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January 22, 2015 VOLU M E 2 8 | I S S UE 9
HighlandsRanchHerald.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Student headed to D.C. Lee one of two Colorado teens chosen for annual program By Jane Reuter
jreuter @coloradocommunitymedia.com
“One of the major issues,” Dailey said, “is the dog falls through, and the owner tries to get the dog. The next thing is we have the dog and the owner in. Quite often, the dog could get out on his own, but Littleton Fire responds to the owner being in the ice.” This was the case last year at Redstone Park, when an individual fell in trying to rescue a dog that ran onto the pond, he said. On average, Littleton Fire Rescue is dispatched on a dozen to 20 ice-rescue calls a year, with the season being from December to March, in the 80 square miles the department services, Woodward said. The majority of the calls are animals, but typically, five or six of them are people. The department has already gone out
ThunderRidge High School senior Brandon Lee was only 3 when his parents decided to immigrate from South Korea to the United States. He believes that decision provided him with a wealth of opportunities, which he hopes he can use to someday help other Asian-Americans. Lee is off to a good start. Recently accepted to Harvard University, he also just learned he was selected as a Colorado delegate to the 53rd annual U.S. Senate Youth Program. Lee is one of only two Colorado students chosen represent the state. “I was honored,” Lee said. “It blows my mind I was able to get offered this. I’ m so thankful to my teachers and peers and community members who have helped me along the way. And my family for supporting me so much for Lee 17 years.” A total of 104 students from across the country will participate in the program’s annual “Washington Week” in Washington, D.C., in March. They’ll spend the week seeing government in action, hearing major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense and directors of other federal agencies, and participate in a meeting with a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Lee also receives a $5,000 scholarship. “For me, this is not just another outlet into my interest in learning about politics,” said Lee, who is the Colorado Association of Student Councils’ executive representative
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Lee continues on Page 4
Walking on frozen ponds is not permitted in Highlands Ranch. On average, every year, Littleton Fire Rescue is dispatched to five or six calls to rescue a person who fell through the ice. The department has already been on three calls this year in the South Metro area. Courtesy photo
No place for people, pets Footprints, sled marks found on Metro District frozen ponds By Christy Steadman
csteadman @coloradocommunitymedia.com Don’t trust the ice. In fact, don’t even go on it — at least not in Highlands Ranch. It’s not allowed, and it’s not safe, said Bill Dailey, Highlands Ranch Metro District’s natural resource manager, and Nick Adamson, the Metro District’s open-space supervisor. People often don’t realize the potential dangers of wandering onto a frozen pond, they said. “In the mountains, ice can be up to 20 inches thick,” said Capt. Tim Woodward, dive team leader for Littleton Fire Rescue,
“but in the metro area, it takes a long, deep freeze to get that thick.” Ice on ponds can vary from being as thin as a sheet of paper to 6 or 8 inches thick, he added. “It’s hard to recognize those thickness differences.” In Highlands Ranch, there are 13 ponds that the Metro District regulates. Six of those are recreational, and the others are water quality, Dailey said. People are not permitted to swim in any of the ponds during the warmer months nor walk on them during the colder months. There are signs that warn people to stay off the ice, but there is evidence — footprints or sled marks across the pond — that people are ignoring the signs, Dailey said. It could be kids running across on a dare or a person chasing after their dog because it’s not on a leash, he said.
Perspectives vary on information flow The difference between fact and spin in the school district depends on whom you ask By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com The longest-standing objectors to the Douglas County School District’s education reform efforts repeat the same concerns now that they did from the start: The board of education and top administrators are too focused on their efforts to set a national model, and not focused enough on constituents’ concerns. Parent Laura Mutton has spent hours researching DCSD data, releasing her findings on her Strong Schools Coalition website after she said district officials ignored her efforts to communicate with them. “Our board is entitled to their vision of education, but when they are not accountable to it, that is when I have a problem,” she said. School board member Judi Reynolds hears often from community members. “It certainly informs some of my questions, whether that’s at a board meeting or in a conversation with (Superintendent) Dr. (Elizabeth) Fagen,” she said. “My hope would be there’s always an ongoing process of looking at what works well, what doesn’t work so well, and to always be evaluating. A large system like a school district has to be constantly evaluating. We should be consistent, but we shouldn’t be stagnant in what we do.” Some community members point to what they see as
a district pattern of presenting news in a flattering light, while leaving out relevant facts. Among recent examples, Mutton and Douglas County Parents spokeswoman Cristin Patterson cite the district’s regaining of its “accredited with distinction” rating. The Colorado Department of Education assigned the ratings, and raised DCSD a notch after the state reviewed their calculation, excluding the performance of the district’s highest-risk students and factoring in improved ACT scores and graduation rates. “They made it sound like it was due to teachers’ efforts and, of course, to their reforms,” said Patterson. A news release issued by the school district about the Voice continues on Page 4
School board member Judi Reynolds talks with community members during a March 2014 Board Unplugged meeting at Cimarron Middle School. Some say communication has been a problem between the school district and parents. File photo