Highlands Ranch Herald 0430

APRIL 30, 2020

ARTS GO VIRTUAL A digital approach to culture may be here to stay P14

FREE

DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

PLANS AND HOPES

Seniors mourn lost milestones, learn life lessons P2

A mountain biker makes his way up a hill on one of the Highlands Ranch Community Association’s Wildcat trails on April 28.

ELLIOTT WENZLER

Trail traffic rises in Highlands Ranch Backcountry Wilderness Area trails saw a total of 2,802 uses. These were recorded by a trail-use counter located at the trailcount ticks up each time In the past five weeks, the Highlands Thursday, May 14th - a2:00heads.

PM Their someone passes, meaning it may count Ranch trail system has seen more than multiple visits by an individual more 500% Windsor increase in itsInc.-Beautiful usage compared to Porcelain Waterjet, Natural Stone, Medallions, last year, according toWaterjets, data released Racking &byMore! than once.

On Wilderness Behalf Of The United States Bankruptcy This year, the trails saw 17,380 uses durthe Backcountry Area man-Court & Others 565 Logistics Drive, Windsor ing the same period. agement team.

The Backcountry Wilderness team As restaurants, barsMartonVape and events Firearms, Soulstice Spas, LLC-Inventory, Arcade Games, Fixtures, recommends two main ways to improve remain closed and canceled due to the Equipment & More the trail system experience: Visit during COVID-19 pandemic, many On Behalf Of The UnitedColoraStates Bankruptcy Court & Others West Wesley Avenue, Denver off-peak hours and be courteous. dans have taken to the1501 state’s outdoor The busiest time on the trails is beresources to escape their homes. The tween a.m. and 5 p.m. with peak hours management team for the wilderness Monday, May 18th - 2:00 between PM 10 noon and 5 p.m., according to area has taken note.

ENDare OF LEASE-Pennetta’s Stop Auto the Repair release.

“Whether you a regular trailOne user W 58th(are) Avenue, 25 Unit miles B, Arvada “You don’t have to plan a 6 a.m. start, or you just discovered9205 there but choosing to recreate when everyof close-to-home trails, there is no doubt else is either sleeping in or eating that it seemsWednesday, busy out there,” according May 20th - 2:00onePM breakfast will help alleviate the crowds,” to the release. “That’s because it is.”

Pilothouse Brewing Company according to the release.

Last year duringOnthe same period Behalf Of The United States Bankruptcy Court The team also suggests residents visit — late February to early April — the 4233 S Buckley Road, Aurora, CO 80013

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

May 24 – 2:00 PMlike this one, who Your newspaper Sunday, is made possible by advertisers support our efforts toVehicle keep you connected your community!

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Q&AS WITH CANDIDATES

the trails once or twice per week instead of every day.

While trail etiquette is always encouraged, some new guidelines have been put in place to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus on the trails.

The guidelines include: • Remaining 6 feet away from all nonhousehold members; • Avoiding congregating at trailheads or viewpoints; • Not touching information stations or benches; • Allowing those coming from the opposite direction to pass from a safe distance; • And waiting to pass other hikers until there is adequate space to do so safely.

“If people choose not to follow this guidance, it is possible that our local outdoor recreation outlet will close,” according to a release from the Backcountry Wilderness Area.

Find out where Metro District board candidates stand on the issues

PAGES 4, 5 STAYING ONLINE?

Schools wonder if remote learning will last until 2021 P10

THE BOTTOM LINE

“I really think this (demand for mental-health services) is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Cynthia Grant, chief clinical officer for AllHealth Network | Page 8

1501 W. Wesley Ave Denver 80223

(303) 934-8322 | www.Dickensheet.com

INSIDE

VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 16

HighlandsRanchHerald.net

VOLUME 33 | ISSUE 23

2 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

‘Plans but also hope’ for high school traditions Seniors mourn lost milestones, learn life lessons amid pandemic

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Kayla Schilffarth was in elementary and middle school, peers bullied her. At school dances, children made fun of her for not having a date, she said. No one would dance with her.

“Those were really hard times for me because people didn’t like me and I didn’t know why,” she said.

Although difficult to experience, Schilffarth credits the bullying for making her tough. This year, she found a dance partner, a prom date who likes her for who she is, she said.

The 18-year-old senior at Castle View High School in Castle Rock could not wait for her final high school dance.

“I was looking forward to having someone who genuinely cared for me and loved me,” she said, “and wanted to dance with me.”

Then COVID-19 reared its head in China, devastated Italy and reached the United States, where the pandemic gradually shut down life as America knew it.

Her prom is canceled, but the lost memories of her senior year don’t end there. Schilffarth did not know that

Kayla Schilffarth is a 2020 senior at Castle View High School. the last time she attended class, saw her teachers and walked her school’s halls would be the last in her high school career. She did not get to say

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proper goodbyes.

Temporary school closures quickly extended to the remainder of her senior year. Now, Schilffarth is waiting to — hopefully — attend a postponed graduation ceremony this summer.

‘They’ve been robbed’ The Douglas County School District is tentatively planning to hold in-person ceremonies for schools between June 23 and June 27.

If it is not safe to hold traditional ceremonies at that time, Superintendent Thomas Tucker said, the district has a backup date of July 22 when it would hold a relay of ceremonies at EchoPark Stadium.

“Our seniors have experienced a lot of emotions, from sadness to disappointment and fear, a fear for the future, fear and sadness on the loss of prom and potentially the loss of graduation, two very important time-honored traditions,” Tucker said.

“They’ve been robbed.”

With rescheduling, families had to postpone celebrations. Some had to cancel travel plans, Tucker said. And there remains the constant uncertainty around COVID-19.

He wishes he could promise students the June dates will work out, but the virus remains too unpredictable to guarantee that, he said.

The district will continue watching how the nation progresses through the Trump administration’s guidelines on the reopening of America — a threephase plan that will follow public health experts’ recommendations, according to the White House.

“I’m still very optimistic because the only thing we can have right now is, obviously, plans but also hope,” he said.

Schilffarth’s principal, Rex Corr, is desperate to eventually hold long-

standing traditional events the school puts on to honor seniors. He envisions dedicating a week closer to the rescheduled graduation ceremonies to recognizing the class of 2020.

Each year at Castle View kicks off with a senior breakfast at sunrise.

Everyone gathers on a hill near the school, watches the sun rise and eats pancakes. The 2019-20 school year was no exception.

But the year is supposed to end with a senior sunset. Castle View orders catering, announces superlative awards — best dressed, most likely to rule the world — while seniors pass around yearbooks to sign. Then everyone watches the sunset together.

Corr has not given up hope the school can hold its senior sunset at a later date.

As plans hang in limbo, Corr said the school community is moving mountains to honor seniors now. A “small army of parent volunteers” was delivering yard signs to seniors’ yards on April 17 to celebrate them.

“I want them to know that the faculty and staff of Castle View High School, all of our school community, Sabercat nation, remains committed to them,” Corr said, “and that we’ll find ways to continue to honor their fantastic work.”

‘Surreal and hectic’ As traditions in her senior year evaporated, Schilffarth turned to social media and posted her thoughts on a community Facebook page. The post racked up hundreds of likes as dozens of comments poured in, mostly supportive of 2020 seniors.

She used to say, “Gosh, I wish school was over,” she wrote, but now Schilffarth realizes how much she took school for granted. She told her fellow seniors they would be remembered as a class of fighters.

“Because one day we will look back on this and teach others to relish what they have and to love being able to walk into the movies or go into a classroom every day,” she wrote.

It also didn’t take long for some people to post a commonly shared reaction to 2020 seniors’ COVID-19 experience — that high school seniors of generations past had it worse, including those who served in World War II or lived through 9/11.

Tucker and Corr urged empathy for 2020 seniors.

“I certainly understand the sacrifices my generation and generations before mine had to make,” Tucker said. “I would simply say in a nonpaternalistic way, only as an educator, and as a parent, we have to be careful to not minimize what our kids are feeling.”

Corr encouraged seniors to connect with “the advocate adults in their lives” and hoped they have someone who they can talk to.

Schilffarth said she’s not looking for pity. She and other seniors only want “to feel like we’re valid” in their hurt.

After all, they’ve lost experiences they were told all their lives they’d get to have, she said.

SEE HOPE, P17

Highlands Ranch Herald 3

April 30, 2020

Douglas County food banks ask for help Many are seeing their demand surge and their supply diminish

Instead of having guests come inside to get food from the Parker Task Force, volunteers are loading up their cars with the items they need while wearing masks and gloves.

OTHER LOCAL FOOD BANKS ASKING FOR HELP

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving the demand for food services up while simultaneously strangling the supply. That’s why food banks in Douglas County are reaching out to the community, asking for help as they struggle to feed those in need.

Food banks in the county have reported a roughly 400% increase in demand for food compared to the same time period last year, according to a statementr from the county.

“People have lost income, people have lost jobs,” said Diane Roth, volunteer spokeswoman for the Parker Task Force. “People can no longer afford to go to the grocery store so they come to us.”

The Parker Task Force, which normally has eight community food drives per year to keep their supply full, had to cancel their April event.

“Usually we get one to two months of supply when we do one,” Roth said.

Now, they’re relying on residents and community groups checking out the food bank’s website to see what items they need and bringing them in, she said.

Catholic Charities Integrated Family Community Services Life Center Littleton (Mission Hills) Manna care Rock Church SECOR cares SECOR, Valley View St. Vincent de Paul, Castle Rock

The Help and Hope Center, which mainly serves Douglas County, has also seen its supply of food dwindle.

About 90% of their food supply comes from grocery store donations. With many people stocking up and leaving grocery shelves empty, there isn’t as much food for donation, said executive director Dan Marlow.

“At King Soopers or Sam’s Club we typically get two to three pallets of food. ... (But) there have been days when we literally get nothing,” Marlow said.

The Help and Hope Center usually supplements their supply by purchasing food from the Food Bank of the Rockies, where they can get a significant discount on items. This drives their costs higher and higher, though, as they spend more money to make up for lost donations.

“We typically have a month or two of food on hand, so we’ve been able to keep up with demand so far,” he said.

While many think of Douglas County as an exclusively affluent commu-

COURTESY PHOTO

nity, area food banks see another side to that story. The Parker Task Force, which serves Parker, Franktown and Elizabeth, served about 1,059 families in 2019.

The Help and Hope Center, which also provides aid in Elbert County, served 20,432 people last year with more than 90% coming from Douglas County.

In Douglas County, “if someone gets laid off or goes through a divorce or illness or has some kind of crisis, cost of housing is really high so they get in trouble quick,” Marlow said. “We look at ourselves as an emergency room for people in financial crises.”

Most people who use the center’s services only use it four or fewer times, Marlow said.

The best way for residents to help food banks varies from center to center. At the Parker Task Force, volunteers are asking for food or financial donations. At the Help and Hope Center, the team is mainly looking for financial support and volunteers.

“The same $20 someone would spend on groceries, we can buy significantly more than that at the Food Bank of the Rockies,” Marlow said.

Roth worries that as the pandemic rages on, the struggles food banks are facing now will only increase.

“People are going to need food banks and support resources for some time as a result of the current situation,” she said. “The need is not going to diminish, the need is going to grow.”

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4 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

Eight candidates vie for seats on Metro District board

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With the Highlands Ranch Metro District Board of Directors election fast approaching, the Highlands Ranch Herald has gathered information from each of the candidates to inform residents about their views and positions on issues.

The May 5 election, which will determine three of seven board seats, will be for three-year terms.

There are three candidates running for the North Central District, two for the Northeast district and three for the Southwest district.

All registered voters in Highlands Ranch can cast their ballot in the election, voting for all three seats regardless of their home district.

Voting can be done in person on election day

North Central District candidates Ron Winter Occupation: Retired sales management, Kraft Foods Contact information: HRseniorclub@ aol.com What do you see as Winter the most important issues facing the Highlands Ranch Metro District and its residents?

The most urgent issue is this election and how it is managed and how future elections are held. The process and ballot security seem outdated and live voting is at only one location. This antiquated system requires someone to request an absentee ballot.

This particular year there are three elections at the same time with each on a different ballot but all pertaining to Highlands Ranch public services.

People are confused. The coronavirus adds to the problem, particularly for high-risk individuals. Some metro districts want low turnouts to keep control; we don’t want to leave that impression. The designated election official overseeing the election should be independent with no stake in the outcome. This all needs to change.

Other priorities include completing a first-class senior center — with a citizens advisory committee — increasing resident participation in government and eliminating surprises.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are selected as a director?

I want the board to take stands on all issues that impact the community. The board is our government. Some things may be someone else’s responsibility (planning commission, Douglas County, RTD, CDOT, DCSD, etc.) but the board should use their leadership and influence.

Recent surprises include: the proposed affordable housing high rise in town center (I support the residents and HOAs), originally an art center location, the attempt to put a K-12 charter school on cresthill lane, I support the Cresthill Lane and Toepfer Park area residents in their fight to have neighborhood approval of any development.

We need the light rail extension we were promised 15 years ago (we pay far more taxes to RTD than we get in services) and let’s find a way to be more visible to the residents; many residents do not know who does what

(Metro, HRCA, Douglas County).

Paula Smith Occupation: Senior product owner Contact information: paulasmith. denver@gmail.com What do you see as the most important P. Smith issues facing the Highlands Ranch Metro District and its residents?

What a mess this pandemic has introduced to our lives! From the health impacts on our community to the economic impacts on local businesses, we are all struggling in our own ways (each one valid) to figure out how we survive. On a positive note, our biggest challenge today is our greatest opportunity. When disaster strikes, this community has time and time again pulled it together and come through for those in need. It is once again time to quiet the noise and work together as a community to recover.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are selected as a director?

I have a passion for us to serve EVERY taxpayer and hear EVERY voice. When elected, I will work with the other board members of the Metro District to review and determine how best to serve our community in this difficult time. In addition, I am looking forward to a partnership with the other board members to form citizen advisory boards. With feedback from our citizens, emergency services, schools, county commissioners and businesses, we will work together to get back on our feet. Once we are back up, we need to flip our focus forward to emergency preparedness, economic growth and citizen engagement.

Andy Jones Occupation: United Airlines pilot Contact information: andy4hrmd2020@gmail. com What do you see as the most important isJones sues facing the Highlands Ranch Metro District and its residents?

Safe neighborhoods, the need for growing senior services, parks, low taxes and maintaining HR as the SEE NORTH, P6

from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 62 Plaza Drive in Highlands Ranch or by mail using an absentee ballot.

Absentee ballot applications, recommended by HRMD during the COVID-19 pandemic, must have been submitted by 5 p.m. April 28.

All eight candidates answered the same questionnaire. What follows are abbreviated versions of their responses. To read the full Q&As, go to HighlandsRanchHerald.net.

Southwest District candidates

continue to thoughtfully plan for Renee Anderson future projects that will benefit our Occupation: Occupational therapist community and I want to be sure the Contact inforboard supports the allowed use of mation: renee4 taxpayer dollars that HRMD collects. hrmd2020@gmail.

I do not support the idea of incorcom porating Highlands Ranch, which What do you see would certainly raise both sales and as the most impor- Anderson property taxes. tant issues facing the Highlands Ranch Metro DisNeal Christensen trict and its residents?

Occupation: CertiHighlands Ranch has been exfied public accountremely well planned and managed tant over the last 40 years and this only Contact inhappens with thoughtful, careful, formation: neal. planning on the part of staff and christensen.cpa@ boards who work well together to gmail.com Christensen build and maintain our wonderful What do you see community. In addition, the role of as the most impora board member is to understand tant issues facing what role HRMD plays as a local the Highlands Ranch Metro Disquasi-governmental entity, and what trict and its residents?

HRMD’s service plan allows HRMD The important issues are the board and staff to work on with taxissues that are important to any payer dollars. Highlands Ranch sits community: transportation, comin unincorporated Douglas County, munication, health care, recreation, and therefore most of the governclean water and air, and safety. ment services for our community What do you hope to accomare through the Douglas County plish if you are selected as a government, itself. For example, director? our law enforcement services from I am a licensed CPA with 35 years the sheriff ’s office, our road mainof experience in auditing, accounttenance, building inspections, land ing and management with governuse, and more. The Highlands Ranch mental and nonprofit entities at Metro District service plan does not the state and local levels. I want the allow for HRMD to work on transHighlands Ranch Metro District to portation, economic development, be run efficiently (you receive a good or cultural centers that have already value for the taxes and fees that you been voted down by the taxpayers. pay) and effectively (you get what What do you hope to accomyou need from the district). plish if you are selected as a director?

Michelle Leuenberger Highlands Ranch has been a welOccupation: Staycomed partner with Douglas County at-home mom, former government, HRCA, Centennial project manager Water, the sheriff ’s office and now Contact inSouth Metro Fire Rescue, thanks to formation: the relationships built over time. Evmichelle.l.leuenberger@ eryone involved with these partnergmail.com Leuenberger ships has an important role to play What do you see as in keeping our Highlands Ranch the most important iscommunity safe, secure and sustainsues facing the Highlands Ranch able. I hope to continue the benefiMetro District and its residents? cial relationships developed with The most important issues include our state, county and local Douglas continuing to plan for and provide County governments, continusafe drinking water, expansion of ing the success Highlands Ranch multi-modal transit options and adhas accomplished over the last 40 dressing the changing needs of our years. I will continue to support the population. I want to be a voice for maintenance and improvements, for the residents of Highlands Ranch by parks, recreation, open space and storm water management. I will SEE SOUTHWEST, P6

Highlands Ranch Herald 5

April 30, 2020

Northeast District candidates

Barrett Rothe Occupation: Health care project manager Contact information: barrett.rothe@ icloud.com What do you see as the most important Rothe issues facing the Highlands Ranch Metro District and its residents?

We’ve been fortunate to benefit from Denver’s economic growth but have lacked a voice of our own among the other suburban communities on the Front Range. I want the Metro District to finally build the senior center it has promised, pay down its debts early, and work very hard to recruit small-businesses and support entrepreneurs like our peers throughout Douglas eCounty already do. Metro Districts are empowered to contribute a great .deal to economic development, but that has not been a focus for the Highlands Ranch Metro District throughout its history. Highlands Ranch residents also want to maintain their quality-of-life with protection of open space and parks, access to well-maintained roads, and great

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community events; ideally we will continue all of that while keeping our cost-of-living lower than other communities.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are selected as a director?

I would like to see the Metro District fulfill the promises it has already made to Highlands Ranch, like finally completing the senior center and paying down our debt ahead of schedule. The Metro District should also be exercising its ability to promote economic development by supporting entrepreneurs and recruiting small-businesses, that starts with the directors making the economy a priority for the Metro District. I also hope to make citizen participation in the Metro District an important feature of its work, and that starts with making its board elections more accessible, secure and transparent.

Nancy Smith Occupation: Retired Contact information: nancy 4hrmd2020@gmail.com What do you see as the most important issues facing the High-

lands Ranch Metro District and its residents?

We must continually keep Highlands Ranch livable and attractive as our community begins to age, and make sure N. Smith our services align with the changing needs of our community. We should continue the 20 year program of updating our 41 miles of parkway fences (enough to stretch to DIA!) with longer lasting Trex fences. We should investigate obtaining faster, more affordable Internet service.

We must resist suggestions to incorporate. Highlands Ranch is working very well now. We don’t need to change our government structure and increase our taxes.

The Metro District and Douglas County must continue to work together, ensuring that Highlands Ranch remains a successful community and a quality place to live without having to incorporate into a city. Past studies of incorporation indicate that taxes could go up significantly, maybe even double, to pay for mayor, city council, police,

road repair, snow removal, and administrative costs.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are selected as a director?

Retiring all our debt three years early and remaining debt free going forward. Keeping taxes low while providing cost-effective quality services within the requirements of TABOR. Continuing with fiscally sound and responsible budgets by asking the tough questions and making the tough choices. Supporting open communication and transparency in the Metro District’s operations. Constantly monitoring to be sure that the Metro District’s Major Repair Fund is fully funded for future needs. Overseeing all Metro District projects so that projects remain on time and on budget.

Continuing to be responsive to community needs (as when the City of Littleton was not able to meet our fire/EMT needs so we negotiated a deal with South Metro — now we have lower response times and we are getting the first new fire station in the Ranch in 20 years!). Rethinking how we manage our growing number of buildings and facilities.

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Joining Forces to Help Save Lives

by Kathy Muni

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he daily risks seniors are facing during this pandemic are extraordinary. Most of us sit back with a feeling of helplessness, wondering how we can keep our grandparents, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers safe in nursing homes or care centers and even more so for those struggling to live safely in their own homes.

That is why Silver Leaf Mortgage has partnered with the Forever Home Foundation to create a COVID-19 Community Outreach Program.

Utilizing Silver Leaf Mortgage’s Mobile Office Clean Room RV, we can get seniors the much-needed masks and gloves, cleaning and sanitation supplies, food and other essentials to keep living safely – BUT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TODAY! The Forever Home Foundation’s extensive COVID-19 Community Outreach Program also supports those who serve our seniors such as Nursing homes, Care Centers, First Responders, and others by donating the same much-needed masks, other personal protective equipment (PPE), and cleaning and sanitation supplies to keep their residents, staff and facilities safe and clean.

You can help us save the lives of our most precious loved ones. Our goal is to help keep thousands of seniors safe and living their best lives. And, even if it’s only one senior that we save, it will all be worth the effort.

If you have the ability to support us, here are ways you can help today: • Monetary • Toiletries • Household • Non-perishable essential items food items • Cleaning supplies Donations are the main way you can support our mission.

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6 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

Website offers help for out-of-work Coloradans STAFF REPORT

Coloradans affected by job loss in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic can now go to one site to find resources and options with the launch of OnwardCO.org.

According to a news release, OnwardCO connects resources such as 2-1-1, Indeed, LinkedIn and MyColoradoJourney with users based on their location and preferences to the information they need most.

The online resource, launched April 20 by Bitwise Industries, was supported by Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and the Kapor Center. The platform is powered by Shift3 Technologies, Salesforce and Mastercard.

“As we work to ensure the health of safety of Coloradans during these unprecedented times, it’s critical that we also help the economy recover,” Polis said in the news release. “OnwardCO is a key tool in that effort.”

Colorado workers impacted by COVID-19 can use the platform to connect to emergency resources such as food, shelter, child care and money; find training programs to upskill for a new career; and find job opportunities, the release said.

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NORTH FROM PAGE 4

most desirable place to raise a family and retire, must be priorities coming out of one of the most challenging eras in our lifetime. This will take serious and sober leadership that has experience in operating in austere budgeting times. I have that experience as a governing board president for a Highlands Ranch charter public school during the last recession where we had to protect the quality of services while also taking care of every one of our employees.

I have a reputation as a compassionate team builder who cares for every one of the employees and volunteers in the organization. A community of our size should never be run by people who’s first time in the HRMD board room is presumably when they assume office.

Experienced leadership on day one matters.

SOUTHWEST FROM PAGE 4

reaching out to the community to hear what is most important to you. Leaders should always aspire to do better, not just to maintain the status quo.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are selected as a director?

I would like to see the Senior Center Towne 1065 and N Ford.pdf completed, debtsOlde paid down, commu-1

STEMShares is our opportunity to bring our community together to give back and share what being #STEMStrong really means. Our community showed an amazing amount of support for us in our time of need, and giving back is a great way to honor the heroic actions of our students and staff.

C

Visit our #STEMShares page at stemk12.org for more information.

nity-wide access to high speed internet.

I would also like to address the lack of public awareness and community participation in the HRMD Board of Directors election. This board is responsible for a $70-plus million dollar budget and we need to be sure that all voices in the community are being heard. In addition, I would like to continue forging a strong relationship with the HRCA, improve communication to the community and provide pay equity for the hard working 4/16/20 staff. 12:18 PM

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You can take part in #STEMShares during the week of May 4-8 by completing Acts of Kindness, Acts of Service or making a donation to a charity.

Share what you’ve done with us by completing the #STEMShares tracker form on our website so we can connect our community together, even though we cannot be together.

What do you hope to accomplish if you are selected as a director?

First and foremost, a board member must have a complete and clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the leaders and the organization. My opponents clearly haven’t read the scope of municipal services set in statute and the list of defined services. It is just as important to know what we cannot do as is it is to know what we can do. The board members hire one employee and oversee the strategic vision and budget for Highlands Ranch Metro District. We set the tone of a customer responsive, transparent and fiscally sound organization.

I walk in on day one having served the nation and our community for over 36 years, three years as a HRCA delegate, a charter school president, a DCSD committee leader and former candidate for the school board. I have personal and existing relationships with the HRMD, HRCA, the sheriff and Douglas County leadership.

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Highlands Ranch Herald 7

April 30, 2020

T

The next chapter begins at CCM

his week marks a transition in editorial leadership for Colorado Community Media, publisher of your hometown newspapers.

After 13 years with these papers, longtime Managing Editor Chris Rotar is leaving to pursue other directions. Our FROM THE papers are outstandPUBLISHER ing journalistic products in great measure because of Chris’ leadership and commitment to the mission of community journalism. We greatly appreciate his outstanding work and dedication and wish him well as he tackles Jerry Healey his next adventure.

We are excited to introduce Mark Harden, a veteran, award-winning journalist in the Denver area, as the new editor of all our publications — the 18 metro-area weeklies and the two Denver monthlies. (You’ll find his column on the Local Voices page this week.)

It has been an interesting process, conducting interviews for the position and introducing Mark to the newsroom and staff, during these COVID-19 times. We have been working remotely since mid-March. Mark, who came on board three weeks ago, has had to meet everyone — and learn our production systems — all by videoconferences.

We are thrilled about the extensive print and digital experience and leadership he brings to our newsroom and

can’t wait until we’re able to work with him face-to-face.

Mark worked at the Denver Post from 1993-2007 in various positions, as city editor of a 35-reporter desk; online news, state/regional and national/ foreign news editor; and music critic.

He launched online breaking news coverage at the Post and expanded it at the Denver Business Journal, where he worked from 2007-2018 as reporter, new media editor and news director.

He then spent a year and a half as managing editor of Colorado Politics, a weekly magazine and digital outlet of the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Before joining the Post, he was a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in San Francisco and the Seattle area, covering politics, science/environment, business/development and local government. He has been freelance reporting and editing since October. He has won many national and regional awards for his work over his career.

Mark and his wife have lived in Centennial for 22 years; his two children attended Cherry Creek schools. He is passionate about the importance of local news to a community and delivering the best journalistic products we can.

We are excited to work with Mark — and for you to get to know him— as he helps us move forward with the next chapter at Colorado Community Media.

Jerry Healey is the president and publisher of Colorado Community Media.

He can be reached at jhealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Colorado Community Media earns honors in multi-state contest

BY CHRIS ROTAR CROTAR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado Community Media reporters won seven awards, including three first-place honors, in the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2020 Top of the Rockies Contest.

The contest matched papers from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.

Weekly and daily publications were grouped together, based on the size of the newspapers’ circulation, or number of papers distributed. Work entered in the contest was published in 2019.

SPJ is a national organization that advocates for high ethical standards for journalists, promotes journalism education and works to protect First Amendment rights.

The following awards for CCM were announced in mid-April: Circulation class of 10,000-29,999 First place —Breaking news story: Jessica Gibbs, Alex DeWind, David Gilbert, Ellis Arnold, Nick Puckett,

for coverage of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting First place — Marijuana general reporting: Jessica Gibbs, for “Family fights medical marijuana policy” Second place — General reporting (series or package): Jessica Gibbs, Alex DeWind, for sustained coverage of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting Third place — Feature story (short form): Alex DeWind, for “The perfect son,” about Kendrick Castillo, the student killed in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting Third place — Education (general reporting): Jessica Gibbs, for “Public funds for private schools” Circulation class of less than 10,000 First place — Education (enterprise reporting): Ellis Arnold, for “A united voice,” about mental health initiatives in the Cherry Creek School District Second place — Education (general reporting): Casey Van Divier, for “Bus driver shortage”

COVID-19 Community Response Assistance is as close as your phone or computer. We understand that this is a difficult time for many in our community. Douglas County is ready to help you find support. Call 303.688.4825 for information about human services countywide including: *Food, shelter and childcare emergency assistance *Aging, employment and disability resources *Physical and mental healthcare The call center is staffed 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday to answer your questions and provide assistance. Call to speak with department staff or visit DouglasCOVID19.com

May is Mental Health Month Everyone face challenges in life that can impact their mental health. The Douglas County Mental Health Initiative has resources to help you navigate these challenging times. For more information visit douglas.co.us/mental-health-initiative

Interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child?

You are needed now more than ever! Attend a free remote information session on May 4 or May 18. For more information and to register please visit collaborativefostercare.com/152/Information-Night

LEAP Program extended through August Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply now through August 31 for energy assistance from the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). For more information or an application, please visit douglas. co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@ discovermygoodwill.org

DoItOnlineDouglas.com

8 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

Mental health providers see demand grow amid pandemic MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES If you or someone you know needs additional support for their mental health during the COVID-19 crisis, here are some resources in the Denver metro area.

AllHealth Network A mental health nonprofit with crisis services, a walk-in center, acute treatment, counseling and substance use services.

Locations in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker, the Centennial area and more.

For information or to schedule an appointment, call 303-730-8858 or go to allhealthnetwork.org.

Community Reach Center A mental health community center also offering substance use disorder assistance.

The center is based in Westminster and has locations in Thornton, Northglenn, Broomfield, Brighton and Commerce City.

For more information go to communityreachcenter.org.

Colorado Crisis Services Colorado Crisis Services provides free, confidential and immediate support for people experiencing a mental health, substance use or emotional crisis 24/7, year-round. Call 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255 to speak with a professional.

Visit coloradocrisisservices.org for more information.

‘It is a global crisis that we are all dealing with’

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The coronavirus crisis has impacted mental health services across metro Denver in different ways.

One provider, AllHealth Network, with locations in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, has taken on hundreds of new clients amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also seen an increase in pharmaceutical needs and expects that demand for treatment will continue rising.

Another, Community Reach Center in Westminster, reports a dip in the number of new clients it typically takes on, while also watching demand among its acute care services rise.

That’s left the center’s chief clinical officer afraid that community members are pushing off mental health treatment during the pandemic until they reach a crisis point.

Both organizations report seeing higher levels of loneliness, anxiety and depression within their communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also unique, they said, in that it has affected people across the globe and across demographics.

“Historians and probably social scientists around the world are grappling with that right now,” said Abigail

Tucker, chief clinical officer for Community Reach Center. “Something that is so unique to COVID is that it really is, other than I suppose perhaps climate change, it is a global crisis that we are all dealing with.”

The pandemic hasn’t caused fear about physical health, job security, and economic stability alone, Tucker said.

It also created barriers to common coping mechanisms. Ways someone might usually relieve stress — eating at a favorite restaurant, visiting a friend — are harder or impossible amid the pandemic.

Cynthia Grant, chief clinical officer for AllHealth Network, based in the Centennial area, said the organization has seen nearly 500 new clients since the state’s stay-at-home order began.

The pharmacy department’s volume is up more than 30%.

“Demand for services is high and it’s continuing to go up,” she said. “Everything at the beginning was focused on medical and now we’re seeing a shift toward behavioral health. I really think this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Staff delivered more than 6,400 therapy services in the past month, and the no-show rate among clients is sitting around 8%, a couple percentage points lower than usual, she said.

“Everyone shows up,” she said. “It’s a very captive audience.”

Roughly 71% of services are being delivered by telephone and 23% by video conference. Certain services are still available to in-person care, including AllHealth’s acute treatment

unit, crisis stabilization unit, walk-in crisis center and medication services.

Similar programs are also available to in-person treatment at Community Reach Center.

Grant said she has heard anecdotally AllHealth is seeing “a lot of people who are” essential workers like restaurant staff, grocery store employees and people providing delivery services.

AllHealth typically serves 18,000 people a year and employs 200 clinical staff across 11 locations. It also has providers at south-metro schools and jails.

Community Reach Center serves numerous communities in the north metro, including Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Brighton, Broomfield and more.

The mental health center has largely transitioned to using Telehealth, a remote platform, during COVID. Early into the transition, the center saw clients spending roughly 20 minutes on sessions, Tucker said. Three to four weeks ago, that shifted, and clients began spending 30, 45 and up to 60 minutes in a session. That is more typical of sessions before the pandemic struck, Tucker said.

“We know that people are sort of settling back to their treatment goals,” she said, explain that’s brought relief amid other troubles. “One of the things that we do see emerging though that does concern us is the level of acuity.”

Acuity means people who are acutely psychotic, struggling with suicidal SEE PROVIDERS, P17

Douglas County sees 28 COVID-19 deaths so far The health department’s online reporting appears to be delayed When you get your invitation to take the 2020 census, make sure you’re counted.

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This year, you can answer online, by phone or mail.

Learn more about the census at 2020census.gov.

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At least 28 people from Douglas County have died as a result of COVID-19 as of April 27, according to data from the county coroner’s office.

While the official data from TriCounty Health Department posted online states only 21 people have died, coroner Jill Romann has confirmed the deaths of at least seven additional patients due to the global pandemic.

Romann has forwarded this information to the health department but has seen a delay in online updates, she said.

Tri-County confirmed that the coroner’s office has the most up-to-date information and added that the delay could come from different reporting techniques between the agencies or a back-up of the state’s testing database.

A note from the health department’s

website states that data “may not reflect the number of cases in realtime,” as epidemiologists focus on preventing the spread of the illness.

In addition to the three deaths already reported at the Vi assisted living facility in Highlands Ranch, there have been five other deaths of Douglas County residents at senior living or nursing facilities. One each came from Abundant Life Assisted Living in Castle Rock and Belleview Station Nursing Home in Denver, and two came from Silver Heights Skilled Nursing Home in Castle Rock, according to data from the coroner’s office.

One death at a skilled nursing facility had not yet been traced to a specific location as of April 27.

Of the 28 patients whose COVID19-related deaths have been confirmed so far, 21 were in their 80s or 90s; the youngest was a 52-year-old man from Castle Rock.

Tri-County covers Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties. As of April 27, there were 99 COVID-19-related deaths in Arapahoe County and 44 in Adams County, according to data on TriCounty’s website, www.tchd.org/823/ Case-Updates.

Highlands Ranch Herald 9

April 30, 2020

Douglas County exempt from extended stay-at-home order Commissioners have a timeline-specific plan to open the county

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

While the Tri-County Health Department voted April 24 to extend a stayat-home order until May 8, Douglas County will be exempt.

The waiver comes as Douglas County continues to have fewer cases, deaths and hospitalizations caused

by COVID-19 compared to Arapahoe and Adams counties, according to Tri-County data. The agency serves all three counties.

Douglas County’s plan to re-open, which as of the morning of April 27 still needed to be approved by TriCounty, was set to begin that day, the same day that the state’s stay-at-home order was lifted, according to a letter from county commissioners to TriCounty.

“With no sustained surge in the number of cases requiring hospitalization as a result of COVID-19, Douglas County believes as long as our communities continue to make responsible choices we can, and should, start taking steps to reopen,” according to the letter signed by all three commissioners.

The Board of County Commissioners, from left: Roger Partridge, Lora Thomas and Abe Laydon.

COURTESY PHOTO

As of April 27, Douglas County had 440 cases of the novel coronavirus, while Arapahoe had more than 2,000 cases and Adams had more than 1,200.

The county’s hospitals also had not reached capacity, Commissioner Lora Thomas said.

“Of course we don’t want people dying from the virus but we also don’t want people dying from suicide because they’ve lost their businesses and their homes,” Thomas said.

The county’s “safer-at-home” plan, which allows for group meetings of up to 10 people, was set to begin with curbside retail pickup allowed beginning May 1 and with many businesses that previously had been deemed nonessential opening May 4, according to the plan acquired by Colorado Community Media.

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personal services — such as salons and pet grooming — and elective medical services. Each business that chooses to open will be required to develop protocols aligned with guidance from Tri-County and Douglas County.

These business plans will be posted in stores and online, according to the document.

“This is very close to what the governor announced on April 20 as the ‘safer-at-home’ plan,” Thomas said. “It mirrors that.”

The “operational plan” outlined in the document calls for all positive cases of COVID-19 to be investigated within 24 hours. It’s unclear how close the county presently is to meeting the 24-hour standard, Thomas said.

Residents with positive or presumed positive cases and their household members will be expected to remain home for 14 days and vulnerable

populations will be encouraged to stay home whenever possible.

The commissioners’ plan also recommends residents to continue to wear face masks in public.

The plan at press time was still awaiting approval from Dr. John Douglas, the executive director of TriCounty.

While teleworking will still be highly encouraged, many Douglas County businesses will be allowed to have 50% of their staff on-site beginning May 4, according to the document.

Outdoor recreation centers like tennis courts, skate parks and dog parks will also be allowed to open with social distancing measures in place under the tentative plan.

The document also includes a list of businesses that will not be able to re-open yet, such as theaters, dine-in restaurants, bars, playgrounds and senior centers.

“Eventually that section will be addressed,” Thomas said. “But right now, we have to show we can manage this first step.”

The commissioners have had a lot of discussion about whether opening the county’s businesses could cause the community to be inundated with residents from other areas, Thomas said.

“We are responsible for our citizens and we felt this was good for our citizens,” she said. “Other citizens need to pay attention to orders in place by their officials.”

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10 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

Polis ‘optimistic’ but not certain about schools opening in August Announcement comes day after warning educators of possible long delay

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Signaling again how long COVID-19 may disrupt life in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis said he expects in-person classes to resume at the state’s schools in the fall, but acknowledged that it isn’t certain and that schools could stay closed until 2021.

“There’s nobody who can guarantee that that’s going to happen, and of course, school districts should plan for different contingencies,” Polis said at an April 22 news conference.

His comments came a day after he held a conference call with all of Colorado’s public-school district superintendents, advising them in part to prepare for the possibility that in-person classes may not start again until January.

“But I am very optimistic that in-classroom instruction will begin in August — not in exactly the same way,” Polis said at his news conference, noting that different desk configurations and modified passing times for students may be part of the new social distancing guidelines that shape what school looks like for the foreseeable future.

“We’re going to work very closely with school districts, with teachers, with superintendents, with principals” to figure that out, Polis added.

State officials will hammer out guidelines and implement them over the summer rather than rushing to issue them for the remaining weeks of this school year, Polis said.

“Trying to get something out the door and train people only to have one week left of school didn’t make sense,” Polis said.

The governor signed an executive order April 22 extending the shutdown of normal in-person classes until the end of this school year at all public and private elementary and secondary schools in Colorado, including public preschools on public school campuses.

Generally, that includes P-12 education.

Districts weigh in School districts around the Denver metro area reflected Polis’ caution when questioned by Colorado Community Media reporters.

It’s too early to make decisions about the fall, but a late start could be in the cards, Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Brian Ewert said.

What public health officials and the governor’s office see in data about the virus’ spread will influence decisions, he added.

“LPS will prepare for the worstcase scenario, which would be to continue with distance learning, but

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A Denver Public Schools bus parks outside of an apartment complex in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood to get ready to provide breakfast and lunch to students as part of the district’s food distribution program.

CHRISTY STEADMAN we will hope for the best, which would be open on a regular schedule. Other considerations floating around the state are opening late,” Ewert said.

That could mean starting school after Labor Day, he continued.

Other ideas include “hybrid models,” where only a portion of the students come to school daily and alternate days, Ewert said.

“Nothing is off the table, and no decisions will be made for quite some time,” Ewert said.

Englewood Schools officials “don’t have a crystal ball,” Superintendent Wendy Rubin said, but they are preparing for several different scenarios.

Those include “beginning our year with remote learning again and including beginning with modified schedules for all kids coming back but having requirements around masks or having temperatures taken before coming into school,” Rubin said.

“We’re going to have a lot of scenarios we are going to plan for.”

Cherry Creek School District is “planning for and hoping for” a return to in-class learning in fall, but the district also is preparing for the pos-

sibility that schools are required to stay closed, said Abbe Smith, district spokeswoman.

“Our goal is to have a system in place to easily implement (online) learning if necessary at any point during next school year due to coronavirus,” Smith said.

The Douglas County School District is working closely with local health partners, the Colorado Department of Education and the governor’s office, a district spokeswoman said in a statement.

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation as it evolves and make any decisions in regard to fall learning in alignment with our partners.

We will share that information with our families as soon as decisions are made,” the spokeswoman said.

Jeffco Public Schools officials didn’t respond directly to requests for comment. But in a Facebook Live video April 23, district Superintendent Jason Glass raised the possibility of continued remote learning as one of “three different approaches to this SEE POLIS, P24

Douglas County commissioner candidates set for June primary

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The candidates in the June 30 primary for two Douglas County commissioner seats have been confirmed after the Democratic and Republican parties recently held virtual assemblies.

The Republican Party’s primary for the district two county commissioner seat will be contested between Castle Rock Councilmember George Teal and resident Clint Dorris, who led a school security committee for the county.

Dorris received about two-thirds of the vote in the March 28 online assembly, while Teal brought in about a third.

The seat is currently held by Republican Roger Partridge, who is term limited.

The Democratic candidate for the district two seat is Lisa Neal-Graves, the former chief innovation officer for the Colorado Attorney General’s office.

Libertarian Victoria Reynolds, the chairperson of the state’s Libertarian Party, is also running for the seat.

In district three, incumbent Lora Thomas will appear on the primary ballot for the Republican Party. Darien Wilson, an entrepreneur, will be on the ballot for the Democratic Party.

Primary winners move on to the November general election.

While commissioners on the threemember board represent different geographic areas, they are elected atlarge, meaning registered voters from the entire county are eligible to vote for candidates in each district.

Highlands Ranch Herald 11

April 30, 2020

School district, teachers union agree to settlement Lawsuit was brought against DCSD over sick-leave bank

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Douglas County School District and the Douglas County Federation, the teachers union, have agreed to settle a 2013 lawsuit initiated after the district terminated a sick leave bank program, evaporating thousands of days donated by teachers for their colleagues to use amid a serious accident, illness or maternity leave.

The district will pay $2.56 million under the proposed agreement, which still needs federal district court approval. The district did not admit any fault in the settlement, according to a statement issued on April 21.

“All parties agree that resolution of this matter provides needed closure to eliminate the distraction of further protracted litigation,” the district’s statement said.

In 2012, the district and union failed to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement and the CBA in place expired. The district also terminated a sick leave bank program comprising an estimated 7,500 days when the CBA ended, but the union said it never agreed to end the sick leave program as well.

The district replaced its sick leave bank program with a short-term disability program. A group of teachers and the union sued the district, alleging a breach in contract.

The settlement agreement includes payments to teachers and their lawyers who said they were harmed when the sick leave bank ended. The Douglas County Federation will not receive any part of the settlement, the union said.

A news release from the Douglas County Federation said the bank had helped numerous teachers “feed their families, keep their homes and pay part of the medical bills that come after a long illness.”

“Douglas County’s sick leave bank was similar to those that are found in most other metro-area school districts

today, many of which are part of the local bargaining agreements,” the DCF release said.

Union members have pleaded with the school board to reinstate a collective bargaining agreement throughout the 2019-20 school year, and the organization had sought to reinstate the sick leave bank through the lawsuit as opposed to a monetary settlement.

“I am disappointed with the outcome,” DCF member Kathy Dorman said in a statement. “We never wanted a monetary settlement. We wanted the sick leave bank reinstated because it allowed education professionals to take care of each other.”

Dorman is one of the teachers who brought the suit against the district with the DCF. She used the sick leave bank after giving birth to her premature twin daughters. Sick leave bank hours allowed her to focus on caring for her children and on her own recovery, she said.

After the bank was terminated, Dorman was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and used the short-term disability program. The program gave her a portion of her pay and she lost

Local Focus. More News.

retirement service credits, she said.

When active, the sick leave bank allowed teachers to donate one sick day each year. They received their full salary and benefits while using the bank. Under the short-term disability program, teachers receive 70% of their salary and no Public Employees Retirement Association, or PERA, credits.

Another member of the class action lawsuit, Sarah Staebell, died of cancer before the lawsuit was resolved.

Susie Forsyth, who was added as a class representative after Staebell’s death, said she is grateful the settlement can go toward Staebell’s estate and support her children’s college funds.

DCF President Kallie Leyba and the union called on the district earlier this year to settle the lawsuit by restoring the bank for five years and refund teachers’ lost retirement service credits. Lebya said in September the hours were stolen from teachers “and they want them back.”

If a settlement had not been reached, the case was scheduled for a July 13 trial date in federal court.

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12 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

April 30, 2020A

VOICES

A hearty hello from the new guy

S

ince you’re reading this, I don’t need to tell you what an important role this newspaper plays in keeping our communities informed.

FROM THE That’s why I couldn’t be prouder EDITOR to be stepping in as editor of Colorado Community Media.

This locally owned family of 18 weekly newspapers and websites (including this one), plus two monthly Denver neighborhood Mark Harden publications, serves Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Elbert and Jefferson counties. CCM’s dedicated news team includes some of the most talented journalists working in Colorado today, watchdogging local governments and school districts, spotlighting busi-

nesses and community groups, and portraying the character and color of life in our cities and towns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CCM newspapers have performed a crucial service in keeping readers abreast of its impact in the communities they serve and how this global catastrophe affects lives, families, schools and businesses, proving the value of locally focused reporting.

Like many of our readers, CCM reporters and editors have been working from home during the crisis, in some cases covering their beats while looking after their kids. I salute their commitment to telling these crucial stories under trying circumstances.

CCM journalists also compellingly conveyed the pain and anguish of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting last May, delivering award-winning coverage of this close-to-home tragedy. And in 2018, our staff teamed up to present “Time to Talk,” a power-

ful series probing the challenges of mental health and how to spur discussion of the issue into everyday life.

Through it all, CCM has stayed true to its main goal: Keep it local. We are inundated with news and commentary about national and international developments, and the city of Denver is the focus of much coverage by its daily newspaper, TV stations and online outlets. Where CCM fills a vital role is in keeping the spotlight on the many distinctive metro-Denver communities where hundreds of thousands of people live, work and go to school, telling stories in ways that no one else does.

I come to this position after years as an editor and reporter at The Denver Post, Denver Business Journal and Colorado Politics magazine. I’m a 27-year resident of metro Denver who’s lived in Centennial since 1998, sending two kids through Cherry Creek schools. And I was reared in

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vote for Winter Ron Winter would be an excellent and knowledgeable member of the Metro District Board of Directors. During the 30 years he has lived in Highlands Ranch, Ron often attended community meetings to learn how Highlands Ranch was developing and growing. He served on the board of directors for the Highlands Ranch Senior Club for 13 years, eight of which were as president. During that time, he worked with Nancy Smith, (another candidate) to grow the small senior club from 25 members into 300 members and also helped to increase the number of activities available.

Ron has always had a keen interest in the RTD services available here in Highlands Ranch. Recently, he worked hard to convince RTD to keep the 403 bus route.

Ron will ensure that the Metro District Board continues to take a stand on the important issues that impact all citizens of Highlands Ranch.

Sue Frommelt Highlands Ranch Make the right choices I want to recommend the following individuals for election to the Metro District Board this year: Northeast: Nancy Smith; North Central: Ron Winter; Southwest: Renee Anderson.

Nancy and Renee are current board members, whom I have observed at work

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during the many, many meetings I have attended as a resident. I have known Ron Winter for years. He is a long-term Highlands Ranch resident who is an active participant in community activities. His career management skills, knowledge, and insight would be a valuable addition to the board.

I can see that all three are concerned, caring and capable individuals who will be a continued asset to Highlands Ranch. I highly recommend them.

John Holmes Highlands Ranch A shared vision Many Douglas County citizens care a great deal about their local government, but too often just the pieces that affect them directly. Whether it is a town council, your RTD Director, county commissioners or school board, it’s common to worry about one component of your local government and miss how they all should work together toward common goals. That is why I encourage you to vote for Paula Smith, Barrett Rothe, and Michelle Leuenberger for the Highlands Ranch Metro District.

These three candidates have demonstrated a keen interest in ensuring our many layers of government are connected and sharing a vision for the future of Douglas County.

SEE LETTERS, P24

community journalism; when I was a boy I would hang out after school at the twice-weekly South San Francisco Enterprise-Journal, where my mother, Ellen Harden, was a proofreader.

I’m grateful to CCM owners Jerry and Ann Healey for entrusting me with this position. And I want to give a shout-out to my predecessor, Chris Rotar, who has led this staff with exceptional skill and passion for many years and has been patiently helping me get up to speed at CCM. He will be a tough act to follow, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.

I look forward to hearing from and meeting many of you in the days to come. For those of you in the west and north metro areas, our regional editors Glenn Wallace and Scott Taylor are still on the job, overseeing our papers there, so please stay in contact with them. Glenn also serves as CCM’s

This is for all the lonely people

I

f you have in-home family or companionship, please shove off. I’ll see you next week.

This is for the others who don’t.

My 80-yearQUIET old high school DESPERATION English teacher don’t.

She’d love that sentence.

She went 23 days without leaving the house and admitted it was getting to her.

I wrote Craig Marshall something to her every day.

Smith It wasn’t much, but she said she looked forward to whatever it was.

Until she caught on, I intentionally made grammatical errors. It gave her something to do.

I split an infinitive. I misplaced a modifier.

I used “who” when the sentence called for “whom.”

Her instincts kicked in, and she corrected me every time.

Fortunately, she lives in a subdivision near families who know her, like her, and are checking in on her.

But what if someone lives in the middle of nowhere? What if someone lives in the middle of nowhere and isn’t on the internet?

That leaves the phone.

That leaves the daily newspaper.

That leaves Colorado Community Media. We’re here and that means I’m here. My email address follows, if there’s something you want to say, ask, get off your chest, or reveal.

I’d like to hear from you.

As for me: I have companionship in the form of a dachshund.

Harry has no idea what is going on. He just knows that dad is home all day and all night and that’s fine with him.

He is getting more attention than ever.

The word “spoiled” has come up. When (if ?) things normalize, he might question the cutback in

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Highlands Ranch Herald A legal newspaper of general circulation in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the Herald is published weekly on Thursday

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Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Herald. We welcome letters to the editor. Please Include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

ELLIOTT WENZLER Community Editor

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Highlands Ranch Herald 13

April 30, 2020

O

It’s not about yesterday or tomorrow, it’s about today

K, so maybe we can reflect on our yesterdays. And yes, it’s awesome to dream about our tomorrows. But right now, it is about today. It is about this moment that you are reading this column. This is for you and about you. I am not writing about your neighbor, your friend, your coworker, or your WINNING family, today I am WORDS writing about you.

Paying it forward is not just a cliché or “nice” sentiment or feeling. In our world today it is one of the best things that we can do for each other.

Have you ever asked yourself, “What can I do today Michael Norton to help someone else?” Or is the talk track in your brain, “What can I do for myself today?” Or maybe, “How can someone else help me today?” When we become “Me” focused and not “Us” focused we tend to start down the slippery slope of negativity and our overdeveloped strengths of survival

of the fittest becomes a weakness.

Stay with me as I share this real story. Main streets everywhere have already had enough competition from online shopping. But the spirit of the entrepreneur is resilient. Many have stayed the course and offer our towns a place to walk, shop, say hello to friends and just appreciate each other. That was pre-pandemic. Now, all are trying to offer curbside pickup, or online ordering and shopping.

Recently, one particular storefront suffered some damage due to a straight-line wind that roared through the town. Some argued it was a tornado. When the storm subsided the awning of this storefront was broken. The owner was unable to repair it on her own. So, she called the local awning company business who has been around for decades. The owner of the company took the call. And within 15 minutes came to the shop.

He assessed the situation and realized that he could make the repair without replacing the entire awning.

After working through it a few times, he finally secured the awning and made it look like new. The shop owner asked, “How much do I owe you?” And

SMITH

solitude is fine.”

Are you fine?

Charlotte Brontë said: “The trouble is not that I am single and likely to stay single, but that I am lonely and likely to stay lonely.”

This virus has made some lonely people out of people who weren’t lonely before because they have lost their companions.

Now what? I don’t know. When it comes to social studies I don’t claim to be an “A” student.

Charles Bukowski, of all people, said, “being alone never felt right. sometimes it felt good, but it never felt right.”

(Bukowski often wrote in lower case, like E. E. Cummings.)

I am never lonely because I have films, books, music and Harry. I take a least one film a day just like a vitamin.

Often it’s a film I have seen before.

With films, books and music close by, I am never alone, as syrupy as that may sound.

FROM PAGE 12

our contact hours.

No one wants to face the disapproving eyes of a German scent dog.

I will be able to audition for “Hair” when this ends. I haven’t looked like this since “The Summer of Love.”

I was a college sophomore and grousing because I was missing out. I was missing out on love, but I wasn’t missing out on the music.

Yes, some of it was psychedelic and aimless, but a lot of it was highly creative and potent.

We no longer listened to threeminute pop songs on AM radio. No: We listened to five-, six- and seven-minutelong songs on FM. The 1967 album version of The Doors’ “Light My Fire” was 7:02. FM stations played that and the AM stations played the truncated 2:52 single version.

I rarely have listened to AM radio since.

Honoré de Balzac said, “Solitude is fine but you need someone to tell that

HARDEN FROM PAGE 12

lead online editor.

Thank you for reading us, supporting us, subscribing to us and advertising with us. In an era when news organizations big and small face extraordinary challenges that threaten their ability to bring you the truth — challenges greatly aggravated by the health crisis our world is now going

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

through and its economic impact — we need the support of people like you more than ever. News is not cheap, and our ability to keep bringing it to you depends on community support.

So allow me to say hello, and to wish you, your family and your friends good health. I’m looking forward to working with our stellar team to bring you the news and information you need in the days ahead.

Mark Harden can be reached at mharden@coloradocommunitymedia.com and on Twitter at @MarkHardenCCM.

the gentleman said, “Nothing, you people on Main Street have enough to deal with. This one is on me.”

You see, it’s not about yesterday. It’s not about tomorrow. It’s about today.

It’s about right now and how we can help one another. It’s about giving others hope and encouragement. It’s about giving a hand up, not just a handout. It’s about doing the right thing when no one else is watching.

And we call that integrity. I happened to be on the scene when the awning was repaired. I saw it firsthand. I observed kindness, goodness, and integrity during this challenging time.

So, when we think about our lessons from our past, and anchor ourselves in our beliefs and values, we can position ourselves to live today and serve today in such a way that helps others. When we plan for our tomorrows and dream our dreams, those dreams will be based

on what we are currently doing today.

It is about right now, it is about this minute when we are all reading this column, it is about today and what we will do with each day we are given.

“You can have everything in life that you want, just as long as you help enough other people get what they want.” - Zig Ziglar So how about you? Are you living in the past? Are you living in the uncertain future? Or are you living in the moment, living today? I really would love to hear your story at mnorton@ tramazing.com, and when we can repair the awnings of someone else’s shop, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

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Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

14 Highlands Ranch Herald

Some institutions say digital approach could become lasting element

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

T

own Hall Arts Center in Littleton was just about to start its spring kids’ classes when the arrival of COVID-19 changed everything.

“Once that all came apart, I, like everybody else, sort of sat back and said: ‘What do we do?’” said Robert Michael Sanders, the education manager at the arts center.

But as the situation came into clearer focus, Sanders realized the center had an opportunity to do something good to help preserve a sense of normalcy for kids and the parents who are struggling to keep them entertained and engaged.

“What we did is we sort of created a pile of classes and decided we could put them together online and just put it out there for people,’” Sanders said. “And we decided that the best thing we could do for the kids stuck at home is just offer something (free of charge) and not add a financial hit to the parents who may or may not be working.”

Sanders said the arts center is offering 10 classes that take place on weekdays between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. to mimic a traditional after-school program. About 90 kids are currently enrolled.

“The response has actually been pretty overwhelming,” Sanders said.

It’s a new way of teaching for Sanders and his team and a new way of learning for the students, but one that has become increasingly commonplace in recent weeks as museums, libraries and other cultural institutions and organizations have responded to the closure of their physical facilities by pivoting to offering content and experiences virtually.

‘Meet the Chickens’ and more On the website of the Golden History Museum and Park, the virtual offerings, which

LOCAL

April 30, 2020A

LIFE are updated weekly, have ranged from lectures about history and museum artifacts to a “meet the chickens” program offering a behindthe-scenes look at the park’s chickens. Then there is a new recurring feature in which Nathan Richie, the museum’s director, demonstrates how to make a historical recipe in his kitchen with the help of his two kids.

Now, the museum is seeing value in what began as an experiment to try to adapt and stay connected to the museum’s audience during the closure.

“It’s actually been a little freeing for us because we are trying to just rapidly come up with stuff instead of taking weeks or months to plan something,” Richie said. “So far the stuff we have been doing has kind of had a grittier feel than some of the more produced stuff we are used to doing,” It’s an approach that seems to be finding an audience, as Richie said the museum has seen “an eight- or nine-fold increase” in its web and social media traffic. The director said he has also been excited to see people tune into the programs not just from Golden but around the world.

“The museum has a number of members that lived in Golden and moved away but still want to stay connected, or maybe their family members were pioneers in Golden but they’ve never been here, and now they are able to participate in the museum in ways that they’ve never been able to be-

Megan Murphy holds a chicken during a “Meet the Chickens” event as part of the Jefferson County Library District’s online offerings.

COURTESY PHOTOS

WHERE TO FIND FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAMS AND CONTENT • Denver Museum of Nature & Science Visit dmns.org and click on the DMNS@Home tab • Golden History Museum and Park Visit goldenhistory.org. The list of weekly programs comes out on Sunday.

• Jefferson County Libraries Visit Jeffcolibrary.org.

• Town Hall Arts Center Virtual spring classes are currently in-session. Information about summer class offerings, which will likely be paid, will be posted at townhallartscenter.org. fore,” said Richie.

Richie said the museum is making plans to continue with some online programming — although likely at a reduced frequency — even after the museum reopens.

Museums as large as the Denver Museum of Nature & Science are also experimenting with homemade content and offerings—and seeing success doing so.

Tina Martinez, the director of programs and

Karen Walker, a kids and family librarian at the Jefferson County Library District, inside the virtual studio she has created inside her home for presenting virtual programs, such as storytime.

partnerships at the DMNS, said the museum is now seeing “thousands of people” tune into the programs it is posting on the DMNS@Home section of its website.

Martinez said she received plenty of feedback by people who have been amazed by the ability of museum staff to offer “museum-quality” programming online.

“We did one program where we used some of our planetarium technology and we were able to put that online and take people through all through the universe just as we would in the planetarium, but we were doing that through a Zoom platform,” said Martinez.

Few Denver-area institu-

tions can match the programming capacity of the Jefferson County Public Library system, which puts on “thousands of programs” each year, according to Assistant Director of Community Engagement Deirdre Keating. But with the system’s 10 library branches closed until further notice, Keating said the system is now focusing on “trying to meet people where they are at, and right now that’s in their homes online.”

On April 13, the library began posting a variety of virtual story time videos online (one aimed at babies and toddlers has received several hundred views) and it’s also posting a variety of other offerings aimed at kids and adults to the virtual programs section of its website.

“Its’s very much been about figuring out how to do things in an entirely different format,” said Keating. “And it’s amazing to me because these are librarians in their home, with my staff holding their hands and showing them how to videotape themselves and get some good audio, and then our graphic design team editing those videos and fixing the sound and getting them ready.”

Briana Francis, a kids and family librarian at Jefferson County Library District, during her recording of a virtual storytime.

Highlands Ranch Herald 15

April 30, 2020

Craft breweries fight for survival Many seeing furloughs, sharp sales declines

VOTING EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2020

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Since opening in Sheridan’s River Point development west of South Santa Fe Drive in 2016, Dead Hippie Brewing has seen “continuous growth” in its revenues. However even by those standards, owner Dean Edmundson said January and February had been two of the “most amazing” months of business in the brewery’s existence.

But then came March, the COVID-19 epidemic and, eventually, Gov. Jared Polis’ stay-at-home order. The result? A 60% drop in revenue that is creating a “very challenging situation” for the brewery, where Edmundson said he has remained committed to keeping on his six-person staff.

Now, Edmundson is left to hope that the staff can begin serving customers again in the brewery’s taproom soon (for now only to-go sales are allowed) — and that those customers start coming back once they can do so.

“As long as we are opening back up around mid-May we should be OK,” Edmundson said. “If this goes to midJuly it’s a different story, but I think we will probably still survive.”

Thousands could close nationwide Edmundson’s read on the situation and its impact seems to be a common one among brewers, both along the Front Range and around the country.

On April 7, the Brewers Association, a trade group of approximately 5,400 small and independent brewers, released the results of a survey it had conducted of its member breweries about the impact COVID-19 was having on them.

The survey found that member breweries reported an average drop in revenue of 65%, with 62% of respondents reporting they could not sustain their breweries for longer than three months if current social distancing restrictions remain in place. There are 8,150 active breweries in the country, according to the data, meaning that 5,053 breweries could be in danger of closing across the nation in the next three months.

So far, no breweries are known to have closed in Colorado, according to the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Government help uncertain Chris Reigrut, the co-owner of Halfpenny Brewing Company in Centennial, said that his brewery’s sales have declined by 70% and that the overall fate of his brewery will depend not only on how long social distancing measures remain in place but also what kind of assistance he is able to get from the government.

“We had our applications in for almost two weeks and we did not get money from the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program,” Reigrut said. “We are hoping we get some from the second round passed this week but it’s looking tough.”

With the epidemic looming, Denver

2020 Dean Edmundson, the owner of Dead Hippie Brewing on Santa Fe Drive in Sheridan, holds up a bandana printed with the brewery’s logo that can be used as a face mask inside the taproom, which is empty aside from his dog.

PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO Beer Co. founder Charlie Berger said he “had to make quick decisions in order to conserve cash to be able to reopen the doors at the end of this.”

So he made “drastic cuts” to the hours of the staff at his breweries in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood and on Wadsworth Boulevard in Olde Town Arvada.

But the brewery also got creative and launched new virtual events, including a beer pairing series and a virtual Friday afternoon happy hour with guests ranging from Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland to former governor and current Senate candidate John Hickenlooper.

“By doing some of these creative things we’ve driven some more interest and demand in our current beers, to the point where we have more hours for a staff and everybody who is wanting hours is getting them,” Berger said.

Despite that, overall sales are still way down from where they typically are and Berger said he is no longer sure about how fast the brewery will be able to proceed with a plan to build a third taproom on Downing Street in South Denver.

“I’m very nervous honestly that that is going to be a year to 18 months to get through this, and for those reasons I’m losing sleep,” Berger said. “We are not going to go out of business but we are going to be a super different thing based upon the way I’m reading the governor’s plans to open up but maintain social distancing and the health authority’s suggestions. It’s nobody’s fault, but it is going to take that long.”

Tickets help first responders Golden’s Holidaily Brewing Company, which furloughed employees at the start of the pandemic, has also seen sluggish sales. However, many of the customers that do come in are buying tickets for the brewery’s Red For Med fundraiser, in which customers can buy $5 tickets

which can then be exchanged for a free beer by first responders and those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

“The response has been so great,” said owner Karen Hertz. “We actually need more people to come in and take some free beers.”

Still, Holidaily continues to take a big hit — particularly in distribution.

“Our beer is in Coors Field and Mile High and things like that, so with summer concerts and baseball not happening, that hurts our distribution real bad because that’s a lot volume that we move through those accounts,” Hertz said.

Tristan Schmid, the marketing and events manager for the Colorado Brewers Guild, said many breweries have also been able to take advantage of Polis’ decision to allow beer to be delivered during the crisis. However, he said breweries will also need to innovate and adapt in other ways to survive.

“We’d encourage them to be nimble, be able to pivot to opportunities they’d shied away from or outright avoided before,” he said. “But brewers are smart people, and they already know this.”

At Dead Hippie Brewing, Edmundson said he is now working to do just that.

“One thing this is forcing us to do is move into distribution and canning our beer, which is something I thought we were eight to 12 months way from,” he said. “Once we open up we might only be able to have 25 percent of our occupancy so something like distributing cans becomes real important.”

Ultimately, however, it will be up to customers to determine whether Dead Hippie and other breweries survive.

“Support your brewery, because if you want them to be around and be able to go hang out there again, they are going to need it,” Edmundson said.

BEST OF THE

BEST VOTING EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2020

VOTE ONLINE NOW! VOTING EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2020 To provide the most accurate results by geographical area, Colorado Community Media does not require, but does encourage readers to vote for businesses in their immediate local community. All nominated businesses have an equal opportunity of winning, no purchase required. Please see voting website for complete contest rules and regulations.

16 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

SPORTS STUDENT-ATHLETE STUDENT ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Lacrosse player aims to stay ready Jack Tuttle will be playing next season for the University of Denver

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

J

ack Tuttle, a senior who played as a lacrosse midfielder at Castle View, is working out during the CHSAA’s spring sports shutdown in attempt to be ready for the challenges ahead when he plays next season for the University of Denver’s men’s lacrosse team.

“I’ve been trying to stay in shape so I’ve been running every morning,” he explained. “I’ve been practicing my lacrosse against the wall trying to get prepared for Denver next year. I don’t want to show up unprepared. All you can do is just kind of individual stuff.

“It’s super frustrating. Our team has worked hard for the last three years to have a good season this year and it’s pretty tough to see it get taken away.”

Tuttle was named to the Adrenaline All-American team and he might get a chance to play in the June 21 game at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The game is still scheduled but might have to be moved to July. He also plans to play in something called in the Committed Games which is also still scheduled. It is set for June 30 in Long Island.

“There’s isn’t any club lacrosse so I won’t be playing for any club team this summer but we do this thing called the Committed Games so a bunch of different colleges and their commits play against each other in like a tournament,” Tuttle said. “So I will play with all the Denver commits against like the Michigan commits.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Q&A with Tuttle What has been the hardest part about missing your senior season?

My team this year really had high expectations and we have a new coach this year and I think we were really going to turn some heads this year, and missing the opportunity really stinks.

What would your goals have been for the season?

My big goal was to have fun and make sure everybody was enjoying the game and working hard. Personal goals, I wanted to be an All-American this year, first team All-State and I really wanted to bring my team to the playoffs because that’s something we’ve been working towards the last three years.

How have you developed as a lacrosse player?

My freshman year I was just kind of like a dodge down the alley as a player (area on the side of the offensive zone and not in front of the goal). My game was like assists. I developed into different types of scoring and not just right down the alley and shooting it.

‘I’ve been practicing my lacrosse against the wall trying to get prepared for Denver next year. I don’t want to show up unprepared.’

COACH’S TAKE: ‘I was at Legend for a number of years so I coached against him and I know he’s been first team all-conference and I think All-State all three years. As a lacrosse player, there’s nobody any better. Hands down he was one of the state’s best players. He’s remarkably talented, but character-wise is where he really excels.’

Scott Quattromani, Castle View boys lacrosse coach

Have a suggestion for whom to feature in Student-Athlete Spotlight?

Email Jim Benton at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com

April 30, 2020A

It’s official: Spring seasons canceled

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It was an announcement that was expected.

Colorado High School Activities Association Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green revealed on April 22 in a statement to athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and school communities that the spring sports seasons have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Blanford-Green in the statement said, “Around the nation more than 30 other state associations have made the difficult decision to cancel their spring season. We hoped that Colorado medical and health data would provide reassurances that we could go in a different direction.

Unfortunately that will not be the case. The 2020 spring season is canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which is affecting communities across the world.”

Cherry Creek baseball coach Marc Johnson agrees that the spring sports season should be suspended.

“We all knew this was coming,” said Johnson. “I feel so bad for the kids. As much as I would love and want to be playing, it was a good decision. I am going to accept what it is and when it is time, I will move on.”

ThunderRidge baseball coach Brad Johnson shared similar thoughts: “I am heartbroken for all our seniors that they did not have the chance to complete this season.”

Blanford-Green also had a message for seniors in her statement.

“Our hats are off to the many seniors that have shown maturity and resolve as their culminating year of high school has been impacted beyond activities and athletics due to worldwide COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “The Class of 2020 will not be forgotten.”

Jack Tuttle, a senior lacrosse player at Castle View, wasn’t happy with the cancellation. “I think we were really going to turn some heads this year and missing the opportunity really stinks,” he said.

In her statement, Blanford-Green also said the regulations outlined in the previous CHSAA spring moratorium would remain until June 1 even if federal and state guidelines are relaxed. That means no student and/ or coach contact in an activity or athletic setting prior to June 1.

After June 1, all decisions regarding student and coach contact, virtual workouts, virtual tryouts and eighth-grade contact will be made at the local level.

Now the question that most people have is about the fall high school sports seasons.

“Our fingers are crossed and hopes are that the Association will be able to conduct a fall season with some level of normalcy,” Blanford-Green said in the statement.

Highlands Ranch Herald 17

April 30, 2020

FROM PAGE 8

thoughts or experiencing symptoms in multiple areas of their life.

Along with higher acuity, the center has seen fewer new clients seek services amid the pandemic. On average, Tucker said, they sign up between 800 and 1,000 people in a month. That’s dropped to between 600 and 800 in April and March.

She worries those 200 people they would usually bring in as clients are not getting help until they are acutely ill.

Tuckers understands the hesitation to seek help. People are scared to leave their homes, afraid of taking a spot at the center from someone in more distress or combatting stigma and isolation, she said.

Tucker also fears some people are not aware they can continue receiving behavioral healthcare during community shutdowns, despite the center’s best outreach efforts.

“Access to treatment sort of changed overnight,” Tucker said. “We don’t want people to think that they cannot get mental health services.”

One of the center’s school based

HOPE FROM PAGE 2

And she does not want to paint herself as a victim of COVID-19, she said.

The real victims are those who have died or lost jobs.

“People who experienced 9/11 and WWII, all those things are much more drastic than what I’ve experienced in my life,” she said, “but as of right now, this is the most surreal and hectic thing to have ever happened.”

A growing appreciation Corr said the class of 2020 has “demonstrated incredible agility” in adapting to the unprecedented circumstances schools are being forced into by the pandemic. He watched with pride

as Castle View’s student government organized a spirit week on Instagram, seeing it as a sign of resiliency.

“I think that being able to find a path forward through diversity is an important life skill and making the very best of difficult circumstances is an important quality to possess,” he said.

Schilffarth said she’ll carry lessons with her after the pandemic ends.

She will never again take for granted walking into a restaurant, a classroom or having the ability to pursue her education.

“As a society we’ve kind of become spoiled by the fact that we have access to all of these really nice things,” she said.

“It gives us a new perspective on the fact that not everybody had these opportunities and not everybody got to experience the stuff we got to experience, and we need to appreciate those things more.”

Answers

Solution © 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

PROVIDERS

managers March Ryan said there are positive outcomes from the behavioral healthcare world’s experience with COVID. Community Reach Center operates the largest school-based services program in Colorado, according to its website. The program provides students with counseling and case management in school.

Using Telehealth has allowed the center to continue fostering relationships with clients while they cannot meet in person, Ryan said. Her team is also seeing higher engagement among parents of younger children while administering care remotely.

Ryan thinks people will continue using remote services after the pandemic, and that Telehealth might eliminate some barriers to treatment, allowing the center to reach families whose parents work long hours or struggle with childcare.

That’s a good thing as she braces for future demand and continued effects on the community’s mental health, she said.

“I’m anticipating that we’re going to have an increase when we do come back to school,” she said. “It’s tough, it’s hard for kids to be out of that structure and routine (of school) and coming back there may be anxiety.”

THANKS for

PLAYING!

18 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

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April 30, 2020

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20 Highlands Ranch Herald

April 30, 2020A

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Highlands Ranch Herald 21

April 30, 2020

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22 Highlands Ranch Herald

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P L A C E A D S O N L I N E 2 4/ 7 AT

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Highlands Ranch Herald 23

April 30, 2020

Highlands Ranch residents begin to venture out Some businesses have announced they will soon reopen

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

While many Highlands Ranch businesses remained shuttered on the first day after the state’s stay-at-home order ended, more people appeared out and about, continuing their lives but incorporating social distancing and masks.

Many residents strolled through shopping centers, drove to open businesses and exercised throughout the sunny afternoon April 27.

Tri-County Health Department extended the stay-at-home order for Adams and Arapahoe County but allowed Douglas County to join many other counties in the state in beginning a phased reopening of services due to their lower number of coronavirus patients.

Some businesses have struggled to communicate to customers what services they are able to offer right now, a Sherwin-Williams employee said while filling curbside orders of paint at the Town Center store.

“It’s been tricky,” she said.

Many have posted updates online or on their front door letting residents know when they will be open for business. Some, like Blue Lion Salon Studios and NV Salon, both in the Town Center, have announced they will soon be accepting appointments as the county’s prohibitions on businesses change.

Others, like AT&T in Town Center, have largely moved their operations outdoors, offering customers a new way to interact with the company, which was deemed an essential business.

Highlands Ranch resident Toni Dubose, who said she was recently laid off from her position with an area country club, visited the store to change her phone plan.

“They (the country club) were paying for my phone before. Now I’m responsible for it,” Dubose said. “I’m healthy. though. so it could be worse.”

Customers at Sherwin-Williams paint store in Highlands Ranch wait to pick up their orders curbside.

Zee Jara, a retail sales consultant with AT&T, helps Highlands Ranch resident Toni Dubose at the Town Center store’s curbside customer service tent April 27. While this was the first day that Douglas County retailers could be open for curbside service, AT&T was deemed an essential business and had already been operating this system for a few weeks.

A sign in the window of Blue Lion Salon Studios in the Highlands Ranch Town Center shows that the business will soon be reopening. Many Douglas County businesses previously deemed nonessential will be allowed to open their doors this week as the county begins its new, looser stage of precautions around COVID-19.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

City and County Public Notice

The Douglas County Housing Partnership on behalf of Oakwood Senior Apartments II LLC will submit application to the Colorado Division of Housing with a request of up to $750,000 to develop affordable senior housing for qualified households in Douglas County. Written comments or questions can be sent to 9350 Heritage Hills Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124 or alehl@douglas.co.us and will be forwarded to DOH for consideration during the application process. Members of the public may request a public meeting with the applicant. A public notice of the meeting will be posted to ensure members of the public are aware of the meeting.

If reasonable accommodations are needed for persons attending the public meeting, please contact the applicant.

Legal Notice No.: 937405 First Publication: April 30, 2020 Last Publication: April 30, 2020 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Highlands Ranch Legals 4.30.20 * 1

24 Highlands Ranch Herald

LETTERS FROM PAGE 12

With their leadership in Highlands Ranch, we will have board members that are not just trying to meet expectations, but rather three people who will be champions for Highlands Ranch across the county and at the Capitol.

Paula, Barrett and Michelle will insist that Highlands Ranch is “at the table” when important issues are being decided. Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Parker, despite having smaller populations than Highlands Ranch, have elected mayors and full-time city

POLIS FROM PAGE 10

that are being considered. One is that you just start school again just like it was. Another is you don’t do inperson schooling at all, you only go to remote leaning. And the third route is some hybrid of the two.

He added: “We are probably in the world of the hybrid where we try to create some in-person learning opportunities, but because of the restrictions placed on us because of the virus and trying to maintain public health and keep our students and our staff safe, … school is probably going to look different. And so we have to think of alternative schedules, alter-

April 30, 2020A or town managers that represent their communities. It is time for the Highlands Ranch Metro District leaders to fill that role for Highlands Ranch, and that means electing people who will do more than has been expected in the past.

Please vote for Paula, Barrett, and Michelle to ensure Highlands Ranch is not left without a voice of its own.

Constance Ingram Highlands Ranch Promoting engagement For too long, the Highlands Ranch Metro District has lacked engagement with its citizens. Many residents often confuse the Metro District and the Highlands Ranch Community Asso-

native days, the blending of remote learning and in-person learning.

We’re making every effort to stand up in-person learning in the fall. You can look for the release of plans related to that some time soon after our school year ends.”

Denver Public Schools didn’t directly mention plans for the fall but nodded to uncertainty in the coming months in a statement.

“DPS leadership is continuing to develop contingency plans for the various scenarios and health precautions we could be facing over the next several months, with the overriding priority always being the health and well-being of our students and staff,” Winna MacLaren, a spokesperson for DPS, said in a statement. “It is important that we prepare for various

ciation, and are unclear where to go with a particular issue. That is why I encourage you to vote for Paula Smith, Barrett Rothe and Michelle Leuenberger to serve on the Metro District Board of Directors.

Paula, Barrett and Michelle plan to promote citizen engagement through advisory boards, which will allow citizens to weigh-in on policy decisions concerning economic development, transit, community events and more.

Every municipal government in Douglas County, except Highlands Ranch, utilizes advisory boards. Paula, Barrett and Michelle want to ensure Highlands Ranch residents have every opportunity for community engagement that their peers do across our county.

possible options, while we hope to be able to reopen as soon as possible and welcome our students back into our schools.”

The prospect of students participating in sports this fall “is very realistic,” Polis said. Officials will work with the Colorado High School Activities Association and with others to figure that out, the governor added.

“The fans are a little bit harder, right? It depends on venues and spacing and distancing and how many people go, but of course we want to get to ‘yes’ and figure out a way that (fans can watch) in a safe way,” Polis said.

Reporters Jessica Gibbs, David Gilbert, Christina Steadman and Casey Van Divier contributed.

Paula, Barrett and Michelle also plan to revamp the Metro District website to help citizens access information, which will help clarify what the Metro District does. The current site does not adapt to being viewed on a smartphone, the device many residents use to access HRMD information. Furthermore, with our current public health crisis, Paula, Barrett, and Michelle intend to make Metro District meetings virtual, as the school board has done, and allow remote participation.

Please join me in casting your ballots for Paula Smith, Barrett Rothe, and Michelle Leuenberger by May 5.

Meg Masten Highlands Ranch

Niki Brock, a teacher at Mesa Middle School in Castle Rock, has been teaching her students remotely amid the COVID-19 shutdown of in-person learning.

COURTESY OF BRIAN WILLIE/ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS