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September 25, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I S SUE 36
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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Polls give conflicting views in race for governor Hickenlooper campaign calls pro-Beauprez survey ‘flawed’ Lone Tree resident Michael Knight stands at the top of Aspen’s North Maroon Peak Aug. 9 holding a sign from the Park Meadows Drive chocolate factory of the same name. Courtesy photo
Local man has tall tales Hiker commemorates Maroon Bells ascent with nod to local business By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com Lone Tree resident Michael Knight recently accomplished a pretty sweet (and sweaty) feat. On Sept. 12, Knight climbed his 59th 14,000-foot peak — Maroon Peak near Aspen, one of the Maroon Bells. That makes him among a small number of people who’ve climbed all 59 peaks the U.S. Geological Survey lists at above 14,000 feet in Colorado. It’s a journey the 62-year-old businessman started three years ago. “I just started by doing one with my children,” he said. “Then I did the Front Range ones and caught the bug. I joined a couple of Meetup groups, and met a whole bunch of good people. “Most people I climb with are about one-third to half my age. I
think they’re somewhat amazed or maybe amused that I’m still doing it.” In August, he climbed sister mountain North Maroon Peak, which he said was the toughest fourteener of all. As a symbol of both the peaks and his hometown of Lone Tree, Knight brought with him on his Aug. 9 hike a sign from Lone Tree’s Maroon Bells Chocolate Factory. He posed with it on top of North Maroon Peak. The photo commemorated a hard-fought victory. “No question about it; that one was the hardest,” he said. “They’re known as the Deadly Bells.” The Bells got that ominous nickname in 1965 when eight people died in five separate accidents there. A U.S. Forest Service sign at the trailhead warns climbers about unstable rock that kills without warning. Knight, who owns a company called Prime Capital Connections, was planning to climb the Maroon Bells as he was driving down Park Meadows Drive in early August, where the chocolate factory is lo-
cated. “I passed a business called Maroon Bells Chocolate, turned around and went back,” he said. Patti Shepard, who works at the Lone Tree business, happily provided him with a sign to take on his hike. “We were just so thrilled; that’s how we named the chocolate company, after that mountain,” she said, adding the beauty of the peaks inspired their decision. Knight missed his first attempt to summit adjacent Maroon Peak on Aug. 10. Just 800 feet shy of the top, black clouds moved in and forced him down. “It was an agonizing decision to turn back but not a hard one because I didn’t want to be a lightning rod,” he said. On Sept. 12, he went back and bagged his final fourteener. This time, the weather was crystal clear, and the mountains appeared to join Knight in celebration. “All the aspens are turning and the mountains were ablaze with yellow and red,” he said. “Nature had on her party dress for sure.”
By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Trying to make sense of multiple — and wildly conflicting — governor’s-race polling results released on Sept. 17 was a bit like shoveling the sidewalk while it’s still snowing. Throughout the day, separate polling agencies released surveys hours apart from one another, with their findings resulting in a 17-point swing from one possible extreme to another — with Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper leading in two polls. But the Beauprez Hickenlooper most eyeb r ow - ra i s ing results came from a Qunnipiac University poll that showed Hickenlooper losing by 10 percentage points among likely voters to Republican former Congressman Bob Beauprez. The findings show Hickenlooper trailing Beauprez 5040 percent, with the governor losing in support among women, 47-46 percent, and trailing badly among men, 54-34 percent. “Pundits were predicting that Gov. Hickenlooper faced a close race for re-election,” said Tim Malloy, the poll’s assistant director. “Instead, he’s got a mad dash to make up
Race continues on Page 9
Leads group celebrates longevity Business owners share sales tips, friendship By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com In the comfortable manner of longtime acquaintances, the men and women greet one another with warm smiles, swapping updates on family members, sharing stories of their summer vacations. But the twice-monthly morning gathering of The Team at the Greenwood Village City Hall is all in the name of business — and helping others find business. The Team is a leads group. Built on a foundation of trust, familiarity and a sense of obligation, the group’s intent is to help its members succeed in business by providing solid sales tip to one another. What makes the south metrobased group unique is its longevity. Founder Frank Zieg, a Lone Tree Realtor, held the first meeting of the then-unnamed group of four in 1987.
Today, more than 60 people are on the roster. “In hindsight, I probably should have franchised it,” Zieg said. “There are a lot of other leads groups that have come and gone since I started this one.” Zieg belonged to a national leads organization called Le Tip before deciding to start The Team. Like Le Tip and BNI International, The Team is limited to one person from each line of business, a rule that prevents competition among members. The Team’s annual dues are $75, much less than most other leads groups. That means there are no morning buffets or continental breakfasts. Most mornings, you won’t find as much as a box of grocery-store doughnuts or pot of coffee in the room. Zieg throws a party at Christmas and another during the summer. The rest of the money is used for printing lead forms and other miscellaneous costs. “I keep it pretty lean so we do have enough money to do a couple nice parties,” he said. “Occasionally we’ll bring in some food
for the heck of it.” The bare-bones nature of the group is part of the allure for Team members, many of whom left other leads groups to join Zieg’s. “They didn’t like the format or expense, or there was too much pressure on them to bring leads,” Zieg said. “Here, it’s kind of what you do with it. The idea is to come in, have a good reciprocity type of relationship and try to get people leads. “I get 20 to 25 percent of my real estate business out of the group. So it’s worthwhile.” Group members include three attorneys — all specializing in different areas of the law — a skincare specialist, dentist, mortgage consultant, flooring specialist and photographer, among others. They not only pass leads, but credit one another for doing so. During the Sept. 4 meeting, a windows and siding salesman hands another Team member a $500 check; it’s his company’s Group continues on Page 9
Therapist Ruth Sharon talks with members of The Team leads group about the book she coauthored with her husband Jim, right, during the group’s Sept. 4 meeting at the Greenwood Village City Hall. Photo by Jane Reuter