1-Color
March 21, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 12, Issue 21 A publication of
parkerchronicle.net
County expands helicopter service contract New agreement with Rampart part of county’s ‘hard, heavy, fast’ wildfire strategy By Hannah Garcia
hgarcia@coloradocommunitymedia.com In anticipation of yet another dry fire season, the county is expanding the scope of a contract it has with a helicopter service used to fight wildfires. At a March 11 meeting, the county commissioners unanimously approved a request from the Office of Emergency Management to replace the existing agreement with Rampart Helicopter Services. The new contract would expand exclusive use time period for up to six months starting on April 1 through the end of September. Under exclusive use, the service is guaranteed to be available when needed in case a wildfire ignites in Douglas County. The
new agreement also expands the scope of services to law enforcement, public safety and search-and-rescue missions. The agreement is an improvement on last year’s agreement, which limited the exclusive use time period to two months, according to commissioner Roger Partridge. The county can also still use the company on a callwhen-needed basis. “It’s an insurance policy,” said Tim Johnson, Douglas County director of emergency management. “These guys are very busy. There’s a possibility that they would be gone during a critical time” and would be unavailable without the exclusive-use provision. The expanded agreement is part of the county’s wildfire prevention strategy, with commissioners and emergency management staff citing a refrain of “hard, heavy and fast” to describe its plan. Annual costs will not exceed $806,500, according to the Contract continues on Page 12
Douglas County has expanded its exclusive contract with Rampart Helicopter Services in anticipation of another dry fire season in the region. File photo
Voucher case to be heard by state’s top court
Program introduced by DCSD in 2011 remains on hold through judicial process By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A pharmacy technician carefully measures out the components of a medication at Brown’s Compounding March 17. The company has just moved from Parker to a 38,000-squarefoot facility off Compark Boulevard in northern Douglas County. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Company’s growth based on precision Brown’s Compounding finds new 38,000-square-foot home near E-470 and Peoria By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Darby Brown, owner of Brown’s Compounding, talks about the sterilization measures taken by the fast-growing company to ensure safety and purity.
Television viewers have probably noticed in recent years that ads for prescription drugs contain more warnings about side effects than information about the product. Darby Brown, meanwhile, has built a team of pharmacy technicians, patientcare specialists and other experts whose job it is to find ways to avoid the disadvantages of taking traditional pharmaceuticals. Brown’s Compounding Center is a company that grew out of its two Parker locations over the last nine years and recently moved into a 38,000-square-foot building on Compark Boulevard in unincorporated northern Douglas County. It’s riding a groundswell of interest and expanding by leaps and bounds. That’s Growth continues on Page 26
The Colorado Supreme Court will hear the Douglas County School District voucher case. It issued an order March 17 granting that request from several plaintiffs in the original 2011 filing. The case likely won’t be heard until late summer or early fall, an attorney working for one of the plaintiffs said. That distant date — or the 11 months it took the state’s high court to render its decision — didn’t dampen the excitement of some involved with the case. “We’re thrilled,” said Cindy Barnard, president of the nonprofit Taxpayers for Public Education. “We certainly see this as a victory for us. When you look at the way the court has written the writ, it’s very clear they’re looking at all the substantive issues we brought forward.” The pilot program, named the Choice Scholarship Program, allows parents to use state-issued funds toward tuition at private schools. Most of the schools included in the program are religious. Barnard and others, including the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, filed suit after DCSD introduced the program, and Denver District Court declared it unconstitutional in August 2011. The Colorado Court of Appeals issued the opposite opinion in February 2012. But until a final decision is made, the pilot program is on hold. “The district welcomes the opportunity for the state’s highest court to review a case that presents such important issues for our state and our country,” school board member Craig Richardson said. The voucher program was the first among several changes introduced by the reform-driven school board. Opponents say it blurs the line between separation of church and state, and dilutes funding for public schools. Supporters say the program Voucher continues on Page 12
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