1-Color
April 25, 2014 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 12, Issue 26 A publication of
parkerchronicle.net
Schedule restoration continues Six of nine district high schools to do away with the block format By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Franktown resident Dr. Earl Voight, 76, and his grandson, Jeremiah Watson, 21, hike through Lincoln Mountain Open Space in southeastern Douglas County April 21. At the age of 10 Watson became the youngest American to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
The Mountain Men
Franktown resident shows grandson the ropes, world By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Franktown resident Dr. Earl Voight, 76, hikes with his grandson, Jeremiah Watson. Voight, who began climbing at the age of 40, bides his time hiking up some of the world’s most challenging peaks.
Earl Voight is a man who sets his course and goes. He was only 13 years old when he decided to one day become an optometrist and move to Colorado. Sixty-three years later, he’s still making plans, but these days, they don’t revolve around his distinguished career. Instead, he plots other paths, ones that take him above the clouds. Voight’s grandson, Jeremiah Watson, 21, usually isn’t far behind when Voight tackles the world’s most challenging peaks. In fact, Watson became somewhat of a sensation when, at the age of 10, he Mountain continues on Page 13
A view from on high Lincoln Mountain Open Space a perch for hikers, equestrians By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com The beauty of Douglas County unfolds with each step toward the top of the Lincoln Mountain Open Space. Hikers, bikers and equestrians who reach the apex of the main bluff are treated to a 360-degree panoramic view of southern Douglas County and northern El Paso County. Pikes Peak, in all its glory, serves as the southwestern backdrop, while the rolling hills and forest near the Palmer Divide adorn the southeastern landscape. At an expansive 876 acres, Lincoln Mountain Open Space is the
latest addition to the parks and trails system. It opened in summer 2013, and through word of mouth, has gained a faithful collection of regulars. Weekend mornings at the trailhead, a half-mile west of Highway 83 on Jones Road, see an increase in traffic, but only a few cars dot the parking lot on weekdays. The county acquired the initial 771-acre property — previously known as Palmer Divide Ranch on West Cherry Creek — in 2009. An additional 105 acres comprising three 35-acre parcels, in a development known as Estates at Living Water, was purchased a year later. The total cost was $6.7 million, with some funds coming from Great Outdoors Colorado, which uses lottery proceeds for public land acquisitions. It’s a small price to pay for highvalue wildlife habitat, unique geologic formations and noteworthy recreational opportunities. The Lincoln continues on Page 13
All four of Highlands Ranch’s public high schools will return this fall to the more traditional class schedule most used until 2011-12. Two of Parker’s three high schools intend to follow suit a year later, while the other three county high schools intend to remain on the block schedule adopted countywide in 2012-13. An improving economy that’s putting more money back into the budgets of schools and enabling them to hire more teachers makes the reversion possible. Parent and teacher surveys show it’s what most of them want. Mountain Vista High School was the first to announce it will return to a modified version of the 5-of-7 schedule — under which teachers hold class during five of seven scheduled periods — in 2014-15. Highlands Ranch, Rock Canyon and ThunderRidge since have come to the same conclusion. In Parker, Legend and Chaparral plan to do so, but are waiting another year. Parker’s Ponderosa High School, and Castle Rock’s Douglas County and Castle View high schools will stay on their current schedules. All schools opting to change their schedules must hire more teachers to accomplish their goals. The decision lightens the load for existing staff, all of whom taught an extra class under the 6-of-8 — a decision that kept schools from cutting classes. Chaparral principal Greg Gotchey said returning to the more traditional schedule isn’t an easy task. “We’ve got some 30 teachers that are interested in serving on a committee to look at what’s best for scheduling,” he said, adding that work will begin in May. “I think we like the seven-day period for kids. And we’re growing, so we have the opportunity to hire more teachers and make the 5-of7 work and still maintain a good chunk of our offerings. But we’re going to hold off and investigate a lot of different schedules to see what’s best.” Statistics compiled at Legend High School suggest that while students may like the longer off-periods common to the current schedule, it’s not what’s best for them. The numbers of Legend High School students with failing grades has increased sharply in the last two years. “We do have more Fs,” principal Corey Wise said. “Whether or not it’s statistically significant — I am not a statistician. My worry is, when kids have the off-time, is it really helping them? Are they really using that time for academic purpose?” Because the 90-minute periods of the current block schedule are longer than those offered under the 5-of-7, upperclassmen can have the long, back-to-back offperiods more common to college students than high schoolers. Schedules continues on Page 13
A horse rider hits the trail at the Lincoln Mountain Open Space, an 876-acre spread of public land near Highway 83 and Jones Road in southeastern Douglas County. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
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