Lone Tree Voice 1210

December 10, 2020

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

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INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 25

Meet Time’s first Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao, 15-year-old inventor and scientist, vows to ‘continue making change’

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For nearly a century, Time magazine has named a Person of the Year, annually recognizing the most influential individual or individuals from the previous 12 months.

Now for the first time in its history, the magazine has named a Kid of the Year, and selected a 15-year-old scientist and inventor from Douglas County for the prestigious honor.

Gitanjali Rao attends STEM School Highlands Ranch and lives in Lone Tree, where she’s already produced a bevy of groundbreaking inventions and initiatives aimed at improving the world around her.

As news of Gitanjali’s new distinguishment spread, the teen told Colorado Community Media she was simply grateful to have been a finalist.

“It’s like nothing I could have ever imagined,” she said. “It never really sinks in, but I’m so beyond honored and humbled.”

Gitanjali spoke to actor and activist Angelina Jolie in a special interview for Time, saying she hopes her work inspires youths everywhere to be innovators. She was 10 when she asked her parents if she could research carbon nanotube sensor technology, Gitanjali told Jolie.

Time launched Kid of the Year in collaboration with Nickelodeon and intends the honor to be “a barometer for the rising leaders in America’s youngest generation.”

SEE KID, P7

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 44

Affordable apartments will soon take shape City eyes RidgeGate Station ‘milestone’ development

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lone Tree’s first affordable housing development is planned to begin construction in March, pending approval from the city’s planning commission and city council in the coming months.

The Koelbel & Co. affordable housing development at RidgeGate Station will be built adjacent to the newly opened light rail station east of I-25 and south of RidgeGate Parkway. A second RidgeGate Station apartment complex of 540 marketrate units is expected to break ground before the end of the year, catty-corner from the affordable development site.

Jennifer Drybread, the city’s planning manager, called the project a milestone accomplishment for Lone Tree. The city has invested SEE HOUSING, P7

HOW MUCH IS THE RENT? The following are some examples of what a renter could expect to pay per month for a one-bedroom apartment:

Gitanjali Rao, 15, is the first-ever Kid of the Year named by Time magazine.

GETTING CREATIVE

A pair of local business owners work together to overcome pandemic obstacles P2

COURTESY PHOTO

Household income of $30,000: $562 Household income of $40,000: $750 Household income of $50,000: $937 Household income of $60,000: $1,125 Household income of $70,000: $1,312

EAGLES FALL TO BRUINS

Cherry Creek shuts out Valor Christian in state championship game P25

2 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

‘There’s no blueprint for this’ Owners of a pair of Lone Tree businesses team up

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lone Tree restaurateurs are again searching for solutions after the state’s decision to move Douglas County to level red on its COVID-19 dial banned indoor dining in late November.

A pair of Lone Tree small business owners have partnered to weather the pandemic together.

Derrick Cooper and Fabian Valdez merged their Lone Tree enterprises this summer. Cooper, founder of OpenFridge Gourmet, a meal delivery service, and Valdez, founder of Outpost Eatery, have more than 40 years of culinary experience between them. The two are now co-owners of each other’s businesses and are returning to their roots.

“Right now, you’ve got to resort back to when you first started a business. One of the keys to making your business work is `just don’t stop,’” Cooper said. “Find

Fabian Valdez, left, and Derrick Cooper are Lone Tree restaurateurs who’ve teamed up to weather the pandemic. Both have innovative spirits and a passion for high-quality cuisine and are determined to PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT continue to find new ways to keep their doors open.

any way to keep going, any reason to keep going. We’ve both seen a lot of ways it can work and a lot of ways it cannot work. We just try to stay positive and put our collective heads together.”

Cooper, of Lone Tree, started OpenFridge Gour-

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met in January 2019. The service delivers a certain number of gourmet meals and snacks each week for a set price. Cooper, or “Coop da Ville” as he’s sometimes known, said the pandemic offers an important lesson in maximizing their space.

Valdez opened his restaurant, Outpost Eatery, also in January 2019 at 7431 Park Meadows Drive. An energetic chef and mixologist eager to mingle with his customers, Valdez said he misses having customers in his restaurant.

“Eventually, as soon as this is all back to normal because that’s who I am — a front-of-the-house person,” Valdez said. “I love the interaction with guests, I love the mixology and seeing their eyes light up when they’re trying the food and the drinks. That’s what I grew up knowing and doing, but now we have to adjust.”

Valdez is an award-winning bartender and former Army medic with a track record of successful restaurant endeavors. Valdez opened Range Restaurant in downtown Denver in 2013.

He leased a space in the old Southern Comfort building in Lone Tree for his 50-seat gastropub, emphasizing “craft” food and drinks.

Valdez hired Cooper as a consulting chef before the pandemic to teach Valdez’s other staff how to run the back of the house. When the pandemic struck, Valdez’s chef moved away, and Cooper and Valdez joined forces.

“After the first shutdown, I was kind of scared about even owning a restaurant to begin with anyway, so I was like ‘we need to do things that are more pandemicfriendly,’” Valdez said.

SEE BUSINESSES, P26

Lone Tree Voice 3

0December 10, 2020

Douglas County continues to push for indoor-dining plan Commissioners stopped short of going through with a plan to go against state health orders

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After debating whether to break from the state’s official COVID-19 health order for Douglas County, commissioners decided to again ask permission from the state to reopen indoor dining in the county in a letter sent to the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Commissioners also notified CDPHE Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan that they would begin putting a program in place to allow indoor dining, pending permission from the state.

“Thank you for taking a moment to review this notification of our development of the infrastructure for a Douglas County local certification program,” according to the letter, which was sent Dec. 4.

Commissioners are requesting that the state allow the county to use a “Variance Protection Program” similar to what is currently being utilized in Mesa County.

The program allows businesses, including restaurants, to be open at a more lenient level based on the establishments’ commitment to measures that reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“Douglas County … has created the infrastructure to pre-certify eligible businesses who can be members of the local certification program,” according to the letter signed by the three commissioners.

CDPHE announced Nov. 27 it would accept feedback from the public on a possible program similar to Mesa County’s, for other parts of the state. In a framework released by the state, a possible timeline listed Dec. 18 as the day the state could allow other counties to begin implementation of the program.

In a series of recent meetings, Douglas County commissioners considered whether or not to follow through on an earlier letter they sent to Gov. Jared Polis stating they would continue with the variance program allowing indoor dining, even without explicit permission.

In that letter, sent Nov. 25, commissioners said if they did not hear back from the governor by Dec. 4, they would go ahead and move for-

ward with a similar program. But after not hearing back, the commissioners decided not to go through with the plan.

“We tried to push his hand and he didn’t bite,” Commissioner Lora Thomas said.

In meetings last week, Commissioner Abe Laydon argued the state had given implicit permission by not responding to the commissioners’ letter.

“We’re not fighting them, we’re just accepting their waiver,” he said. “‘You (the state) haven’t said anything so we’re taking that as you’re OK with us moving forward.”

The commissioners decided against that choice after considering the fact that the Tri-County Health Department likely wouldn’t support a plan that goes against the state health department. They also considered that the latest round of financial aid, approved by the state Legislature Dec. 2, requires that for businesses to get relief funds, their county must be in compliance with state health orders. There is an exception for restaurants inside — or one mile from — the city limits of a municipality that is in compliance.

“That puts us in an adversarial relationship with Tri-County,” Thomas said about moving forward without permission. “The other path is that we are working with Tri-County on this 5-Star (variance) pilot program… So that our businesses do not need to worry about getting their licenses taken away.”

Laydon agreed that he also didn’t want to put financial aid at risk but said he felt it was important for the county to be consistent with their earlier letter that said they would move forward.

Commissioner Roger Partridge added that the letter felt in line with their efforts “to keep the pressure on the state to get that program finalized sooner than later.” he said.

The county planned to continue meetings about the infrastructure of the plan the following week.

Tri-County has confirmed it is working with the county on a plan to prepare for this program so that when given permission by the state, Douglas County can move forward as quickly as possible.

“TCHD is actively engaged with Douglas County Government, municipalities and other key stakeholders to develop a plan,” said Jennifer Ludwig, Tri-County’s deputy director, through a spokesperson. “We are in the early stages of development and establishing roles, responsibilities and expectations for each entity involved.”

Keep It Up, Douglas County!

Douglas County communities are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Your COVID safety measures make a difference. Learn more at douglas.co.us/douglascovid19/keepit-up-douglas-county

COVID-19 Impact Grants available Applications are being accepted for the Nonprofit Grant Program until Dec. 18, and the Restaurant and Indoor Event Venue Grant and Small Business Grant Programs until Dec. 30. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To review eligibility details and deadlines for each program and apply visit douglas. co.us/cares-act

Community COVID-19 testing events through Dec. 30 COVID-19 swabbing and antibody testing with or without health insurance are available at locations throughout the County. To preregister and to learn more visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing/events.

For information about other testing providers visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing-locations

Need help with home heating costs?

Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted.

To view various public meeting agendas and to participate in-person or remotely visit douglas.co.us and search for Meetings and Agendas.

County Offices Christmas Holiday closures Douglas County offices will be closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24 and closed on Friday, Dec. 25 in observance of the Christmas Holiday.

Many services are available online at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Local ads, coupons & deals are just one click away!

C H E C K I T O U T AT:

ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Visit douglas.co.us

4 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

Lawmakers churn out 10 COVID relief bills About $280 million dedicated to various assistance measures in special session

BY MICHAEL KARLIK THE DENVER GAZETTE

The Colorado General Assembly approved a COVID-19 relief package of 10 bills on Dec. 2, ending a threeday special session that Gov. Jared Polis called to fill the gaps left by Congress’ inaction.

The assistance measures, which ranged from providing support to child care operators and food pantries to capping fees charged for food delivery, amounted to approximately $280 million in funding.

“Coronavirus is real. It is deadly,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, on the final day of debate. “We know that the state of Colorado can do better — can and must do better — to keep people alive. But we also have to do our part to support these small businesses and pull together money from various places to provide as much support as we can.”

Polis’ call for a special session outlined seven areas for the Legislature to take action: small business, child care, housing aid, broadband, food insecurity, utilities assistance and public health response.

Among other items, the governor specifically asked lawmakers to

The state Capitol in Denver.

appropriate money for the disaster emergency fund, allow restaurants and bars to retain up to $2,000 per month in sales tax revenue, and enhance internet access for educators and schoolchildren — all of which the General Assembly did.

The measures headed to the governor’s desk are: • House Bill 1001 will provide $20 million to create a broadband grant program for school districts to expand internet access. Money must be distributed by Feb. 1.

• House Bill 1002 authorizes $45 million in grants to operators of child care centers through two separate programs. The first covers expenses for existing operators and the second will assist businesses that are expanding or just starting up. The state must award grants by Feb. 28.

FILE PHOTO

• House Bill 1003 provides $5 million to food pantries, with the state needing to send out the money by March 31.

• House Bill 1004 allows restaurants, bars and vintners to deduct $70,000 of net sales from their taxes, resulting in a retention of approximately $2,000 per month in sales tax revenue for each retailer, up to a limit of five sites. The bill allows retention for November through February.

• House Bill 1005 gives authority to counties and municipalities to cap fees that third-party food delivery companies charge to restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation also prevents those companies from cutting the compensation or tips of employees to make up for lost revenue and requires them to disclose to customers any

fees or commissions imposed on the restaurants.

• House Bill 1006 adjusts several requirements of insurance premium tax payments, intended to make estimates of taxes owed more accurate.

• Senate Bill 1 provides $37 million in relief to small businesses with revenue of less than $2.5 million; $7.5 million to arts and cultural organizations; and $4 million to minority-owned businesses. Grants for small businesses are capped at $7,000, and counties must disburse payments by Feb. 12.

• Senate Bill 2 grants $54 million in emergency housing assistance, $1 million in legal eviction aid and $5 million to individuals who are ineligible for other forms of relief, such as unemployment insurance, food assistance or the one-time $1,200 payment from the federal government.

• Senate Bill 3 gives $5 million to Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that provides assistance to low-income households in paying energy bills. It must spend the money by June 30.

• Senate Bill 4 transfers $100 million to the Controlled Maintenance Trust Fund for the governor to use for the Disaster Emergency Fund.

The bill is intended to fill the gap left by the slow reimbursement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for costs the state has incurred.

For more stories like this, subscribe at denvergazette.com

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Lone Tree Voice 5

0December 10, 2020

Change made at undersheriff following internal investigation Multiple other positions in the upper office management also changed

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Following an internal investigation, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock has demoted his longstanding undersheriff and changed multiple positions in the office’s upper management, known as the command staff.

Holly Nicholson-Kluth served in the undersheriff position from 2014, when Spurlock was first elected, until the week of Nov. 16 this year, when she was replaced by David Walcher, the former sheriff of Arapahoe County. She now serves as a captain, a position several ranks below her former rank.

Spurlock said he made the move, along with a few other changes in the command staff, to improve efficiencies in his office.

“In this case right there, it was in my best interest for efficiencies to move them and put other people in their place so I did and I think it will be in the best interest of efficiencies in my office,” he said in an interview.

Spurlock declined to release the internal investigation into Nicholson-Kluth and one other employee, Capt. Tim Moore, that triggered the change, citing a statute that

allows these requests to be denied if the incident in question doesn’t involve a member of the public.

The sheriff confirmed that the change in staffing structure was the result of an internal investigation Nicholson- into both employees.

He did not provide furKluth ther details about the nature of the investigation.

“I’m just going to say it was a number of things that caused me to make that decision,” he said. “It was in the best interest of the ofWalcher fice to put a new person in as undersheriff.”

Nicholson-Kluth also declined to provide additional information about the investigation, but said the sheriff has the right to change his staff as he sees fit.

“I’ve worked here for 32 years and I’ve served in many positons in the sheriff ’s office,” she said. “No matter where I serve, I’m committed to serving the citizens and public safety in this community.”

Moore, who was also demoted, said the investigation was not in regard to any sort of ethics violation but didn’t go into further detail.

“I did not commit any serious acts of misconduct, I did not do anything unethical, I did not do anything dishonest,” he said. “The fact that my

position has changed has nothing to do with my character.”

Moore, who had served as a chief deputy for the past 6 1/2 years, now holds the position of captain of detentions.

“When you work in a command role you work at the pleasure of the sheriff,” he said. “If the sheriff decides he wants to go a different direction, my job is to support that and accept it.”

There was no formal announcement of the change in administration. Spurlock and his spokesperson, Lauren Childress, said that’s not unusual.

“I make movements all the time,” Spurlock said.

Walcher, formerly the chief deputy of professional standards, will now serve as undersheriff.

Walcher, who served as Arapahoe County’s sheriff from 2014 until the Republican lost a re-election bid in 2018, started with Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office in July of this year.

Spurlock said his decision wasn’t made because of Walcher’s recent hiring.

“I was just lucky,” Spurlock said.

“I picked Dave as a guy with tons of experience and I got lucky there when I made this decision that I had him already on my staff.”

Spurlock said he doesn’t see the office’s operations changing in any significant way as a result of the change. “(Walcher) has a different personality, but the day-to-day will remain the same,” he said.

Walcher said he has seen a few things within the office that could be improved.

“I think a new set of eyes is always a good thing,” Walcher said.

Other changes made in the restructuring include promoting Kevin Duffy from captain of investigations to chief deputy of law enforcement services and moving Daren Weekly from captain of detentions to captain of investigations. There are now two chief deputy positions instead of three under the former model.

“As command members of the sheriff ’s office, we are all on the same team,” Moore said. “We were before this, we will be after this.”

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6 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

Finding ways to give back during an unusual holiday season Here are some other local organizations to consider donating time or money to: • Help and Hope Center: This nonprofit serves residents of Douglas and Elbert counties. It provides a wide variety of goods and services, including housing assistance, food and toiletries, clothing and utility assistance for those who are in serious economic need or at risk of homelessness. Information on financial donations and volunteer opportunities is available at helpandhopecenter.org.

Laurel Gebhard, Vice President of Backpack Society, and June Everett, founder of the nonprofit, work in the organization’s warehouse in Littleton.

COURTESY PHOTO

One local nonprofit helps feed hungry students, teachers

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Local businesses and residents are continuing to feel the economic strain caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s why Douglas County nonprofits are stepping up to help residents in need make ends meet, put food on the table and find firm footing in a constantly changing landscape.

One of those nonprofits, The Backpack Society, based in Highlands Ranch, is focusing on providing food to hungry students and families through partnerships with 11 local schools.

June Everett, founder of the organization, originally planned to grow her new nonprofit, which began serving ThunderRidge High School in January, one school at a time.

When the pandemic hit, that plan was upended.

“We just had to jump right in because the need was so great,” she said.

The 501(c)(3) organization provides weekend meals for any student

in need and for students on free and reduced lunches, as well as for their families. The group also provides meals for staff and teachers in need of support. Right now, it gives out 600 meals to 60 students and at least 10 families every weekend, Everett said.

While all the schools it serves are in Highlands Ranch, the organization plans to expand to schools in other parts of the county, like Castle Rock and Sedalia.

“The problem is that some of the needs are really high,” she said. “We want to be able to make sure we can support the need that’s there.”

Many community members reaching out for help have lost jobs or paychecks during the pandemic, Everett said.

“It’s hard for people to step up and ask for help,” she said. “On the surface, no one would know there is this issue in our community. But it is clearly an issue.”

Students and families of the schools served can sign up for the service through the school. Those schools are: ThunderRidge High, Rock Canyon High, Highlands

Ranch High, SkyView Academy, Ranch View Middle, Rocky Heights Middle, Cresthill Middle, Eldorado Elementary, Eagle Ridge Elementary, Fox Creek Elementary and Northridge Elementary.

“Families will tell us ‘you have no idea how much this box of food is making a difference … I don’t have to worry about food, at least for a little while,’” Everett said.

The organization is in need of monetary donations to buy food from the Food Bank of the Rockies. Those looking to support the organization can also buy gift cards from grocery stores and contact the organization to deliver them or place food items in a donation bin at Mountain View Christian Church, 40 E. Highlands Ranch Parkway, near the Town Center.

“Anything donated stays right here in the community,” she said.

Volunteer opportunities are currently limited due to the pandemic but could become available in the future.

More information is available by visiting backpacksociety.org or on Facebook at @BackpackSocetyCO.

• Parker Task Force: This nonprofit provides food, limited financial support and other services to community members in Parker, Elizabeth and Franktown with the goal of helping them become self-sufficient. There are multiple ways to support the program, including volunteering, donating food and a Christmas “Adopt-A-Family” program. Information is available by visiting parkertaskforce. org then selecting “About Us” followed by “How Can I Help?”

• Winter Shelter Network: This Douglas County faith-based initiative provides shelter for those experiencing homelessness. Before the pandemic, a group of churches offered their buildings on a rotating basis to the shelter network.

Now, the network provides hotel vouchers to those who meet their eligibility requirements. How many people the network can serve depends on its funding and hotel room availability. Those looking to help can email wsncares@gmail.com.

• Manna Care with Cherry Hills Church in Highlands Ranch: This organization, which serves more than 1,000 people per month, provides a food market and other resources and services for community members in need. Opportunities to help out include volunteering and financial donations. More information is available by visiting chcc.org/manna.

• SECORCares: An organization based in Parker, it seeks to help people facing suburban poverty through providing food, guidance for self-sufficiency and a special Christmas gift program during the holidays. The group serves residents of Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties. The organization needs volunteers, monetary donations, and food and toiletry donations. More information is available at SECORCares.com.

State to consider giving businesses more capacity Colorado could take after Mesa County ‘5-star’ system, loosening COVID-19 restrictions

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The state public-health department is considering new rules that would allow businesses to operate at higher capacity than current coronavirus-related restrictions normally permit — as long as the businesses stick to strict protocols designed to prevent the virus’s

spread in their buildings.

Colorado is taking public input on what it calls the “business best practice certification” program, modeled after a system Mesa County has “pioneered and has successfully run since the summer,” the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment wrote in a Nov. 27 news release.

Members of the public can review the draft of the program at tinyurl. com/CDPHEdraftframework and were able to submit comments at tinyurl.com/CDPHEframeworkcomment until Dec. 4.

Mesa County’s “5-star rating program” was designed to allow Mesa’s economy to achieve a wider reopening. Businesses qualify for

the program based on their mask use, social distancing marking, facility capacity, written schedule for cleaning and active monitoring of symptoms, according to a Mesa County Public Health fact sheet.

The county’s program website listed more than 200 businesses and entities as “current partners,” including roughly 100 restaurants, breweries and wineries.

If the state adopts a similar program, businesses that meet the requirements would generally be able to operate based on a level of the state’s COVID-19 dial that is one notch less severe than the current level the business would otherwise have to follow. For example, a business in a “level orange” county

could operate at “level yellow” capacity restrictions.

The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has been in effect since September, is the set of different levels of restrictions that counties must follow based on the severity of each county’s local virus spread. The dial grew out of the state’s safer-at-home order — the policy that came after the statewide stay-at-home order this spring and allowed numerous types of businesses to reopen.

The recently announced level red — one step below a stay-at-home order — prohibits indoor dining and personal gatherings, along with tightening capacity restrictions at SEE STATE, P24

Lone Tree Voice 7

0December 10, 2020

DCSD reporting ‘significant’ COVID slide

By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Principals in the Douglas County School District are reporting “a significant slide in student grades” this semester, according to a letter to the community from interim Superintendent Corey Wise.

That and other concerns led the district to alter its firstsemester grading scale for district-run and alternative high schools, as well as high school “eLearning” students. eLearning is the completely virtual program made available to students who prefer that over hybrid learning.

“The key piece of this is as a district we try to be responsive to student needs,” Wise said while speaking to Colorado Community Media by phone.

“We thought this would be the most beneficial way to support the impact COVID has had on students.”

Wise’s letter to the community noted grades are particularly important to high school students applying for scholarships, college and other postgraduation plans and students

HOUSING FROM PAGE 1

heavily in the growth of the region. In May 2019, the city cut the ribbon on three new light rail stations extending south to serve RidgeGate East before any new housing was built in RidgeGate East.

Drybread said providing mobility alternatives was “integral to the whole design of the east side.”

“We’re just starting to see the fruits of all that planning and forethought,” Drybread said.

The complex is scheduled to open July 1, 2022, according to a site plan submitted by Coventry Development, the master developer of RidgeGate.

The four-story building will contain 67 one-, two-, and threebedroom apartments available at prorated rents based on an applicant’s household income.

The building will be steps from the RidgeGate Light Rail Station, the southernmost stop on the E, F and R routes for the Regional Transportation District light rail system.

The RidgeGate Station affordable housing building will have 39 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments and 10 three-bedroom apartments.

There will be no studio apartments.

To qualify for funding assistance from the state, developers must provide a percentage of units in a proposed housing complex at rental rates determined on area median income (AMI) by county. Maximum rent rates for 2020 Section 8 Housing projects are provided

are preparing for finals in a completely remote environment.

Asked how large the slide was, Wise said “I think when you say how big, that again goes back to the individual students and schools.”

“Systemically our grades are lower than they’ve been in the past,” he said.

The district began its school year with hybrid learning, where students attend a mix of in-person and virtual classes.

Elementary students returned to full in-person learning on Oct. 19.

All grades switched back to remote learning on Nov. 30 as COVID-19 cases surged across the state.

All the transitions came after the district had delayed the start of the school year for both hybrid and virtual students.

Once school was underway, mass quarantines posed more setbacks to consistent learning.

The pandemic changed how teachers teach and how students learn, Wise said. Educators have to consider a child’s home environment. They must decide what the right number of assignments is during the pandemic.

Some families may be able to access extra support through tutors, but others can’t. Many community members are dealing with isolation. He urged the community to think about everything they are going through, then “magnify it with teenagers.”

Wise said students, teachers and parents are all working harder than ever during the crisis and the COVID slide is not for a lack of trying. The choice to change high school students’ grading scale boiled down to balancing the needs of students, he said.

“Grades shouldn’t be the motivation. Grades reflect the learning, and we’re not sure that grades are accurately reflecting the learning (this semester),” he said.

in a price table provided from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) on its website, www.chfainfo.com/ arh/asset/rent-income-limits.

More than half the RidgeGate affordable apartments will be available for a two-person household income making $40,000 per year or less, including 21 one-bedroom units ranging in rent from $562-$937 per month. An additional 11 twobedroom apartments will be available between $675-$1,125 per month. Five three-bedroom apartments will be available for $780-$1,300 per month.

Close to 40% of the apartments (26) will be eligible for a two-person household income between $56,000-$64,000, or a four-person household making $70,000-$80,000 per year.

Maximum rates for those units range from $1,200-$1,400 per month for a one-bedroom; $1,600-$1,800 for a two-bedroom; and $1,800-$2,000 for a threebedroom apartment.

The five-building RidgeGate Apartments development a stone’s throw away from the site of the affordable housing site received the green light from city council this fall.

Both facilities are expected to welcome their first residents in 2022.

“It really is a quality development, and it will fit in well the community,” Drybread said.

“I think it’s a good fit for Lone Tree.”

Coventry Development agreed to provide 350 total affordable housing units in RidgeGate East, and Drybread expects the developer will exceed that number.

“It’s a start,” Drybread said.

The 3,500-acre, masterplanned RidgeGate East community was designed around the promise of light rail expansion through Lone Tree. The Southwest Village subdivision, a 2,200 singlefamily home development south of RidgeGate Station, is also currently in the planning process. When complete, planners estimate RidgeGate East will be home to more than 5,000 people.

The city and Coventry Development made mobility a priority in their conjunctive planning, aiming to give residents alternative transportation options, Drybread said.

The city introduced the Link On Demand shuttle service, hired a new mobility manager, installed electric vehicle charging stations and cut the ribbon on the Leaf Pedestrian Bridge all within the past two years. RidgeGate East has intricate plans for trail systems leading to the East-West Trail, which connects Chatfield Reservoir with the Town of Parker.

“It began with a vision for this area that I think was shared by the developer, Ridgegate, and Lone Tree in the comprehensive plan, which is to have compact, pedestrianfriendly, transit-friendly development,” Drybread said.

The Lone Tree City Center is planned to develop north of the RidgeGate apartments. No formalized plans for that area have been submitted to city council yet.

For information or documents about development projects in the city, visit cityoflonetree.com/projects.

The grading scales Previous: A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: Below 60

New: A: 88-100 B: 76-87 C: 64-75 D: 52-63 F: Below 52

KID FROM PAGE 1

The magazine scoured social media and school districts across the nation, using a panel of judges to whittle 5,000 nominees down to five finalists. According to Time, “exceptional leadership” made Gitanjali stand out from the rest.

With an impressive resume under her belt, the recognition is far from Gitanjali’s first time in the spotlight.

She made headlines after winning the 2017 Young Scientist Challenge, inventing a tool to quickly and cheaply detect lead in drinking water.

For that, she was inspired largely by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Gitanjali wowed Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” in 2018 while showcasing her lead-detecting device and corresponding app, stunning him with her young age and scientific know-how.

She landed a spot on the 2019 Forbes “30 under 30” list for science.

In addition to lead-detecting devices, Gitanjali created an app called Epione, which helps battle the opioid epidemic by providing people with pain management. The app connects to a device that can show how dependent a person is on opioids.

She’s also taken aim at cyberbullying and staggering youth suicide rates in Colorado. Gitanjali created another app and web extension called Kindly, which uses artificial intelligence to flag language that might qualify as bullying and alert the author. Kindly users can choose to rewrite their message or proceed with sharing it.

Gitanjali said her biggest motivation is knowing people in the world need help, that her generation is facing global problems never seen before and that she can use technology to help address those issues, such as climate change.

Most important to her is the time she spends mentoring other students. Gitanjali runs workshops roughly three times a week, impacting approximately 150 students across them. In total, she’s mentored thousands of students, parents and educators.

She wants other young people to dream big and know they can do anything “they put their mind to.”

“Imagine how cool it would be if a whole group of innovators and a whole army of youth looked to solving issues in our society,” she said.

Local school leaders joined in congratulating Gitanjali.

Douglas County School District interim Superintendent Corey Wise in a statement commended Gitanjali for her “amazing accomplishment” earning national recognition “at such a young age.”

“It is a true testament to her ability and dedication to making the world a better place. For Gitanjali, the sky’s the limit and we are so proud of her,” Wise said.

Executive Director of STEM School Penny Eucker said Gitanjali never rests and inspires everyone at STEM through her dedication to giving others a better life.

“When adults fret about the state of the world with poverty, climate change or COVID, I always interject that help is on the way with students like Gitanjali. She has taken our most challenging problems as a student and fearlessly works toward solutions,” Eucker said.

Gitanjali has already set her sights on a new problem to solve.

She’s back to focusing on clean drinking water after watching a documentary about young boys in Africa forced to rely on water without any knowledge of what’s in it, including parasite or other living organisms.

“It’s so appalling to see people not have access to clean drinking water,” she said.

She’s not sure what she hopes to do in the next five years, or after.

She changes her mind often, she said, but thinks she might end up working in product development. Her immediate goal is to broaden the scope of her workshops so she can reach more young people unsure of where to start in pursuing their dreams.

“I’m more of a go-with-the-flow person,” she said. “I will continue making change. I will continue making a positive impact.”

8 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

Mental health experts urge vigilance during holidays Pandemic collides with season to create ‘stressor on top of a stressor’

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The holidays are usually a time filled with large celebrations, being near loved ones and focusing on what there is to be thankful for.

This year, mental health experts are urging the community to be extra vigilant in keeping up their mental health as the holiday season collides with the COVID-19 pandemic and creates a “stressor on top of a stressor.”

Di Thompson, the medical director for physician wellness at Centura Health, said 2020 holidays will be difficult for some community members as they steer far from tradition.

“Perhaps one of the ways that we can better cope with that is to acknowledge that,” she said. “This is not going to be the Hallmark Christmas that we plan for.”

Altering expectations can help, she said. Most important is finding connection “while we can’t physically always be with people.”

Zoom, call, text and stay in touch with loved ones however possible.

She also suggests people stick to healthy coping strategies — exercise, listening to music — and

check in with themselves each day to gauge how they are doing.

Never be afraid to seek additional support like counseling or therapy, she said.

Glenn Most is executive director of West Pines Behavioral Health and spokesman for the Let’s Talk Colorado campaign, which encourages people to start conversations about mental health.

A year fraught with a public health crisis, a tense political environment, and locally a devastating wildfire season is testing the community’s ability to adapt, Most said.

“In my memory, I’ve never experienced a year like the year we’ve been having,” he said. “It’s something that none of us, most of us, have never experienced.”

Those working in the field are seeing increased rates of depression and anxiety, Thompson and Most said. Most attributed much of that to the “deep, deep isolation” created by the pandemic.

“I think people saw the holiday season as a relief, as a break from what they were seeing as really marking the end of 2020,” Most said. “And what it has turned into is not necessarily the relief that people were expecting.”

During the holidays, Most suggested strategies like planning early and clearly communicating holiday plans to family. He also stressed avoiding blaming holiday plans or their disruption on fam-

ily.

Making choices about how to spend the holidays can be difficult, and there has been “increased judgment” toward one another during the pandemic, Most said.

“This isn’t the time to try to convince people about certain practices that they might be doing, that are right or wrong,” he said. “This is not the time to argue about COVID.” He and his family chose not to gather with relatives outside their immediate family for Thanksgiving. Instead they opted for Zoom calls, and will likely do the same for Christmas, when they typically travel to California.

Just like he’s advised others to do, Most said, his family made a plan for Christmas early and communicated that to their loved ones.

Amber Berenz is program manager for Colorado Spirit Program — AllHealth Network’s initiative to provide free psychological support to people of all ages during the pandemic.

The program is grant funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s oversight. The grant is often used following natural disasters and has been deployed in Colorado after wildfires, Berenz said.

This time it’s in use to address a public health disaster, which calls

for many of the same response strategies, she said. Usually the grant would enable crisis response teams to go door-to-door to connect people with resources.

During the pandemic, the program is doing that virtually, Berenz said.

The holidays are typically a happy time for many, Berenz said, but they can also inflame trauma from loss or feelings of grief. For some community members, “the holidays are a difficult time any time of year.”

“For a lot of us, helping other people, supporting other people is a way we can manager our own stress,” she said.

In addition to strategies to help yourself cope — meditation, exercise, eating well, getting sleep — people can also care for the ones around them by checking in on them and asking how they are doing.

Thompson said starting those conversations can be uncomfortable but it’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to let someone know they are supported.

Most urged people to keep their guard up as they weather COVID fatigue amid promising news of vaccines becoming available. The community must continue working together “to get through this.”

“I’m very optimistic that this time next year,” he said, “we will be celebrating the holidays together.”

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Lone Tree Voice 9

0December 10, 2020

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10 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

Bidding wars for nurses threaten smaller hospitals COVID-19 crisis introduces new turmoil to health-care industry

BY MARKIAN HAWRYLUK AND RAE ELLEN BICHELL KAISER HEALTH NEWS

In March, Claire Tripeny was watching her dream job fall apart.

She’d been working as an intensive care nurse at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and loved it, despite the mediocre pay typical for the region. But when COVID-19 hit, that calculation changed.

She remembers her employers telling her and her colleagues to “suck it up” as they struggled to care for six patients each and patched their protective gear with tape until it fully fell apart. The $800 or so a week she took home no longer felt worth it.

“I was not sleeping and having the most anxiety in my life,” said Tripeny. “I’m like, `I’m gonna go where my skills are needed and I can be guaranteed that I have the protection I need.’”

In April, she packed her bags for a two-month contract in then-COVID hot spot New Jersey, as part of what she called a “mass exodus” of nurses leaving the suburban Denver hospital to become traveling nurses.

Her new pay? About $5,200 a week, and with a contract that required adequate protective gear.

Months later, the offerings — and the stakes — are even higher for nurses willing to move. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, nurses can make more than $6,200 a week. A recent posting for a job in Fargo, North Dakota, offered more than $8,000 a week. Some can get as much as $10,000.

Early in the pandemic, hospitals were competing for ventilators, COVID tests and personal protective equipment. Now, sites across the country are competing for nurses.

The fall surge in COVID cases has turned hospital staffing into a sort of national bidding war, with hospitals willing to pay exorbitant wages to secure the nurses they need. That threatens to shift the supply of nurses toward more affluent areas, leaving rural and urban public hospitals short-staffed as the pandemic worsens, and some hospitals unable

to care for critically ill patients.

“That is a huge threat,” said Angelina Salazar, CEO of the Western Healthcare Alliance, a consortium of 29 small hospitals in rural Colorado and Utah. “There’s no way rural hospitals can afford to pay that kind of salary.”

Surge capacity

Hospitals have long relied on traveling nurses to fill gaps in staffing without committing to long-term hiring. Early in the pandemic, doctors and nurses traveled from unaffected areas to hot spots like California, Washington state and New York to help with regional surges. But now, with virtually every part of the country experiencing a surge — infecting medical professionals in the process — the competition for the finite number of available nurses is becoming more intense.

“We all thought, `Well, when it’s Colorado’s turn, we’ll draw on the same resources; we’ll call our surrounding states and they’ll send help,’” said Julie Lonborg, a spokesperson for the Colorado Hospital Association. “Now it’s a national outbreak. It’s not just one or two spots, as it was in the spring. It’s really significant across the country, which means everybody is looking for those resources.”

In North Dakota, Tessa Johnson said she’s getting multiple messages a day on LinkedIn from headhunters. Johnson, president of the North Dakota Nurses Association, said the pandemic appears to be hastening a brain drain of nurses there. She suspects more nurses may choose to leave or retire early after North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told healthcare workers they could stay on the job even if they’ve tested positive for COVID-19.

All four of Utah’s major health care systems have seen nurses leave for traveling nurse positions, said Jordan Sorenson, a project manager for the Utah Hospital Association.

“Nurses quit, join traveling nursing companies and go work for a different hospital down the street, making two to three times the rate,” he said. “So, it’s really a kind of a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul staffing situation.”

Hospitals not only pay the higher salaries offered to traveling nurses but also pay a commission to the traveling nurse agency, Sorenson

St. Anthony North registered nurses Amy Espinosa, left, and Laura Soileau chat as they get ready to depart Denver International Airport April 21, bound for Newark, New Jersey. The nurses headed east to help four New Jersey hospitals deal with the initial surge of COVID-19 patients, due to the area’s shortage of nursing staff. Now that the whole country is dealing with rising COVID-19 cases, that nursing shortage has also COURTESY PHOTO spread.

said. Utah hospitals are trying to avoid hiring away nurses from other hospitals within the state. Hiring from a neighboring state like Colorado, though, could mean Colorado hospitals would poach from Utah.

“In the wake of the current spike in COVID hospitalizations, calling the labor market for registered nurses ‘cutthroat’ is an understatement,” said Adam Seth Litwin, an associate professor of industrial and labor relations at Cornell University.

“Even if the health care sector can somehow find more beds, it cannot just go out and buy more front-line caregivers.”

Litwin said he’s glad to see the labor market rewarding essential workers — disproportionately women and people of color — with higher wages. Under normal circumstances, allowing markets to determine where people will work and for what pay is ideal.

“On the other hand, we are not operating under normal circumstances,” he said. “In the midst of a severe public health crisis, I worry that the individual incentives facing hospitals on the one side and individual RNs on the other conflict sharply with the needs of society as whole.”

Some hospitals are exploring ways to overcome staffing challenges without blowing the budget. That could include changing nurse-topatient ratios, although that would likely affect patient care. In Utah, the hospital association has talked with the state nursing board about allowing nursing students in their final year of training to be certified early.

Growth industry

Meanwhile business is booming for companies centered on healthcare staffing such as Wanderly and Krucial Staffing.

“When COVID first started and New York was an epicenter, we at Wanderly kind of looked at it and said, `OK, this is our time to shine,’” said David Deane, senior vice president of Wanderly, a website that allows health-care professionals to compare offers from various agencies. “`This is our time to help nurses get to these destinations as fast as possible. And help recruiters get those nurses.’”

Deane said the company has doubled its staff since the pandemic started. Demand is surging — with SEE NURSES, P31

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Lone Tree Voice 11

0December 10, 2020

CATALYST CONVENER CHAMPION CHAMBER ADVOCATES FOR RESTAURANTS WITH LETTER TO GOVERNOR Recently, Castle Rock Chamber & the Douglas County

COLLABORATION IS KEY TO SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY

While both the Chamber and DCBA acknowledge the devastating effects of the COVID -19 Pandemic on our state and recognize that difficult public health restrictions need to be considered and adopted, the Chamber and DCBA feel the current Red Level restrictions are disproportionately impacting our small and locally owned main street businesses to the peril of their owners, their customers and the communities they serve.

Collaboration is key to our success, there is strength in numbers! The Town, Economic Development Council, Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Alliance make up the Castle Rock Economic Partnership (CREP). This partnerships was developed to achieve the community's vision through teamwork, performance accountability and commitment to goals and priorities. Working together we can cut through potential road blocks. Collaborating our efforts we can better support our businesses and provide necessary tools to not only survive, but to thrive.

Business Alliance (DCBA) sent letters to Governor Polis in support of reopening our local restaurants, asking for the Governor to strongly reconsider restrictions.

We are seeing this first hand in all of our communities and it is our opinion that the Governor should trust the weight of these difficult decisions to each citizen given the millions of unique circumstances that exist.

The Chamber's partnership with Douglas County, DCBA, Tri-County Health, Town of Castle Rock, Parker & Lone Tree are also looking very closely at Mesa County’s “5star” exemption program. Stay tuned for progress and view updates at CRCStrong.com.

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Get Connected to Leaders & Influencers in our community, Join the Chamber!

Email Pam@castlerock.org/call 303-688-4597 or visit CastleRock.org/Join for more information.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce has made it our top priority to be an advocate for local businesses. Recognized as a trusted pillar in the community, the Chamber works side by side with leaders and influencers in our community to proactively advocate for our businesses. Castle Rock is a businessfriendly community, and we intend to do everything in our power to keep it that way.

We pride ourselves in doing business better here!

As a member of the Castle Rock Chamber, you are a connected, invaluable part of the business community. Members receive development updates and access to accurate, most up-to-date local, county, and state information. Whether it be providing loan assistance guidance, reminding residents to shop local or communicating news from the health department, the Chamber excels in this type of environment. We know our business community is counting on us and we are gladly up for the challenge. Recently we created www.CRCStrong.com to promote ALL local businesses and to provide one central location for COVID-19 resources and information, including state/local guidelines and best practices. Chamber membership is a great investment in the future of Castle Rock, Douglas County and your business. Not already a member, join today!

Since 1955, Castle Rock Chamber has been the voice of business and we will continue to be that constant, calming voice of comfort, letting our business community know they are not alone. As we look ahead we realize we have much yet to achieve in our efforts to advocate for our community. Rest assured we will remain steadfast in our support of workforce development, advocate for small businesses, responsibly supporting and protecting our growing community, and continue serving as a business resource you can trust. Visit CastleRock.org/Join to learn more and become a part of the Castle Rock Chamber Business Community.

12 Lone Tree Voice

F

LOCAL

December 10, 2020D

VOICES From one’s perspective, two’s a crowd

ew remember Love, a 1960s Los Angeles rock band. They had a number of minor hits, including “My Little Red Book,” “7 and 7 Is,” QUIET and “Alone Again Or.” DESPERATION “Alone Again Or” was released in January 1968.

It initially peaked nationally at 123, but went as high as No. 7 where I was: in Los Angeles.

It’s worth a listen as a background to Craig Marshall this column.

Smith Hearing it now, I’m back in college — and, as now, living alone.

According to data collected by the U. S. Census Bureau in 2018, “There are an estimated 35.7 million singleperson households in the United States.”

That’s one-third of us.

Growing up in suburban neighborhoods, I don’t recall many singleperson households.

few suggestions.

Ivy Kwong said, “Plan ahead.

Don’t wait until the holiday is upon you to make a plan. Come up with something you’ll do on the day of the holiday: bake cookies, order take-out, work on a jigsaw puzzle, binge a podcast, watch your favorite movie.”

Kwong is a Seattle-based marriage and family therapist who specializes in healing codependency and intergenerational trauma.

I think doing any of those things as a plan would accentuate a perception of isolation. I might be wrong.

In the same article, Ayanna Abrams, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in creating healthy relationships, encourages singles to “Accept whatever feelings bubble up.”

I guess that means you should stay off the roof and go easy on the Smirnoff.

Living alone means I do everything around here. The laundry, yardwork, all the shopping, vacuuming. I reset the pins and thaw the goose.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s likely the majority in my area now live in townhomes and condominiums.

I’m a single-person home owner and I live right next to one, but I don’t think there’s another on the block.

Why do so many of us live alone?

Lots of reasons.

I prefer it. There are no compromises or conflicts. None.

There were conflicts in our home when I was a teenager. Plenty.

The atmosphere was invariably tense.

Why did my mother and father remain together? That’s what couples did back then. They stayed together through thick and thin and more thin.

I had a front row seat to “All in the Acrimony.”

While I prefer to live alone, many don’t, but do because of the loss of a loved one, or because their children have grown up and departed.

For those and others for whom the holidays might be particularly difficult to face alone this year, a recent article in The New York Times had a

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Commissioners back small businesses

I’m proud to see the Douglas County commissioners standing up for small businesses while protecting the safety of our community, knowing that both lives and livelihoods are at stake. They’ve recently demonstrated this by working to allow local restaurants to remain open, and fast-tracking relief funds for restaurants and indoor venue owners struggling financially to survive.

The commissioners recently asked the state government to allow local restaurants to remain open for in-person dining if they meet certain safety requirements, similar to Mesa County’s 5-Star Variance Protection Program that Governor Polis is supporting.

If restaurants in Mesa County — which has more COVID cases and less population than Douglas County — can stay open, then we should have a similar program to aid our struggling restaurants, many of which are already meeting the eight requirements in this plan.

Our commissioners are also fasttracking $15 million in CARES funds for local restaurants and other venues. Instead of waiting for the state to send funds, struggling businesses can get help quickly and directly from Douglas

A publication of

Call first: 9233 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124 Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: LoneTreeVoice.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

County (which then gets reimbursed by the state). This expedited access to funds increases local businesses’ likelihood of staying afloat.

Local restaurants, along with small businesses in general, are disproportionately burdened by these shutdowns. Sadly, over half of Colorado restaurants aren’t expected to survive these restrictions — damaging economic and social livelihoods, local jobs, and entrepreneurs’ dreams. Working to preserve both lives and livelihoods, like the commissioners are doing, is crucial.

Thank you, Douglas County commissioners for taking this holistic approach.

Dan Shipp Lone Tree Commissioners need discipline

My treasure file which will be passed on to my two greatgranddaughters in the not too distant future includes my first grade report card dated May 17, 1940. The first four grades were listed under “health” habits and the second four under “social” habits. Academic grades started at number fifteen. Irish Corner grade school was a one-room SEE LETTERS, P13

Guess who said the following?

“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.”

As it is now, I have the mobility and the health to live alone. The day may come when I have neither. Then what?

Kwong, I’m planning ahead.

There’s one more level to living alone and that’s living alone without love. That’s something I won’t kid about.

In my case, I have a sufficient number of friends who care about me.

And I have Harry. To paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, life without Harry would be a mistake. I’d get me one if I were you.

My mailbox is always open, if someone could use a holiday pen pal.

The “delicious solitude” quote is Albert Einstein’s.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

Realize you are amazing and watch what happens next

H

ere we are, four weeks out from ringing in another New Year. Many of us can’t wait to put 2020 in the rearview mirror. These last WINNING 11 months are difficult to describe in WORDS one word, it’s even hard to describe them in just a few words without finding something negative, sad, or troubling to say, so yes, the rearview mirror analogy could be an excelMichael Norton lent way to try and put it all behind us. However, it’s only a good strategy if we make sure that we can shift our focus on what is in front of us, not only on what’s behind us.

“See, when you drive home today, you’ve got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you’ve got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what’s happened in your past is not near as important as

what’s in your future.” - Joel Osteen Success is a funny thing as we can see others succeeding where we feel like we have not. Whatever they touch turns to gold. They simply have a knack for being successful at whatever they endeavor to do. Even in a difficult COVID year, they were still able to meet with success. What’s the difference?

The difference is in the way we see ourselves.

It can become very easy to only see or recognize the mistakes we have made or the unfortunate events that have happened around us. And the weight of carrying those makes it impossible to see ourselves succeeding at anything.

The rearview mirror becomes our lens of failure even though that big windshield of opportunity is right there in front of us. And as Zig Ziglar said, “Failure is an event and not a person. Yesterday really did end last night.” Here’s the thing, I do not know you, but I do know that you are amazing and not a failure.

I know this because someone who

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

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CHRIS ROTAR Interim Editor

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SEE NORTON, P13

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Lone Tree Voice 13

0December 10, 2020

W

This season, cultivate gratitude and generosity

e’ve begun the march toward the December holidays, celebrations where families have time- GUEST honored and much- COLUMN loved traditions.

But this year will be different, both in small and big ways. For the last year we’ve been managing changes in our daily routines. We’ve had to adjust to new Dr. Kimberly ways of workWinter ing, learning, and staying connected to the people we care about. It’s been stressful, scary, and at times, exhausting.

The idea of missing out on treasured opportunities to connect in person with our loved ones is sad and disappointing. This is on

LETTERS FROM PAGE 12

school located in the farming community of Irish Corner in Nicholas County, West Virginia. It is now a one-room school museum located in Summersville, West Virginia.

Every farmhouse in the community predated the Civil War and had no electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. Heat came from a fireplace or potbellied stove and cooking was done on a wood or coal burning stove. The school was heated with a potbellied stove. Older students had farm chores to do, both before and after school, and we also did the school chores, including maintaining the stove and carrying water from the well.

NORTON FROM PAGE 12

only sees themselves as failing would have already given up and stopped reading this column two paragraphs ago.

The biggest life-changing lesson for me happened when someone encouraged me to see myself difdferently. I had a mentor who taught me to take an inventory of my talents and skills, which was helpful. But the better exercise was to make an honest assessment of the gaps in my talents and skills so that I could take the time and make the effort to improve my situation.

It’s fair to say that it was humbling to admit my shortcomings, but it was also freeing and inspiring.

Recognizing that the only difference in looking in the rearview mirror instead of the massive windshield in front of me, was the belief in myself.

The way we see ourselves is the way we will see our future. If the past feels like a boat anchor, we need to cut the chain. Because the way we see our past is not nearly as important as the way we see our future. And our future begins

top of the additional stress and anxiety many are feeling during this uncertain time. It’s especially hard for adults who are alone and unable to be with their friends or families. And the holidays can be painful for those of us who have lost their jobs and have financial worry.

Most families are already coping with more “together time” than ever. The result is periodic frayed nerves, even before the added strain from changing how we celebrate the holidays. And others are struggling with painful isolation and loneliness.

These are hard times. It’s natural to feel a sense of disappointment, sadness, and frustration.

But here we are, in the middle of a once-in-a-hundred-year global pandemic. The entire world is in the same boat. It’s an opportunity for us to pivot, adapt, and be flexible — all components of resilience.

Here are some tips on taking care of yourself during the 2020 holiday season: Be realistic. Keep your expectations in line with reality. Accept that this holiday season will be different than years past.

Set reasonable goals that fit your schedule and budget. Make healthy spending decisions and prioritize financially reasonable ways to celebrate.

Put your health first. Avoid overindulging in food and alcohol.

Maintain your regular healthy eating, exercising, and sleep habits.

Make time for yourself to rest and recharge. Enjoy a hot bath with candles and lavender. Take a walk in nature, rain or shine. Stretch, take an online yoga class, or go for a run.

Listen to beautiful music.

Connect. Reach out to friends and family, organize a family Zoom gathering, have a virtual holiday meal, include friends in your virtual

get-together that you know may be alone, especially older adults who may be isolated.

Be festive and creative. Decorate your home — inside and out. Pull out that old recipe you have been wanting to make but never got around to!

Cultivate gratitude and generosity.

Contact your favorite charity or local place of worship to see how you can become involved at a distance.

Giving of your time and talents is always appreciated by nonprofits and religious groups. Now, the need is greater than ever.

Reach out if you need help. If you are struggling with feeling sad, depressed, or anxious during this holiday season, you may need more help. Call Colorado Crisis Services at 844-493-8255.

Good health habits at school were essential in maintaining good health in the community. My backwoods community practiced this 80 years ago. The three Douglas County commissioners that fired Tri-County Health and later rescinded the firing are now rescinding again. They are supporting every COVID-19 rulebreaker in Douglas County What they all need is a good dose of Miss Sweeny, the red-haired farm girl who was my first-grade teacher. You didn’t mess with Miss Sweeny.

Roy Legg Highlands Ranch

referring to the part of the levelred health order that states “two or more people not from the same household in public or private is prohibited.” My partner and I spent

a quiet Thanksgiving at home alone.

We both have big families that opted to stay home to keep each other safe.

Dr. Kimberly Winter is a family practice physician with New West Physicians in Highlands Ranch.

SEE LETTERS, P31

Paying the price

To the letter writer who said that he “[doesn’t] know anyone who didn’t violate this order over the Thanksgiving holiday,” I’m writing to introduce myself. He was

with the way we see and believe in ourselves. And we are amazing.

With just a few weeks to go in the year, this is an excellent time to take an inventory of who we are and our capacity for accomplishment. It’s a fantastic time to look through the windshield, understanding that it is more about what happens next than what has happened in the past. As a matter of fact, Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney, says it this way, “No matter what’s behind us in the rearview mirror, it’s always about what’s next.”

How about you? What’s your role in what happens next? Are you looking at what has happened, or are you focused on what can happen? And I may not know you personally, but I do know that you are amazing and I would love to hear your story at mnorton@ tramazing.com. Just remember that when we can believe in ourselves and our role in what happens next, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

In Loving Memory Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. Private 303-566-4100 Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

14 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

LOCAL

LIFE

Here is a list of outdoor skate rinks that are open — and two that are closed.

Rink at the Rock, Castle Rock ABOUT: The covered ice rink in downtown Castle Rock is open through Feb. 15. The rink is reserved for private sessions MondayWednesday.

WHERE: 414 Perry St., Castle Rock OPEN SKATE HOURS: Thursday 4-8 p.m.; Friday 4-8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-

5 p.m.

COST: Adult (12 and up), $10; child (11 and under) $8; skate rental, $4 MASKS: Required to be worn while skating.

Highly encouraged in waiting areas.

RESERVATION: Not required.

WEBSITE: www. downtowncastlerock. com/rink-at-the-rock-1

Discovery Park Ice Trail, Parker

Outdoor skating a holiday refuge amid pandemic

Alora Rankin smiles skating with her father, Bryan, at the Discovery Park Ice Trail in downtown Parker Dec. 3.

The skating loop is available by reservation only, and is one of a few outdoor ice rinks still open following level red public health orders.

PHOTOS BY NICK PUCKETT

up), $8; child (10 and under), $6; skate rental, $4 MASKS: Not required to be worn while skating.

RESERVATION: Required two days in advance online.

WEBSITE: www. parkerrec.com/1954/ Parker-Ice-Trail

Olde Town Arvada Ice Skating Rink, Arvada

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ABOUT: The new, synthetic ice rink opened in Olde Town Arvada this fall to bring a little joy to people’s holiday season amid the pandemic.

WHERE: 57th and Old Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada OPEN SKATE HOURS: Sunday-Saturday noon-8 p.m. (Hours

B

ryan Rankin did his best to keep up with his daughter on the ice.

Alora, the Ponderosa High School sophomore, darted around the Parker Ice Trail Dec. 3, at times lapping her father.

Alora egged on her father, urging him to try synchronized spins as they glided around the short loop at Discovery Park.

Bryan relished the daddydaughter time.

“I feel extremely blessed we even have a place like this to go to because I know a lot of cities don’t have an ice-skating rink, especially outdoors and as nice as this one,” Alora said. “Also, amid COVID, it’s nice that we’re still able to come have an outlet.”

The ice trail at Discover Park is one of only a handful of outdoor ice rinks still open following the level red public health orders. Masks are not required to skate, but capacity is limited.

In order to skate, visitors must fill out a registration form online and schedule a reservation two days in advance.

Visitors can request a spot in a two-hour time slot. The trail is open through the winter. For more information, visit ParkerRec.com.

Mary Colton, Parker’s parks and recreation director, said in a Dec. 4 email that the ice loop is a winter activity that lends itself to being a safe, family atmosphere.

“With such limited recreational options available due to COVID-19, Discovery Park offers a unique opportunity to recreate outdoors for improved physical and mental health, which are so important to all of us right now,” Colton said.

But many communities aren’t

ABOUT: An outdoor, loop ice trail in downtown Parker, open through the winter.

WHERE: 20115 Mainstreet, Parker OPEN SKATE HOURS: Monday-Friday 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

COST: Adult (11 and

subject to reservations).

COST: Adult (11 and up) $8; child (10 and under) $5. Ticket includes skate rental.

MASKS: Required at all times.

RESERVATIONS: Required for one-hour time slots. Online only.

Website: oldetownarvada.org/skating-rink/

Longmont Ice Pavilion, Longmont

Dozens of skaters occupy the Parker Ice Trail during time blocks reserved two days in advance. The Ice Trail is open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sundays, with special times for holidays. For more information, visit ParkerOnline.org.

so lucky.

The Rink at Belmar in Lakewood was forced to close after the state moved to level red orders Nov. 20. The 7,000-squarefoot rink at the Belmar Shopping Center is a popular spot for outdoor skating in any other year.

Tom Quinn, executive director of Alameda Connects, a business association for the Alameda corridor, said the organization is searching for new ways to give people a holiday feel despite closures and indoor shopping limitations.

“What we really focused on is: ‘What can we do, with the restrictions, to keep the holiday spirit alive?’” Quinn said.

The shopping district will be decked out with holiday lights. The City of Lakewood is holding its yearly lamp post decorating contest at Belmar Park Dec. 18. Santa is making appearances at Belmar through Dec. 24 as well. For details, visit BelmarColorado.com.

Arvada unveiled its synthetic ice rink this fall in Olde Town Square, thanks to the Arvada Business Improvement District.

Executive Director Joe Hengstler told Colorado Community Community Media it was the perfect time to open a rink following the strife caused by the pandemic.

The Streets at SouthGlenn decided against putting up its annual ice-skating rink this year due to COVID-19 concerns and looks forward to bringing it back in 2021, according to a spokesperson for the shopping district.

Evergreen could open skating at Evergreen Lake Dec. 18, weather permitting, according to the city’s recreation department’s website.

Bryan Rankin, able to catch his breath at the Parker Ice Trail Dec. 3, is thankful just to spend time with his daughter on the ice.

“Hopefully, normalcy kicks in soon,” he said.

ABOUT: A seasonal, full-service ice facility offering public skating as well as private rentals throughout the winter.

WHERE: 725 Eighth Ave., Longmont OPEN SKATE HOURS: Monday 11:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3-5 p.m.; Tuesday 3-4:45 p.m.; Wednesday 11:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3-5:15 p.m.; Thursday 3-5:15

p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.6:15 p.m.; Saturday 12:15-6:15 p.m.; Sunday 1:15-6 p.m.

COST: Adult resident/nonresident (1854) $5.75/$7.25; youth resident/nonresident (11-17) $5/$5.75; child resident/nonresident (2-10) $4.50/$5.50; senior resident/nonresident (55 and up) $5/$5.75; tot (under 2) free.

Coming soon: Evergreen Lake, Evergreen ABOUT: The 55acre lake in the Rocky Mountain foothills is nationally renowned for its ice skating, and it is scheduled to return just before Christmas.

The tentative open date is Dec. 18, pending bad weather.

WHERE: 29612 Upper Bear Creed Road, Evergreen OPEN SKATE HOURS: Monday-Friday 3-7 p.m.; Saturday

8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

COST: Adult (19-59), $8; youth (4-18), $7; seniors (60 and up), $6; military, $6; tot (3 and under), free.

MASKS: Not required.

Reservations: Required by time slots.

Online only.

WEBSITE: www. evergreenrecreation. com/224/Ice-Skatingand-Hockey

Closed

The Rink at Belmar, Lakewood Streets of Southglenn Skating at the Cube, Centennial

Lone Tree Voice 15

0December 10, 2020

Holiday series will take place on virtual stage

W

how their family tradihy are we surtions are changing ... Cast prised that the includes Jessica Austgen, always creative Sean Michael Cummings, Arvada Center Jada Susan Dixon, Tresha has come up with a new Farris, Kate Gleason, Geofholiday entertainment? frey Kent, Leslie O’Carroll, “The Family Tree: A VirtuSteve Wilson, Olivia al Holiday Comedy” Wilson and Titus deals with the situSONYA’S the dog. Visit “The ation may of us are SAMPLER Family Tree’s” dealing with right webpage at arvadanow: How can a center.org/events/ family gather in this the-family-tree. difficult holiday season??? Each performance will feature a Littleton Museum live cast — which at Littleton’s annual times will make mis“Own an Original” takes — per director show is in place and Lynne Collins. Plays ready for visitors if began Dec. 2 and Sonya Ellingboe and when the Littlewill run at 7 p.m. ton Museum is open through Dec. 20 on Zoom. to visitors. (Website says the The cast includes the farms are open Tuesday to Arvada Center’s regular Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. by Black Box Theatre’s cast reservation.) No information members and the script on awards yet from the Littlewas written by actor/playton Fine Art Board ... The wright Jessica Austgen, theme chosen by the board who will also perform. is “Liberating Humor” — a Ticket prices are based on commodity we can all look a pay-what-you-can model, forward to — if and when ranging from $20 to $50. the building can open. The One Arvada family has farm, however, is open durfamily meetings to discuss ing museum hours for family

Leslie O’Carroll, a well-known local actor, is included in the cast of Arvada Center’s virtual play “Family Tree.”

COURTESY PHOTO

groups to walk among the animals and farm buildings — but advance reservations are required. 303-795-3950, during museum hours.

and tune in right at 1:30 p.m.

The performance will not be available later. Online or box office — lonetreeartscenter. org or 303-805-6800.

Virtual Arts in the Afternoon

‘Nutcracker’ reminder

Lone Tree Arts Center will celebrate “Happy Birthday, Beethoven” with the Ivy Street Ensemble and host Betsy Schwarm at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, the actual anniversary of Beethoven’s birth in 1770. The ensemble — flutist Cathy Peterson, violinist Erik Peterson and violist Philip Stevens — will present Beethoven’s Serenade, op. 25, plus music by current American composer Kenji Bunch, who was inspired by Beethoven. Tickets: choose what you pay

Colorado Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” has remaining free PBS shows — Dec. 18 at 9 p.m.; Dec. 19 at 1 a.m.; Dec. 24 at 7 p.m.; Dec. 25 at 12 a.m. (the wee hours of Christmas morning). May also be streamed during the holidays at the Rocky Mountain PBS app, downloadable at rmpbs.org/pbs-video-app.

Another reminder

Submissions to the Colorado Book Awards will be accepted through Jan. 8. Any book published in

2020 by Colorado authors, editors, illustrators, photographers. Categories include anthology/collection, biography, children’s literature, creative nonfiction, fiction, history, nonfiction, pictorial, poetry, young adult literature. Entry forms available at coloradohumanities.org.

Also, volunteers are needed to be a selector or judge. Application form at coloradohumanities.org, 303-894-7951.

Depot Gallery news notes

Longtime Littleton Fine Arts Guild member Pat Dall is “Spotlight Artist of the Month” for the Guild, and if it were a usual month, she would have a wall in the back room at Littleton’s Depot Art Gallery for her art to be displayed. She has served in many capacities, including president as well as creating her own artwork for display.

“It’s a Small World” is a display of miniature works of art displayed at Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton Gallery.

The exhibit can be viewed online: www.depotartgallery. org/its-a-small-world.

Denver native’s art grabs attention

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Denver native and skilled painter Jeff Velarde’s images tend to stand out in a gallery — and they tell stories about cities and the people who live in them, with precise lines and angles, dense colors ...

Appealing beings inhabit many, though not all, of his scenarios. I especially enjoy “Dumb O’ Brooklyn,” a look at Manhattan Bridge from a street in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood below — the bridge, sandwiched between ordinary-looking city buildings, along a pedestrian street.

Velarde grew up in Denver’s Westside, graduated from Denver West High School and attended Colorado Institute of Arts. He currently works in parallel careers. He is art director for Z-Axis Corporation, a litigation

“Jackson Square” is a painting by local artist Jeff Velarde, who grew up on the west side of Denver and often exhibits in COURTESY PHOTO Littleton.

graphics company, and pursues a fine arts profession as well.

His “Jackson Square” reflects the joy musicians feel when performing

those outdoor summer concerts we love. Sunshine, blue skies, colorful clothing, happy chatter, polished instruments. Each musician an individual and a shiny tuba front and center.

His website is also filled with assorted Anime types — some called “Creepypasta” characters.

He is an active member of the Littleton Fine Arts Guild and one can usually see a Velarde painting in the Depot Art Gallery in downtown Littleton — now closed along with half the immediate world. He has also exhibited at Curtis Center for the Arts, in Littleton’s annual “Own an Original” show, at CORE New Art Space and in a solo show at Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton Art Gallery in 1995.

He describes his work as “telling the story of everyday life in urban

settings,” taking the viewer into that environment. “When I am painting figures in these settings I try to imagine what these characters are and what their story is. I try to come to my own conclusions about these people and try to convey what I think they are feeling. The end result that I shoot for is pleasing to the eye for its use of color, composition and subject matter, but also something that transports the viewer into another environment and an interesting view into the human condition.”

Velarde credits his wife and kids with providing inspiration and his work somehow seems like that of a happy, energetic artist. We will look forward to a reopened Depot Art Gallery in the New Year and new paintings by Velarde, as well as other talented Littleton Fine Arts Guild members. If only ...

To advertise your place of worship in this section, Serving the southeast Denver area

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call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com Parker

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16 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

‘What will happen to these people?’

For those sheltering with motel vouchers amid pandemic, the future is murky

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

James and Desiree Jackson felt like they had life pretty well under control.

The couple, together for nearly a decade, lived in a comfortable home in Aurora. Desiree stayed home to care for their two young daughters while James worked at his longtime job at King Soopers.

But late last year, when James came down with an autoimmune disorder that began consuming his internal organs, their situation degraded quickly.

Unable to work, they couldn’t pay rent and lost the house. Desiree’s family was mired in substance abuse issues and was no help. Now pregnant with a third daughter, the family moved in with James’ mom — who soon passed away.

The family struck out on the streets with little more than backpacks and a stroller, lugging a heavy

Mary McDonald, left, and Peter Shaw, holding his Chihuahua Slabbo, sit outside McDonald’s room at the Holiday Motel in Englewood. McDonald’s Christmas tree came from the home PHOTOS BY DAVID GILBERT of a former caregiving client who died of cirrhosis.

weighted blanket to keep the girls warm at night. They slept where they could.

The situation grew far more dire as the COVID-19 pandemic swept over the land: Hoarders wiped out baby supplies at grocery stores, and libraries and rec centers where the family sought refuge closed their doors. James, his organs still being consumed, feared that contracting COVID-19 could kill him.

The couple had long dreaded confessing their situation to social workers, for fear

of losing their children to foster care. Out of options, they presented themselves to Arapahoe County caseworkers.

Instead of taking the children, a caseworker connected them to Bonnie DeHart of HAAT Force, a nonprofit that provides motel vouchers to families and people with disabilities living on the streets.

DeHart booked the family a two-week stay at Englewood’s Holiday Motel, and for the first time in months, the weary couple and their

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Kayla Waters kisses her son Christopher, 3.

The family lost their apartment in October.

Waters called the Holiday Motel “the best hotel on earth.”

little girls had a bed and shower of their own.

As the two-week voucher ran out, Holiday Motel coowner Dwight Kim offered James a job helping maintain the place. The couple’s third daughter was born in August, and today the family of five shares a room beside the motel office.

“You can think you have everything together,” Desiree said outside the room as her girls napped. “And you can get down so low you think there’s no coming up.

But things happen for a rea-

son. I have such gratitude.

My eyes are open.”

Now, James and Kim help each other take care of the motel. Nearly three-quarters of the motel’s 32 rooms are occupied by people who are elderly, disabled, ill, or caring for young children, none with anywhere else but the streets to go, all depending on vouchers to ride out a pandemic raging like never before.

James has taken on a mentor role for some of the SEE MOTELS, P20

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Lone Tree Voice 17

0December 10, 2020

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Thu 12/10 CNA Competency @ 9:30am / Free-$120 Amity Healthcare Group Education Center, 5600 South Quebec Street, Suite 109A, Greenwood Village

Nursing Competency @ 10:30am / Free-$175 Amity Healthcare Group Education Center, 5600 South Quebec Street, Suite 109A, Greenwood Village

Journey Christmas Gathering

Colorado Concealed Carry -Black Friday / Holiday Special @ 9:30am / $25-$110 2186 S Holly St, 2186 South Holly Street, Denver

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@ 1pm / Free Denver First Church, 3800 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood

Sun 12/13 Sunday Worship Service @ 8:15am / Free Ridgeline Community Church, 555 Her‐ itage Avenue, Castle Rock

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Centennial Covenant Church @ 9am / Free Centennial Covenant Church, 401 West Mineral Avenue, Littleton

DFC Sunday On-Campus Worship 9:30am Service

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@ 9:30am / Free Denver First Church, 3800 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood

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Fri 12/11

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18 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

High-end kennel makers find unique niche Married couple’s company creates personal connection with customers

BY AMANDA HANCOCK THE DENVER GAZETTE

Maybe you’ve never given much thought to dog kennels. Or cared how they looked.

That’s OK. Bethany Rathman cares enough for all of us. She found wire kennels — you know, the type of kennel that automatically pops in your mind — to be so unattractive that she decided they were never meant to be inside a home. So her husband, Brody, got to work crafting a kennel out of wood and pieces of metal that looked more like fancy furniture found in a magazine than a place for dogs to hang out.

A photo of that first kennel was shared on social media. It went viral. That was before Brody and Bethany had a name for their business or a website. When they launched B&B Kustom Kennels, their website bbkustomkennels.com crashed from all the views.

“It kind of blew up,” Bethany says.

They were featured on HGTV. The Washington Post called, and so did Country Living.

A TV show was in the works in 2018, but it wasn’t good timing.

Bethany just found out she was pregnant with their son.

Labradoodles Gracie and Pyper pose for a portrait inside their B&B Kustom Kennels Doggie Den at their home in Monument.

PHOTO BY CHANCEY BUSH/THE GAZETTE

Since launching the business five years ago, the Rathmans have created a world where attractive dog kennels not only exist, but are in high demand around the country. In their world, thousands of followers also believe that “wire kennels are ugly.” In their world, that phrase might have to be in quotes because it’s trademarked. And, instead of kennels, they’re called “Doggie Dens,” which is another patent.

Made in Larkspur

All of the Doggie Dens are made inside a 2,000-square-foot unmarked

shed at the end of a gravel driveway in Larkspur. Bethany’s parents live in the house a few steps away.

Inside, there are sounds of sanding and sawing and that “Sunflower” song by Post Malone. It’s always busy as Brody and his team of guys, a mix of childhood and college friends, churn out eight or 10 kennels per week.

New orders go on a wait list that’s 25 weeks long.

The Doggie Dens come in eight different stains and a range of sizes to fit dogs of all sizes.

Bethany says she isn’t sure why the kennels, which start at a price of $899, are so popular.

“I would honestly love to know,” she says with a laugh.

Stephanie Bush, a longtime friend and B&B’s social media manager, has an idea.

“It’s honestly them as a couple,” Bush said. “People love their story.”

Their story starts at Taylor University in Indiana, which brought together a California girl who played volleyball and a Chicago boy who played baseball. They became best friends. And then they fell in love.

They moved to a small town in Colorado to be close to Bethany’s parents. He got a corporate desk job and she started teaching and coaching volleyball at a middle school.

Then, in 2015, the couple adopted 8-month-old Labradoodles named Gracie and Pyper. Since Brody had just renovated their house in Parker, Bethany wanted everything to fit their aesthetic. And wire kennels weren’t doing the trick.

“I just thought they were ugly and an eyesore,” Bethany said. “We’re the kind of people who ask, `How can we improve this? What’s a solution to this problem?’”

Even when people started showing interest in the handcrafted kennels, the husband-and-wife team weren’t thinking that big.

“We thought maybe we’d build one a month to help us pay off our student loans,” Bethany said.

Taking the plunge

Soon, Brody was working 20-hour days to keep up with orders on top of working his corporate job. They built kennels in their 450-squarefoot garage and invited friends to

move in and help.

Then it came time for a huge risk.

They sold their house. Sold everything. And moved in with Bethany’s parents. All to focus on growing B&B. “We had something that is doing well, so we thought, `Let’s go for it,’” Bethany said.

It paid off.

They’ve since both quit their other jobs. Brody is B&B’s head builder and Bethany handles the business side. Among her duties, she makes a point to call each person who orders a kennel. As a result, most customers know their names. Followers have watched their 2-year-old son grow up.

“I think people like that that they’re investing in us and the story,” Brody said.

And he thinks people like that the product is not only made in America, but made by a bunch of guys with beards in a small Colorado town.

Most importantly, the Rathmans invented a product that’s highly sought after.

As Bush, the company’s social media manager, pointed out, the Doggie Dens seem to have attracted the perfect blend of dog lovers and home decor lovers.

“There are people who want to spoil their dog and then there are people who want their house to be beautiful,” she said. “Both kinds of people want one of these.”

Brody and Bethany, who live in Monument now, say they’re focused on keeping up with the business and hopefully moving into a bigger shop soon. They’re planning on starting a retail line, too.

Talking to the couple, it’s easy to see why a TV show might be in their future.

They often get compared to Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of “Fixer Uppers.”

“But I’m more Chip, and he’s more Joanna,” Bethany says. “He’s the more laid-back one.”

Their followers love their dynamic all the same.

“They’re so hardworking and they’re so stinkin’ cute,” Bush said.

“It’s really a good marriage.”

For more stories like this, subscribe at denvergazette.com

Lone Tree Voice 19

0December 10, 2020

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20 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

MOTELS FROM PAGE 16

other voucher recipients, trying to steer them toward outreach agencies, and even helping convert a room of the motel to use for meetings and classes.

“Before my mom passed, she always told me I would find a way to help people,” he said. “I know she’s looking down and smiling.”

‘A bandage on the situation’ In the past, HAAT Force and sister organizations provided overnight shelter to people living on the streets on nights when temperatures plummeted or blizzards blew.

As the pandemic reshaped society last spring, the groups shifted their focus, seeking longer-term shelter for families and those whose age or health meant they were under serious threat from living without access to hygiene or the ability to get distance from others.

As unemployment surged and churches closed their doors, donations dried up, but were replaced with funding from the federal CARES Act. But federal funds came with a catch: they had to be spent by the end of the year.

Now, as New Year’s approaches, local governments are scrambling to line up more funding to keep paying for vouchers.

Meanwhile, shelter groups face a convergence of other factors: eviction and foreclosure moratoriums are due to expire just as a new round of public health restrictions is putting more people out of work,

Michael Curtis moved into the Holiday Motel after months living in his Jeep while nursing a broken shoulder. PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT

potentially pushing many more people in tenuous situations into life on the streets.

“My biggest worry is, what will happen to these people?” asked Betsy Keyack, a board member at HAAT Force, who is running much of the group’s operations as longtime board chair DeHart struggles to recover from a severe case of COVID-19.

HAAT Force is currently providing long-term shelter to 59 people in 25 groups, Keyack said, but the future is tenuous.

“They’re supposed to figure out what to do when they have to leave the hotels,” Keyack said. “But that’s really, really difficult.”

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Stringent protocols are in place throughout Lone Tree to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including face coverings, social distancing and ample curbside/delivery options.

Many of the services they are instructed to work with require computer access, but many of those in the motels don’t have computers, or are elderly and struggle to use them. Access to computers at libraries or places like Englewood’s Giving Heart outreach agency is limited or cut off. Volunteers who would normally help people navigate complicated systems — many of them elderly themselves and therefore at greater risk from the virus — are unavailable. Meanwhile, affordable housing is extremely limited, and wait lists stretch years long.

“We’re putting a bandage on the situation,” Keyack said. “These are people who desperately need stability. Places where they can improve their situations, find steady employment, or for kids somewhere they can get a steady education. Right now, people are making it by the skin of their teeth.”

‘Value in human life’

Other shelter groups are facing similar challenges. The Severe Weather Shelter Network, a sprawling consortium of churches primarily in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties that open their basements to unhoused single adults on cold winter nights, is unable to operate as normal this year.

Many of its member churches remain closed to the public, said director Lynn Ann Huizingh, and public health guidelines disallow so many people in such tight quarters.

Many of the group’s volunteers are elderly, and are staying away from group gatherings anyway.

The group has shifted to a motel voucher system, lining up dozens of rooms at nine different motels.

The shift hasn’t come cheap. In a normal year, the group might register 500 people for shelter between October and April. This year, Huizingh said, they registered 500 people by early December, with more added to the ranks every week.

“We’re seeing a huge increase in people living on the street,” she said.

“Maybe a fifth of our guests this year are new to the street, and most have lost their jobs and their housing since March.”

Providing motel accommodations is much more complex than providing cots in church basements, and the shift has not come cheap.

Faced with increasing duties and a lack of volunteers, the network has had to hire several employees to handle administrative tasks and check in on guests. Paying for motel rooms for a three-day stretch of bad weather can cost $20,000, Huizingh said.

A silver lining, she said, is that the group’s registry is exposing the true scope of homelessness in the suburbs.

“We’ve known for years the number of people on the streets is majorly undercounted,” she said.

“We’re starting to get a real count.

It could mean more funding from governments and foundations to help people.”

The work is difficult, but Huizingh called it a calling.

“For me personally, it’s an extension of my faith,” she said. “Jesus said, ‘What you have done for the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done for me.’ There’s value in human life. These are people who are marginalized, shunned, turned away. They’re isolated and invisible.

It’s a burden on our hearts, and we have to do something.”

‘We don’t want people freezing’

Local government officials say they see the need and are doing everything they can to maintain the voucher programs after the federal money must be sent back to the national treasury.

Arapahoe County has already allocated nearly $900,000 of its CARES Act allotment toward emergency housing, said Nancy Sharpe, chair of the board of county commissioners. After the first of the year, Sharpe said the plan is to use community development block grant funding, and there is even some hope that limited CARES funds can be held over.

“We don’t want to see these families back on the street,” Sharpe said. “We should be able to get them through at least until spring.”

Meanwhile, the county is beefing up its outreach programs, and working to provide “navigators” who can help walk people in need through the struggle of building personal stability.

In Jefferson County, officials have allotted $250,000 of CARES Act funds toward the Severe Weather Shelter Network’s efforts, said Kat Douglas, the county’s regional homelessness and housing development coordinator.

She said she feels confident the county will be able to provide additional funds, some drawn from grants from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, to cover the network’s need until spring.

The network is doing vital work, Douglas said.

“We don’t have a great shelter network in Jefferson County,” Douglas said. “Motels have proven to be a critical resource. Having families, veterans and people with disabilities on the street isn’t good for anyone. With hospitals already taxed, it’s no good to have people in there being treated for frostbite. We don’t want people freezing to death.”

‘A helping hand’

At the Holiday Motel, Dwight Kim, the co-owner, makes the rounds checking on guests riding out the pandemic.

There’s Mary McDonald, a 1980 graduate of Arapahoe High School, who lost all her cleaning service’s clients early in the pandemic. She salutes every fire truck, ambulance and police car that drives past.

There’s Peter Shaw, a once successful contractor who lost his home after he got too sick to work. Recovering from a brutal car crash, he is hoping to access the final $5,000 of his late wife’s life insurance to buy a van to live in.

There’s Michael Curtis, who found his way to the motel after months spent nursing a broken shoulder while living in his Jeep behind the convenience store where he worked until being forced out when he was fired.

There’s Kayla Waters, raising two sons, ages 8 and 3, whose ADHD gives them such severe fits of rage that she was not allowed to renew the lease on her last apartment.

“Even once this pandemic is over, homlessness is not going away,” Kim said. “It can happen to anyone. We live in a fragile world. All people need is a helping hand.”

Lone Tree Voice 21

0December 10, 2020

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22 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

Some skiers plan season away from resorts Colorado survey finds fear of COVID, more inclination to use backcountry

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Since 2006, Magellan Strategies has polled voters, helping to measure Colorado’s political winds. Last month they turned their analysis to skiers, asking a mountain of questions about the pandemic-muddled season.

The political strategy firm’s survey of 788 Colorado skiers — about 480 of them living near ski areas and the rest hailing from the Front Range — showed a surprisingly large number pondering a season on the sidelines. About 31% of the respondents said they were not planning to ski this season because of the pandemic. And 39% said they had not purchased a pass this season, which means they likely will not be riding chairlifts since most resorts are using day-ticket supplies to control crowds.

The poll, conducted between Nov. 10 and Nov. 16, had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

The skiers who said they were ready to sit out the season cited fears that others might not follow safety guidelines outlined by resorts — like social distancing and mandatory masks — as well as a frustration over reservation systems and

concerns over costs in a declining economy.

A very large number of skiers thought that skiing would be shut down due to the pandemic at some point this season, with 36% of respondents giving a shutdown a 5050 chance; 29% guessing there was a 75% chance resorts would close; and 18% saying resorts would most certainly close.

“That really does show you there are not a lot of optimistic people out there, with a majority of the community looking ready or assuming it will be shut down at some point,” said David Flaherty, the co-founder and chief executive of Magellan Strategies.

But a majority of respondents — particularly skiers under 25 — expressed trust that resorts would provide quality turns even with new rules to limit the spread of COVID-19. And 69% said they were confident the rules installed to limit COVID-19 would protect visitors and employees.

When asked what kind of rules would help them feel most protected from COVID-19, most skiers suggested protocols that resorts already have planned for the season: limiting capacities, requiring masks, distancing skiers in lines, cleaning and restricting indoor activities and access.

Magellan’s study — which included questions suggested by The Colorado Sun — detailed hundreds of verbatim responses that explored beyond statistics. Those comments

Crowds at the base of Arapahoe Basin ski area on Nov. 25.

about why skiers might avoid riding lifts this season are telling, with both ski-town locals and Front Rangers worrying about a flood of travelers from afar and the spread of the virus in resort shuttles, restaurants and lodges.

“I can go a year without skiing downhill,” said a Park County woman who is “strongly” considering not skiing this season.

“Because travel now is stupid and frivolous,” said a Pitkin County man.

“I will ski no matter what, but it may just be alpine touring in the backcountry,” said a Routt County woman.

Flaherty’s survey also explored if and how skiers planned to explore the snowy backcountry. About 62% said they had skied in the backcountry before. And 81% of the roughly 300 skiers who said they had never

PHOTO BY JESSE PAUL/THE COLORADO SUN

ventured into ski terrain beyond a resort boundary said they did plan to do it this season. That mirrors a growing recognition that backcountry use will spike this season as resorts work to control crowds and access during the pandemic.

When skiers who intended to explore the backcountry were asked about their plans, 42% said they intended to buy avalanche safety equipment and take an avalanche awareness course. About 26% said they planned to take a course, where, by the way, the need for safety equipment like a beacon, shovel and probe pole will be emphasized loudly and frequently.

Of the nearly 500 skiers who had experience in the backcountry, 37% had both safety gear and education; 20% had equipment but no formal SEE SKIERS, P24

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24 Lone Tree Voice

STATE FROM PAGE 6

some business. The new level took effect on Nov. 20 and now includes Denver metro counties and other regions of the state.

The biggest change that would come with the state adopting a program similar to Mesa County’s is that businesses in level red could be allowed to operate at level orange restrictions — a shift that, most notably, could allow restaurants to reopen indoor dining.

It’s unclear whether the state will allow businesses in level red counties to operate at level orange, though. That is still to be determined depending on the “results of Mesa pilot,” according to the state publichealth department’s draft framework.

December 10, 2020D “Mesa County has a variance (an exemption) to operate its 5 Star program for 12 days while in red. This pilot will provide needed data on if a 5 Star program is compatible with suppression goals of the red level,” the draft framework says.

If a county crosses into level purple — the highest level on the dial, which would be a local stay-athome order similar to the statewide stay-at-home seen in the spring — its businesses would not be eligible to operate at a lower level of restrictions, according to the draft framework.

More details of the plan and whether it would apply in level red counties were not available by Dec. 4.

Counties push back on level red

The announcement from the state came amid pushback from some counties

SKIERS FROM PAGE 22

avalanche education; and 29% said they had neither gear nor education.

That last number — more than 140 people — saying they had ventured into the backcountry, but had no avalanche education or safety equipment, has Colorado’s searchand-rescue teams on edge. Volunteer rescuers and avalanche educators

and businesses against the new level red restrictions.

In a letter to Gov. Jared Polis sent Nov. 25, Douglas County’s elected leaders requested that the county be allowed to start a program that would keep qualifying restaurants open for indoor dining.

The commissioners referred to Mesa County’s program, which allows qualifying restaurants to be open with limited capacity, according to The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction.

“It is not fair that a restaurant in Mesa County … is allowed to operate while businesses here can’t,” Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas said in a Nov. 24 work-session meeting. “That is not right.”

Weld County officials have said they won’t enforce the state’s level red restrictions, multiple Colorado news outlets have reported.

are worried that an influx of new backcountry travelers in Colorado’s notoriously dangerous avalanche terrain could lead to more incidents and calls for help.

“Avalanche danger is going to be insane, not because of snow but too many people not knowing what they are doing in the backcountry!” an Eagle County man said.

Finally, the survey asked for general thoughts about the upcoming season, and that’s where the long-held animosity between locals

How a business would qualify

According to the draft framework, businesses would qualify if they meet the following criteria: • The business has a written plan about how it is implementing or exceeding state prevention guidelines, implementing or exceeding local prevention, and has a clear compliance and enforcement plan.

• 100% mask-wearing among staff and customers with “strong compliance and enforcement protocols.”

• All employees do daily symptom checks or screening either with CDPHE symptom tracker tool or other approved protocol.

• Perform regular outreach to employees and customers to activate the state’s exposure notifications smartphone application that shares anonymous information with other users to alert them if they’ve

and visitors became most apparent.

And beyond worries about the virus, locals are concerned the reservation system at some resorts might limit their access.

“Locals lay the framework yearround. Keep their voice heard in decision-making meetings,” said a Boulder County man.

“I think we should be encouraging less tourists if anything — they’re the ones that are bringing the pandemic here and don’t follow our guidelines,” said a Pitkin County

been potentially exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 and uploads their result to the system.

• Businesses must record the name and contact number of customers to be used for contact-tracing should a COVID-19 case be connected to that business.

• Business must comply with industry-specific requirements including that restaurants have table spacing of at least 10 feet and require reservations, gyms require reservations, and personal services require reservations. Further industry specific requirements will continue to be developed.

• Any business that has been cited for noncompliance with a public health order is ineligible to be certified.

Reporter Elliott Wenzler contributed to this story.

woman.

Flaherty said it was interesting to see the varying viewpoints between skiers near resorts and those who travel to ski.

“Locals really wanted their voice heard,” Flaherty said.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state.

Used by permission. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com.

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December 10, 2020

LOCAL

SPORTS

Lone Tree Voice 25

Creek shuts out Valor for state crown Logan leads Bruins football team to second consecutive trophy

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Cherry Creek football coach Dave Logan turned his best player loose in the Class 5A state championship game, which was held Dec. 5 at the CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl Stadium.

Myles Purchase, a defensive back and kick returner during the regular season, was inserted as a wildcat quarterback during the Bruins’ playoff run, and the move to that formation paid dividends.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior who has committed to play at Iowa State rushed for two touchdowns, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass as top-seeded Cherry Creek blanked No. 2 Valor Christian, 21-0, to win Creek’s second straight state title.

Creek was 14-0 last season and concluded a 9-0 campaign this year in an abbreviated season plagued with COVID-19 restrictions. The win over Valor was the 23rd consecutive victory for the Bruins, who last lost in the 2018 state championship game against the Eagles.

Valor suffered its first loss in eight games and never got its fast-paced, high-scoring offense in gear against the Bruins, who took a 21-0 lead into the scoreless second half.

Purchase scored on a 31-yard run to put Creek in front with 7:45 left in the first quarter. He scored on a threeyard run on the Bruins’ second possession of the game with 34 seconds still to be played in the first quarter.

“I said it before the season started and before this game that he’s (Purchase) the best all-around football player in the state,” said Logan.

“He’s a multi-talented athlete. He’s very smart. He has great hands, he can cover, he can tackle, can run routes and can catch the ball. I have yet to find something he can’t do.”

Purchase pointed to the team’s hard work in a difficult season for help securing the back-to-back championships for Creek.

“It feels great,” he repeated. “I will give credit to all my teammates and people that helped me out and all the coaches that put in the work to make me the best player I could be. It felt great to be the wildcat. We waited until the playoffs to put it in. I was just happy I was put in the position to make plays.”

Purchase, who had 103 yards and scored two touchdowns in Creek’s 35-7 semifinal win over Pomona, finished with 113 yards rushing against Valor, and his offense added to the 106 rushing yards that James Walker II gained against the Eagles.

Creek senior quarterback Julian Hammond was 18-22-1 for 180 yards and one touchdown. He tossed a 33-yard TD pass to Chase Penry, who had eight catches in the game. Gunnar Helm caught five passes.

“I felt overall we played good but we should have cleaned up some of the penalties,” said Hammond. “It

Cherry Creek’s Myles Purchase (3) gets airborne as Valor Christian defenders Zaire Jackson (5) and Griffin Meier (16) cut him off.

PHOTOS BY PAUL DISALVO Purchase’s Bruins shut out the Eagles 21-0 to win the 5A state final Dec. 5 at the CSU Pueblo Thunderbowl.

was good to see we could move the ball. It feels great to know I could lead the team to two state championships in my three years.”

Creek, which according to Logan had five or six players on this year’s team that were playing in the 2018 loss to Valor, finished with over 400 yards in total offense but missed two field goals and had 13 penalties for 111 yards. Valor, a team that came into the title contest averaging 39 points and 410 yards of total offense per game, was held to 178 yards of total offense and was saddled with the shutout setback.

Valor’s Gavin Sawchuck, the state’s top Class 5A rusher during the regular season, broke loose on a 57-yard run in the third quarter, but the Bruins contained him to 153 yards rushing on 23 carries.

Sawchuck’s long run set up Valor for a chance to get on the scoreboard with a first down at the Creek 14-yard line, but Eagles’ quarterback Sean McNair was under heavy pressure on a fourth down pass, fumbled, and Branden Jackson recovered as the Bruins ended the scoring threat.

Valor’s quick running of offensive plays didn’t seem to bother the Bruins defense.

“We worked on it all week,” said Purchase. “It was the thing we worked on every day and that’s the thing we knew would make the game for us. Basically it was just making sure we got back to the line of scrimmage and made sure we got the calls from the sidelines.”

Valor coach Donnie Yantis hopes his team learned something from the loss, which gave Creek a 2-1

Valor Christian’s Tyler Larson (6) gets pulled to the ground by Cherry Creek defenders Sam Pezdirtz (26) and Austin Luhring (16) as teammates Jaxson Hurd (48) and Myles Purchase close in to help.

edge in state title games against the Eagles.

“I’m proud of our team that battled through adversity all season with this pandemic,” Yantis said. “It wasn’t our night, we didn’t play well and didn’t coach well. Hats off to coach Logan, his staff and players.

They performed well and earned the win. We will be back. This type of loss will be a motivation to our program moving forward into the off season.”

It was the 11th state title won by Cherry Creek. Logan has coached nine for state championship teams, including three at Creek, which

made its third consecutive appearance in a state title affair.

“It’s always exciting when you finish at the end of the year and have a chance to win,” said Logan.

“It never gets old. The faces change, every season is unique and every team is unique. It’s hard to do (win back-to-back state titles). This season was a big challenge for my kids, my staff and myself. This is my 28th year and I never had a season like this with so many distractions, so many protocols and so many things you couldn’t do in practice. We tried to abide by them all and it made it very challenging.”

26 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

C R O S S W O R D BUSINESSES P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 2

Cooper and Valdez purchased an Outpost Eatery food trailer this summer. And they’re not stopping just at breweries and parks.

The duo organized times to visit local apartment complexes and neighborhoods by partnering with homeowners associations. Their menus allow customers to scan, order and pay for their food on their phone. A notification will tell them when their food is ready, and they can come and get it.

“You can shut down a restaurant, but you can’t shut down a trailer,” Valdez said. “We’re trying to be as COVID-proof as possible.”

Valdez said since he has started his Outpost Eatery trailer, he’s noticed other restaurants following suit.

“We want to be ahead of the curve,” Cooper said. “We want to be the ones setting the trends of what the restaurant industry is going to turn into.”

Cooper believes the pandemic will cause many permanent changes to the industry, one that OpenFridge is well-suited for. Cooper says he is cautious not to let quality go by the wayside.

Cooper believes sacrificing quality for quantity would hinder his business in the long run. His

goal is to continue innovating to deliver a “perfect product every time.”

But they’re still trying to figure things out, mostly through trial and error, Valdez said. They’re still working on perfecting their delivery system, exactly how much to charge for delivery and where and when to run the food trailer.

“There’s no blueprint for this,” Valdez said. “We’re creating in right now.”

To Cooper and Valdez, there is no other option.

“I don’t think either one of us are the type who really want to work for anybody else ever again,” Cooper said. “That being the case, we’ve got to do everything we can to make us work. We don’t have a choice but to keep going.”

Level-red orders prohibit indoor dining at restaurants, limiting businesses to outdoor, take-out, delivery and drive-thru services.

In an effort to improve outdoor dining capacity, the City of Lone Tree distributed 40 portable dining “igloos” to every restaurant that requested one, according to Economic Development Director Jeff Holwell. The city also launched a new campaign to promote patronage of small businesses.

“What we all have to do is just keep fighting and just keep moving forward,” Valdez said. “Because if you can do that — I hate to say it— but there will be less competition.”

Weekly Carrier Routes Available Castle Rock Area • Part-time hours • Adaptable route sizes • No suit & tie required!

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© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Solution

Lone Tree Voice 27

0December 10, 2020

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28 Lone Tree Voice

December 10, 2020D

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Lone Tree Voice 29

0December 10, 2020 Roofing/Gutters

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Lone Tree Voice 31

0December 10, 2020

NURSES FROM PAGE 10

Rocky Mountain states appearing in up to 20 times as many job postings on the site as in January. And more people are meeting that demand.

In 2018, according to data from a national survey, about 31,000 traveling nurses worked nationwide.

Now, Deane estimated, there are at least 50,000 travel nurses. Deane, who calls travel nurses “superheroes,” suspects a lot of them are postoperative nurses who were laid off when their hospitals stopped doing elective surgeries during the first lockdowns.

Competition for nurses, especially those with ICU experience, is stiff. After all, a hospital in South Dakota isn’t competing just with facilities in other states.

“We’ve sent nurses to Aruba, the Bahamas and Curacao because they’ve needed help with COVID,” said Deane. “You’re going down there, you’re making

$5,000 a week and all your expenses are paid, right?

Who’s not gonna say yes?”

Krucial Staffing specializes in sending health-care workers to disaster locations, using military-style logistics. It filled hotels and rented dozens of buses to get nurses to hot spots in New York and Texas. CEO Brian Cleary said that, since the pandemic started, the company has grown its administrative staff from 12 to more than 200.

“Right now we’re at our highest volume we’ve been,” said Cleary, who added that over Halloween weekend alone about 1,000 nurses joined the roster of “reservists.”

With a base rate of $95 an hour, he said, some nurses working overtime end up coming away with $10,000 a week, though there are downsides, like the fact that the gig doesn’t come with health insurance and it’s an unstable, boom-and-bust market.

Hidden costs

Amber Hazard, who lives in Texas, started as a

LETTERS FROM PAGE 13

We made a full Thanksgiving dinner, complete with all the trimmings, and visited with our loved ones over Zoom. It was a lovely day, and at the end of it we felt good about our family being willing to show our love to each other by keeping each other safe.

To the letter writer who said, sarcastically, “unelected bureaucrats know better than we do,” yes, they do. The officials who work at our state and local health departments are trained health professionals who have the scientific expertise required to keep a community safe during a pandemic. Unless you are a trained epidemiologist or public health official,

Austin Zucchini-Fowler’s iconic mural of a nurse with boxing gloves PHOTO BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO on along Colfax Avenue in Capitol Hill.

traveling ICU nurse before the pandemic and said eye-catching sums like that come with a hidden fee, paid in sanity.

“How your soul is affected by this is nothing you can put a price on,” she said.

At a high-paying job caring for COVID patients during New York’s first wave, she remembers walking into the break room in a hospital in the Bronx and seeing a sign on the wall about how the usual staff nurses were

you do not have that knowledge.

That’s why we hire these folks... to use their expertise to keep us safe.

I’m sorry that so many put themselves and their short-term wants and desires above the safety of the community. It is why our nation has among the highest per capita number of cases in the world, to say nothing of our rate of hospitalizations and deaths. We are all paying a price for the unwillingness of some to do what’s best for all. Some are too weak to weather an emergency like this, and I’m sad for them and all who they endanger. For the majority out there who are making daily sacrifices for the love of their families, communities, and nation, I am grateful.

Kathy McKittrick Castle Rock

on strike.

“It said, you know, `We’re not doing this. This is not safe,’” said Hazard. “And it wasn’t safe. But somebody had to do it.”

The highlight of her stint there was placing a wedding ring back on the finger of a recovered patient. But Hazard said she secured far more body bags than rings on patients.

Tripeny, the traveling nurse who left Colorado, is now working in Kentucky

Support area gyms

It is paramount we do everything possible to keep essential resources available to the community. That should include fitness facilities.

Maintaining your mental and physical health is crucial in the fight against COVID-19. Local business owners in the fitness industry, like myself, hope our local and state leaders realize gyms are a part of the solution — not the problem — to this pandemic.

All Coloradans must do their part to support local businesses — including local fitness centers — to help us avoid more mandatory closures. Wear your mask, practice physical distancing and avoid social gatherings. The holidays are a stressful time, and the addition of these restrictions will make this season even more difficult. Prioritize exercise as a way to combat anxiety,

with heart surgery patients.

When that contract wraps up, she said, she might dive back into COVID care.

Earlier, in New Jersey, she was scarred by the times she couldn’t give people the care they needed, not to mention the times she would take a deceased patient off a ventilator, staring down the damage the virus can do as she removed tubes filled with blackened blood from the lungs.

She has to pay for mental health therapy out-of-pocket now, unlike when she was on staff at a hospital. But as a so-called traveler, she knows each gig will be over in a matter of weeks.

At the end of each week in New Jersey, she said, “I would just look at my paycheck and be like, `OK. This is OK. I can do this.’”

This story is from Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Used by permission. For more, khn.org.

depression and negative moods.

Evidence shows physical activity also strengthens the body’s immune system, improves cardiovascular health and may help to protect against COVID-19 complications.

As the owner of the Planet Fitness clubs in Parker and Castle Rock, I can confidently say Colorado’s fitness industry is providing the safest environment possible to workout. Based on data from the governor’s office, only one out of 686 health clubs across the state has been linked to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. We know gyms are essential for our health. And with the current restrictions, hundreds of gyms across the state are at risk of closing permanently, leaving tens of thousands of people in the industry without jobs.

Jonny Jost Planet Fitness franchisee, Parker and Castle Rock locations

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the proposed budgets for the County of Douglas and all its agencies, the Douglas County Law Enforcement Authority, the Douglas County Woodmoor Mountain General Improvement District, and the Douglas County Local Improvement District No.

07-01-Lincoln Station have been submitted to the Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County for the ensuing year 2021. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of the proposed budgets on December 15, 2020 beginning at 2:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, in the Commissioner’s Hearing Room, Phillip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado. Any interested elector of Douglas County may file an objection to the proposed adopted budget prior to its final adoption by the Board of County Commissioners. A copy of said resolution may be obtained for inspection at the offices of the County Commissioners at the above address in Castle Rock, Colorado, or viewed on-line at www.douglas.co.us.

Legal Notice No. 938429

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

First Publication: December 10, 2020 Last Publication: December 10, 2020 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Bids and Settlements PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF CONTRACTORS SETTLEMENT COUNTY OF DOUGLAS STATE OF COLORADO NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 38-26-107, C.R.S., as amended, that on the 11th day of JANUARY 2021, final settlement will be made by the County of Douglas, State of Colorado,

for and on account of a contract between Douglas County and ARROW-J LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, INC. for the BAYOU GULCH REGIONAL PARK SITE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT – INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #019-20 (PO#40552 & PO#40553); and that any person, co-partnership, association or corporation that has an unpaid claim against said ARROW-J LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, INC. for or on account for the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or any subcontractors in or about the performance of said work, or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement on said 11th day of JANUARY 2021, to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid

on account of such claim with the Douglas County Government, Board of County Commissioners, c/o Parks, Trails & Building Grounds, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104.

Failure on the part of the claimant to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve said County of Douglas from all and any liability for such claimant’s claim. The Board of Douglas County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado, By: Carolyn S. Riggs, CPPB, Purchasing Supervisor, Douglas County Government.

Legal Notice No. 938440 First Publication: December 10, 2020 Last Publication: December 17, 2020 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

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Lone Tree Legals 12.10.20 * 1

32 Lone Tree Voice

S:9.125"

December 10, 2020

DOUGLAS COUNTY IS SEEING A SURGE IN CASES

KEEP IT UP TO KEEP COVID DOWN.

D o u g l a s

C O U N T Y

K e e p wa s h i n g yo u r ha n d s , and wearing your mask.

Learn more at www.douglas.co.us