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January 29, 2015 VOLU M E 1 4 | I S SUE 2
LoneTreeVoice.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Plan should ease access for variety of bicyclists Lone Tree may implement first of proposal’s recommendations in 2015 By Jane Reuter
jreuter @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Rodney Miller gets a hug from his sister as he and four other men became the first graduates from the 18th Judicial District’s Veterans Treatment Court. The program is designed to help veterans in the criminal justice system get their lives back on track. Photo by Tom Munds
Veterans back on track after detour Event marks first graduation from intensive court program By Tom Munds
tmunds @coloradocommunitymedia.com Drop and do 20 push-ups. The five graduates from the Veterans Treatment Court agreed their program should end like it began. So veterans, police officers, prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers and others involved in the program dropped to the floor and counted the push-ups as they took part in the activity that culminated the
Jan. 16 graduation ceremonies. Five military veterans whose lives had been on slippery slopes celebrated gaining solid footing and the opportunity for a bright future that completion of the program provided. “I am so grateful for this program because, today, I feel like my life is back where it should have been when I got out of the service,” graduate Kevin Slack said after the ceremonies. “I messed things up when I messed with drugs and alcohol. This program has reversed all the negatives, and my life is back where it should be.” He said jail time was painful, but it was the birth of a desire to get his life back on track.
“I thank all the veterans and the court personnel who encouraged me to stick with the program and to complete treatment,” he said. “I feel I am ready to get to the next level where I am 100 percent accountable for myself.” The Veterans Treatment Court is one of several 18th Judicial District problem-solving courts. The goal is to ensure community safety while participants receive treatment and the help they need to return as active, contributing members of the community. Participants may reside anywhere in the district, which encompasses Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.
The vast majority of people are “Interested but Concerned,” about using bicycles as a mode of transportation. Trails and infrastructure changes outlined in Lone Tree’s Walk and Wheel proposal ideally would encourage that group to ride more, and make on-street riding safer for the smaller percentage of more daring cyclists. “We’ve been trying to cater this plan to the whole spectrum of people who want to ride,” said Charlie Alexander, an associate with Fehr and Peers Transportation Consultants. Transportation consultants made their final presentation on the trail survey to the Lone Tree City Council during its Jan. 20 work session. City council accepted the plan, but hasn’t yet budgeted money for some of the pricier ideas included in it. Alexander referenced a study that shows people generally fall into one of four bicycling categories. About 60 percent classified as “Interested but Concerned” about riding; they are curious about riding but afraid to do so on busier arterials and major thoroughfares. Just 1 percent are rated “Strong and Fearless,” those who will ride regardless of road conditions. Seven percent are considered “Enthused and Confident,” and are comfortable riding with traffic but prefer to use bike lanes and trails. The remaining one-third is classified
Vets continues on Page 7
Bike continues on Page 14
Should athletes specialize in one sport? Experts are divided, but it’s becoming common for high-schoolers, evident this girls basketball season By Jim Benton
jbenton @coloradocommunitymedia.com Kelsey Ubben is among an increasingly rare breed of athlete. The Douglas County High School senior plays volleyball for the Huskies and for her club team, the Colorado Volleyball Association. She also is playing basketball this winter for her school. “My club coach is really flexible with me and my basketball schedule, which is awesome,” the Ubben 6-foot Ubben said. “The variety is awesome because you are using your body in different ways than you would in one sport, you get to know more people and it’s just more fun.” But athletes like Ubben could be on the path to extinction. The
era of single-sport specialization at the high school level has arrived. Intense year-round training in one sport, to the exclusion of others, has become the norm. “The goal to become the next Olympian or more commonly, to obtain a college scholarship, motivates many parents to encourage their children to specialize in one sport at a young age,” states the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. In a position statement published in 2014, the organization said intense focus on one sport at an early age may increase the risk for overuse injuries and burnout. Specialization is a trend that is particularly evident in girls sports, with basketball and volleyball players, among the most notable examples, often sticking to one pursuit or the other. This, despite the similar skills and physical attributes, like height, that are prized on both courts. The Colorado High School Activities Association has taken no-
volleyball. One of the reasons they have given is that volleyball clubs are demanding full-time participation from the athletes in their clubs, telling them they cannot play other sports. This is concerning to CHSAA, if true, because we believe that students should play multiple sports and have found that many athletes at the higher levels (Olympics, professional, NCAA) were multi-sport athletes. Additionally, from the non-athletic side, they are more rounded students with broader life experiences, and that can translate into a stronger adult.”
Going to the club
Taynin Abbott, left, and Paityn Hardison play for the Momentum Volleyball Club in Centennial. Both are committed to specializing in volleyball. Photo by Jim Benton tice, saying that girls basketball is none the better for it. “There is still a concern not only in Colorado, but nationally, that many girls are specializing in volleyball rather than playing both sports,” CHSAA assistant commis-
sioner Bert Borgmann wrote in an email to Colorado Community Media. “I know the NCAA has expressed concern that the best athletes are no longer playing basketball, but focusing full time on
Club teams are never far from the conversation when it comes to specialization. These teams offer training and activities most of the year. That helps an athlete develop the skills to have the opportunity to participate at the collegiate or sometimes professional level. But are clubs hurting high school sports in general, and more specifically, girls basketball? Club continues on Page 23