Castle Rock, CO May 2023

Castle Rock’s Local Expert

Ginger specializes in every aspect of real estate whether that is navigating the road to home ownership with first-time buyers, finding a perfect remodel project, or helping you get that dream home in the luxury market. Castle Rock is her home and community; she has all the inside information that will help with your home search as well as information on schools, where to shop, where to dine, or where to hike or play.

To the women in our lives who make a difference!

I don’t know about you, but I love any opportunity to recognize the women in my life who just make life richer and more beautiful. Our sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, and best friends are some of the most influential women in our lives.

And of course, with Mother’s Day this month, all eyes are on moms. And it’s not just biological mothers, but the mother figures in our lives who have made an indelible impact on us. It’s the family members, teachers, friends, and neighbors doing awesome things in our communities, pouring into our lives—making themselves unforgettable and irreplaceable.

While it’s always important to shop local and support our area businesses, this month is the perfect time to patronize businesses owned by women in our communities. That’s one of my favorite parts of this role—connecting with and championing the best of the best when it comes women.

They are movers and shakers, builders and makers. They are both seen and unseen. Their silent service blesses those who are under their care. Their attention to detail shows us something about beauty that can’t be seen or understood any other way.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to send a text, make a phone call or get your kids on a video call with the women in your life who deserve recognition. It only takes a minute to brighten someone’s day and remind them how much you love them.

Cheers to the women in your life who make your life shine a little brighter,

MEL MILES, PUBLISHER @CASTLEROCKLIFESTYLE

May 2023

PUBLISHER

Mel Miles | mel.miles@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Mary Abel | Mary.abel@citylifestyle.com

STAFF WRITERS

Suzie Glassman

Callie Miller | Callie.Miller@citylifestyle.com

PHOTO EDITOR

Kayleigh Gibb | Kayleigh@wonderstruckphoto.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mary Abel, Kristin Miller, Glenna Hope

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

AD DESIGNER Josh Govero

LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee

health

What you'll find here, is Quality

Trees

Shrubs

Perennials

Annuals

Pottery

Hard Goods

Gifts / Decor

Classes / Events

business monthly

A round-up of exciting news from local businesses.

Women with Hatitude Luncheon

Join theater lovers from across Denver to celebrate the brilliant work of female playwrights and directors in fabulous fashion on May 4 at the Sewall Ballroom.  Recognizing the absence of the female voice in American theater, the DCPA established the Women’s Voices Fund in 2005 to commission, develop and produce new plays by women. The fund has surpassed $1.7 million and enabled this theater company to commission and produce plays written, directed and crafted by women.

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to read more.

The Success Collective Castle Rock

Are you a woman in business who wants to connect with other businesswomen?

The Success Collective is the place for making genuine connections with other thriving business leaders. Experience real and vulnerable connections through this authentic networking group and make it your inner circle. To become part of this amazing group and to learn more, visit facebook.com/TSCcastlerock .

Buckets of Hope

The Help and Hope Center has a food drive program that everyone can participate in. The Bucket of Hope program makes it easier than ever for you to host a food drive at your preferred location. Simply contact them with your start and end date, the number of buckets you would like, and your drop-off location, and they will deliver and pick up the buckets for you. When you fill a bucket, you give hope!

Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/CastleRock

Photography DCPA

Photography Douglas County School District

5 Rings Construction

Our Client Promise - At 5 Rings we deliver an uncommon construction experience. Our Promise to our clients is simple. We will protect your financial investment by delivering a quality product each and every time. Our team of skilled workers are relentless in their pursuit of perfection on each project no matter how large or small. Lastly, totality, we promise your project will be fully completed! Everyone has a story or has heard a story about having to hire and fire contractors to get a project finished… plain and simple we are here for you from start to finish!

Our Mission

to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty through education.

Homeless and impoverished students need a hand up, not a hand out.

Hide in Plain Sight (HIPS) has awarded nearly 300 scholarships to just over 200 homeless students and those in poverty in our first 7 years worth $700,000. In addition to scholarships, HIPS provides HOPE to our scholars.

ducation

92% of HIPS scholars completed their degrees or are currently enrolled in school.

$690,000 has been given by HIPS to homeless or impoverished students.

HIPS has awarded 238 posts high school scholarships to 206 students.

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local experiences

The best places and things to do in our area.

Grab your gal pals and plan a relaxing or upscale day, weekend, or GNO (Girls Night Out!) with any one of these local experiences fit for the females.

Crush Wine Bar

CRUSH WINE BAR: This bar has legendary status around THE ROCK as the place to spot all the ladies connecting for GNOs on the daily! 3911 Ambrosia Street, Castle Rock, CO

LA BELLA NAILS AND SALON: We don’t like to GOSSIP but...this salon hosts some of the best male nail technicians in the area. It’s worth the wait!

ECCLESIA: Looking to do a little bit of everything with your friends in one place? Books? Burgers? Best happy hour cocktails? Blooms? Bands? It has it all!

READY TO SPILL THE TEA? This local treasure is a perfect place to get your friends together for an afternoon tea for any kind of celebration!

WHERE DYI WORKSHOP MEETS BAR: A Project Social is a designated time to gather and make projects with friends and strangers alike.

Want to recommend a local experience?

LOCAL EXPERIENCES

Summit to Success

Women Co-Founders of Adventum Colorado

Stephanie Coe and Kristin Miller celebrate outdoor adventure, hiking and Colorado’s highest peak

ARTICLE BY GLENNA HOPE & KRISTIN MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY ADVENTUM COLORADO

Hiking enthusiasts are encouraged to celebrate their love of outdoor adventure with thoughtfully designed apparel from new Colorado-based small business,  Adventum Colorado. The name Adventum , which is Latin for “adventure,” is the perfect fit for this small, locally owned business that evolved from the ideas and conversations among friends who discovered a mutual passion for hiking Colorado’s scenic trails.

Co- Owner Kristin Miller explains, “I hiked my first fourteener with my dad in 2009. It was Pikes Peak and I’ve personally been hooked on climbing fourteeners ever since. In 2017, we (my dad, myself and my husband) formed a small team of hikers to climb Mt. Belford as part of a fundraising initiative for Multiple Summits for Multiple Sclerosis (MS4MS), which benefits and raises awareness for the Rocky

Mountain MS Center. My friend Stephanie and her husband joined us on that team. They also got hooked on hiking 14ers and started hiking more of them with us each summer.”

After successfully summiting several of Colorado’s esteemed “fourteeners” (mountain peaks that rise to an elevation of at least 14,000 feet) together, the group, proud of their achievements, began brainstorming ways in which to celebrate their successful mountain summits and the idea for Adventum Colorado was born. The founders began designing patches that could be affixed to popular trucker hats—each patch bearing the outline of various fourteener summits along with the name and elevation of each respective mountain, so hikers can wear their successful summits with pride. Those in the local hiking community know the difficulty

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and challenges involved in making it to the summit of a 14,000-foot mountaintop, and as a way to commemorate this personal triumph, Adventum Colorado offers stylish, high-quality trucker hats emblazoned with custom-designed patches representing most of the fourteeners around the state.

“Anyone who has made it to the summit of one of Colorado’s impressive 14,000-foot mountains knows the feeling of exhilaration from such an accomplishment,” explains co-owner Stephanie Coe. “We feel that this achievement should be celebrated…whether you are a newcomer to the fourteener community or a seasoned mountain climber.”

While the company’s original idea was to provide the hats with patch designs representing Colorado’s highest peaks, they also offer thick, durable, vinyl die-cut stickers showcasing the fourteeners around the state. Each sticker is scratch-proof and weatherproof against water and sunlight—perfect for a water bottle, laptop, lunchbox, snowboard, helmet, bicycle, skateboard, kayak or anywhere you want to display your love of Colorado’s mountains. The fourteeners hats and stickers are part of the company’s “Summa (or Summit) Collection.” Recognizing that not everyone is interested in climbing fourteeners, Adventum Colorado also designed a “Colorado Collection” with designs such as  Hike Colorado,  Explore More and  Take A Hike, appealing to hikers and outdoor adventurists who simply relish opportunities to explore Colorado’s spectacular Rocky Mountains.

“Although climbing fourteeners can become quite an addiction for some, we recognize that not everyone has an interest, so we created our Colorado Collection that celebrates hiking all trails throughout this beautiful state,” says Coe. “Colorado is full of outdoor adventurers and explorers—for many of us, it’s why we live here or visit Colorado. Anyone can grab a t-shirt, hoodie, hat or other souvenir that represents their fondness for Colorado, but we wanted to create something special and unique for those who love hiking the endless number of trails throughout this incredible state and for those who simply love being outdoors and exploring Colorado.”

The hats retail online for $34 and stickers range in price from $3.99–$5.99. Both can be purchased at  adventumcolorado.com . What better way to celebrate your love of hiking and adventuring in Colorado, as well as your mountain summits, than with a commemorative hat, patch or sticker?

Carefree Blooms

ARTICLE BY MARY ABEL

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY PINE LANE NURSERY

Pine Lane Nursery's Custom Container Program makes container gardening a breeze

Perhaps you know Kurt and Angie Hughs; they’ve owned Parker-based Hughs Landscaping for more than 30 years. But you may not know the Hughs also own Pine Lane Nursery on Apache Drive in Parker. “Pine Lane Nursery was where we got our plants from,” Angie says. When the nursery came up for sale in 2010, Kurt and Angie bought it. Under Angie’s management, you might say the business has bloomed. Known for its incredible hanging baskets, Pine Lane

Nursery is nine acres of floral nirvana, a place that delights gardeners—especially early in the planting season when everyone is done with their stark winter landscapes and are itching to get their hands in the dirt.

“Every year, we spend the profits basically improving this place, every year we do a little bit more, and we continue to add more greenhouses,” Angie says. “We grow a lot of our own perennials and

annuals, and I think we’re known far and wide for how beautiful our hanging baskets are.”

A self-described “lazy gardener,” Angie is all about creating and maintaining a foliage-laden yard with minimal work and care. She’s a Colorado Certified Nursery Professional and says that having a garden that lasts from May to October is all about planting the right plants at the right time.

“We don’t do full-fledged landscaping projects,” Angie says, “but we can help people design their beds. Just bring us pictures of your yard, and we can tell you which perennials or shrubs or trees to plant. And then we have crews that will plant them for you.”

Inspired by customers who would bring their pots to the nursery to be properly planted, the nursery decided to start its Custom Container Program—instead of lugging pots to Pine Lane, the nursery will come to you to plant, fertilize, water, and maintain your container gardens.

Kristy Psaltis has been in the gardening business for 10 years and is in charge of the program. “Creating custom containers has always been my favorite part of my job,” says Kristy. “People would come in and have all these ideas and then I get to implement them—I learn what kind of sun their yard gets, what colors they like, how tall they want the plants to be. Then I design their containers. It’s the fun stuff that I really enjoy doing.”

“Kristy is really good at it,” says Angie. “And this is such a great idea because even though we’re happy to plant pots our customers bring to us, going to them allows us to do it on a much bigger scale. And it’s hard to bring the really big pots to us.”

By signing up for this service, customers can make it completely custom for their specific needs. If you want a truly maintenance-free container garden, Kristy and her team will take care of everything—from planting to watering and fertilizing to deadheading and trimming (or replacing) dead or spent flowers. If you just want Kristy to plant your pots and then take care of them from there, she can do that too. Or any combination of services.

Kristy can also keep your pots beautifully filled yearround through Pine Lane’s Four Seasons Gardening Program. Starting with those cold-hardy plants in spring, she’ll add summer blooms like petunias and geraniums when the time is right, then replace them with fall plants like chrysanthemums. When the snow starts to fall and the holiday’s approach, Kristy can fill the pots with small evergreens and festive decor.

“So we do both,” Angie continues. “We have people who prefer to bring their pots to us because we start them here with the little plants we get and grow them in our greenhouses so they’re full and beautiful by Mother’s Day. The Colorado growing season is too short to start with those new, little plants in May.”

To learn more or sign up for Pine Lane’s Custom Container Program, email Kristy at pots@pinelanenursery.com.

Pine Lane Nursery

18200 Apache Drive, Parker (303) 841-3009

pinelanenursery.com

“Every year, we spend the profits basically improving this place, every year we do a little bit more, and we continue to add more greenhouses.”

The Value of Women Leadership in Douglas County

FIVE AMAZING WOMEN INFLUENCING EACH AND EVERY DAY POSITIVELY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT STRONGER

ARTICLE BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

Leah Goss

Leah Goss has been fundraising her entire life. She started as a young girl going door-to-door collecting money for the March of Dimes and never stopped. Her passion for rallying people around a cause makes her a perfect fit for her new role as executive director for Hide in Plain Sight. This nonprofit, which began in Highlands Ranch, provides scholarships for homeless or impoverished students to remove barriers to education like tuition, books, fees, transportation, childcare, food, and housing.

Goss married young and initially didn’t finish college. She went back to school as an adult with four young kids in tow, and she and her husband took turns putting each other through. As a result, she’s adamant that education changes lives, and she believes everyone, regardless of background or income, should have an opportunity to go to the school of their choice.

Goss lives by the motto that luck happens when opportunity meets preparation. She advises young women to prepare for the job they want by getting the necessary credentials and showing interest through volunteer opportunities or by taking roles that will showcase their capabilities.

Leah Goss Executive Director, Hide In Plain Sight

Nicole

Nicole DeVries

Nicole DeVries is a Colorado native who, along with her husband and five children, has spent the last 25 years calling Douglas County home. She leads Wellspring Community, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and honoring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

DeVries calls herself a recovering CPA (certified public accountant). She had her own tax practice and consulting business and was on track to make partner with a six-figure salary. Yet, she grew disillusioned with the tax season’s long hours and grueling demands. She started volunteering and serving as an outreach pastor in Parker, and she eventually sought out Wellspring as a place to work because she loved working with that community.

DeVries left her accounting practice and became Wellspring’s director of development in 2019, leading the community’s fundraising efforts. She then took over as Wellspring’s executive director in 2020 during the pandemic.

“When I look back on it, it was the scariest, most terrifying time ever,” she said. “The staff at Wellspring and I decided to stick to our mission and ensure that we continued to provide services. It was stressful in many ways, but so many people supported us. Our donors and our families came out in a big way to say make sure we succeeded through that time,” says DeVries. She credits the kindness of Douglas County residents as the reason they’re going strong today.

She also believes everyone has something they’re passionate about that can benefit someone else. She says volunteering doesn’t have to be boring, and it’s a great way to discover what brings you joy. “When it comes down to it, you can volunteer as little or as much as you’d like, and most people say they get far more out of the experience than ever expected,” says DeVries.

Wellspring offers a day program Monday through Friday with 30 different opportunities each week for their 130 participants to get out in the community, take classes, and learn other skills, like photography, health and wellness, and leadership. Wellspring believes meaningful work is essential for everybody, so they also have a full commercial bakery and an arts and ceramics studio. Their products are sold at the Castle Rock Collective, a coffee shop and market in downtown Castle Rock.

“When it comes down to it, you can volunteer as little or as much as you’d like, and most people say they get far more out of the experience than ever expected.”

—Nicole DeVries

DeVries Executive Director, Wellspring

Erin Kane

Long-time Douglas County resident Erin Kane holds the top job in a school district that is two-thirds the size of Rhode Island and is home to more than 62,000 students and 8,500 staff. How she got there is as unique as the challenges she faces.

With degrees in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and a Master’s in Public Administration, Kane was in the middle of a successful career in the technology industry when she led the effort to open American Academy, a charter school emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula. Kane wanted her children to have a STEM education and thought that was missing from the district’s nearby options. When American Academy opened in 2004, Kane became the executive director.

Kane excelled in the role, opening two more campuses and growing the K-8 school to more than 3,000 students, gaining a reputation as an excellent leader in the meantime. So when the school district needed someone in 2016 to step in and take over during a transition period, they went to her for the superintendent job.

She was hesitant at first but eventually agreed to take the position after falling in love with the district’s leaders and 64,000 students (at the time). She returned to American Academy at the end of her contract but became the Douglas County School District superintendent again in 2022.

Kane never let her female status in traditionally male-dominated fields intimidate her. “I have never thought of myself as a victim,” she says. “I consider being a female a tremendous advantage.”

She believes women are uniquely qualified for leadership roles because of their high emotional IQ, empathy, and ability to read a room. She tells her daughters and other young women, “Don’t be bitter. Be better.” With determination and hard work, anything is possible.

“Don’t be bitter. Be better.” With determination and hard work, anything is possible.” —Erin Kane

Erin Kane

Superintendent, Douglas County School District

Stacy Garmon became president and CEO of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce in November 2022 after a cross-country move from Alpharetta, Georgia. She may be wary of snowy winters, but she’s ready to discover all her new city offers and get to work drawing top talent to the area.

Garmon has a long history of working with local chambers. First, as a small business owner looking for guidance, then as an employee of a business that was a chamber member, and finally, as a volunteer. When a position opened at one, she jumped at the chance to become a chamber professional and hasn’t looked back.

Garmon knows owning a business is hard, especially for women who often think they should have it all figured out. “That’s why women’s networking groups or finding a mentor or small group you can talk to is so important,” she says. “The chamber is there to help and can connect people to organizations and partners.”

Tina Hansen leads the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce as the community welcomes many new businesses in the expanding city. Hansen comes from a family of entrepreneurs and appreciates the many challenges businesses face.

When Hansen joined the chamber as its marketing director in 2018, she relished the opportunity to work part-time doing what she loved while raising two young daughters. Yet, when the executive director stepped down a year later, Hansen found herself taking over the role only a short time before the pandemic began.

To stay afloat, Hansen furloughed her entire staff and ran the chamber alone until she could bring everyone back in March 2022. “It was a struggle, but we’re finally back to pre-pandemic numbers membership-wise,” she says. “My girls are proud of me, and my husband is supportive. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect role.”

Hansen encourages business owners to seek networking opportunities and take advantage of local events to get to know the community. “Friends buy from friends,” she says.

Tina Hansen Executive Director, Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce

Stacy Garmon President and CEO, Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce

Stacy Garmon

Tina Hansen

ARTICLE BY MARY ABEL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RENAISSANCE SECONDARY SCHOOL

A Love of Learning and dedication to making a difference in the lives of children

WENDY MAIER IS A TEACHER, ADVISOR, MENTOR, THEATER DIRECTOR—AND A LIFELONG LEARNER

Colorado native and Larkspur resident Wendy Maier loves to learn, and as an instructional assistant at Renaissance Secondary School, she enjoys the privilege of sharing that love with her young students.

“Both my parents were teachers, and they always told me, ‘Don’t be a teacher; do something else,’” Wendy says. “And of course, I didn’t listen to them. That’s what I am.”

Wendy has worked within the Douglas County School District “off and on” for 20 years and has been a paraprofessional at Renaissance Secondary School since it opened in 2017.

“I came on as what they call the communications facilitator; I worked side by side with a deaf teacher who we had for the first two years, helping with the communication needs between the teacher and the students. When she moved on to other things, I stayed, and so my title at the school is instructional assistant.”

“Instructional assistant” seems to be a bit of a misnomer for all that Wendy contributes to the

“I'm all about the relationships and connections I make with these kids. I like to have the conversations with them and help them figure out who they are,” Wendy says. “If I can be that one person for them, the one who really listens to them, I see them give it back in so many ways. If I can be that one person for even one student, then that's it for me.”

—Wendy Maier

school and its students. “I do a little bit of everything,” she says. “I mostly support teachers in the classroom, and I’m what they call an advisor.” That means she keeps up with 16 eighth graders and 30 seniors.

“It’s like a homeroom,” Wendy explains. “It’s the class where the kids go every single day, no matter what other classes they have. With the eighth graders, we play games and do a lot of team building, and we talk about hard subjects, then we work on homework and all the fun things. I’m that person who is with them every day.”

“With seniors, I’m helping them with resumes, college applications and scholarships, how to get through their senior year and how to juggle life and school and all that.”

Wendy also co-teaches the senior capstone class. “We help the kids do their capstone project, which is like a passion project that takes them the whole year to get through.” Oh, and she also teaches X-Blocks [short for Exploration Block], which, Wendy says, “are the elective classes. Every quarter, I teach a different X-Block. Right now, I’m teaching photography. Last quarter, I taught storytelling and monologues. I’ve taught improv, sketching, art journaling, and American sign language. The wonderful thing about Renaissance is it allows the staff and teachers to pick something they’re interested in, and then build a curriculum around it in a way to teach it to others. And we have fun with the students learning something new together.”

This year, Wendy also took on the role of Theater Director after the previous Director left the school. With a background in theater and music, it was a great fit at a time when the theater students feared the end of the program. “The theater kids panicked,” Wendy remembers. “And I said, ‘Oh guys, we’ll figure it out. I’ll make it happen, don’t worry about it.’” Wendy had never directed a stage production alone, but she committed to take it on—because that’s what her students asked of her.

“I’m all about the relationships and connections I make with these kids. I like to have the conversations with them and help them figure out who they are,” Wendy says. “If I can be that one person for them, the one who really listens to them, I see them give it back in so many ways. If I can be that one person for even one student, then that’s it for me.”