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March 27, 2014 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 119, Issue 8 A publication of

elbertcountynews.net

Permit for well granted approval Site near Simla may or may not be fracked

By George Lurie

glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com

“I’ve pretty much done every job we’ve got here,” Heap says.

Heap was elected sheriff in November 2010, garnering the majority of votes in a crowded field of all Republican candidates that included a veteran of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (Bob Sexton), a lieutenant in the Kiowa Police Department (Brian Weiss) and a former Elbert County sheriff (Jack Knous).

Born in Denver, Heap spent much of his childhood shuttling back and forth between the metro area and Steamboat Springs, where his father, an aviation administrator, helped build the local airport.

The oldest of three brothers — his

After an hourlong public hearing, the Elbert County Board of County Commissioners on March 12 unanimously approved a special-use permit application filed by Mustang Creek LLC for an exploratory well the company wants to drill on Prescott Ranches near Simla.

The permit was the first to be approved since the county’s newly revised oil and gas regulations were passed by the BOCC last month following nearly three years of debate and controversy — although this permit did go through the lengthier Special Use by Review process before it was approved by the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission in February.

Mustang Creek is a subsidiary of Greenwood Village-based Nexgen Oil and Gas. Three company representatives attended the March 12 BOCC meeting, making a short presentation and answering a number of questions from commissioners.

Bob Davis, a vice president for Mustang, told commissioners the company is “anxiously waiting for results” from an exploratory well currently being drilled in El Paso County near the proposed Prescott Ranches well site.

Positive results from the El Paso well would bode well for the company’s proposed project in Elbert County, Davis told commissioners.

The county’s newly revised land-use regulations pertaining to oil and gas development dramatically decrease the time it takes county officials to approve new “minor facility” oil and gas permits.

At the March 12 BOCC meeting, County Planner Carolyn Parkinson gave a presentation to commissioners regarding the details of the Mustang Creek project.

The proposed well site, about two miles from the nearest public road, is located on about 4,000 acres of pastureland.

Exploratory activity, which will be conducted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is expected to last between 30 and 120 days, Parkinson told the BOCC. Davis told commissioners his company likely will not begin drilling activity until “the late third or early fourth quarter” of this year.

No one from the audience spoke during the public comment part of the hearing.

During her presentation, Parkinson told commissioners, “The applicant proposes to use the most efficient traffic routes through the county and minimally impact surrounding property owners.”

There is no surface water within 1,000 feet of the well site and no encroachment on area wetlands, Parkinson reported.

“Mustang Creek has implemented a number of good housekeeping practices,” Parkinson told commissioners. “The applicant has also agreed to use fresh water only” to mitigate dust created by the exploratory activity.

Water will be trucked into the well site from El Paso County, Parkinson said.

“The well site is very remote so noise mitigation” will not be an issue, she added. “[But] wildlife permanently or temporarily living in the area will likely relocate” as a re-

Heap continues on Page 7

Permit continues on Page 7

On March 20 along State Highway 86 in Elizabeth, Elbert resident Ray Avery trains two horses for a cross country trek. Photo by George Lurie

Coast to coast for a cause Local veteran will ride for Semper Fi Fund

By George Lurie

glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com “I’m just getting them used to the traffic,” said Ray Avery, of Elbert, who was training two horses along State Highway 86 in Elizabeth on March 20.

Avery is preparing “Crowbait” — a mustang — and “Roy” — bloodline unknown

— for a cross-country trek set to begin next month. The trek will be undertaken by Avery’s friend, Matt Littrell, who did two tours in Iraq and also lives in Elbert.

Littrell will ride the two horses cross country to raise awareness — and money — for the Semper Fi Fund, a program that provides immediate financial assistance and lifetime support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. military and their families.

“Matt’s lost more (veteran) friends from suicide than he did when they were fighting

over there,” said Avery.

Avery said Littrell’s trek will begin April 11 in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune and conclude “a good time later” near San Diego at Camp Pendleton. Both camps are Marine Corps bases.

“Matt is in North Carolina right now scouting routes,” said Avery.

Matt and his father Jim Littrell are longtime and well-respected farriers in Elbert.

Avery said anyone wishing to support the cause can contact Littrell at 303-4833898.

Heap vows low-cost re-election campaign So far, popular Elbert County sheriff unopposed

By George Lurie

glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com Sheriff Shayne Heap wears a big gun — and a lot of hats. He’s a lawman, office manager, supervisor, husband, father, coach.

Just don’t call him a politician.

“I see myself as a public servant, not a politician,” says Heap, 43, who is currently unopposed in his bid for a second term as Elbert County’s sheriff.

“I actually can’t stand politics,” Heap adds. “But running for office is a necessary evil of the job because I work directly for the citizens of this county. The downside,” he says, “is that every four years, it becomes political.”

Heap, who has quickly gained a reputation for running one of the leanest sheriff’s offices in the state, says he plans to spend “south of $500” on his own re-election campaign.

“I’m not out there trying to raise any money but I have had people send me campaign donations,” he says.

Heap joined the Elbert County Sheriff’s

Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap at his desk on March 20. The popular sheriff is running for a second term and is currently unopposed. Photo by George Lurie Office in 2002. Five years later, former Sheriff Bill Frangis appointed him undersheriff after Heap’s swift rise from detentions deputy and sergeant to patrol division deputy, sergeant and finally lieutenant.

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2 Elbert County News

March 27, 2014

2013 was big year for library People in Elbert County are using their library. A lot. Almost 146,000 items were checked out last year — that includes books, magazines, movies, children’s books, e-books and more. Overall, that’s 6 percent more materials checked out than in 2012. Keep reading!

Downloads of electronic materials — books, audio and music — have increased significantly in the past year as well, up almost 20 percent. But that still represents less than 3 percent of our overall checkouts. In other words, the threat of e-books to libraries is not imminent, and in fact, libraries continue to provide access to books regardless of the format. We add new content to our downloadable collection practically every day, and Overdrive now offers streaming video — check it out from our homepage at www.elbertcountylibrary. org. There is also a free Overdrive app for mobile devices.

More than 10,000 people in Elbert County have a library card. If you don’t have one yet, please stop in and get one.

Nothing warms a librarian’s heart more than knowing that there is a library card in every wallet and on every keychain in town.

Our story can’t be told just in numbers, so let me give you a few more highlights from 2013. We celebrated two years at our new library in Elizabeth. The Elizabeth Library was a drop-off location for mail-in ballots for the November election, something we plan to do again for this year’s election. We provided summer reading fun for all ages through our Summer Reading Program. Kids really enjoyed the theme “Dig into Reading,” and teens checked out

what treasures lay “Beneath the Surface.”

We are already through the first quarter of 2014 — as I write this column spring has officially begun. I’m sure we will still have a few more storms and rainy days to convince us to stay inside and read a book or watch a movie that we check out from the library.

The library has many things to look forward to in 2014. The new Elbert School is under construction, and our library branch will move with the new school. We hope that the library will be a focal point of the new school — located on the second floor in the central part of the building. My guess is that we will have the best views of Elbert in town! Look for details about our grand opening as fall approaches.

The focus for our summer reading programs this year will be STEM — science, technology, engineering and math.

We are narrowing our focus, too, and providing special programs for children and teens while introducing a special fall reading program for adults. I am excited to

promote this focus on reading in other disciplines — after all, literacy is important, regardless of what you decide to be when you grow up!

Save the date — coming up on April 12, a Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., we will host an electronics recycling event at the Elizabeth Library. Collection fees will be assessed depending on the item. Call the Elizabeth Library for more information, 303-646-3792.

I am never sure what each new day will bring in the library world. Yesterday, I saw a woman lugging in two grocery bags full of book she was returning to the library. Last week, I saw a toddler racing into the library to enjoy story time with Miss Denise. Every day, I witness happy people connecting with the resources they need at the library.

Kari May lives in Elizabeth and is the director of the Elbert County Library District. She can be contacted through the library at director@elbertcountylibrary. org. Visit the library at www.elbertcountylibrary.org.

‘Created Equal’: Civil Rights struggles discussed

By Sonya Ellingboe

sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia. com “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” is a series of four monthly meetings on Tuesday evenings intended to discuss a particular aspect of the nation’s civil rights history.

Each session is preceded by a Sunday screening of a related film and clips from that film are repeated on Tuesdays for those (the majority) who have not seen the entire film. Discussion in the two-hour session is led by Patricia L. Richard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History at Metropolitan State University.

About 30 have attended the first two meetings: “The Abolitionists” and “Slavery

By Another Name.” Registration is request-

if you go Bemis Library is at 6014 S. Datura St., Littleton. To register, call 303-795-3961. ed for those who may choose to join in midway. Each unit is complete in its presentation, so that should be possible.

Call 303-795-3961 if interested. The next time the group meets, at 7 p.m. April 2, will bring a focus on Littleton and its Littleton Human Relations Council, an organization that urged fairness in housing in the 1960s, arranged interracial meetings and potlucks and hosted Dr. Martin Luther King on one special day.

Retired pediatrician Dr. Charles Fraser will be a special guest to talk about the organization his wife and he, with others in the community, founded.

The film referenced in this meeting, which will be shown at the Bemis Library at 2 p.m. the preceding Sunday, March 31, is “The Loving Story,” a documentary pieced together by Nancy Buiriski from film found after the incident plus related interviews.

Mildred and Richard Loving were married in Washington D.C. and then moved to their home state of Virginia. Late at night in July 1958, they were arrested in their bedroom and sentenced to one-year prison sentences because Virginia had an anti-miscegenation law, forbidding mixed marriages. (She was Black and American Indian. He was white.) They were allowed to move to Washington D.C instead of serving the sentence, but were unable to make family trips to visit parents and friends in Virginia.

When Mildred talked to a cousin about her frustration with being exiled, she was

advised to write to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who in turn referred her to the American Civil Liberties Union, where a pair of young lawyers took on the case and eventually appealed to the U.S Supreme Court — which ruled unanimously in 1967 that a ban on interracial marriage interfered with Federal rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.

The final meeting in the series will be on May 7, with the topic of “Freedom Riders” and guest Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the “Little Rock Nine” who started integration of that school under a national spotlight.

The series is free, but pre-registration is required.

It is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with support from the Colorado Humanities Council to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

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Elbert County News 3

March 27, 2014

y Elizabeth congregation going independent

disUnited Methodist group nt, en been ‘nomad’ church

has

12, By George Lurie will glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com he e On March 30th, the Elizabeth United he Methodists will become the first church in n, Colorado in 11 years to be chartered as an independent United Methodist Church. will The church began as an Elbert County aw acampus of Parker United Methodist Church l of in October of 2009.

Last “Up to now, we’ve been kind of the nobrary mad church,” said Marcia Stafford, a memvery ber of the congregation and the church’s ofg fice manager. ary.

In spite of many location changes — the the congregation is currently renting space in Dis- a strip mall in east Elizabeth — the church he has grown steadily over the past five years ry. and now has a congregation that numbers un- about 70.

In January of this year, the church was certified to have met all requirements for chartering and on March 30, it will officially become Elizabeth United Methodist Church.

The Elizabeth United Methodists held their first worship at Frontier High School in March 2009.

Marcia Stafford, the office manager for the Elizabeth United Methodist Church, stands in the church sanctuary on March 20. Photo by George Lurie Six months later, the congregation moved to Elizabeth Middle School, where members continued to worship for the next seven months.

The church then moved to the thenempty Elizabeth Library building for nearly

a year — and then temporarily to Evans Park and a local clubhouse — before settling in at its current location in Running Creek Plaza just around the corner from Wingnutz restaurant.

This month’s chartering celebration

will be held at Elizabeth High School on March 30 at 10 a.m. and church officials expect than 200 people to attend, including United Methodist Bishop Elaine Stanovsky and many representatives from the United Methodist Church and the community.

Peace In Christ Episcopal Lutheran Church will forgo its usual Sunday worship to join in celebrating with the group’s United Methodist friends.

“Everyone is welcome,” said the Rev. Teri Todd, pastor of the Elizabeth United Methodists. “This is an amazing community, which has been such a big part of our life as a church, and as people concerned for one another. We wouldn’t have achieved all we have without much involvement with this great town.”

Todd said the March 30 event will include a worship service, dove release, food and giveaways.

“We are now a stand-alone church,” said Stafford, who added that the congregation’s next major goal is to “buy land and build our own church.”

“We’ve been able to accomplish a lot in the past five years,” she said. “Now that we’re going to be independent, we’re selffunding and self-supporting. We very much appreciate all of the help we’ve received from the Parker Methodist Church. Now it’s time to stand on our own two feet.”

correction

Fire destroys home

The recent article “Can you hear me now?” misspelled the name of the cellular tower company Viaero Wireless, which is part of Ft. Morgan-based Northeast Cellular Inc.

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First Time Business Owner?

The Elizabeth Fire Protection District responded to a fire call at approximately 3 p.m. on March 19. The blaze, which had fully engulfed the structure by the time emergency personnel were on the scene, destroyed a house on Breezy Acres Circle, displacing a family of five, who were not at home when the fire started. The blaze also sparked a grass fire that was quickly extinguished. The black smoke plume from the fire could be seen from as far away as Aurora. Courtesy photo

Under-21 smoking ban fails in committee Opponents argued that adults should make own decisions

By Vic Vela

vvela@coloradocommunitymedia. com Legislation that would have banned the sale of cigarettes to people younger than 21 died in a House committee on March 19.

The bill received support from those who believe that smoking is a societal ill and who want to see more done to keep cigarettes away from youths.

But the effort fell one vote short of passing the House Finance Committee, on the heels of testimony from witnesses and comments from lawmakers who felt the legislation went too far in dictating decisions that adults usually make for themselves.

“I come down on the side of treating 18- to 20-year-olds as adults,” said Rep. Daniel Kagan of Cherry Hills Village, the only Democrat to vote against the bill.

Now, it’s legal for peope who are age 18 to purchase cigarettes. The bill would have raised that age to 21, although it would have provided a grandfather clause for people who are 18 when the law would have gone into effect.

In defending the effort, Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, a bill sponsor, cited testimony from anti-smoking advocates, who said that smokingrelated illnesses cost governments millions of dollars in health spending each year.

“The harm is not to just those who smoke; the harm is to all of us,” McCann said.

McCann also said that “the military is taking a pretty aggressive view of smoking,” telling committee members that armed forces branches have introduced anti-smoking programs aimed at curbing soldiers’ smoking habits.

But Brian Soule, a combat veteran from Colorado Springs, told the committee that he found the bill “insulting.” Soule cited the names of soldiers who became war heroes before the age of 21 and asked why lawmakers would question their ability to make

decisions for themselves.

“To say that these people cannot make good decisions about what’s good for them is pretty insulting to a lot of great Americans,” Soule said.

Others who testified in opposition to the bill said that businesses, particularly convenience stores, would be hurt by the legislation.

State revenue would also be affected. The bill’s fiscal note indicates that the state would have lost about $925,000 in tobacco tax revenue for the 2014-15 fiscal year, but the revenue losses for the following fiscal year would have been about $3.7 million.

But money isn’t the only thing, argued bill supporters.

“There would be a short-term fiscal hit, but in the long term, it will help us,” said Rep. Mike Foote, D-Lafayette.

Kagan joined all six Republicans on the House Finance Committee to vote against the bill, many of whom made similar arguments against the legislation.

“We’re creating a large case to where most 19- and 20-year-olds don’t feel like they’re actual adults for a myriad of reasons,” said Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson.

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4-Opinion

4 Elbert County News

March 27, 2014

opinions / yours and ours

Executive session bill worth another listen Click on, click off.

A bill that would have likely decreased numbers of times recording machines are turned on and off at school board executive sessions was tabled last week.

The bill had some traction and seemingly enough votes to clear the Senate Judicial Committee before it was pulled by state Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Adams County, who said there were enough votes to clear the House but not the Senate.

The bill would have required attorneyclient discussions during school board executive sessions to be recorded, no longer excluded from being recorded with other portions of executive session topics and interactions.

Had the measure passed, the recorded information would have been only made available to the public after a ruling by a judge finding that matters that should have

our view been public were discussed behind closed doors — which is the standard for all other recorded executive session topics.

We like the idea of the entirety of executive sessions being recorded. In our estimation, having the executive sessions taped and safely stored in case they require review by a judge has worked very well. It provides another measure of accountability — another mechanism in the name of good government.

On the face of the argument, taping an attorney-client discussion can seem just plain wrong, and we understand opposition arising from the Colorado Bar Association, but school boards are doing the busi-

letter to the editor School facilities need a plan, help

I am writing about the state of Elizabeth C-1 School District capital assets/facilities/schoolhouses. I have had concerns for many years regarding the shortcomings of the management of the district facilities. There has not been during the past 20 years a professional property management specialist employee of the district reporting directly to the board of education, as a representative of the stakeholders who pay for the schoolhouses.

The State of Colorado Department of Education conducted extensive infrastructure assessments of all facilities in early 2012. A district infrastructure committee conducted inspection in 2013. The findings are real. Deterioration of building exteriors, end-of-life cycle systems, not meeting updating codes and endless deferred

maintenance, two school house roofs to be renewed, have led to a “must-do” action by the stakeholders — the taxpayers — to preserve their investments.

The community needs to come together and develop a plan for the preservation of about $90 million of capital assets, and extending the expected life of these facilities.

The funding needed to return the facilities to an acceptable, safe and secure place for education could be as much as $24 million to $27 million. There probably will be grant funding from the state.

Please give this your best thoughts. Call me if you wish more information and are willing to help with this important tasking.

Norm Happel Elizabeth 303-646-0587/303-726-8800

‘No problem’ really means ‘no thought’ I have a problem with “No problem.”

I have a big problem with “No problem.”

The only time someone says “No problem” is when there is a problem.

The same goes for “No worries.” I’d like to get rid of both of them. They mean nothing, and are generally said as a casual dismissal. Let’s try to think of something else to say when something unexpected happens, or when something doesn’t go on exactly as planned or when something has been done on someone’s behalf.

Almost anything would be better. Try these. Instead of “No problem,” perhaps you could say “A wet bird does not fly at night,” or something else that is vaguely Zen. Instead of “No worries,” how about “Breathe deep the gathering gloom”? Anything but a generic cliche.

I am having a big problem. Arrangements were made for someone to be here on Monday to pick up some extra large paintings, drive them into Denver, and install them in three new showhomes.

At the last minute the project coordinator asked if we could reschedule everything for Wednesday. I said possibly not. Then we were able to agree on Tuesday.

In the midst of all of this, of emails and phone calls, trying to reach the outfit that will pick up the paintings, and the installer, she said, “No problem.”

I let out a yelp. I closed my eyes. I drank from Smitty’s water dish. I ordered pillow cases I don’t need. I vacuumed the parrot. I booked a flight to Ithaca.

I ate macaroni without cheese.

I listened to “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” on repeat.

I watched Bill O’Reilly and kept a straight face.

I don’t have any original thoughts. Just when I think I do, I will hear something or read something that matches identically with my thinking. Someone somewhere wrote about vacuuming his parrot today.

I decided to do a “No problem” search, and sure enough, others have the same dislike for it.

The New York Observer columnist Kristen Richardson wrote, “I’ve come to believe that `No problem’ is a seemingly benign expression run terribly amok, to the point of destroying what vestiges of civility we

have left here at the beginning of the 21st century.”

Richardson did a search too, and called Deborah Tannen, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. Tannen said that a general casualization of language is responsible for the expression.

Tannen said that “No problem” is dismissive, overcasual and makes light of a favor.

Then I found out that “No worries” is the preferred expression in Australia and New Zealand.

Language takes millions of hits every day. They are called “tweets.” I have yet to tweet. I plan to get out of here without ever tweeting. I am not going to waggle a finger, but the truncation of language into some kind of abbreviated drivel is for the unwashed.

I am glad that Charles Dickens didn’t live to hear “No problem.” Oliver goes up and asks for more? And the master says, “No problem”? There’s no chance of that.

Dickens manicured his thoughts and expressions, and I will never let that go, or give in to what goes around simply out of carelessness.

Am I a language snob? Absolutamente.

Muttering fractions of words and exhaling generic expressions is fine when you are lifting a car off of a teenager. The rest of the time I want to hear wording that follows thought and does not precede it, or is thrown at a situation because it has been before, and it’s handy.

There’s someone who is stationed at the self-checkout at my store. Without looking up, she invariably says, “Have a good one.”

I take that as a question, and always say, “I do.”

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident.

He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@ comcast.net.

ness of the public — the taxpayers — and thereby should be held to higher accountability with safely secured recordings of its exchanges with attorneys.

The bill also required that executive session minutes reflect the number of minutes spent on each topic.

This adds details that could be provided with little extra effort — another good government measure — but is secondary to whether the additional recording takes place.

From the chair of reporters through the years, we notice that elected officials — especially the newly elected — don’t always sync into the role of doing public business in public. It feels much more natural for decision-makers, many from the private sector, to privately discuss and craft decisions and then either adopt an action or compile a report for review at another level.

This is a central reason it is so important to check executive sessions and make sure participants don’t stray from the appropriate closed-door topics, which are generally pending litigation, personnel matters and negotiations.

Further, at the Statehouse, debate included talk that this measure should be extended to city councils, where we see various amounts of executive sessions and various concerns across the state, but we are not so sure that should be the next move.

Instead we believe this issue with school boards is worth another go around independently at some point, and whether this aspect of executive sessions is changed or not, every debate related to executive sessions and open meetings serves as a strong reminder of the attention to the law required in doing the public’s business in the open.

Yesterday was so yesterday It has been a while since I shared a quote or thought from my mentor Zig Ziglar, and as I prepared for this column I was reminded of something that Mr. Ziglar used to remind us of all the time. He would say, “We cannot make any more yesterdays, but we can make all of the brand-new tomorrows that we possibly can.”

I was thinking of this because I found myself in the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” trap as I thought about the ways I handled things over the past 12 months, opportunities I might have missed, activities I wanted to pursue and challenges I needed to overcome.

Have you ever been there? We ask ourselves things like, “Why didn’t I say this?” or “Why didn’t I do that?” “Life would be so different if I only did things differently.” And many other such statements and examples.

Zig used to also say: “Failure is an event and not a person. Yesterday really did end last night.” So when we can separate ourselves from what we could have or should have done or said, and realize that tomorrow is a brand-new day, our entire view of the world would shift. Optimism and hope would replace our regret and fear.

Tomorrow is filled with promise. Tomorrow is filled with hope. We are in control of how we see our future and what we choose to do in the pursuit of our life goals, our careers, our relationships and our health. Tomorrow has distanced itself from yesterday when it comes to our errors, poor judgment and mistakes. Tomorrow offers encouragement and builds upon the successes of our yesterdays. When was the last time we took an inventory of all of the great accomplishments, achievements, and goals where we exceeded our own expectations? Looking at past successes builds confidence and serves as a launching point for our next journey and path forward to greatness.

So we talked about yesterdays, and we talked about tomorrow. What about today?

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What can we do today to remember or successes of yesterday, learn from and overcome our prior mistakes, and ensure that our tomorrows are filled with hope, encouragement, opportunity and achievement?

Mr. Ziglar talked about the fact that we cannot create any more new yesterdays, but we can create all of the brand-new tomorrows of our life. And it starts with today. We can actually create the next brand-new 30 seconds of our lives, the next brand-new five minutes, the next new hour, and all we have to do is start.

We can start to let go of the past or build upon our past, and the choice is ours. Today, as you read this column, think about where you are. Think about your own story — are we still living in the glory days or many years ago? Are we living and feeling the hurts of yesterday? Or are we placing our stake in the ground today and committing to our future, the best and brightest future that is waiting for each and every one of us?

Life is a series of choices. Are you choosing to live or learn from your yesterdays?

Are you planning today for your successes of tomorrow? Either way, I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we plan today for greatness tomorrow, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is a resident of Highlands Ranch, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation and the CEO/founder of www. candogo.com.

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Elbert County News 5

March 27, 2014

Black Forest Fire report released

rtantDA’s office gets copy sure opri-for review erally andBy Danny Summers

dsummers@coloradocommuni-

e in-tymedia.com d be e var- There was more explosive land var-guage from El Paso County Shere areiff Terry Maketa when the Black ve. Forest Fire/Rescue Protection hoolDistrict released the report of its nde-independent investigation into r thisthe performance of Fire Chief Bob ed orHarvey during the first hours of ses-last summer’s Black Forest Fire. rong The investigation was conw re-ducted to respond to Maketa’s n theallegations that Harvey had mismanaged command on June 11, the first day of the fire. Dave Fisher, a professional investigator, was hired by the fire district’s law firm to conduct the investigation and create the report.

The independent report covers nearly 2,000 pages. At a March 14 press conference, Maketa called the report “a pack of bold-faced lies” that is “consumed by opinions.”

The report provides details of the first day and initial attacks on the fire. The report and all of its exhibits and photographs were sent to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for review. Some content was redacted because it relates to matters under investigation, according to the Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District Board.

Fisher was hired in December by the Black Forest board to conduct an investigation into the handling of the fire in its early hours. He was hired in response to a dispute between Harvey and Maketa that erupted in November.

The fire burned more than

The Black Forest fire started on June 11 and quickly got out of control. By the time it was over two lives had been lost, nearly 500 homes had burned, about 14,000 acres had burned and nearly 40,000 people had been evacuated. File photo 14,000 acres, destroyed 488 homes and killed two people.

In Fisher’s report he made recommendations for Harvey and others concerning what might have been done better during the fire. His recommendations for Harvey include: • Be sure command vehicle is fully equipped with comprehensive maps to hand out to officials and agencies from out of the area that might assist.

• Consider more pre-planning with agencies that provide regular mutual aid to Black Forest, especially in the context of responding on high-risk days.

• Set up staging areas and in-

volve more personnel sooner to help with different aspects of command.

• The chief had one portable radio and had to switch from channel to channel, inevitably missing transmissions. Have an assistant chief help monitor all frequencies.

• Work with all firefighters about radio discipline so lines of communication do not get overrun.

• Attempt to pre-plan command posts or implement a more effective mobile command post.

• Consider having more than one staging location in larger events.

• Make sure all water tenders

have proper fittings to tap into any water source.

• Involve law enforcement early to ensure evacuations are handled by the proper agency and that those agencies are aware of their tasks.

• Set rigid procedures and adhere to them in the event that command needs to be transferred to the county or state.

Fisher’s other key recommendations included: • Sheriff should convene meetings of fire and emergency personnel to create a working document, El Paso County Annual Operating Plan for Wildfire 2014, that all fire and emergency groups can agree

on. It would spell out what should occur during a wildland fire in the county and clarify roles. It also would have details of who is responsible and what will take place if command is transferred from a local entity to county to the state.

• A new mutual aid agreement should be considered. The last one the report preparer could find was 2001.

• The county and fire chiefs should form a model task force to investigate all suspicious fires.

Share arson investigation information, including with other counties, FBI, district attorney, state fire groups and others.

• Chief of North Area Group (various small fire agencies in northern El Paso County) should discuss response options and create a mutual aid package that sends the right resources on certain types of calls. There should be notification of on-call or volunteer staff.

• On high fire danger days, set up a system to know availability of staff and equipment.

• Set up a command and staging area early on.

• Develop a technology research team to see what exists in the county and elsewhere since the Black Forest has poor cellular signals.

• Establish calling trees among residents, and use radios in case cell towers go down.

• Create an Incident Command System. Use a team approach.

ICS is an emergency management system designed to provide a standardized structure for responding to emergency incidents.

Everyone must follow it so there is no confusion.

• Stage a public campaign emphasizing mitigation around homes.

Wildfire bill on ropes in Legislature Sponsor says measure could lead to abuse of power

By Kristen Wyatt Associated Press

The Colorado Legislature last week once again delayed a vote on a bill aimed at preventing agricultural fires from starting wildfires. The move came after its sponsor said he wanted to kill the proposal because farmers oppose it.

The measure would clarify that county commissioners can ban agricultural burning and campfires when fire risk is high. It was initially recommended by a legislative panel.

“It sounded like a pretty decent bill. But after looking at it and getting into it, I realized there could be a possibility” of county officials overusing the power, explained Sen. Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, its sponsor.

Crowder previously led a charge to delete a provision giving the county commissioners the power to ban fireworks after it appeared that counties already have that power.

Some of Crowder’s fellow Republicans blasted the limits on agricultural fires.

“It’s not like we’re reckless. We have too much to lose,” said one of the few farmers in the Legislature, Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray.

The bill is now in limbo. Crowder says he doesn’t have the votes to ax it and Democrats don’t have the votes to pass it. It was

elbert county news

previously approved by the House with a 36-27 vote on Feb. 14.

Rep. Millie Hamner, D-Dillon, another sponsor of the agriculture burning measure, says she wants to find a new sponsor to save the bill.

“I live in a county where there are acres of agriculture, there are beautiful homes and there are miles and miles of wooded forests,” Hamner said. “It’s just a disaster waiting to happen, especially if our county officials that we elect into these positions feel that it’s unclear about whether or not they can step in and say to ag burning, ‘This isn’t a good day for it.’”

The agriculture bill isn’t the first wildfirerelated measure to stall in the Legislature.

Lawmakers have worked on modest proposals this year to address wildfires but have stayed away from more ambitious measures.

A statewide building code recommended by a governor’s panel was never taken up.

A Republican proposal to buy a stateowned air fleet to fight fires was introduced Friday but faces an uncertain future amid concerns the planes would cost too much to maintain and may not make a big difference when a fire breaks out.

“They would be so expensive for us to maintain that we wouldn’t have sufficient funds remaining for all the other ways that we need to fight wildfires,” said the head of wildfire review panel, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Nicholson of Black Hawk.

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6 Elbert County News

March 27, 2014

Coffman talks small business Representative brings committee chair to table

By Jennifer Smith

jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman visited the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce March 19 and brought with him Rep. Sam Graves, of Missouri, chairman of the House Small Business Committee.

The two Republican lawmakers faced a fairly friendly crowd of local, invited entrepreneurs. In a roundtable format, they listened to concerns and suggestions that ranged from the difficulty applying for government contracts to Obamacare.

Andrew Graham, president of Clinic Services and an independent candidate for state representative, said his company has been waiting for its application to bid on government jobs to be approved for five years.

“I get the hurry-up-and-wait approach, but we’re not a sit-on-our-hands kind of crowd,” he said. “The help I need is, how do I get the job?”

Graves said that often several projects are bundled into one contract, making it just too big for smaller companies to handle. He’s introduced two bills that he hopes will level the playing field. He says the Greater Opportunities for Small Business Act of 2014 will increase the goal of giving small businesses 23 percent of the contracts to 25 percent, and the Contracting Data and Bundling Accountability Act of 2014 will bring more transparency to bundled contracts.

(From left) U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo.., U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Jeff Wasden, vice chair of public affairs with the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, participate in a small-business roundtable on March 20. Photo by Jennifer Smith “I believe a lot of these small businesses can do a lot of these projects more efficiently,” said Graves.

Coffman wondered about the effect the Affordable Health Care Act might be having on the group, though most of them employ fewer than 50 people and are therefore not subject to new requirements.

“If there is a constant in the discussion, it’s health care,” said Brian Olson, owner of Conversation Starters media consulting firm.

He has no employees, but said he works in a world of freelancers who provide ser-

vices for each other. The requirement to have insurance has many of them bewildered and frightened about the cost, he said.

Graham said his company has always offered health insurance, and he doesn’t believe the government should tell him how to do what he was already doing.

“As a human being, I would like to see a decoupling of health insurance from employment,” he said.

Jeff Holwell, the chamber’s chief operating officer, said surveys show about 90 percent of the companies in the south-metro

area are happy to be here.

“The 10 percent that aren’t happy, it’s usually because of a regulatory challenge,” he said, most often local building codes but sometimes obscure federal regulations.

“We’d like to inject a little more common sense into the regulatory environment,” said Graves. “The abuse of power seems to be getting worse.”

He points to ongoing but so-far failed efforts to require congressional approval of rules and regulations created by executive order or administrative policy that would have a national economic impact of $100 million or more.

He points to cap and trade as an example of failed legislation that he says the administration is implementing piecemeal via regulations. The only defense, he says, is to try to defund them, leaving the rule in place but with no money to implement or enforce it.

“But that’s a very poor way to run government,” he said. “How do businesses know whether to comply?”

John Brackney, president of the chamber, implored the congressmen to protect all types of energy production and the aerospace industry, which he said is more concentrated in the south-metro region than anywhere in the country.

Coffman noted he’s working with Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet on a bill that would do away with limits on exporting satellite technology.

“We assume we have such a competitive edge and always will that we don’t want to export any technology that could be used against us,” he said. “And any component part falls under that regulation.”

Kiowa man killed in Douglas County plane crash Wreck kills pilot, ignites grass fire Staff report The Douglas County coroner identified a Kiowa man as the pilot killed in a small plane crash in northeastern Douglas County.

Gregory Dirk Pelley, 53,

died after his twin-engine plane crashed in a field, about 100 feet from a home near Otero Drive and Phillips Place, shortly before 5 p.m. March 19. Coroner Lora Thomas said Pelley died from multiple bluntforce injuries.

The fiery wreckage sparked a grass fire that grew to two acres before

being contained by four different fire agencies. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were at the scene March 20 combing through the pieces of the plane. The tail of the aircraft, with a registration number clearly visible, was the largest intact part of the plane.

The crash occurred near Inspiration Drive and Piney Lake Road, about a mile away from the site where another small plane hit the ground in August 2012. The pilot of that plane survived.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration survey the wreckage of a fatal plane crash in northeastern Douglas County March 19. The twin-engine aircraft came down less than 100 feet from a home and sparked a two-acre grass fire that was quickly contained. Photo by Chris Michlewicz

Laws tighten marijuana regulations Packaging standard aims to safeguard kids from pot

By Vic Vela

vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to All Our Loyal Patients & New Patients!

George W. Krieger, DDS

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Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two bills into law on March 17 that tighten regulations on marijuana sales and aim to make it more difficult for the drug to be consumed by children.

House Bill 1122 will require that medical marijuana that is sold in edible form — such as pot brownies or cookies — is wrapped in opaque packaging that does not create an “attractive nuisance” for kids.

The law seeks to prevent incidents where children accidentally eat pot-laced edibles, which can sometimes result in emergency room trips.

“Child-resistant packaging is required for things like Tylenol because it

Gov. John Hickenlooper is flanked by Rep. Daniel Kagan, D-Cherry Hills, (far left) and Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, (right) as he signs two pot regulation bills at the Capitol on March 17. Photo by Vic Vela works,” Hickenlooper said during a Capitol press conference. “You should have no different standard for marijuana.”

Regulations that the Legislature put into place last year as a result of the 2012 passage of Amendment 64 — which legalized recre-

ational pot use in Colorado — already include strict packaging requirements for retail sales. This law sets that same standard for medical marijuana sales.

Hickenlooper was joined

by Dr. Sam Wang, a pediatric emergency room physician at Children’s Hospital

Colorado. Wang said there has been an increase in the number of children who are hospitalized due to accidental ingestion of marijuana.

“Symptoms vary quite a bit, anywhere from mild symptoms, a little bit of sleepiness, but we’ve had some severe cases where children have actually had an inability to breathe adequately, requiring tubes,” Wang said.

The bill also gives retail marijuana store owners the ability to confiscate a fake ID from a person younger than 21 who attempts to buy the drug. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for those who are caught selling marijuana to minors.

“Everybody came together on this and our kids will be better, safer and kept away from marijuana as a result,” said Rep. Daniel Kagan, D-Cherry Hills Village, a bill sponsor.

Hickenlooper also signed Kagan’s House Bill Pot continues on Page 7

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Elbert County News 7

March 27, 2014

Heap Continued from Page 1

younger brother Joel is an investigator in the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office — Heap met his wife, Karen, in Steamboat, where she grew up too.

Although he attended a few years of high school in Steamboat, Heap ended up graduating from Aurora Christian and then attended Metro State and Mesa State in Grand Junction.

Heap got his first taste of police work when he served as a volunteer cadet for the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team. Taking part in a particularly gruesome recovery of a young drowning victim one day, Heap remembers thinking “maybe I’m not really cut out for this.”

When he and Karen moved to the metro area, Heap worked for a time in real estate and then ran his own construction company. “I did OK in business,” he said, “but deep down, I knew I wanted a career in law enforcement.”

So in 2001, while continuing to work, he enrolled in the Colorado Sheriffs’ Training Institute in Highlands Ranch, taking courses at night and on the weekends.

When he graduated six months later, Heap accepted a job with the ECSO. “Karen and I were small-town kids and weren’t big on living in the city,” Heap says.

“So we jumped on the chance to move to Elbert County.”

During his three-plus years at the helm of the sheriff’s office, Heap has clearly won the support and loyalty of his staff — and the praise of county officials.

“I think we’ve got one of the brightest sheriffs in the state,” says County Commissioner Robert Rowland.

Commissioner Kurt Schlegel, a retired Marine, agrees. “I continue to be impressed on a daily basis by the way Shayne runs his office, manages his budget and motivates his staff.”

In 2006, the ECSO took 5,800 calls for service. In 2013, ECSO deputies responded to 16,000 service calls.

“We’ve handled that increase with basically the same manpower and budget,” Heap says. “That speaks volumes for the kind of staff I’ve got.”

Heap has attracted national attention for his penny-pinching style of managing the office’s budget — and in particular, the county jail.

Prisoners are fed three meals that meet basic nutritional requirements but cost the county just $4.50 a day. Inmates staff the kitchen and also work on road crews cleaning up trash and doing landscape work and snow removal.

“Under statute, we can compel inmates to work,” Heap says, “and I believe in doing kage so.”

Heap’s salary, also set by state statute, is

0 feet

Permit Continued from Page 1

sult of the well site activity.

Local fire officials met with the developers and identified six “fire protection and safety issues,” Parkinson said. “The applicant is currently in contact with Simla Fire District and a meeting will be scheduled between all parties as soon as possible.”

“When they are drilling the well, is water expected to be produced?” Commissioner Larry Ross asked Parkinson.

“No,” Parkinson answered. “The appli-

Pot Continued from Page 6

1229 into law, which will allow local jurisdictions to submit fingerprints of those applying for a retail marijuana license to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Hickenlooper said the law will bar “bad actors” with criminal records who try to gain access

‘Shayne is not real flashy, and doesn’t go around calling a lot of attention to himself. But day in and day out, nobody works harder and deserves more credit than our sheriff.’

Ed Ehmann, county manager $66,600 a year. By contrast, captains, lieutenants and even some sergeants in larger departments earn nearly twice as much.

But Heap, who lives in Elizabeth, said he has “never really been tempted” to jump to a higher-paying job — even though offers continue to come his way.

“Karen and I love living here,” he says.

“We couldn’t think of a better place to be raising our (three) kids.” Heap even finds time to coach his son’s basketball team.

“When I was elected,” Heap says, “I sat down with my command staff and put together a mission statement. It was about a page long but its main point is our job is to protect the lives and constitutional rights of all of the residents in Elbert County.”

“And every day,” Heap adds, “I work hard to insure we are doing exactly that. My deputies don’t just talk about our mission statement, they embrace it.”

While overseeing the ECSO’s 2014 operating budget, which is $2.7 million, Heap supervises 37 sworn officers and half a dozen administrative personnel. “I don’t believe in micromanaging my staff,” he says.

“If they’re out there following through on the mission statement, it makes a huge difference in how people perceive the ECSO.” Heap has a reputation as a straight shooter and says he has no problem with being labeled a “no-nonsense, by-the-book sheriff.”

“When she’s out running errands or dropping the kids off at school, I tell my wife not to speed or she’s going to get popped with a ticket,” says Heap. “When they stop someone, my deputies show absolutely no favoritism.”

Heap says one former county commissioner called his office once requesting deputies cite speeders in his neighborhood.

“About a week later, one of my guys ticketed the commissioner for speeding near his house,” Heap says.

“Shayne is not real flashy and doesn’t go around calling a lot of attention to himself,” says county manager Ed Ehmann. “But day in and day out, nobody works harder and deserves more credit than our sheriff.”

cant is not even sure at this point if they will be fracturing the well.”

If fracturing takes place, Davis said the source of water used for the process will be trucked in and then recycled on-site for reuse.

A Storm Water Management Plan filed by the company ensures that all storm water runoff “will be contained” within the well site, Davis told Commissioner Ross when asked about Mustang Creek’s plan to protect the surrounding watershed.

“I want to give kudos to the staff,” said Davis. “We’ve been involved in this process for about six months now and the level of professionalism on the part of the county staff has been wonderful.”

to the retail pot industry.

Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, a Senate sponsor of House Bill 1122, said legislators will continue to examine laws that regulate the newly created marijuana industry, as more becomes known about the industry.

“This is probably not the last time you will hear from us because we will probably find these cleanup bills as we go through the years, after marijuana … has become a norm in Colorado,” Newell said.

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8 Elbert County News

March 27, 2014

Revenue forecast looking good TABOR headache complicates picture with pot-tax money

By Vic Vela

vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Colorado’s economy grew stronger in 2013 and that momentum is expected to continue through the coming years, factors that will contribute to a state general fund budget for next year that will exceed original forecasts, state economists said on March 18.

But not all the news that came out of the Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee briefing was rosy. While much of the state is doing better post-recession, other areas continue to struggle.

And lawmakers lamented the continuing budget challenges that come as a result of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — including a TABOR problem involving marijuana tax revenue that the Legislature may end up having to deal with soon.

The JBC was briefed on Colorado’s economic outlook by the state’s budget director and staff from the Colorado Legislative Council. Their reports are an essential component for the committee to consider when they craft the state’s spending plan — a budget that is expected to be about $20.5 billion.

While the economists’ revenue forecasts differed slightly, they all agreed that Colorado’s economy is on healthy footing.

“Over the past year, household wealth has

grown because of increases in home prices and recent gains in the stock market,” said Louis Pino of the Legislative Council. “As a result, consumer spending has improved, especially on big-ticket items like furniture and vehicles. U.S. corporations continue to post strong profits, the equity market posted its best gains in years, inflation remains benign and the global economy, especially in the Eurozone, appears to have turned a corner for the better.”

The budget forecast for the 2014-15 fiscal year will be $61 million higher than what was originally predicted. And, after money is set aside for an increased state reserve fund, about $75 million will be left over for bills that are currently waiting to be appropriated — an “up-for-grabs” amount that is certain to lead to battles among lawmakers in the coming weeks.

Priorities for that money include helping flood and wildfire victims and more funding for K-12 and higher education. After that, there is a guessing game as to which of the many bills that have yet to be appropriated become funded.

“There are a lot of competing priorities within the budget, so as we’ve said from the start we have to be prudent in how we allocate the resources of the state,” House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, said the day after the forecast was released. “We are not going to be able to pass every idea and bill through the Legislature.”

The state’s general fund budget for the next fiscal

year is expected to be $9.2 billion, higher than the current fiscal year’s revenue projection of $8.8 billion.

Driving the healthy economic forecast is a 27-week streak of consecutive job growth and a state unemployment rate that is currently 6.1 percent. While the unemployment rate has dropped, “the state’s labor market added jobs at the fastest rate in seven years,” according to the Legislative Council.

Meanwhile, wages and salaries grew 4.7 percent last year and personal income is expected to improve during the 204-15 fiscal year, economists said.

The current fiscal year will also yield a general fund surplus of $257 million, most of which — about $170 million — will be transferred to the State Education Fund.

Funding for education will increase through the annual School Finance Act and accompanying bills aimed at pumping more money into K-12 and higher education. Those dollar amounts are still being negotiated.

While the Denver metro area and much of the Front Range is experiencing economic growth in many areas, other parts of the state aren’t faring as well. For Colorado Springs, Pueblo and the Western Slope, including Grand Junction, growth has been “sluggish,” according to Louis Pino of the Legislative Council.

TABOR trouble

As for marijuana tax revenue that is coming in as a result of Proposition AA, $54.7 million will be

pumped into the 2014-15 fiscal year.

But while that revenue amount is less than what was originally projected

by Prop AA proponents, the state may end up having to cut refund checks to Colorado taxpayers for that money.

A TABOR technicality may require the state to issue pot revenue refunds — even though voters intended for money that’s collected from marijuana tax money to go toward school construction and the cost of pot industry regulations.

TABOR is generally thought of as a statute that requires all tax hikes be approved by the voters. But the technical clause also includes an area that requires the state to issue tax refunds when state spending exceeds expectations that are included in voter information material that is sent out each election, otherwise called the “Blue Book.”

That seems to be the case this year, and lawmakers are trying to figure out how to deal with it.

“This is confounding,” said Sen. Pat Steadman, DDenver.

“TABOR told us to let the voters decide. The voters have decided, and their wishes may be frustrated by something hidden in the TABOR amendment.”

Lawmakers could issue refunds for the marijuana tax money or they may end up having to go back to the voters to ask if they can keep it — something for which the voters already gave permission.

Ferrandino said it is likely that the Legislature will deal with this issue before

State’s Supreme Court to hear voucher case Program introduced in 2011 remains on hold through judicial process

By Jane Reuter

jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia. com The Colorado Supreme Court will hear the Douglas County School District voucher case.

It issued an order March 17 granting that request from several plaintiffs in the original 2011 filing. The case likely won’t be heard until late summer or early fall, an attorney working for one of the plaintiffs said.

That distant date — or the 11 months it took the state’s high court to render its decision — didn’t dampen the excitement of some involved with the case.

“We’re thrilled,” said Cindy Barnard, president of the nonprofit Taxpayers for Public Education. “We certainly see this as a victory for us. When you look at the way the court has written the writ, it’s very clear they’re looking at all the substantive issues we brought forward.”

The pilot program, named the Choice Scholarship Program, allows parents to use state-issued funds toward tuition at private schools. Most of the schools included in the program are religious.

Barnard and others, including the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, filed suit after DCSD introduced the program, and Denver District Court declared it unconstitutional in August 2011.

The Colorado Court of Appeals is-

‘We’re thrilled. We certainly see this as a victory for us. When you look at the way the court has written the writ, it’s very clear they’re looking at all the substantive issues we brought forward.’

Cindy Barnard, president of the nonprofit Taxpayers for Public Education

D-Denver, the committee chairwoman, said TABOR has caused the state “major problems” that has tied budgets into “fiscal knots.”

And one Republican said the recent TABOR issues have caused her to change her perspective on the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

“I have to tell you, quite honestly, the more I learn about TABOR, particularly what it did to the floods and our counties, the less and less I like it and the more insidious I believe it’s been to state government,” said Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen.

the session is out.

The concern over marijuana revenues isn’t the only TABOR-related monkey wrench that lawmakers have had to deal with this session. They ran into problems with flood recovery money because counties wouldn’t be able to take state reimbursements, out of concern that the money would cause them to hit their TABOR spending limits. The state will instead fund the money through different means.

Those issues caused JBC members to rail against TABOR. Rep. Crisanta Duran,

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sued the opposite opinion in February 2012. But until a final decision is made, the pilot program is on hold.

“The district welcomes the opportunity for the state’s highest court to review a case that presents such important issues for our state and our country,” school board member Craig Richardson said.

The voucher program was the first among several changes introduced by the reform-driven school board. Opponents say it blurs the line between separation of church and state, and dilutes funding for public schools. Supporters say the program offers parents another educational choice.

Michael Bindas, an attorney from the Institute for Justice who’s representing three of the voucher families, is not surprised by the decision.

“It’s unfortunate the scholarship program’s implementation is going to be further delayed by (this),” he said.

“But the good news is the program’s constitutionality will now be finally resolved. And a decision upholding

the program would have precedential value statewide. It would also have persuasive authority in other states.”

Richardson characterized the Supreme Court’s decision as “purely procedural.”

“It does not mean the court disagrees with the ruling of the court of appeals,” he said. “It simply means the court recognizes the importance of the case …”

Alex Luchenitser, an attorney for plaintiff Americans United, is pleased by the news.

“This is a very important case,” he said. “This program uses taxpayer funds to pay for religious education.

One of the most fundamental principles of the American constitutional tradition of church state separation is taxpayers should not be forced to support religious instruction in a faith to which they don’t believe.”

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March 27, 2014

Family shares tales of Sandy Hook Forum focuses on commitment to improved security

By Jane Reuter

jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com Parents and security experts shared stories both heartbreaking and inspiring during a two-hour forum on school security held March 13 at Parker’s Cimarron Middle School. Parker parents David and Carly Posey, whose children attended Sandy Hook Elementary during the tragic December 2012 mass shooting, highlighted the evening.

David Posey now is president of Cimarron’s PTO; the family had made plans to move to Parker before the shooting due to David’s job transfer. In the Douglas County School District, they say they’ve found a deep sense of security.

After watching his teacher and a classmate die, the Posey’s son Reichen fled to safety from a Sandy Hook classroom while the gunman reloaded. He and his siblings

now are Douglas County students.

“The Douglas County School District has made our children’s safety a top priority, and they haven’t stopped working on this issue,” said Carly Posey, adding that during her years as an involved parent at Sandy Hook, “Never was school security talked about.”

When frantic parents gathered at a Newtown, Conn. firehouse after the shooting, Posey said some children mistakenly were sent home with their classmates’ parents, adding to the panic and chaos for parents who later couldn’t find their children. She compared that to the orderly reunification of parents and students that occurred at Cimarron March 7 after a low-credibility bomb threat at nearby Legend High School forced the cancellation of classes.

“I’m sure Newtown had some sort of plan on paper, but they never thought they would need it,” she said.

The Poseys have joined some Columbine High School parents to create the Sandy Hook Columbine Cooperative, designed to help communities prepare, respond, and

recover from a traumatic event.

“While part of us will always be with those we love back in Connecticut, Dave and I know from experience it really does take a village to raise a child,” Carly Posey said. “We are so thankful and proud our village is here with you in Colorado.

“We are ready to do our part to make certain that not just our kids, but all kids are safe at school.”

John Michael-Keyes, whose daughter Emily was fatally shot at Platte Canyon High School in September 2006, also addressed the audience. Keyes founded the i love u guys Foundation, and is credited as the driving force behind the standard response protocols now used by school districts nationwide.

Former hostage negotiator and SAFE2TELL creator Susan Payne, and Douglas County school resource officer Tyler Herman also talked about school security.

Though all praised DCSD’s efforts, they agreed much work remains to be done both locally and nationally.

Payne said students need continual en-

couragement to talk about things they hear and see. In almost all cases, the person that conducted a violent act exhibited some alarming behavior before they acted, she said. Those unusual behaviors apply not just to violent acts against others, but potential suicide victims, Payne said.

Payne also said sophisticated technology allows officials to track tips and prevent tragedies. Officials tracked a Georgia teen to his home hours after he’d told fellow online gamers about a potential planned school attack.

Though the teen said he’d never intended to put his words into action, officers removed seven weapons from his home.

Such tips and hotlines likely have prevented two planned school attacks and in Colorado alone, about 80 potential suicides.

“We are seeing a culture among adults and children that says, `Look the other way, mind your own business’,” Payne said. “But if we’re going to get information from people, we need to make sure they’re engaged in a two-way dialogue. We have to be engaged and proactive.”

You’re invited to a special preview and tour.

Experience life as a JWU student by making sure you attend a special Preview Day, Saturday, April 5, from 8am-1pm.

• Campus tours • Speak with faculty • Learn about financial aid opportunities.

High school seniors and transfer students – bring your transcripts for a preliminary admissions review.

Continuing education students – discuss your unique needs with our admissions officers.

Refreshments will be served.

Seating is limited - RSVP

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303-256-9300

Johnson & Wales University admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin, among other categories.

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10 Elbert County News March 27, 2014

Installation of the 16 new stained glass windows designed by Scott Larson for Our Lady of Loreto Church, made by Derrix Glassstudios in Germany, required a lift brought in from out-of-state. Courtesy photos

‘WindoWs’

quite a sight Foxfield church’s glass offers astonishing art

By Sonya Ellingboe

sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com

T

o fully appreciate the newly installed stainedglass windows at Our Lady of Loreto Catholic Church in Foxfield, one should visit at various times of day and in different seasons, when the changing sunlight will create new effects.

Officially blessed at a Mass on March 16, the 16 recently installed works of art were created by artist Scott Parsons and fabricated by the century-old Derix Glasstudios in Taunusstein, Germany. They are collectively called The Heavenly Jerusalem Windows and each has a distinctive story to tell the viewer.

Installation of the round and rectangular windows in the handsome Romanesque-style church was made possible by an anonymous donor, according to Msgr. Edward Buelt, who founded the parish and worked closely with the artist on the spiritual symbolism in each individual design.

The windows are stained glass with colors painted on, versus the leaded glass windows we are accustomed to. They are

if you go Our Lady of Loreto Catholic Parish is located at 18000 E. Arapahoe Road in Foxfield — just east of Parker Road. We were told that because the church also operates a school, the three bronze sanctuary doors are locked during the week, but a large door labeled Main Door is open and an attendant is there, who can grant admission to the sanctuary. It is open for Masses, with times listed on the website. 303-766-3800, OurLadyofLoreto.org. filled with dazzling colors and occasional touches of gold, applied to the hand-blown glass panels in patterns that include both representational images and more sweeping abstract images. Angels, the elements, sunlight and vegetation — all imaginatively presented.

Parsons, who was born in Littleton, has an MFA in painting from CU-Boulder — with graduate work in archaeology — and is chairman of the art department at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. He has been creating public art, including liturgical art, for 20 years. Several years ago, Parsons, a Lutheran, worked with the Derix studios on stained glass windows for Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. In Denver, he is rep-

resented by the prestigious William Havu Gallery and has work installed at the National Cable Television Center and Museum at the University of Denver and at locations across the nation and in Canada.

Our Lady of Loreto’s western facade is inspired by the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, Italy.

The eight-sided dome has five circular windows supported by laminated red oak pillars, which represent trees. The central, east-facing window depicts the Lamb of God, with blood flowing from the pierced heart and clear blue water.

Alpha and Omega symbols are copied from Botticini’s “Assumption of the Virgin,” seen in Washington’s National Galleries, according to an explanation by Msgr. Buelt on the church website, where images of all the windows can be seen.

Round windows symbolizing each season are next on each side, and opposite the lamb is The Celestial Denver window, which brings the series home to its location. A columbine (an ancient symbol of the Holy Spirit) is in the center, backed by an image of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and mountain peaks, with an image

Edito

publica com. N

“Serephim” window from the “Angels in Festive Garb” series at Our Lady of Loreto Church.

The word means “the burning ones” and shows flames. Designed by Scott Larson. of Red Rocks Amphitheatre to the side.

Ten clerestory windows portray God’s nine ranks of angels and one dedicated to St. Michael, Prince of Angels, according to Msgr. Buelt’s text. Each has its distinctive colors and symbolism: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels and St. Michael, the Archangel.

The dramatic images are swirling and abstract represen-

tations of spiritual beings. Their interpretation is based on theological work of St. Thomas Aquinas, according to a story in the Denver Catholic Register, saying he cautioned against representing angels in human form.

The artist said they are represented by breath, wind, fire and water.

We would urge art lovers, regardless of religious affiliation, to see these really unique examples of liturgical art—made for the 21st century.

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11

Elbert County News 11

March 27, 2014

Wood is nothing to knock at show Foothills Art Center has a history of showing fine art quality pieces in what some still call “crafts.” “Splinter! Colorado Wood Today” is opening on March 29 and running through May 18 at FAC, 809 15th St., Golden. Contemporary expressions in wood — a medium that has been favored by artists since ancient times, will appeal to a wide range of viewers. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $5/$3. SCFD Free Day April 23. Panel discussion with artists Carley Warren, Susan Cooper, Patrick Marold and Keith Gotschall from 2-4 p.m. April 12 (RSVP). Foothillsartcenter.org, 303-2793922.

News from ACC

The Fine Art Student Juried Exhibition will be in Arapahoe Community College’s Colorado Gallery of the Arts from March 31 to April 16, juried by painter Lee Wasilik.

Awards will be sponsored by the Heritage Fine Arts Guild, which recently held a show at the gallery. An opening reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. April 4. Gallery hours: noon to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays (open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays).

ACC celebrates the opening of the McKinnell Special Collection on April 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Library and Learning Commons. Jim and Nan McKinnell were influential ceramic artists over a 50-year period in Colorado, and over 200 of their books, slides and papers were donated to ACC with several pottery pieces. The books may be checked out. For information: Ann Priestman, ACC reference and archives librarian, 303-797-5731, ann.priestman@ arapahoe.edu.

The next ACC Star Party will be from 8 to 10 p.m. April 4 on the West Lawn,between the Main Building and Lot G. ACC will provide a telescope. Free hot cocoa and cook-

ies. Admission is free, with no RSVP needed.

Information: Jennifer Jones, 303-797-5839, jennifer.jones@arapahoe.edu.

Vintage Voltage

The Vintage Voltage Expo, produced by Dana Cain of Littleton, will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 30 at the Ramada Plaza Convention Center, Interstate 25 at 120th Avenue. Music fans and audiophiles will want stereos, turntables, antique radios, classic guitars, vinyl records and more.

Fifty vendors are expected. Admission is $5.

Children admitted free.

What’s so funny?

“The Humor Code” by scientist Peter McGraw and writer Joel Warner will be introduced to readers at 7:30 p.m. April 4 at Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., as the authors converse with Ryan Warner of Colorado Public Radio. 303-322-7727.

Indian Wars discussed

The Order of the Indian Wars’ Annual Denver Indian Wars Symposium will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 12 at the Colorado National Guard Headquarters Auditorium, 6868 S. Revere Parkway, Centennial. Six speakers, coffee, juice, doughnuts, lunch, authors and booksellers. Program by Deb Goodrich Bisel, Tom Buecker, John Car-

“Thirteen Years” by Susan Cooper is included in ”Splinter! Colorado Wood Today,” an exhibit of art by contemporary woodworkers at Foothills Art Center in Golden. Courtesy photo son, Jerome Greene, Paul Hedren and Maj. Adam Morgan. After-party at La Quinta, 7077 S. Clinton St., where there are special

lodging rates. Send check for reservation to: OIW, P.O. Box 1650, Johnstown, CO 80534.

Information: Layton Hooper, 970-229-5991.

Emerging band to help creative district Unlikely Candidates scheduled to play April 25 at PACE Center

By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com It’s an apropos name for the main attraction at an upcoming show at Parker’s top performing arts venue.

The Unlikely Candidates, an up-and-coming indierock band enjoying increasing airplay and exposure at large festivals, is stopping by the Parker Arts, Culture and Events — or PACE — Center April 25. And it’s not just younger generations reaping the benefits of the visit.

Some of the proceeds from the concert will go to-

ward Parker’s creative arts district, which is headed by a motivated steering committee of residents, business professionals and elected officials. Organizers hope to raise about $8,000 in funding to later be used to match grants, said Elaine Mariner, Parker was named as an “emerging creative district” in 2012, but the group is applying to the state for official certification as a creative district, which requires it to raise money to pay for things like marketing, website maintenance and new special events. The designation would amplify the town’s presence in the Colorado arts community and qualify it for state funding.

The PACE Center has traditionally booked music acts long past their heyday,

THINGS TO DO 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.

but still touring and able to draw a nostalgic crowd — acts like Air Supply and Spyro Gyra. It has yet to host a band with a young following. Mariner characterized the booking as a “fun risk.”

“It’s a younger audience we know, but they’re a very popular band right now,” Mariner said.

The timing lined up perfectly, with schedules for both the band and the PACE Center surprisingly being open April 25. The show has been orchestrated by Don

APRIL 5 MYSTERY AUTHOR The Mystery Book Club in Simla will visit with Beth Groundwa-

ter, a Colorado author, via a video call on Skype and the library’s digital equipment, at 9:30 a.m. April 5 at the Simla Library. Groundwater was a software engineer and software project manager until she retired in 1999. Since then she has turned to writing full time. She has two series with a total of six books. There are three in the Clair Hanover gift basket series and three in the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series.

Her latest book is A Basket of Trouble published in November 2013. The Simla Mystery Book Club meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. the first Saturday of every month. The group selects a topic to read each month and share out the books each member chooses to read. New members are welcome any time. Contact the Simla Library at 719-541-2573 or go to www.elbertcountylibrary.org.

Unlikely Candidates show could be a “stepping stone” to a larger annual festival that builds recognition and draws people to Parker.

Viretta, a four-piece alternative-rock band whose members attended Chaparral High School, will be the opener, Mack said.

The Town of Parker is donating the use of the facility to benefit the creative district.

The district steering committee is having a public meeting at 5:30 p.m.

FIVE W’S AND ONE H Who: Unlikely Candidates, Viretta What: Music concert When: 7:30 p.m., April 25 Where: PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. Why: Fun, raise money for creative district How much: $25 per ticket

March 26 at the PACE Center to recruit new members and discuss projects and plans.

Help Wanted Preschool Aide Opening Kiowa Schools will have an opening for a full-time preschool aide with benefits beginning in August 2014. Position works through the school year. Duties include supervising and teaching 3-5 year old children which may include diaper changing and attending to disabilities. Some computer skills are required and an online training program must be completed successfully. Must pass background check.

Salary based on experience; no experience starts at $8.02/hr. EEO. Applications available on website at http://www.kiowaschool.org/careers.htm. Select the Classified application. Position open till filled.

Call 303 621-2220 for questions.

APRIL 3 FREE PRESENTATION Rob Reiman with Edward Jones Investments will host a free educational presentation from 6-7:30 p.m. April 3 at the Elizabeth Library, 651 W. Beverly St., across the street from Big R. Refreshments will be served. Reiman will discuss the slow pace of economic recovery; anxieties about deficits and debts; the economic outlook; strategies to address the impact of inflation and interest rates; and domestic and international opportunities and hazards. RSVP to Sandy Phelps at 303-646-8871 by April 2.

Mack, a longtime Parker resident and member of the creative district’s executive committee.

“It was Don’s idea. He’s a very active volunteer,” Mariner said. “The executive committee is really kind of grabbing hold and moving (the district) forward in a giant leap this year.”

Mack says he’s hoping to help create a “real sustaining vision” to raise capital and develop the downtown area into an arts mecca.

If successful, he says the

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Pay is on a per-assignment basis, but we are looking for someone who can become a regular contributor to the Elbert County News.

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12 Elbert County News

March 27, 2014

Nothing homey in hometown tale `Good People’ plays at Curious Theatre

if you go “Good People” runs through April 19 at Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma St., Denver. Performances: 8 p.m.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $18-$44, 303-623-0524, curioustheatre.org.

By Sonya Ellingboe

sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia. com Scene I of David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Good People” opens in a trashy South Boston alley behind the Dollar Store — the only private office space that store manager Stevie (John Juracheck) can find to tell Margie (Dee Covington) that he’s letting her go.

Seems she’s late every day — always with an excuse that she can’t leave her disabled adult daughter alone — and Stevie’s boss has said “enough!”

“How about trying Gillette?” (a large manufacturing plant for razors). Stevie says he’ll ask his brother who works there.

Margie rages and whines, claims it’s because she’s paid above minimum wage and in no way takes any blame. There’s a disconnect from the start with any sort of work ethic — she talks about luck, or lack of it.

This is a play about class differences, with wry twists by Lindsay-Abaire, who grew up in South Boston and understands the territory.

Dee Covington has the speech and mannerisms of her character, Margaret, nailed. As do her neighbors Jeanie (Leslie O’Carroll) and plain-spoken landlord Dottie (Kathryn Gray).

Leslie O’Carroll (Jean), Dee Covington (Margaret) and Kathryn Gray (Dottie) chat in Margaret’s kitchen, as Boston Southies in “Good People,“ playing at Curious Theatre. Courtesy photo They commiserate with her and try to think about a solution to her dilemma.

They are “good people.”

Jeanie has just seen Mike (Michael McNeil), an old boyfriend of Margaret’s, at a dinner where she was serving. He is now a doctor. She suggests: “Why don’t you go ask him for a job?”

Savvy director Christy Montour Larson keeps the focus intense throughout. It’s not

a comfortable/cozy night for the audience — but then Pulitzer winner Lindsay-Abaire doesn’t write comfortable/cozy.

Margaret pushes her way into Mike’s office and he too suggests Gillette, and she accuses him of being “Lace Curtain” (not a kind thing to say). He suggests she come to a party he and his wife are having in their Chestnut Hill home — a wealthy neighborhood.

There are underlying issues at play here and he asks “Did you get mean, Margie?

You’re good people.”

Act II opens at Mike’s impressive house with discord between the doctor and his wife, Kate (Betty Hart), a literature professor at Boston University — and black. He had called Margie to say the party was canceled and she appears anyhow — hearing what she wants to hear.

The conversation carries the story along through numerous twists and turns until the errant guest departs.

We next see her at bingo with her friends, finally agreeing to try Gillette ….

The staging and lighting are impressive for this production, with massive set pieces that wheel and turn and change magically from alley to classy home, with a shove from the cast and crew.

The audience will leave this performance unsettled that Margaret’s future is probably not going to go well. Luck isn’t in the cards for her ….

But it’s a wonderfully written and acted production. One wouldn’t want to miss it.

Not a jolly old elf `Rumpelstiltskin’ staged at Denver’s Mizel center

if you go

By Sonya Ellingboe

sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia. com For the 17th annual Denver Children’s Theatre production, the 2014 choice is “Rumpelstiltskin,” as adapted by Mike Kenny from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

Performances are at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center at the Jewish Community Center. Billie McBride is director — as she has been for a number of years — of this spring treat, cast with fine professional actors who will really show children what theater can be.

McBride is joined for this play by local choreographer/dancer Terrell Davis, due to the extraordinary movement requirements in Kenny’s version.

Performances are at 10 a.m. on selected weekdays for school groups 5 years through grade 6, and at 1 p.m. on Sundays for the public.

“Rumpelstiltskin” plays through May 2 at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center at the Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., Denver. Performances for school groups are at 10 a.m. on specific weekdays, plus 1 p.m. Sundays for the public (except April 20). Tickets $8/$9/$10, 303-316-6360, maccjcc.org/Denver-childrens-theatrerumpelstiltskin Readers will remember the story about the miller (Brian Landis Folkins) who tells the king that his pampered daughter (Adrian Egolf ) knows how to spin gold from straw. When the king finds his treasury is pretty much depleted, he takes the miller up on his boast and leads the daughter to a room filled with piles of straw, which makes her frantic.

The elfish little man Rumpelstiltskin (Rachel Graham) appears and offers to spin the straw into gold in exchange for her firstborn child after she becomes the princess who marries the prince.

Also in the cast: Lindsey Pierce as the queen and Missy Moore as Mess.

Photography + Pop Rock

To advertise your public notices call 303-566-4100

Name Changes

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on February 26, 2014 that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Elbert County Court.

Public notice is given on November 6, 2013 that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Elbert County Combined Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Denali Dwight Norman be changed to Denali Norman Stuart.

Case No.: 2014 C 104

The Petition requests that the name of Bryon Daniel Baros be changed to Bryon Daniel Bills.

Case No.: 2013 C 50

Cheryl A. Layne, Clerk of Court By: Jafeen Jenkins, Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No: 927908 First Publication: March 13, 2014 Last Publication: March 27, 2014 Publisher: Elbert County News

Cheryl A. Layne, Clerk of Court By: Jafeen Jenkins, Deputy Clerk Redated: March 14, 2014

A curriculum guide is distributed to all participating teachers, keyed to academic standards for reading, writing and communication; social studies; dance; music; drama; and theater arts. Optional “Encore!”

programs ($10) are offered following the 70-minute performance. Workshops are led by arts educators (often actors from the production) with discussion and specially designed theater activities.

curtaiN time

Notices Name Changes

Rachel Graham as the magical creature, Rumpelstiltskin, demands that the Princess ((Adrian Egolf) give him her baby in return for his spinning the king’s straw into gold. Courtesy photo

Misc. Private Legals Public Notice Notice of Sale Contents unknown belonging to Krystal Bridges whose last known address is Po. O. Box 1167 Elizabeth Co 80107 and stored in unit # 2 Elizabeth Storage LLC 5229 Hwy 86, Elizabeth Co 80107 will be sold at auction or otherwise disposed of at this location after 3/27/2014.

ignitetheatre.com.

“35 MM: A Musical Exhibition” is a multimedia musical by Ryan Scott Oliver, based on photographs by Matthew Murphy. It will be presented by Ignite Theatre from April 11 to May 4 at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora.

It’s directed by Keith Rabin Jr., with music

by Jason Tyler Vaughn. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m.

Sundays. Industry Night is April 14. Tickets: $27/$19 student.720-362-2697, www.

`Spamalot’

“Spamalot” — based on “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” by Eric Idle and John Du Prez — brings the clip-clopping knights to the Aurora Fox, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., from April 11-27. Piper Lindsay Arpan directs and choreographs a strong cast. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays: 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $28/$24/$14, 303739-1970, www.aurorafox.org.

Legal Notice No.: 927915 First Publication: March 20, 2014 Last Publication: March 27, 2014 Publisher: The Elbert County News

Legal Notice No: 927925 First Publication: March 27, 2014 Last Publication: April 10, 2014 Publisher: Elbert County News

When government takes action, it uses local newspapers to notify you. Reading your public notices is the best way to find out what is happening in your community and how it affects you. If you don’t read public notices, you never know what you might miss.

Notices are meant to be noticed.

Read your public notices and get involved!

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Elbert County News 13

March 27, 2014

e Scout praised for helping boy in pool

here rgie?

Castle Rock teenager gets rare award

By Virginia Grantier

vgrantier@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Last June, Castle Rock boy Riley Turner was in the process of earnouseing his swimming merit badge at d hisPeaceful Valley Boy Scout Camp in ofes-Elbert County — learning how to k. Hebe safe and how to rescue people. can- He was still working on the aringbadge when, five days into camp, he rescued someone. along Riley, now 13, recently was untilawarded the Boy Scouts’ Medal of Merit for the rescue — which his ends,dad called a rare honor. “(There are) less people that ssiveget this award than make Eagle iecesScout,” his father, Chris Turner, callysaid recently. hove Riley, 12 then, said he was in the pool for a free-swim opporrfor-tunity after a swim practice when re ishe started to hear someone “kind n’t inof yelping.” Riley, who was in the 8-foot-deep area, turned to his left andand saw a smaller boy, perhaps nt toage 10, in the 6-foot-deep area.

“At first I thought he was kind of joking around, playing a game,” Riley said.

But he saw the boy was flailing his arms, then screaming for help.

Riley said he thought for a second about what he should do and decided he should swim over and grab the child.

He said he wasn’t worried about being able to handle the younger boy: “I was 110 pounds, and he

baby

was maybe 80 to 90 pounds,” Riley said.

He grabbed the waist of the younger boy, who then “latched onto my shoulders,” Riley said. He then swam for the edge, holding onto the child.

“He was choking on water,” Riley said.

Another boy, possibly the boy’s brother or a fellow scout, lifted the child out of the pool and thanked Riley. An adult started patting the rescued boy on the back and walked away with him, Riley said.

That day there were Boy Scouts from all over the metro area at the camp, possibly some from out of state, as it was a free day at the pool. They were never able to locate and identify the boy Riley rescued.

But Matt Maranto, of Denver, who investigated the case and is a member of the Boy Scouts’ Denver Area Council Advancement Committee, said “it was determined through interviews and witness statements that he clearly displayed critical thinking and lifesaving skills that (Riley) learned in scouting, as he assessed the situation and determined that he could rescue the swimmer without putting himself at substantial risk.”

“On June 27, 2013, demonstrating unusually mature critical thinking, outstanding application of his scout training, and appropriate management of risk to self, Riley Turner rescued a struggling swimmer …,” Maranto stated in an email.

This award is given to a scout or adult leader “who has performed

some outstanding act of service of a rare or exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others,” according to information provided by Maranto.

Both Maranto and Riley said the pool’s lifeguard had noticed the boy struggling and was heading to help, but Riley was closer and got there first.

Riley, an eighth-grader at Mesa Middle School, has been scouting for nine years and said he wasn’t a good swimmer until he joined Boy Scouts.

He now calls himself a confident swimmer and thanks his two aquatic instructors for that: Sylvia Worcester, aquatics trainer, and Tim Benson, assistant scoutmaster and aquatics trainer.

Boy Scout rules require always having a buddy with you while swimming, who should be close enough to be the first to help if there’s trouble, Chris Turner said.

This little boy apparently didn’t do that, he said.

Riley’s mother, Phyllis Turner, said he thinks her son is a “great example for younger scouts, that they can learn how to do these things — and it’s a reflection on the people that trained him to learn the skills he needed to take the measures he took to save that scout.”

Phyllis Turner said Riley, scouting since first grade, has gained various skills — confidence going in front of people, camping, first aid and leadership skills, and recently learned how to construct a snow-cave shelter.

crossword • sudoku

GALLERY OF GAMES & weekly horoscope

Riley Turner, 13, of Castle Rock, recently received the Boy Scout’s Medal of Merit, for rescuing a younger scout last year who was struggling in the deep end of a swimming pool at Peaceful Valley Boy Scout Camp in Elbert County. Courtesy photo

SALOME’S STARS FOR THE WEEK OF MaR 24, 2014

ARIES (Mar 21 to apr 19) You’ll want to discourage well-meaning but potentially ill-advised interference in what you intend to accomplish. Your work has a better chance to succeed if it reflects you.

TAURUS (apr 20 to May 20) The Bovine’s welldeserved reputation for loyalty could be tested if you learn that it might be misplaced. But don’t rely on rumors. Check the stories out before you decided to act.

GEMINI (May 21 to Jun 20) You’ve been going on adrenaline for a long time, and this unexpected lull in a recent spate of excitement could be just what you need to restore your energy levels. Enjoy it.

g the are m the cially

crossword • sudoku & weekly horoscope

GALLERY OF GAMES

CANCER (Jun 21 to Jul 22) Friends can be counted on to help you deal with a perplexing personal situation. But remember to keep your circle of advisers limited only to those you’re sure you can trust.

LEO (Jul 23 to aug 22) Security-loving Lions do not appreciate uncertainty in any form. But sometimes changing situations can reveal hidden stresses in time to repair a relationship before it’s too late.

VIRGO (aug 23 to Sept 22) This is a good time for single Virgos to make a love connection. Be careful not to be too judgmental about your new “prospect” -- at least until you know more about her or him.

LIBRA (Sept 23 to Oct 22) Your sense of justice helps you resolve a problem that might have been unfairly attributed to the wrong person. Spend the weekend doing some long-neglected chores.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 to Nov 21) You might feel justified in your anger toward someone you suspect betrayed your trust. But it could help if you take the time to check if your suspicions have substance.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 to Dec 21) Ignore distractions if you hope to accomplish your goal by the deadline you agreed to. Keep the finish line in sight, and you should be able to cross it with time to spare.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 to Jan 19) Your creative self continues to dominate through much of the week. also, despite a few problems that have cropped up, that recent romantic connection seems to be thriving.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 to Feb 18) as curious as you might be, it’s best to avoid trying to learn a colleague’s secret. That sort of knowledge could drag you into a difficult workplace situation at some point down the line.

PISCES (Feb 19 to Mar 20) Instead of spending too much time floundering around wondering if you can meet your deadline, you need to spend more time actually working toward reaching it.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a natural gift for attracting new friends, who are drawn to your unabashed love of what life should be all about. © 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.

ElbertSPORTS 14-Sports

14 Elbert County News March 27, 2014

Elizabeth track teams aim high Cardinals have the numbers on their side

By Scott Stocker

Special to Colorado Community Media If numbers count, then the Elizabeth boys and girls can count on a successful track season. And, it’s a number on the team that boys and girls coach Lori McCoin is high on.

“We have a big group of boys and girls out, over 100,” said McCoin. “The kids have been working hard and we’ve been looking forward to a fine season. I think we have some strong relay teams and individuals who can come through to have fine years.

“We have more boys out from last year and a lot of young talent that has shown up,” McCoin said. “I think we can go pretty far if we can stay healthy and uninjured. It’s a cold one today, that’s for sure.”

The cold that McCoin was referring to was the March 22 competition at the Sabercat Invitational at Parker’s Sports Authority Stadium. The Cardinals scored 27 points in the boys competition and were tied by Arapahoe and Castle View. Fountain-Fort Carson came through to win the boys team title with 82 points. Cherry Creek, with 65 points, and Rampart, 36, finished second and third.

Cherry Creek took top honors in the girls competition with 68 points followed

by Fountain-Fort Carson with 54 and Castle View with 51. Elizabeth finished 11th with 16 points.

The sprint corps for the Elizabeth boys should prove to be strong this season. The trio of Ryan White, Joel Thies and Brody Oliver finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively in the 100-meters in the Sabercat in a field of 46 competitors.

Harrison Mills was the highest individual place winner for Elizabeth as he tied for third-place finish in the high jump with a 6-foot effort. The Cardinals’ Jake Thomas finished fourth in the 400-meters (52.2), while Oliver was sixth in the long jump (20feet, 1 inch) and Gav Houston, sixth in the pole vault (12 feet).

Elizabeth’s 800-meter relay team rounded out the medal winners with a seventhplace finish (1:32.03). Houston ran the opening leg of the relay and was joined by Oliver, Macah Reimers and Jacob Burgett.

Houston feels he is capable of vaults in the 14- to 15-foot range. However, the wind made it difficult for all the competitors on this particular day.

“This is my senior year and I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun as well as coming through with some fine success,” Houston said. “I’ll let the chips fall where they may. I just wish we could catch a lot more warm weather. I feel confident about the year and I certainly want to go out on a

Elizabeth’s Gav Houston comes out of the blocks at the start of the 4 X 200-meter relay at the Sabercat Invitational Track Meet. Houston had cleared 12 feet to finish sixth in the pole vault shortly before he ran the first leg of the relay. The Cardinals finished tied for seventh in the boys team standings. Photos by Tom Munds high note. Team wise, I think we’re going to be fine this season.”

Dallas Reins, who also qualified for last season’s state meet, also hopes to go out on a high note in the shot put and discus.

He didn’t have the best of days in Parker as he came close, but failed to place in both events. He threw 37-4 in the shot and 119-2 in the discus, far off his best efforts.

“I was able to get my PRs in the shot and discus these last weeks and that puts me off to a good start,” Reins said.

“I feel confident and I think I’ll be able to get to state. My best in the discus is 1279 and I’ve got a 40-11 in the shot. I’m a senior and I certainly want to go out on a high note. I think I can have a fairly great season.”

Jake Boss, Augustus Terry, Hunter Moore and Parker Maddocks should be among the finer distance runners for Elizabeth this season. They fashioned a 9:49.9 time in the 1,600-meter relay in the Sabercat.

“We’ve won twice in our four meets at Fort Morgan and Vista Peak, but were off a little today,” Boss said. “This is my first year of track and I think we’re going to have a pretty good season. I think we’re off to a good start.”

Helping to lead the way in the hurdles for Elizabeth will be Evan Visocky, Anthony Goetz and Jacob Morse.

“I feel that I have a lot of confidence for

the season, but I know I have to push hard for success,” Visocky said. “I think things are going to come together and as a team and I think we’re all looking forward to a fine season.”

Girls competition

Tegan Alexander is going to be a strong competitor in the sprints and her thirdplace finish in the 100 in the Sabercat with a time of 13.03 points that out. She was the highest individual place winner for Elizabeth helping the Cardinals score a scant 16 points and finish in a tie for 11th with Smoky Hill.

Cherry Creek won the girls title with 68 points followed by Fountain-Fort Carson (54) and Castle View (51).

“We’ve got a good group this year and I think I can make it back to state as can a few other teammates,” Alexander said. “I’ve got the will power. I hope to beat 12.1 in the 100 as my best time last year was 12.4. I feel confident and want to work hard.”

Alexander also ran anchor for Elizabeth as the Cardinals placed fifth in the 800-relay at the Sabercat with a time of 1:52.36.

She was joined by Chloe Peterson, Kalioway Wood and Shelbie Day. In the girls distance events, look for Elizabeth’s Cori Small to be among the state’s finest. She has already surpassed her time in the 1600.

Elbert off to fast start on diamond Bulldogs scoring plenty of runs early in season

By Scott Stocker

Special to Colorado Community Media It has been a pretty good start to the Class A baseball season for Elbert.

The Bulldogs, coached by Chris Williams, defeated Pikes Peak Christian, 13-2, March 17, beat Denver Jewish, 11-1, March 19, then defeated Simla, 15-3, March 21.

Pikes Peak Christian managed to stay with Elbert through the first four innings, trailing 2-1. But the Bulldogs blew the game right open in the fifth inning, scoring 11 runs. And, they did this by only coming through with seven hits in the game. In the meantime, winning pitcher Brett Meredith, struck out 11 batters while only allowing three hits.

One thing to be noted about Elbert’s game against Pikes Peak is that every one of the players in the lineup also managed to score at least one run. Yet it also was a game in which no player on the roster came through with more than one hit.

It was quite different against Denver Jewish Day as Elbert jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first three innings.

Cody Rosburg came through with four hits and drove in three runs to lead the way for the Bulldogs against the Tigers. Shawn Graves added three hits in the win while Jacob Miller and Ross Millard added a couple of RBIs for the winner.

The offensive punch continued for Elbert when the Bulldogs played Simla, coached by Joe Ellis. They made the game rough from the start for Simla as the Bulldogs scored seven runs in the first inning and had their 15 by the end of the third. Simla scored one run in the second and its final two in the fifth.

Logan Pomeroy took the front seat in the victory over the Cubs this time coming through with three hits that produced four runs-batted-in. He had help in the run production statistics as Colton Musson, Meredith and Shawn Graves each batted in a pair of runs.

Meredith gained his second victory of the season on the mound allowing six hits and striking out nine batters.

Adding to the success was the fact that he only walked two Simla batters.

Elizabeth, coached by Doug Severinsen, should have a nice spring vacation trip from school as the Cardinals travel to Phoenix for a quartet of games. They take on the hosting state schools of Shadow Ridge (May 24), Goldwater (May 25), O’Conner (May 26) and Scottsdale Christian Academy (May 27).

Kiowa, coached by Josh Schneider, opens its season on the diamond, March 28, when the Indians play Pueblo County.

“I broke my own record in the 1,600 taking it down from 6:00.9 to 5:50.95 today,” Small said. “I think I will be able to do much better as the season progresses. My key will be breathing and facing the good competition. The weather hasn’t been friendly to start, but, that’s Colorado.”

Kim Peterson has high hopes on her efforts in the pole vault. She was a state qualifier for the Cardinals last year and should be among the state’s finest by the end of the season once again.

“I’m feeling good about the beginning of the season and we will just have to see what happens,” Peterson said. “I feel confident that I, as well as my teammates, are going to have a good year. I just want to push myself and be successful in the pole vault again.”

Megan Reynolds went 28-11 in the triple jump in an event she hopes to bloom in.

“This is my first year of track and the season is going pretty good for starters,” Reynolds said. “I want to do triple jump and pole vault, too. I will push myself. We’ve only had our two meets and I’m feeling good about my start.”

Also the feelings for Nicole Hert, who was 10th in the triple jump with a 31½ -foot effort.

“So far I think the season has been great for me and I like the challenge,” Hert said. “I think our team is off to a good start and we just want to keep it going.”

Prep sports Scoreboard ELIZABETH HIGH SCHOOL Baseball Elizabeth 15, Mesa Ridge 8 The Cardinals scored 11 runs in the third inning alone to beat Mesa Ridge 15-8. Junior Logan Beatty hit a home run and both seniors TJ Bisgrove and Jake Grotelueschen had a triple. Grotelueschen went 4-for-4 at the plate and also pitched three innings striking out three.

Tatiana Pickens scored one goal each and freshman Chandler Hills scored one goal in the win against Alameda. Both sophomores Sophie Slade and Alex Stabler had an assist. Sophomore goalkeeper Megan Reyher had one save.

UPCOMING GAMES Baseball THURSDAY 12:30 p.m. - Elizabeth at Scottsdale Christian Academy @ Phoenix, Ariz.

Girls soccer

Girls soccer

Elizabeth 3, Alameda 0 Sophomores Anisa Samhouri and

TUESDAY (April 1) 4 p.m. - Elizabeth @ Fort Lupton

15-Color

Elbert County News 15

March 27, 2014

Company’s growth based on precision Brown’s Compounding finds new home near E-470 and Peoria

WHAT IS COMPOUNDING? Compounding involves the mixing of raw ingredients of medications deemed appropriate by a physician or prescriber to meet a patient’s specific needs. The raw chemicals are mixed into final dosage form and given based on the recommendations of the prescriber.

By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com Television viewers have probably noticed in recent years that ads for prescription drugs contain more warnings about side effects than information about the product.

Darby Brown, meanwhile, has built a team of pharmacy technicians, patient-care specialists and other experts whose job it is to find ways to avoid the disadvantages of taking traditional pharmaceuticals. Brown’s Compounding Center is a company that grew out of its two Parker locations over the last nine years and recently moved into a 38,000-square-foot building on Compark Boulevard in unincorporated northern Douglas County.

It’s riding a groundswell of interest and expanding by leaps and bounds. That’s because more attention has been turned to precise dosing and alternative delivery methods.

“We try to figure out how we can work around the issues and how we want it delivered without pole causing those symptoms or side effects,” Brown says.

The staff gets “creative” when crafting, for example, medications that are transdermal (absorbed through the skin) or sublingual (applied under the tongue).

There’s an increasing number of ways to administer prescribed drugs that don’t compromise any

A pharmacy technician carefully measures out the components of a medication at Brown’s Compounding March 17. The company moved from Parker to a 38,000-square-foot facility off Compark Boulevard in northern Douglas County. Photo by Chris Michlewicz benefits to the patient. Topical pain management meds that are rubbed on the wrist are becoming a popular alternative to narcotic therapy, avoiding the risk of abuse and illicit trade, Brown said.

While still being regulated by the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy and using wholesalers that are vetted and overseen by the Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Adminis-

tration, Brown’s Compounding’s independence and diminutive size relative to big pharmaceutical companies affords it the opportunity to shift with trends and demands.

“We’re a little more nimble being a small company, versus a major player in the pharma industry that has to go through the FDA approval process and spend millions of dollars without getting any-

thing on the market,” Brown said.

At the rate business is going, however, Brown might soon count the big players as competition.

When the company was featured

by Colorado Community Media in early 2005, Brown had one employee. The staff has since grown to more than 100, and Brown predicts that number will balloon to 250-300 within five years.

The company celebrated its

new location near E-470 and Peoria Street with a ribbon cutting and reception March 18.

There is 20,000 square feet of shelled space in the Brown’s Compounding building to allow for future expansion. Being in 38 states and counting, it will probably be put to use sooner rather than later.

Brown’s Compounding is involved in everything from hormone replacement to pediatric formulations to veterinary medications. It also prepares compounds in a sterile environment to create drugs that are injected and administered via eye or ear drops.

The company brought in the latest technological equipment in part to protect patients against some of the more common issues in compounding, such as miscalculations and cross-contamination. Brown’s Compounding uses sophisticated software and barcoding systems to track every bit of the chemicals.

With exact dosage adjustments and unconventional forms of application comes a slightly higher cost, but it’s often worth it to those who want to circumvent the risk of trial-and-error to get their health back on track.

“There’s a lot of need and a lot of demand out there for customized medications,” Brown says.

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720.488.3344 thewildlifeexperience.org Located near Park Meadows, 1 mile East of I-25 at Lincoln Avenue and Peoria Street