilliant idea for its time.

Anticipation is an exciting thing.

We want to know what is going to happen next to our favorite distractions.

The next thing you know, we’re flipping and flopping all over it like

the dickens.

SHUEY

Mary L. Shuey

Mar. 6, 1959 - Jan. 7, 2017

57, of Parker, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2017. Loving Mother of Jami and Katie Wilkes.

Long-time Property Man-

state support us in our endeavors.

Give us a wave when you drive by.

For more information and to read

Don Brown is the commissioner of agriculture for Colorado, appointed

by Gov. John Hickenlooper in January 2015. He can be reached at don. brown@state.co.us.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU If you would like to share your opinion, visit our website at www.coloradocommunitymedia.com or write a letter to the editor.

Include your name, full address and the best telephone number to contact you. Send letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

PARKER AND ELIZABETH FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY Parker Funeral Home

10325 Parkglenn Way, Parker, Colorado 80138 (303) 841-4004

Elizabeth Funeral Home

243 Spruce Ct., Elizabeth, Colorado 80107 (Next to Los Volcanos and True Hardware) Now open in Elizabeth! We are committed to serving the Elbert County Community and their needs.

• Family owned and operated for 25 years • Cremation on site (Parker Location)

(303) 646-0003

ager. Rosary followed by Funeral Mass was held at Ave Maria Catholic Church in Parker. Burial at Elizabeth Cemetery.

See ponderosavalleyfunerals.com

Jennifer M. Gerrells

the complete survey, visit www.coloradoagriculture.com.

FROM PAGE 8

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

OBITUARIES

GERRELLS

BROWN

Michael Norton is a resident of Castle Rock, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, a strategic consultant and a business and personal coach.

Oct. 7, 1961 - Jan. 14, 2017

Jennifer M. Gerrells, 55, of Elizabeth, Returned Home to her Lord on January 14, 2017 at her

home with family at her side. Loving Wife of 37 years to Tim. 8 Children.

See ponderosavalleyfu-

nerals.com

In Loving Memory Place an Obituary for Your Loved One.

Private 303-566-4100

Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Funeral Homes

Visit: www.memoriams.com

10 Elbert County News

LOCAL

January 26, 2017J

LIFE

Civilians get a taste of

militaryexercise style Carrying weighted packs helps mix up fitness routines

BY KYLE HARDING KHARDING@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Ruby Herrera has brought an aspect of her military training into her fitness regimen.

Rucking — carrying a weighted pack — is a trendy exercise with unglamorous roots in the military, where it is a staple of training.

Part of the test for U.S. Army infantry soldiers to earn the coveted Expert Infantryman Badge is to complete a 20-kilometer march carrying a 35-pound rucksack, along with other gear, within three hours.

“I love using a variety of training to stay conditioned,” said Herrera, a Colorado Springs resident and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve. “Rucking is the perfect addition to any type of programming I might be involved with.”

Former Army Special Forces soldier Jason McCarthy of Jacksonville, Florida, brought rucking to the masses in 2008 when he founded GORUCK after leaving the service. There are now hundreds of GORUCK events across the U.S. and in Europe, including several in Colorado.

However, ruck march challenges go back long before McCarthy started. One of the most popular events is the annual Bataan Memorial Death March, which dates to 1989 and pays homage to U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war who were forced by the Japanese Imperial Army to march 60 to 70

A Marine Corps veteran carries his rucksack on the Chicago Honor the Fallen Ruck March in 2015. The Memorial Day Weekend event saw 450 people march 22 miles. COURTESY U.S. ARMY

WORK OUT WITH YOUR RUCK

RUCKING EVENTS

Proponents of rucking say that the weighted pack can also be used in alternative workouts. Here are a few movements GORUCK says you can do with a rucksack:

Overhead weighted sit-ups: Hold the pack over your head while doing sit-ups.

GORUCK host its challenges throughout the U.S., with several in Colorado.

Weighted pushups: Strap the pack onto your back and do normal pushups.

Squats: Hold the pack out in front of you and do a normal squat.

Overhead weighted lunges: Hold the pack over your head while doing lunges.

miles with little food or water in 1942, during which thousands died.

Sponsored by the New Mexico State University ROTC department and the New Mexico National Guard, the memorial march is held at White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico and gives participants an option of a 14.2mile route and a 26.2-mile one, carrying a 35-pound pack.

lenges hosted by GORUCK. He has since started his own organization that hosts ruck events around the Front Range, Burden Operation Company.

“Anybody can do it,” Tatham said. “You can throw on a halfway decent backpack.”

Obstacle course racing is another fitness trend with close ties to the armed forces, with military installations, including Colorado’s Fort Carson, hosting events for Spartan Race, the largest entity in the young sport.

Aaron Varcasio, who coaches Crossfit and high-intensity interval training workouts at FIT Littleton and has taken part in GORUCK events, said that rucking can be an effective cardio alternative to running as well as a form of strength training.

“It challenges you because you’re used to hiking without weight,” he said.

Upcoming events: March 3 and 4, Pueblo March 11, Boulder May 5 and 6, Colorado Springs June 2 and 3, Boulder June 30 and July 1, Denver July 28 and 29, Fort Collins Sept. 8 and 9, Colorado Springs

A cardio-strength workout Now, rucking draws servicemembers, veterans and civilians alike who want to bring diversity to their exercise routines.

“It’s portable,” James Finch, of Lakewood, said. “You don’t need a gym.”

Finch, 39, started rucking about two years ago as a way to challenge himself. It fits neatly with his other fitness passion, obstacle course racing.

“When I take the dogs for a walk, I throw the ruck on,” he said.

GORUCK says that rucking can burn as many calories as running, while allowing people of different abilities to do it together by carrying different weights.

Finch credits fellow obstacle course racing enthusiast David Tatham with introducing him to it. Tatham, of Henderson, said he began rucking in 2012, when he first signed up for one of the chal-

Challenging the mind, too Herrera sees rucking as the perfect way to train both mentally and physically.

“Rucking has taught me that my body is capable of so much more than my mind had previously restricted me to,” she said. “I can add a ruck to almost any activity and see huge improvements all around. I love the feeling of pure

For more information, visit www. goruck.com. exhaustion after pushing myself to the limit and then stepping over that limit to keep going.”

In March 2015, not long after he began rucking, Finch attempted the Baatan Memorial but had to quit around mile 18 because of severe blistering on his feet.

“I’ve learned to take care of my feet better,” he said.

2016 was to be Finch’s redemption year at White Sands, but he suffered a stroke just weeks before the event. He spent 11 days in the intensive care unit and another 20 in inpatient rehab. He recovered from his stroke to go on to complete in several Spartan Race obstacle course events in 2016.

From Finch’s point of view, rucking is easier on his knees and ankles than running and carries a lower risk of injury.

Finch used to carry nearly 50 pounds in his ruck, but he’s still working on getting back to form following his stroke.

“It makes life easier when you’re doing anything else — you take it off and you’re lighter,” he said.

“You feel like you can run 100 mph when you’re done rucking.”

Elbert County News 11

January 26, 2017

Bird count takes wing again in Denver area SONYA’S SAMPLER

The 20th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count is scheduled Feb. 17 to Feb. 20 in the Denver area.

Readers are invited to participate in this snapshot of local bird populations. The Audubon Center at Chatfield will host a session Sonya Ellingboe from 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 4 to teach new birders how to identify, in the classroom and around nearby ponds. They will also share information on making your backyard bird-friendly. Kids can meet live birds. (The 2016 count included 162,052 birdwatchers from more than 130 countries, who reported 5,689 species.) Cost: Free for members, $5 for non-member adults, $3 for non-member children. 303-9739530, denveraudubon.org.

Littleton Museum lecture Historian Gail Keeley, president of Historic Littleton Inc., will bring her program called “The Real Yellow Brick Road: Denver’s Brick Sewers” to the Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton, on Feb. 2. Who knew there were miles of them? Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Keeley works in the area of history-related historic sites and surveyed miles of this early sewer system at highway-related sites and more. Co-sponsored by Historic Littleton Inc. and Littleton Museum. 303-795-3950.

LPS student exhibition The Colorado Gallery of the Arts hosts the Littleton Public School District K-12 Student Exhibition through Feb. 7, when there will be a closing reception for artists, families and the public. The gallery is located in the Annex, northeast end of the main Arapahoe Community College campus in Littleton, 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive. Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Admission free. 303-797-5649.

`New Frontier’ Curtis Center for the Arts at 2349 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, hosts an exhibit called “New Frontier,” a contemporary look at some traditional Western art themes, with tongue in cheek at times. Gallery hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. 303-797-1779. Also, Curtis will host “Winter’s Glow” 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 8 in Curtis Park next door, with ice sculptures, fire dancing, s’mores and music.

ACC News • Arapahoe Community College, Colorado State University and Douglas County School District will collaborate in a Castle Rock Campus, supported by a $3 million infrastructure reimbursement from the Castle Rock Town Council.

• ACC will host a Healthcare Career Day on Jan. 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Summit Room (M1900). Free and open to the public.

Western historic art The American Museum of Western Art, Anschutz Collection, 1727 Tremont Place, Denver, will host February programs related to its collection that will interest art lovers: Feb. 7, 11:45 a.m. — Artful Insight — Ralph Albert Blakelock, who painted the West in Hudson River Style; Feb. 13, 3 p.m. — Artful Insight — American Scene Painters; Feb. 15, 2:30 p.m. — Writing the West — Westward Expansion and its Impact on Landscape, led by Lighthouse Writers Workshop. To register or for information: AnschutzCollection.org.

Opera fans A Master Class for prospective competitors in the annual Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition this spring, on Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is open to the public who would like to sit back and listen to gorgeous voices at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E. Hampden Ave., Cherry Hills Village. (One can come and go at will.) Contact DLOG for a box lunch — denverlyricoperaguild.org.

The American Goldfinch, now appearing in Winter plumage, will be among the birds one might see in the Great Backyard Bird Count in February. PHOTO BY AUDUBON VOLUNTEER DICK VOGEL

Open House January 31St 9 Am To 2 Pm & 5 Pm To 7 Pm Currently Enrolling 2017-2018 Catholic Education for Students Preschool through 8th Grade • Voted “Best of the Best” School in Parker • Core Knowledge Curriculum with “State of the Art” Technology

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Please contact Lee Emanuelson at: 720-842-5400 or email lemanuelson@avemariacatholicparish.org for more information Or visit our website: School.avemariacatholicparish.org

12 Elbert County News

January 26, 2017J

HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Send volunteer opportunities to hharden@ coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Global Orphan Relief Develops and supports programs bringing light, comfort and security to orphans around the world Need: Super stars with website development, users of the abundant resources of social media. Those with great connection ability are needed to help with the development of the donor pool.

Contact: Those interested serving this faith-based Colorado nonprofit can contact Deitra Dupray, 303-895-7536 or dadupray@ comcast.net.

GraceFull Community Cafe Provides a place in Littleton where people of all backgrounds can gather, eat well and be inspired to give back. Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. A partner of the GraceFull Foundation.

Need: Opportunities for food preparation, guest service, cleaning and dishwashing.

Location: 5610 Curtice St., Littleton Contact: Sign up for volunteer opportuni-

ties at http://gracefullcafe.com/volunteer/ Habitat ReStore Nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers Need: Volunteers for Wheat Ridge, Denver or Littleton Habitat ReStores, helping with the cash register, dock and warehouse floor Contact: 303-996-5468, email Alice Goble at Alice@habitatmetrodenver.org Highlands Ranch Community Association Works with Therapeutic Recreation Program and Special Olympics Need: Volunteers to help teach classes, coach Special Olympics, provide athletes support during Special Olympics practices, assist with special events, and help participats succeed in the therapeutic recreation program.

Contact: Summer Aden, 303-471-7043 or www.hrcaonline.org/tr Hospice at Home Need: Volunteers help patients and their families with respite care, videotaping, massage and other tasks. Home study

Š 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

TO SOLVE SUDOKU: Numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Answers

training is available.

Contact 303-698-6404 Hospice of Covenant Care Nonprofit, faith-based hospice Need: Volunteers to support patients and families Contact: 303-731-8039 Lone Tree Police Department Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Provides assistance within the Police Department in both Administrative and Patrol functions.

Need: Volunteers are needed to assist with many areas within the Police Department to include patrol functions, fingerprinting, and fleet maintenance.

Requirements: Must attend the Lone Tree Police Department Citizen’s Police Academy, and submit to a background check. Additional training is provided based on area of interest. Patrol volunteers must commit to a minimum monthly hour requirement.

Contact: Tim.Beals@cityoflonetree.com or 720-509-1159.

Lutheran Family Services: Cultural Men-

toring Program We welcome refugee families and help them adjust to their new home Need: People who can commit to working with refugees on skills for self-sufficiency and helping them learn about their new home.

Requirements: Must be 18 or older (although children of volunteers are welcome to participate). One-hour training and orientation required.

Contact: David Cornish, 303-225-0199 or david.cornish@lfsrm.org; go to www.lfsrm. org.

Meals on Wheels Delivers meals to residents in Englewood, southern Jefferson County and western Arapahoe County Need: Drivers to deliver meals; volunteers to help prepare, box and label meals Requirements: Must dedicate one to two hours a week Contact: Phil or Mary at 303-798-7642 (from 8 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays) SEE VOLUNTEERS, P15

Elbert County News 13

January 26, 2017

Douglas County conveys gifted land to Parker Undeveloped space continues legacy of Ray Harvie

Dennis Trapp, program director for Parker’s Parks and Recreation Department, checks out the view at the open space Douglas county recently donated to the town.

The property on the east end of Mainstreet will be named “Ray J. Harvie Park” in honor of the man who gifted the land to the county.

BY TOM SKELLEY TSKELLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Ray Harvie appreciated the value of open spaces, and took refuge at his property in east Parker throughout his life.

Harvie wanted to ensure the land would remain wild, just as he enjoyed it.

Without an heir to pass the 71-acre property to, Harvie gifted the land to Douglas County in 1996 on the condition it remain permanently undeveloped.

“He had nobody to give the land to and he wanted to see it protected forever,” said Cheryl Matthews, director Matthews of open space for Douglas County.

Now Matthews and her department are passing the gift along to Parker.

“We’re really excited to have Parker own it and do something with it for the public,” she said. “It’s really a spectacular piece of property.”

After Harvie’s death in 2008, Douglas County took ownership of the property and after years of ironing

PHOTOS BY TOM SKELLEY

out details, the county conveyed the hilly, undulating land to the town in January, free of charge. The only stipulations are that it be named “Ray J. Harvie Park” and that the land remain undeveloped.

“It’s permanently protected,” Matthews stressed.

“We’re not just giving (Parker) open space that they could do away with.”

The property is currently part of unincorporated Douglas County on the eastern end of Mainstreet near Ave Maria Catholic Parish, but will be zoned and incorporated into the town, according to Dennis Trapp, project administrator for Parker’s Parks and Recreation Department. Trapp said there is no timetable yet for the annexation, but improvements to the land-

scape should begin in 2018.

Trapp said the acquisition is a windfall for Parker residents, who consistently cite preservation of open space as a priority in citizen surveys.

Clean up of dilapidated structures and environmental studies should be minimal, Trapp added, and the only planned construction for the land is the installation of a shade shelter and seasonal portable toilets and surfacing trails.

Items on the property now, mostly old farming equipment and a small cottage Harvie stayed in when he visited the property, will probably all be removed, Trapp said. With the exception of the trails and port-a-potties, the land will look much like it did when Harvie first bought it, the

A deer skeleton typifies the wild, untouched atmosphere at the open space recently conveyed to the Town of Parker by Douglas County. Dennis Trapp, program director for the Parks and Recreation Department, says the unique property will only require minor clean up and installation of a shelter, trail surfaces and portable toilets. way he wanted it to look for future generations.

Trapp said preserving the unspoiled property is the

town’s way to pay Harvie back.

“This is his legacy,” he said.

Flabby heart keeps pumping with help from robotic sleeve Tests on animals show promise for method of improving blood flow

BY LAURAN NEERGAARD ASSOCIATED PRESS

Scientists are developing a robotic sleeve that can encase a flabby diseased heart and gently squeeze to keep it pumping.

So far it’s been tested only in animals, improving blood flow in pigs.

But this “soft robotic” device mimics the natural movements of a beating heart, a strategy for next-generation treatments of deadly heart failure.

The key: A team from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital wound artificial muscles into the thin silicone sleeve, so that it alternately compresses, twists and relaxes in synchrony with the heart tissue underneath.

It’s a dramatically different approach than today’s therapies and, if it eventually is proven in people, it might offer a new alternative to heart

transplants or maybe even aid in recovery.

“You can customize the function of the assist device to meet the individual needs of that heart,” said Dr. Frank Pigula, a cardiac surgeon who, while at Boston Children’s, took the idea to Harvard colleagues developing soft robotics.

More than 5 million Americans, and 41 million people worldwide, suffer heart failure, a number growing as the population ages. A heart left damaged by a heart attack, high blood pressure or other conditions becomes progressively weaker and unable to pump properly.

For severe cases, the only options are a scarce heart transplant or battery-powered mechanical pumps that are implanted into the chest to take over the job of pumping blood.

These VADs, ventricular assist devices, prolong life, but running blood through the machinery can leave patients at risk of blood clots, strokes and bleeding.

That shouldn’t be a risk with the robotic sleeve.

“The nice thing about this is it can go on the outside of the heart, so it doesn’t have to contact blood at all,”

said Harvard associate engineering professor Conor Walsh, senior author of the research published Jan. 18.

Unlike with traditional rigid medical devices, the soft robotics approach allowed design of a sleeve that could fit snugly over a heart’s irregular surfaces. It moves thanks to artificial muscles, a concept developed in the polio era that’s now being used in robotics. They’re powered by pressurized air that would have to be carried in a pump in a backpack or fanny pack much like the batteries that power today’s VADs. The researchers programmed the robotic sleeve to move in the same pattern as the weakened heart muscle it surrounds while strengthening and optimizing each heartbeat. The device can be tailored to compress different sections of the heart.

And importantly, as the sleeve relaxes, it helps the damaged heart better expand and refill with blood ready to be pumped out with the next heartbeat, said Pigula, who is now with the University of Louisville.

The big test: The sleeve restored normal blood flow in six pigs that had been put into heart failure, Walsh’s team reported in the journal Science

Translational Medicine.

The experiments were short, lasting only a few hours, and more research to test how long animals could live safely with the implanted sleeve is crucial before it ever could be studied in people, Walsh cautioned. He’d also like to study if physically moving damaged heart muscle — essentially exercising it — might spur it to heal and require less assistance from the sleeve over time.

“I’m quite impressed with where this research is going,” said Dr. Christopher O’Connor, chief executive of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute in suburban Washington, who wasn’t involved with the sleeve’s development.

Researchers have previously tried “socks” and other ways to encase or compress the heart with little success.

Unlike those prior attempts, the new sleeve is “smart, it’s robotic,” said O’Connor, who edits an American College of Cardiology heart failure journal. “They really worked on developing a device that can mimic the contraction of the weakened heart muscle and augment it so there is improved heart function without the theoretical clot risk.”

14 Elbert County News

January 26, 2017J

Boy collects teddy bears for trying times Stuffed animal helped him through a traumatic event

BY TOM SKELLEY TSKELLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The accident was six years ago, but for 10-year-old Daniel Velasquez the fear and anxiety he felt after he and his mother were sideswiped by a truck are fresh in his memory.

“I was knocked unconscious and he was in the car seat behind me,” Daniel’s mother, Suzanne, said. “He saw the whole thing.”

Tears welled in his eyes as Daniel recounted the experience. He and his mother were fine in the end, but he said the accident and waiting at the emergency room while doctors treated his mother for her injuries left him “traumatized.”

But a wide smile wipes all traces of fear from his face when he recounts what happened next.

Parker Police Officer Casey Cashman, who responded to the accident, came to the hospital to check on Daniel and Suzanne, and he brought Daniel a stuffed bear.

“I was relieved and happy,” he said.

“Everything I was scared of just left me.”

The accident occurred just before Daniel’s fifth birthday, and he got the idea to help other children going through their own scary experiences.

Daniel asked friends that year to

HOW TO HELP DANIEL’S DRIVE To get involved with Daniel’s stuffed animal drive, drop off a new animal at the following locations or email the Velasquez family to set up a cash contribution at danielsbears@ gmail.com.

Drop-off locations: Fika Coffeehouse: 19559 Mainstreet Fika Coffeehouse: 22040 E. Idyllwilde Drive Search Parker Magazine: 19751 Mainstreet # R18 bring him new stuffed animals in lieu of gifts, which he then donated to the Parker Police Department. The birthday party donations became an annual tradition, and this year Daniel hopes to shatter his previous totals and reach 400 animals, to be given to police departments in Parker and Castle Rock, as well as the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office and South Metro Fire Rescue.

Mayor Mike Waid met Daniel when the Parker police honored the boy with a Citizens Commendation Award last year. He pledged to help Velasquez exceed his previous totals and so far Velasquez’ stuffed animal drive is on pace to do just that.

Anyone wishing to contribute must provide new animals because of allergy concerns. Collections are set up at both Fika Coffeehouse locations in Parker and at Waid’s Stroh Ranch office. Donations of animals, or cash to buy animals, can also be made directly to the Velasquez family. Most

Daniel Velasquez, 10, sits surrounded by some of the fuzzy donations he’s collected for this year’s drive to benefit the Parker Police Department, South Metro Fire Rescue, Castle Rock Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Velasquez received a stuffed bear from a police officer after a car accident and decided to ask for donations of stuffed animals each year for his birthday rather than presents. TOM SKELLEY donors have been emailing the family at danielsbears@gmail.com to set up a donation, though some have taken less traditional methods.

“Someone ding-dong-ditched us the other night,” Suzanne said.

“We opened the door and there were four stuffed animals on the porch.”

Daniel said he feels good helping other children get through a scary time, but he won’t be able to do it forever. And he has a calculus as unique as the drive itself to determine when the last one will be.

“Probably when I’m 34,” he said.

“Because I had the accident when I was 4 and the third year I got 30 animals.”

Daniel holds the bear given to him by Parker Police Officer Casey Cashman after an automobile accident six years ago.

Velasquez says the bear relieved the anxiety he felt while his mother was treated for her injuries.

Public Notices

Notice To Creditors PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Corrine L. Fierkens, aka Corri Fierkens, aka Corrine Lynn Fierkens, aka Corri L. Fierkens, aka Corri Lynn Fierkens, aka Corri Fierkens, aka Cori Fierkens, aka Cori L. Fierkens, and Cori Lyn Fierkens, Deceased Case Number: 16 PR 30071 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Douglas County, Colorado on or before May 26, 2017 or the claims may be forever barred.

Bernadette L. Quist Personal Representative c/o Mark D. Masters 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222 Legal Notice No: 23592 First Publication: January 26, 2017 Last Publication: February 9, 2017 Publisher: Elbert County News

N TOM SKELLEY

“Trust Us!” Without public notices, the government wouldn’t have to say anything else.

Public notices are a community’s window into the government. From zoning regulations to local budgets, governments have used local newspapers to inform citizens of its actions as an essential part of your right to know. You know where to look, when to look and what to look for to be involved as a citizen. Local newspapers provide you with the information you need to get involved.

Notices are meant to be noticed.

Read your public notices and get involved!

Elbert * 1

Elbert County News 15

January 26, 2017

VOLUNTEERS FROM PAGE 12

Neighbor Network Nonprofit that helps older adults stay independent. Serves all of Douglas County Need: Volunteers who can provide transportation, light housekeeping, handyman and companion services to seniors.

Requirements: Must be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance.

Contact: 303-814-4300, neighbornetwork@ douglas.co.us or dcneighbornetwork.org.

Nonprofit Wildlife Group Works to protect native wildlife in Greenwood Village Need: Volunteers help protect wildlife Requirements: Must work two hours per week, schedule flexible Contact: info@wildearthguardians.org Outreach Uganda Empowers impoverished people in Uganda, especially women and children, to overcome poverty through income generation, education, training and other holistic endeavors.

Need: Volunteers weekly to provide office support with fair trade craft show preparation, mailings and miscellaneous office work.

Office hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. Office located at 9457 S. University Blvd., Suite 410, Highlands Ranch.

Contact: Jennifer Dent, 303-683-8450 or office@outreachuganda.org.

Paladin Rescue Alliance Christian non-government organization dedicated to rescuing human trafficking

victims and building alliances to combat trafficking locally, nationally and internationally Need: Volunteers to help organize supplies; donations of supplies. All donations are tax-deductible. Needed items include cleansers, skin cream, ointment, disinfectants, dressings, bandages, rolls, sponges, pads, dressing tape, gloves, alcohol pads, asprin, Tylenol.

Age requirement: All ages can participate.

Contact: www.paladinrescue.org; Paladin Rescue Alliance, P.O. Box 79, Littleton, CO 80160; 888-327-3063 Parker Senior Center Provides services to local seniors.

Need: Volunteer drivers to take seniors to the center for a hot meal, to appointments, to the grocery store, and more.

Contact: Louise West at 303-841-5370.

PeopleFirst Hospice Denver hospice Need: Volunteers to provide companionship to hospice patients and their families.

Contact: Rachel Wang at 303-546-7921 Project CURE Delivers medical supplies and equipment to developing countries around the world Need: Groups of 7-15 people to help sort medical supplies; those with medical/clinical backgrounds to become Sort Team Leaders; truck drivers to help pick up donations (no CDL required).

Age requirements: Ages 15 and older (if a large group of ages 15 and younger is interested, we can try to accommodate different projects).

Location: 10377 E. Geddes Ave., Centennial Contact: Kelyn Anker, 303-792-0729 or 720341-3152; kelynanker@projectcure.org; www. projectcure.org.

Red Cross Supports the elderly, international causes and social services Need: Volunteers to provide support Contact: 303-607-4768 or 303-266-7855 SMARTS! South Metro Arts Center Need: Help with public relations, marketing to public officials, fundraising, and special projects Contact: 303-790-8264 or gdnguy@comcast.net Spellbinder Storytellers, Douglas County Chapter Connects the generations through storytelling Need: Adults to tell stories to children in schools Age requirement: Must be 50 and older Contact: Denise Rucks, 303-921-8462 or drrucks@me.com. For other chapters, go to http://spellbinders.org/ South Metro Medical Equipment Loan Closet Loans durable medical supplies to those 18 and older in the South Metro area.

Need: Volunteers to help answer phones, in three-hour intervals, mostly from your home or cell phone; work is done from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Other volunteers are needed to clean, distribute and accept equiptment from donors.

Requirement: Must be 18 or older; periodig training provided as needed. Next session is in late July Contact: Donna Ralston, 720-443-2013, info@medicalequipmentloan.org or www.medicalequipmentloan.org.

CAREERS

SERVICES

Help Wanted

Tile

ANYTHING TILE

● Marble ● Repairs ● Granite Counter Tops Remodeling is my specialty!

Call Recycle now for free estimate Please this Publication (303) when646-0140 Finished

Good Samaritan Society.

Simla , CO Certified or Non-Certified.

Day/Evenings. FT. Apply at http://www.good.sam.com 719-541-2269 We do not discriminate employment due to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or background.

Good Samaritan Society. Simla, CO Day/Evening. PT Apply at http://www.good.sam.com 719-541-2269 We do not discriminate employment due to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or background.

Great pharmacy. Great service.

Where purchases benefit a great cause!

• • • •

Competitive Pricing Delivery Services Text / Email Notifications Order Online / On Your Phone • Compliance Packaging • Durable Medical Equipment • Immunizations

303-339-5333 9397 Crown Crest Blvd. Suite 101 Parker, CO 80138 (located inside Parker Adventist Hospital) www.allhealthnetwork.org

For Local News, Anytime of the Day Visit ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Advertise: 303-566-4100

Advertise your business here

Nurse’s Aides Needed.

RN or LPN Need

NEW PHARMACY IN PARKER

Classifieds

Classifieds Housekeeping/Laundry assistant Needed Good Samaritan Society. Simla, CO Days. PT Apply at http://www.good.sam.com 719-541-2269 We do not discriminate employment due to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or background.

Pharmacy

Contact Karen at 303-566-4091

Run a 2 column x 2” ad in two counties Adams & Jefferson or Arapahoe & Douglas counties

$50 A WEEK! Reserve space 303-566-4091

16 Elbert County News

January 26, 2017J

CALENDAR

CLUBS Ongoing Camping Singles is a group of Colorado single adults who enjoy camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, biking, sightseeing, photography, the camaraderie of others, and starry nights around the camp fire. We usually camp in designated forest service or state park campgrounds within 2 to 5 hours of Denver. We welcome all single adults. Our membership ranges from the 40s to 60-plus. We usually meet at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month. For specific meeting information, contact campingsingles@gmail.com Castle Rock Bridge Club plays a friendly, ACBL-sanctioned duplicate game at 1 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday at Plum Creek Golf Club, 331 Players Club Drive, Castle Rock. For assistance in finding a bridge partner, call Georgiana Butler at 303-810-8504. Go to www.castlerockbridge.com.

Chess: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the Simla Library. All skill levels and ages welcome. Call 719-541-2573.

Douglas-Elbert County Music Teachers’ Association meets at 9 a.m. every first Thursday at Parker Bible Church, between Jordan and Chambers on Main Street. All area music teachers are welcome. Call Lucie Washburn, 303-814-3479.

Elbert County Sheriff ’s Posse is a nonprofit volunteer organization that is part of the Elbert County Sheriff ’s Office. As volunteers

we support the Elbert County Sheriff ’s Office, all law enforcement in our county, and the community at large. For more information or a membership application, go to http://www.elbertcountysheriff.com/ posse.html, or contact Dave Peontek at 303-646-5456.

Elbert Game Night: 5 p.m. Tuesdays at the Elbert Library. Board and card games for all ages. Call 303-648-3533 or go to pplibraries.org.

Elizabeth American Legion Post 82, a veterans association supporting veterans, their families, their survivors and the community, meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Legion Post Hall at South Banner Street and Elm Street in Elizabeth.

Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., and the regular business meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. All veterans are invited to attend these meetings to learn of their eligibility for membership in the National American Legion Organization.

Elizabeth Food Bank, 381 S. Banner in Elizabeth (next door to Elizabeth Presbyterian Church) needs to let the public know that we are available to help anyone who needs food. Hours are Friday 12:30-3 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-11:30 a.m. Other times by appointment.

Game Night: 4 p.m. Mondays at the Kiowa Library; call 303-621-2111. 5 p.m. Wednesdays at the Elbert Library; call 303-6483533. Enjoy board, card, and video games for all ages.

Kiowa Creek Food Pantry is a distribution site for the State of Colorado TEFAP food program. Food is distributed monthly to low income individuals/families that qualify. We also distribute low income senior food boxes for the state; those 60 and older may qualify for a monthly supplement. If you are in need of food assistance or know someone who is, we may be able to qualify you for one of these programs.

Call the food pantry for more information at 303-621-2376, or come by from 8:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays; we are located in the Fellowship Hall at 231 Cheyenne Street, Kiowa.

Knitting Group: 2 p.m. Tuesdays at the Kiowa Library. Knit and chat. All skill levels welcome. Call 303-621-2111 or go to pplibraries.org.

Lawyers at the Library, a free legal clinic for parties who have no attorney, will be offered from 6-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month at the Elizabeth Library, 651 W. Beverly St. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help fill out forms and explain the process and procedure for the areas of family law, civil litigation, criminal defense, property law, probate law, collections, appeals, landlord-tenant law and civil protection orders. Walk-ins are welcome. Everyone will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis.

LEGO Master Brickster: 3:45 p.m. Thursdays at the Kiowa Library. Build LEGO stuff together. Call 303-621-2111 or go to pplibraries.org.

SLOWING DOWN DUE TO PERSISTENT KNEE OR HIP PAIN ISN’T AN OPTION FOR MOST OF US.

We know how much pain can impact your life. Join Dr. Dennis Chang for a complimentary seminar on treatment options. From non-invasive techniques to full joint replacement, learn about pain management from an athletic surgeon who specializes in keeping knees and hips healthy and active.

Thursday, January 26 from 6-7:30 p.m.

PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker, CO 80138 RSVP to (303) 320-ROSE (7673) or denverjointreplacement.com/seminar

FROM PAGE 5

The Jeff McBride Experience: 7:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11 and 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 12, at Theatre of Dreams, 735 Park St., Castle Rock. Family-friendly.

Fusion of mask, myth, drama, martial arts, dance and illusion. Reservations required; call 303-660-6799 or go to http://tickets.amazingshows.com.

Free Legal Clinic: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 at the Elizabeth Public Library, 651 W. Beverly St., Elizabeth. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help fill out forms and explain areas of civil litigation.

Walk-ins welcome; all served on firstcome, first-served basis. Upcoming 2017 dates are March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.

[PHOTO] Inside the Orchestra’s Tiny Tots Shows: 9:30-10:15 a.m. and 10:4511:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at CU Denver South, 10035 S. Peoria St., Parker. For ages 6 and younger, and their families.

Children surround the 30-plus piece orchestra and interact with the conductor and musicians. Register at insidetheorchestra.org/tiny-tots-events or by calling 303-355-7855.

Editor’s note: Calendar submissions must be received by noon Wednesday for publication the following week. Send listings to calendar@coloradocommunitymedia. com. No attachments, please. Listings are free and run on a space-available basis.

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