Elbert County News 0804

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TO YOUR HEALTH

August 4, 2016 VOLUME 121 | ISSUE 27 | 75¢

Water infused with fruits and vegetables is a nutritious drink choice. PAGE 10

ElbertCountyNews.net A publication of

E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O

ELBERT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Candidate out of race for board Soderberg not resident of district; Duvall takes up Democratic run By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media

Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Parker and other area rotary clubs train to use a new mechanical lift at the Promise Ranch Therapeutic Riding center in Franktown on July 24. Approximately 30 members from the clubs came to the ranch that day to train with the lift and paint the ranch’s fence. Courtesy photo

Giving riders a lift Rotary clubs combine funds to help Promise Ranch serve veterans By Tom Skelley tskelley@coloradocommunitymedia.com Several rotary clubs from the Parker area worked together to pay for a mechanical lift to help riders with disabilities ease into the saddle at Promise Ranch in Franktown. Members of the Rotary Club of Parker, the Rotary Club of Southeast Denver and the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker all came to the ranch July 24 to train to use the lift and to help paint a fence around the grounds. Kam Breitenbach, president of the Rotary Club of Parker, said the event was an enjoyable end to a project that began in April, when the club began securing funds to buy and install the lift. “It was just a fun day,” Breitenbach said. “All the posts got painted on the fence and we had a lot of people from (other clubs) there. It

was a fun joint project.” Promise Ranch offers equine therapy to a variety of clients with disabilities and special needs. Part of its vision statement is “healing through horses,” and individuals with issues ranging from Down syndrome to Cerebral Palsy come to the ranch to receive a kind of treatment they can’t get from a clinic or a human therapist. “For our clients who can’t walk, it gives them four legs to walk on,” said Mark Scheuneman, president of the board of directors for Promise Ranch. “For those who can’t communicate, it gives them a voice.” Riders who aren’t verbal often begin trying to communicate as they ride and guide their horse, Scheuneman said. Imitating the hip movement of the horses, he said, often helps riders with physical limitations begin to learn to walk. The ranch is beginning a program in August for veterans with physical disabilities and psychological issues like post-traumatic stress disorder. Most current clients are helped onto the horses by staff members. The lift, Scheuneman said, will allow

veterans with physical limitations to maintain their dignity as they can mount and dismount the horses independently. “For the people who really need it, this is going to make a huge difference,” Scheuneman said. The Rotary clubs of Castle Rock, Aurora Southlands, Southeast Denver Satellite and the Rotary Community Corps of Parker also collaborated, raising $13,313 through donations from the clubs as well as a matching grant of $4,000 from Rotary District 5450. Scheuneman said he’s “eternally grateful” for the work Breitenbach and the various rotary clubs put into fundraising for the device. And he’s excited to see veterans receiving the same benefits from equine therapy that other riders at Promise Ranch enjoy. “The bond that is formed between a rider and a horse is really special,” he said, describing how a horse will bury its head in a rider’s lap after they dismount and return to their wheelchair. “If you don’t cry when you’re down there, then you don’t have a heart.”

When Elbert County voters receive their ballots for the election this fall, one name will be different from what they might have expected following the June 28 primary. Instead of Marie Soderberg standing for county Democrats in the race for county commissioner in District I, Jill Duvall will represent the party in the November election instead. On July 17, Duvall, as the chair of the Elbert County Democrats, received a text from an undisclosed Republican informing her that Soderberg resided in District II and therefore did not meet the residential eligibility to serve as the District I county commissioner. Duvall contacted the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office via email for guidance and received a reply the next day. A representative from the Secretary of State’s Office had discussed the matter with Elbert County Elections Manager Rhonda Braun and County Clerk Dallas Schroeder, and advised Duvall to meet with them to correct the problem. “Apparently, it was their (the county’s) responsibility to make sure people lived in the correct district and they just didn’t verify it,” Duvall said. “Fortunately, she (Soderberg) didn’t have a primary; she hadn’t spent very much money yet. It Race continues on Page 9

Marie Soderberg speaks at the county debates in May. Soderberg was forced to withdraw from the District I Elbert County Commissioners race on July 26 due to residential ineligibility. Photo by Rick Gustafson

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 | PHONE: 303-566-4100 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 ELIZABETH, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 12 p.m. | Classifieds: Mon. 10 a.m. | Obits: Mon. 10 a.m. | Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.


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