1-Color
March 20, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 13, Issue 9 A publication of
lonetreevoice.net
Leaders urge state water plan Partnerships needed to ensure continued quality, growth By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
From left, speaker and director of Colorado Water Conservation Board James Eklund, president of Accelerate Colorado Bryan Blakely and director of Colorado Competitive Council Mizraim Cordero at the March 14 water policy briefing. Photo by Jane Reuter
Unlike most of its western neighbors, Colorado doesn’t have a water plan. And while a draft of one is underway and due on the governor’s desk in December, officials say it’s vital that the state’s business community get involved in its creation. Several of them reiterated that message during a March 14 Colorado business leaders water policy briefing at the Lone Tree Arts Center. “All but a handful of our neighboring states have water plans,” said James Eklund, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). “We’re not on the leading edge of this effort. “We’re not going to walk into the Colorado water future we want. We’re going to have to be intentional about it. The power of shared self-interest can overcome the rhetoric you often hear in the water discus-
sion.” The breakfast event was sponsored by Accelerate Colorado, a partnership of businesses and local governments that works with federal leaders on key state interests. None currently are more pressing than water. Gov. John Hickenlooper directed the CWCB to begin work on a state water plan in May 2013. A final report is expected a year after the draft is due, in late 2015. The plan is intended to address a range of issues, including the gap between supply and demand, the impact of climate change, water quality and protection of water rights. Colorado will add 5 million more people by 2050, a projection that underscores the concern about ensuring a secure supply. “We need to partner together,” said Douglas County Commissioner Jill Repella. “We’re planning today for the next generation and the generation after that.” A prime example of a collaborative water effort is Denver Water’s WISE (Water, Infrastructure and Supply Efficiency) PartnerWater continues on Page 22
Voucher case to be heard by state’s top court Program introduced by school district in 2011 remains on hold through judicial process By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com The Colorado Supreme Court will hear the Douglas County School District voucher case. It issued an order March 17 granting that request from several plaintiffs in the original 2011 filing. The case likely won’t be heard until late summer or early fall, an attorney working for one of the plaintiffs said. That distant date — or the 11 months it took the state’s high court to render its decision — didn’t dampen the excitement of some involved with the case. “We’re thrilled,” said Cindy Barnard, president of the nonprofit Taxpayers for Public Education. “We certainly see this as a victory for us. When you look at the way the court has written the writ, it’s very clear they’re looking at all the substantive issues we brought forward.” The pilot program, named the Choice Scholarship Program, allows parents to use state-issued funds toward tuition at private schools. Most of the schools included in the program are religious. Barnard and others, including the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, filed suit after DCSD introduced the program, and Denver District Court declared it unconstitutional in August 2011. The Colorado Court of Appeals issued the opposite opinion in February 2012. But until a final decision is made, the pilot program is on hold. “The district welcomes the opportunity for the state’s highest court to review a case that presents such important issues for our state and our country,” school board member Craig Richardson said. The voucher program was the first among several changes introduced by the reform-driven school board. Opponents say it blurs the line between separation of church and state, and dilutes funding for public schools. Supporters say the program offers parents another educational choice. Michael Bindas, an attorney from the Voucher continues on Page 22
Ballet Physique founder Kristen Zurek leads a class at the new Lone Tree studio on March 8. Photo by Jane Reuter
Fitness ballet studio
stretches out Independently-owned center focuses on strength and community By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com Amy Lineberry came to The Ballet Physique feeling both mentally and physically low. She quickly lost 15 pounds and gained tone, but the biggest change was invisible. “After I saw what it did for me — not only my body but my happiness, my marriage, my kids, my energy — eventually for me, the fitness piece became a byproduct,” said Lineberry, part owner of the fitness studio that recently opened its second site in Lone Tree. “The energy, the way you feel when you’re in that space — it really makes you feel like a better person. It’s infectious.” Lineberry partners with Kristin Zurek, who opened the first Ballet Physique in Littleton three years ago. Using a ballet
barre as its focal point, the 60-minute ballet fitness classes build long muscles and enhance posture. The five different formats include moves ranging from yoga- and Pilates-style stretches to aerobics and cardio sequences. “Strong is the new skinny,” Lineberry said. “It’s not so much about pounds; it’s about looking good and feeling good,” Zurek is a professional dancer who moved to Colorado from the East Coast. A certified fitness instructor with the American Council on Exercise, she developed her own style of barre class based on her love for the athleticism of ballet. In opening her own studio, she also was determined to provide clients with not only a solid workout, but a sense of community. Zurek’s downtown Littleton studio’s success inspired her to open the second site on Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree. The studio across the street from Sam’s Club joins a collection of fitness studios along Park Meadows that includes yoga, Pilates and
boxing among other options. Lineberry was among her first clients. “We care about the individual here,” she said. “We know about their families. It’s important to us that they are not only getting their physical needs met. We’re lifting them up, too. This is a place to be, not just a place to come.” The Ballet Physique offers new students an introductory deal of 10 consecutive days of unlimited classes for $20. Regular classes are available on a dropin basis, in multi-class packages or on monthly rates. The Lone Tree studio is at 7600 East Park Meadows Drive. For more information, visit www.theballetphysique.com.
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