Highlands Ranch Herald 0225

February 25, 2021

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

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INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17

VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 14

SPECIAL REPORT

An ‘arduous journey’ toward racial equity School district committee works for change that some Black students, employees say is desperately needed

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the predominantly white Douglas County School District,

some African-American students have reported racial slurs repeatedly scrawled in bathroom stalls, a cavalier use of the N-word by their white classmates and a general

feeling of isolation among a student body that is 1% Black.

Black employees of the district have said they have been demeaned by racist stereotypes while doing their jobs. And they, too, have spoken of feeling like tokens in a largely white workforce.

Those experiences, detailed to Colorado Community Media by

YOUNG VOICES CALL FOR CHANGE, PAGE 6

past and current Black students and employees, culminated in pleas for more support in schools, more inclusion among district staff and leadership, and more cultural awareness.

The district is considering a new policy that aims to tackle these SEE EQUITY, P9

Black educators urge shift in culture

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Last year, in the span of three months, the Douglas County School District saw every person of color in its cabinet — the highest level of district administration beneath the board of education — resign from their posts.

Those departures included both African-American members of the leadership team — Chief Academic Officer Marlena GrossTaylor and the district’s first African-American superintendent, Thomas Tucker — as well as Chief Technology Officer Gautam Sethi.

Alarm bells rang for leaders SEE EDUCATORS, P8

‘A REGIONAL LEGEND’

Local tennis pro will be inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame P2

‘A POWERFUL JOURNEY’ A church’s story of friendship, family and perseverance

P14

2 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

‘It’s the effort that makes you successful, not the outcome’ Highlands Ranch head tennis pro inducted into Black Tennis Hall of Fame

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Highlands Ranch tennis coach Frank Adams first picked up a racket as a 15-year-old in Philadelphia, the closest he’d previously been to playing the sport was Ping-Pong.

Now, at 63, he’s being inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame.

Adams, who has been the head tennis pro for the Highlands Ranch Community Association for about 20 years, focuses much of his time as a coach on incorporating as many new people as possible into the sport.

“I’ve been raised to look out for other people,” he said. “I’ve tried not to leave people behind.”

Outside of traditional lessons for kids and adults of all ages, Adams also teaches wheelchair tennis.

He’s not only a coach for athletes though, Adams also teaches others how to coach both traditional and wheelchair tennis. He also volunteers with organizations such as the HRCA’s Therapeutic Recreation program, the Denver Asian Tennis League, the City Park Racquet Club and Colorado Serves, also known as Denver STAR Search, an organization that helps connect Denver’s inner-city kids to the sport.

“The number one thing I try to teach coaches to be is student-centered,” he said. “It’s always about the student … I tell them to make sure (students) have the best experience possible.”

In July, Adams will attend the induction ceremony for the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

The Black Tennis Hall of Fame “honors individuals who have broken through the barriers of race and class to achieve success” in tennis, according to its website.

Adams, the first Black president of the Colorado Tennis Association and of the Intermountain chapter of the United States Tennis Association, is also a member of the USTA Colorado district’s diversity and inclusion committee.

“I think we have a long way to go on that committee,” he said.

In the past, Adams volunteered with the Native American Recreation Center in Denver and helped organize a Native American tennis championship.

When he first tried out and joined the Junior Tennis League as a teenager, that organization was focused on taking tennis “out of the country club and into the streets,” Adams said. Now, he’s continuing that mission.

“Tennis teaches you to problemsolve,” Adams said. “That’s what I’m trying to teach is how to overcome adversity … and it’s the effort that makes you successful, not the

Frank Adams, 63, has focused much of his tennis coaching career on making the sport as inclusive as possible.

PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

outcome.”

One student of Adams’, Jessika Mozia, said that messge was one of her major takeaways from having Adams as a coach at HRCA’s Northridge Rec Center for 16 years. The coach helped her grow both as a tennis player and a person, she said.

“Frank has taught me the motivation I have for goal setting takes me (beyond) just my sport,” Mozia said.

Mozia, who started taking lessons from Adams at age 6, went on to get a full-ride scholarship to play tennis at the University of Minnesota and became one of their winningest players.

“He knew I was very serious about tennis … and from the start we would always map out short-term and long-term goals,” Mozia said, “And Frank held me accountable to those goals.”

Mozia, now 27, saw Adams as “the epitome” of selflessness and was in awe of how much he worked to include people facing all sorts of obstacles in their lives, she said.

“He’s someone you definitely want in your corner,” she said.

When Mozia heard that Adams was being inducted, she said she “thought it was perfect,” and that it “couldn’t have gone to anyone more deserving than Frank.”

When Adams learned he was being designated as a “regional legend” by the Black Tennis Hall of Fame, he was “stunned, flabbergasted and shocked,” he said.

“I look at all the people on the committee and I don’t think of myself as being on that level but more standing on their shoulders,” he said. “I’m very grateful to receive that honor.”

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Highlands Ranch Herald 3

1February 25, 2021

Metro District seeks public comments on site options Highlands Ranch Metro District manager recommends location for senior center STAFF REPORT

Highlands Ranch Metro District general manager Mike Renshaw recommended at a Feb. 17 board meeting to build the future Highlands Ranch Senior Center at the Highlands Ranch Parkway site, located south of Highlands Ranch Parkway and east of the South Broadway intersection, according to a news release from the district.

Public comments The Highlands Ranch Metro District board of directors has opened a third public comment period, through March 16, to hear feedback about the future Highlands Ranch Senior Center site. Highlands Ranch residents can provide comments through the online form at www. highlandsranch.org/seniorcenter, according to the release.

Written comments can be submitted to: Highlands Ranch Metro District, Attn: Senior Center Public Comments, 62 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. Commenters must include their name, email

address and a mailing address with written submissions, according to the release.

All comments will be reviewed by staff and HRMD board members and will be presented at the March 30 board of directors meeting. The comment form and background on the project are available at www. highlandsranch.org/seniorcenter.

Funding the senior center Capital funding for the Highlands Ranch Senior Center comes from system development fees and interest earned on fee collections. System development fees are paid by the developer at the time of construction, according to the release.

The business plan for operations of the Highlands Ranch Senior Center assumes funding from user fees and property taxes. The long-term financial forecast for the HRMD does not anticipate any change to mill levy rates to fund operations of the senior center, according to the release.

This site for the project would not require any rezoning, as it is already designated as non-urban.

A team of engineers also determined there won’t be a “measurable impact” to surrounding properties from stormwater runoff, according to the release.

To learn more, please visit the project Facts and FAQs at www.highlandsranch.org/seniorcenter.

Centennial Water joins others to address potential drought Water provider’s storage capacity below average going into March STAFF REPORT

Fourteen Front Range water utilities met this month to collaborate about the locally dry conditions and the potential drought situation ahead. Centennial Water & Sanitation District — the water and wastewater provider for Highlands Ranch and Solstice — was at the table, according to a news release from the district.

“The Drought Coordination Group reconvenes when drought conditions worsen, as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor,” said Swithin Dick, water resources administrator for Centennial Water, according to the release. “The objective is to coordinate and offer cooperation around local water utilities sharing ideas, tools and messaging.”

According to the latest drought monitor (droughtmonitor.unl. edu/), released Feb. 11, Douglas County is currently experiencing exceptional drought conditions.

When looking at Colorado, the entire state is experiencing some level of drought from moderate conditions to exceptional, according to the release.

“As part of our annual planning we look at our water resources including water storage in reservoirs, groundwater supply, and estimating potential runoff from snowpack,” said Dick, according to the release.

Centennial Water’s storage capacity is below average going into March. Over the last five years the district’s average at this time of year has been 8,489 acre feet and it is currently at 5,750 acre feet. To put that in perspective, the average demand annually by Centennial Water customers is 16,500 acre feet.

“April is when we find out where we are at,” Dick said in the release. “Things do not look good at this point. We are beginning to plan now for a low runoff year, which puts us on a drought watch.”

Centennial Water relies on spring precipitation and runoff to boost its water storage, but the reality is that might not come this SEE WATER, P22

Looking for COVID-19 vaccine information?

The Tri-County Health Department is your source to determine when you may be eligible to receive the vaccine, how and where to get it. Visit tchd.org/ COVIDVaccine or call 303-220-9200.

Are you in need of food or other assistance?

On Saturday, Feb. 27, Strive to Thrive is partnering with local food pantries to provide food and increase awareness of resources available for families in our community who are struggling. The events will be held at locations throughout Douglas County and times will vary. To learn how to participate, visit douglas.co.us and search for Strive to Thrive or call 303-660-7460.

Volunteer to serve on the CSU Extension Advisory Council Do you have time to give and an interest in 4-H and youth development, agriculture/gardening, community engagement, and family wellness? Apply by March 5. For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for CSU Extension Advisory Council.

Small Business Relief Grants available Restaurants, bars and other drinking establishments, caterers, movie theatres, and gyms and recreation centers with revenue loss due to COVID-19 impacts may be eligible. Review eligibility details and apply

by March 5 at douglas.co.us/small-business-grantprogram

SCFD Free Days Want to learn more about history, spend time appreciating abstract or contemporary art or get in touch with nature? SCFD organizations have your entrance fee and cultural passions covered. For more information including specific dates and locations - visit scfd.org

Interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child?

Information nights are open to anyone interested in learning about foster care and adoption. Information nights are free and via Zoom on March 6 and 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. For information call 303-636-1KID or visit collaborativefostercare.com and select Information Night.

Business Personal Property Tax Declarations due by April 15 2021 Business Personal Property Tax Declarations may be filed online at DouglasFilesOnline.org. Business owners who own or lease business personal property with a total market value greater than $7,900 must report the property to the County Assessor. For more information visit douglas.co.us/assessor

Visit douglas.co.us

4 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

Footage, ex-girlfriend point to gas station shooting suspect Samuel Birch accused of killing Mauricio Omar Perez, 24, in robbery

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Evidence suggests that 31-yearold Samuel Birch committed the fatal shooting of a gas station clerk in a robbery the night of Nov. 26, an Arapahoe County judge ruled after a hearing that included surveillance clips from the crime scene.

“The court not only finds that there is direct evidence that Birch committed murder in the first degree, both (on) his own admissions of the aggravated robbery and the shooting,” Judge Ryan Stuart of the Arapahoe County District Court said. There is also “the direct evidence of video of the perpetrator committing the murder and somebody who knows Birch well, intimately, identifying that person as Birch and his voice,” Stuart added.

Birch sat for a preliminary hearing that was split between Feb. 11 and Feb. 18. In a preliminary hearing, a court decides whether there is enough evidence to take the case to trial — it doesn’t decide whether a suspect is guilty.

Birch is accused of walking into the convenience store at 8263 S.

Quebec St. in Centennial — near East County Line Road, just north of Highlands Ranch — and asking for cigarettes and then committing a robbery, shooting the clerk in the process.

Surveillance from the convenience store showed a man who prosecutors say is Birch entering the store and appearing to ask for “10 of those” — likely referring to cigarette packages — and then asking for “all of it.” The clerk can then be heard yelling in pain.

A bell rings as the shooter appears to leave. Eventually, a bell rings again, indicating a customer arrived, and the clerk appears to say he’s been shot.

The court limited the number of people allowed in the courtroom due to coronavirus concerns, but the audio of the recordings could be heard over the videoconferencing program the court used for online viewing.

According to information released previously by the Arapahoe County Sheriff ’s Office, surveillance video showed that the suspect pointed a handgun at the clerk, who put cigarettes and money from the cash register in a shopping bag. When the clerk handed the suspect the bag, the suspect shot him, according to the sheriff ’s office.

The clerk died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the left abdomen. He was identified as Mauricio Omar Perez, 24, according to

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the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office.

A second gas station in Centennial that was robbed on that same day sits on East Arapahoe Road near South Havana Street, according to a sheriff ’s office news release.

About 4:30 p.m. that day, a male entered the Conoco gas station at 10210 E. Arapahoe Road in central Centennial and pointed a handgun at the clerk, according to the sheriff ’s office. The clerk gave the suspect the cash drawer, and then the suspect fired a single round into the ceiling, the release said.

The clerk was not injured and the suspect left southbound on foot from the area. Investigators also believe that suspect was Birch.

Contacted for Douglas incident Birch was arrested for a separate incident Dec. 7 after Douglas County sheriff ’s deputies pursued him after a hit-and-run crash, according to testimony in the preliminary hearing.

Once deputies made contact, Birch said he wanted to smoke a cigarette because “he was going away for a very long time,” an Arapahoe County sheriff ’s investigator said at the court hearing.

Birch’s comment about going to prison for a long time suggested he could be guilty of another crime, the investigator said during the hearing.

Birch was arrested Dec. 11 in connection with the robbery and shooting.

The Arapahoe sheriff ’s investigator spoke with a woman on Dec. 11 who identified Birch as her ex-boyfriend. She had seen a photograph of a sweatshirt that she identified as Birch’s, likely from what she saw in a news story about the gas station robbery, the investigator said. The woman told authorities Birch stays with her in her apartment and that he had left “for quite some time” during the time frame of when the two robberies occurred, the investigator said.

At some point in the weeks after the robberies, Birch woke her up in bed and showed her cash, telling her he had robbed a gas station, the investigator said.

Birch said he had to shoot at the clerk because the clerk also had a weapon, the investigator said. It did not appear that the clerk had a gun, according to the investigator.

The woman said Birch still had the sweatshirt that surveillance footage caught the shooter wearing, which read, “No pain, no Jane,” according to the investigator. A plaid shirt and shoes the woman alleged Birch to have been wearing had been burned in the

fireplace of their apartment, the investigator said. The suspect was described previously as wearing a black-and-white plaid shirt, according to the sheriff ’s office.

The investigator played the woman an audio recording of the incident at the first gas station on Quebec Street. When the suspect was heard first speaking to the clerk on the recording, the woman became “very emotional” and said the suspect was Birch, the investigator said.

Sweatshirt, ammo at issue A .22-caliber weapon is associated with the bullet recovered from the victim’s body, according to testimony from Arapahoe sheriff ’s Detective Ben Bussard.

When authorities searched Birch’s car, they found “a lot of ” .22 caliber ammunition, Bussard said.

Bussard testified that the weight of the projectile in the incident is consistent with a .22 round but could not state whether it was consistent with rounds of different sizes and potentially other calibers, defense attorney Grayson Lindstrom argued.

Another person had identified the sweatshirt before the woman who identified herself as Birch’s ex-girlfriend did, the defense pointed out. The person said the “No pain, no Jane” phrase may be related to a mountain area in Colorado known as Mary Jane.

Regarding “the sweatshirt collected that was supposedly painted over containing the ‘No pain, no Jane’ image, multiple people said they know what that sweatshirt was just from a grainy image,” Lindstrom said, arguing it’s a widely known ski-related phrase in Colorado.

During a search of the apartment where Birch was staying, authorities found ash in the fireplace and what looked like a partially burned container of cigarettes, along with spray paint and a sweatshirt that was painted over in black, Bussard said.

Stuart, the judge, ruled that several charges against Birch will move forward. Birch had been charged in the incident with first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree felony murder, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, carrying a concealed weapon, theft of $300 to $750 and counts regarding robbery, according to online court records.

Previously, Birch has pleaded guilty to burglary of a building in 2013, to assault in 2013 and to criminal mischief in 2015, according to online court records.

Birch is set for arraignment on March 31.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

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Highlands Ranch Herald 5

1February 25, 2021

Recall proponents circulating petitions to oust DCSD directors Some school board members are critical of the recall group’s leadership

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A group seeking to recall four Douglas County School Board directors has begun circulating petitions.

The group Road2Recall announced volunteers began gathering signatures on Feb. 19 in an effort to oust school board President David Ray and directors Susan Meek, Elizabeth Hanson and Christina Ciancio-Schor.

Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Merlin Klotz said he was approving the circulation of recall for all four petitions in letters addressed to Andy Jones, who is a Highlands Ranch Metro District board director and a former school board candidate, on Feb. 17.

Jones was not immediately available for comment regarding the recall effort.

Recall proponents have said directors lacked leadership navi-

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Nate Ormond, who has helped Cornerstone Homes Realty spearhead the recall, said during the Feb. 16 school board meeting *Commissions subject to change 720-560-1999 • charlespaeplow@yahoo.com that now is the time to remove tions,” she said, and are playing remote before transitioning to directors, despite the fact that “Monday morning quarterback.” hybrid learning.

Ciancio-Schor’s seat and three “I am proud to be a leader who Hanson, one of the board memother director seats — a majority builds relationships, makes decibers named in of seats on the sions with integrity, values differa recall petiseven-member ing opinions and recognizes the tion, posted a board — will be critical role our employees have statement to up for election in the quality of education we are her Facebook in November. able to provide our students,” she page highlightDirectors said. ing challenges should have Meek, also named in a recall directors been able to petition, shared a social media have faced in return children the past year, to in-person statement criticizing what a recall including millearning under election would cost DCSD and lions of dolguidelines proJones’ involvement in the group lars in budget vided by state as a local elected leader. Jones cuts during and federal narrowly lost to Meek in the 2019 COVID-19, a health agenschool board elections. superintendent cies, Ormond “I believe that as leaders we need who resigned, told Colorado to be willing to roll up our sleeves Susan Meek, and frequently Community and engage with one another in DCSD board director who is changing Media in previthe interest of our community,” ous interviews. she said. “Unfortunately, he has named in a recall petition guidance from government Elementary made no attempt to reach out to me agencies. schools are curand discuss his concerns.”

Recall leadrently learning Ray and Ciancio-Schor were not ers appear to have “very limited in-person while middle and high immediately available for comunderstanding of district operaschools began second semester ment.

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6 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

SPECIAL REPORT

District’s lack of diversity poses challenges for Black students Teens share stories of racial division in Douglas County schools

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Max Malone and his family moved from Denver to Castle Rock after his family weathered financial struggles, hoping the town could provide a less stressful environment for his younger siblings.

Instead Malone — whose father is Black and mother white — said he encountered significantly more racism than he did when living in other Denver metro area communities.

During his sophomore and junior years at Castle View High School, Malone — a student of color in a school that was nearly 80% white — grew increasingly demoralized as he said he repeatedly found bathroom stalls vandalized with racist slurs.

One of the messages, he said, read: “Kill (N-word)!”

After the first couple instances, Malone took photos and returned to class, disturbed and unable to concentrate. When the vandalism continued, he alerted office staff, he said.

Eventually, Malone said several students of color went to the office and pleaded with Castle View staff to do something about it.

“They were all kind about it and stuff,” he said, “and they didn’t really do anything about it.”

The district, through its spokeswoman, did not directly address Malone’s allegations. The district did not make Castle View Principal Rex Corr available for interviews, nor did Corr respond to questions submitted for him via the spokeswoman regarding the alleged racist graffiti.

In several statements to Colorado Community Media, the district said it is “committed to providing a safe learning and work environment where all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect.”

A 2020 graduate, Malone, 18, still has the photos on his phone.

“Just one after another after another,” he said. “After a while, I just stopped taking pictures of them.”

‘Make noise’ Douglas County Schools is a predominantly white school district in a county

Max Malone, a 2020 Castle View High School graduate, is also a songwriter who has turned to music to PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS process his experiences with racism while a Douglas County School District student.

where 89% of residents identify as white alone, according to the U.S. Census.

A little more than two-thirds of the district’s roughly 63,000 students identified as white this school year, with Latinos making up the largest minority group. Only 1% identify as Black or African American, according to district data.

African Americans are equally underrepresented among staff: The district had one Black principal or assistant principal at the helm of its roughly 90 schools last semester, according to data provided by the district through a records request.

The district employed more than 60 teachers who identify as Black or African American as of Dec. 1, 2020, according to the district’s data, about 1% of its teaching force. Amid a national reckoning on racism in 2020, current and former Black students joined Black Lives Matter protests throughout Douglas County communities. Some took a knee as the national anthem played during in-person high school graduations.

In the aftermath of protests, four students, current and former, called on district leaders to foster more respect among peers, and in interviews with CCM, the students said they want greater systemic support — from clubs for students of color to assemblies that address negative treatment of minority students when it arises.

The district should also revisit how Black history — which the students emphasize is American history — is taught in classrooms, they said. At least one piece of curriculum, from the literacy company Fountas and Pinnell, has been criticized for perpetuating racist stereotypes about African Americans and people of color, former Chief Academic Officer Marlena GrossTaylor told CCM shortly after she left the district last year.

Ken Scales, whose daughter was among the students who spoke to CCM, said his two daughters each experienced inappropriate behavior from peers and school staff during teacherled class discussions and through culturally insensitive assignments.

“I found myself a couple of times wanting to put on my suit of armor and charge into the school,” he said.

School district leaders declined repeated requests

by CCM to talk about the experiences of its Black students, but the district has included improving its culture as part of its strategic plan. In its statements to CCM, the district further said it is evaluating how its curriculum addresses Black history and other multicultural histories.

The district’s Equity Advisory Council also has been drafting the district’s firstever equity policy, which includes a commitment to

root out systemic racism and racial inequities.

During their Feb. 16 meeting, school board directors took turns reading the policy aloud, but did not ask questions or discuss the document beyond thanking the equity team for drafting it.

Director Susan Meek urged the community to review the policy and weigh in.

Former Superintendent Thomas Tucker told Colorado Community Media in February an equity policy “is an excellent start” for school districts, but said they should also be adopting standalone policies that exclusively focus on racial equity.

“Your district has to be bold enough to admit that you are going to have to focus on anti-racism and social justice and you have to recognize that AfricanAmerican and other students of color face biases,” he said.

Tucker, who left the district in 2020, raised concerns about racism — overt and subtle — in the district as well. In addition to what he saw as his own experiences with discrimination as the district’s first Black superintendent, he recalled having to address high school students waving a Confederate flag during football games.

It’s not only students of color who benefit from a racially equitable system, he said.

“This impacts the lives of white students just as much, and one could also argue

more so, because at some point in time they will leave the Douglas County School District, the Douglas County bubble,” he said. “When we don’t address this in school, we are robbing kids of a skill set.”

But Tucker said it is up to the entire community, not only the board or district administrators, to say “enough is enough” when it comes to racism in schools. And Gross-Taylor, who voiced her own concerns about the lack of diversity in the system, had a message for students: Protest. Speak up at school board meetings. Don’t stop with the school principal.

District administration can’t fix problems they do not know about, she said.

“What I would say to those kids is ‘make noise.’”

The four current and former students who spoke to CCM do not claim to speak for the experiences of all the district’s Black or mixedrace students, but their stories share commonalities that point to the work the district has ahead — stories Tucker said that “as a parent, as an African American, it breaks my heart.”

Kennedi Scales, 17, Douglas County High School Kennedi Scales can’t forget the time a Douglas County School District teacher put her on the spot during a class discussion of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“In front of the whole class, (my teacher) asked me how I would pronounce the word, ‘Ask,’” she said.

Kennedi recalled pausing for a moment, realizing her teacher associated African Americans with improper speech, she said.

Instantly, she felt “marginalized and underestimated.”

Repeating the word, Kennedi said she pronounced it as clearly as she could.

“To show I’m Black, and I’m educated,” she said.

Kennedi said embarrassment kept her from telling administrators about the situation, which was several years ago, but, she said, she also feared the school would not take action.

The 17-year-old, now a senior, said she experiences subtle or unintentional discrimination weekly.

She said she often feels expected to act as a spokesperson for all Black people, including by teachers, who have asked her to share her perspective because she was the only African American student in her class.

Kennedi’s father, Ken, said SEE STUDENTS, P7

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that expectation has created uncomfortable environments for both of his daughters, including Kennedi’s 15-year-old sister Trinity, who faced her own set of racially insensitive scenarios before leaving the district to pursue music education in Denver.

Trinity once came home with an assignment asking students to write about the American Dream and how it attracted their families to the U.S., he said. As a student of both AfricanAmerican and AmericanIndian heritage, Trinity did not know how to approach the task.

Ken Scales emailed the teacher. His daughter could write about the Trail of Tears, her ancestors arriving in the U.S. on slave ships, or people in her family who were lynched, he said, but asking her to reflect on the American Dream did not consider her perspective.

“I don’t think (the teacher) really thought that out,” he said.

Ken Scales said he and his wife have taught their daughters to self-advocate and speak up if they feel uncomfortable in the classroom. They know their mother and father will step tin if they need.

Usually the girls do address their concerns.

Though on occasion, Kennedi has preferred to avoid stirring the pot if she worried it might jeopardize her grades, Ken Scales said.

Kennedi is a student in the International Baccalaureate program and among the top in her class, he said.

She is also a violinist, chamber orchestra member, National Honor Society member and Future Business Leaders of America member.

She stays busy. That doesn’t mean she is too busy for more activities, she said. Kennedi wants to see a club like the Black Student Alliance added at Douglas County High School. The national organization aims to provide Black students and allies with community in their school buildings.

Without more inclusivity built into schools, students of color turn to each other for community, she said.

“I guess we’re drawn to each other because of that, and there’s not really a support system in the schools,” she said.

Tommy Crawford, 2020 ThunderRidge High School graduate Tommy Crawford, who is both African American and white, said he faced numer-

Tommy Crawford, a 2020 ThunderRidge High School graduate, wished for a more diverse teaching force and more cultural awareness in PHOTOS BY JESSICA GIBBS schools during his time in Douglas County Schools.

comfortable, and so that new students of color could more easily transition to a different place.

Crawford left ThunderRidge as a varsity basketball player and now plays forward for Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

Anya Jackson, a 2020 Castle View High School graduate, said she hopes Douglas County Schools can create a more inclusive curriculum.

Kennedi Scales, a 17-year-old senior at Douglas County High School, said she hopes the school could bring in more clubs to support students of color, such as the Black Student Alliance.

ous stereotypes at ThunderRidge High School.

He watched people move phones off their desks when he walked in a room. Others hid their keys.

“They might be doing it on accident, but I do see it.

And it’s the little things like that,” he said.

White peers’ use of the N-word in Douglas County schools also arises amid a lack of cultural awareness and education, said Crawford, 18.

“White kids, they think it’s normal to say the N-Word in their normal vocabulary because they have no people to say it’s not OK,” Crawford said. “That’s a big problem.”

Black students have to adapt to living in a predominantly white area, he said, explaining “you start talking a little bit more white, if that makes sense, with a little less slang.”

One of Crawford’s Black friends who transferred to ThunderRidge stopped using the N-word after white peers began saying it, Crawford said.

Racism and subtle discriminatory acts wear students of color down mentally, he said, adding “it’s pretty much everywhere in schools.”

“It’s most definitely in school classrooms,” Crawford said. “That’s where most of the white-to-Black

contact is.”

Crawford said he often felt like an outcast. A discussion on slavery during history class could prompt classmates to turn and look at him, “like, this is your topic,” he said.

“I am primarily the only Black kid in most classes.

Pretty much all my classes, and it just makes me feel different from everyone else,” Crawford said the summer after his graduation.

An athlete, Crawford earned awards like “Most Improved Player” and “Hardest Worker” during his high school basketball career, he made honor roll and also enjoyed sewing. For a senior project, he made his own pair of boots.

Crawford said he wished his high school were more diverse. He longed for a larger Black and AfricanAmerican population to feel more included, more

Anya Jackson, 2020 Castle View High School graduate Unlike Malone, Crawford and Scales, Anya Jackson, who is African American, said she never experienced overt racism during her time at Castle View. Clubs were welcoming, and teachers and staff were supportive, she said. She could not remember people “making me feel less safe because I am a person of color.”

What she did feel, she said, was a pressure to set realistic expectations of Black or African American people in an area with little diversity.

“Just because there’s not that many of us. I feel like people would get an idea of how we act, how we dress, our mannerisms,” she said, and then go on to associate those perceptions with all African Americans.

Jackson, 18, echoed the concerns about a lack of inclusive curricula. She recalled a small section on Black history in a humanities class she took her sophomore year but remembered little other focus on Black history in her education.

She does not remember her school celebrating Black History Month.

“I felt like there are also a lot of books and historical stories that could be incorporated into classes that just aren’t,” she said.

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of the district’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Strategic Initiative team, who in turn penned a letter to the board of education expressing “deep concerns” about the loss of that representation.

The Oct. 21 letter, obtained by Colorado Community Media through a public records request, connected administrative turnover to racism in the district. “... their resignations speak volumes to the state of implicit biases, and quite honestly, racist practices in our district,” warned Remy Rummel, the district’s director of language, culture and equity; Janet Laning, director of the district’s student assistance department; and Highlands Ranch High School Principal Christopher Page, all of whom signed the letter.

“Both explicit and implicit racism played a role in their resignations, and, as quoted by an anonymous person prior to fall break, ‘It is difficult to be a person of color in Douglas County,’” they wrote.

‘A lot of work ahead’ Douglas County Schools is a predominantly white school district in a county where 89% of residents identify as white alone, according to the U.S. Census.

The district had one Black principal or assistant principal at the helm of its roughly 90 schools as of last semester, according to data provided by the district through a records request. The district employed more than 60 teachers who identify as Black or African American as of Dec. 1, 2020, according to the district’s data, about 1% of its teaching force.

The district is currently working on ways to attract, retain and support diversity among staff. Board directors could soon adopt the district’s first-ever “equity policy,” which aims to ensure people have the resources they need to attain or deliver education based on their identities — from religion to sexual orientation to disability or special education needs.

And the policy includes a commitment to root out systemic racism and biases. The policy says the district will not condone the perpetuation of racism systemically or among students and staff.

During their Feb. 16 meeting, board directors read the policy at length, although they did not ask questions or discuss it beyond thanking the district’s Equity Advisory Council for drafting it. The council is made up of more than 20 people, including staff, parents, community members and students.

School board director Susan Meek encouraged people to read the policy and weigh in.

The district’s general counsel explained during the meeting that the policy would support existing policies that prohibit discrimination, provide avenues for students or staff to report discrimination and strive to create safe school cultures.

The district declined Colorado Community Media’s repeated requests to interview interim Super-

Thomas Tucker, shown here shortly after taking over as Douglas County School District superintendent in 2018, said constantly FILE PHOTO defending his reputation was exhausting during his tenure at the helm of DCSD.

intendent Corey Wise and school board President David Ray about either general or specific experiences of current and former Black administrators, staff and students.

It also refused requests to interview Rummel or a representative of the district’s Equity Advisory Council.

In several emailed statements to CCM, district spokeswoman Paula Hans emphasized the district’s commitment to an inclusive, equitable system that does not tolerate discrimination in any form.

The district, she said, is continuously evaluating “its current practices and training to staff related to discrimination, inclusion and equity.”

But in a lengthy email response to the diversity team’s letter, also obtained by CCM, Ray acknowledged “… our district has a lot of work ahead to reverse trends of injustice and mistreatment of others.”

He wrote that he had done more “soul searching and seeking” in recent months than he had ever done on systemic racism and social injustice.

“These reflections have included understanding the negative, pacifist role I have played as a ‘dominant privileged white male,’” he wrote.

He spoke in the letter of the “jubilation” he felt in helping hire Tucker as the district’s first African-American superintendent. He acknowledged he and Tucker had “occasional conversations about some of the microaggressions and blatant racist remarks directed his way.” But, he said, when Tucker and the others left, “racism was not mentioned as an extenuating factor.”

Ray emphasized that he did not deny they experienced racism, but only wanted to better understand what they had faced in order to bet-

ter inform the district’s equity work.

While Ray declined an interview with CCM, he did answer some questions by email. When asked how the district will increase diversity among leadership, Ray said the board has hired search firm Frederick Andrews to lead recruitment of the next superintendent and that the company “will work to ensure that our search is inclusive, diverse and broad.”

The district has announced its superintendent search will be regional, not national, focusing on internal and local candidates.

Ray declined to say whether the district investigated its practices following the equity team’s October letter, or the culture for employees of color, citing employee confidentiality.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss specific investigations or allegations,” he said in his emailed responses.

“However, I can confidently state that reports asserting discrimination or harassment are addressed and responsive measures are taken.”

Tucker and Gross-Taylor, as well as two other current and former Black employees, agreed to talk to CCM about the challenges they experienced or are still experiencing within the district. Sethi could not be reached for comment regarding his resignation. His Aug. 27 resignation letter called his seven years with the district “a terrific learning opportunity.”

The four current and former Black district employees all described numerous instances of racism, racial insensitivity and subtle or unintentional discrimination in jobs with the district.

Each described a workplace where the lack of diversity can be isolating

and where the challenges of creating a supportive environment are not limited to the inside of a school building.

A challenging culture Gross-Taylor, the former chief academic officer, specifically cited her desire to work in an environment that prioritizes diversity when she tendered her resignation on Oct. 2, according to emails CCM obtained through a public records request.

She left the district on Oct. 31, and now leads EduGladiators, a consulting firm that works with school districts to promote equity in education.

“I think that my time was well spent (in DCSD) personally and professionally because Gross-Taylor in many ways we don’t understand the depth of our character until it’s tested.

And mine was tested,” she told CCM in January.

Gross-Taylor, whom Tucker hired in 2018, said she often felt doubted and undermined as an AfricanAmerican cabinet member. She pointed to hours-long grill sessions from board directors as she presented what she considered routine information about curriculum.

Her points were met by skepticism and scrutiny that was not evident, she said, when white colleagues made the same points.

As she began meeting with district departments in her first weeks on the job, Gross-Taylor said she also felt interrogated about her work experience, including people who questioned, “Were you really a principal?”

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issues head-on. On Feb. 16, board directors conducted a first reading of the district’s first-ever equity policy, which aims to foster a more welcoming, supportive and equitable environment for students and employees.

White students make up about 72% percent of the district’s student body of 63,000, with Latinos representing the largest minority group.

Last school year, of nearly 3,800 teachers, 1% identified as Black or African American.

The district had one Black principal or assistant principal at the helm of its roughly 90 schools last semester, according to data provided by the district through a records request. The district employed more than 60 teachers who identify as Black or African American as of Dec. 1, 2020, according to the district’s data, about 1% of its teaching force.

“It will be an arduous journey,” Ishmeet Kaira, a parent serving on the district’s Equity Advisory Council, told the board of directors as she spoke of the work ahead. “It is a huge organizational shift. It’s a cultural shift.”

Members of the equity council — a group of more than 20 people including parents, educators and DCSD staff — say they hope the policy will be a turning point in a long road toward advancing equity in the district.

The work has continued not only as Black community members have spoken of experiencing racism, -but also as diversity among district leadership has dwindled.

Over three months last year, Douglas County Schools saw the exodus of its first African-American superintendent, Thomas Tucker, its

African-American chief academic officer, Marlena Gross-Taylor, and its chief technology officer, Gautam Sethi.

Sethi could not be reached for comment, but both Tucker and Gross-Taylor told Colorado Community Media they experienced racism or racially insensitive conduct during the roughly two years they spent with the school system.

Tucker is now the deputy commissioner and chief equity officer for the Kentucky Department of Education, and Gross-Taylor runs a consulting firm. Sethi is now chief technology officer for a Virginia school district.

Their departures prompted a blunt letter from leaders of the district’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Strategic Initiative team. The Oct. 21 letter, signed

by Remy Rummel, the district’s director of language, culture and equity; Janet Laning, director of the district’s student assistance department; and Highlands Ranch High School Principal Christopher Page, declared that “their resignations speak volumes to the state of implicit biases, and quite honestly, racist practices in our district.”

‘A powerful declaration’ The district declined repeated requests for interviews with leadership to talk about its equity work or about the specific and general experiences of Black students and employees.

District spokeswoman Paula Hans responded to requests to interview school board President David Ray, interim Superintendent Corey Wise and the Equity Advisory Council with statements emphasizing the creation of the equity council as a safeguard against becoming complacent in “matters of equity, diversity and inclusion” and as a means to further the district’s commitment to equity.

“We will continue to review our work with our prevention curriculum, professional development, and our proactive and restorative training with our students and staff,” the statement read.

Ray did address some questions by email. District policies “clearly prohibit” discrimination and harassment, he said, and employees can file complaints with their supervisor or the district’s compliance officer.

Ray said the equity policy “clarifies expectations and the district’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity.” Asked how the district could better address both subtle and explicit inappropriate behavior reported by previous African-American leaders, Ray said “the board governs through policy.”

The new policy, he said, will strengthen existing prohibitions on workplace discrimination and harassment.

The policy does not exclusively address racial equity, instead aiming to improve the culture for people of all identities — including a person’s national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability or need for special education.

But the work gained new urgency last summer as anti-racism protests flared across the country, including in Douglas County, and with last fall’s spate of high-level resignations in DCSD. The policy presented Feb. 16 said the district would “create and implement a targeted system to identify” inequities such as biased or racist practices, discriminatory behavior disproportionately affecting any particular group, and systemic racism and discrimination in the district.

The policy now clearly spells out its goal to also bolster “representation” throughout the system, which it defines as students and staff seeing components of their iden-

tities reflected in curricular and instructional resources, as well as in their learning environments. The added definition is new from a draft discussed by the board and equity team in January.

The policy would commit the district to a permanent Equity Advisory Council and would make carrying out and enforcing the policy a cabinet-level responsibility — also a first.

School board director Krista Holtzmann said in a recent study session it is “probably pretty unusual” to make a cabinet-level equity position, but she was not opposed to the idea.

Directors did not discuss the policy in-depth on Feb. 16. Instead they read it in full and offered the Equity Advisory Council thanks for drafting it. Director Susan Meek encouraged the community to review the policy and weigh in. Ray and Director Christina Ciancio-Schor were absent.

Kaira, the parent serving on the district’s equity team, told school board directors during the study session that the policy would be “a powerful declaration of values.”

Running into obstacles This is not the first attempt the district has made to consciously address questions of systemic bias, fairness and equity.

Two decades ago, it took up similar work, equity team members said.

That included tolerance training for roughly 1,000 students in the early 2000s after the district saw a dramatic spike in bullying and expulsion reports, equity team member Janet Laning said during one study session. Laning is director of the district’s student assistance department.

In one year, the training caused a more than 20 percentage point jump

STUDENTS FROM PAGE 7

Jackson did not think her teachers intentionally overlooked Black history in classes, and instead suspects it’s more of a blind spot in the system.

“I feel like it’s just not one of those things that teachers and staff realize they don’t do,” she said. “Just because there is not much diversity.”

Max Malone, 2020 Castle View High School graduate Malone described a tumultuous personal journey learning how to handle racism at school. He went through rough patches after moving to town, he said, including occasionally getting tinto trouble for behavioral issues.

His senior year, police officers came to Castle View with a warrant for his arrest on allegations of assault, he said.

“I did do a few stupid things.”

Max Malone, a songwriter, uses a workbook he’s required to complete for probation as a creative outlet.

PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS To each question, he writes lyrics.

But, he said, some of his acting out was triggered by racist incidents. School staff sought to discipline Malone after he kicked a vandalized stall in the bathroom, breaking the door so that every-

one who walked in could see the slur.

Malone said he did not deny breaking the stall but was disappointed when school staff appeared more concerned with his reaction

than the racist language.

Malone suspects many of his teachers did not expect he would graduate amid struggling academics and behavioral incidents. He worked double time his

SEE EQUITY, P11

senior year to bring up his grades, he said.

Principal Rex Corr, who Malone said once tapped him in gym class, gently telling him police had come to arrest him, eventually watched Malone walk across a graduation stage.

“When he handed me my diploma, he started tearing up and crying and said, ‘I’m proud of you,’” Malone said, adding that he had nothing but respect for Corr.

Malone now works in Castle Rock and has dedicated a corner of his home to music production.

Songs fill his computer, including one he wrote last year about racism called “No Folding Me.” People are talking too openly And racially So I’m hoping that my poetry Can bitter down that bigotry And open up the imagery So we can see the dignity And symmetry in humanity

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“I was taken aback even as a Southern gal from the bayou,” she said. “Obviously, I wouldn’t have been chosen for this position if I didn’t have the qualifications.”

She said she felt apprehensive about joining the district, largely because of “the extreme lack of diversity” among both employees and students.

Gross-Taylor said she experienced “microaggressions and passive-aggressive racism” almost daily.

“I know there were people there who truly did not like me because I was Black,” she said.

The district has increased professional development regarding equity and inclusivity, Gross-Taylor said, but she had concerns about the district’s recruiting practices during her time there.

She said she once asked cabinet members during a hiring discussion if they worked with HBCUs — historically black colleges and universities.

No one else, she said, seemed to know what an HBCU was. She called the conversation eye-opening and “a prime example of us really needing to know our history.”

The district can only diversify its schools if it seeks to, she said.

‘Demeaning to my ethnicity’ Questions about racism also followed the departure of Tucker after roughly two years on the job.

Tucker said he told the school board last July that he would be leaving for a position as deputy commissioner and chief equity officer for the Kentucky Department of Education. He’d planned to stay on the job to help launch fall classes as the pandemic raged.

But in September, he was placed on administrative leave following a formal workplace complaint alleging gender discrimination. He resigned during that leave, citing personal reasons, and was ultimately cleared, according to the investigative report and complaint obtained by CCM. During that investigation, documents show, Tucker and his attorney questioned the role race may have played in the complaint.

“I am concerned that some individuals expressing such criticisms of me might not be accustomed to taking direction from an African American male,” the investigative report reads. “I am neither volatile nor aggressive in my communication style with women or men.”

February 25, 2021F

SPECIAL REPORT Speaking to CCM on Jan. 29, Tucker said he would never take back working in the district. He called being selected as the DCSD superintendent “an honor and a privilege.”

But beyond his frustrations with the gender discrimination complaint, Tucker said he felt inundated by microaggressions and assaults on his character during his tenure. They began the moment board directors named him a finalist and followed him out the door, he said.

Some people “really questioned my abilities,” he said, and “questioned my credentials” despite more than 12 years’ experience as a superintendent. He helmed three school districts in Ohio before coming to Douglas County.

Social media chatter among the community could be particularly brutal, he said. Sometimes he felt depicted as a caricature.

Tucker said he felt both he and Gross-Taylor were subjected to “character assassination” and repeated assaults on their professionalism from community members. He described constantly defending his reputation as exhausting.

“It was demeaning to me, demeaning to my ethnicity,” he said.

Tucker said he raised concerns about the culture for leaders of color to board directors.

“I think initially there was some shock. There was some denying,” he said.

If the district wants diverse and inclusive leadership “for the long haul,” it needs to create a more supportive environment for employees, he said. Part of what drew him to Kentucky was the state board of education’s anti-racism and anti-bias policy, he said, calling it “a strong statement.”

“I don’t want people to think that everyone in Douglas County is not compassionate and is not respectful of other cultures,” he said. “But as African Americans, we experience these microaggressions every day.”

And that environment, he said, did play a role in his departure.

“It wasn’t the main reason why I left. Was it a reason?

Yes,” he said.

‘How do we compete?’

When a friend working at Highlands Ranch High School urged Rashaan Davis to apply for a teacher opening at the school, he balked.

“Back then, I was like, Douglas County? Really?

Do they even hire Black people?” he said. “Douglas

Rashaan Davis said he was the only Black teacher many of his students had the entire time they were enrolled in Douglas County PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS schools.

County is not known for hiring Black and brown folks.”

When Davis joined the district in 2000, 11 of its roughly 2,100 teachers identified as Black or African American, according to data supplied by the district to the Colorado Department of Education. During his roughly 17-year tenure, the number of Black teachers never exceeded 16 among the district’s dozens of schools.

Since the 2017-18 school year, the district had more than tripled the number of Black teachers as it expanded its teaching force.

Despite the hiring, Black teachers represented about 1% of district teachers between then and this school year.

Davis left Douglas County for more competitive pay in the Cherry Creek School District, he said. But he called his time in Douglas County schools some of the best in his career, and said he misses his Douglas County colleagues to this day.

That didn’t mean race never posed a challenge, he said.

“In 2000, when I got to Highlands Ranch,” he said, “man, I had a hard time.”

Davis spent three to four years trying to get settled.

His students and their families were wealthy. The overwhelming majority of students were white.

Davis felt like “a fish out of water.”

“It became a place for me to learn to teach kids how to be more racially sensitive and for kids to understand that there is a line, and why there is a line,” he said.

Davis said he was the only Black teacher many of his students had the entire time they were enrolled in Douglas County schools.

Obstacles to hiring and retaining Black teachers exist not just within the system but outside it, he said.

Davis pointed, for example, to the absence of traditional Black gathering places such as churches or barbershops — places that signal a vibrant community — within Douglas County.

“All the things that would support Black teachers in the community are all in Aurora or Denver, so how do we compete when you know, the community has to help us build in some of these components?” he said.

‘It’s sad’ Not two months after receiving a promotion in the Douglas County School District, an African-American employee said they learned from a colleague that a parent had referred to them as an “Uncle Tom.” The term historically has been used to disparage Black individuals perceived as eager to please white people or too subservient to authority.

The employee spoke to Colorado Community Media on the condition they not be named for fear of professional repercussions.

In the last several years, “I’ve been called the N-word by a parent while doing my job,” the individual said.

“There was nobody in our system above me at that time to call and talk to and walk through that issue with,” they said. “There have been a lot of situations where I have not felt sup-

ported in the district.”

In written responses to emailed questions, Ray called the employee’s account of being called the N-word “disheartening.”

“There is no tolerance for this,” he said.

Employees can report harassment and discrimination to their supervisor or the district’s compliance officer, he said.

The departure of Tucker, Gross-Taylor and Sethi are a reflection on the system as a whole, the employee said.

“My thoughts are [that] it’s sad. There has been a stigma of racism that exists in Douglas County for a long time and when you have a lack of representation it just reemphasizes that.”

The current employee echoed calls for more diversity at all levels of the district. There have been “ceiling breakers,” or people of color who climbed the district ladder, they said, but there is still too little diversity in leadership — a point echoed in the diversity team’s October letter to the board.

“As we take a look and observe the proverbial ‘room,’ our people of color in leadership, particularly executive leadership, are disappearing,” the letter said, “thus missing from future work, action and decision making.”

Tucker said to create a more inclusive workforce, the district has to listen to employees of color, and understand biases won’t go away in the system simply by hiring in diversity.

“If you are bringing in someone who is different from an ethnic or socioeconomic standpoint, or different from the majority, you need to have some understanding or taken some time to understand that person’s unique experiences,” he said. “And, anticipate problems or difficulties this person may have coming into this organization.”

Over the last seven school years, the district has had short periods in which it had two principals who selfidentified as Black, but for the most part, it has only had one, according to the state department of education.

The current employee could only name two Black principals working in the district this year and “zero assistant principals in this entire district that are African American.”

“How do you build a structure that talks about honoring diversity,” the employee said, “when in all reality you’ve hired enough to be tokenized, so you can march them out when you need to?”

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in the number of seniors who reported peers respected one another, Laning said. The seminars ended when grant dollars used to fund them ran out.

The district’s whopping strategic plan, unveiled in 2019, also includes a three-year road map toward improving equity, inclusivity and diversity in the district.

Among its goals: Administering an audit of the district’s culture and environment. Providing secondary schools with inclusive curriculum resources. Professional development for “culturally responsive teaching.”

Training school and district administrators in making all students feel welcome and valued as part of the school community.

But the district’s work has proceeded in fits and starts, stymied by budget cuts, changes in leadership and other setbacks, equity team members said in recent meetings with the board.

Board members acknowledged the slow pace.

“We had an equity committee in this district for several years and we hit some walls. I’ve watched you guys hit some walls that were frustrating,” Ray said during one study session. “It was like, we can’t move forward.”

Former Superintendent Tucker, who spoke to CCM in January, said the district has not always offered

public health crises. its equity team adequate support.

Those include anti-racism trainFunding was a problem, he said, ing and the implementation of No adding that after he arrived, he Place for Hate at district schools. shifted money from his budget to ThunderRidge High School recently support the work of the equity comwon an award mittee. for its use of the Budget cuts, program. this time caused No Place for by the panHate is run demic, have also through a partcurtailed some nership with the of the work Anti-Defamaoutlined in the tion League and strategic plan. focuses on antiGross-Taylor, bias and antiwho was the bullying traincabinet sponsor ing in schools. of the strategic A handful plan equity of the roughly team, said eq70 district-run uity was not inischools already tially included operate the proin the plan but and it will was added at the Thomas Tucker, gram continue being urging of staff former DCSD superintendent implemented of color. across the She said district, equity COVID-19 forced team members nearly $31 miltold directors in September. lion in budget cuts, so the district, to her disappointment, eliminated ‘Everybody’s business’ plans to create a new “director of Gross-Taylor said recent interest strategic initiatives.” She said the by the board to pursue the equity position was one of the first repolicy is good for the district, but sources to go during cuts. that it also struck her as inauthenThe director would have overseen tic. She said she felt Tucker received equity issues in the district, operatresistance from board directors in ing a team to which students could January 2020 when he suggested report issues regarding racism in working on equity initiatives. schools, she said.

“Then after the George Floyd Still, some components of the murder,” she said, “all of a sudden equity team’s strategic plan work we need to talk about this.” continued amid the financial and

‘This has to be everybody’s business.

It just cannot be the business of a group of 12 or 13 interested staff members who have two or three other jobs.’

Tucker said Gross-Taylor’s timeline is accurate but sidestepped the question of whether the board was resistant, saying only that it had many “competing things going on …. so it just did not get addressed.”

Among steps needed to force real change, Gross-Taylor said, the district must reorganize how complaints about racism and discrimination are funneled from schools to district administration.

“It can’t just stop at the principals,” she said.

If the district hopes to improve its culture for people of color and equity in the system, that commitment must start “with the top,” Tucker said.

But equity is not only the responsibility of board directors or top administrators, he said. He urged community members to get involved.

“This has to be everybody’s business,” he said. “It just cannot be the business of a group of 12 or 13 interested staff members who have two or three other jobs.”

Tucker told Colorado Community Media in February an equity policy “is an excellent start” for school districts as they address issues with racism. But school districts can’t stop there, he said, urging them to also adopt standalone policies that exclusively focus on racial equity.

“Your district has to be bold enough to admit that you are going to have to focus on anti-racism and social justice and you have to recognize that African-American and other students of color face biases,” he said.

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12 Highlands Ranch Herald

A

LOCAL

February 25, 2021F

VOICES

Pandemic diversion is one for the books

man past sixty living alone with a small dog walks to his guest room where a little library of fiction is kept and scans the spines for an option to read as the second year QUIET of a pandemic has DESPERATION him climbing the walls like Gregor Samsa.

See how many of the titles he had to choose from you can name. For a complete list, write to the email address below.

Craig Marshall 1. Written by a Smith woman, this book, later the source of several films (as are a number of entries in the list), tells the story of a young scientist who creates a sapient creature.

2. “A dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually con-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Recall harms students Before you sign a petition to recall members of the Douglas County School Board, ask yourself, “How will a potential recall affect the superintendent search?” Based upon the board’s timeline, the candidate application process closes on 3/12 and finalist candidate public forums will be held in early April, well before any recall can feasibly occur.

I am very concerned that attempting to recall school board members in the middle of a superintendent search will jeopardize the ability to hire a well-qualified candidate.

How many superintendent candidates will want to apply if they know there is a potential recall?

As it is, we are just one of four local districts looking for a new superintendent right now (Jefferson County, Cherry Creek, Denver Public Schools and DCSD).

As an informed parent, I have seen nothing to warrant a recall. I have a high school student as SEE LETTERS, P13

A publication of

Call first: 9233 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124 Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: HighlandsRanchHerald.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

flicting or dependent conditions.”

3. It focuses on four anthropomorphized animals, is beautifully illustrated (mine by E.H. Shepard), is considered a children’s book, but is enjoyed by readers of all ages.

One of the characters, a European water vole, goes by the name “Rat.” 4. The main character’s surname is Smith. Where he lives the clocks twice a day strike thirteen.

5. “He made the fish fast to bow and stern and to the middle thwart.

He was so big it was like lashing a much bigger skiff alongside.”

6. Its major theme is the destructiveness of war, is “science-fiction infused,” and follows the life of an American soldier named Billy who sometimes travels through time.

7. Perhaps my favorite ending: “He turned and walked across the floor and out. I watched the door close. I listened to his steps going away down the imitation marble corridor. After a while they got faint, then got silent. I kept on listening anyway. What for? Did

I want him to stop suddenly and turn and come back and talk me out of the way I felt? Well, he didn’t. That was the last I saw of him.”

Written by one of my favorites authors, made into a film, as were several of his other books, but not as successful.

8. A short, only 24,505 words, potent story about the wife of the owner of a “roadside sandwich joint” and a drifter who is smitten by her.

9. She sells evening gloves at Neiman-Marcus.

10. In a “magical realist style” it tells a “multi-generational story” in the fictional town of Mocondo.

11. A first novel published in 1970; Lorain, Ohio; young Black girl; desires blue eyes.

12. Another main character name Smith, only this one is a Martian.

By the way, my middle name breaks down into “Mars Hall.”

13. This one is too easy, but it’s the author’s most famous: “A diabolical

dog” that’s not Harry causes problems on an English moorland.

14. I’d tell you where the book is set but the location is in the title.

There’s a cave, an accusation, a trial, a recant, and a happy ending.

It didn’t do much for me in high school when it was required reading.

15. It’s a 1930 detective novel originally serialized in the magazine “Black Mask” that’s been made into several film versions, the most famous released 80 years ago.

16. Written by the same author, a more light-hearted detective novel featuring a wealthy married couple who try to locate a missing inventor who is light on his feet.

How did you do?

Henry Ward Beecher said, “Where is human nature more weak than in a bookstore?”

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

The right question requires the right response

A

nagging and recurring elbow injury had finally forced my hand to seek medical attention. After meeting with an orthopedic surgeon, the diagnosis was more than tennis elbow or bursitis, it was a situation that would require surgery to fix.

With surgery come WINNING the pre-operative WORDS exams such as blood work, chest X-ray, and EKG. Additionally, medical clearance was needed by my primary care physician. I also needed to have a negative COVID test within five days of surgery.

No problem, I can take Michael Norton care of these things easily. As is my nature, my attitude was great, and I was ready and motivated to have the surgery.

Having completed almost all the testing requirements, I still needed to have my COVID test. No worries, just one more box to cross off the list of pre-surgery to-dos. I signed in and waited for my name to be called. As the nurse greeted me, she asked me how I was doing. That’s an easy one I thought, as I answer this question about a dozen times a day. My answer, borrowed from my good friend Jerry Nazzaro, is always, “Great, couldn’t be better if I tried.”

Her response, “Well then, why don’t

you try?”

Her answer was so simple, so direct, and yet took me a little by surprise.

You see, I have been responding to that question for so many years in the same way and typically people either smile or reply with something such as, “That’s awesome, I wish I felt that good.” But never, “Well then, why don’t you try?”

By responding to the question of how I am doing by saying that I am great and could not be better if I tried, is never meant to be flippant or superficial. It is just something I learned many years ago from my friend Jerry.

Jerry is a guy with one of the greatest attitudes I have ever witnessed.

Despite anything he faced, no matter how big the challenge, he would always reply in that same way, “Great, couldn’t be better if I tried.”

The nurse didn’t initially realize how she threw me off a bit as she just continued getting everything ready for my test. However, as she turned toward me again, and even though I was wearing a mask, she could see the puzzled look on my face. When I shared with her that no one had ever so simply and sincerely challenged my statement regarding how I was doing, she just shrugged as if it were the most natural thing she should have said. And it was.

The test was over quickly, she was kind, gentle, and made it as easy as possible. As I left, I thanked her for mak-

ing the test so easy, but making my day a little bit harder. Now it was her turn to have that puzzled look on her face. I shared that I thought her question was brilliant and that she now inspired me to want to “try” and be better.

I thought about this as I drove home from the hospital. Is this really the best answer I can give when someone asks me how I am doing? My nurse, Danielle, was exactly right. I could try to be better no matter how poorly or how amazing my day may be going.

The list of things I could do to try and be better in any given moment started flooding my mind; Call a friend, maybe Jerry; Listen to a motivational podcast; Pray; Call a customer; Better yet, call a prospect; Facetime my children and grandchildren; Take a walk on the beach with my wife. The list was endless. Not that I didn’t know and understand this concept already on some level, but it was a good and much-appreciated reminder.

How are you doing? Could you be a little better if you tried? I would love to hear your response at mnorton@ tramazing.com and when we realize that we can make everything better when we try, it really will be a better than good year.

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.

JERRY HEALEY President

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Highlands Ranch Herald 13

1February 25, 2021

LETTERS FROM PAGE 12

well as one child in elementary school. I understand the frustration of secondary students not being in school full time, but no large metro district has been able to open high schools full time due to the risk factors. Not only will this recall cost the district over $200,000 if a special election is held, but it jeopardizes the superintendent search.

In other words, it ultimately harms, not helps our students.

Amy McDowell Highlands Ranch Replace school board We elect a school board to put our children’s education first; to set both students and teachers up for success. When a school board fails to do this, we owe it to our children and teachers to replace the current board. The stakes — our kids’ academic, mental and social/emotional future — are too important for us to wait and hope for improvement.

Douglas County’s school board has indeed failed our kids. While nearby school districts returned to in-person learning formats, our school board delayed. Charter and private schools in Douglas County have been back to in-person learning for a while, yet our board hopes we can follow suit sometime after spring break. They’ve had since last summer to plan the in-person learning our kids deserve, but have failed to do so.

Remote learning has dire effects on our kids. Average DCSD student grades slid significantly and mental health emergency room visits for kids are up sharply. Studies show these can have long-lasting negative impacts on our kids.

The CDC says in-person learning doesn’t add to overall community spread — the science shows they can and are being fully opened safely.

Knowing these things — why is our school board choosing not to return to in-person learning fulltime?

This has been our school board’s test of leadership, of whether they put our kids’ education first, and whether they look to science/data to help guide them. They’ve failed this test and it’s now incumbent on us to stand up for our kids, teachers, and community.

Brandi Bradley Unincorporated Douglas County Smelling a rat around recall Why do I think there is a back story to the Feb. 11 story of a recall process initiated to target four DCSD school board directors? A group claims it is seeking to oust these school directors for showing a lack of leadership, and the leader of this group has publicly

pledged $100,000 of his own money to the cause. This paper reported this leader has already selected the people he would endorse to replace the current directors.

What makes me believe there is a back story comes from the history of a decade ago when the voters in DougCo ousted several “reformers” on the board of school directors who were going to provide vouchers to students to attend non-public schools. Thankfully, the group called Taxpayers for Public Education realized what was happening, and when educated to what was at stake, the voters said “No!” Could it be that these so-called “reformers” are sneaking back into the school district and trying to once again stack the board of directors with people who want to weaken the public schools? Before anyone signs this recall petition, they need to know what this is really all about! I suspect there’s more to this story than a purported lack of leadership. As patriot Patrick Henry proclaimed, “I smell a rat!”

Rick Johnson Castle Rock Needed: Diverse, reliable energy Sixteen years ago, I was taking action to introduce clean nanotechnology energy into Highlands Ranch and in Colorado to augment, not displace, fossil fuels. I was a strong advocate for a full suite of energy sources. It was the original Green New Deal. Green by earning a huge return-on-investment and eventually lowering energy costs.

In 2006, I teamed up with ThunderRidge HS over four years and 36 seniors developed a clean tech business plan to change the Colorado Constitution to incorporate as “energy cities” and build a clean nanotechnology energy incubator for clean-tech startups.

Over four years, the HS seniors worked on business plans for hydrogen home heating fuel cells, in-garage LNG auto fueling stations, wind, solar, hydro-electric and nuclear. The central focus was launching a clean nanotechnology energy incubator for start-ups.

Successes — the governor visited the HS in April 2008 for the clean tech energy day along with clean tech engineers, NREL, Ford Motor and hydrogen fuel cell companies all wanting to contribute to reducing America’s energy dependence on foreign oil. A clean tech incubator did get built (not in Highlands Ranch) and 36 high school seniors learned about clean technology, public speaking, and some even became environmental engineers.

The U.S. economy needs a diverse suite of energy choices: fossil, natural gas, nuclear, hydrogen, wind, solar, and hydro power to maintain energy independence while keeping energy costs low and emissions at a

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manageable level. Today’s no fossil, yes wind/solar strategy is not the best path to take. Just ask Texas.

Steve Taraborelli Highlands Ranch Vaccine process lagging Comparing the current rate of COVID-19 vaccinations to that of the flu vaccinations in late 2020 I find that it is not even 50% higher.

I had expected it to be two or three times higher. So, for all of the bureaucracy and politicization the COVID-19 immunization process is only slightly better than the simple, no schedule, walk up process for flu shots we’ve had in the past. If this is such an emergency why aren’t immunization sites open 24 hours x 7 days a week? If Governor Polis has the right to shut down businesses why can’t he also order immunization and testing sites to stay open all the time? For all of the fanfare around COVID-19 vaccinations by the state, this can hardly be considered a success. Kaiser tells me I am over 70 days out in line at the current rate, and they aren’t open on Sundays. Obviously, this needs to be improved. Another Polis photo op isn’t helpful, but some honesty would be.

William A. Henning Highlands Ranch

Thankful for vaccination I have made every effort to go to the back of the COVID-19 vaccination line and let more at-risk seniors go ahead of me, but luck was not with me. About 10 days ago my daughter registered me with UC Health and received confirmation three days later. We thought it would take a month or more before I could be vaccinated. On Monday, Feb. 8 I received a call from UC Health that I could get my vaccine the next day. I chose Wednesday, Feb. 10.

When we got to UC Health in Thornton, we were treated to a well-oiled machine. They were well organized, friendly and efficient.

It took about 10 minutes to get my shot and 15 minutes recovery time and we were on our way back to Highlands Ranch with no side effects from the vaccine. Well, maybe guilt. When I asked why I got my vaccination so fast I was told my name was pulled out of a hat. I think they were just humoring this soon-to-be 88-year-old man, but I was clearly the oldest person I saw.

I would like to thank Governor Polis, UC Health and everyone in Colorado in the health profession who are working overtime to vaccinate Colorado.

Roy Legg Highlands Ranch

In Loving Memory Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. Private 303-566-4100 Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

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14 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

LOCAL

LIFE

‘FEARLESS PIONEERS AND TIRELESS TRAILBLAZERS’

George Johnson showing a horse. Johnson opened his own stable, Happy Valley Stables, in Littleton in 1956.

There, he trained to be a horse exhibitor at a time when very few African American people in the state did, said PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE JOHNSON FAMILY AND LITTLETON MUSEUM Johnson’s daughter, GeorgeAnne Redd.

George and Dorothy Johnson, who lived in Littleton and later, Sedalia. George opened his own horse stables in Littleton, Happy Valley Stables, where he trained to show horses at the National Western Stock Show. Dorothy led a Bible study that led to the origins of a church, and taught her kids to sing and write songs, which many of them went on to do.

Johnson family’s impact on metro Denver area is far-reaching

BY LIAM ADAMS LADAMS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

D

allas Burleson stepped up to the lectern and welcomed people joining Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus for a Sunday service.

She was accompanied onstage by her daughter, Stacie Burleson, to start the worship hour with a song.

Just a little later, Pastor Paul Burleson, Dallas’ husband and Stacie’s father, took center stage. The three finished the Feb. 14 service by singing together, embodying the family ties the Denver church is based on.

The service also featured a Black History Month presentation. At one point, presenter Janay Lewis said, “My mind began to wander with a thought: Where would the world be without the Friendship Baptist Church of Jesus Christ? The church was started 46 years ago by a young pastor named Pastor Paul Burleson.”

If not for Paul Burleson, Lewis said, there would be no Friendship Baptist, which has gone on to impact the community.

Just as an example, Dallas and Paul Burleson described in a separate conversation, Friendship Baptist helped find housing in Denver for people displaced from New Orleans and Houston after hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, respectively. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock took Sunday School classes at Friendship Baptist. Paul Burle-

son prayed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, where he made the acquaintance of former President Barack Obama and now-President Joe Biden. Dallas Burleson sang an opening song for an event in Denver featuring civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy.

This eventful journey doesn’t start with Paul Burleson 46 years ago, though. It goes back further than that, the Burlesons explained.

To the banks of the South Platte River in Littleton, where George and Dorothy Johnson, Dallas Burleson’s parents, held a Bible study. It’s George and Dorothy Johnson, the Burlesons say, who deserve credit for the church and so much else.

Making Littleton home The Johnson family moved to Littleton in 1949, when George accepted a job offer to groom horses for a rancher in town. Before then, the family had lived in other places in Colorado, Bailey and Broomfield, and in Omaha, Nebraska.

“We liked it in Littleton. We had such a good time. Everything was right there on the ranch. People coming to ride horses, it was exciting,” said GeorgeAnne Redd, another daughter to George and Dorothy.

Altogether, there were six Johnson children: GeorgeAnne, Dallas, Johnny Lee, Robert, George Jr. and Charles. When the Johnsons moved to Littleton, they were the only African American family in town,

Redd said.

At the time, most African American people lived in Denver. When the Johnsons occasionally visited the city, Redd said, “It was really strange to see all these Black people in one place because all we had ever seen was Caucasian people when we went to school.” Soon enough, though, they met a couple Black families in Englewood — including Jessie and Lola Holmes and their family.

Talking about the two families’ relationship, Geraldine Holmes, the daughter-in-law of Jessie and Lola, recollected “Nobody was a stranger, they were just like family.”

In 1956, after being a horse groomer for other people, Johnson opened his own stable, Happy Valley Stables, in Littleton, Redd said.

There, he housed and trained other peoples’ horses and also taught riding lessons.

Happy Valley also gave Johnson the opportunity to train as a horse exhibitor, a side gig he would become successful at. Starting in the 1950s, he began showing at the National Western Stock Show. At that time, Redd doesn’t recall seeing other Black exhibitors at the stock show, leading her to think he was the first, though stock show officials were not able to confirm if that was the case following a recent inquiry.

Redd recalls seeing other Black people at the show, but said they were all groomers up until the 1970s.

“My dad was the first that I saw

that ever really showed,” she said.

Happy Valley wasn’t just a business enterprise, though. It was a community hub. “Everybody was at the stables every chance we got, mostly every weekend,” said Geraldine Holmes. The Holmes family and others would join the Johnsons for picnics and horseback riding.

Also, in the warmer months, Dorothy Johnson led family and friends in a Bible study along the banks of the South Platte River.

The strong bond between the Johnsons and Holmeses, and their commitment to gathering for a Bible study, would have a lasting effect.

They continued meeting throughout the years either along the South Platte, or, in the colder months, at the Holmes residence in Englewood.

‘A powerful journey’ Paul Burleson moved to Denver in December 1969 after serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He had an uncle living in Denver who would attend the Johnson/ Holmes Bible study. So, on his first day in town, Paul Burleson accompanied his uncle to the Bible study.

There, he met Dallas and they hit it off instantly.

“I didn’t even know anything about her except that I was attracted to her and the Lord put in my spirit, ‘That’s your wife,’” Paul Burleson recalled.

As the two got to know each other, SEE JOHNSONS, P24

Highlands Ranch Herald 15

1February 25, 2021

‘World of Color’ to open for viewing in gallery

H

appy news! Entries for Littleton Fine Arts Guild’s “World of Color” have been juried by well-known watercolorist Steven SONYA’S Griggs and the exhibit will open in SAMPLER Town Hall’s Stanton Gallery, 2450 W. Main Street in downtown Littleton, as well as in the Virtual Gallery (see: depotartgallery.org). Dates are March 1 to April 15. Longtime Littleton Fine Arts Sonya Ellingboe Guild members Peggy Dietz and Merrie Wicks have worked on organization of this exhibit, which will be open during THAC box office hours.

303-794-2787, townhallartcenter.org.

Unsure when the Depot Gallery will reopen (blue status needed).

“Flights of Fancy” is scheduled for the Virtual Gallery and Stanton Gallery April 15 to June 1. (We also have a notice of a live production

20th anniversary season will be 100% virtual/live-streamed from the Nomad Playhouse, teaming with the playhouse and Earth Coast Productions to present professional multicamera productions with actors performing from the stage.

of “Almost Maine” at THAC March 19-April 18 — more later.)

Traci Kern Singer Traci Kern will present a free virtual concert from Town Hall on Feb. 26. (“Full Circle” is rescheduled for Feb. 26). Box office: 303-7942787 ext. 5 for link. Town Hall is also presenting upcoming spring classes for ages 5-8, 9-12, 12+ (play readings, auditioning techniques, Shakespeare and more ... as well as private coaching sessions — in person or virtual). See townhallartcenter.org.

Heritage Fine Art Guild HFAG will present a Zoom workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on March 13 with Brian Hubble, who paints landscapes and Western art, seascapes and island themes. We are told Hubble enjoys realism “without sacrificing color and appeal.” Cost is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. (Membership for a year is $40.) Register through heritageguild.com. For information, contact Mary Kay Jacobus: mkstudio@ comcast.net.

“Three Pawnee in Paint” by David George will be included in “World of Color” exhibit at Town Hall’s Stanton Gallery, opening COURTESY PHOTO March 1 in Littleton.

Stories on Stage “Linda and Me: Raised on Ronstadt” will stream live from Boulder’s Nomad Playhouse at 7 p.m. on March 5, presented by Stories on Stage. Ronstadt’s memoir, “Simple Dreams,” provides the backdrop for this presentation by actor GerRee Hinshaw, pianist David Nehls and guitarist Tony Silva. Tickets cost $15, available at storiesonstage.org or at 303-494-0523. Stories on Stage’s

Newman Center Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet with Wynton Marsalis will present the premiere of “The Democracy Suite” on March 5 at 7 p.m.

Visit newmancenterpresents.com or 303-871-7720 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday; noon-4 p.m. Saturday.)

Denver Art Museum Open now at Denver Art Museum: “The 19th Century in European and American Art” includes works from the DAM’s extensive collection. In the Hamilton Building galleries.

Also, the “The Light Show” is extended through March 7 and “Senga Nengudi: Topologies” runs through April 11. From March 14 to June 20, “Paris to Hollywood: The Fashion and Influence of Veronique and Gregory Peck.”

Transcendental views of nature fill gallery Museum visitors shouldn’t dawdle, as exhibition concludes Feb. 27

IF YOU GO The Littleton Museum is at 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton. 303-795-3950. Call to reserve a time to visit, as number of visitors is limited at any given time. Open 11 to 3 Tuesday through Saturday.

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“Colorado Abstracted: Five Artists Capture the Transcendental Experiences of Nature” brings a welcome glow to the Littleton Museum through Feb. 27. We hope readers will be able to visit — wish it could be extended.

A line by the famous, Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet Mary Oliver sets a theme: “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Five area artists, an established group of abstract painters, have combined talents to exhibit a happy variety of paintings and a few prints in the museum gallery.

The group of five: Annama-

rie Mead, Cyncie Winter, Janet Rundquist, Lydia Riegle and Patricia J. Finley use a variety of mediums to create and all are skilled in their chosen mode of presentation.

So very refreshing on a winter day ... abstract may be the chosen approach to interpretation, but I felt fresh air and sunshine Each artist has a brief statement posted. Take a moment to read them. One wishes the type were a bit larger, but they offer some insight on the individuals.

When one enters the gallery, Annamarie Mead’s “Light of the Setting Sun,” to the right of the entrance, does indeed convey that glow that comes with a summer night. I could almost smell the soft, lovely

air one so enjoys then! Her works are created with oil paint and cold wax on cradled birch board and the aforementioned painting is highly textured, with mountain forms.

Continue around the gallery to the right to see more of her works, after a collection of Cyncie Winter’s art which starts with “May the Forest Be With You” (2020, acrylic, 40” x 40”), which features heavy, dark plant forms — or are some critters? It invites the viewer into a warm campsite world, I think — or is a fire starting??

I prefer the cozy campsite idea! This one is fun to contemplate. It looks like the painter really enjoyed her paints — sometimes simply squeezed from the tube, with a flourish! Colors are fresh, but toned down a bit.

Each artist has between 10 and 12 pieces in varying sizes exhibited, which gives a viewer a nice feeling of possible range, and the show as a whole conveys a “mix of sight, sound, air and spirit” as the whole exhibit offers five responses to nature, using colors, textures, different

paints and inks and a really nice variety of presentations.

Smooth, highly polished even, in the case of Patricia J. Finley’s pieces, which are created with ink and resin and really glow. “Pura Vida 1” and “Pura Vida 2” mean “`The Pure Life,’ as translated by Costa Ricans,” her label says. One feels knee deep in a giant flower garden!

Janet Rundquist’s “Canyon and Desert Series” surely convey the color and sunlight one experiences and her “Poetry of Nature Series” also explores ideas and light.

Lydia Riegle exhibits some paintings on canvases in acrylic, oil, graphite — and three prints, monotypes, using archival papers and crisp patterns: In the prints, she uses collage to add interest.

It is indeed rewarding to wander through this collection of abstract work and think about these artists’ joy in their Colorado surroundings.

Although there’s a feeling interpreted here rather than anything realistic, the compositions and color say plenty.

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16 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

At ElseWear Collective, sweaters are handmade with love Kelsey Johnson returns to hometown of Littleton to make sustainable, handcrafted knitted creations

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Kelsey Johnson said she hardly hears the sound of her knitting machine anymore.

After so many years producing knitted creations on the hand-operated machine, the rhythmic zipping noise fades into the background.

“It’s really empowering,” Johnson said. “I can start with a spool of yarn and end with a one-of-a-kind sweater. The options are limitless.”

Johnson is the owner of ElseWear Collective, a handmade clothing boutique at 2690 W. Main St., unit A, in downtown Littleton.

Johnson produces nearly everything in the little storefront — sweaters, ponchos, mittens — on one of several human-powered knitting machines from a workbench against the back wall.

To her left towers a wall of spools of thread and yarn, mostly cotton and wool, all naturally sourced and dyed.

In front of her sits the knitting machine, a loom-like device composed of dozens of prongs.

Kelsey Johnson holds one of the sweaters she hand-made at ElseWear Collective, a new shop on the far west end of Main Street in Littleton.

Guided by hand-punched punchcards to lay out patterns, she zips a carriage back and forth across the prongs, carrying thread along the course, knitting far faster than two needles ever could. Beneath the machine, pieces of what will become a sweater emerge, row by row.

To her right is the show floor, where racks hang with her creations — sweaters and ponchos that range from durable to elegant, simple to extravagant.

Each design, which Johnson developed herself, is named after a Colorado county — Park, Rio Grande, Larimer. On Jan. 28, she was working on a Teller sweater, named for the mountain county home to the historic Cripple Creek

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Kelsey Johnson works on a sweater on her knitting machine at ElseWear Collective.

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mining district.

All of Johnson’s creations are produced with natural materials, and the precision of her process leaves little waste — mostly bits of threads she tosses to her chickens at home to use for bedding.

She sources her wool from humane farms, because “happy sheep produce better wool,” she said.

“This is something sustainable and local,” she said. “It’s a chance to be conscious about where the things you use come from. When you buy a $4 T-shirt, you couldn’t water the cotton needed to produce that shirt for $4. The people who produced that shirt aren’t the ones getting the profits. Just like with our food, seeking out products that are produced humanely and sustainably can have a big impact on the environment and each other.”

Johnson grew up wanting to be a fashion designer, and studied the field in college.

She started ElseWear Collective in a tiny studio in Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District, but when COVID restrictions shut down the district’s First Friday Art Walks, she decided it was time to make a move.

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on Main Street in Littleton, where she marched in many Western Welcome Week parades as a kid. And she’s thrilled to have more space than she ever had in the little studio on Santa Fe. “It’s so exciting to come into a space I’ve created,” she said. “It reflects who I am, and it inspires me to be more creative. I miss the art district and all my friends, but this is a chance for me to do some things I’ve always wanted to do.”

Chief among them: Teach others to produce their own clothes. Once COVID is in the rearview mirror, Johnson said she’d like to hold classes and pop-up events.

She would also like to boost the “collective” part of ElseWear Collective by establishing partnerships with other local artisans and crafters who share her passion for local, sustainably produced items.

Johnson said she hopes her sweaters hold a special place in the hearts of buyers.

“It’s something no one else will have,” she said. “I hope they feel like them when they wear it. It’s something special, that took time, that I cared about making just right.”

For more information, visit ElseWearCollective.com.

Highlands Ranch Herald 17

1February 25, 2021

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18 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

Love by the model trainload Retired attorney learned the depths of a parent’s love with model railroading

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“Do you believe in magic?”

With the wave of a magic wand and an “abracadabra,” Ken Cook walked through the secret entrance — one he asked us not to divulge — to his model train room.

In the basement of the tidy Columbine Valley home, against walls painted with backdrops of cities, freight yards and mountains, sprawled Cook’s colossal Lionel train display. The culmination of more than 30 years of planning and building, and a lifetime of collecting, Cook called it his “great opus.”

“Actually, a friend called it that, and I had to look up the word ‘opus,’ but I’d say it fits,” said Cook, a retired attorney.

Standing at the control module of SEE TRAINS, P20

Lionel trains were once the must-have toy for any American kid, said Ken Cook, who built a massive model train layout in his basePHOTOS BY DAVID GILBERT ment.

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Highlands Ranch Herald 19

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20 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

TRAINS FROM PAGE 18

the freight yard, Cook’s hands began to work the buttons, switches and dials with the dexterity of a symphony conductor. The freight yard sprang to life.

Tiny steam locomotives chugged to and fro, pulling freight cars into place. Magnetic cranes plucked tiny metal bars from gondola cars. Vibrating floors shuffled tiny cows in and out of livestock cars. From the yard’s control tower, a tiny foreman descended the stairs.

“The magic of Lionel is that all the accessories really work,” Cook said, firing up the other portions of the set.

A freight train traversed a mining district, the locomotive sending up puffs of smoke. A gleaming passenger train traversed a long route through mountain tunnels, past a sleepy village and back to a busy city station.

Cook, 71, got his first Lionel set at age 3 in 1953 — the high point of sales for Lionel, the company that became a cultural touchstone for generations of youngsters.

The family lived in Japan, where Cook’s father was stationed as an

Ken Cook’s Lionel train layout is rich with detail, like this street scene in the miniature village.

Many of Ken Cook’s train layout’s accessories come to life, like this miniature magnetic PHOTOS BY DAVID GILBERT crane.

officer in the Air Force. The family — Cook was one of four children — headed back stateside in 1956, though many cross-country moves lay ahead.

Through it all, Cook maintained his fascination with model trains.

When Cook was 10, his dad hired an electrician to wire up a big set in their home in Indiana. Cook kept working on his layouts through high

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school.

The family work ethic served Cook well, taking him to a stint in the Air Force, then law school. In 1979 he joined a 10-man law firm in Colorado Springs, eventually making his way to the Department of Justice. His wife, Linda, served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Through all the moves and life changes, model trains kept Cook grounded.

“It’s my outlet,” he said. “My relaxation. I can focus on them.”

Cook’s precise hands and analytical mind are evident everywhere in his home. His study features scratch-built models of Apollo 11’s lunar lander, and a detailed model of a B-24 Liberator, a heavy bomber of the type his father flew over Europe in World War II. In a basement workshop, he is painstakingly building a wooden model of the USS Constitution.

Between the basement train set and shelves lined with hundreds more locomotives and cars, Cook estimates he’s collected perhaps 5% of Lionel’s golden-era offerings.

Though he and Linda had no children, Cook delights in sharing trains with youngsters. For a generation the couple has held neighborhood open houses to show off Cook’s daunting collection.

He and friends have set up model train displays at museums, trade shows and festivals around the West. It was at one festival where he

came to a revelation: On the box for that 1953 train set, his first, was the price tag: $49.

“The average mortgage payment in 1953 was $110,” Cook said. “My parents, living overseas and raising several children, spent half a mortgage payment so their 3-year-old could have a model train like kids back home in America. For years afterwards, living in small houses with four kids, my mom always made space for her son’s big train tables. Those are the sacrifices of love. I have no children, so I pay that love forward.”

Asked what he hopes his trains mean to children, Cook recalled a train display he set up at a craft festival in Colorado Springs.

“It was a grandmother, a mom and their son, who was 15 or so,” Cook said. “The son was autistic. I asked how long they had lived in the Springs, and the mom said not long — she was going through a rather unpleasant divorce. While we were talking, I was showing the boy the trains. Letting him blow the whistle.

He was elated, laughing.”

As he told the story, for the first time in a two-hour visit, Cook’s attorney banter broke. He gathered himself as he choked back tears.

“His mom told me: ‘This is the first time in six months I’ve seen my son smile.’ That’s what my parents gave me. That’s what I want to give back.”

Magic.

Cook said he is open to showing off his train set to interested people.

His phone number is 303-904-4647.

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Highlands Ranch Herald 21

1February 25, 2021

MY NAME IS

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Patient Morgan said her childhood in war-torn Liberia taught her to be grateful to be PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT alive.

PATIENT MORGAN

Owner of African braiding salon spreads love in land of opportunity ‘I’m still breathing’

I’m the owner of Genuine African Braiding, on Main Street in downtown Littleton. I began my business in 1999, when I moved to the United States from Liberia.

For many years before I left Liberia, the country was in a civil war.

Brothers killing brothers. It doesn’t matter what side you support — war hurts everyone. From the age of 6, I knew war.

In a way, it made me stronger.

You learn to acknowledge what’s important: I’m still breathing. I’m still alive. God is with me, and he’s in control.

The land of opportunity

America and Liberia have strong connections — it was founded by freed slaves from America. The capital is Monrovia, named after the American President James Monroe. There are strong cultural ties too.

When I left Liberia, I came straight to Colorado with my husband. I started my business the same month I arrived. I wanted to

work for myself. America is the land of opportunity. If you work hard, you have a chance to do what you want to do.

I learned to braid as a young girl, but it wasn’t necessarily a cultural thing. My mom and sisters don’t know how to braid.

Braiding is an art. It’s like playing the piano — you can read the notes, but you have to feel it too. If you do braiding wrong, it can be painful, or too tight.

Better than money

In Africa, braiding was something I loved to do. Here, it’s my career. It’s the icing on my cake. Seeing someone leave my shop with a smile, feeling beautiful, that’s better than money to me.

It’s never boring. I meet so many kinds of people. They sit in my chair for hours, and we get to know each other. They become family after just a visit or two.

Many of the other African braiding salons in the Denver area are in Aurora or on Colfax. People have asked me if it’s strange to have this shop in Littleton, where there aren’t a lot of Black people.

But braiding isn’t just for one kind of person. It’s for everyone. It’s not about being Black. It’s about expressing yourself. If you do your job right, people will come.

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22 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

Valor holds off Chaparral in meeting of top-five hockey teams A look at how local teams fared on the ice and on the court

Andrew Gleason scored twice as the top-ranked Raiders secured a victory over the No. 7 Angels on Feb. 19.

Heritage 6, Chatfield 3: The 10th-ranked Eagles scored four goals in the third period, and two of them came off the stick of Bo Frederickson in a Feb. 19 triumph.

Cherry Creek 4, Columbine 2: Creek rebounded from a 6-0 loss to Denver East on Feb. 17 with a victory over Columbine on Feb.19 as Riley Hunt-Bahn collected two goals to pace the Bruins. The Bruins downed Columbine 7-1 on Feb. 20 and Hunt-Bahn was credited with four points.

Mountain Vista 5, Heritage 1: The ninth-ranked Golden Eagles got two goals from Nick Bova and two from Ben Ford, who had four points, in a victory over Heritage on Feb. 20. Vista held a 42-8 edge in shots in a Feb. 19 conquest of Pine Creek. Trevor Alexander and Taylor Johnson each had two goals for the winners.

Unbeaten Valor Christian, ranked third among 5A hockey teams in the official CHSAA poll, clashed with fifth-ranked Chaparral on Feb.19 in a South Conference showdown Valor jumped ahead 4-1 after two periods and staved off a threegoal Chaparral rally in the third period to notch a 5-4 victory.

The Wolverines outshot Valor, 39-18, during the game, but two goals by Evan Pahos helped the Eagles (5-0-0) win the game and hand Chaparral (6-1) its first loss of the season.

The following is a roundup of many of the high school games played Feb. 15-20.

Hockey Valor Christian 14, Lewis-Palmer 1: Caleb Pallo had three goals and six points in a Feb. 15 win.

Regis Jesuit 3, Denver East 1:

Girls Basketball Valor Christian 67, Regis Jesuit

45: The Eagles, ranked second in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A girls poll, overpowered No. 3 Regis Jesuit in a non-league contest on Feb. 20. Haley Heard scored 15 points to lead Valor. Heard scored 18 points, and five players finished in double figures in an 89-51 victory over Chatfield on Feb. 17.

Kindyll Wetta had a triple double for the Eagles with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.

Highlands Ranch 59, Mountain Vista 20: Payton Muma scored 23 points as the fourth-ranked Falcons throttled the Golden Eagles in a Feb. 20 contest.

Lutheran 53, Bishop Machebeuf 24: The Lions, second-ranked in the Class 3A poll, built a 16-point halftime advantage and went on to crush Machebeuf in a Feb. 20 game. Senior Stephanie Schultz scored 20 points for Lutheran.

Arapahoe 54, Cherry Creek 50: The Warriors, ranked No. 7, outscored the Bruins 17-8 in the fourth quarter en route to a Feb. 20 win. Sam Shaw scored 16 points for Arapahoe.

Boys Basketball Cherry Creek 82, Arapahoe 53: Julian Hammond III tossed in 20

points as the Bruins, ranked first among 5A teams, toppled Arapahoe in a Feb. 20 game.

George Washington 59, Chaparral 57: Luke Williams scored 23 points, but the fifth-ranked Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season in a Feb. 18 game against No. 10 George Washington.

ThunderRidge 66, Castle View 33: Joey Biello’s 12 points were team-high for the third-ranked Grizzlies in a romp over Castle View on Feb. 16. ThunderRidge used a 23-8 run in the third period to beat Rock Canyon, 73-54, in a Feb. 20 game.

Mullen 56, Arapahoe 55: Freshman Jordan Leslie made a 3-point shot just before the final buzzer as the Warriors lost a Feb. 17 game.

Valor Christian 72, Columbine 59: AJ Kula scored 28 points at the No. 11 Eagles rolled over the Rebels in a Feb. 15 contest. Valor defeated Chatfield, 64-61, on Feb. 17, and Amondo Miller was the Valor leader with 14 points.

Lutheran 82, Bishop Machebeuf 38: The Lions, ranked second in the Class 3A poll, overwhelmed the Buffaloes on Feb. 20.

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1February 25, 2021

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24 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

JOHNSONS FROM PAGE 14

Paul Burleson would become leader of the Bible study. At the time, he was studying ministry in Denver.

Then, in 1974 in the Holmeses’ basement, the group officially formed the church and named Burleson pastor. Redd had the honor of naming the church. “Because of the friendship that we had with the Holmeses … I named it Friendship Baptist Church and it was accepted,” Redd said.

For four years, the church met at the Holmeses’ home until eventually moving into a school building in Englewood. Then, in 1984, they moved to an old house in Denver on Holly Street. In 1990, Friendship Baptist realized it needed to upgrade its space, when Bear Valley Church in Lakewood approached them. Bear Valley offered up its old church building if Friendship Baptist could literally move the building to Holly St, the Burlesons described.

So, piece-by-piece, Friendship Baptist transported the building to Holly St. to replace the house that was there. Later, in 2000, Friendship Baptist moved one last time to the location it is currently at along Fairfax Street in Denver.

Throughout that time, the Burlesons became more active in the community. Paul was president of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance and got involved with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Meanwhile, Dallas became more well-known for her singing and songwriting. She performed at

Pastor Paul Burleson preaching at a Feb. 14 service at Friendship Baptist Church of Christ Jesus in Denver. Burleson and his wife, Dallas, credit Dallas’ parents, George and Dorothy Johnson, with the church’s formation. Dorothy Johnson led a Bible study along the banks of the South Platte River in Littleton at a horse stable that George Johnson ran.

PHOTO BY LIAM ADAMS

Sons of George and Dorothy Johnson, former Littleton residents whose family has had a far-reaching impact on the Denver metro area. From left: Robert, Charles, George Jr. (nicknamed “Bunny”), and Johnny Lee. In addition to the four sons, George and DoroCOURTESY OF THE JOHNSON FAMILY AND LITTLETON MUSEUM thy had two daughters, GeorgeAnne and Dallas.

concerts headlined by major gospel artists and wrote original songs performed by musicians. She recently wrote and published her first children’s book, “The Adventures of Fanny Faithful.”

“It’s been such a powerful journey,” said Dallas Burleson. “In the good, in the bad. There’s been the ugly … But there’s been so much

joy.”

As for the other Johnson children, Redd currently oversees administrative operations at Friendship Baptist after a career in real estate. Robert Johnson recently retired from pastoring his own church. George Jr. and Charles Johnson were musicians and had a band, Mother Pearl, that performed in Littleton and

Denver. Charles Johnson was also a Vietnam veteran and received the Purple Heart, Redd said.

Today, Redd, Dallas Burleson and Robert Johnson are the only living members of the Johnson family’s original eight. Yet, reminders of the family’s collective memory are everywhere, such as a horse galloping on TV or a church service at Friendship Baptist.

“The bottom line was that we were standing on the shoulders of Dallas’ mother and father, George Johnson and Miss Dorothy Johnson,” Paul Burleson said. “So, we want to make sure that we don’t forget them as being fearless pioneers and tireless trailblazers.”

PallerFinancial.com mark.paller@pallerfinancial.com Paller Financial Services, Inc. is a CPA & Registered Investment Advisory Firm licensed by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The information presented is not specific to any individual’s circumstances and is only provided for general information and educational purposes. From time to time, this information may change without notice. Each person should seek independent professional guidance based on their situation.

Highlands Ranch Herald 25

1February 25, 2021

Art collective churns out messages of hope SoSu Artist Collective at SouthGlenn still reaches public during pandemic

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Nearly a year of life in the pandemic hasn’t seemed to make a local group of artists any less aspirational.

The South Suburban Artist Collective, whose studio sits in The Streets at SouthGlenn outdoor mall in Centennial, has kept pushing along to contribute to art in public and in people’s personal lives.

One current effort sees the artists creating works for an initiative called Flags of Hope, a collaboration to decorate the Art District on Santa Fe in Denver with flags bearing messages about artists’ hopes for society or other ideas about which they’re passionate.

Janet Moore, a member of the art collective, created a flag bearing a quote from the book “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “The essential is invisible to the eyes.”

“I think right now, it’s really important for everyone to think about what is really important and valuable to our lives,” Moore said.

Mar Knight-Hall, another member of the collective, which calls itself SoSu for short, worked on a

Mar Knight-Hall, a member of the SoSu Artist Collective, works on a “flag of hope” on Feb. 4 at the group’s studio at The Streets at PHOTOS BY ELLIS ARNOLD SouthGlenn. Her flag is intended to advocate for “more love and compassion for animals,” Knight-Hall said.

flag intended to advocate for “more love and compassion for animals,” Knight-Hall said.

“I think one of the things COVID has done is brought people closer to their pets,” Knight-Hall added.

The Santa Fe district was expected to be decorated from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15, according to its website.

On the more private side, the SoSu collective helped people spread the Valentine’s Day spirit again this

year. In two previous years, the group held an in-person workshop to help people decorate clay hearts, but this year, patrons picked them SEE ART, P26

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26 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

C R O S S W O R D Businesses have new opportunity P U Z Z L E to seek COVID-19 relief funds STAFF REPORT

Additional businesses in Douglas County may qualify for COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grants through the county’s allocation of Colorado Senate Bill 20B-001 funding, according to a news release from the county. Businesses with more than $2.5 million in annual revenue are now encouraged to apply.

Restaurants, bars, caterers, movie theatres, gyms and recreation centers with a minimum of 20% revenue loss due to COVID-19 impacts and that have not previously applied for this program may be eligible to receive these relief funds, according to the release.

Business owners are invited to

ART FROM PAGE 25

up or received them by delivery.

The boxes include ceramic hearts, paints and chocolates.

“It’s just something fun and unique to do for Valentine’s Day in a pandemic,” said Megan Kennedy, a Centennial resident who came to pick up her box on Feb. 4.

The art collective is also gearing up for its SoSu 20x20 Exhibit, which will be hung on the gallery wall in the back of the group’s studio at SouthGlenn. The group plans to exhibit by appointment

MORGAN FROM PAGE 21

God bless us all

I’m very family-oriented. My husband is a real estate agent, and his office is in the back of the shop. My twin daughters know how to braid, and they help me after school.

review updated eligibility details — available at douglas.co.us/smallbusiness-grant-program — and apply for the expanded Douglas County Small Business Relief Grant program. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on March 5, 2021, according to the release.

Relief grants will be awarded in amounts up to $3,500, $5,000 or $7,000 based on 2019 sales or revenue, as established in the legislation, and final awards will be determined after all applications have been received.

More details are available by visiting douglas.co.us and searching for “small business grant program” or by emailing DCBusinessGrants@ douglas.co.us or calling the county at 303-660-7460.

and virtually.

The 20x20 Exhibit runs from March 1 to May 31.

“We plan to have quarterly rotations of exhibits in which a theme or an individual SoSu artist will be featured,” Moore said.

The SoSu art collective includes a small group of local artists working out of the studio at SouthGlenn. The collective formed roughly six years ago and has held a yearly Holiday Pop-Up Art Market. The group moved in August 2019 into the space at 2154 E. Commons Ave. at SouthGlenn.

The collective isn’t keeping regular hours, but Moore is reachable at 303-956-5193.

We’re working to adopt two children from Liberia. There are kids with nothing. My kids are 18, and we want to pay the love we’ve received from God forward.

My hope is God will keep blessing our family.

If you have suggestions for My Name Is, please contact David Gilbert at dgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Answers

THANKS for

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Highlands Ranch Herald 27

1February 25, 2021

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February 25, 2021F

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30 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021F

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 31

PUBLIC NOTICES

1February 25, 2021

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) #008-21 HUMAN SERVICES CLIENT and STAFF SERVICES

Bids and Settlements Public Notice PUBLIC INVITATION TO BID Separate sealed bids for BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT; CI 2020-032 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, March 23, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. This project consists of the removal and replacement of Business Center Drive between Poplar Street and Quebec Street in Douglas County.

The Contract Documents will be available after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 1, 2021, 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 responsibility to obtain a complete set of the Project Plans and Specifications. Douglas County will not be held responsible for misinformation received from private plan rooms.

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10, 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, March 16, 2021. The Bid Opening will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at the same address.

The Project includes the following major items and approximate quantities: • 6,493 SY of 9-inch concrete pavement • 2,159 LF of concrete Curb and Gutter • 3,072 tons of Aggregate Base Course • Pavement markings, sprinklers, sod, and erosion control 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. 938748 First Publication: February 25, 2021 Last Publication: February 25, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News Press Account Number: 2734 Public Notice

COUNTY FUNDS COUNTY FUNDS

The Department of Human Services of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from responsible and qualified vendors and other professional services firms.

The SOQ received from all firms will be evaluated for inclusion on the County’s Preferred Vendor List for a duration of two (2) years starting May 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023.

The RFQ documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. The RFQ documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.

RFQ responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “RFQ #008-21, Human Services Client and Staff Services” prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed responses will not be accepted. RFQ responses will be received until 2:00 p.m., on Friday, March 19, 2021 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any responses so received will be returned unopened.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all responses, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said response 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 successful firm.

Please direct any questions concerning this RFQ to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor at 303660-7434 or criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Legal Notice No. 938743 First Publication: February 25, 2021 Last Publication: February 25, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Public Notice INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #009-21 FLOOR COVERING MATERIALS/SERVICES for DOUGLAS COUNTY FACILITIES The Facilities, Fleet and Emergency Support Services Department of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests bids from responsible and qualified firms for the removal, disposal, preparation, procurement, and installation of new floor coverings, on an as-needed basis, in County Facilities located in Douglas County, Colorado.

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The IFB documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com.

IFB documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.

While the IFB documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic bid responses.

Bid responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “IFB No. 009-21, Floor Coverings” and mailed or hand-carried to the address shown below prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed bid responses will not be accepted. Bids will be received until 2:00pm, on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Bids will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any bids so received will be returned unopened.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said bid 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/services with the successful bidder.

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

Legal Notice No. 938744 First Publication: February 25, 2021 Last Publication: February 25, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) #006-21 MICROWAVE RADIO MAINTENANCE The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests proposals from responsible and qualified Vendors to process maintenance on every microwave radio within the North, South, and 911 Simulcast cells (18 microwave hops at 17 different radio sites – some are on remote mountain tops) twice a year in the Spring (March, April, and May) and Fall (September, October, and November).

The RFP documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com.

RFP documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website.

While the RFP documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic proposal responses.

RFP responses will be received until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 15, 2021 by Douglas County Government, Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. All responses must be

submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “Request for Proposal (RFP) #006-21, Microwave Radio Maintenance”. Proposal responses will not be considered which are received after the time stated and any proposals so received will be returned unopened.

Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said proposal 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/services with the successful vendor.

TO: ANTHONY PLESCIA, D.O.B.: 01/29/1993

TO THE RESPONDENT NAMED ABOVE: You are hereby notified that a petition has been filed which alleges that the above-named child is dependent or neglected as per the facts set forth in the Dependency and Neglect Petition, a copy of which may be obtained at the office of the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.

A Termination of Parental Rights Hearing for Respondent Parents has been set for March 31, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. in Division C via WebEx. Instructions to appear by WebEx are as follows:

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

Join from a video conferencing system or application: Or Click on: https://judicial.webex.com/meet/judge.hurst

Legal Notice No. 938753 First Publication: February 25, 2021 Last Publication: February 25, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Join by phone: Tap to call in from a mobile device (attendees only) +1-720-650-7664 Access code: 923 572 721 then press #, # (no attendee ID is needed)

Adoption / Guardianship Public Notice DOUGLAS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT, STATE OF COLORADO 4000 Justice Way Castle Rock, CO Douglas County, CO 80109 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO In the Interest of: VIOLET SHARISE STEELE, D.O.B.: 02/07/2020; Child, And concerning: BROOKE SKYLAR STEELE, D.O.B.: 08/11/1997, Mother; ANTHONY PLESCIA, D.O.B.: 01/29/1993, Father; Respondents, And YVONNE BECH, D.O.B.: 02/13/1968, Kin-like placement; ALEX TRUEMAN, D.O.B.: 01/26/1971, Kin-like placement; SHARISE PLESCIA, Paternal grandmother; Special Respondents.

Attorney for Department: John Thirkell, #13865 R. LeeAnn Reigrut, #28833 4400 Castleton Ct. Castle Rock, CO 80109 (303) 814-5325 jthirkel@douglas.co.us lreigrut@douglas.co.us CASE NUMBER: 20JV63 DIVISION 8

Your presence before this court is required to defend against the claims in this motion. IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR, THE COURT WILL PROCEED IN YOUR ABSENCE, WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE, TO CONDUCT A TERMINATION HEARING AND MAY TERMINATE THE PARENT-CHILD LEGAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHILD.

You have the right to legal representation at every stage of the proceedings by counsel of your own choosing, or if you are without sufficient financial means, appointment of counsel by the Court.

Termination of your parent-child legal relationship to free your children for adoption is a possible remedy in this proceeding. If that remedy is pursued, you are entitled to a hearing before a Judge. You also have the right, if you are indigent, to have the Court appoint, at no expense to you, one expert witness of your own choosing at any hearing on the termination of your parent-child relationship.

You have the right to have this matter heard by a district court judge rather than by the magistrate.

You may waive that right, and in doing so, you will be bound by the findings and recommendations of the magistrate, subject to review as provided by sec. 19-1-108(5.5), C.R.S. 2020, and subsequently, to the right of appeal as provided by Colorado Appellate Rule 3.4.

This summons is being initiated by the Douglas County Department of Human Services through its counsel.

Dated: 2.12.21 /s/ Kathryn Cherry Kathryn Cherry, #42682 Assistant Douglas County Attorney Legal Notice No. 938733 First Publication: February 25, 2021 Last Publication: February 25, 2021 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

DEPENDENCY SUMMONS This Summons is initiated pursuant to Rule 2.2 of the Colorado Rules of Juvenile Procedure, Rule 4 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, and Section 19-3-503, C.R.S. 2020.

###

Douglas County Treasurer’s Statement Public Notice

COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, COLORADO COUNTY OF TREASURER'S DOUGLAS, COLORADO STATEMENT TREASURER'S STATEMENT Statement of Cash Receipts & Disbursements Statement of the Cash Receipts & Disbursements For 6 months Ended December 31, 2020 For the 6 months Ended December 31, 2020

BEGINNING BEGINNING CASH CASH

ABATED AND TOTAL TOTAL TREASURER AND CURRENTABATEDDELINQUENT OTHER TRANSFERS TOTALRECEIPTS TRANSFERS TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS ENDING TREASURER FEES CURRENT TAX DELINQUENTTAX RECEIPTS TRANSFERS OUTDISBURSEMENTS FEES WITHHELD INTEREST OTHERRECEIPTS TRANSFERS IN AND TRANSFERS DISBURSEMENTS AND TRANSFERSENDING CASH TAX TAX INTEREST RECEIPTS IN AND TRANSFERS DISBURSEMENTS OUT AND TRANSFERS CASH WITHHELD

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES $1,811,441.34 $537.39 ($397.59) $24.50 $678,530.97 $0.00 $678,695.27 $859,604.35 $0.00 $859,604.35 $1,630,532.26 APITAL EXPENDITURES $1,811,441.34 $537.39 $0.00 $0.00 $1,630,532.26 CAPITAL REPLACEMENT $2,864,023.39 0.00 ($397.59) 0.00 $24.50 0.00 $678,530.97 642,968.00 44,064.00 $678,695.27 $687,032.00 $859,604.35 0.00 0.00 $859,604.35 $0.00 $3,551,055.39 APITAL REPLACEMENT $2,864,023.39 0.00 0.00 0.00 642,968.00 44,064.00 $687,032.00 0.00 0.00 $0.00 $3,551,055.39 CONSERVATION TRUST $2,381,133.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 695,529.87 917,000.00 $1,612,529.87 1,742,841.19 0.00 $1,742,841.19 $2,250,822.05 ONSERVATION TRUST $2,381,133.37 0.00 0.00 695,529.87 0.00 $2,250,822.05 COUNTY GENERAL $111,471,160.06 2,371,577.45 (29,634.90) 0.0084,099.21 92,240,010.75 917,000.00 19,865,524.94 $1,612,529.87 $114,531,577.45 1,742,841.19 158,208,273.63 4,853,275.81$1,742,841.19 $163,061,549.44 $62,941,188.07 35,085.84 OUNTY GENERAL $111,471,160.06 84,099.21 $114,531,577.45 158,208,273.63 4,853,275.81 $163,061,549.44 $62,941,188.07$91,672.66 35,085.84 DEBT SERVICE $1,772,861.06 2,371,577.45 0.00 (29,634.90) 0.00 0.00 92,240,010.75 223,935.6019,865,524.94 2,986,220.00 $3,210,155.60 4,891,344.00 0.00 $4,891,344.00 EBT SERVICE $1,772,861.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 223,935.60 2,986,220.00 0.00 $4,891,344.00 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES $2,397,272.89 188,361.52 (2,264.44) 6,631.26 104,245.26 0.00 $3,210,155.60 $296,973.60 4,891,344.00 2,016,880.95 0.00 $2,016,880.95 $91,672.66 $677,365.54 2,767.44 EVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES $2,397,272.89 6,631.262,033.36 104,245.26 0.00 0.00 $2,016,880.95 HUMAN SERVICES $4,710,065.50 188,361.52 57,403.89 (2,264.44) (709.74) 4,193,544.94 2,172,751.98 $296,973.60 $6,425,024.43 2,016,880.95 7,515,903.65 0.00 $7,515,903.65 $677,365.54 $3,619,186.28 2,767.44 UMAN SERVICES $4,710,065.50 2,033.36 49.24 4,193,544.9412,764.19 2,172,751.98 0.00 $7,515,903.65 $3,619,186.28 INFRASTRUCTURE $34,189,946.40 57,403.891,121.64 (709.74) (1,335.73) 0.00 $6,425,024.43 $12,599.34 7,515,903.65624,394.05 0.00 $624,394.05 $33,578,151.69 FRASTRUCTURE 1,121.64 12,764.19 0.00 0.00 $33,578,151.69 INTERNAL SERVICES LIAB & PROP INSU$34,189,946.40 $6,146,668.49 0.00 (1,335.73) 0.00 49.24 0.00 1,848,792.76 0.00 $12,599.34 $1,848,792.76 624,394.05 1,845,025.26 0.00 $624,394.05 $1,845,025.26 $6,150,435.99 TERNAL SERVICES LIAB & PROP INSU 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 $1,845,025.26 $6,150,435.99 INTERNAL SERVICES MEDICAL SELF INS$6,146,668.49 $3,020,379.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,848,792.76 10,309,005.84 0.00 $1,848,792.76 $10,309,005.841,845,025.26 10,161,694.99 0.00 $10,161,694.99 $3,167,690.52 TERNAL SERVICES MEDICAL SELF INS $3,020,379.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 10,309,005.84 0.00 $10,309,005.84 10,161,694.99 0.00 $10,161,694.99 $3,167,690.52 INTERNAL SERVICES-EMPLOYEE BENEF $4,487,865.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,325,137.70 0.00 $1,325,137.70 503,094.08 0.00 $503,094.08 $5,309,909.42 TERNAL SERVICES-EMPLOYEE BENEF $4,487,865.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 $1,325,137.70 0.00 $5,309,909.42 JUSTICE CENTER SALES & USE TAX $39,791,653.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,325,137.70 3,902,198.12 10,983,053.05 $14,885,251.17 503,094.08 0.00 18,280,813.11 $503,094.08 $18,280,813.11 $36,396,091.72 STICE CENTER SALES & USE TAX $39,791,653.66 0.00 0.00 0.00 15,112.99 18,280,813.11 $18,280,813.11$15,112.99 $36,396,091.72 L.I.D. CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION $507,562.26 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3,902,198.12 0.0010,983,053.05 0.00$14,885,251.17 $0.00 0.00 $492,449.27 D. CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION $507,562.26 0.00 0.00(1,885.83) 0.0017,535.59 0.00 0.00 $0.00 0.00 LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY $20,758,285.78 1,373,145.55 361,420.46 1,702,812.00 $3,453,027.77 15,112.99 11,543,926.56 0.00 $15,112.99 $11,543,926.56$492,449.27 $12,667,386.99 7,160.90 W ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY $20,758,285.78 1,373,145.55 (1,885.83) 17,535.59 361,420.46 1,702,812.00 $3,453,027.77 11,543,926.56 0.00 $11,543,926.56 $12,667,386.99 OPEN SPACE - SALES & USE TAX $19,806,829.51 0.00 0.00 0.00 7,404,695.39 0.00 $7,404,695.39 1,272,016.31 4,891,329.49 $6,163,345.80 $21,048,179.10 7,160.90 PEN SPACE - SALES & USE TAX $19,806,829.51 0.00 0.00 0.00 4,891,329.49961,064.00 $6,163,345.80 $21,048,179.10 PARKS SALES & USE TAX $9,313,345.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 7,404,695.39 0.00 1,905,109.49 $7,404,695.39 $1,905,109.491,272,016.31 3,864,512.64 $4,825,576.64 $6,392,878.30 RKS SALES & USE TAX $9,313,345.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 961,064.00 $4,825,576.64$48,605.66 $6,392,878.30 PUBLIC TRUSTEE ($730,638.38) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 115,160.931,905,109.49 0.00 $1,905,109.49 $115,160.933,864,512.64 48,605.66 0.00 ($664,083.11) BLIC TRUSTEE ($730,638.38) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 RMHIDTA ($109,384.64) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 115,160.93 1,081,181.65 0.00 $115,160.93 $1,081,181.65 48,605.66 1,081,705.25 0.00 $48,605.66 $1,081,705.25($664,083.11) ($109,908.24) MHIDTA ($109,384.64) 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,081,181.65 0.00 $1,081,181.65 1,081,705.25 0.00 $1,081,705.25 ROAD & BRIDGE $56,017,113.44 7,403,772.43 (10,092.11) 28,918.75 5,710,382.39 0.00 $13,132,981.46 35,423,527.86 107,000.00 $35,530,527.86($109,908.24) $33,619,567.04 12,080.91 OAD & BRIDGE $56,017,113.44 28,918.75 0.00 35,423,527.86 107,000.00500,000.00 $35,530,527.86 $33,619,567.04 ROAD SALES & USE TAX $59,785,763.44 7,403,772.43 0.00 (10,092.11) 0.00 0.00 5,710,382.39 30,890,586.97 0.00$13,132,981.46 $30,890,586.97 26,813,085.08 $27,313,085.08 $63,363,265.33 12,080.91 OAD SALES & USE TAX $59,785,763.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 26,813,085.08 500,000.00 $27,313,085.08 $63,363,265.33 SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH $4,982,072.83 74,306.91 0.00 0.00 2,587.40 30,890,586.97 1,371,930.84 0.00$30,890,586.97 $1,448,825.15 2,909,149.23 0.00 $2,909,149.23 $3,521,748.75 1,117.46 FETY AND MENTAL HEALTH $4,982,072.83 0.00 0.00 0.00 $2,909,149.23 $3,521,748.75 $785.00 1,117.46 SHERIFF FORFEITURE ($37,889.71) 74,306.91 0.00 0.002,587.40 0.00 1,371,930.8438,674.71 0.00$1,448,825.15 $38,674.712,909,149.23 0.00 0.00 $0.00 ERIFF FORFEITURE ($37,889.71) 0.00 0.00 0.00 38,674.71 0.00 $38,674.71 0.00 0.00 $0.00 $785.00 SOLID WASTER DISPOSAL SITE $317,320.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 39,475.85 0.00 $39,475.85 194,574.89 0.00 $194,574.89 $162,221.83 LID WASTER DISPOSAL SITE 0.00 0.00 39,475.85 0.00 0.00 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE $317,320.87 $1,967,433.77 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 7,609,909.60 0.00 $39,475.85 $7,609,909.60 194,574.89 10,012,597.31 0.00 $194,574.89 $10,012,597.31$162,221.83 ($435,253.94) ANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE $1,967,433.77 0.00 0.00 0.00 7,609,909.60 0.00 $7,609,909.60 10,012,597.31 0.00 $10,012,597.31 ($435,253.94) TREASURER'S CASH & INVESTMENT EASURER'S CASH & INVESTMENT DUE TO TAXING AUTHORITIES DUE TO&TAXING AUTHORITIES IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS $78,347,202.78 41,250,822.97 (82,411.85) 497,914.22 155,007.19 0.00 $41,821,332.53 115,773,334.29 0.00 $115,773,334.29 $4,395,201.02 113,918.76 & IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS 41,250,822.97 497,914.22 0.00 115,773,334.29 0.00 $115,773,334.29 $4,395,201.02 ($7,986.49)113,918.76 MISCELLANEOUS RECEIVABLES $78,347,202.78 ($239,729.96) 0.00 (82,411.85) 0.00 0.00 155,007.19 7,984,679.85 0.00$41,821,332.53 $7,984,679.85 7,752,936.38 0.00 $7,752,936.38 MISCELLANEOUS RECEIVABLES ($239,729.96) 0.00 0.00 0.00 7,984,679.85 0.00 $7,984,679.85 0.00 $7,752,936.38 MISCELLANEOUS PAYABLES $257,681.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 229,911,955.76 0.00 $229,911,955.767,752,936.38 228,197,310.87 0.00 $228,197,310.87 ($7,986.49) $1,972,325.92 MISCELLANEOUS PAYABLES $257,681.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 229,911,955.76 0.00 $229,911,955.76 228,197,310.87 0.00 $228,197,310.87 $1,972,325.92 WOODMOOR MOUNTAIN GID $7,987.21 3,592.38 (2.52) 99.81 28,000.00 0.00 $31,689.67 39,493.94 0.00 $39,493.94 $182.94 35.95 OODMOOR MOUNTAIN GID $7,987.21 3,592.38 (2.52) 99.81 28,000.00 0.00 $31,689.67 39,493.94 0.00 $39,493.94 $182.94 35.95 TOTAL COUNTY FUNDS $465,995,427.31 $52,724,642.13 ($128,734.71) $639,893.34 $408,879,725.59 $40,576,535.46 $502,692,061.81 $633,310,945.41 $29,593,482.41 $662,904,427.82 $305,783,061.30 $172,167.26 OTAL COUNTY FUNDS $465,995,427.31 $52,724,642.13 ($128,734.71) $639,893.34 $408,879,725.59 $40,576,535.46 $502,692,061.81 $633,310,945.41 $29,593,482.41 $662,904,427.82 $305,783,061.30 $172,167.26

Legal Notice No.: 938732 | First Publication: February 25, 2021 | Last Publication: February 25, 2021 | Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Highlands Ranch Legals 2.25.21 * 1

32 Highlands Ranch Herald

February 25, 2021

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