CURATE YOUR DREAM OUTDOOR SPACE
Trusted Most for First Hellos
At AdventHealth Medical Group OB/GYN at Littleton, we witness the miracle of the first hello with your newest family member every day. Our team of OB/GYNs works with you to create a personalized birthing experience tailored to you and your family. From high-risk pregnancy expertise to low-intervention birthing plans, we o er the most comprehensive and compassionate care during life’s most important moments.
Start your journey today. To schedule an appointment, call 720-922-6240 or scan the QR code to learn more.
AdventHealth Medical Group OB/GYN at Littleton 7720 South Broadway, Suite 250 | Littleton, CO 80122
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The Bonds of Kids and Pets
This issue is always one of my favorites. I suppose because of the immense joy that children bring to their families and the significant impact they make on their communities.
Children are not merely the hope for a brighter tomorrow; they are the foundation upon which our society stands. Their innocence, curiosity, and boundless potential have the power to shape the world in ways we can only imagine. Kids represent our hardest work and greatest investment and we are happy to highlight the best for South Denver's kids in this issue.
Secondarily, who could forget pets? The special kind of companionship can be a transformative experience for children and adults alike. Pets provide us with unconditional love, the opportunity to learn, grow and develop essential life skills in a nurturing environment. And who could ignore the bond between kids and their furry or feathery friends? The bond is often deep and meaningful, fostering qualities like empathy, responsibility, and companionship.
Although children are of infinitely more value, what children and pets share in common is that they need us. Our care, attention and intention shapes how they are raised and who they become. We hope this issue inspires you to pour a little extra into the children and pets in your life this month.
Cheers!
JENNIFER STARBUCK, PUBLISHER
August 2024
PUBLISHER
Jennifer Starbuck | Jennifer.Starbuck@CityLifestyle.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Sonja Nix | Sonja.Nix@CityLifestyle.com
PHOTO EDITOR
Lisa Lord
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Angie Jehu
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Lisa Lord, Angela Kleinsasser, Sonja Nix
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lisa Lord, Angela Kleinsasser, Carmen Morales
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad
LAYOUT DESIGNER Jamie Housh
hcoors@livsothebysrealty.com
livsothebysrealty.com
Aussie Pet Mobile owners Zack Anderson and Holly Gant help celebrate Highlands Ranch City Lifestyle’s August Kids + Pets issue with adorable pics of some of their furry clients: 1: Bailey; 2: Frankie; 3: Hazel; 4: Penny; 5: Max; 6: Rocky; 7: Sander. Call or text 303.434.6528 to schedule a grooming appointment.
8—14: Summit View Elementary Assistant Principal Marlo Neuhaus-Franks held a book release party for her new children’s book, “Popsicles in Space,” on June 20 at Max Taps Co. brewery. Popsicles, crafts, swag and signed books were available for purchase. Instagram @popsiclesinspace or Popsiclesinspace.com 8: Sommer and Kevin Breithart 9: Friends Weston, Max, Nash, Miles, Holden, and Tobin with Merrick Franks support the new book. 10: Francline Fraser enjoys a popsicle with her parents Nathan and Lindsey, with the author. 12: Langdyn Dall celebrates with big smiles. 13: Charlotte Krieger and Larissa Giasanti crafting popsicles 14: Summit View Principal George Boser and wife Tasha with Mrs. Franks Photography by Annie Orley Photography
Colorado Eye Consultants is committed to delivering compassionate and quality care in a safe and nurturing environment. Using the latest technologies and innovative practices, our doctors dedicate themselves to excellent outcomes…every time. For more than 40 years, the Colorado Eye Consultants team has been caring for patients and changing lives. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at (303) 730-0404
COLORADO EYE CONSULTANTS
1501 West Mineral Avenue Suite 100 | Littleton, CO 80120 ColoradoEyeConsultants.com
SCAN ME
New Lone Tree Mayor and Council Members Elect Sworn in
On May 22, Mayor-elect Marissa Harmon was sworn in by the City Clerk, followed by District Two Council Member-elect Alecia Brown, and District One Council MemberElect Mike Parr. The District One Council seat left unfilled by Mayor Harmon was filled by Jay Carpenter by council appointment. “To everyone in this room,” Mayor Harmon shared, “I want to thank each of you for showing up to support us and our vision for this City.”
DCL Presents: NYT Bestselling Author William Kent Krueger
Meet master storyteller William Kent Krueger when he joins Douglas County Libraries Wednesday, August 21, at DCSD Legacy Campus in Lone Tree. He’ll be in conversation with author Mark Stevens. Premium tickets include a hardcover copy of Mr. Krueger’s new Cork O’Connor mystery, Spirit Crossing, and a place in the book signing line. Refreshments will be provided and books available for purchase by Books Are Awesome of Parker. Visit DCL.org/featured-events for details.
Want to be featured?
CITY LIST
We have such amazing, innovative business leaders in our community who are proud to serve you, our residents, with class and quality. We’ve compiled some of our top company picks for the services that might be on your mind this month in an effort to make your lives a little easier.
Pet Care
Aussie Pet Mobile Douglas County & West Centennial https://aussiepetmobile.com/douglas-county-west-centennial-co | 303.434.6528
Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center lonetreevet.com | 303.708.8050
Alpenview Veterinary Hospital www.alpenviewvet.com | 303.346.8911
Altitude Animal Hospital altitudeanimalhospital.com | 303.619.5191
Wellhaven Pet Health Pet Camp wellhavenpethealthlt.com | 303.396.6136
Doggie Daycare
My Pets Place mypetsplace.com | 303.683.0330
K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel Lone Tree k9resorts.com/lone-tree | 303.641.6627
Wellhaven Pet Health Pet Camp wellhavenpethealthlt.com | 303.396.6136
Want to suggest a monthly pick?
4 Pawz Sake - Pet Sitting Services, LLC 4pawzsake.com | 720.201.9109
DogTopia Highlands Ranch dogtopia.com | 303.835.4549
Preschool
The Garden Preschool and Early Learning Center gardenpreschool.com | 303.792.7222
Merryhill Preschool merryhillschool.com/preschools/denver/highlands-ranch | 303.791.2972
Denver Christian School | Preschool - High School denverchristian.org | 303.733.2421
Legacy Preschool legacypreschool.org | 303.791.0777
Riverstone Education Preschool riverstoneeducation.com | 303.790.2001
Kid's Activity
Engineering For Kids of Denver engineeringforkids.com/denver | 720.613.2821
Game Train USA gametrainusa.com | 303.797.9224
Uncorked Kitchen Summer Cooking Camps uncorkedkitchen.com | 720.907.3838
Flour Power https://flourpowerstudios.com/locations/highlandsranch | 720.656.9405
Candeeland Kids candeelandcolorado.com | 720.799.2244
Private School
Valor Christian High School govalor.com | 303.471.3000
Platte River Academy prak8.org | 303.221.1070
Arma Dei Academy armadeiacademy.com | 303.346.4523
Ambleside School of Colorado amblesidecolorado.com | 720.468.0464
Cherry Hills Christian www.cherryhillschristian.org | 303.662.0767
THE HAPPY CREW
TEENS ARE AMAZING HUMANS: A DESPERATELY NEEDED PLACE
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Having three high school students who lived through the pandemic, this story hits close to home. So many of our teens are struggling. They feel lost and disconnected, trying to figure out how to grow up in a way no generation has ever had. Parents have to show up in ways that they never dreamed of. It is daunting from every angle. So when someone comes to stand in the gap to support, teach, and help, it is like a gift from God.
BY LISA LORD
Amy Mays is one of those people. This "teenager whisperer" has spent her life investing, empowering, and loving on teens. She is a rare bird who admits her favorite humans are teenagers.
With a background in counseling and years of youth and teen ministry, she understands that teenagers long for a way to come together and work through their complicated feelings. She’s committed to giving them space to deal with all the pressures life throws their way. And that is how The Happy Crew was born.
When I drove up to The Happy Crew meeting at Amy's house, I was immediately greeted by 10 friendly teens who welcomed me with open arms, along with new kids streaming in. Out back, 20 more kids were milling around, laughing, and eating. The feeling of community, acceptance, and love was palpable. There were kids of all shapes, sizes, genders, nationalities, and interests—a true melting pot where everyone comes as they are.
Each Monday night during the school year, teens come to Amy's house to discuss
“WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. YOU MATTER, YOU BELONG! ”
lessons about gaining control over emotions, widening their perspective, overthinking, gratitude, active listening, and more. The kids and leadership team collaborate on topics for the year. Then, Amy pulls from her years of counseling and creates hands-on activities and lessons made to stick with them.
Even their matching sweatshirts further the community feeling. On the sleeve is written: "We got you! Keep climbing and growing. We're all in this together. You matter, You belong.”
I asked Amy the meaning behind the message. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "I got a call one day at
6 o'clock in the morning from a kid who said, 'You saved my life last night.’ “The student was in a particularly low and desperate place but then found The Happy Crew sweatshirt with the message of hope. "Then I knew I wasn't alone," Amy recalls the student saying. That is the power behind what Amy is doing, and it is critical for our teens.
Amy has seen the power of this community and the difference it can make in driving down the suicide rate and increasing hope and love amid the mental health crisis that our teens are facing. The Happy Crew is a safe place—a place for kids to come together and work through the difficulties of being a teenager.
It is a place for community, a place of belonging, and a life-saving place.
I legitimately sat in my car and cried before I could drive home, and secretly wished there was a Happy Crew at my kids' high school. But, I know that Amy’s vision is expanding and will soon be a resource for all of South Denver and beyond. The Happy Crew team is working on opening Kākou Coffee House, a place for connection, help, and delicious coffee. You can join this movement by heading to thehappycrew.org and donating or visiting Kākou Coffee when it opens later this year. We need more people like Amy and more Happy Crews.
Finding Purpose and the Power of Relationship in Healing Trauma
Who Rescued Whom?
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA KLEINSASSER
Countless trauma victims have come to Bertha for help and healing. Perhaps her success rate is related to her large, motherly presence — showing those who feel unsafe what it means to be protected. Or it may be her own traumatic past that helps her to relate. It might also be that she is a horse.
Bertha lives at Zuma’s Rescue Ranch, a horse-centered rescue ranch just south of Sterling Ranch in Douglas County. She was part of a 23-horse rescue several years ago. She now resides on the gorgeous ranch and helps kids, veterans, first responders, and many others deal with and heal from their own trauma.
Zuma’s Ranch is named after the first horse that Paul and Jodi Messenach rescued over 20 years ago. They were involved in the hunter/jumper show circuit with their daughter and were deeply disturbed by what they saw at shows, both in how the horses were treated and then discarded when they could no longer perform perfectly. Jodi’s own traumatic past sparked a connection with these mistreated horses, and she decided to do something about it. With her first batch of seven horses to rescue, her organization was birthed.
The first mission of this safe haven is to rescue horses from traumatic situations, rehabilitate them, and support them for the remainder of their lives. The second is to create a place for those horses to aid humans who are healing.
“It’s relationship-based: we heal the mind, body, and spirit of the horses and then allow them to aid in the healing of those who come for therapy.”
Jodi describes this symbiotic relationship. “We are equine-centered. We do not just use the horse, as many other horse therapy organizations do. It’s relationship-based: we heal the mind, body, and spirit of the horses and then allow them to aid in the healing of those who come for therapy. It’s a continual cycle of healing. The horse heals the human and the human heals the horse.”
The ranch offers a myriad of transformative therapy programs, each designed to bring about positive change. These programs are a perfect fit for anyone with a negative connotation toward traditional therapy. The clients, able to relate to themselves better, find solace in the fact that animals don’t
come with the same baggage that humans often do. The therapy programs, known for their effectiveness and affordability, are a beacon of hope for those seeking a new path. And the close-by location is a huge bonus, making the journey to healing even more accessible.
This incredible organization is a testament to the power of collective effort and relies heavily on the invaluable contributions of donors and volunteers. Even the volunteers, who are Zuma’s lifeblood, experience it as a safe haven.
“Horses without a purpose, like people, get into trouble,” she says. Thankfully, the Messenachs, through Zuma’s, are giving daily hope to horses and humans, who all need a purpose.
ARTICLE BY SONJA NIX PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN MORALES, JCM PHOTOGRAPHY
in Motion Balance
COACHING BALANCED HUMANS, ONE DANCER AT A TIME
Motion Dance Studio believes balance is more than a fundamental skill for dance; it’s a fundamental skill for life, and that's what makes Motion different.
What does that mean? Motion doesn’t want dance to be the only activity in which its students participate. It means that passion is more important than perfection, and artistry is more important than rigor.
Motion was founded in 2018 by Helen Estrella and Summer DuBois as a performance studio that prioritizes a supportive and collaborative environment over competition. Both grew up in competitive dance and gymnastics and share a perspective about what dance education should be and what they didn’t like from their youth experiences. They built a studio focused on performance quality and a collaborative passion for dance, fostering a unified environment.
“Every student has the opportunity to shine, have their ‘moment’ in the front, and also support from the back,” DuBois says. “With so much division in the world, our mission is to create well-rounded, kind humans with a lifelong love of dance.”
Primarily a contemporary, modern, and jazz studio, Motion offers multiple opportunities to perform each year. These include a Nuggets game performance and bi-annual trips to Disney World. They tailor a dancer’s time commitment based on their interest and availability. Fully committed dancers can compete in solo, duet, and trios at conventions. Part-time company dancers dial their commitment up or down based on outside activities, like high school cheer or other competitive sports.
“In competitive sports, on average, (a student’s) career is 10 years. If a child starts at 5, they can burn out by age 15,” Dubois notes. “We pace our students to avoid (this). If students wish to commit fully to dance when they are older and can make that decision, we are in it for the marathon.”
Motion also offers additional training for those considering dance beyond high school. These dancers learn about choreography and dance for film, which is significantly different from dancing on stage.
“Successful competitive dancers don't always translate to a successful professional dance career,” Estrella, a professional dancer herself, notes. “Competition focuses very narrowly and heavily on technique. Professional dance requires the ability to connect with the audience; dancers who are performative, can communicate the artistry. All of which comes from within.”
The Production, their marque performance each year, tells a story in a series of dance scenes, much like a musical. Estrella creates these shows from the ground up, from sourcing the music to choreography and costuming. Instead of finding a dancer to fit a part, she casts parts around the strengths of the elite company dancers.
“My daughters love the diversity of opportunities they get throughout the year…be it Nuggets, conventions, The Production, etc.,” Katie Kelly, mom of two Motion dancers, says. “They have all become very close friends. Motion fosters that because they don’t have exclusive competitive teams. Dancers intermix in age and level, in classes and performances.”
DuBois and Estrella hope to inspire a lifelong love of dance and kind, contributing members of society.
Rex to the Rescue
Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Deputy John Gray and fellow Officer
Adam Nardi wrote “S.R.O. K9: The Case of the Missing Cake” to help students learn the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence. Both serve as School Resource Officers and therapy dog handlers in Littleton Public Schools and Cherry Creek Public Schools.
The ACSO’s school therapy dogs, Rex, Zeke, Riley, Bear, and Otis, are more than just furry friends in the classroom. They serve a dual role as highly trained explosives and electronic detection dogs.
Money raised from book sales supports Back The Blue K-9 Force. Visit srok9.com to purchase, and RexRun.com to meet Rex and his buddies at the RexRun for PAWSitivity on Sept. 7, 2024.
ARTICLE BY SONJA
events
SUNDAYS
Yoga in the Park
Civic Green Park | 8:00 AM
Join Yoga in the Park this summer as HRCA Fitness partners with the Highlands Ranch Metro District to offer free yoga at the park. Breathe in the fresh air, stretch under the open sky, and find your inner balance amidst nature’s embrace, guided by expert instructors. Come flow with your community and discover the harmony of mind, body, and nature.
AUGUST 3RD
Lone Tree Police Department Open House
Lone Tree Arts Center | 11:00 AM
Chat up the Lone Tree Police Department and local public safety staff for a fun, hands-on experience! During the day, you’ll get to interact with Crime Scene Technicians, S.W.A.T., Police K-9s, Mounted Patrol, Dispatch, South Metro Fire Rescue Service Vehicles, the LTPD Command Post, and so much more!
AUGUST 7TH
Highlands Ranch Metro District’s Ice Cream Social
Civic Green Park | 5:00 PM
Cool down this summer with the Highlands Ranch Metro District’s Ice Cream Social, benefitting YANA, a local nonprofit supporting moms in our community. Enjoy $2 treats and snow cones while listening to live music and enjoying a variety of food truck offerings. The event, sponsored by Safeway and Highlands Ranch Orthodontics, is cash only. Email info@highlandsranch.org for more information.
AUGUST 10TH
Backyard Beats: Southern Street Eats
Sweetwater Park | 5:00 PM
Close out the summer with the City of Lone Tree’s Backyard Beats concert series and food truck night. Taste from the diverse line-up of south-of-the-Colorado-border options and vote for your favorite truck. While noshing on your southern eats, get ready for a relentless dance party like no other from the Diggin Dirt band. The night includes plenty of activities for little ones too.
AUGUST 30TH
Vinyl Nation: Live GenX Rock & Roll
Prost Brewing Company | 5:30 PM
Hailing from Highlands Ranch, Vinyl Nation plays the best of 80s, 90s, and early 2000s rock and roll. Their no-frills approach brings high-energy GenX favorites to each performance with a setlist that includes The Clash, The Cure, U2, Foo Fighters, and much more. Free to attend. Part of the Vinyl Nation Band Colorado 2024 Shows collection.
$19,075,000 in sales volume in Highlands Ranch YTD and counting.
