Voice
Lone Tree 8-15-2013
Lone Tree
August 15, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlonetreenews.com
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 31
Students are back at class Rocky Heights Middle School opens doors By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
Abbie Lawrence, an entertainer from Denver, puts the finishing touches on a balloon creation for Jacob McAllister, right, pictured with dad TR McAllister.
Pleasing the
Palate
The Taste of Lone Tree brought thousands of hungry visitors to the RidgeGate Commons over the weekend, as folks enjoyed tastes from a variety of local restaurants, sips and more from local breweries and wineries and danced to live music in the afternoon sun. There were activities for the whole family as the kids got spoiled as much as the adults.
La Sandia’s Mike Schwinkendorf and Matthew Swigart served watermelon gazpacho during the Taste of Lone Tree.
PhotoS by Jane ReuteR
Sixth-grader Kyra Camm arrived at Rocky Heights for her first day of middle school nervous, but prepared. “I was so scared for middle school that I bought a book about it,” she said. “It said you should have at least two groups of friends so if you get mad at one group, you have another.” Fellow sixth-grader Natalie Aston, who attended Wildcat Mountain Elementary with Camm, shared Camm’s feelings of excitement and nervousness. “It feels good but it’s kinda scary,” Aston said. “I’m just excited to be in a bigger school with better lunches.” “Sometimes you got tired of the elementary school, because you just want to get older,” Camm said. “I’m most excited to meet new people and new teachers.” Almost all DCSD schools opened for the 2013-14 academic year Aug. 12, with a few charter schools starting classes Aug. 5. Rocky Heights teachers were excited, too. Several of them gathered upstairs in the newly designed innovation lab. Last year, computers lined the walls. This year, they’re placed back-to-back in groups of three at pods that each allow three children to work together. “The innovation team is new,” teacher Sharon Majetich said. “We’re trying a slightly more collaborative approach. We’re trying to push (students) to think a little more outside the box.” Among the team’s units is a four-week study of Colorado’s wildfires. Students will travel to the site of the 2002 Hayman fire as well as the Black Forest, where wildfire destroyed more than 500 homes in June.
Students continues on Page 11
City preps for Cabela’s opening weekend Overflow parking, shuttles, celebrities part of multi-day event By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
Cabela’s senior hard line manager Jeff Surry, left, pauses during a July 30 tour sneak preview with Denver-area media at the Lone Tree store’s centerpiece - a mountain replica depicting North American game. The store opens Aug. 15 and is expected to draw major traffic and crowds all weekend long. Photo by Jane Reuter
Lone Tree residents who cheered news of Cabela’s decision to locate there may feel less enthusiastic this weekend. Anticipated grand-opening weekend traffic promises to congest the RidgeGate Parkway and Interstate 25 interchange from Aug. 14-18, before tapering off to a calmer level. The grand opening is at 11 a.m. Aug. 15, but Cabela’s cardholders were invited into the store a day early, on Aug. 14. Cabela’s, city police and several other local agencies are working together to minimize traffic impacts, supplying shut-
Cabela’s continues on Page 11
Rocky Heights Middle School Principal Mike Loitz gives students a rooftop welcome to their first day of the 201314 school year Aug. 12. Photo by Jane Reuter
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