July 31, 2015
THIS WEEK IN
VO LUM E 1 3 | IS S U E 39 | FREE
LIFE
LOCAL
Fishing brings families together in Colorado’s waters
Page 12
ParkerChronicle.net A publication of
D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Pradera fights plan for density increase Residents south of Parker worry about traffic from new homes By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com
Rocky Vista University student Justice Richardson, left, is assisted by Cassandra Berg during a biohazard training session conducted by the Center for Domestic Preparedness on July 18. The Parker med students learned how to decontaminate victims. Photos by Kelli Petersen
Suiting up for the biohazard battle Medical students in Parker prep for the worst By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com Rocky Vista University students got a feel for what it’s like to be in a biohazard suit during a training session July 18 taught by instructors from the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When a Dallas-area nurse became infected with Ebola last year after treating a patient, it brought attention to the lack of preparedness in emergency rooms, said Sharon Atencio, a third-year Rocky Vista student who coordinated the training. FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are now working even closer with medical professionals — known in biohazard incidents as the “first receiv-
ers,” a take on the “first responder” moniker given to police, medics and firefighters — to expose gaps and get them ready for the worst, she said. An epidemiologist talked about SARS, MERS and other biological threats while the students put on each piece of equipment in a specific order. Becoming familiar with the suits is important, and the instructors travel around the country for what are known as “donning days” as part of the preparedness training. “In suits for a radiological event, your peripheral vision is impaired, you can’t hear over the respirator, and it’s kind of the same in biohazard suits,” Atencio said. “You’re wearing goggles and a face shield, it’s hot right away, there are lots of gloves, so you lose that dexterity to place an IV.” Four instructors flew out from the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama, with 600 pounds of biohazard gear and how-to manuals. The training Biohazard continues on Page 9
Rocky Vista University student Chani Taggart participates in biohazard training July 18.
Proposed changes to make way for new housing developments south of Parker are causing concern among residents. Homeowners in the Pradera and Vistancia neighborhoods, south of the Parker’s boundary, have raised opposition to a request from residential developers to amend an intergovernmental agreement between Douglas County and Parker. The IGA is required before the property can be rezoned from agriculture use to “Estate Residential” use, said Curt Weitkunat, planning supervisor for the county. If approved by Douglas County’s commissioners, a subsequent application for the Sagewood Estates development could bring lot sizes from 35 acres to as low as 2.5 acres. The county planning commission will decide Aug. 3 whether to recommend the IGA amendment to the commissioners. The commissioners are scheduled to consider final approval at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Philip S. Miller Building in Castle Rock. Approximately 10 residents from Pradera and Vistancia attended a meeting July 23 at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center to learn more about the development process as it relates to adjacent properties. John Albright, a resident of Pradera, called the plans “outrageous” and said the addition of homes from three proposed developments would cause major traffic issues. He is upset because he said the county seems more willing to accommodate developers than to protect existing homeowners. “It seems like the county makes whatever change to (the comprehensive master Pradera continues on Page 9
Doctor pioneers weight-loss procedure Surgery available even if only 30 pounds overweight By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com
Dr. Matthew Metz, medical director and founder of Pure Body Transformation in Parker, laughs at a photo of three former patients lifting him over their heads. Metz performs bariatric surgery for those as little as 30 pounds overweight. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
Amy Smith can attest to the bruising experience of yo-yo dieting. For years, the Aurora resident tried the most popular weight-loss programs and had considerable success. That is, until she stopped doing them. Smith eventually would slide back into old habits when she left behind the foods and supplements provided by the programs. She reached a breaking point last July. “Each year, my health was getting worse,” she said. “My cholesterol was not doing good, I was four points away from having sleep apnea and one point away from being pre-diabetic, and I just decided it was time to do something about it.” She signed up to have gastric bypass surgery, but days before the procedure, the hospital put a stop to it. At 177 pounds, her medical provider said she didn’t meet the
criteria because she hadn’t yet reached the diagnosis threshold. That’s where Dr. Matthew Metz stepped in. The former medical director of Parker Adventist Hospital’s bariatric program struck out on his own in 2012, creating a practice on the second floor of a building southwest of South Parker Road and Parkglenn Way. He has since pioneered what he calls the Resolute procedure, a take on traditional bariatric surgeries. However, candidates can be as little as 30 pounds overweight. Metz told Smith about Resolute, which involves the laparoscopic removal of twothirds of the stomach via five small incisions. He takes out the stomach area that stretches, along with specialized cells that line the stomach and produce the appetite hormone ghrelin, which sends hunger signals to the brain. “It’s an established procedure that’s been done for bariatric patients for many years,” Metz said. “What we’ve done is just altered it slightly to make it safe and effective for people with lower body-mass index.” Bariatric continues on Page 9