1-Color
March 28, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 12, Issue 22 A publication of
parkerchronicle.net
Robbins to fill board vacancy Military veteran expresses support for Douglas County School District policies By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Stefanie and Nathan Simpson, of Falcon, smile at Karaline, who was born in a car March 25. Nathan had to perform the first half of the delivery before paramedics arrived. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Baby delivered on side of highway Karaline Annabelle born while sisters look on By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com Stefanie and Nathan Simpson learned an important lesson on a roadside in the middle of nowhere: “Baby comes when baby comes.” After relatively routine births with their first three daughters, the couple was not expecting a nontraditional labor with their fourth. The two spent most of the afternoon March 23, the baby’s due date, at Parker Adventist Hospital, waiting on what turned out to be a false alarm, they learned the baby would be arriving on her own time.
Two days later, the family, including girls ages 21 months through 5 years, were piling into their car in the early morning light. The contractions were coming closer together, but “I thought I had time to get to the hospital,” Stefanie said. The couple had moved one week earlier from Aurora to Falcon, a town east of Colorado Springs. Stefanie’s obstetrician is based at Parker Adventist, and she was willing to make the commute. It turned out that Karaline Annabelle was not. Nathan called 9-1-1 and was told to pull over on Highway 83, just north of County Line Road in southeastern Douglas County. Paramedics from two departments — the Franktown Fire Protection District and Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District — were en route. Baby continues on Page 13
Karaline Annabelle Simpson rests after being born hours earlier on the side of Highway 83. Her parents, Stefanie and Nathan Simpson, were en route to the hospital with their three girls when Nathan had to pull over to deliver her.
Rich Robbins was seated as the newest member of the Douglas County Board of Education on March 25. He was chosen on a 4-2 vote that included no discussion by the six sitting members of the school board. Judi Reynolds and Meghann Silverthorn voted against his nomination. Robbins, interviewed by the board moments before his nomination, expressed strong support for their policies. He has served on the District Accountability and some School Accountability committees. “I’ve heard the challenges our parents, teachers and administrators face day in and day out,” he said. Robbins said he would run for the District F, Parker-area seat when his term expires in 2016. He replaces Justin Williams, who resigned in January to spend more time with his family and who was in attendance during Robbins’ selection. Some community members were stunned by the vote. “It seemed to those of us sitting back there this was a done deal before you walked into the room because there was no discussion of qualifications,” said Cindy Barnard, a parent and plaintiff in a lawsuit against the district’s voucher program. “I would loved to have known … directors Reynolds and Silverthorn, what your thoughts were. I’m speechless that we do not see the work of the board done in public.” Gary Colley, among six finalists interviewed for the post, offered Robbins a suggestion. “Rich, when you announced you’re totally behind the school board, I would hope this wouldn’t be an automatic `yes’ vote, that there would be some true discussion about what’s right for the community,” he said. Retired after 20 years in the Air Force, Board continues on Page 13
Public meetings address concerns over power line Pawnee-Daniels Park line cuts through Parker By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com More than 200 people attended open house meetings aimed at answering questions about a high-voltage transmission line planned for construction in 2017. The proposed Pawnee-Daniels Park transmission line — a project that spans 125 miles from Brush, Colo., to Douglas County — has raised concerns from those living near the corridor. While there is
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
an existing 230-kilovolt line, residents are worried about the possibility of obstructed views and increased buzzing. The new 345-kilovolt transmission line would carry electricity generated by wind farms and gas plants on the Eastern Plains. At a cost of $178 million, the line is necessary to keep up with past and future population growth in the southeastern corridor of the metro area. The existing line has “reached maximum capacity,” said Mark Stutz, senior media representative for the Public Service Company of Colorado, a division of Xcel Energy. “The benefits are reliability,” he said. “We live in a society that wants its power 24/7. This is a component of ensuring we get them the power they need.” The energy provider looked at alternatives, including options of
a less-disruptive southern route and the possibility of burying the line, but the costs were astronomical. Installing the line underground would cost up to $40 million per mile, Stutz said. He said transmission lines are like roads, and when they get bogged down with traffic, there is a need to expand capacity. Public Service Company purchased extra space for utility right-of-way in 1968 with a long-range plan of adding another line down the road. Unfortunately, some homeowners living along the corridor weren’t aware of the plans for an additional line. Tony Lehtola, who lives in the Neutowne subdivision in Parker, attended the last of four open house meetings March 20 with general concerns about lifestyle Power line continues on Page 13
An employee of Public Service Company of Colorado, a division of Xcel, talks about the proposed Pawnee-Daniels Park transmission project, which will run through northeastern Douglas County, Parker and Surrey Ridge, during an open house March 20. Photo by Chris Michlewicz