1-Color
April 24, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 13, Issue 14 A publication of
lonetreevoice.net
Schwab starts on third office building Construction of garage also ahead of schedule By Jane Reuter
jreuter @coloradocommunitymedia.com Charles Schwab is moving forward with construction on its third, five-story office building and parking garage ahead of its original schedule. Originally targeted as part of a second phase of development at the Lone Tree campus on Lincoln Avenue, Schwab said it can save money on construction by speeding the construction sched-
ule. The 187,500-square-foot third building will be complete by spring 2015. “It will have the same square footage as each of the other two buildings and similar footprint and design,” said Schwab spokeswoman Sarah Bulgatz. “Whether or not it will house a comparable number of Schwab employees is still to be determined.” The 1,233-car, five-level second parking garage could be finished by late 2014. In February, Schwab announced it will move almost half of its San Francisco-based workforce to other national Schwab offices; some of them likely will come to Lone Tree. About 1,000 of the 2,200 California workers will be relocated in the next three to
five years. Work on the first two large buildings, which combined will house about 2,200 employees, is in the home stretch. Schwab anticipates moving some of its Denver-area employees - now scattered among three leased buildings - to Lone Tree late this summer. Its retail branch building, a two-story structure at the corner of Park Meadows Drive and Lincoln Avenue, is set to open in early May. Schwab broke ground on the Lone Tree campus in May 10, 2013. “We’re very excited they’ve moved up their schedule for the third building,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jim Gunning. “I think it Schwab continues on Page 25
Charles Schwab is starting construction of its third office building as it nears completion on the first two at the new Lone Tree campus. All three will feature the same design. Photo by Jane Reuter
Schedule restoration continues Six of nine district high schools to do away with the block format By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
SCrAmbLE For eggs!
Eggs-cited children rush centerfield at the South Suburban Family Sports Dome in Centennial on April 19 for the annual egg hunt. Hundreds of brightly-colored empty plastic eggs were up for grabs and later traded for a variety of prizes, including healthy snacks, stuffed toys and even autographed sports merchandise. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Boy finds his dream wings in Lone Tree Make-A-Wish provides gift of flight to 7-year-old By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com Seven-year-old Max Vertin always wanted to fly like Iron Man. When Make-A-Wish Colorado finally helped him realize that dream, the experience left the boy from Hastings, Neb., feeling like someone else entirely. “It was more like Superman,” he said, adding quickly, “I like Superman, too.” Vertin and two of his brothers have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare disease that causes muscles to slowly deteriorate. In a burgundy Iron Man-style flight suit sewn by staff members at Sky Venture, Max, his sister, two brothers and father flew April 15 in the enclosed vertical wind
tunnel of the Lone Tree business. From just outside the Plexiglas enclosure, his mother and youngest brother watched. Surrounded by cameras and far from home, Max stayed largely silent during his Sky Venture visit. But his father Jason said that didn’t last long. “He thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “It made his day.” Though three of the boys suffer from the same condition, the Vertins’ recent application to Make-A-Wish Nebraska was for Max only. “Because he’s older, he’s going to lose his ability to walk and be as mobile as he is at this point; we thought it was a good age to take advantage of it,” Jason said. Make-A-Wish ensured all seven family members got to take the trip to Colorado. “It was the first time our family’s ever taken a true family vacation,” Jason said. “We’ve either been going to doctors’ Wish continues on Page 25
All four of Highlands Ranch’s public high schools will return this fall to the more traditional class schedule most used until 2011-12. Two of Parker’s three high schools intend to follow suit a year later, while the other three county high schools intend to remain on the block schedule adopted countywide in 2012-13. An improving economy that’s putting more money back into the budgets of schools and enabling them to hire more teachers makes the reversion possible. Parent and teacher surveys show it’s what most of them want. Mountain Vista High School was the first to announce it will return to a modified version of the 5-of-7 schedule — under which teachers hold class during five of seven scheduled periods — in 201415. Highlands Ranch, Rock Canyon and ThunderRidge since have come to the same conclusion. In Parker, Legend and Chaparral plan to do so, but are waiting another year. Parker’s Ponderosa High School, and Castle Rock’s Douglas County and Castle View high schools will stay on their current schedules. All schools opting to change their schedules must hire more teachers to accomplish their goals. The decision lightens the load for existing staff, all of whom taught an extra class under the 6-of-8 — a decision that kept schools from cutting classes. Chaparral principal Greg Gotchey said returning to the more traditional schedule isn’t an easy task. Schedules continues on Page 25
max Vertin, with help from his mother betty, puts on the special Iron man suit made for him by Sky Venture workers in preparation for his April 15 make-A-Wishsponsored flight. Photo by Jane Reuter
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