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January 24, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 12, Issue 13 A publication of
parkerchronicle.net
Parker teacher garners national honor Journalism adviser created award-winning middle school program By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com Sierra Middle School teacher Jed Palmer recently earned a rare, national honor for his work as a yearbook adviser, but he says the credit goes to his students. “I am fortunate to have great kids that choose to join the journalism classes and are willing to work hard on the yearbook and newspaper,” he said. “I think my job is to give them the opportunity to show what they can do and to direct a spotlight on their achievements.”
Palmer was among three teachers nationally who received the Journalism Education Association’s Distinguished Adviser award. “I was shocked,” he said. “As far as adviser recognition, the JEA Adviser of the Year is the top award program nationally. It would relate to a Grammy or an Emmy in the field of journalism.” Last year, the Colorado High School Press Association also recognized Palmer as Adviser of the Year, making him the first middle school-level adviser ever to win the award. Those honors are among a years-long list of awards tied to the Parker school’s journalism program, which includes the yearbook, print newspaper and a news website. The Eagle Eye View yearbook
is the program’s shining star. During the past five years, it has won more than 100 state and national awards. Those included seven state and national awards in 2013, including two Picture of the Year Honorable Mentions and second place in Colorado High School Press Association (CHSPA) Best of Show for Yearbook. The 2013 yearbook also won a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal award, a National Scholastic Press Association All-American and a CHSPA All-Colorado award. All of it has come under Palmer’s guidance. A Sierra teacher for more than a decade, he took on the role of journalism adviser early in his tenure there. It suited Palmer, who’d worked on his own middle school’s yearbook and Honor continues on Page 9
From left, copy and design editors Declan Palmer and Hannah Hiett, teacher Jed Palmer and editor Christian Williams review page layout for the Sierra Middle School yearbook. Photo by Jane Reuter
Transportation sales tax fails to make ballot
FEELING FOXY
Recent polls show voters aren’t ready to approve measure By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A female fox absorbs the warmth of the sun in the backyard of a home in the Pinery. A fox’s diet consists of small rodents, birds and snakes, as well as insects and berries. Photo courtesy of Kelly Zunker
Web portal matches volunteers, opportunities Range of openings listed on website By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com A newly launched online “portal” matches volunteers with opportunities based on their areas of interest. Douglas County residents are known for giving back, and the recent introduction of www.VolunteerConnectDC.org makes it much easier. Organized by the Partnership of Douglas County Governments, a group composed of local municipalities, the site is already populated with announcements for more than 300 volunteer positions. Ali Ayres, district volunteer services supervisor for Douglas County Libraries, says the plan is to engage volunteers and enable them to achieve their mission based on their schedule and desired organization. Ayres says it will carry resources further.
A Douglas County Libraries volunteer helps a patron learn computer skills. Courtesy photo
Portal continues on Page 9
A proposed statewide transportation tax won’t appear on the November ballot this year — a recent poll showed voters are unlikely to approve it. That doesn’t mean the tax is shelved permanently or that the MPACT 64 group created to study statewide transit solutions will stop its work. “These issues are not going away,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jim Gunning, chairman of MPACT 64. “If there’s no funding for them today, there’s no funding for them tomorrow. So the project list just gets bigger and bigger.” Locally, the money would have helped fund the expansion of C-470 and the southeast light rail exGunning tension from Lincoln Avenue to RidgeGate Parkway. In other parts of the state, it was targeted for the northwest light rail line from Denver to Longmont. Members of MPACT 64 hoped to put a 0.7 percent sales tax on the ballot this fall. Money raised through the tax would help fill a $772 million funding gap in the Colorado Department of Transportation’s annual budget. MPACT 64 is a transportation-focused collaboration of four agencies — the Metro Mayors Caucus, Action 22, Club 20 and Progressive 15 — that represent all 64 Colorado counties. State leaders spent 18 months pondering ways to bridge that funding shortfall, and while initial surveys showed a sales tax had the best chance of gaining support, a December poll said the timing isn’t right. Respondents “didn’t see the proposed tax as onerous, but they don’t feel this is a good time to raise taxes in Colorado,” Gunning said. “In spite of the fact they’re Tax continues on Page 9
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