Highlands Ranch Herald 1224

December 24, 2020

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

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INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | SPORTS: PAGE 17 | CALENDAR: PAGE 16

Hunter Bogle, 18, poses for a photo in front of his home, which he decorates each year.

PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

Bentley Clark, 8, talks about her favorite Christmas decorations at her grandparents’ house. The home, located at 10021 Heywood Lane, is included in this year’s Holiday House Decorations Map.

VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 5

A teddy bear lawn ornament is one of many items in the front yard of the Bogle family home.

Highlands Ranch resident Wendy Harder shows off the decorations at her home. Her husband Blake took three days to put up all the lights, lawn ornaments and a Nativity scene in the lawn, she said.

Homes sparkle for the holidays HRCA releases map of decorated houses

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

H

unter Bogle spent three weeks putting Christmas decorations on his home this year and it shows. Virtually every surface of the house

and front yard has a light, a lawn ornament or an inflatable decoration covering it.

This is the last year the Highlands Ranch home will be lit up this way, however, said Bogle, a senior at Mountain Vista High School.

“I’m going to college,” he said.

“I’ll take all this stuff to wherever I want to move.”

Every night since he’s put the SEE HOLIDAYS, P11

THEIR BEST SHOT Staff members at UCHealth Highlands Ranch receive the COVID-19 vaccination P9

ADDRESSES INCLUDED IN MAP • 10084 Heatherwood Court • 251 Phillips Peak • 3523 Meadow Creek Place • 543 Sage Circle • 8815 South Miners Drive • 8982 Miners Place • 9971 Cottoncreek Drive • 3786 Bucknell Drive • 9973 Blackbird Place

•10741 Cedar Brook Lane • 9006 Bermuda Run Circle • 9845 Merimbula St. • 9355 Wolfe Drive • 1296 Goldsmith Drive • 9139 Sugarstone Circle • 9711 Bucknell Way • 10021 Heywood Lane • 8623 Redstone • 1059 Riddlewood Lane

• 8747 Forrest Drive • 10252 Bentwood Circle • 9211 Weeping Willow Court • 9668 Biltmore Way • 70 Sylvester Place • 186 Whitehaven Circle • 2792 Greatwood Way • 250 Sylvestor Place • 9997 Deer Creek St.

KNEAD TO KNOW

Learn what it takes to bake perfect bread at high altitude P14

2 Highlands Ranch Herald

December 24, 2020D

Panel puts focus on mental health Programs available to help with student engagement in schools

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County School District parents are stressing the effect of remote education and COVID-19’s turmoil on their children’s mental health.

At a Dec. 10 school board meeting, one woman became emotional sharing how her 14-year-old child was hospitalized and now requires medication to manage depression during the crisis.

Another woman described watching “our children become sadder and sadder by the day” during remote education and feared depressed children might turn to self-harm amid pandemic pressures and isolation.

Both hoped for a return to in-person learning. Later in the meeting, the district announced a phased approach to bringing students back in the second semester.

While elementary students are planned to start full in-person learning on Jan. 5, middle and high school students would not return to hybrid learning until late January and February respectively, if all goes well.

Local leaders met on Dec. 15 to discuss resources to help students

stay engaged in school and find mental health support if needed.

The Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office gathered a virtual panel of law enforcement, county government and school district personnel to meet virtually on the topic.

DC Student Assistance Director Janet Laning-Krug told the panel the school district has multiple programs underway to help families.

The district’s DC Student Assistance department oversees issues such as truancy prevention, dropout reduction and expulsion services.

Most recently, the district rolled out a program called the “Care Crew,” she said. More than 40 volunteers go on home visits to ask struggling district families what assistance they need.

“We just go to the kids’ homes that have kind of fallen off the radar or are starting to struggle with remote learning,” she said.

The program has already received 108 referrals from schools and conducted 57 home visits since its launch in the past couple weeks.

The volunteers bring a gift of school supplies, snacks and try to assess what barriers a student is facing in their education.

Laning-Krug said Mesa Middle School in Castle Rock sent six staff members out on “Care Crew” visits and learned families they checked on had lost internet connections.

The district was able to provide those students with Wi-Fi hotspots and computers, Laning-Krug said.

The district also offers free K-12

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tutoring. More than 300 teachers have signed up to be tutors, LaningKrug said.

“Sometimes, when you are trying to educate your own child, it’s really hard to keep them going,” she said.

Through the virtual tutoring program, students can receive up to four hours of tutoring a week from a certified teacher.

“We know the struggles of our families right now,” she said. “This is not something that you can do by yourself. This is something that takes all of us to do.”

Aaron Ragon, the school district’s lead counselor, said parents should not be afraid to communicate with school counselors as well. About a third of counselors’ calls are with parents, in addition to helping students with mental health needs, scheduling or college planning, he said.

“We welcome these calls and we are certainly a resource to parents,” he said.

Every district school has at least one counselor, after the district added dozens at the elementary level last year and maintains a ratio of 250 student to every counselor at the middle and high school level, Ragon said.

Jim Baroffio, a clinical psychologist on the panel, said families should set up a management plan during the pandemic and have clear, open communication with their children about stress and anxiety.

Parents are also responsible for helping children find joy and happiness during the pandemic, he said, and can foster psychological growth during the crisis.

“At the end of the day, we’re all going to come out changed,” he said.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony

Spurlock spoke about the office’s Community Response Team, or CRT, and its Youth Community Response Team. The program pairs a clinician with a law enforcement officer to assist community members who need mental health resources or are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

“The key is, is that when we hear that there is a young person that is in stress or some kind of crisis, they can call us and they don’t have to worry that they are going to get handcuffed,” he said.

“We’ve trained our clinicians and our Youth CRT folks. That’s not the focus. The focus is helping them.”

Spurlock said the CRT program has been a success and can continue to help people through the COVID-19 public health crisis.

During the Dec. 10 board meeting, interim Superintendent Corey Wise announced the district’s plan for second semester, including information about mental health support for students.

“I know that this has been tough, when we talk about mental health,” Wise said.

The district’s Personalized Learning Officer Nancy Ingalls said schools have worked hard to create supportive virtual environments for families and to keep students engaged.

“Every school has personalized how they do this,” she said.

Elementary school counselors get students together virtually to read or watch a movie after school.

Virtual clubs are emerging at the middle, high school and e-learning level. Some schools still conduct whole-school assemblies virtually.

“In our high schools, our counselors are reaching out and serving all students, asking them questions about their well-being,” she said.

Trial set for mother accused of daughter’s death Spring trial is expected to take three weeks

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

An 18th Judicial District judge has set the trial date for the former Highlands Ranch woman who was charged with her daughter’s 2017 death.

Kelly Turner, 42, pleaded not guilty to the charges related to her daughter’s death in Turner a Dec. 16 arraignment.

Her trial is now set for May 3-21.

Turner was arrested Oct. 18, 2019 and was charged with 13 counts, including murder, child abuse, theft and forgery, two years after her 7-year-old daughter, Olivia Gant, died. A grand jury indictment alleges Turner lied about her daughter’s conditions,

defied doctor’s orders and convinced them to cease treatment on Olivia, leading to her death.

Turner said Olivia had multiple conditions, including seizures, malfunctioning intestines and constipation, according to the indictment. However, an autopsy later revealed that the child was not facing many of the conditions that Turner claimed.

Turner’s arraignment, which had been postponed several times, took place virtually. A Colorado Community Media request for expanded media coverage of the hearing was denied by Judge Patricia Herron.

The trial, which the defense and prosecution agree will be a lengthy process, is scheduled to take three weeks. The court plans to hear pre-trial motions on March 12.

Both sides’ legal counsel also agreed that the case will require a larger jury pool than other cases due in part to the media coverage of the case.

Highlands Ranch Herald 3

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December 24, 2020D

Keep It Up, Douglas County!

COVID safety measures help restaurants stay open. Thank you for your continued support. Servers and staff appreciate your gratuity. Learn more at douglas.co.us/douglascovid19/ keep-it-up-douglas-county

COVID-19 Impact Grants available Applications are being accepted for the Restaurant and Indoor Event Venue Grant and Small Business Grant Programs until Dec. 30. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To review eligibility details and deadlines for each program and apply visit douglas.co.us/cares-act

Community COVID-19 testing events COVID-19 swabbing and antibody testing with or without health insurance are available at locations throughout the County. To preregister and to learn more visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing/events.

For information about other testing providers visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing-locations

Do it online, Douglas!

Residents and businesses may access more than 60 online services. For your convenience drop boxes are also available for Assessor, Motor Vehicle and Recording services, Visit douglas.co.us/covid19 for more details and drop box locations.

Christmas tree recycling For drop-off locations, times and dates, as well as instructions on how to prepare a tree for recycling, visit douglas.co.us and search for Christmas tree recycling.

Funds available to veterans Emergency assistance is available for veterans struggling with housing (mortgage/rent), transportation, employment, healthcare or other emergency needs. To apply for the veterans assistance funds visit douglasveterans.org or call 303.663.6200.

County offices holiday closures Douglas County offices will be closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24 and closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.

Many services are available 24/7 at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Visit douglas.co.us

Gov. Jared Polis, left, takes part in a recent virtual town hall with residents of Adams and Jefferson counties about COVID-19.

Metro-area school districts hope for January return Looser quarantine rules to allow for less interruption to in-person learning

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Testing for quarantined students, some preemptive testing in schools and modified quarantine requirements are expected to be the ticket to more consistent in-person classes for several school districts across the Denver metro area, the districts’ leaders said in a Dec. 15 news conference.

But even with the expanded leeway to hold traditional classes, superintendents emphasized that if levels of COVID-19 spread remain at their currently high levels, schools may find it impossible to keep enough teachers out of quarantine to consistently keep classes in schools.

Chris Gdowski, head of Adams 12 Five Star Schools, expressed hope about the expanded testing capabilities that Gov. Jared Polis discussed at an earlier news conference the same day, along with nodding to new, less stringent quarantine guidance.

But “the most important part is to bring down this community transmission,” Gdowski said on the Dec. 15 online news conference. He added: “Without that, if we remain at 1,100 cases per 100,000 (per two weeks) in Adams County,” plans for in-person learning fall apart.

When COVID-19 becomes widespread enough — at the levels seen in the metro area in the past few months — staffing and numbers of substitute teachers begin to become the weak link in keeping schools running in-person, the superintendents said.

Although schools generally haven’t been shown to be “superspreader environments,” keeping students in school becomes difficult at or above roughly 500-700 new cases per 100,000 people in a county in a two-week time frame, said Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Brian Ewert, referencing data from the Metro Denver Partnership for Health. That’s an organization led by the six public health agencies serving the sevencounty metro area.

Like a “house of cards,” in-person school planning “literally begins to collapse” at that point due to widespread quarantines, Ewert said.

Virtually all students in Denver

and surrounding suburbs moved to remote, or online, classes this fall as coronavirus spread mounted.

Superintendents frustrated with the torrent of quarantines in the fall semester heard encouraging news with the recent guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: It provides options for reducing time in quarantine to seven days with a negative test at day five or later, or reducing quarantine to 10 days with no test for those who remain asymptomatic and “are aware of the need for daily symptom monitoring through the full 14 days of the standard quarantine approach,” a report by the Metro Denver Partnership for Health says.

That’s expected to allow students and staff to come back to school much quicker if they get tested.

The shortened quarantines may come with slightly higher risk of spreading COVID-19, though. See the introduction and the first chart on the CDC’s website at tinyurl.com/ NewQuarantineGuidance for more details.

In early October amid backlash from some metro school superintendents, the state public-health department released relaxed guidelines outlining that in some cases, entire classes or larger groups of students no longer need to quarantine in response to a positive COVID-19 case.

But in schools in counties operating with higher levels of coronavirus spread, classes or cohorts of students still were urged to be quarantined.

Under a recent update to the guidance in November, as long as districts adhere to strict protocols, broad quarantines are no longer necessary regardless of the level of virus spread in a county. School districts can now generally use “targeted contact identification,” which entails quarantining those within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 or symptoms of the disease for 15 minutes or more when both parties are masked. It also requires quarantines when someone was within 12 feet of the individual for 15 minutes or greater when either party was unmasked and indoors.

Those time criteria are cumulative, meaning two 10-minute exposures in a day is equivalent to one 20-minute exposure, according to the guidance.

Mike Johnston, a leader with an initiative called COVIDCheck Colorado that provides access to COVID-19 testing, said COVIDCheck will be partnering with all the districts on SEE SCHOOLS, P5

Highlands Ranch Herald 5

0December 24, 2020

Metro district approves 2021 budget Mill levy remains the same, capital projects added

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Highlands Ranch Metro District’s board of directors voted to approve next year’s budget in a Dec. 10 meeting, keeping the mill levy the same and planning multiple capital projects.

Capital projects planned for next year include the senior center, trail construction, playground equipment replacement and a park restroom replacement.

The directors also voted to keep the mill levy, used to calculate local property taxes, the same as the previous year.

“The biggest project would be the senior center,” said Stephanie Stanley, director of finance for the metro district. “It’s one of the biggest projects we’ve ever done.”

SCHOOLS FROM PAGE 4

the news conference call for testing people in quarantine. Districts also might have access, to some extent, for preemptive testing for students who aren’t in quarantine.

The districts partnering with COVIDCheck include Cherry Creek

The metro district hopes to select a site for the center and begin design in the next year. While the board approved in January a location for a newly constructed center at the juncture of Highlands Ranch Parkway and Ridgeglen Way, some buildings recently made vacant by the COVID-19-prompted economic downturn are now options as well, Stanley said.

About $1.9 million has been earmarked for this project in 2021.

The district is only able to move forward on the plan because of the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment in the Nov. 3 election, Stanley said.

If the amendment — which required that 55% of the state’s property tax come from commercial properties and the rest from residential — had not been repealed, it would have significantly reduced the amount of property taxes paid by Highlands Ranch residents. The metro district projected it would have lost about $2.4 million in revenue if the amendment had not been repealed.

School District, Denver Public Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools, Aurora Public Schools, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Littleton Public Schools and Douglas County School District, although it was unclear if other districts not on the call would also be part of the partnership.

Polis at his Dec. 15 news conference said data continues to suggest that schools generally aren’t a driver

“Gallagher was repealed, and as a result we are not staring at an up to 20% reduction in our tax revenues, which would have really hurt the services we provide,” said board chair Mark Dickerson. “That was almost like staring at the abyss.”

The change in state law also gives the metro district the amount of funds needed to pay off its debt early. While the remaining $19 million isn’t due until 2025, the district plans to pay it off in December 2021, Stanley said.

Other projects

Next year, the metro district has also budgeted for construction of the Upper Marcy Gulch Trail, which will be just over a mile long and will connect the East-West Regional Trail to Wildcat Reserve Parkway. The trail, which is estimated to cost about $246,000 to build, will be located west of Mountain Vista High School.

About $175,000 is earmarked for the replacement of playground

of COVID-19 spread in surrounding communities.

“There’s really not been a lot of difference in transmission between communities that have been fully back at school and those that haven’t, which gives us further confidence that schools are not a factor in significant community transmission,” Polis said. “Many districts in Colorado have been fully back, others partially back, others not back — really no

equipment at Plum Valley Park and $90,000 for restroom replacement at Spring Gulch Park.

Other capital projects planned by the Highlands Ranch Metro District include landscape improvements to the Highlands Ranch Mansion and fence replacements.

Staff will also work on possibly adding parking and interior remodeling of the Fly’n B House, along with searching for locations for future pickleball courts.

“Our 2021 budget does anticipate getting back to more normal recreation, but we are being flexible and standing ready to make a change if we need to,” Stanley said. “We’re not 100% confident 2021 will look like 2019, but we hope it won’t look like 2020.”

Residents interested in looking at the metro district’s budget for next year and past years can do so by visiting HighlandsRanch.org then selecting “Government,” followed by clicking “Financial Transparency.” real difference in transmission levels in those communities.”

Even with the reassuring news, Cherry Creek Superintendent Scott Siegfried emphasized that the broader community’s efforts to reduce coronavirus spread are key to ensuring in-person class comes back consistently.

“We have three weeks to collectively ensure that students can return to classrooms,” Siegfried said.

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December 24, 2020D

Enrollment decline may devastate schools Pandemic has cut student numbers sharply, could hit budgets hard

BY ERICA BREUNLIN AND JOHN FRANK THE COLORADO SUN

Enrollment in Colorado public schools dropped by close to 30,000 students this school year — the first year-to-year decrease the state’s public school system has reported in more than 30 years.

Impacts of the pandemic drove enrollment numbers down, according to the Colorado Department of Education, which released preliminary enrollment figures on Dec. 15 after counting students in October.

The overall drop in enrollment equates to a 3.3% decrease, with some of Colorado’s 178 school districts suffering dips of nearly 10% from enrollment during the 2019-20 school year. That could have serious consequences for the state’s public education system and districts’ budgets, which are largely determined by pupil counts, said Tracie Rainey, executive director of the Colorado School Finance Project.

Depending on how the legislature decides to fund education during the next lawmaking session, districts could suffer significantly.

“It could be devastating if they make a reduction,” Rainey said.

“There is no way that school districts could absorb that kind of cut.”

There are 883,281 students enrolled in preschool through 12th grade this school year. About 140 districts reported a drop in enrollment, while the rest of the state’s 178 districts experienced an enrollment surge.

Many of the districts that reported the steepest enrollment declines are those with the largest student populations in the state.

Douglas County School District’s census dropped 4,326 to 62,979 students. Colorado’s largest school district, Denver Public Schools, counted 89,061 students this fall, down 3,051 from last year’s October count.

Colorado Springs School District 11’s enrollment fell by the largest percentage — 8.2%. The district has 23,885 students enrolled this fall, down 2,155 from last year.

And while white students represented the highest enrollment change in raw numbers — public schools educated 19,721 fewer white students this fall compared to last year — Native American students accounted for the highest percentage drop in enrollment at 5.8%.

Enrollment among Colorado’s earliest learners took the biggest hit this school year, with a decline of more than 8,000 students in preschool — a 23.3% drop — and close to 5,800 fewer kindergartners,

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DISTRICTS THAT LOST THE MOST STUDENTS The following are the school districts that saw the largest declines in enrollment: • Douglas County: -4,326 students (-6.4%) • Jefferson County: -3,960 students (-4.7%) • Denver Public Schools: -3,051 students (-3.3%) • Aurora Public Schools: -2,181 students (-5.5%) • Colorado Springs D-11: -2,155 students (-8.2%) • Adams 12 5 Star: -2,053 students (-5.2%) • Cherry Creek: -2,005 students (-3.6%) Source: Colorado Department of Education representing a 9.1% decrease. Additionally, some 13,800 fewer students in grades 1-5 were reported this fall, equal to a dip of 4.2%.

Jennifer Okes, chief operating officer for the Colorado Department of Education, attributes the changes in preschool and kindergarten enrollments to the decision by many Colorado parents to delay enrolling their kids by a year, taking a wait-and-see approach to how the pandemic might continue to disrupt schooling.

The decrease in public school enrollment doesn’t come as a surprise to CDE’s Okes.

“I think this is consistent with what we were hearing anecdotally throughout the beginning of the school year from districts, that they were seeing a decrease in enrollment, especially in those younger grades,” Okes said.

Homeschooling has effect

Part of the enrollment decline is influenced by a rising number of families choosing to homeschool their children because of the pandemic. The number of students who are being homeschooled this year doubled to 15,773 this year from 7,880 in 2019, CDE reported.

Another major change involved the shift of students to online schooling. More than 32,300 students enrolled in online educational programs this year, up 44% from last year. Okes noted that those programs are facilitated through public schools.

The counts released Dec. 15 are preliminary as districts continue to refine their enrollment numbers, CDE officials said. The department typically releases numbers from its annual October count each January, but made preliminary figures public this year during so many disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Okes said that some districts have already contacted CDE with corrections. But she doesn’t expect any changes to dramatically alter the overall trend of a decrease to enrollment.

It’s not yet clear if the drop in enrollment is a short-term blip or a long-term trend, but CDE anticipates that the public school system’s student count will increase again within the next few years. Data from communities that have experienced catastrophes like fires, floods and other natural disasters and experienced an enrollment dip as a result have rebounded with student counts in subsequent years, Okes said.

CDE expects a large number of students to return in the future.

“Whether that’s 100% of those students or not, that remains to be

seen,” Okes said.

She added that the department projects enrollment will increase next year once vaccinations are more widely available. But schools may not see their numbers fully rebound until fall of 2022.

Van Schoales, president of A+ Colorado, predicts the drop in enrollment won’t amount to more than a short-term loss for public schools. But he pointed to an underlying long-term trend that influenced this year’s enrollment dip: parents’ pursuit of different options that better meet the needs of their students. The pandemic is accelerating that trend for those families who can afford to consider other schooling options.

“That isn’t a blip,” Schoales said.

He wonders what enrollment projections for next fall look like and believes that how Colorado schools approach classes in January will help shape future enrollment trends. If schools return to in-person learning, he said, that probably “would stop the bleeding.” If schools don’t open back up their classroom doors, he anticipates enrollment will continue to suffer.

All of the enrollment declines could translate to financial struggles for districts, particularly if lawmakers reduce education funding from current levels, said Rainey, of the Colorado School Finance Project.

Cuts to education funding would weigh heavily on districts’ operations. Rainey noted that districts wouldn’t be able to trim their budgets without potentially breaking staff contracts and pulling funds from their reserves — all while trying to manage increasing costs brought on by the pandemic.

Worst-case scenario

One possible outcome for some districts: a failure to meet payroll.

The bulk of districts’ budgets cover salaries and benefits.

“And so trying to then make reductions without breaking contracts is almost impossible unless you have additional dollars that are in reserve and then you’re going to be trying to address it through additional cash resources,” Rainey said.

Depending on what the impact is for each district, she added, “it could be a major problem.”

A Republican-led effort to prevent school districts from losing more state funding could help if it can gain broader support among lawmakers during the next legislative session.

SEE ENROLLMENT, P9

Highlands Ranch Herald 7

0December 24, 2020

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8 Highlands Ranch Herald

December 24, 2020D

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Highlands Ranch Herald 9

0December 24, 2020

‘It feels like a turning point’ Vaccinations for staff begin at UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Kiley Markle had just finished a busy, 12-hour shift as a nurse in the intensive care unit at UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital when she arrived at her Dec. 17 appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The inoculation, the first of two, felt just like a flu shot, Markle said.

“You can’t see it, but I’m smiling,” she said from underneath her mask as she received her shot.

Markle was one of the first staff members at the hospital to receive the vaccine on its first day of distribution there.

“This is the light that we needed at the end of the tunnel,” she said.

Dr. Ben Usatch, the medical director for the hospital’s emergency department, also received his first vaccine shot the morning of Dec. 17. For Usatch, the vaccine may have physically felt like any other shot, but getting this one also had an emotional component, he said.

“I’ve been doing this a very long time … this (pandemic) is the first time in my entire career that I felt a threat to myself and my family,” he said.

Usatch said he felt privileged to be one of the first people given a COVID-19 vaccine.

“It just felt right,” he said. “This is the beginning of the end of the pandemic.”

After receiving the vaccine, Markle and Usatch, like all the hospital staff receiving the vaccine, were asked to sit for 15 minutes in case of any reaction. Following the allotted time, both felt good and had no reaction.

“It feels like a turning point, it really does,” Usatch said. “Life will return to normal.”

The hospital planned to give the vaccine to 288 staff members the first and second days of distribution.

That includes almost all of the first priority group at the hospital, said Dr. Tom Purcell, chief

ENROLLMENT FROM PAGE 2

Republicans put forward a bill in the special session earlier this month that proposed holding school districts harmless from the loss in state funding caused by the lower counts.

Traditionally, as part of the mid-year supplemental budget bills, lawmakers adjust the money that districts receive based on the per pupil numbers.

A bill in the special session from Rep. Jim Wilson, R-Salida, would have declared the intent of the General Assembly not to

Dr. Ben Usatch said getting the COVID-19 vaccine “just felt right” and that he feels privileged to be one of the first people getting PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER the inoculation.

medical officer at the hospital. The general public will not be able to receive the vaccine at this stage.

With a nearly-full ICU, the hospital is working to ensure clinical care is remaining high while staff receives inoculations, with some recipients having minor side effects like a temporary fever or flu-like symptoms.

“It’s a monumental feat from a logistics perspective,” he said. “We look at it every single day, the ICU coverage is at a critical level right now.”

Purcell said his staff is stressed and fatigued by the ongoing pandemic but that they are still getting the job done.

“They’ve been amazing warriors,” he said. “We’re all in it together and in the end, we’re going to keep going.”

Purcell said he wants the community to know that they can still come to the hospital for all their regular check-ups, problem visits and emergencies. The administration has worked to keep their hospitalized COVID-19 patients separate from other patients, he said.

do so.

“Let’s not let school districts suffer more than they have already,” said Rep. Mark Baisley, a Roxborough Park Republican who supported the measure.

The Democratic-majority in the state House rejected the bill, but some lawmakers expressed interest in renewing the idea when the legislature returns in January.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. Used by permission.

For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com.

Jon Reilly, manager of pharmacy for UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital, reconstitutes the COVID-19 vaccine used on Kiley Markle, an ICU nurse at the hospital. Reconstitution, which makes the vaccine effective, is when the vaccine is slightly diluted with saline solution.

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10 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

December 24, 2020D

VOICES

Looking near and near for the best things in life

A

nnually I submit a list of things that make (my) life worth living and it’s usually a snap to write. After all, why wouldn’t life be worth living?

Then 2020 showed QUIET up. It walked in DESPERATION the door wearing muddy boots and talked with its mouth full. Just about everything we did without thinking twice was inverted, reversed, changed, canceled, restricted, even Craig Marshall haircuts.

If you are reading Smith this, you’ve made it this far. Close to 300,000 did not. The number of pandemic-related cases is in the millions.

In the past, I tried to go beyond obvious examples: my dog, films, music, friendship.

When I began scribbling down nominees for this year’s list, I thought about digging deeper.

But why?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dumbing down the youths

I pay an enormous amount of taxes each year to DCSD to educate our youths. Now the district alters the grading system by lowering the standards of the grading system. In my opinion we should be raising our standards, not lowering the standards for the grading system.

According to the new grading system a student could fail to learn 48% of a subject and still receive a passing grade. I find that not acceptable. Students need to be back in the classroom being educated by our professional educators. I see the youths daily in our grocery stores, skate parks and shopping centers rather than in our schools. Seems there is more exposure to the virus being congested in public places rather than in school, with social distancing in place.

DCSD took notice that students’ grades have fallen; DCSD’s solution was to lower the standards, with the explanation that this will help our youths qualify for scholarships and admittance into universities and colleges.

What happens when they enter college, being unable to compete with other students who did not

A publication of

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have lowered grading standards?

What happens when a student cannot maintain the required grade average to remain in school or maintain their scholarship?

These are the consequences our youths could be challenged with due to a lack of quality education.

I urge DCSD to find a healthy and safe way to get our youths back in the classroom for a proper education.

Randy A. Reed Former mayor of Castle Rock Buck shows unpatriotic side

It should be remembered in 2022 that Congressman Ken Buck joined 125 fellow Republicans in an assault on our democracy by endorsing a futile attempt to overturn the election results.

Buck followed the lead of an indicted Texas attorney general.

Was this was a way to raise money and to avoid Trump tweets, at the expense of our constitutional republic? President Trump has raised over $210 million through donations using the guise of defending his presidency from voter fraud. A very small percentage SEE LETTERS, P11

C. Fields, Steve Martin, Steven Wright, Dorothy Parker, Nichols and May, Dick Van Dyke, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Oscar Levant, Soupy Sales, Fran Lebowitz, Leslie Nielsen, Bill Murray, Rudy Giuliani.

He’s a Three Stooges man. I’m not.

Some days, one of us will initiate a random topic, like a vegetable.

What evolves is drivel, sophomoric, anecdotal, epigrammatic, ironic, satirical, hyperbolic, irreverent or droll.

Our correspondences have been tonic. Restoratives.

When I see I have an email from him, I know what I’m in for: a smile.

However, we’re both conscientious enough to know that a lot of what is going on in the world and United States can’t be compromised with a quip.

What makes life worth living?

Life.

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

No restaurants, no gatherings, games, concerts, parties, picnics.

Harry and I have two or three walks a day. And two or three films.

I keep a long cue: mostly ones that were made before movies became soused with special effects and gore.

A friend half my age sends me a “Song of the Day,” and it’s generally a song by someone I’ve never heard of.

Invariably she introduces me to a performer or a band I can appreciate without wincing. Have you heard of Phoebe Bridges?

We both like Nina Simone. Django Reinhardt. And Bob Dylan, who just sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal Music. For an estimated $300 million.

As for friendship this year? It’s been emails, by the hundreds, and daily from some of my best friends.

Artist Mark Friday and I exchange complete drivel: wordplay, puns and jokes.

We created lists of our favorite humorists: on film, television, record, in print.

Bob and Ray, Groucho Marx, W.

Nothing in 2020 was more important or meaningful to me than Harry, whose complete obliviousness to current events was the finest antidote on the market.

Harry doesn’t know that 2020 has been any different than 2019, 2018, or 2017, the year he was born.

He doesn’t know and he doesn’t care.

If you have a 3-year-old son or daughter it’s likely they’re out of the loop too. But one of these days, you will have some explaining to do.

I will never have to explain anything to Harry. But if I did, what would I tell him?

It’s been inexplicable.

This year has brought out the very best in people — and the worst. For every affirmative story about man and womankind, there’s an equal and opposite.

I’m one of the lucky ones. A friend said, “You’ve been social distancing your whole life,” and she’s right.

A pandemic doesn’t impact a retired recluse the same way it does an employed extrovert.

But I haven’t taken any chances.

T

Waking up each day knowing we are making a difference

he inspiration for this week’s column comes from a movie I had watched over the weekend, “The Man Who Invented WINNING Christmas.” It is the story of Charles WORDS Dickens and how he came to write his book, “A Christmas Carol.” If you are looking for a great movie to watch, I highly recommend it.

The book was Michael Norton written in 1843.

And since its initial publishing, there have been more than 2 million copies sold here in the United States alone. The book has never been out of publication. More than 170 years later there have been hundreds of cartoons, movies, plays, and musicals that retell the story. As I finished watching the movie, I had the realization that Charles Dickens could have never known the lasting impact that his book would have on

the world.

How do we view the work we are doing today? How are we thinking about every conversation and interaction we are having with our family, our friends, through social media, and with strangers that we encounter? Our actions and behavior, what we say and how we say it, could very well have a long and lasting impact on the lives of those we live with, work with, or who we are connected to in some way. And they in turn could have a positive influence on the people in their own circles for years and generations to come.

In a virtual meeting that I was a part of this morning, I found myself being truly inspired by a young man who was a part of the call. As we greeted one another and introduced ourselves, the young man, his name is Jimmy, also included his own personal “why” behind what he does for a living. He shared that he wants to wake up each day knowing that he is making a difference in the

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SEE NORTON, P11

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

by Colorado Community Media, 9233 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124.

Send address change to: Highlands Ranch Herald, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Highlands Ranch Herald 11

0December 24, 2020

HOLIDAYS FROM PAGE 1

-

The extravagantly decorated Bogle home, located at 10252 Bentwood Circle, is included in this year’s PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER Holiday House Decorating Map.

NORTON FROM PAGE 10

world. The sincerity of his words was underscored when he shared with me a diagram that illustrated his priorities, values, and virtues that he aspired to be, do, and have. I firmly believe that Jimmy’s impact on his own business, co-workers, family, friends, and customers will be felt for many years.

Being a difference-maker rarely happens accidentally. In most cases making a difference is a direct result of someone who was intentional about their actions and the words they chose to provide others with hope, encouragement, a hand up, or guidance. When we are intentional about the words we choose, we recognize that we can build others up by what we say. And we also understand that if we are not careful, our words can also cause great harm, tearing others down.

Unfortunately, the lasting impact of our thoughtlessness can last for years and generations as well.

At this time of year, many of us show our gratitude by doing our best to make a difference through acts of generosity. We search out opportunities where charitable contributions of our time, talents, and

LETTERS FROM PAGE 10

of these donations from hardworking Americans are going to Trump’s legal defense. Ken Buck either wittingly, or unwittingly, assisted in duping Colorado citizens. Maybe this is just Buck’s attempt to establish a Trump autocracy!

This was an act of unpatriotic, undemocratic hypocrisy. How would Ken Buck react if these false claims were made by a Democratic president? He would denounce the president as an authoritarian tyrant, and rightfully so. Thus far,

resources can make a difference for a family, an individual, or an organization. It doesn’t matter what we call it, at the end of the day it is about changing lives and doing our best to change or impact people and situations in a positive way.

We are all Charles Dickens in a way, aren’t we? Each one of us can leave a lasting impression upon the earth, bring happiness and joy to another person, provide a muchneeded smile, or give a hug, even if it is a virtual hug, to someone who could really use a hug right now.

And as we do, let us never minimize our ability or our capacity to make a difference, a difference that will be felt for 170 years or more.

How about you? Are you intentional about the impact that you have on others? Have you thought about how grateful others will be generations from now all because one day you changed someone’s life for the better? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@tramazing. com and when we start waking up each morning to be a differencemaker, it really will be a better than good life.

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. there has been no evidence of voter fraud, in fact, every court has ruled against this assault on our democracy. The Supreme Court, with a six to three conservative advantage, indicated there was no merit to these charges. Buck wants to undermine the very election that carried him to office.

No matter what party you follow it is incumbent of every American to adhere to our constitution set forth by our founders. Let us remember Congressman Ken Buck in 2022. He cannot pretend to be a patriot if he is willing to overturn our democracy!

Dave Martin Castle Rock

decorations up, there has been a traffic jam of onlookers outside the house, he said. The joy the decorations bring people is what motivates the 18-year-old.

That and other well-decorated houses in the community.

“Their face always lights up,” he said.

While Bogle has been decorating the home for several years, he’s really stepped it up in the past two, he said. Now, every year he adds a bit more.

“Probably because people come back every year and they expect more,” he said.

“So I give them more.”

This Christmas, his home includes dozens of lawn ornaments, a lit-up driveway arch and inflatable ornaments on the roof and in the yard. Each year, Bogle also puts out a

Local Focus. More News.

donation box for the MakeA-Wish Foundation. He is able to donate about $2,500 each year to the nonprofit, he said.

Bogle’s home, at 10252 Bentwood Circle, is among those on this year’s annual Highlands Ranch Community Association Holiday House Decorating Map. Twenty-eight Highlands Ranch houses are on this year’s map, available at HRCAonline.org under “Latest News” and then “Holiday House Decorating Map is Live” Wendy and Blake Harder, whose home is also on the map, spent three days setting up the decorations at their home, Wendy said.

The Harders, who have lived at 10021 Heywood Lane for 15 years, have lights, a nativity scene, reindeer on the roof and more in their front yard.

“We feel like it just is the Christmas spirit,” Wendy said. “I feel like this year, we really need it.”

ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

OBITUARIES GRIFFIN

Ricjard C. Griffin

Nov. 12, 1946 - Dec. 10, 2020 Richard C. Griffin, 74, of Highlands Ranch, CO, passed away peacefully at home on December 10, 2020, after a fast-growing lymphoma cancer resurgence. He was born November 12, 1946, in Valparaiso, Indiana, to Frank Oliver Griffin, Sr. and Betty Louise Bednar Griffin. He married Sheila Walters on August 15, 1992, who survives. He is also survived by his daughters Kristin (Rod) Spearman and Karin Griffin, his four beloved grandsons Kyle and Scott Spearman and Devon and Drew Heywood, three brothers (Robert (Juanita), Frank Oliver, Jr. (Shawna), and Craig (Michelle), a sister Darlene Griffin, all in Colorado, a sister-in-law Judy Griffin of Las Vegas, and his ex-wife Linda Dalton of Chesterton, Indiana. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Nick Griffin.

Rich graduated from Chesterton High School, Chesterton, Indiana, in 1964. He was an outstanding quarterback and led the 1963 CHS Trojans to an 8-2 record. Early in that season, he suffered a concussion in a game, which resulted in double vision. To compensate, he wore a patch on one eye for the rest of the schedule, earning a bit of notoriety of overcoming what could have been a season-ending injury.

He graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and earned a CPA degree from the University of Illinois in 1974. He was an Army veteran, serving as an E5 Sergeant whose primary duty was paying soldiers who returned

from Vietnam. Rich was honorably discharged in December of 1971. He served as CFO of Ken-Caryl Ranch Home Development from 1973-78. He also started an oil/gas exploration company before turning his full attention to accounting. In 1995, he founded Taxtime, a tax accounting firm in Centennial, Colorado, that provided expert tax analysis and preparation for hundreds of clients until he sold the company and retired in 2013.

Rich was an outstanding athlete and played fast-pitch hardball well into his 50’s.

He was a musician and an avid golfer who truly enjoyed rounds with his wife and friends to demonstrate both his athletic skills and accounting acumen. Most golfers do not even realize that you can amortize, depreciate, and even write-off strokes!

He loved Colorado and its magnificent outdoors, backpacking on horses and hunting game in the Rockies. He tried helicopter skiing in Canada and even indulged in a sky diving adventure.

But the greatest delights of his life were his daughters and grandsons. He was a very “hands-on” grandfather, keeping the boys busy making sure grandpa’s yard was always beautiful.

He also played baseball, hockey, and golf with the kids.= and took the time to teach a few guitar chords to those who were interested.

Indeed, he lived a full and active life and will be missed by his numerous family and friends.

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. Private 303-566-4100 Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

12 Highlands Ranch Herald

December 24, 2020D

‘A healthy meal and a friendly face’ Meals on Wheels happy to add to the ranks of seniors receiving food delivery

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Nourish Meals on Wheels director Diane McClymonds, right, hands off bags of meals to volunteer drivers outside the group’s headquarters in south Littleton on Dec. 10.

PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT

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Seniors in need of a helping hand shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Nourish Meals on Wheels, the nonprofit’s director said.

Nourish Meals on Wheels, headquartered in south Littleton, delivers hot, healthy meals to homebound seniors and people with disabilities five days a week, and occasionally delivers other items like bags of groceries.

“We are here with the capacity to do more,” said Diane McClymonds, the group’s executive director. “A lot of people think there are others worse off than them, so they’re saving the program for those with more need, but we have the capacity to serve them too. If you have a neighbor, friend, or relative you think could benefit from our services, we would love to hear from them.”

Nourish provides meals regardless of clients’ ability to pay, with many paying nothing toward their meals, though Nourish invites those with means to pay up to the full cost of each meal, which is $5.

Though the group saw a bump in clientele early in the pandemic, McClymonds said their numbers have settled back about where they were before COVID-19, with about 500 people a day receiving meals across the south metro suburbs.

CARES Act funding allowed Nourish to add a once-a-week delivery of non-perishable groceries, but that funding is ending at the end of the year. McClymonds said she hopes to secure additional funding for grocery delivery through recentlyannounced state grants for food bank programs.

The group’s meals have also climbed in quality thanks to a partnership with the Food Exchange Resource Network, a nonprofit providing Nourish with fresh produce and meat.

“It means a lot more cooking from scratch,” McClymonds said. “Our

GET IN TOUCH Nourish Meals on Wheels delivers meals across much of the south Denver metro area from its headquarters at Broadway and Arapahoe Road. The nonprofit gladly accepts donations of money and non-perishable food. New volunteer orientations are currently on hiatus. For more information, visit NourishMealsOnWheels.org or call 303-798-7642.

menu is pretty amazing these days.”

The pandemic means Nourish has had to scale back one of its volunteers’ favorite aspects of visiting clients: spending time chatting.

“For those clients who are still making an effort, it’s still working,” McClymonds said. “But I won’t lie, it’s not the same. Our drivers have to stand way back, in the driveway perhaps, while clients talk to them through a screen door or from the porch. But even if not, our drivers are still someone coming to check on you every day. If we come back the next day and your meal is still there, we’ll figure out why and get you the help you need.”

While McClymonds said Nourish has its COVID protocols pretty well worked out by now, the group is stockpiling extra meals in its new king-size freezer in case an outbreak plays havoc with its food production. But she said missing meal days is not an option.

“We’ve got 500 people depending on us for their daily nutrition,” she said. “Shutting the doors for a couple weeks? We just can’t do it.”

Nourish is in the middle of its annual 12 Days of Giving program, which provides a dozen gifts to clients, one per service day leading up to Christmas. Gifts include greeting cards, home decorations and poinsettias.

For Lanny and Carla Arensen, a husband-and-wife volunteer driver team, delivering meals is about helping vulnerable seniors stay in the comfort of their own homes.

“It’s serving the common good,” said Carla, as the couple waited outside Nourish’s headquarters to receive their meals before heading out on their route. “It’s not about us.

It’s about helping seniors. A healthy meal and a friendly face can mean a lot.”

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Highlands Ranch Herald 13

0December 24, 2020

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14 Highlands Ranch Herald

LOCAL

LIFE

How to elevate your baking

December 24, 2020D

game

Making bread at a mile high can be tricky, but with experience comes wisdom

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

N

othing brightens a home quite like the warmth and smell of baking bread, but life at a mile high means baking the perfect loaf can get a bit tricky.

“High-altitude baking is definitely a skill that takes time to develop,” said Chelly Klann, the founder of the Good Food Project, Project Bake and Edible Revolution — a trio of Denver-area nonprofits dedicated to teaching kids and adults the finer points of cooking and baking.

But before understanding how to bake at high elevation, Klann said bakers should understand bread in general.

“Bread is a whole zen experience,” she said. “You can’t rush it. Cooking is an art — you just throw stuff in a pan and taste it as you go — but baking is both an art and a science.”

Bread is also “the purest food,” Klann said, built on just flour, salt, water and yeast.

Home baking exploded this spring during the early days of COVID-19 shutdowns, with flour and yeast flying off shelves as fast as toilet paper.

Klann said she thinks that had to do with a renewed focus on personal skills when people are cooped up.

“Bread is aspirational,” she said.

“Lots of people say someday they’d like to learn French, or play the piano, or learn to bake. Suddenly people had time for things. Everything takes longer this year, and bread fits right in with that.”

But many home bakers in Colorado soon discovered the trouble that comes with high elevation.

“Dough rises quickly here, but it deflates quickly too,” Klann said.

Loaves and wishes

She offered a few pointers: First, high-elevation dough needs more moisture.

“It’s better to have sticky hands than dry dough,” she said. “If your rolls turn out like hockey pucks, it’s because there’s not enough water in them.”

Next, increase the temperature in the oven, by as much as 25 degrees over what standardized bread recipes call for. That may also bring down baking time by several minutes.

Also, Klann said many home bakers simply don’t knead the dough enough.

“People ask if you can overknead bread, but you’ll get bored long before that happens,” she said.

Perfecting sourdough — bread made with fermented flour using naturally-occurring yeast — is worthy of an entire article, or even a book of its own, Klann said.

“It took me the better part of a year to get good at it, and I turned out some bad sourdough in that

At Trompeau Bakery in Englewood, head bread baker Rande Smith, second from left, said good ingredients make for good bread, PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT but so does practice.

time,” she said. “It’s a pretty steep learning curve.”

Klann said a home baker’s best bet to get good at bread is the same as the way to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice.

“Find a recipe that came out OK one time, and make it over and over until you’re good at it,” she said. “If something goes wrong, you’ll figure it out quicker.”

Bread baking is also influenced by ambient conditions, she said, including outside weather, humidity, temperature and other factors.

“This might sound weird, but try keeping a bread journal,” Klann said. “Is it 100 degrees in your kitchen? Is it raining? Is it cold out?

You think you’ll remember, but you never do, which is where writing it down comes in. Don’t fret — you’ll get there.”

Fine ingredients

For those looking to step up their bread baking game, ingredients can make a big difference, said Beth Ginsberg, the owner of Englewood’s Trompeau Bakery, which specializes in classic French breads and pastries.

“Grocery store flour can be weeks old, and it can sit in your cabinet a lot longer than that,” Ginsberg said. “Here at the bakery, we’re using fresh, high-gluten flours, which also have a much higher moisture content that dissipates the older it gets. We’re also using live yeast, not the dried stuff, which is a lot more SEE BREAD, P15

Chelly Klann shared this recipe that works well at high elevation: Tomato Foccacia

Adapted from Food of the Italian South, by Katie Parla The semolina flour and potato flakes in this focaccia recipe give it a soft and fluffy texture that is great dipped in olive oil or marinara sauce. Substitute olives for the tomatoes or simply add dried herbs and omit the tomatoes altogether.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cup semolina flour 3 ounces potato flakes 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 pound grape tomatoes Dried herbs of your choice — rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, etc.

Sea salt

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the water, flour, semolina, potato flakes, yeast, salt, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix, using

the dough hook or a wooden spoon, until the ingredients come together and become a soft, satiny dough, about 10 minutes.

2. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

3. Add the remaining olive oil to a 9x13 pan, preferably metal. Tip the pan to distribute the oil.

4. Gently turn the dough into the pan, deflating it as little as possible.

5. Put some olive oil on your hands and use your fingers to gently press the dough into the pan.

6. Press the tomatoes into the top of the dough and sprinkle the top with dried herbs.

7. Set the dough aside to rise until puffy, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425 degrees.

8. Just before the dough goes in the oven, sprinkle some additional sea salt across the dough.

9. Put the dough in the oven and bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes for even browning.

10. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Highlands Ranch Herald 15

0December 24, 2020

BREAD

said, and many good recipes call for letting dough rise overnight in the refrigerator.

FROM PAGE 14

Trompeau Bakery head bread baker Rande Smith dumps flour into a mixer. Smith said while high PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT elevation can make baking in Denver challenging, so can low humidity.

finicky but produces some really wonderful bread.”

Trompeau sells smaller amounts of high-end flour and yeast to home bakers wanting to give the good stuff a try, she said.

Rande Smith, Trompeau’s head bread baker, said he hasn’t adjusted any of the bakery’s recipes to adjust for high elevation, but that’s because he works dough by feel.

“Every batch of flour is a little different,” Smith said as he dumped a sack of flour into a jumbo mixer. “It comes from wheat, which of course is a plant — wheat from different places, from different years will all have slight variations. Some absorbs more water, for instance, or responds to yeast differently.”

Smith said even without fancy ingredients, home bakers can improve their bread by avoiding common mistakes like letting the dough get too warm.

“People wake up their yeast with warm water, but you really don’t want the dough that warm,” he said. “Even a stand mixer like a Kitchenaid can warm it up too much.”

Good dough shouldn’t register higher than 75 degrees, he

Baking through time

The intricacies of highelevation baking go back to Colorado’s settler period, said Andrea Wilhelm, a historical interpreter at the Littleton Museum, which features a working pioneer-style homestead.

Many pioneer diaries and letter mention making alterations for elevation, Wilhelm said.

“Early cooks were intuitive cooks,” Wilhelm said. “There wasn’t so much science behind it as trial and error.

Cooks were constantly asking themselves if the batter and looked and felt consistent with past experiences.”

Colorado was settled decades after places like California, Utah and other highelevation locales, Wilhelm said, so settlers were already aware that baking would be trickier here.

Early recipes were also more “robust,” Wilhelm said, and were more forgiving of errors. Over time, though, “recipes became more delicate with refined flours and sugars, so the room for error increased.”

But just like in the early days, “so much of it is about experience,” said Smith, the head baker at Trompeau.

“Don’t give up.”

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December 24, 2020D

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Highlands Ranch Herald 17

LOCAL

SPORTS

For some, the more sports the merrier With many turning to specialization, multi-sport athletes are becoming less common

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Multi-sport competitors used to be prominent in Colorado high school athletics, but their ranks have been decreasing in recent years.

More young athletes are specializing in one sport, often because of the pressure to earn a scholarship in their chosen athletic endeavor.

But there are still some athletes who believe in the benefits of playing different sports in different seasons.

Connor Mantelli — a kicker and basketball player at Douglas County High who was a standout performer at the 2020 Kicking World National Showcase in Austin, Texas — says specialized athletes miss out on the experience of being on different teams in different sports.

“I definitely stay in shape year around and the skills are always in use with me,” said Mantelli. “The biggest disadvantage of not being a multi-sport athletes is you don’t

get the experience of other sports.

Doing a sport year around, you don’t get a break.”

Those who participate in multiple sports develop different muscle groups and different skills, while overuse injuries are reduced and concerns about burnout are lessened, many coaches and athletes say.

Athletes who compete in multiple sports are needed to keep programs in operation at the state’s smaller schools. For instance, athletic director Mike Hawkes of Single A Shining Mountain Waldorf in Boulder says the school has four athletes who have a chance to participate in the four sports (cross country, girls volleyball, basketball, and track and field) offered at the school.

In the south metro area, even some of the largest high schools have multi-sport athletes.

Julian Hammond was the quarterback on this season’s state championship football team at Cherry Creek, and he is also an outstanding basketball player who has agreed to play next season at the University of Colorado. Hammond was one of six Bruins’ basketball players who were on the football squad.

“Getting in basketball shape isn’t a problem,” said Hammond.

“It’s just different running up and down the court over and over again,

Cherry Creek quarterback Julian Hammond plays football and basketball for PHOTO BY JIM BENTON the Bruins.

where football is a five-second play.

Football wears more on your body than basketball, where you have to be in a lot better running shape.”

Arapahoe’s Hussein Safieddine, a football player, wrestler and member of the track team, agrees with Mantelli.

“Some of the advantages of being a multi-sport athlete include you get the experience of different coach-

ing,” said Safieddine. “My wrestling coach and football coach are really different people. I learn like two different sets of lessons from them.”

Katie Edwards is on the track and field team, was the leading hitter on the Arapahoe softball team last fall and was the leading scorer on the girls basketball team last season with a 12.2 scoring average.

She says time management is a key to being a multi-sport athlete.

“You are doing so many sports you have to watch how to manage your time really well ,” she said.

“There are relationships you build being in different sports. You meet tons of different types of people.

Sports are so different that I think they help you rather than focusing on one the whole year.”

Jim Keller, president of the Colorado Athletic Trainers Association and owner of Next Level Sports Performance, said too often parents pick a sport for a youth to specialize in.

“There’s just a select few children that can take (sport specialization) early and make it happen,” Keller, of Golden, said. “But I think the majority take it early and get burned out or get hurt. It’s too much year round. It’s too much time on the field, it’s too many camps, it’s too many scholarships and a lot of pressure.”

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18 Highlands Ranch Herald

December 24, 2020D

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

Christian Brothers Automotive is located at 1340 Town Center Drive.

COURTESY PHOTO

Business offers giveback for customers who donate Christian Brothers Automotive facilitates giving to local charities

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A local auto repair and service shop has found an unusual way to give customers a discount: by asking them to donate to a local charity.

Christian Brothers Automotive, located at 1340 Town Center Drive, chooses one local nonprofit every two months to benefit from their “gift jar” program.

Right now, the nonprofit is Bridge of Hope, an organization serving homeless single mothers in the greater Denver area.

When customers are checking out, the shop explains the program, describes the nonprofit being featured and offers $15 off their final cost if they donate $30 to the “gift jar.”

“It’s pretty much a no-brainer for our customers,” said owner Jared Beard.

The company is usually able to raise about $1,000 per week for the featured nonprofit, Beard said.

Joe Roos is the founder of Hide in Plain Sight, a Highlands Ranchbased nonprofit serving homeless students. His organization was selected by the shop to be promoted for September and October and he received a $10,000 donation in the end.

“It’s making such a huge difference,” Roos said.

Roos said he hopes this year-round program will spread to other businesses as well.

“What’s beautiful about this is they’re engaging their customers in the process of giving,” he said.

“They give their customers something for giving.”

The location also gives free oil changes to certain community members twice a year and occasionally donates service and even refurbished vehicles to those in need, Beard said. Throughout this year, the company has donated about $150,000 to the community, he said.

“We’re in a wealthy community, you wouldn’t realize there’s a need,” he said. “But there is.”

Other nonprofits benefiting from the program throughout the year include Transforming Creatives, Integrated Family Community Services and James Resource Network.

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Highlands Ranch Herald 19

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*Karl Bruns-Kyler is a Private Insurance Broker, a Certified Senior Advisor, CSA, with no affiliation to Medicare, CMS or any governmental organization.

Lawn/Garden Services

Colorado Lawn Care Fall & Winter

Landscaping, Fall Aeration, Overseed, Fertilizer, Gutter Cleaning, Lawn/Leaf Cleanup, Fence & Deck Install/Repair, Tree & Shrub Trimming/Removal, Snow Removal Residential/Commercial

scottcindy4242@gmail.com 720-202-9975 Licensed/Insured

PROFESSIONAL OUTDOOR SERVICES TREES/ SHRUBS TRIMMED Planted, Trimmed & Removal • Sod Work • Rock & Block Walls • Sprinklers • Aeration • Stumps Ground • Mulch

Licensed / Insured

DICK 303-783-9000 Alpine Landscape Management Weekly Mowing, Aerate, Fertilize, Fall Clean Up, Small Trees, Trim Bushes & Snow Removal, Senior Discounts

Painting

Residential Experts

CALL Anytime 720-308-6696

We paint over 800 Homes Per Year No Deposit Ever Satisfaction Guaranteed 5 year, 7 year and 9 year Exterior Warranties 2 Yr. Interior Warranty Licensed & Insured up to $2 Million Locally Owned and Operated In business for 29 years Free Color Consulting & Samples

35% Off

All Int. & Ext.

CR&R Painting, Inc. Interior/Exterior, decks/fences Free Estimates 303-349-1046 www.crrpainting.com

DANIEL’S PAINTING exterior • interior residential repaints Re-caulk all home complete prime all caulked areas / replace any damaged boards/ popcorn removal drywall and texture repair/fences and decks/insured and bonded

720-301-0442

Plumb-Crazy, LLC.

“We’re Crazy About Plumbing” CUSTOM HOMES • REMODEL FINISHED BASEMENTS SERVICE AND REPAIR Licensed • Insured ALAN ATTWOOD, Master Plumber

PH: 303-472-8217 FX: 303-688-8821

CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE

720-328-2572 Painting

Fences: pressure washing / Drywall patch Free Estimates • Great Winter Rates

Highlands Ranch resident

Call Joseph

303-523-6372

PLUMBING & SPRINKLERS

Free Instant Phone Quote Repair or Replace: Faucets, Sprinklers, Toilets, Sinks, Disposals, Water Heaters, Gas Lines, Broken Pipes, Spigots/ Hosebibs, Water Pressure Regulator, Ice Maker, Drain Cleaning, Dishwasher Instl., for coupons go to vertecservices.com CALL Vertec 303-371-3828

Remodeling

303-948-9287

Plumbing

ANCHOR PLUMBING

Licenced & Insured

A+

Rating BBB

LS@LSPaintinginc.com www.lspaintinginc.com

(303) 961-3485

(303) 646-0140

Thomas Flooring & Tile • All Types of Tile • • Granite-Ceramic • • Porcelain • • Natural Stone •Vinyl • •Bathroom Remodel•

32 Years Experience • Work Warranty

303-781-4919 FREE Estimates

Abraham Spilsbury Owner/Operator

Interior • Exterior Residential Specialist Woodworking, Decks

Residential: Hot Water Heat • Forced Air Water Heaters • Kitchens • Baths Service Repair • Sprinkler Repair

Remodeling is my specialty!

Call now for free estimate

ABE’S TREE & SHRUB CARE

www.innovativepaintingllc.com

• Stain and Renew Custom Handrails • Custom Interior & Exterior • Residential & Commercial Painting • Paint Kitchen Cabinets • Free Estimates - Insured • 30 Years Serving Metro Denver • Satisfaction Guaranteed

● Marble ● Repairs ● Granite Counter Tops

Tree Service

Littleton Based & Family Owned

Painting

ANYTHING TILE

Residential Experts

Lighting

Call 720-456-8196

Dirty Jobs

Drain Cleaning + Plumbing Can do repair work on Everything in your home!

7 Days a week No extra charge for weekends 35 yrs experience

L.S. PAINTING, Inc.

For all your indoor & outdoor lighting needs, plus…

• Internet/TV Cable & Outlets •Ceiling Fans •Thermostats •Wall-Mounted TV’s • And many more services Free Estimates All Work Guaranteed

Tile

Done Dirt Cheap

720-329-9732

Robert Dudley Lighting LLC

Plumbing

Interior and Exterior.

Decks, Painting, Roofing, Basements, and Kitchens.

Local Parker Business and Family Owned.

• Pruning • Removals • Shrub Maintenance • FreeEstimates Certified Arborist,Insured, Littleton Resident 720.283.8226 • C:720.979.3888 aspilsbury@msn.com

Windows

TOP WINDOW CLEANING #1 in Customer Satisfactions

10% OFF to NEW CUSTOMERS Over 20 Years Experience Insured / Bonded Call Today For A FREE Estimate Quality work guaranteed Gutter, Tree Trimming/Removal

720-400-6496 topwindowcleaning.net

Phone 303-942-0732

www.booneremodeling.com

Roofing/Gutters

• Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Insurance Claims

303-805-7800

www.1wayroofer.com In business in Colorado 25 Years We Accept All Major Credit Cards

Please Recycle this Publication when Finished

To advertise your business, call us at 303-566-4100

22 Highlands Ranch Herald

December 24, 2020D

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

www.ColoradoCommunityClassifieds.com

To Advertise call Karen 303.566.4091 Colorado Statewide Classified Advertising Network

To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or call Colorado Press Association Network at 303-571-5117.

WANTED Cash for Mineral Rights Free, no-risk, cash offer. Contact us with the details: Call: 720-988-5617 Write: Minerals, PO BOX 3668, Littleton, CO 80161 Email: opportunity@ecmresourcesinc.com

COLORADO PRESS ASSOCIATION NETWORK

Buy a 25-word statewide classified line ad in newspapers across the state of Colorado for just $300 per week.

Ask about our frequency discounts!

Contact this newspaper or call Colorado Press Association Network 303-571-5117

Classifieds

Health & Beauty

Misc. Notices

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed.

24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Espanol

WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA. A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships.

Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver.

Visit Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!

CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer.

Nationwide Free Pick Up! Call Now: 1-800-864-5960.

Merchandise Firewood

Split & Delivered $300 a cord Stacking available extra $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173

Please Recycle this Publication when Finished

Medical Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds.

Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Miscellaneous DENTAL INSURANCE - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company.

Covers for 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit!

1-888-623-3036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258.

Scrap Metal, Batteries, Appliances, Wiring, Scrap Plumbing/Heating, Cars/Parts, Clean out Garages/Yards, Rake, Yard work done w/chainsaw, Certified Auto Mechanical / Body Work & paint available Also can do inside or outside cleaning 303-647-2475 / 720-323-2173

2495

GENERAC generators. Weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-yr ext warranty ($695 value!) Schedule FREE in-home assessment 1-844334-8353 Special financing if qualified.

DISH TV $59.99 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR & voice remote. Restrictions apply. 1-833872-2545.

Protect your home w/home security monitored

by ADT. Starting at $27.99/mo. Get free equipment bundle including keypad, motion sensor, wireless door & windows sensors.

833-719-1073

Hearing aids! Bogo free! High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors.

Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee! 833-669-5806 Thinking about installing a new shower?

American Standard makes it easy. Free design consult.1-888-674-3005 today to see how to save $1,000 on installation or visit www.newshowerdeal.com/ display DIRECTV NOW. No Satellite. $40/ mo. 65 Channels. Stream news, life events, sports & on demand titles.

No contract/commitment. CALL 1-866-825-6523 AT&T Internet. Starting at $40/month w/12-mo agreement. 1 TB of data/ month. Ask how to bundle & SAVE! Geo & service restrictions apply.

1-888-796-8850

½% over 500k

up to 500k

If Buying a home in Denver Metro & I’m Agent

1%*

**listing commissions fees **+buyer agent co-ops

Life Alert. One press of a button sends help fast, 24/7! At home & on the go. Mobile Pendant w/GPS. Free first aid kit with subscription. 877537-8817 free brochure.

NEW AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you self-publish your book. Free author submission kit! Limited offer! 866-951-7214 HughesNet Satellite Internet – Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-863-4478 Wesley Financial Group, LLC timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consult. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 844-909-3339

The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote. 1-855-270-3785

TO ADVERTISE CALL 303-566-4100

Transportation Wanted CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! 2002 and Newer! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-416-2330.

Cash for all Vehicles!

Cars, Trucks, Vans, SUV’s Any condition • Running or not No title OK • Free towing

(303)741-0762

Cell: (303)918-2185 for texting

Bestcashforcarsco.com

SELL YOUR HOME OR

SELLING only?

Miscellaneous kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever!

LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking protection. Schedule free estimate. 15% off Purchase.

10% Senior & Military Discounts.

Call 1-855-995-2490

For Local News Anytime To Advertise of the Day Visit call Karen 303.566.4091 Home for Sale OurColoradoNews.com

$

Miscellaneous

BUYING only?

Up to 1% credit of sale base price* *equal to 33% of my commission paid *applied to Buyer closing costs

Full Service Saving THOUSANDS $$$

Charles Paeplow Cornerstone Homes Realty

720-560-1999 • charlespaeplow@yahoo.com

*Commissions subject to change

Real Estate

kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Home for Sale HOME FOR SALE 3 Bed, 3Bath plus home office in Highlands Ranch. Upgraded and updated home For Sale by Owner.

Newer fixtures, systems, paint & flooring. Great Terraced backyard with a waterfall.

Go to: 698huntingtonpl.com for virtual tour.

Call owner for a private showing: Jim at 303 507-6980

Rentals

Office Rent/Lease VARIOUS OFFICES

100-2,311 sq.ft. Rents from $200-$1750/month.

Full service.

405-409 S Wilcox Castle Rock Wasson Properties

719-520-1730

Please Recycle this Publication when Finished

Highlands Ranch Herald 23

0December 24, 2020

Class and glass merge in yearly special ornament

E

ach year, Jane Watkins, of Watkins Stained Glass, 3821 S. Broadway, Englewood (on Littleton’s Main Street for SONYA’S many years), creSAMPLER ates a special Main Street ornament to hang on the tree or set on a shelf. This year’s “Main Street Mini” is available at the shop. Probably some from previous years are available as well.

303-798-1515, watSonya Ellingboe kinsstainedglass. com. Nice gift for friend or self !

Holiday lights ... daytime garden visits

While Hudson Gardens in Littleton decided not to produce a light show this season, (open for walkers during the day and free), Denver Botanic Gardens and the Denver Zoo are lit up, if that’s part of your holiday celebration. Advance tickets required — spaced out for tim-

ing. No tickets sold onsite. Denver Botanic Gardens is open for walking from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 720-865-3500, botanicgardens.org. “Blossoms of Light” at DBG: December is sold out, but readers can check for dates in early January. Chatfield’s “Blossoms of Light” is sold out. Chatfield open days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., again — reserve in advance. 720-865-3500, botanicgardens.org. Denver Zoo Lights 5 to 10 p.m.: must reserve in advance: 720-337-1400 (call 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or check denverzoo.org. These gardens are great places to work out the wiggles when kids and parents have been in the house for long stretches. Daytime walks are fun.

And, there’s always a family drive to look at home lighting. Englewood residential areas were great when my kids were young. Bow Mar in Littleton was fun and there’s Littleton’s dazzling Main Street, where a stop for coffee or hot chocolate might be nice. Nixon’s Coffee House at Hudson Gardens is open until 3 and also offers hot chocolate and such ... (Unless we get a “Stay at

Home” order from the governor.)

Gift thoughts

Possible gifts for grownups — classes at one of these garden spots: Hudson Gardens offers classes on beekeeping January to April; or “Start Your Garden From Seed” (online) Jan. 27, which is about when the resident gardener starts to get really antsy ... Or a gift card for O’Toole’s or Tagawa, or a specialized catalogue ... or a bookstore gift certificate ... or dinner at a favorite restaurant when they can open ...

And then, there are museum memberships, gym memberships, garden memberships that last all year long and will grow new interests and perhaps new skills. In another direction: art classes and a gift card at Guiry’s or Michaels or Arapahoe Community College? Adopting a shelter animal is a gift all around — to the family and that furry friend.

(I recently found a lovely little black cat at the Dumb Friends League, thanks to a friend who volunteers there.)

Denver Art Museum

Frida Kahlo tickets are selling in blocks 10 days in advance of the date you want to visit. Reserve a specific time and date in advance.

Masks required. 720-865-5000, denverartmuseum.org.

Colorado Book Awards

Reminder to authors, publishers: Submissions to Colorado Humanities for the Colorado Book Awards are due by Jan. 8. At least 10 categories: anthology/collection; biography; children’s literature; fiction, creative non-fiction; history; and more ... Information at coloradohumanities.org. Also, volunteers are needed to select and judge books.

Mark your calendars

Virtual Littleton Public Schools Student Art Show will be online, running from Jan. 19 to May 31, in conjunction with Arapahoe Community College. (Will run prize winning images in January.) Look for more information later.

To advertise your place of worship in this section, Serving the southeast Denver area

Castle Rock/Franktown

Greenwood Village

call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com Parker

Advertise Here!

Advertise Here!

Advertise Your Place of Worship

Advertise Your Place of Worship

HERE

HERE

WORLD MISSION CHURCH (KOREAN CHURCH)

7249 E. Park Dr. Franktown, CO TIME: 10:30 PM PHONE: 303-688-1004 ENGLISH TRANSLATION

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Congregation Beth Shalom

Please check our Website for details about Sunday Services. www.CSLParker.org

Serving the Southeast Denver area

Call or check our website for information on services and social events! www.cbsdenver.org

303-505-9236

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES sponsibility to obtain a complete set of the Project

Last Publication: December 24, 2020

and Specifications. Douglas County will not Publisher: Douglas County News Press Legals Public Notices callPlans Sheree be held responsible for 303.566.4088 misinformation received Account Number: 00012184 from private plan rooms.

Bids and Settlements Public Notice PUBLIC INVITATION TO BID

Separate sealed bids for 2021 ASPHALT OVERLAY PROJECT; CI 2021-003 will be received by the Owner, Douglas County Government, Department of Public Works Engineering, Philip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104, until Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. This project consists of placement of 2,000 tons of hot mix asphalt patching and 110,939 tons of hot mix asphalt overlays at various locations throughout Douglas County.

Bid items include removal of asphalt mat, reset and adjustment of manholes and water valve boxes, removal and replacement of pavement markings, unclassified excavation and aggregate base course.

The Contract Documents will be available after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28, 2020, through Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Website (www.rockymountainbidsystem.com) or they may be obtained at the above address.

Electronic versions of the Plans obtained by any other means than as described above may not be complete or accurate, and it is the Bidder’s re-

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at the Department of Public Works Engineering, Philip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104. All questions are due to Daniel Roberts, P.E., Project Engineer by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. The Bid Opening will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at the same address.

The Project includes the following major items and approximate quantities: • •

2,000 tons of hot mix asphalt patching 110,939 tons of hot mix asphalt overlays

Prior to submitting a Bid Proposal, Bidders shall have received prequalification status (active status) with the Colorado Department of Transportation to bid on individual projects of the size and kind of work as set forth herein.

Any questions on the bidding process shall be directed to Daniel Roberts, P.E., Project Engineer at 303.660.7490.

Plan holder information, can be found on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Website.

Legal Notice No. 938499 First Publication: December 24, 2020

Emergency Support Services, 100 Third Street,

Douglas County cannot accept electronic RFA

statement prior to such final settlement will relieve said County of Douglas from all and any liability for such claimant’s claim. The Board of Douglas County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado, By: Carolyn S. Riggs, CPPB, Purchasing Supervisor, Douglas County Government.

Thursday, January 21, 2021 by Douglas County Government, Finance Department, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104.

RFA responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope, plainly marked “RFA No. 052-20, Caseworker for CFCP”. Electronic and/or faxed application responses will not be accepted. Responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated and any responses so received will be returned unopened.

Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. responses. legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com Failure on the part of the claimant to file such RFA responses will be received until 3:00 p.m. on

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF CONTRACTORS SETTLEMENT COUNTY OF DOUGLAS STATE OF COLORADO NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 38-26-107, C.R.S., as amended, that on the 25th day of JANUARY 2021, final settlement will be made by the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, for and on account of a contract between Douglas County and A.D. MILLER SERVICES, INC. for the HIGHLAND HERITAGE REGIONAL PARK, PARKS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ADDITION PROJECT - INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #029-19 (PO#39619); and that any person, co-partnership, association or corporation that has an unpaid claim against said A.D. MILLER SERVICES, INC. for or on account for the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or any subcontractors in or about the performance of said work, or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement on said 25th day of JANUARY 2021, to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim with the Douglas County Government, Board of County Commissioners, c/o Facilities, Fleet &

Legal Notice No. 938508 First Publication Date: 12/24/20 Second Publication Date: 12/31/20 Publisher: Douglas County News Press Public Notice REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA) NO. 052-20 CASEWORKER for the COLLABORATIVE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM (CFCP) The Department of Human Services of Douglas County Government hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests proposals from responsible and qualified candidates/agencies for a Caseworker for the Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP).

The RFA document may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. While the RFA documents are available electronically,

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all RFA responses, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said RFA and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items and/or services with the respondents.

Please direct any questions concerning this RFA to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor at 303-6607434 or criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 938511 First Publication: December 24, 2020 Last Publication: December 24, 2020 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

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Highlands Ranch Legals 12.24.20 * 1

24 Highlands Ranch Herald

S:9.125"

DELICIOUSLY LOCAL.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING RESTAURANTS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY.

COVID SAFETY MEASURES MAKE A DIFFERENCE .

T H A N K Y O U F O R Y O U R C O N T I N U E D S U P P O R T. Y O U R S E R V E R S A N D S TA F F A P P R E C I AT E Y O U R G R AT U I T Y. L E A R N M O R E AT V W W W. D O U G L A S . C O . U S

December 24, 2020