September 23, 2016
SERVE AND PROTECT
VO LUM E 1 4 | IS S U E 47 | FREE
Chaplains provide support for those on the front lines of law enforcement. PAGE 12
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D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Council moves to limit pot cultivation
Parker ordinance would cap growers at 12 plants per household
By Tom Skelley tskelley@coloradocommunitymedia.com On the heels of a rising number of marijuana-related complaints, Parker Town Council has given preliminary ap-
proval to two ordinances that, if passed, will limit marijuana growing in the town to 12 plants per household. Douglas County passed an ordinance in August that limits the number of plants that can be grown at a residence to 12. A Parker town staff report recommended the ordinance “to maintain uniformity between the regulations in the town and unincorporated Douglas County.”
The Parker ordinances, which were approved on first reading Sept. 19, would apply to patients growing medical marijuana as well as people growing marijuana for personal recreational use. In 2012, Colorado voters passed Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana for recreational use and homegrowing for adults 21 years of age and older. It allows an individual to grow six marijuana plants at a time in his or her
home for personal use. But state medical marijuana laws, laid out in 2000 when Amendment 20 legalized the use of pot for medical reasons, allows a caregiver to grow up to 99 plants depending on the number of patients and physician prescriptions, according to Mark Salley of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which regulates medical marijuana.
Marijuana continues on Page 11
Candidates vie for three council seats Challengers, incumbents discuss qualifications, Xcel power lines By Tom Skelley tskelley@coloradocommunitymedia.com Three incumbent members of the Parker Town Council are up for re-election this November, and two challengers are trying to take a pair of the available spots. Both challengers pointed to council’s recent decision to approve Xcel’s zoning application to build additional power lines in town as an issue they feel was mishandled by the current council. Councilmember Debbie Lewis voted no on the application while councilmember John Diak voted in favor of it. Councilmember Joshua Rivero was absent for the vote but said he supported the council’s decision. The three winners in the Nov. 8 election will be elected to four-year terms. Councilmembers are elected at-large — the three candidates who get the most votes secure seats.
On Sept. 6, Lutheran High School student Mathew Fasone stands by his favorite section of the mural he and other students painted below the bridge at Willowpark Drive in Parker in August. The mural is part of the Paint Parker program between police and students to discourage graffiti. Photo courtesy of Mark Hollenbeck
A reminder of the need for compassion Lutheran art students take on tagging and spread positive message By Tom Skelley tskelley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Students stand before their mural at the Sulphur Gulch Trail in Parker on Sept. 6. Pictured from left to right are Lutheran art teacher Mark Hollenbeck and students Abbey Marchand, Hannah Holm, Mathew Fasone, Darcen McCampbel, Abby Holm and Leah McChesney. Not pictured are Daniel Ness, Mack Stauffer, Addison Barstad, Jacob Dillon, Grace Marchand, Peter Winter and Declan Atwell.
Connoisseurs don’t typically look under bridges for high-quality artwork, but that’s the exact place some local students chose to create their masterpiece. A group of Lutheran High School students recently completed a mural under the Willow Park Drive bridge in August, adding color and style to a gray concrete underpass along Sulphur Gulch Trail. Mark Hollenbeck, art teacher at Lutheran High School, helped organize the project with Parker Arts and the Parker Police Department as part of the “Paint Parker” anti-tagging initiative, a program designed to cover graffiti-prone areas with appealing artwork from local students. Mural continues on Page 11
Council continues on Page 5
LOAD THE CART Gander MTN opens location of outdoor goods chain in Parker. PAGE 4
TEAM TITAN
Early home runs help Legend in game against Castle View. PAGE 20