Voice
Lone Tree 10-3-2013
Lone Tree
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 38
October 3, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlonetreenews.com
City workers help flood victims Volunteers inspect homes, assist in communication By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com When employees in flood-ravaged northern Colorado communities needed help, three City of Lone Tree staff members answered the call. They were among volunteers from around the state who are on call in such emergencies, including building inspectors, public information officers and others. Lone Tree’s chief building inspector Jim Beaver, chief building official Matt Archer and community outreach coordinator Kristen Knoll helped their counterparts in Boulder and Weld Counties navigate the demands of a natural disaster. Archer, part of a statewide disaster mitigation committee, rearranged his schedule to spend Sept. 20 in Boulder inspecting flooded structures. The goal was to ensure the buildings’ safety so residents ideally could stay in or return to their homes. About 100 volunteers joined him. “What would take a smaller city months to do we’re able to do in a matter of days,” Archer said. Beaver, meanwhile, spent three days in
The makeshift public information officers’ command center in Evans was staffed by people providing updates in the wake of Colorado’s destructive floods. Courtesy photo Estes Park. The extent of the problems Archer saw was stunning. “There’s just so much damage,” he said While structural damage was minimal in Boulder, he saw mass flooding in basements from rainwater and backed-up sew-
ers. “I bet 90 percent or more of those people do not have flood insurance because they didn’t need it,” Archer said. “But now there’s tens of thousands of dollars of damage in their house.” In one area, Archer said damage primar-
ily was caused by appliances cascading downstream. “The water went right through a 16plex condo and washed out the bottom six units,” he said. “A wall of water five to Flood continues on Page 27
Speaker lauds school reforms Former Reagan Cabinet member acknowledges controversy, concerns By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com The nation is watching Douglas County, former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett told an audience of about 250 people at the Lone Tree Arts Center on Sept. 25. Bennett’s 20-minute address was followed by a question-and-answer session during an event organized by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. It was paid for by the nonprofit Douglas County Educational Foundation through a consulting agreement with Bennett, a fact not disclosed until after the event. “Let me just say this — in agreement or not, whether you like all the pieces or not — here’s a school district that is trying to go from good to great,” Bennett said. “What will happen, we shall see. It’s intensely a matter of focus here in Douglas County, and increasingly the focus for people around the country and indeed around the world.” Regardless of his paid consultant status, Bennett didn’t give unilateral support to the Douglas County School District’s controversial education reform efforts. He questions the school board’s decision to oppose the national Common Core Standards in
From left, Jes and Kyla Graves, of Lone Tree, shop for 2-month-old Jennady at the Just Between Friends consignment event at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Photo by Ryan Boldrey
Consignment event is mother lode Mom-to-mom movement sees sharp increase in sales By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com Bennett continues on Page 15
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett spoke Sept. 25 at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Photo by Jane Reuter
As a mother of three, Deborah Freeman understands what it is like when children are constantly growing out of clothes and losing interest in toys. Because of that, Freeman is one of 10 event coordinators in Colorado for Just Between Friends, a national mom-to-mom consignment movement that takes over the Douglas County Fairgrounds for two weekends a year. The most recent event was Freeman’s most successful yet, as 500 first-time shoppers and volunteers participated in the exclusive presale on Sept. 25. By the end of the first day, sales had more than doubled from the previous year. Freeman said she expected about 5,000 moms to visit the sale over the four days from Sept. 26-29. “Being a mom is my full-time job, and
during naps and at nights I run this fulltime business. It supports me and my family,” said Freeman, who puts on a fall and winter/back-to-school sale each September and a spring/summer sale in the spring. “It’s a community garage sale with a twist. We inspect everything before we put it out on the sales floor and we also check everything against the government recall list so our shoppers can shop with confidence, knowing that they are getting good quality items that are safe for their kids.” Shoppers receive 60 percent of their selfdetermined sales price on consigned items — 70 percent if they volunteer — and the event is filled with gently used brand-name items from places like Gymboree, Gap, Old Navy and Ralph Lauren. “We get a lot of new stuff too,” Freeman said. “People get so many gifts at baby showers that kids just can’t wear it all, so they turn around and sell it and make some money. You may have six of the same exact baby swing priced between $50 and $100, but the retail value is $160, so everyone is getting a deal.”
The variety offered last week included everything from maternity needs to infant and teenage clothing to Halloween costumes for all ages, outerwear and backpacks. Most of the items ranged between 50 and 90 percent off retail. Items that were not sold were either picked up by the mothers that put them up for sale or donated to local charities, including the Douglas/Elbert Task Force and Mission Ministries. Visitors also had a chance to visit vendor booths such as the one run by Sharon Arnaldi, who specializes in family portraits and newborn photography. “Last year was my first sale,” Arnaldi said. “My friends told me this was where to come. I took a chance with my business just to see, and I picked up some clients and some really great deals for my daughter as well.”
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