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February 6, 2015 VOLU M E 1 3 | I SS UE 1 4
ParkerChronicle.net A publication of
D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
County shines in economic numbers Unemployment figures hit lowest level since 2008 By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Canvas Uncorked owner Cameron Cover looks at the paintings on the walls of the art studio on the southeast corner of South Parker Road and Mainstreet. Canvas Uncorked serves wine and beer while hosting painting classes for novice and advanced artists. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Hidden talent a brushstroke away Canvas Uncorked has been open for more than a year.
Canvas Uncorked offers interactive fun, chance to discover By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com Sometimes a mere brushstroke is all it takes to find the artist within. Canvas Uncorked has been tapping into the creative abilities of Parker-area residents since opening in a strip mall on the southeast corner of South Parker Road and Mainstreet in November 2013. The artand-wine studio is owned and operated by Cameron Cover, whose father is a retired art teacher from Ponderosa High School. Growing up in a home that encouraged creativity, Cover dabbled in every medium imaginable — photography, ceramics, jew-
elry, drawing, painting and weaving, just to name a few. So opening Canvas Uncorked was a fitting, almost predestined move for Cover. But it didn’t seem that way six years ago, when she felt suffocated by the confines of a corporate office. It wasn’t until she was introduced to the ultimate pairing of wine and acrylic painting that she decid-
ed it was what she wanted to do. “I love the fact that it’s an experience,” she says. “It’s not just going to a bar or going out to dinner.” As a bonus, customers take away a souvenir, one that they’re often proud of. Cover Canvas continues on Page 9
When it comes to the economy, it’s a good time to be in Douglas County. The unemployment rate in the county fell to 3.2 percent in December — a 1.5 percentage-point drop from the same time the previous year — according to data released Jan. 27 by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, The dip below 4 percent in recent months marks the first time the county has seen such healthy employment figures since 2008. Meanwhile, sales prices for single-family homes jumped throughout the county in 2014. And, according to data compiled in September by Sentier Research, Douglas County has the sixth highest median household income in the nation at $99,767. That’s nearly twice the national average of $52,300. “I think we have done our best to create an environment where people want to come and do business,” Douglas County Commissioner Jill Repella said. “That is one of our long-term goals for the county.” Repella pointed to a climate of less red tape and more streamlined regulation for things like licensing and building permits, as well as the use of a business personal property tax exemption to invite and stimulate economic growth. Under the tax exemption, the first $100,000 of actual value is exempted for businesses in Douglas County. The exemption was originally created for new businesses, but has seen so much Economy continues on Page 13
Chaparral High student project boosts teachers Girl Scout’s work on Gold Award gives monthly kudos By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com A note of student gratitude left on a classroom door brought a weary Chaparral High School teacher nearly to tears recently. It was among several acts of kindness orchestrated by Chaparral student Kellyn Dassler as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. “That was a beautiful thing,” Chaparral teacher Damon Larson said of the messages. “Every once in a while, it’s nice to get that shot in the arm, that validation.” The Gold Award is the highest in Girl Scouting. It requires a project that provides a sustainable, lasting benefit to the girl’s larger community. Kellyn, whose mother and father both are educators, proposed a project called “Year of the Teacher 2014,” in which she would acknowledge the staff at her high school in some unique way each month. “I saw the teachers working really hard, especially with all the changes going on,”
she said. “I decided it would be great to show how we appreciate them.” Starting in August 2014, Kellyn enlisted the help of several CHS student clubs to host a teacher car wash, babysitting night, breakfast and gratitude notes, among other projects. Teachers said the gestures have been heartwarming. “I love, love, love teaching, and don’t want to do anything else,” said French teacher Carolyn Ford. “But it is an incredibly tough job. “We know our students appreciate us; there are a lot of ways they show it. But this is an organized concerted effort. And not only do the projects Kellyn is doing help us feel good, they actually help us in concrete ways.” Leaving the school on Friday with a clean car means there’s one less job waiting on the weekend to-do list, Ford said. Larson, who’s been part of the Chaparral staff since the Parker high school opened, said Kellyn’s projects have brought the community closer. “We work hard academically, on the Girl scouts continues on Page 9
Members of Chaparral High School’s Interact Club wash a teacher’s car as part of Kellyn Dassler’s September 2014 Girl Scout Gold Award project. Courtesy photo