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September 18, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I S SUE 35
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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Old virus returns, hits kids Enterovirus can worsen respiratory problems By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com
From left, Cranelli’s Jonathan Meyer and owner Lasinda Crane ham it up with Lone Tree resident Susan Pettis at the Taste of Lone Tree Sept. 14. Photos by Jane Reuter
2014 event tastes better, more filling Participants, vendors praise portion sizes, organization By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com The 7th annual Taste of Lone Tree drew positive reviews for both food and entertainment from guests and restaurateurs. The Sept. 13 and 14 event at Lincoln Commons included about 25 food vendors, beer and wine booths, artists and bands. An electronic cave simulator that allowed kids — and a few adults — to crawl through 60 feet of dark, narrow, twisting passageways was a huge
hit among all those who tried it. Manitou Springs-based CaveSim provided the simulator, which some kids successfully negotiated multiple trips through. Adults converged in the entertainment tent to watch live bands and the Prudential tent for broadcasts of college and Broncos football games on several mounted big screen televisions. Professional chef Kelly Liken of Vail drew crowds throughout the day Sept. 13, giving free cooking demonstrations in a tent sponsored by Comcast. Each attendee received 10 tickets for $15. Tastes provided by the restaurants were so generous most ticket-holders said they couldn’t use all 10 tickets. Filling continues on Page 11
Enterovirus is a more than 50-year-old infection getting new life in 2014. Like the virus itself, the best way to curb its transmission hasn’t changed. “The way to prevent it is the same way we say to prevent viruses every year: hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough,” said Sky Ridge Medical Center chief medical officer Dr. David Markenson. Because treatment of this virus is no different than that of any other virus, doctors aren’t testing for enterovirus specifically. But they’ve seen a dramatic increase in respiratory-related pediatric illnesses, presumably due to the enterovirus. Originally discovered in 1962 in California, enterovirus “has been around as a minor player for many, many years,” Markenson said. “Years ago we had no way to tell it was an enterovirus. We would have just said, `We are seeing an increase in respiratory illness,’” he said. “But in the last few years, there’s been an explosion of technology where we can now more easily categorize viruses, so now you’re going to start to hear names associated with them.” The enterovirus is common, typically infecting 10 million to 15 million people in the United States annually — most of them children and most in the summer and fall. Most people who get it don’t get sick or suffer only mild illness. It poses a more serious threat to those with asthma or other respiratory problems. Knowing what kind of virus it is doesn’t change treatment. “That’s really the biggest reason we recommend not getting any test,” said Dr. Christine Nyquist, medical director of infection, prevention and control at Children’s Hospital. “There’s no antivirus medication. Antibiotics don’t work.
Entertainer Reid Belstock rode a miniature bicycle, juggled and successfully amused both tasters and vendors at the Sept. 13 and 14 Taste of Lone Tree.
Virus continues on Page 11
Free shuttle service debuts in Lone Tree Buses offer last-mile link for Park Meadows Drive employees
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Who is paying for the Lone Tree Link: City of Lone Tree: $250,000 Charles Schwab: $125,000 Denver South TMA: $100,000 Sky Ridge Medical Center: $100,000 Kaiser Permanente Colorado: $100,000 ParkRidge Corporate Center/OmniPark Metropolitan District: $100,000
By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com A new shuttle service that debuted in Lone Tree Sept. 10 aims to help cut down on vehicular traffic and promote the use of light rail, even as it increases foot traffic at restaurants and shops. The Lone Tree Link is a free shuttle designed for the estimated 4,500 employees of businesses along the bustling Park Meadows Drive and Park Meadows Boulevard. The roads are home to the new Kaiser Permanente building, the nearly complete Charles Schwab campus, and the expanding Sky Ridge Medical Center. The shuttle will travel in
Lone Tree Link drivers Reggie Wytch and Rod Roberson, both of Aurora, hold a banner as the shuttle breaks through it during a Sept. 10 dedication of the new service at the Lincoln light rail station. Photo by Jane Reuter 10-minute intervals on weekdays from Sky Ridge to the Lone Tree Entertainment District, stopping also at Kaiser, Schwab and the ParkRidge Corporate Center.
The complimentary service is the result of a unique public-private partnership between the City of Lone Tree, Charles Schwab, Sky Ridge, Kaiser, ParkRidge Cor-
porate Center and Denver South Transportation Management Association. The cost for the initial year of service is $775,000, with the city paying $250,000 and the remainder being divided among the other entities. Lone Tree City Councilmember Susan Squyer, speaking during a Sept. 10 dedication of the service, said it’s an example of
the city’s proactive approach to growth and mitigating the traffic impacts that come with it. In exchange for “a very limited investment” on the city’s behalf, the service helps ensure Lone Tree “remains the premier community it is today to live, work and play,” Squyer said. Charles Schwab will start moving the first of its 2,200 Denverarea employees to the new Lone Tree campus in October. Until the light rail expands south across Lincoln Avenue, its current end point leaves Schwab employees about a mile short of their workplace. “That extra mile is really a big deal. To offer a service like this is really outstanding for us,” company vice president Kent Clark said, adding that among Schwab’s employees, “the interest in people Shuttle continues on Page 11