Parker Chronicle 1211

December 11, 2020

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ParkerChronicle.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 4

DCSD reporting ‘significant’ COVID slide Grading scale altered as academics struggle amid pandemic

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Rylan Coleridge, 10, started her own nonprofit U R Loved when she was 4, with the help of her parents. Coleridge’s organization has worked to feed the homeless and underprivileged youths, fill school backpacks for kids and donate toys to kids in need.

Next, Coleridge says she plans to help with a program to give kids what they need for a proper night’s sleep.

PHOTOS BY NICK PUCKETT

Never too young to give back Rylan Coleridge, 10, holds annual U R Loved toy drive

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Rylan Coleridge does not like to put a number on the number of donations she expects to collect for a given fundraiser she is organizing.

With close to six years of experience running her nonprofit, U R Loved, Coleridge knows setting a bar can be limiting.

SEE TOY DRIVE, P14

Every year since she was 4, Rylan Coleridge, 10, has collected toys for underprivileged youths as part of her own nonprofit, U R Loved. Coleridge says she has collected more than 200 toys since she began her annual toy drive.

Principals in the Douglas County School District are reporting “a significant slide in student grades” this semester, according to a letter to the community from interim Superintendent Corey Wise.

That and other concerns led the district to alter its first-semester Wise grading scale for district-run and alternative high schools, as well as high school “eLearning” students. eLearning is the completely virtual program made available to students who prefer that over hybrid learning.

“The key piece of this is as a district we try to be responsive to student needs,” Wise said while speaking to Colorado Community Media by phone. “We thought this would be the most beneficial way to support the impact COVID has had on students.”

Wise’s letter to the community noted grades are particularly SEE DCSD, P7

2 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

Parker man’s family on other side of ordeal Collision, COVID made for tough season

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Larisa and Marat Yakubovich had not spent much time away from each other, not in 55 years of marriage.

So after recent months marked by a collision, illness and hospitalizations, when they sat in the kitchen of their Aurora home on Nov. 24 with their son, Alex, they were laughing and feeling grateful to be reunited.

It was the second day Larisa and Marat had been back together in three months.

“Nothing’s been normal,” Alex said. “It’s just been weird. It’s been really, really weird, but we’re over the hump.”

Alex, who lives in Parker, believes in earnest that attitude can cause a significant outcome. When his parents fell ill, he knew the best thing for them was to embolden their positive spirit.

“I wanted to keep the positivity going because you hear so much of the negative,” Alex said, “and that

is the reason behind everything I do for them, because my mom and dad are strong as hell.”

The couple, both 79, had been in and out of hospitals, doctor’s offices and physical therapy and rehab centers since early September.

The night of their wedding anniversary, Sept. 2, a truck driven by a distracted driver collided with their car as they pulled into their driveway. They both suffered several broken bones and lacerations.

Larisa and Marta spent time at the hospital and in rehab facilities. Alex and his siblings pulled together to provide transport, help make sure bills were paid and, most importantly, that their parents avoided exposure to COVID-19. Larisa suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well, requiring her to be connected to an oxygen tank 24/7.

Alex recalled first experiencing COVID-19 symptoms Sept. 24. The virus slipped through “somewhere along the line,” he said, likely at a small family function he held for his 50th birthday Sept. 22. Alex caught it, so did his wife and a few of their neighbors.

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on the news,” Alex said. “It just got really, really ugly.”

But his parents seemed fine, Alex said. His mother, Larisa, seemed tired from rehab and recovering from her injuries.

On Oct. 7, Larisa visited the doctor for a checkup. She started feeling lightheaded and began turning blue. His father fell ill soon the same day. That day, they both were admitted to Parker Adventist Hospital. Within 48 hours of being admitted, Larisa was induced in a “COVID coma,” Alex said. Larisa, in a Nov. 24 interview, said she doesn’t remember being at the hospital at all.

Alex and his siblings did what they could to help their parents in the hospital, Alex said. But there is only so much you can do. Alex called every day, often multiple times, to get updates on his parents. They would set up Zoom calls in the ICU just so his mother could hear his voice.

“I’m still teary-eyed just thinking about it,” Alex said.

Alex told his parentss story on Facebook and updated followers as much as he could. He wanted to drum up positive words for his parents.

Larisa and Marat Yakubovich have spent three months in the hospital since August and finally returned home just before COURTESY PHOTO Thanksgiving.

Marta returned home Oct. 28 after a month-anda-half in a hospital. Larisa returned home Nov. 22. She had lost 44 pounds.

Marta, excited and still speechless, wanted to thank

the workers at Parker Adventist for saving his and Larisa’s lives.

“Once you live in a house for 41 years,” Marta said, “it makes you feel better” to be back home.

Parker Chronicle 3

0December 11, 2020

Douglas County continues to push for indoor-dining plan Commissioners stopped short of going through with a plan to go against state health orders

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After debating whether to break from the state’s official COVID-19 health order for Douglas County, commissioners decided to again ask permission from the state to reopen indoor dining in the county in a letter sent to the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Commissioners also notified CDPHE Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan that they would begin putting a program in place to allow indoor dining, pending permission from the state.

“Thank you for taking a moment to review this notification of our development of the infrastructure for a Douglas County local certification program,” according to the letter, which was sent Dec. 4.

Commissioners are requesting that the state allow the county to use a “Variance Protection Program” similar to what is currently being utilized in Mesa County.

The program allows businesses, including restaurants, to be open at a more lenient level based on the establishments’ commitment to measures that reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“Douglas County … has created the infrastructure to pre-certify eligible businesses who can be members of the local certification program,” according to the letter signed by the three commissioners.

CDPHE announced Nov. 27 it would accept feedback from the public on a possible program similar to Mesa County’s, for other parts of the state. In a framework released by the state, a possible timeline listed Dec. 18 as the day the state could allow other counties to begin implementation of the program.

In a series of recent meetings, Douglas County commissioners considered whether or not to follow through on an earlier letter they sent to Gov. Jared Polis stating they would continue with the variance program allowing indoor dining, even without explicit permission.

In that letter, sent Nov. 25, commissioners said if they did not hear back from the governor by Dec. 4, they would go ahead and move for-

ward with a similar program. But after not hearing back, the commissioners decided not to go through with the plan.

“We tried to push his hand and he didn’t bite,” Commissioner Lora Thomas said.

In meetings last week, Commissioner Abe Laydon argued the state had given implicit permission by not responding to the commissioners’ letter.

“We’re not fighting them, we’re just accepting their waiver,” he said. “‘You (the state) haven’t said anything so we’re taking that as you’re OK with us moving forward.”

The commissioners decided against that choice after considering the fact that the Tri-County Health Department likely wouldn’t support a plan that goes against the state health department. They also considered that the latest round of financial aid, approved by the state Legislature Dec. 2, requires that for businesses to get relief funds, their county must be in compliance with state health orders. There is an exception for restaurants inside — or one mile from — the city limits of a municipality that is in compliance.

“That puts us in an adversarial relationship with Tri-County,” Thomas said about moving forward without permission. “The other path is that we are working with Tri-County on this 5-Star (variance) pilot program… So that our businesses do not need to worry about getting their licenses taken away.”

Laydon agreed that he also didn’t want to put financial aid at risk but said he felt it was important for the county to be consistent with their earlier letter that said they would move forward.

Commissioner Roger Partridge added that the letter felt in line with their efforts “to keep the pressure on the state to get that program finalized sooner than later.” he said.

The county planned to continue meetings about the infrastructure of the plan the following week.

Tri-County has confirmed it is working with the county on a plan to prepare for this program so that when given permission by the state, Douglas County can move forward as quickly as possible.

“TCHD is actively engaged with Douglas County Government, municipalities and other key stakeholders to develop a plan,” said Jennifer Ludwig, Tri-County’s deputy director, through a spokesperson. “We are in the early stages of development and establishing roles, responsibilities and expectations for each entity involved.”

Keep It Up, Douglas County!

Douglas County communities are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Your COVID safety measures make a difference. Learn more at douglas.co.us/douglascovid19/keepit-up-douglas-county

COVID-19 Impact Grants available Applications are being accepted for the Nonprofit Grant Program until Dec. 18, and the Restaurant and Indoor Event Venue Grant and Small Business Grant Programs until Dec. 30. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To review eligibility details and deadlines for each program and apply visit douglas. co.us/cares-act

Community COVID-19 testing events through Dec. 30 COVID-19 swabbing and antibody testing with or without health insurance are available at locations throughout the County. To preregister and to learn more visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing/events.

For information about other testing providers visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing-locations

Need help with home heating costs?

Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted.

To view various public meeting agendas and to participate in-person or remotely visit douglas.co.us and search for Meetings and Agendas.

County Offices Christmas Holiday closures Douglas County offices will be closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24 and closed on Friday, Dec. 25 in observance of the Christmas Holiday.

Many services are available online at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Local ads, coupons & deals are just one click away!

C H E C K I T O U T AT:

ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Visit douglas.co.us

4 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

Lawmakers churn out 10 COVID relief bills About $280 million dedicated to various assistance measures in special session

BY MICHAEL KARLIK THE DENVER GAZETTE

The Colorado General Assembly approved a COVID-19 relief package of 10 bills on Dec. 2, ending a threeday special session that Gov. Jared Polis called to fill the gaps left by Congress’ inaction.

The assistance measures, which ranged from providing support to child care operators and food pantries to capping fees charged for food delivery, amounted to approximately $280 million in funding.

“Coronavirus is real. It is deadly,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, on the final day of debate. “We know that the state of Colorado can do better — can and must do better — to keep people alive. But we also have to do our part to support these small businesses and pull together money from various places to provide as much support as we can.”

Polis’ call for a special session outlined seven areas for the Legislature to take action: small business, child care, housing aid, broadband, food insecurity, utilities assistance and public health response.

Among other items, the governor specifically asked lawmakers to

The state Capitol in Denver.

appropriate money for the disaster emergency fund, allow restaurants and bars to retain up to $2,000 per month in sales tax revenue, and enhance internet access for educators and schoolchildren — all of which the General Assembly did.

The measures headed to the governor’s desk are: • House Bill 1001 will provide $20 million to create a broadband grant program for school districts to expand internet access. Money must be distributed by Feb. 1.

• House Bill 1002 authorizes $45 million in grants to operators of child care centers through two separate programs. The first covers expenses for existing operators and the second will assist businesses that are expanding or just starting up. The state must award grants by Feb. 28.

FILE PHOTO

• House Bill 1003 provides $5 million to food pantries, with the state needing to send out the money by March 31.

• House Bill 1004 allows restaurants, bars and vintners to deduct $70,000 of net sales from their taxes, resulting in a retention of approximately $2,000 per month in sales tax revenue for each retailer, up to a limit of five sites. The bill allows retention for November through February.

• House Bill 1005 gives authority to counties and municipalities to cap fees that third-party food delivery companies charge to restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation also prevents those companies from cutting the compensation or tips of employees to make up for lost revenue and requires them to disclose to customers any

fees or commissions imposed on the restaurants.

• House Bill 1006 adjusts several requirements of insurance premium tax payments, intended to make estimates of taxes owed more accurate.

• Senate Bill 1 provides $37 million in relief to small businesses with revenue of less than $2.5 million; $7.5 million to arts and cultural organizations; and $4 million to minority-owned businesses. Grants for small businesses are capped at $7,000, and counties must disburse payments by Feb. 12.

• Senate Bill 2 grants $54 million in emergency housing assistance, $1 million in legal eviction aid and $5 million to individuals who are ineligible for other forms of relief, such as unemployment insurance, food assistance or the one-time $1,200 payment from the federal government.

• Senate Bill 3 gives $5 million to Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that provides assistance to low-income households in paying energy bills. It must spend the money by June 30.

• Senate Bill 4 transfers $100 million to the Controlled Maintenance Trust Fund for the governor to use for the Disaster Emergency Fund.

The bill is intended to fill the gap left by the slow reimbursement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for costs the state has incurred.

For more stories like this, subscribe at denvergazette.com

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Parker Chronicle 5

0December 11, 2020

Change made at undersheriff following internal investigation Multiple other positions in the upper office management also changed

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Following an internal investigation, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock has demoted his longstanding undersheriff and changed multiple positions in the office’s upper management, known as the command staff.

Holly NicholsonKluth served in the undersheriff position from 2014, when Spurlock was first elected, until the week of Nov. 16 this year, when she was replaced by David NicholsonWalcher, the former Kluth sheriff of Arapahoe County. She now serves as a captain, a position several ranks below her former rank. Spurlock said he made the move, along with a few other changes in the comWalcher mand staff, to improve efficiencies in his office.

“In this case right there, it was in my best interest for efficiencies to move them and put other people in their place so I did and I think

it will be in the best interest of efficiencies in my office,” he said in an interview.

Spurlock declined to release the internal investigation into Nicholson-Kluth and one other employee, Capt. Tim Moore, that triggered the change, citing a statute that allows these requests to be denied if the incident in question doesn’t involve a member of the public.

The sheriff confirmed that the change in staffing structure was the result of an internal investigation into both employees. He did not provide further details about the nature of the investigation.

“I’m just going to say it was a number of things that caused me to make that decision,” he said. “It was in the best interest of the office to put a new person in as undersheriff.”

Nicholson-Kluth also declined to provide additional information about the investigation, but said the sheriff has the right to change his staff as he sees fit.

“I’ve worked here for 32 years and I’ve served in many positons in the sheriff ’s office,” she said. “No matter where I serve, I’m committed to serving the citizens and public safety in this community.”

Moore, who was also demoted, said the investigation was not in regard to any sort of ethics violation but didn’t go into further detail.

“I did not commit any serious acts of misconduct, I did not do anything unethical, I did not do anything dis-

honest,” he said. “The fact that my position has changed has nothing to do with my character.”

Moore, who had served as a chief deputy for the past 6 1/2 years, now holds the position of captain of detentions.

“When you work in a command role you work at the pleasure of the sheriff,” he said. “If the sheriff decides he wants to go a different direction, my job is to support that and accept it.”

There was no formal announcement of the change in administration. Spurlock and his spokesperson, Lauren Childress, said that’s not unusual.

“I make movements all the time,” Spurlock said.

Walcher, formerly the chief deputy of professional standards, will now serve as undersheriff.

Walcher, who served as Arapahoe County’s sheriff from 2014 until the Republican lost a re-election bid in 2018, started with Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office in July of this year.

Spurlock said his decision wasn’t made because of Walcher’s recent hiring.

“I was just lucky,” Spurlock said.

“I picked Dave as a guy with tons of experience and I got lucky there when I made this decision that I had him already on my staff.”

Spurlock said he doesn’t see the office’s operations changing in any significant way as a result of the change.

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December 11, 2020D

Mental health experts urge vigilance during holidays Pandemic collides with season to create ‘stressor on top of a stressor’

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The holidays are usually a time filled with large celebrations, being near loved ones and focusing on what there is to be thankful for.

This year, mental health experts are urging the community to be extra vigilant in keeping up their mental health as the holiday season collides with the COVID-19 pandemic and creates a “stressor on top of a stressor.”

Di Thompson, the medical director for physician wellness at Centura Health, said 2020 holidays will be difficult for some community members as they steer far from tradition.

“Perhaps one of the ways that we can better cope with that is to acknowledge that,” she said. “This is not going to be the Hallmark Christmas that we plan for.”

Altering expectations can help, she said. Most important is finding connection “while we can’t physically always be with people.”

Zoom, call, text and stay in touch with loved ones however possible.

She also suggests people stick to healthy coping strategies — exercise, listening to music — and

check in with themselves each day to gauge how they are doing.

Never be afraid to seek additional support like counseling or therapy, she said.

Glenn Most is executive director of West Pines Behavioral Health and spokesman for the Let’s Talk Colorado campaign, which encourages people to start conversations about mental health.

A year fraught with a public health crisis, a tense political environment, and locally a devastating wildfire season is testing the community’s ability to adapt, Most said.

“In my memory, I’ve never experienced a year like the year we’ve been having,” he said. “It’s something that none of us, most of us, have never experienced.”

Those working in the field are seeing increased rates of depression and anxiety, Thompson and Most said. Most attributed much of that to the “deep, deep isolation” created by the pandemic.

“I think people saw the holiday season as a relief, as a break from what they were seeing as really marking the end of 2020,” Most said. “And what it has turned into is not necessarily the relief that people were expecting.”

During the holidays, Most suggested strategies like planning early and clearly communicating holiday plans to family. He also stressed avoiding blaming holiday plans or their disruption on fam-

ily.

Making choices about how to spend the holidays can be difficult, and there has been “increased judgment” toward one another during the pandemic, Most said.

“This isn’t the time to try to convince people about certain practices that they might be doing, that are right or wrong,” he said. “This is not the time to argue about COVID.” He and his family chose not to gather with relatives outside their immediate family for Thanksgiving. Instead they opted for Zoom calls, and will likely do the same for Christmas, when they typically travel to California.

Just like he’s advised others to do, Most said, his family made a plan for Christmas early and communicated that to their loved ones.

Amber Berenz is program manager for Colorado Spirit Program — AllHealth Network’s initiative to provide free psychological support to people of all ages during the pandemic.

The program is grant funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s oversight. The grant is often used following natural disasters and has been deployed in Colorado after wildfires, Berenz said.

This time it’s in use to address a public health disaster, which calls

for many of the same response strategies, she said. Usually the grant would enable crisis response teams to go door-to-door to connect people with resources.

During the pandemic, the program is doing that virtually, Berenz said.

The holidays are typically a happy time for many, Berenz said, but they can also inflame trauma from loss or feelings of grief. For some community members, “the holidays are a difficult time any time of year.”

“For a lot of us, helping other people, supporting other people is a way we can manager our own stress,” she said.

In addition to strategies to help yourself cope — meditation, exercise, eating well, getting sleep — people can also care for the ones around them by checking in on them and asking how they are doing.

Thompson said starting those conversations can be uncomfortable but it’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to let someone know they are supported.

Most urged people to keep their guard up as they weather COVID fatigue amid promising news of vaccines becoming available. The community must continue working together “to get through this.”

“I’m very optimistic that this time next year,” he said, “we will be celebrating the holidays together.”

Finding ways to give back during an unusual holiday season One local nonprofit helps feed hungry students, teachers

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Local businesses and residents are continuing to feel the economic strain caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s why Douglas County nonprofits are stepping up to help residents in need make ends meet, put food on the table and find firm footing in a constantly changing landscape.

One of those nonprofits, The Backpack Society, based in Highlands Ranch, is focusing on providing food to hungry students and families through partnerships with 11 local schools.

June Everett, founder of the organization, originally planned to grow her new nonprofit, which began serving ThunderRidge High School in January, one school at a time. When the pandemic hit, that plan was upended.

“We just had to jump right in because the need was so great,” she said.

The 501(c)(3) organization

provides weekend meals for any student in need and for students on free and reduced lunches, as well as for their families. The group also provides meals for staff and teachers in need of support. Right now, it gives out 600 meals to 60 students and at least 10 families every weekend, Everett said.

While all the schools it serves are in Highlands Ranch, the organization plans to expand to schools in other parts of the county, like Castle Rock and Sedalia.

“The problem is that some of the needs are really high,” she said. “We want to be able to make sure we can support the need that’s there.”

Many community members reaching out for help have lost jobs or paychecks during the pandemic, Everett said.

“It’s hard for people to step up and ask for help,” she said. “On the surface, no one would know there is this issue in our community. But it is clearly an issue.”

Students and families of the schools served can sign up for the service through the school. Those schools are: ThunderRidge High,

Rock Canyon High, Highlands Ranch High, SkyView Academy, Ranch View Middle, Rocky Heights Middle, Cresthill Middle, Eldorado Elementary, Eagle Ridge Elementary, Fox Creek Elementary and Northridge Elementary.

“Families will tell us ‘you have no idea how much this box of food is making a difference … I don’t have to worry about food, at least for a little while,’” Everett said.

The organization is in need of monetary donations to buy food from the Food Bank of the Rockies. Those looking to support the organization can also buy gift cards from grocery stores and contact the organization to deliver them or place food items in a donation bin at Mountain View Christian Church, 40 E. Highlands Ranch Parkway, near the Town Center.

“Anything donated stays right here in the community,” she said.

Volunteer opportunities are currently limited due to the pandemic but could become available in the future.

More information is available by visiting backpacksociety.org or on Facebook at @BackpackSocetyCO.

Here are some other local organizations to consider donating time or money to: • Help and Hope Center: This nonprofit serves residents of Douglas and Elbert counties. It provides a wide variety of goods and services, including housing assistance, food and toiletries, clothing and utility assistance for those who are in serious economic need or at risk of homelessness.

Information on financial donations and volunteer opportunities is available at helpandhopecenter. org.

• Parker Task Force: This nonprofit provides food, limited financial support and other services to community members in Parker, Elizabeth and Franktown with the goal of helping them become selfsufficient. There are multiple ways to support the program, including volunteering, donating food and a Christmas “Adopt-A-Family” program. Information is available by visiting parkertaskforce.org then selecting “About Us” followed by “How Can I Help?”

• Winter Shelter Network: This Douglas County faith-based initiative provides shelter for those experiencing homelessness.

Before the pandemic, a group of churches offered their buildings

on a rotating basis to the shelter network. Now, the network provides hotel vouchers to those who meet their eligibility requirements.

How many people the network can serve depends on its funding and hotel room availability.

Those looking to help can email wsncares@gmail.com.

• Manna Care with Cherry Hills Church in Highlands Ranch: This organization, which serves more than 1,000 people per month, provides a food market and other resources and services for community members in need. Opportunities to help out include volunteering and financial donations. More information is available by visiting chcc.org/ manna.

• SECORCares: An organization based in Parker, it seeks to help people facing suburban poverty through providing food, guidance for self-sufficiency and a special Christmas gift program during the holidays. The group serves residents of Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties. The organization needs volunteers, monetary donations, and food and toiletry donations. More information is available at SECORCares.com.

Parker Chronicle 7

0December 11, 2020

Meet Time’s first Kid of the Year

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For nearly a century, Time magazine has named a Person of the Year, annually recognizing the most influential individual or individuals from the previous 12 months.

Now for the first time in its history, the magazine has named a Kid of the Year, and selected a 15-year-old scientist and inventor from Douglas County for the prestigious honor.

Gitanjali Rao attends STEM School Highlands Ranch and lives in Lone Tree, where she’s already produced a bevy of groundbreaking inventions and initiatives aimed at improving the world around her.

As news of Gitanjali’s new distinguishment spread, the teen told Colorado Community Media she was simply grateful to have been a finalist.

“It’s like nothing I could have ever imagined,” she said. “It never really sinks in, but I’m so beyond honored and humbled.”

Gitanjali spoke to actor and activist Angelina Jolie in a special interview for Time, saying she hopes her work inspires youths everywhere to be innovators.

She was 10 when she asked her parents if she could research carbon nanotube sensor technology, Gitanjali told Jolie.

Time launched Kid of the Year in collaboration with Nickelodeon and intends the honor to be “a barometer for the rising leaders in America’s youngest generation.”

The magazine scoured social media and school districts across the nation, using a panel of judges to whittle 5,000 nominees down to five finalists.

According to Time, “exceptional leadership” made Gitanjali stand out from the rest.

With an impressive resume under her belt, the recognition is far from Gitanjali’s first time in the spotlight.

She made headlines after winning the 2017 Young Scientist Challenge, inventing a tool to quickly and cheaply detect lead in drinking water. For that, she was inspired largely by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Gitanjali wowed Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” in 2018

DCSD FROM PAGE 1

important to high school students applying for scholarships, college and other post-graduation plans and students are preparing for finals in a completely remote environment.

Asked how large the slide was, Wise said “I think when you say how big, that again goes back to the individual students and schools.”

“Systemically our grades are lower than they’ve been

Gitanjali Rao, 15, is the first-ever Kid of the Year named by Time COURTESY PHOTO magazine.

while showcasing her lead-detecting device and corresponding app, stunning him with her young age and scientific knowhow.

She landed a spot on the 2019 Forbes “30 under 30” list for science.

In addition to lead-detecting devices, Gitanjali created an app called Epione, which helps battle the opioid epidemic by providing people with pain management. The app connects to a device that can show how dependent a person is on opioids.

She’s also taken aim at cyberbullying and staggering youth suicide rates in Colorado. Gitanjali created another app and web extension called Kindly, which uses artificial intelligence to flag language that might qualify as bullying and alert the author.

Kindly users can choose to rewrite their message or proceed with sharing it.

Gitanjali said her biggest motivation is knowing people in the world need help, that her generation is facing global problems never seen before and that she can use technology to help address those issues, such as climate change.

Most important to her is the time she spends mentoring other students. Gitanjali runs workshops roughly three times a week, impacting approximately 150 students across them. In total, she’s mentored thousands of students, parents and educators.

She wants other young people to dream big and know they

THE GRADING SCALES Previous: A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: Below 60

New: A: 88-100 B: 76-87 C: 64-75 D: 52-63 F: Below 52

in the past,” he said.

The district began its school year with hybrid learning, where students attend a mix of in-person and virtual classes. Elementary students returned to full in-person learning on Oct. 19. All grades switched back to remote learning on Nov.

can do anything “they put their mind to.”

“Imagine how cool it would be if a whole group of innovators and a whole army of youth looked to solving issues in our society,” she said.

Local school leaders joined in congratulating Gitanjali.

Douglas County School District interim Superintendent Corey Wise in a statement commended Gitanjali for her “amazing accomplishment” earning national recognition “at such a young age.”

“It is a true testament to her ability and dedication to making the world a better place. For Gitanjali, the sky’s the limit and we are so proud of her,” Wise said.

Executive Director of STEM School Penny Eucker said Gitanjali never rests and inspires everyone at STEM through her dedication to giving others a better life.

“When adults fret about the state of the world with poverty, climate change or COVID, I always interject that help is on the way with students like Gitanjali.

She has taken our most challenging problems as a student and fearlessly works toward solutions,” Eucker said.

Gitanjali has already set her sights on a new problem to solve.

She’s back to focusing on clean drinking water after watching a documentary about young boys in Africa forced to rely on water without any knowledge of what’s in it, including parasite or other living organisms.

“It’s so appalling to see people not have access to clean drinking water,” she said.

She’s not sure what she hopes to do in the next five years, or after.

She changes her mind often, she said, but thinks she might end up working in product development. Her immediate goal is to broaden the scope of her workshops so she can reach more young people unsure of where to start in pursuing their dreams.

“I’m more of a go-with-theflow person,” she said. “I will continue making change. I will continue making a positive impact.”

30 as COVID-19 cases surged across the state.

All the transitions came after the district had delayed the start of the school year for both hybrid and virtual students.

Once school was underway, mass quarantines posed more setbacks to consistent learning.

The disruption to schedules is but one issue likely contributing to the dip in grades, Wise said. The district is examining a number of issues facing its hybrid, eLearning and alternative systems.

The pandemic changed

Douglas County commissioner honored STAFF REPORT

Colorado Counties Inc. has named Douglas County Commissioner Roger Partridge as the 2020 CCI Distinguished Service Award recipient, according to a news release from the county.

CCI is a nonprofit, membership association whose purpose is to offer assistance to county commissioners and to encourage counties to work together on common issues.

This honor is “given to a Colorado county commissioner universally recognized for unselfish service and who often sets Partridge the standard by which all Colorado county commissioners can measure their accomplishments and commitment,” according to the release.

Nominated and chosen by his peers, commissioner Partridge received the Distinguished Service Award as one who “regularly and unselfishly devotes time and energy to the ‘greater good’ whether that is in the Commissioner’s county, region or throughout the state,” according to CCI award criteria.

In determining the recipient of this award each year, the CCI Awards Committee evaluates length of service as a commissioner and the individual Commissioner’s contributions to CCI over time.

“It is an honor to be recognized by such a phenomenal group of peers who are always supportive of one another and working tirelessly to build bridges,” commissioner Partridge said in the news release. “This honor is really shared by all of the CCI representatives who are doing so much for their counties, especially during this year of such great challenges.”

Partridge, who was first elected in 2012, is term-limited and will step down from his position in January.

“Commissioner Partridge’s commitment to CCI over the last eight years will be greatly missed. His willingness to go the extra mile and bring a united voice to all of the committees he served on and the CCI Board was truly impactful,” said John Swartout, executive director of CCI, in the release.

Governed by a board of directors consisting of eight commissioners from across the state, CCI’s focus is on information, education and legislative representation. CCI strives to keep members up-to-date on issues that directly impact county operations. At the same time, working to present a united voice to the Colorado General Assembly and other government and regulatory bodies to help shape the future.

how teachers teach and how students learn, Wise said.

Educators have to consider a child’s home environment. They must decide what the right number of assignments is during the pandemic.

Some families may be able to access extra support through tutors, but others can’t. Many community members are dealing with isolation. He urged the community to think about everything they are going through, then “magnify it with teenagers.”

“These are 14- through 18-year-olds trying to bal-

ance everything, sometimes on their own, sometimes with support,” he said.

Wise said students, teachers and parents are all working harder than ever during the crisis and the COVID slide is not for a lack of trying. The choice to change high school students’ grading scale boiled down to balancing the needs of students, he said.

“Grades shouldn’t be the motivation. Grades reflect the learning, and we’re not sure that grades are accurately reflecting the learning (this semester),” he said.

8 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

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Parker Chronicle 9

0December 11, 2020

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10 Parker Chronicle

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LOCAL

December 11, 2020D

VOICES From one’s perspective, two’s a crowd

ew remember Love, a 1960s Los Angeles rock band. They had a number of minor hits, including “My Little Red Book,” “7 and 7 Is,” QUIET and “Alone Again Or.” DESPERATION “Alone Again Or” was released in January 1968.

It initially peaked nationally at 123, but went as high as No. 7 where I was: in Los Angeles.

It’s worth a listen as a background to Craig Marshall this column.

Smith Hearing it now, I’m back in college — and, as now, living alone.

According to data collected by the U. S. Census Bureau in 2018, “There are an estimated 35.7 million singleperson households in the United States.”

That’s one-third of us.

Growing up in suburban neighborhoods, I don’t recall many singleperson households.

few suggestions.

Ivy Kwong said, “Plan ahead.

Don’t wait until the holiday is upon you to make a plan. Come up with something you’ll do on the day of the holiday: bake cookies, order take-out, work on a jigsaw puzzle, binge a podcast, watch your favorite movie.”

Kwong is a Seattle-based marriage and family therapist who specializes in healing codependency and intergenerational trauma.

I think doing any of those things as a plan would accentuate a perception of isolation. I might be wrong.

In the same article, Ayanna Abrams, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in creating healthy relationships, encourages singles to “Accept whatever feelings bubble up.”

I guess that means you should stay off the roof and go easy on the Smirnoff.

Living alone means I do everything around here. The laundry, yardwork, all the shopping, vacuuming. I reset the pins and thaw the goose.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s likely the majority in my area now live in townhomes and condominiums.

I’m a single-person home owner and I live right next to one, but I don’t think there’s another on the block.

Why do so many of us live alone?

Lots of reasons.

I prefer it. There are no compromises or conflicts. None.

There were conflicts in our home when I was a teenager. Plenty.

The atmosphere was invariably tense.

Why did my mother and father remain together? That’s what couples did back then. They stayed together through thick and thin and more thin.

I had a front row seat to “All in the Acrimony.”

While I prefer to live alone, many don’t, but do because of the loss of a loved one, or because their children have grown up and departed.

For those and others for whom the holidays might be particularly difficult to face alone this year, a recent article in The New York Times had a

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Commissioners back small businesses

I’m proud to see the Douglas County commissioners standing up for small businesses while protecting the safety of our community, knowing that both lives and livelihoods are at stake. They’ve recently demonstrated this by working to allow local restaurants to remain open, and fast-tracking relief funds for restaurants and indoor venue owners struggling financially to survive.

The commissioners recently asked the state government to allow local restaurants to remain open for in-person dining if they meet certain safety requirements, similar to Mesa County’s 5-Star Variance Protection Program that Governor Polis is supporting.

If restaurants in Mesa County — which has more COVID cases and less population than Douglas County — can stay open, then we should have a similar program to aid our struggling restaurants, many of which are already meeting the eight requirements in this plan.

Our commissioners are also fasttracking $15 million in CARES funds for local restaurants and other venues. Instead of waiting for the state to send funds, struggling businesses can get help quickly and directly from Douglas

A publication of

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County (which then gets reimbursed by the state). This expedited access to funds increases local businesses’ likelihood of staying afloat.

Local restaurants, along with small businesses in general, are disproportionately burdened by these shutdowns. Sadly, over half of Colorado restaurants aren’t expected to survive these restrictions — damaging economic and social livelihoods, local jobs, and entrepreneurs’ dreams. Working to preserve both lives and livelihoods, like the commissioners are doing, is crucial.

Thank you, Douglas County commissioners for taking this holistic approach.

Dan Shipp Lone Tree Commissioners need discipline

My treasure file which will be passed on to my two greatgranddaughters in the not too distant future includes my first grade report card dated May 17, 1940. The first four grades were listed under “health” habits and the second four under “social” habits. Academic grades started at number fifteen. Irish Corner grade school was a one-room SEE LETTERS, P11

Guess who said the following?

“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.”

As it is now, I have the mobility and the health to live alone. The day may come when I have neither. Then what?

Kwong, I’m planning ahead.

There’s one more level to living alone and that’s living alone without love. That’s something I won’t kid about.

In my case, I have a sufficient number of friends who care about me.

And I have Harry. To paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, life without Harry would be a mistake. I’d get me one if I were you.

My mailbox is always open, if someone could use a holiday pen pal.

The “delicious solitude” quote is Albert Einstein’s.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

Realize you are amazing and watch what happens next

H

ere we are, four weeks out from ringing in another New Year. Many of us can’t wait to put 2020 in the rearview mirror. These last WINNING 11 months are difficult to describe in WORDS one word, it’s even hard to describe them in just a few words without finding something negative, sad, or troubling to say, so yes, the rearview mirror analogy could be an excelMichael Norton lent way to try and put it all behind us. However, it’s only a good strategy if we make sure that we can shift our focus on what is in front of us, not only on what’s behind us.

“See, when you drive home today, you’ve got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you’ve got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what’s happened in your past is not near as important as what’s in

your future.” - Joel Osteen Success is a funny thing as we can see others succeeding where we feel like we have not. Whatever they touch turns to gold. They simply have a knack for being successful at whatever they endeavor to do.

Even in a difficult COVID year, they were still able to meet with success.

What’s the difference? The difference is in the way we see ourselves.

It can become very easy to only see or recognize the mistakes we have made or the unfortunate events that have happened around us. And the weight of carrying those makes it impossible to see ourselves succeeding at anything.

The rearview mirror becomes our lens of failure even though that big windshield of opportunity is right there in front of us. And as Zig Ziglar said, “Failure is an event and not a person. Yesterday really did end last night.” Here’s the thing, I do not know you, but I do know that you are amazing and not a failure.

I know this because someone who only sees themselves as failing

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SEE NORTON, P11

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Parker Chronicle 11

0December 11, 2020

LETTERS FROM PAGE 10

school located in the farming community of Irish Corner in Nicholas County, West Virginia. It is now a one-room school museum located in Summersville, West Virginia.

Every farmhouse in the community predated the Civil War and had no electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. Heat came from a fireplace or potbellied stove and cooking was done on a wood or coal burning stove. The school was heated with a potbellied stove. Older students had farm chores to do, both before and after school, and we also did the school chores, including maintaining the stove and carrying water from the well.

Good health habits at school were essential in maintaining good health in the community. My backwoods community practiced this 80 years ago. The three Douglas County commissioners that fired Tri-County Health and later rescinded the firing are now rescinding again. They are supporting every COVID-19 rule-breaker in Douglas County What they all need is a good dose of Miss Sweeny, the red-haired farm girl who was my first-grade teacher. You didn’t mess with Miss Sweeny.

Roy Legg Highlands Ranch Paying the price

To the letter writer who said that he “[doesn’t] know anyone who didn’t violate this order over the Thanksgiving holiday,” I’m writing to introduce myself. He was referring to the part of the levelred health order that states “two or more people not from the same household in public or private is prohibited.” My partner and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving at home alone.

We both have big families that opted to stay home to keep each other safe. We made a full Thanksgiving dinner, complete with all the trimmings, and visited with our loved ones over Zoom. It was a lovely day, and at the end of it we felt good about our family being willing to show our love to each other by keeping each other safe.

To the letter writer who said, sarcastically, “unelected bureaucrats know better than we do,” yes, they do. The officials who work at our state and local health departments d are trained health professionals who have the scientific expertise required to keep a community safe during a pandemic. Unless you are a trained epidemiologist or public

health official, you do not have that knowledge. That’s why we hire these folks... to use their expertise to keep us safe.

I’m sorry that so many put themselves and their short-term wants and desires above the safety of the community. It is why our nation has among the highest per capita number of cases in the world, to say nothing of our rate of hospitalizations and deaths. We are all paying a price for the unwillingness of some to do what’s best for all. Some are too weak to weather an emergency like this, and I’m sad for them and all who they endanger. For the majority out there who are making daily sacrifices for the love of their families, communities, and nation, I am grateful.

Kathy McKittrick Castle Rock Support area gyms

It is paramount we do everything possible to keep essential resources available to the community. That should include fitness facilities.

Maintaining your mental and physical health is crucial in the fight against COVID-19. Local business owners in the fitness industry, like myself, hope our local and state leaders realize gyms are a part of the solution — not the problem — to this pandemic.

All Coloradans must do their part to support local businesses — including local fitness centers — to help us avoid more mandatory closures. Wear your mask, practice physical distancing and avoid social gatherings. The holidays are a stressful time, and the addition of these restrictions will make this season even more difficult. Prioritize exercise as a way to combat anxiety, depression and negative moods.

Evidence shows physical activity also strengthens the body’s immune system, improves cardiovascular health and may help to protect against COVID-19 complications.

As the owner of the Planet Fitness clubs in Parker and Castle Rock, I can confidently say Colorado’s fitness industry is providing the safest environment possible to workout.

Based on data from the governor’s office, only one out of 686 health clubs across the state has been linked to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. We know gyms are essential for our health. And with the current restrictions, hundreds of gyms across the state are at risk of closing permanently, leaving tens of thousands of people in the industry without jobs.

Jonny Jost Planet Fitness franchisee, Parker and Castle Rock locations

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From special events to local politics, We’ve got you covered.

Local News , it makes a difference.

NORTON FROM PAGE 10

would have already given up and stopped reading this column two paragraphs ago.

The biggest life-changing lesson for me happened when someone encouraged me to see myself differently. I had a mentor who taught me to take an inventory of my talents and skills, which was helpful. But the better exercise was to make an honest assessment of the gaps in my talents and skills so that I could take the time and make the effort to improve my situation. It’s fair to say that it was humbling to admit my shortcomings, but it was also freeing and inspiring.

Recognizing that the only difference in looking in the rearview mirror instead of the massive windshield in front of me, was the belief in myself.

The way we see ourselves is the way we will see our future. If the past feels like a boat anchor, we need to cut the chain. Because the way we see our past is not nearly as important as the way we see our future. And our future begins with the way we see and

H O L I D AY

believe in ourselves. And we are amazing.

With just a few weeks to go in the year, this is an excellent time to take an inventory of who we are and our capacity for accomplishment. It’s a fantastic time to look through the windshield, understanding that it is more about what happens next than what has happened in the past.

As a matter of fact, Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney, says it this way, “No matter what’s behind us in the rearview mirror, it’s always about what’s next.”

How about you? What’s your role in what happens next? Are you looking at what has happened, or are you focused on what can happen? And I may not know you personally, but I do know that you are amazing and I would love to hear your story at mnorton@tramazing.com. Just remember that when we can believe in ourselves and our role in what happens next, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

WORSHIP

O Come Let us adore him

Merry Christmas from Ave Maria Catholic Parish!

This year seating for mass is limited.

You must register for Mass in advance to attend.

We are unable to accommodate walk-ins.

Mass is live streamed on our website.

Visit us at www.avemariacatholicparish.org to register for Mass or watch live.

12 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

LOCAL

LIFE

Here is a list of outdoor skate rinks that are open — and two that are closed.

Rink at the Rock, Castle Rock ABOUT: The covered ice rink in downtown Castle Rock is open through Feb. 15. The rink is reserved for private sessions MondayWednesday.

WHERE: 414 Perry St., Castle Rock OPEN SKATE HOURS: Thursday 4-8 p.m.; Friday 4-8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-

5 p.m.

COST: Adult (12 and up), $10; child (11 and under) $8; skate rental, $4 MASKS: Required to be worn while skating.

Highly encouraged in waiting areas.

RESERVATION: Not required.

WEBSITE: www. downtowncastlerock. com/rink-at-the-rock-1

Discovery Park Ice Trail, Parker

Outdoor skating a holiday refuge amid pandemic

Alora Rankin smiles skating with her father, Bryan, at the Discovery Park Ice Trail in downtown Parker Dec. 3.

The skating loop is available by reservation only, and is one of a few outdoor ice rinks still open following level red public health orders.

PHOTOS BY NICK PUCKETT

up), $8; child (10 and under), $6; skate rental, $4 MASKS: Not required to be worn while skating.

RESERVATION: Required two days in advance online.

WEBSITE: www. parkerrec.com/1954/ Parker-Ice-Trail

Olde Town Arvada Ice Skating Rink, Arvada

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ABOUT: The new, synthetic ice rink opened in Olde Town Arvada this fall to bring a little joy to people’s holiday season amid the pandemic.

WHERE: 13150 W 72nd Ave., Arvada OPEN SKATE HOURS: Sunday-Saturday noon-8 p.m. (Hours

B

ryan Rankin did his best to keep up with his daughter on the ice.

Alora, the Ponderosa High School sophomore, darted around the Parker Ice Trail Dec. 3, at times lapping her father.

Alora egged on her father, urging him to try synchronized spins as they glided around the short loop at Discovery Park.

Bryan relished the daddydaughter time.

“I feel extremely blessed we even have a place like this to go to because I know a lot of cities don’t have an ice-skating rink, especially outdoors and as nice as this one,” Alora said. “Also, amid COVID, it’s nice that we’re still able to come have an outlet.”

The ice trail at Discover Park is one of only a handful of outdoor ice rinks still open following the level red public health orders. Masks are not required to skate, but capacity is limited.

In order to skate, visitors must fill out a registration form online and schedule a reservation two days in advance.

Visitors can request a spot in a two-hour time slot. The trail is open through the winter. For more information, visit ParkerRec.com.

Mary Colton, Parker’s parks and recreation director, said in a Dec. 4 email that the ice loop is a winter activity that lends itself to being a safe, family atmosphere.

“With such limited recreational options available due to COVID-19, Discovery Park offers a unique opportunity to recreate outdoors for improved physical and mental health, which are so important to all of us right now,” Colton said.

But many communities aren’t

ABOUT: An outdoor, loop ice trail in downtown Parker, open through the winter.

WHERE: 20115 Mainstreet, Parker OPEN SKATE HOURS: Monday-Friday 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

COST: Adult (11 and

subject to reservations).

COST: Adult (11 and up) $8; child (10 and under) $5. Ticket includes skate rental.

MASKS: Required at all times.

RESERVATIONS: Required for one-hour time slots. Online only.

Website: oldetownarvada.org/skating-rink/

Longmont Ice Pavilion, Longmont

Dozens of skaters occupy the Parker Ice Trail during time blocks reserved two days in advance. The Ice Trail is open Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sundays, with special times for holidays. For more information, visit ParkerOnline.org.

so lucky.

The Rink at Belmar in Lakewood was forced to close after the state moved to level red orders Nov. 20. The 7,000-squarefoot rink at the Belmar Shopping Center is a popular spot for outdoor skating in any other year.

Tom Quinn, executive director of Alameda Connects, a business association for the Alameda corridor, said the organization is searching for new ways to give people a holiday feel despite closures and indoor shopping limitations.

“What we really focused on is: ‘What can we do, with the restrictions, to keep the holiday spirit alive?’” Quinn said.

The shopping district will be decked out with holiday lights. The City of Lakewood is holding its yearly lamp post decorating contest at Belmar Park Dec. 18. Santa is making appearances at Belmar through Dec. 24 as well. For details, visit BelmarColorado.com.

Arvada unveiled its synthetic ice rink this fall in Olde Town Square, thanks to the Arvada Business Improvement District.

Executive Director Joe Hengstler told Colorado Community Community Media it was the perfect time to open a rink following the strife caused by the pandemic.

The Streets at SouthGlenn decided against putting up its annual ice-skating rink this year due to COVID-19 concerns and looks forward to bringing it back in 2021, according to a spokesperson for the shopping district.

Evergreen could open skating at Evergreen Lake Dec. 18, weather permitting, according to the city’s recreation department’s website.

Bryan Rankin, able to catch his breath at the Parker Ice Trail Dec. 3, is thankful just to spend time with his daughter on the ice.

“Hopefully, normalcy kicks in soon,” he said.

ABOUT: A seasonal, full-service ice facility offering public skating as well as private rentals throughout the winter.

WHERE: 725 Eighth Ave., Longmont OPEN SKATE HOURS: Monday 11:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3-5 p.m.; Tuesday 3-4:45 p.m.; Wednesday 11:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3-5:15 p.m.; Thursday 3-5:15

p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.6:15 p.m.; Saturday 12:15-6:15 p.m.; Sunday 1:15-6 p.m.

COST: Adult resident/nonresident (1854) $5.75/$7.25; youth resident/nonresident (11-17) $5/$5.75; child resident/nonresident (2-10) $4.50/$5.50; senior resident/nonresident (55 and up) $5/$5.75; tot (under 2) free.

Coming soon: Evergreen Lake, Evergreen ABOUT: The 55acre lake in the Rocky Mountain foothills is nationally renowned for its ice skating, and it is scheduled to return just before Christmas.

The tentative open date is Dec. 18, pending bad weather.

WHERE: 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen OPEN SKATE HOURS: Monday-Friday 3-7 p.m.; Saturday

8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

COST: Adult (19-59), $8; youth (4-18), $7; seniors (60 and up), $6; military, $6; tot (3 and under), free.

MASKS: Not required.

Reservations: Required by time slots.

Online only.

WEBSITE: www. evergreenrecreation. com/224/Ice-Skatingand-Hockey

Closed

The Rink at Belmar, Lakewood Streets of Southglenn Skating at the Cube, Centennial

Parker Chronicle 13

0December 11, 2020

High-end kennel makers find unique niche Married couple’s company creates personal connection with customers

BY AMANDA HANCOCK THE DENVER GAZETTE

Maybe you’ve never given much thought to dog kennels. Or cared how they looked.

That’s OK. Bethany Rathman cares enough for all of us. She found wire kennels — you know, the type of kennel that automatically pops in your mind — to be so unattractive that she decided they were never meant to be inside a home. So her husband, Brody, got to work crafting a kennel out of wood and pieces of metal that looked more like fancy furniture found in a magazine than a place for dogs to hang out.

A photo of that first kennel was shared on social media. It went viral. That was before Brody and Bethany had a name for their business or a website. When they launched B&B Kustom Kennels, their website bbkustomkennels.com crashed from all the views.

“It kind of blew up,” Bethany says.

They were featured on HGTV. The Washington Post called, and so did Country Living.

A TV show was in the works in 2018, but it wasn’t good timing.

Bethany just found out she was pregnant with their son.

Since launching the business five years ago, the Rathmans have created a world where attractive dog kennels not only exist, but are in high demand around the country. In their world, thousands of followers also believe that “wire kennels are ugly.” In their world, that phrase might have to be in quotes because it’s trademarked. And, instead of kennels, they’re called “Doggie Dens,” which is another patent.

Made in Larkspur

All of the Doggie Dens are made inside a 2,000-square-foot unmarked shed at the end of a gravel driveway in Larkspur. Bethany’s parents live in the house a few steps away.

Inside, there are sounds of sanding and sawing and that “Sunflower” song by Post Malone. It’s always

Labradoodles Gracie and Pyper pose for a portrait inside their B&B Kustom Kennels PHOTO BY CHANCEY BUSH/THE GAZETTE Doggie Den at their home in Monument.

busy as Brody and his team of guys, a mix of childhood and college friends, churn out eight or 10 kennels per week.

New orders go on a wait list that’s 25 weeks long.

The Doggie Dens come in eight different stains and a range of sizes to fit dogs of all sizes.

Bethany says she isn’t sure why the kennels, which start at a price of $899, are so popular.

“I would honestly love to know,” she says with a laugh.

Stephanie Bush, a longtime friend and B&B’s social media manager, has an idea.

“It’s honestly them as a couple,” Bush said. “People love their story.”

Their story starts at Taylor University in Indiana, which brought together a California girl who played volleyball and a Chicago boy who played baseball. They became best friends. And then they fell in love.

They moved to a small town in Colorado to be close to Bethany’s

parents. He got a corporate desk job and she started teaching and coaching volleyball at a middle school.

Then, in 2015, the couple adopted 8-month-old Labradoodles named Gracie and Pyper. Since Brody had just renovated their house in Parker, Bethany wanted everything to fit their aesthetic. And wire kennels weren’t doing the trick.

“I just thought they were ugly and an eyesore,” Bethany said. “We’re the kind of people who ask, `How can we improve this? What’s a solution to this problem?’”

Even when people started showing interest in the handcrafted kennels, the husband-and-wife team weren’t thinking that big.

“We thought maybe we’d build one a month to help us pay off our student loans,” Bethany said.

Taking the plunge

Soon, Brody was working 20-hour days to keep up with orders on top of working his corporate job. They built kennels in their 450-square-

foot garage and invited friends to move in and help.

Then it came time for a huge risk.

They sold their house. Sold everything. And moved in with Bethany’s parents. All to focus on growing B&B. “We had something that is doing well, so we thought, `Let’s go for it,’” Bethany said.

It paid off.

They’ve since both quit their other jobs. Brody is B&B’s head builder and Bethany handles the business side. Among her duties, she makes a point to call each person who orders a kennel. As a result, most customers know their names. Followers have watched their 2-year-old son grow up.

“I think people like that that they’re investing in us and the story,” Brody said.

And he thinks people like that the product is not only made in America, but made by a bunch of guys with beards in a small Colorado town.

Most importantly, the Rathmans invented a product that’s highly sought after.

As Bush, the company’s social media manager, pointed out, the Doggie Dens seem to have attracted the perfect blend of dog lovers and home decor lovers.

“There are people who want to spoil their dog and then there are people who want their house to be beautiful,” she said. “Both kinds of people want one of these.”

Brody and Bethany, who live in Monument now, say they’re focused on keeping up with the business and hopefully moving into a bigger shop soon. They’re planning on starting a retail line, too.

Talking to the couple, it’s easy to see why a TV show might be in their future.

They often get compared to Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of “Fixer Uppers.”

“But I’m more Chip, and he’s more Joanna,” Bethany says. “He’s the more laid-back one.”

Their followers love their dynamic all the same.

“They’re so hardworking and they’re so stinkin’ cute,” Bush said.

“It’s really a good marriage.”

For more stories like this, subscribe at denvergazette.com

To advertise your place of worship in this section, Serving the southeast Denver area

Castle Rock/Franktown

Greenwood Village

call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com Parker

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Call or check our website for information on services and social events! www.cbsdenver.org

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Please check our Website for details about Sunday Services. www.CSLParker.org

14 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

TOY DRIVE FROM PAGE 1

“Every year is different,” Coleridge said. This year is no exception.

When it comes to toys for underprivileged kids, every donation matters. Few know that better than the 10-year-old Coleridge.

“It means a lot to me and it also means a lot to other people,” Coleridge said. “I have lots of friends who have tough situations with family members lately due to COVID, so it’s really important for me to give back.”

Coleridge began her fourth annual U R Loved toy drive in December.

She set up a donation site Dec. 7 at the Holiday Inn in north Parker.

Her toy drive has collected about 200 donations last year, according to Coleridge’s mother, Candice.

Masked and donning a pageant sash, Coleridge greeted guests at the hotel behind a table with piles of toys stacked almost as tall as herself.

The toy drive this year is different from what Coleridge usually does.

Coleridge’s “Cookies for the Cause” fundraiser is a cookie-baking party normally held at her Parker home where friends bring a toy to donate.

Due to COVID-19, she had to improvise. Coleridge partnered with local Rotarian Kam Breitenbach to hold her toy drive at a Santa and Mrs. Claus photo shoot at a local Holiday Inn. As of Dec. 8, Coleridge has collected 219 toys.

Coleridge’s toy drive is collecting donations through Dec. 18. Her next

Rylan Coleridge, 10, held an event for her fourth annual toy drive Dec. 7 at the Holiday PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT Inn in north Parker.

event is Dec. 13 at Holiday Inn, 19308 Cottonwood Drive, from noon-4 p.m.

For more information, visit U R Loved Project on Facebook.

Coleridge has had a heart to give since she was 4, when she founded U R Loved Project with the help of her parents.

“It really was a struggle for me to get involved and that’s why I feel like kids aren’t getting involved,” Coleridge said. “It’s not every day you see an organization that says, ‘hey we’re looking for mainly kids (to volunteer),’ so that’s why I created my platform.”

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Coleridge’s nonprofit helps kids get involved with volunteer work.

She works year-round organizing events or volunteering with other organizations.

At first, she started small, baking cookies for first responders.

Coleridge got involved with local charities she liked and recruited her friends to volunteer, too.

As her organization grew, Coleridge began to organize her own charity drives for underprivileged kids. At 6, she started her holiday toy drive.

“This is actually really important

to me because I love volunteering, but it’s really important that I get to do the work and see it go to people in need,” Coleridge said. “There’s just certain platforms I love to work with because I see everything going on from collecting the toys and getting them out to kids.”

This year, Coleridge partnered with Impact, a Denver-based nonprofit, to donate the toys to kids in Denver homeless shelters.

Coleridge’s mother, Candice, said they noticed Rylan’s desire to give back early on and wanted to nurture that and encourage it.

“She’s very blessed, and so I’m like `you need to understand that your situation isn’t normal,’” Candice Coleridge said. “You can be a good human and you can give back and you can put people before yourself, and that’s OK. Just remember that, and be thankful for what you have, but if you have the ability to give, you should give.”

Rylan Coleridge said she makes plenty of time to draw, play games and watch movies with her friends.

Due to COVID-19, and a hectic, crosscountry beauty pageant schedule, Coleridge is doing fifth grade remotely this year. She attends Cherokee Trail Elementary School in Parker, where she is involved with the student council. Coleridge was elected to be the student council’s community outreach chair.

Coleridge’s next goal is to help kids who need proper bedding for a regular, good-night’s sleep.

“There’s some days it seems like maybe today isn’t the best day, but maybe there’s people I helped today,” Coleridge said. “I can be an inspiration to people to just keep going.”

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DECEMBER 20

at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

at Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight

7711 East Academy Boulevard, Denver, CO 80230

13005 Wings Way Englewood, CO 80112

10 AM - 4 PM

12 PM - 4 PM

December 15, 2020 • 9am - 3pm December 17, 2020 • 3pm - 9pm 488 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO

Apply before you arrive at MonarchBlackHawk.com

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Parker Chronicle 15

0December 11, 2020

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Thu 12/10 CNA Competency @ 9:30am / Free-$120 Amity Healthcare Group Education Center, 5600 South Quebec Street, Suite 109A, Greenwood Village

Nursing Competency @ 10:30am / Free-$175 Amity Healthcare Group Education Center, 5600 South Quebec Street, Suite 109A, Greenwood Village

Journey Christmas Gathering

Colorado Concealed Carry -Black Friday / Holiday Special @ 9:30am / $25-$110 2186 S Holly St, 2186 South Holly Street, Denver

Dec. 12 Free Preview Music Class for Kids (Centennial, CO) @ 10am / Free CMA of Centennial, 7562 S. University Blvd. #BB, Centennial

Featured

@ 1pm / Free Denver First Church, 3800 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood

Sun 12/13 Sunday Worship Service @ 8:15am / Free Ridgeline Community Church, 555 Her‐ itage Avenue, Castle Rock

Castle Oaks Church Worship Service @ 9am / Free Castle Oaks Covenant Church, 826 PARK STREET, Castle Rock

Centennial Covenant Church @ 9am / Free Centennial Covenant Church, 401 West Mineral Avenue, Littleton

DFC Sunday On-Campus Worship 9:30am Service

ARTShop - "Hold Your Space" Create Your Own Journals

@ 9:30am / Free Denver First Church, 3800 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood

@ 6pm / $40 Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, 5808 S Rapp St, Suite 275, Littleton

Sunday Service Attendance / FWC Centennial, CO

Fri 12/11

@ 10am / Free Family Worship Center, 6395 S Clarkson Street, Centennial

Featured Dog Chiropractic Pop-Up Event @ 11am / Free Chuck and Don's, 5926 S Holly Street, Greenwood Village

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Crossroads Young Adults @ 6:30pm / Free Crossroads Community Church, 9900 South Twenty Mile Road, Parker

Thu 12/17 3to5 Club Aurora @ 8am / Free 3000 S Parker Rd, 3000 South Parker Road, Aurora

Introduction to SoulCollage® @ 2:30pm / $40 Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, 5808 S Rapp St, Ste 275, Littleton

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Welcome Party December 13 @ 12:15pm / Free Parker Performing Arts School, 15035 Compark Boulevard, Parker

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Community Movie Night: Tuning In

Gingerbread House Decorating Night: December 17

@ 5pm / Free Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, 5808 S Rapp St, Ste 275, Littleton

@ 4pm / $45-$90 Jingle Bell Bar, 6785 E Chenango Ave, Denver Art Journaling with Create By Cari

Featured Holiday Fairy Playshop @ 2pm / $25 Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, 5808 S Rapp St, Ste 275, Littleton Kids Cooking: Holiday Cookies @ 4pm PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Swim Stroke/Conditioning Clinic: Starts and Turns

HAPPY HOLIDAYS OR ARE THEY?

@ 6pm / Free 3243 S Parker Rd, 3243 South Parker Road, Aurora

@ 3pm / Free Healing Heart Center, 5401 South Prince Street, Suite 105, Littleton

Introduction to Chakradance™

One Up Sunday Nights @ 6pm / Free Denver First Church, 3800 East Hampden Avenue, Englewood

@ 4pm Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

@ 8:15pm Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker

@ 5:30pm / $165 Dec 11th - Dec 12th Private Residence, 1105 Bulrush Drive, Castle Rock

American Red Cross Community CPR/AED and First Aid

Tue 12/15

@ 4pm Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E. Lincoln Ave, Parker

@ 9:30am / Free-$120 Amity Healthcare Group Education Center, 5600 South Quebec Street, Suite 109A, Greenwood Village

@ 6:30pm / Free 6500 W Coal Mine Ave, 6500 West Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton

Sat 12/12 CCW/NRA Basic Pistol Shooter Course @ 9am / $150 Regus - Colorado, Greenwood Village DTC Crescent VI, 8400 East Crescent Parkway, Greenwood Village

Paint and wine class @ 5pm / $40 350 Perry St, 350 Perry Street, Castle Rock

Saturday Mini-Workshop: East Coast Swing Basics @ 8pm PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Kids Cooking: Holiday Cookies @ 8pm PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

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Kids Zone Event: Milk and Cookies with Santa

Peppermint Collage Class by Laura Heine

Parents Night Out at Authentic Life Church

@ 6pm / $25 Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, 5808 S Rapp St, Ste 275, Littleton

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3to5 Club Castle Rock @ 11am / Free Premier Members Credit Union, 6355 Promenade Parkway, Castle Rock

Christmas in Castle Rock @ 7pm / Free Renaissance Secondary School, 3954 Trail Boss Ln, Castle Rock

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16 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

Affordable apartments will soon take shape City eyes RidgeGate Station ‘milestone’ development

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lone Tree’s first affordable housing development is planned to begin construction in March, pending approval from the city’s planning commission and city council in the coming months.

The Koelbel & Co. affordable housing development at RidgeGate Station will be built adjacent to the newly opened light rail station east of I-25 and south of RidgeGate Parkway. A second RidgeGate Station apartment complex of 540 market-rate units is expected to break ground before the end of the year, catty-corner from the affordable development site.

Jennifer Drybread, the city’s planning manager, called the project a milestone accomplishment for Lone Tree. The city has invested heavily in the growth of the region. In May 2019, the city cut the ribbon on three new light rail stations extending south to serve RidgeGate East before any new housing was built in RidgeGate East.

Drybread said providing mobility alternatives was “integral to the whole design of the east side.”

“We’re just starting to see the fruits of all that planning and forethought,” Drybread said.

The complex is scheduled to open July 1, 2022, according to a site plan submitted by Coventry Development, the master developer of RidgeGate.

The four-story building will contain 67 one-, two-, and threebedroom apartments available at prorated rents based on an applicant’s household income.

The building will be steps from the RidgeGate Light Rail Station, the southernmost stop on the E, F and R routes for the Regional Transportation District light rail system.

The RidgeGate Station affordable housing building will have 39 one-bedroom apartments, 18 twobedroom apartments and 10 threebedroom apartments. There will be no studio apartments.

To qualify for funding assistance from the state, developers must provide a percentage of units in a

East of I-25, west of Havana Street and south of RidgeGate Parkway is an empty lot that will eventually be home to two apartment developments. Construction on the first, five-building development, named RidgeGate Apartments, is scheduled to break ground by the end of the year. A one-building affordable housing development could begin construction nearby as well in March.

PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT

HOW MUCH IS THE RENT? The following are some examples of what a renter could expect to pay per month for a one-bedroom apartment: Household income of $30,000: $562 Household income of $40,000: $750 Household income of $50,000: $937 Household income of $60,000: $1,125 Household income of $70,000: $1,312

proposed housing complex at rental rates determined on area median income (AMI) by county. Maximum rent rates for 2020 Section 8 Housing projects are provided in a price table provided from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) on its website, www.chfainfo.com/arh/asset/rent-incomelimits.

More than half the RidgeGate affordable apartments will be available for a two-person household income making $40,000 per year or less, including 21 one-bedroom units ranging in rent from $562-$937 per month. An additional 11 twobedroom apartments will be available between $675-$1,125 per month.

Five three-bedroom apartments will be available for $780-$1,300 per month.

Close to 40% of the apartments

(26) will be eligible for a two-person household income between $56,000$64,000, or a four-person household making $70,000-$80,000 per year.

Maximum rates for those units range from $1,200-$1,400 per month for a one-bedroom; $1,600-$1,800 for a two-bedroom; and $1,800-$2,000 for a three-bedroom apartment.

The five-building RidgeGate Apartments development a stone’s throw away from the site of the affordable housing site received the green light from city council this fall. Both facilities are expected to welcome their first residents in 2022.

“It really is a quality development, and it will fit in well the community,” Drybread said. “I think it’s a good fit for Lone Tree.”

Coventry Development agreed to provide 350 total affordable housing units in RidgeGate East, and Drybread expects the developer will exceed that number.

“It’s a start,” Drybread said.

The 3,500-acre, master-planned RidgeGate East community was designed around the promise of light rail expansion through Lone Tree.

The Southwest Village subdivision, a 2,200 single-family home development south of RidgeGate Station, is also currently in the planning

process. When complete, planners estimate RidgeGate East will be home to more than 5,000 people.

The city and Coventry Development made mobility a priority in their conjunctive planning, aiming to give residents alternative transportation options, Drybread said.

The city introduced the Link On Demand shuttle service, hired a new mobility manager, installed electric vehicle charging stations and cut the ribbon on the Leaf Pedestrian Bridge all within the past two years.

RidgeGate East has intricate plans for trail systems leading to the East-West Trail, which connects Chatfield Reservoir with the Town of Parker.

“It began with a vision for this area that I think was shared by the developer, Ridgegate, and Lone Tree in the comprehensive plan, which is to have compact, pedestrian-friendly, transit-friendly development,” Drybread said.

The Lone Tree City Center is planned to develop north of the RidgeGate apartments. No formalized plans for that area have been submitted to city council yet.

For information or documents about development projects in the city, visit cityoflonetree.com/projects.

We rise together to serve our most vulnerable.

These are unusual times. In the midst of change, Catholic Charities knows that no matter the circumstance, our community will always need care and support, love and kindness, dependability and grit. We know there are challenges ahead and we stand ready to help our communities rise.

There is no better time than now to make a difference for our communities through your support.

Join us in our rising, help us help each other.

Visit CCharitiesCC.Org to find out how you can change lives.

GIVE HOPE. RISE.

Help us help each other.

Parker Chronicle 17

0December 11, 2020

CATALYST CONVENER CHAMPION CHAMBER ADVOCATES FOR RESTAURANTS WITH LETTER TO GOVERNOR Recently, Castle Rock Chamber & the Douglas County

COLLABORATION IS KEY TO SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY

While both the Chamber and DCBA acknowledge the devastating effects of the COVID -19 Pandemic on our state and recognize that difficult public health restrictions need to be considered and adopted, the Chamber and DCBA feel the current Red Level restrictions are disproportionately impacting our small and locally owned main street businesses to the peril of their owners, their customers and the communities they serve.

Collaboration is key to our success, there is strength in numbers! The Town, Economic Development Council, Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Alliance make up the Castle Rock Economic Partnership (CREP). This partnerships was developed to achieve the community's vision through teamwork, performance accountability and commitment to goals and priorities. Working together we can cut through potential road blocks. Collaborating our efforts we can better support our businesses and provide necessary tools to not only survive, but to thrive.

Business Alliance (DCBA) sent letters to Governor Polis in support of reopening our local restaurants, asking for the Governor to strongly reconsider restrictions.

We are seeing this first hand in all of our communities and it is our opinion that the Governor should trust the weight of these difficult decisions to each citizen given the millions of unique circumstances that exist.

The Chamber's partnership with Douglas County, DCBA, Tri-County Health, Town of Castle Rock, Parker & Lone Tree are also looking very closely at Mesa County’s “5star” exemption program. Stay tuned for progress and view updates at CRCStrong.com.

STARLIGHTING ORNAMENTS ARE A SPECIAL & UNIQUE GIFT! ORDER ONLINE/PORCH PICK UP AT THE CHAMBER. $15/EACH

Get Connected to Leaders & Influencers in our community, Join the Chamber!

Email Pam@castlerock.org/call 303-688-4597 or visit CastleRock.org/Join for more information.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce has made it our top priority to be an advocate for local businesses. Recognized as a trusted pillar in the community, the Chamber works side by side with leaders and influencers in our community to proactively advocate for our businesses. Castle Rock is a businessfriendly community, and we intend to do everything in our power to keep it that way.

We pride ourselves in doing business better here!

As a member of the Castle Rock Chamber, you are a connected, invaluable part of the business community. Members receive development updates and access to accurate, most up-to-date local, county, and state information. Whether it be providing loan assistance guidance, reminding residents to shop local or communicating news from the health department, the Chamber excels in this type of environment. We know our business community is counting on us and we are gladly up for the challenge. Recently we created www.CRCStrong.com to promote ALL local businesses and to provide one central location for COVID-19 resources and information, including state/local guidelines and best practices. Chamber membership is a great investment in the future of Castle Rock, Douglas County and your business. Not already a member, join today!

Since 1955, Castle Rock Chamber has been the voice of business and we will continue to be that constant, calming voice of comfort, letting our business community know they are not alone. As we look ahead we realize we have much yet to achieve in our efforts to advocate for our community. Rest assured we will remain steadfast in our support of workforce development, advocate for small businesses, responsibly supporting and protecting our growing community, and continue serving as a business resource you can trust. Visit CastleRock.org/Join to learn more and become a part of the Castle Rock Chamber Business Community.

18 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

Holiday series will take place on virtual stage

W

hy are we surprised that the always creative Arvada Center has come up with a new holiday entertainment?

“The Family Tree: SONYA’S A Virtual Holiday SAMPLER Comedy” deals with the situation may of us are dealing with right now: How can a family gather in this difficult holiday season??? Each performance will feature a live cast Sonya Ellingboe — which at times will make mistakes — per director Lynne Collins.

Plays began Dec. 2 and will run at 7 p.m. through Dec. 20 on Zoom.

The cast includes the Arvada Center’s regular Black Box Theatre’s cast members and the script was written by actor/playwright Jessica Austgen, who will also perform. Ticket prices are based on a pay-what-you-can model, ranging from $20 to $50. One Arvada family has family meetings to discuss how their family traditions are changing ... Cast includes Jessica Austgen, Sean Michael Cummings, Jada Susan Dixon, Tresha Farris, Kate Gleason, Geoffrey Kent, Leslie O’Carroll, Steve Wilson, Olivia Wilson and Titus the dog.

Visit “The Family Tree’s” webpage at arvadacenter.org/events/thefamily-tree.

Littleton Museum

Littleton’s annual “Own an Original” show is in place and ready for visitors if and when the Littleton Museum is open to visitors. (Website says the farms are open Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. by reservation.) No information on awards yet from the Littleton Fine Art Board ...

The theme chosen by the board is “Liberating Humor” — a commodity we can all look forward to — if and when the building can

open. The farm, however, is open during museum hours for family groups to walk among the animals and farm buildings — but advance reservations are required. 303-7953950, during museum hours.

Virtual Arts in the Afternoon

Lone Tree Arts Center will celebrate “Happy Birthday, Beethoven” with the Ivy Street Ensemble and host Betsy Schwarm at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, the actual anniversary of Beethoven’s birth in 1770. The ensemble — flutist Cathy Peterson, violinist Erik Peterson and violist Philip Stevens — will present Beethoven’s Serenade, op. 25, plus music by current American composer Kenji Bunch, who was inspired by Beethoven.

Tickets: choose what you pay and tune in right at 1:30 p.m. The performance will not be available later. Online or box office — lonetreeartscenter.org or 303-805-6800.

‘Nutcracker’ reminder

Colorado Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” has remaining free PBS shows — Dec. 18 at 9 p.m.; Dec. 19 at 1 a.m.; Dec. 24 at 7 p.m.; Dec. 25 at 12 a.m. (the wee hours of Christmas morning). May also be streamed during the holidays at the Rocky Mountain PBS app, downloadable at rmpbs.org/pbs-video-app.

Depot Gallery news notes

Longtime Littleton Fine Arts Guild member Pat Dall is “Spotlight Artist of the Month” for the Guild, and if it were a usual month, she would have a wall in the back room at Littleton’s Depot Art Gallery for her art to be displayed. She has served in many capacities, including president as well as creating her own artwork for display. “It’s a Small World” is a display of miniature works of art displayed at Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton Gallery. The exhibit can be viewed online: www. depotartgallery.org/its-a-smallworld.

Answers

THANKS for

PLAYING!

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Solution

Parker Chronicle 19

0December 11, 2020

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20 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

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Parker Chronicle 21

0December 11, 2020 Roofing/Gutters

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22 Parker Chronicle

December 11, 2020D

P L A C E A D S O N L I N E 2 4 / 7 AT

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Misc. Notices

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Parker Chronicle 23

0December 11, 2020

SHERIFF FROM PAGE 5

“(Walcher) has a different personality, but the day-today will remain the same,” he said.

Walcher said he has seen a few things within the office that could be improved.

“I think a new set of eyes is always a good thing,” Walcher said.

Other changes made in

the restructuring include promoting Kevin Duffy from captain of investigations to chief deputy of law enforcement services and moving Daren Weekly from captain of detentions to captain of investigations. There are now two chief deputy positions instead of three under the former model.

“As command members of the sheriff ’s office, we are all on the same team,” Moore said. “We were before this, we will be after this.”

Local Focus. More News.

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ColoradoCommunityMedia.com 303-566-4100

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the proposed budgets for the County of Douglas and all its agencies, the Douglas County Law Enforcement Authority, the Douglas County Woodmoor Mountain General Improvement District, and the Douglas County Local Improvement District No.

07-01-Lincoln Station have been submitted to the Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County for the ensuing year 2021. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of the proposed budgets on December 15, 2020 beginning at 2:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible, in the Commissioner’s Hearing Room, Phillip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado. Any interested elector of Douglas County may file an objection to the proposed adopted budget prior to its final adoption by the Board of County Commissioners. A copy of said resolution may be obtained for inspection at the offices of the County Commissioners at the above address in Castle Rock, Colorado, or viewed on-line at www.douglas.co.us.

Legal Notice No. 938429

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

First Publication: December 10, 2020 Last Publication: December 10, 2020 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Bids and Settlements PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF CONTRACTORS SETTLEMENT COUNTY OF DOUGLAS STATE OF COLORADO NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 38-26-107, C.R.S., as amended, that on the 11th day of JANUARY 2021, final settlement will be made by the County of Douglas, State of Colorado,

for and on account of a contract between Douglas County and ARROW-J LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, INC. for the BAYOU GULCH REGIONAL PARK SITE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT – INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #019-20 (PO#40552 & PO#40553); and that any person, co-partnership, association or corporation that has an unpaid claim against said ARROW-J LANDSCAPE & DESIGN, INC. for or on account for the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or any subcontractors in or about the performance of said work, or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement on said 11th day of JANUARY 2021, to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid

on account of such claim with the Douglas County Government, Board of County Commissioners, c/o Parks, Trails & Building Grounds, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104.

Failure on the part of the claimant to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve said County of Douglas from all and any liability for such claimant’s claim. The Board of Douglas County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado, By: Carolyn S. Riggs, CPPB, Purchasing Supervisor, Douglas County Government.

Legal Notice No. 938440 First Publication: December 10, 2020 Last Publication: December 17, 2020 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

###

Parker Legals 12.11.20 * 1

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24 Parker Chronicle

S:9.125"

December 11, 2020

DOUGLAS COUNTY IS SEEING A SURGE IN CASES

KEEP IT UP TO KEEP COVID DOWN.

D o u g l a s

C O U N T Y

K e e p wa s h i n g yo u r ha n d s , and wearing your mask.

Learn more at www.douglas.co.us