October 29, 2015
ENTER TO WIN
VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 39 | 75¢
LIFT TICKETS! See ad inside for details ElbertCountyNews.net E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Task force opens center Facility means more privacy, ability to increase numbers
By Shanna Forier sfortier@colorado communitymedia.com The Douglas/Elbert Task Force, a human service organization that helps people in Douglas and Elbert counties who are in serious economic need, at risk of homelessness or in a similar crisis, opened the doors to its new client services building in Castle Rock last week. The center was scheduled to open in June, but
Shirley Holmes (Allie Otte) offers a theory to Sir Henry Baskerville (Logan Griffin) and Jennie Watson (Gillian Auger). Photo by Rick Gustafson
Holmes comedy shows hard work
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Elizabeth High School troupe stages comic thriller By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media POSTAL ADDRESS
When murder, intrigue and a supernatural hound plague the manor of an English lord while the famous London detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. John
Watson tour the continent, nieces Shirley Holmes and Jennie Watson step in to solve the mystery of Baskerville Hall. Over the weekend, the Elizabeth High School Performing Arts Department presented the comic thriller “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” Inspired by the 1902 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel by the same name and adapted for the stage by Kent R. Brown, the play maintains many of the elements of the original story that made it so popular,
while adding humorous elements. Two mixed casts performed a four-show run of public performances, which began on Oct. 22 and concluded with matinee and evening performances Oct. 24. Elizabeth High School seniors Gillian Auger (Jennie Watson) and Allie Otte (Shirley Holmes) led Cast A’s performance at a
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Tavern comes through for disabled athletes 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. 11 a.m. Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m. Classifieds: Mon. 10 a.m.
PL E ASE RECYCLE
Veterans among those who will benefit from team fundraiser By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com Despite the setbacks, Latseen Benson still manages to get the most out of life. It was 2005 when Benson suddenly found himself a disabled military veteran with nothing to do but muddle through mental and physical trauma while trying his best to recover and recoup a sense of normalcy. He had joined the Army two months after the 9/11 attacks, and four years after that he was gravely injured by an improvised explosive device — or IED — while on routine patrol in Iraq. Benson’s right leg was amputated above the knee, his left leg was taken below the knee, and he suffered other less severe but debilitating injuries, including the loss of feeling in three fingers. He’d been athletic in his youth, but his ability to even walk seemed in question. In fact, he says, playing sports didn’t seem to matter much given the circumstances. He spent the next nine months in the hospital. “It was after a few years before things started getting easier,” he says. “There were difficult days being in a wheelchair, where every day was a hassle.” But with the help of doctors, physical therapists and his wife, Jessica, Benson found his way. Things began to look up. He learned how to use prosthetics, fathered a child, became the proud owner of an adaptive house
in Elizabeth through Homes for Our Troops and, eventually, he got back into sports. Benson tried games for those with disabilities: volleyball, basketball and soccer, a version of which he compares to handball. He moved to Colorado after joining a ski team for paralyzed military veterans, but sought a new challenge. At the urging of a coach, he attempted sled hockey, and last year wound up winning the national sled hockey championship with the Colorado Sled Hockey team. It was a long journey to glory and, most importantly, his involvement in sports helped Benson overcome the depression that haunted him after such a life-changing event. As a tip of the hat to his service and sacrifice — and that of a handful of teammates who were also injured in Iraq and Afghanistan — the Takoda Tavern in Parker is having a fundraiser for the Colorado Sled Hockey team from noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 7. The proceeds will help cover the cost of equipment, team travel and ice time. Bob Nobles, the owner of the Takoda Tavern, said he’s hoping to raise between $7,000 and $10,000. Anyone who donates $10 or more will get a free burger and beer. The way Nobles figures, it’s the least he can do. “These are our kids that got hurt,” he says. “These are kids who still have their whole entire lives in front of them and have had to overcome some tremendous stuff.” A week later, Benson will gather again with a few friends at the Takoda Tavern to knock back a few whiskeys to mark the 10th anniversary of the IED attack and celebrate the fact that he is alive and thriving.
Takoda Tavern is hosting a fundraiser Nov. 7 for the Colorado Sled Hockey team, which won the national championship last year. The proceeds will help pay for travel expenses for the team that includes disabled military vets. Courtesy photo During a conversation two years ago, Benson mentioned having a fundraiser for the team and Nobles immediately offered the
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