August 28, 2015
THIS WEEK IN
VO LUM E 1 3 | IS S U E 43 | FREE
LIFE
LOCAL
How new digital technologies are changing etiquette.
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New name, fixes set for schoolhouse Mainstreet Center marks 100th anniversary with rebranding, renovation
By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com The $1.1 million restoration of the Mainstreet Center will kick off with a celebration of the building’s 100-year history and a rebranding that recalls Parker’s past. The Mainstreet Center will be renamed The Schoolhouse in honor of the building’s original use as a K-12 school. Parker Consolidated School opened in 1915, and a century later, the community is rallying behind an effort to bring the downtown Parker landmark up to date. The rebranding campaign will be announced by Mayor Mike Waid during an event at noon on Aug. 29 that will in-
clude Parker Arts and the town of Parker, the Parker Area Historical Society, Parker Parks and Recreation, and Douglas County Libraries. Jan Truskolaski, president of the Parker Area Historical Society, said incorporating history into the new name is “beneficial to both the future and the past.” Many small towns have lost their historic buildings, and to have the Mainstreet Center and neighboring Ruth Memorial Chapel still standing is remarkable, she said. The little white chapel marked its 100th birthday in 2014. The rehabilitation of the Mainstreet Center will occur in three or four phases and will be funded by the town of Parker with matching state grants. Parker has received roughly $300,000 in state grants so far, said Elaine Mariner, cultural director Fixes continues on Page 9
The first phase of restoration to the Mainstreet Center, which will be renamed the Parker Schoolhouse, is set to begin Sept. 8. Photo by Chris Michlewicz
DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS World War II veteran Jack Frank, 90, of Parker, will have the support of military friends during a fundraiser Aug. 29. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Fundraiser set for WWII veteran
Jack Frank outliving retirement savings By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com
J
ack Frank is a prime example of what is happening these days: seniors outliving their retirement savings. In 1970, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 70.8 years. That number has since climbed to 78.8. While it’s encouraging news that longevity is improving, it does pose a problem, particularly for those who worked hard in the 1950s to earn a dollar that simply doesn’t go as far these days. “I had enough money to last me to 100,” said Frank, a 90-year-old World War II veteran who lives in Parker. According to a survey by the Society of Actuaries Committee on Post Retirement Needs and Risks, nearly 15 percent of those nearing retirement age are unsure whether they have enough savings to last them. Almost 19 percent of respondents said they planned on working at least part-time during their retirement years. Frank has enough money to cover
World War II veteran Jack Frank, 90, of Parker, shows photos from a book that documents the First Marine Division’s operations at Guadalcanal and Peleliu. four months’ worth of living expenses at the apartment he shares with his wife, Judee, in Stroh Ranch. The trust fund that sustained him for his initial decades of retirement was decimated by losses incurred during the 2008
financial crisis. Frank’s pocketbook was among the millions affected by rampant fraud in the banking and mortgage industries. Veteran continues on Page 9
Safety touted as top priority Board meeting features review of five-year plan By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com The Douglas County School District says safety is its top priority. During a review of the district’s fiveyear plan at its Aug. 18 board meeting, Douglas County Schools addressed the measures the district has taken in recent years to provide more security for students, teachers and staff. “We recognized that is absolutely our number one priority in the district, and we wanted to be transparent about it in as much of a way as we could, given the nature of safety,” Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen said. In 2009, school radios couldn’t communicate with first responders, the district had no student tracking or bus accountability, and school buildings were primarily guarded by a simple buzzer system. “In the past, in order to track where our students were on the buses was a very clumsy manual process,” said Thomas Tsai, the school district’s chief operating officer. Today, a GPS tracking Fagen system on buses allows students and vehicles to be located 24/7, and the schools’ Marshall Program partners with local law enforcement to help protect students and staff. The Marshall Program costs the district $674,000. The district also now has the technology to communicate instantly with local first responders. During the safety presentation, the district played a video with Dave and Carly Posey, parents of two students — including then-first-grader Reichen — at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary the day of the tragic shooting in December 2012. The family had planned to move to Parker the next day. “He walked up to Reichen and pointed the gun in Reichen’s face,” said Dave Posey in the video of the shooter. “For whatever reason, didn’t pull the trigger, but turned to Ms. Soto. He shot Ms. Soto and another little girl.” Security continues on Page 9