July 30, 2015
THIS WEEK IN
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 28
LIFE
LOCAL
Fishing brings families together in Colorado’s waters
Page 12
LoneTreeVoice.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Lone Tree gets emergency coordinator New staffer will also serve in position for Parker By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com Lone Tree has invested in a new employee who will work to coordinate and prepare the city in the case of an emergency. Rose Lynch has been hired as the city’s new emergency preparedness coordinator. The position will be shared with the town of Parker. The new joint emergency preparedness coordinator will be responsible for day-today coordination of emergency management programs between the city of Lone Tree and the town of Parker. These responsibilities include developing, coordinating, and im-
plementing emergency operation plans and operating procedures, and developing educational and community outreach strategies. “It’s a missing piece currently in our city,” Mayor Jim Gunning said. The addition of this position will ensure Lone Tree and Parker are better prepared to meet the needs of the community should a natural or man-made disaster occur. “You don’t want to be flipping through the yellow pages during a flood event looking for sandbags. You want to know you can call the Red Cross,” Lynch said. “If you already have those relationships established, and everything is signed off on those agreements, it will be a lot easier.” This shared staff position is also intended to save both municipalities and taxpayers money. The posted salary for the position Lynch continues on Page 9
Rose Lynch will be the emergency preparedness coordinator for the city of Lone Tree as well as the town of Parker. Courtesy photo
Center creates ‘economic garden’ SBDC says plan cuts failure risk by 25 percent By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com
Relay For Life in Highlands Ranch saw roughly 500 participants raise almost $106,000 to help save lives through the American Cancer Society. The forecast called for some precipitation the evening of July 24, but as cancer survivor Tony Hernandez took the stage on the field at Shea Stadium, he said, “A little bit of rain can’t dampen our spirts — it won’t slow us down.” Amber Putnam of Spolight Performing Art Center in Highlands Ranch sang the national anthem and walkers dressed in Relay For Life shirts put their hands over their hearts to sing along, with tears in their eyes. Several survivors and family members spoke before the Survivor Walk began, sharing stories of pain, struggle and recovery. People of all ages who’ve battled cancer wore purple shirts and kicked off the all-night
In the fall of 2014, the South Metro Denver Small Business Development Center moved into offices located in the same building that houses the Chamber of Commerce in the city administration building at 9220 Kimmer Drive, Lone Tree. Since then, Marcia McGilley and her team have helped nine small businesses get off the ground and continue to help grow what she calls an “economic garden.” “Some people think we only help startups or people thinking about starting a business,” McGilley said. “We help about 40 percent McGilley of those with an idea who are actually in that startup phase, but 60 percent of our clients have been in business a year or longer.” The SBDC helps existing and new businesses in Arapahoe, Douglas and south Jefferson counties grow by offering quality, free, one-on-one consulting and free or lowcost workshops. “We are finding that our funders and our hosts are interested in the economic garden of growing the businesses that are still here, keeping and retaining customers, so that’s where our focus is going,” McGilley said. According to SBDC, lack of funding and failure to make a business plan are the two largest barriers to launching a successful business. “In Douglas County we don’t find that funding is the most difficult prospect because we have the socioeconomics down here,” she said. “Most of the people down here self-fund their own businesses. But people will jump in before they’ve written a business plan or strategic plan.” SBDC will work with new business to design a business plan, secure funding if needed and devise a strategy for success. “I was a small business owner myself and turned it into a bigger business, but a lot of times when you get started you think you have all the answers but you really don’t.
Relay continues on Page 9
Economic continues on Page 9
Cancer survivors wear purple shirts and colorful hats as they kick off the Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree Relay for Life on July 24 at Shea Stadium. Photos by Taryn Walker
Survivors rally at relay Annual Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree event raises more than $100,000 By Taryn Walker
twalker@colorado communitymedia.com
Corbin Garrett, 4, and his mother, Nicole, receive high-fives as they participate in the survivor walk of the Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree Relay for Life on July 24 at Shea Stadium. Corbin is now in remission after battling Burkitt’s lymphoma.