lone tree voice 0310

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D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 7

March 10, 2016

A publication of

LoneTreeVoice.net

VOTENOW!

SEE AD INSIDE FORVOTING DETAILS

Change, love, human behavior inspire students in poetry slam contest

By Mike [email protected]

When Mountain Vista High School senior Kira Amels writes poetry, it is often about change.

The first thing she asks herself when she starts writing is what makes her angry. She thinks: What could be different?

I write things that I can speak out about, Amels said.

For sophomore Alexia Johnson, love is the theme that finds its way most often into her writing.

Mine tend to be more about family or love or friendship, Johnson said.

Junior Kit Miller prefers to write what she observes.

I find human behavior fascinating, Miller

said. I like watching people and then writing what I see.

Amels, Johnson and Miller were among the eight students who participated in the Feb. 29 Poetry Out Loud slam contest at the Highlands Ranch school. The contest is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

During the contest, students recited and per-formed two poems each. They were judged on accuracy of the recital as well as showmanship.

The students worked on perfecting their per-formances for weeks and agreed that confidence is the most important aspect of a good slam rendition.

Being confident in the poem is the most important thing, Johnson said. Knowing it not just from your mind, but your whole self, and knowing you can perform well. Its acting it out almost. Kira Amels is a senior at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch.

She will compete in the state Poetry Out Loud slam in Lakewood on March 15. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando

Students ask, What could be different?

WHATS INSIDE

Democracy in action: Democrats and Republicans participate in caucuses. See Pages 4 and 5

Grounds for concern?: Machines that use pods to brew coffee create waste that can be difficult to recycle. See Page 12

Basketball: Teams face off in final rounds of state playoff tournament. See Page 22

Poetry continues on Page 11

Competitors show off their skills in ice skating at South Suburban arena

By Alex [email protected]

Gina Rea, 23, has skated with Special Olympics of Colorado since she was 8 years old.

She looks forward to it all the time, said her father, Tim. And shes competitive she wants to win.

Rea, of Littleton, was one of 30 athletes to com-pete in figure and speed skating at the 2016 State Winter Games Skating Competition on March 5 at South Suburban Ice Arena in Centennial.

Athletes with intellectual disabilities competed alone or beside a unified partner, individuals without intellectual disabilities who train and compete as a teammate to a Special Olympics

Graham Saiz, left, and Tracy Sellard perform in a unified pairs skating event at the Special Olympics State Winter Games at South Suburban Ice Arena on March 5. Photos by Alex DeWind

Sofia Daley, left, and Gina Rea perform to a melodic Colbie Caillat song at the Special Olympics State Winter Games at South Suburban Ice Arena. Rea, 23, started skating when she was 7 years old.

Special athletes shine on ice

Ice continues on Page 11

March 10, 20162 Lone Tree Voice2

Standard Pacific Homes (all-ages) Toll Brothers (55+) David Weekley Homes COMING SOON

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THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. This is not intended to be an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in the Inspiration Community to residents of Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Oregon, or in any other jurisdiction where prohibited by law. No guarantee can be made that completion of the Inspiration community will proceed as described. NASH Inspiration, LLC (Fee Owner(s)) is the owner and developer of the Inspiration Community (Community). Certain homebuilders unaffiliated with the Fee Owner or its related entities (collectively, Inspiration) are building homes in the Community (Builder(s)). Fee Owner has retained Newland Communities solely as the property manager for the Community. North America Sekisui House has an interest in one of the members in Fee Owner. Newland Communities and North America Sekisui House are not co-developing, co-building,

or otherwise responsible for any of the obligations or representations of any of the Builders, and shall have no obligations to any buyer regarding a home purchase from a Builder. Purchasers of homes from any of the Builders waive any claims against Newland Communities and/or North America Sekisui House arising out of their purchase transaction. Prices, specifications, details, and availability of a builders new homes are subject to change without notice. All square footage is approximate. 2016 Inspiration. All Rights Reserved. Inspiration is a trademark of NASH Inspiration, LLC, and may not be copied, imitated or used, in whole or in part, without prior written permission.

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Accountant, longtime Lone Tree resident

Kansas kidI have been in accounting and

tax preparation for most of my adult life. I am a Kansas kid who used to vacation with my family in Colorado. When I graduated with my masters degree, I went to work for Standard Oil of Indiana. I was put into a petroleum jobber sales representative position. I was in charge of sales to the jobbers in Ne-braska and also in charge of collect-ing the funds from those jobbers.

Career changeI noticed all my jobbers had ter-

rible fi nancial records, so I found a good local CPA fi rm and started referring my jobbers to them to get

the accounting records done right. After a few years of that, I decided I really wanted to be an accountant. I purchased a fi rm in Broomfi eld in 1977 and have become a Colorado native. You get that after 25 years of living here, right?

Coming to Lone TreeWe made the decision to move

south to Lone Tree in 1994. We purchased our building at 9894 Rosemont Ave. #101 that same year. Century Accounting & Tax currently has four CPAs on staff and two enrolled agents along with several bookkeepers.

On being in Lone TreeWe love Lone Tree and should

have moved in years before we did.

My hobbiesI am a wannabe golfer. If you

know golf, you know you dont have time for much else. Topgolf is my new hangout. I used to be bicycle guy, but had a knee replacement a few years ago and that slowed the biking way down.

If you have suggestions for My Name Is, contact Mike DiFerdinando at [email protected].

Dan Thompson is an accountant who has been living and working in the Lone Tree area since 1994. Courtesy photo

HELLOMy Name Is..

.

A glimpseof the peoplein our community

DAN THOMPSON

FACES AMONG US

Police hope public can help identifysuspect and possible accomplice

Staff Report Law enforcement agencies in Douglas

County are asking for the publics assistance in identifying a suspect who has stolen dona-tion jars for the charity Feeding America.

The jars were taken off the counters at four different 7-Eleven locations, according to the Parker Police Department, Lone Tree Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriffs Offi ce.

The fi rst theft occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at 8750 Yosemite St. in Lone Tree. The second occurred around 9 p.m. Feb. 23 at 11802 Oswego St., and two thefts in Parker occurred on Feb. 24 at the 7-Eleven at 19832 South Parker Road and Feb. 26 at 12285 South Parker Road. The Parker incidents both occurred around 5:30 a.m.

One suspect is described as a white male, between the ages of 20 and 30 years old, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, brown eyes, gray hair (pulled back into a ponytail) and glasses. In one case he was seen wearing a purple jacket, gray sweatpants and a gray baseball hat, and in another he wore a gray hooded sweatshirt.

There may be an accomplice, who is de-scribed as a bald Hispanic man between the ages of 20 and 30 years old.

In each case, the suspect walked into the 7-Eleven and stole the jar while the store clerk was distracted. The suspect was seen enter-ing a late 1990s silver Toyota Camry with an unknown Colorado license plate.

Anyone with information that could help police identify the suspects should call the Parker Police Department at 303-841-9800, the Douglas County Sheriffs Offi ce at 303-660-7505 or the Lone Tree Police Department at 303-339-8150.

Thief steals charity donations

NEWS IN A HURRY

Lone Tree mobility summit setThe City of Lone Tree will host a trans-

portation summit March 15 and will give the community updates on 2016 projects such as the C-470 expansion and Southeast Light Rail extension.

In addition to Lone Tree Mayor Jim Gun-ning, others joining the panel are Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon and the executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Shailen Bhatt.

The summit will take place from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Lone Tree Arts Center.

The event is free to attend.

Applications taken for outstanding youthThe Lone Tree Youth Commission is still ac-

cepting applications for the 2016 Outstanding Youth of Lone Tree Award.

The award program recognizes youths in the community who demonstrate a commit-ment to community involvement as well as personal achievement. Additionally, the award provides an opportunity to showcase the tal-

ents and contributions of young people at an annual award ceremony in May.

Competition for this award is open to any student who meets the following requirements:

The applicants legal residence must be within the City of Lone Tree at the time of ap-plication.

The applicant must be currently enrolled in eighth through 12th grade.

The applicants qualifying project or the performance of qualifying deeds or actions identifi ed in the application were conducted within 12 months prior to the date that the ap-plication is received.

The deadline to apply for the award is April 1.

National Geographic program coming to centerPhotographer David Doubilet and aquatic

biologist Jennifer Hayes will be at the Lone Tree Arts Center April 8 at 8 p.m. to share photos and stories from their travels ranging from the tropics to polar ice.

Doubilet is one of the most prolifi c living photographers at National Geographic maga-zine.

Tickets cost $33-$41 and can be purchased at lonetreeartscenter.org.

Lone Tree Voice 3March 10, 20163

Chamber Jam at Java Jam Caf9360 Station St., Lone TreeChamber Jam is a monthly networking opportunity for Lone Tree Chamber members and their guests, held the third Wednesday of every month

www.LoneTreeChamber.com [email protected]: (303) 792-3282 fax: (303) 792-3723

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ank you to our Investment Partnersank you to our Investment Partners

Lone Tree Transportation & Mobility Summit with Mayor Jim Gunningat the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone TreeJoin the City of Lone Tree, the Lone Tree Chamber of Commerce, and our regional partners for a discussion about transportation and mobility improvements in our community.

RSVP required: register on www.lonetreechamber.com, or email [email protected] IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Continental breakfast will be served.

Take your business networking to a new level!Join the Lone Tree Chamber NOW to experience all that 2016 has to oer!

Business After Hours at JAVA JAM 9360 Station St., Lone TreeRSVP required: [email protected] Join owners Gwen and Patrick as they celebrate their new expansion; jam to some lively music; network with fellow Lone Tree Chamber members!

MONTHLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 6, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

March 16, 11:00 a.m. - Noon

March 15, 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

School Board president saysshe would not vote on matters as state senator that would impact school district

By Mike DiFerdinando [email protected]

Douglas County School Board President Meghann Silverthorn said she hasnt ruled out keeping her seat if she is elected to the District 4 state Senate post in November.

But John Straayer, a political science professor at Colorado State University, said holding both seats would be problematic.

First, its simply illegal, Straayer said. Colorado Constitution article V, section 8 makes that clear. Second, even if it was legal, it would put her in a position that, in some manner, could be construed as a confl ict of interest.

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Secretary of States Offi ce also said the state constitution prevents a person from holding an elected legislative position and a local elected position at the same time. A person holding an elected offi ce may run for a new post, but if the candidate wins, would be expected to resign from the fi rst seat, she said.

Silverthorn said she does not see a con-fl ict of interest because she could recuse herself from votes that would affect the school district.

There is Colorado Senate rule on voting, 17(c), whereupon I could disclose a personal or private interest in a matter up for a vote, and would not vote on it, which would be entered into the record as such, Silverthorn said. I would consult with multiple resources to ensure that any actual confl icts of interest were addressed in this manner. I disagree with the premise

that merely holding both seats at once is, in and of itself, a confl ict of interest.

Straayer disagreed with her premise, saying state lawmakers have the responsi-bility of seeing to the best policy interest of

the state of Colorado.As a school board

member, her charge is to promote the best interests of one of 178 districts so what would she do? Staayer said. We know, of course, that lawmakers do look out for the interests of the constituents within their local school districts,

cities, counties and so on. But thats not quite the same as taking two oaths of offi ce one to represent the entire state and another to represent just one part of it.

Silverthorn is among fi ve candidates, all Republicans, for the Senate seat, which serves Castle Rock, Parker, Franktown, Larkspur and Castle Pines. The other hopefuls are Shawnda Dupree, Jess Loban, Benjamin Lyng and James Smallwood. The post has been occupied by Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, for the past eight years, but he is leaving because of term limits.

At the March 19 county Republican assembly, the candidates will be vying to get on the ballot for the primary election, which is in June. The winner of the pri-mary will be on the general election ballot in November.

Silverthorn cited two local cases in which people have held two elected posi-tions at once, but neither of those people served in the Legislature. James Geddes time as a University of Colorado regent overlapped with his service as a school board member, and Merlin Klotz, the Douglas County clerk and recorder, also serves on the Parker Water board.

Silverthorn

Holding two seats couldbe problem for Silverthorn

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Hoots and hollers re ect democracy in action More than 400 voters participate in March 1 Democratic caucus

By Alex DeWind [email protected]

The Democratic caucus at Mountain Vista High School felt more like a town hall meeting from 150 years ago, said 23-year-old Matthew Berkman, a big Bernie supporter.

A line that included families and teenagers snaked clear out the cafeteria door and up an adjacent stairway. Fluorescent lights gleamed overhead as the clamorous crowd grew inside the lunch room. Tables were combined for more space but, still, some had to stand.

Instead of the 256 expected voters, the March 1 Highlands Ranch caucus of 12 Douglas County precincts numbered 404. It was one of 16 such gatherings around the county.

Democratic votes across the county totaled 4,724, which exceeded any previous caucus, including the 4,604 votes in the 2008 presidential election year, said Mike Jones, chairman of the Douglas County Democrats.

When its an open presidential race, you get a huge number of people, he said. And a lot of it is just population growth the county has grown a lot in the past eight years.

At Mountain Vista, supporters of Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton commingled at the schools cafeteria tables.

Clinton received 215 votes and Sanders 185 in a straw poll at the start of the caucus, which will determine the allocated delegates for each candidate at the March 16 county convention at Chaparral High School.

Sanders, however, won the statewide caucus, garnering 59 percent of the vote.

Some feel confident about both

Democratic candidates, including 35-year-old Anna Levenroth-Berger, from Brazil.

Nine months pregnant, she said she was expecting to go into labor at any time, but still wanted to attend her first caucus.

There are two good options one is more doable than the other, she said. I think Hillary will be listened to and work with Congress. Bernie is too angry to comprehend but I like them both.

Caucus facilitator Bill Tepper, a retired business owner, led the Pledge of Allegiance and reviewed the rules of the two-hour process.

A supporter of each presidential

Caucus secretary Lori Gerger leads the Precinct 224 straw poll vote. I do think its time for fresh blood, she said. I really do. Photos by Alex DeWind

People meet at the Douglas County Democratic caucus at Mountain Vista High School on Super Tuesday; 256 voters were expected, but 404 showed up.

VOICES FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

This is my rst caucus. It was a really great experience to learn how it works and see everyones views.- Laura Lundberg, 20, a caucus volun-teer and University of Denver student

I do think its time for fresh blood I re-ally do. Bernie has been on the right side of the issues all along.- Caucus secretary Lori Gerger

Whats most important is we absolutely have to change our system for campaign nancing. Now money can speak just as loud as a vote.- Matthew Berkman, 23

There was a lot of children and one dog.- Highlands Ranch resident Kathleen Tepper, about the turnout

DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

Democrats continues on Page 5


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REPUBLICAN CAUCUS

Some GOP voters frustrated by absence of presidential raceExclusion of presidential candidates causes confusion among votersattending Republican caucus

By Shanna [email protected]

Many who showed up at the Republican caucus at Douglas County High School one of about 20 held in the county were surprised and disappointed to discover they would not be voting for a presidential nominee: Last August, the state GOP decided to cancel the straw poll for Republican presidential candidates.

But even with numerous local and state races on the agenda including two of the three Douglas County commissioner seats many of the roughly 300 at-tendees at the March 1 event in Castle Rock remained focused on the presidential race.

Im disappointed that I cant cast my vote for presi-dential election it makes me feel that I have been disenfranchised by the party, said Sandy Shutt, who attended specifically to weigh in on the presidential contest.

Some people left the caucus, which included two districts and 11 precincts, when they learned this information.

The Douglas County Republicans did send emails to those who signed up for a contact list to inform and remind them that a presidental straw poll would not be included. County Republicans who want to receive correspondence can register at dcgop.org.

This is the first time we havent taken a straw poll, said Tanne Blackburn, chairwoman of the Douglas County Republicans.

She has received several complaints. Had we taken the poll, it would have been binding, she said. The candidate we selected last election (former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum) was not on the ballot anymore once we went to national convention.

With so many Republican candidates on the ballot this year, the state Republican party wanted to prevent a repeat of 2012.

First-time caucus participant Karl Biemel had hoped to show his support for presidential candidate Donald Trump.

I want to give my support for Trump because Im a police officer and we need all the support we can get, he said. Blue lives matter.

The confusion about the exclusion of the presiden-tial race and the combination of 11 voting precincts at one site created a general sense of confusion.

We are very aware that something needs to change, Blackburn said. How? I dont know. But folks need to make sure that their voices are heard.

Some of the attendees also complained about hav-ing to trek across the school campus to find the caucus site.

It certainly might be chaos, said David Huber, who is new to the caucus process. I think that we need to try to get this whole thing organized so more people can come into this process.

Reaching more people is what Stephanie deVries, caucus committee member for precinct 339, says the event is all about.

Its an important process, and I think its something that needs to be brought to the forefront more, she said.

Castle Rock residents Amanda and Justin Win-ter, who have been focused on the presidential race, thought attending the caucus would allow them to learn more about the local elections.

None of the Douglas County commissioner candi-dates was present at the Douglas County High School caucus. But residents spoke on behalf of Monica Was-den, who is running against Lora Thomas for District 3, and for Roger Partridge, the incumbent who is being challenged by Dave Gill for District 2.

Representatives for state Senate candidates Ben Lyng, Tim Neville, Ryan Frazier and Meghann Silver-thorn attended.

I think its a really important election and its our duty to be involved, Amanda Winter said, while taking a break from reading campaign literature provided by local candidates. If were not involved, we dont have a voice.

Doug Bishop speaks on behalf of Douglas County Commissioner Roger Partridge, who is running for re-election. Photos by Shanna Fortier

VOICES FROM THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUSIve been really focused on the presi-dential race. As of right now, Im going for Rubio.- Caucus participant Amanda Winter

We need fresh faces and new voices in the party right now.- Caucus participant Bob Martinez

Were having a heated race out there and its going to get more heated. We have lost both of the last two presidential races, not because of Hispanic or black votes, not religious or nonreligious votes. We lost it because of the Republican undervote. Enough people could not stand (Mitt) Romney that we have (President Barack) Obama. Enough people could not stand (John) McCain that we have Obama. If we lose again, dont look outside this party. Its the Republicans that lost the election. I will guarantee that again. Lets come together and lets win these elections.- Ben Cox, director of Republican District 27

Im getting involved because I really worry about my grandchildren and your children and grandchildren and where were headed with this country.- John Hoskinson, a Vietnam veteran

Continued from Page 4

Democratscandidate gave a short speech that the crowd periodically interrupted with hoots and hollers.

Voters then turned to their tables to discuss elections. There was continuous dialogue throughout the room some stood to talk and others participated in side conversation.

Each precinct comprising 30 to 50 registered Democrats elected two precinct leaders to a two-year term. They also elected delegates and an alternate to the county convention, which will have another preference poll to allocate delegates at the next level the state convention on April 16.

Precinct members voiced issues and resolutions to the party platform a list of values and actions that appeal to Democratic voters. In Precinct 224, one of the 12 at the caucus, voters brought up several topics, including campaign financing, the need for a Democratic seat on the Supreme Court and health care reform.

The area, right now, where I see the greatest disconnect and need, said Patrick Verville, a Sanders supporter and registered nurse at Cherrelyn Healthcare Center in Littleton, is in affordable health care.

Verville, who was wearing his light-blue scrubs, had never been to a caucus and called it wonderful.

Heather Vondy, a Clinton supporter, agreed.The caucus, she said, is the beginning of a very

exciting election season.

First-time caucus attendee Karl Biemel fills out his voter packet at Douglas County High School.

Students demand explanation for departing teachers Change.org petition started by Ponderosa students has nearly 1,500 signatures

By Mike DiFerdinando [email protected]

Students at Ponderosa High School in Parker say they are tired of losing their best teachers to other school districts and are demanding answers from Douglas County School District Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen about why this is hap-pening.

Students planned a March 9 protest at the school and have set up a change.org petition that had received nearly 1,500 signatures as of March 2.

Our districts teachers are what keep our schools on track, and the high teacher turnover our district has been dealing with worries me, said Ponderosa sopho-more Grace Davis, a protest organizer.

It makes a lot of parents and students wonder what could possibly be going on with our district to make so many want to leave. There wasnt really a big prompt to start the petition and protest. It was more of a piling of events and departing teachers.

School district spokeswoman Paula Hans said Fagen, who was not immedi-ately available for comment, was plan-ning to meet with students to hear their concerns and that the administration is always open to meeting with students and teachers.

The district would not stop students from protesting on school grounds but, Hans said, We want to make sure that whatever is done is done is a safe way.

Weve taken some strong steps toward resolving articulated student concerns, including having direct and lengthy con-versations with the leader of the protests, Douglas County Board of Education President Meghann Silverthorn said. Its always my goal to ensure that everyone

has the right information on issues of concern. Although we had not heard about these concerns before the petition and protest were announced, school and district leadership took immediate steps to reach out to the leader and determine what those issues might be.

Silverthorn also said she was con-cerned about the safety of students who take part in the protest.

It is my hope that no one chooses to walk out of classrooms and or disrupt others learning environments, Silver-thorn said. Our teachers and students work very hard to create a great educa-tional environment, and I want that to be maximized every day.

Between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, the district had a turnover rate among teachers of 16.7 percent, ac-cording to the Colorado Department of Education.

That is higher than some neighbor-ing districts, including Cherry Creek (9.3 percent), Littleton: (8.3 percent) and Jef-

ferson County (14.7 percent), but below the state average of 17.3 percent.

Teacher turnover in the Douglas Coun-ty district rose about 7 percentage points in a fi ve-year period. Turnover from 2008-09 to 2009-2010 was 10.2 percent, accord-ing to CDE.

Davis a volleyball player for Pon-derosa whose coach is among the teachers leaving at the end of this school year said she felt the onus to tackle the issue fell on the underclassman who still have several more years invested into the school.

I feel like most upperclassmen un-derstood what was happening but didnt try to fi x it because they were about to graduate anyway, Davis said. I believe that taking a stand, as an underclass-man, is really going to open the window for teachers and staff to speak out about whats driving some of them away without putting their jobs at risk.


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Protest continues on Page 7

Students demand explanation for departing teachers ferson County (14.7 percent), but below the state average of 17.3 percent.

Teacher turnover in the Douglas Coun-ty district rose about 7 percentage points in a fi ve-year period. Turnover from 2008-09 to 2009-2010 was 10.2 percent, accord-ing to CDE.

Davis a volleyball player for Pon-derosa whose coach is among the teachers leaving at the end of this school year said she felt the onus to tackle the issue fell on the underclassman who still have several more years invested into the school.

I feel like most upperclassmen un-derstood what was happening but didnt try to fi x it because they were about to graduate anyway, Davis said. I believe that taking a stand, as an underclass-man, is really going to open the window for teachers and staff to speak out about whats driving some of them away without putting their jobs at risk.

Ponderosa volleyball coach and science teacher Rob Graham said he will be moving to Grandview High School in Aurora, within the Cherry Creek district, after the school year concludes in May.

He is leaving, he said, because of policies put in place over the past fi ve years such as the pay-band structured salary system and what he described as the excessive time burden placed on teachers having to upload evi-dence for evaluations.

Teacher and principal evaluations are required in all Colorado school districts under 2010s Senate Bill 191, also called the Educator Effectiveness Bill. Districts were allowed to adopt either the states teacher-evaluation program or create their own. DCSD is among six that designed its own.

The evaluations are part of DCSDs pay-for-perfor-mance program. Based on self-evaluations, meeting with administrator-level evaluators and other factors, each teacher is assigned a rating ranging from highly effective to ineffective. Pay increases are tied to those ratings and a market-based pay scale.

The last fi ve years have been really tough, but at some point you have to stand up for yourself, Graham said. When I told the district I was leaving, they offered

to match the offer Cherry Creek gave me and give me a raise on top of it. I turned down their offer because this is not about the money.

According to Graham, many teachers in the district feel the same way about the new initiatives started by district administration but are too afraid to speak out.

He pointed out that when switching districts, only a teachers last fi ve years of experience are often used to determine salary. This leaves many experienced teachers in a position of having to take signifi cant pay cuts if they wish to switch to a new district.

We all talk to each other. The teachers all talk and I know this is how many of them feel not just teachers, but administrators, too, Graham said. I do have a job lined up. Thats why I wanted to step up and speak for my fellow teachers who cant.

School board member David Ray said he was contact-ed by Davis and helped open lines of communication

between students and the superintendet, and is hope-ful there might be common ground between students concerns and actions to remedy them.

I share in their frustration of having teachers whom they love and trust leaving the district because the culture and initiatives are taking away from time that should be focused on student learning, Ray said. The number of teachers who have left our system over the past few years has also saddened me. As a former prin-cipal in the district, there have been many teachers who I vested a great deal of time selecting and hiring. To see them seek employment in other districts, because they can no longer tolerate the negative conditions that have been imposed on them, has been very discouraging.

Davis agreed.Education is an important factor to societal structure

and tampering with it can cause many repercussions, she said. Our protest is one of them.


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Protest

Protest continues on Page 7

We all talk to each other. The teachers all talk and I know this is how many of

them feel not just teachers, but administrators, too.Rob Graham,

Ponderosa science teacher

HAVE AN EDUCATION STORY IDEA?Email your ideas to Douglas County Education

Reporter Mike DiFerdinando at mdiferdinando@

coloradocommunitymedia.com or call 303-566-4087.


Colon and rectal cancer 101

Wednesday, March 166-7 p.m.

Lone Tree Health Center9548 Park Meadows Drive | Lone Tree

Refreshments provided by Lyfe Kitchen.

Register at coloncancer101.eventbrite.com, orcontact Stephanie Taylor at [email protected].

uchealth.org/lonetree

Prevention. Detection. Treatment. Survivorship.Join us for a free seminar to learn: If youre at risk for colorectal cancer Lifestyle decisions that can reduce cancer risk The importance of a screening colonoscopy What happens once youre diagnosed

This educational seminar is led by Dr. John Vogel, UCHealth colon and rectal surgeon at Lone Tree Health Center and Anschutz Medical Campus.

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Mountain camp teaches outdoor ethics to youthCentury-old cabins are feature of site near Wellington Lake

By Sonya [email protected]

Budding environmentalists who at-tend Avid4 Adventures overnight Colo-rado Mountain Camp at Windy Peak, near Bailey, will add Leave No Trace principles to their outdoor skills as they hike, rock climb, kayak, mountain bike, raft, and learn about nature and wildlife.

A pilot program called Nature Keepers, based on Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Eth-ics principles, is funded by North Face, which pro-duces outdoor clothing and equipment. It will be added to the day-to-day experiences of children at the camp and, for many, will be-come a lifelong com-mitment. Its hoped that the program will expand nationally.

The camp near Wel-lington Lake is described as a 100-year-old B&B by camp director Ian Roberts. It has 100-year-old cabins of various sizes on 240 acres, and during the school year it is one of Jeffer-son County Schools outdoor labs. (The other Jeffco outdoor lab at Evergreen will become a summer camp in 2017, Roberts said.)

Unlike other programs that stress out-door fun above all else, the Nature Keep-ers program shows kids how to get the most fun out of nature while leaving the

least amount of impact, based on Leave No Traces seven principles: Plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimize campfire impact; respect wildlife; be considerate of other visitors.

Roberts said they have developed five to 10 games to emphasize respecting wildlife and will bring in birds of prey and perhaps wolves from the wolf sanctuary.

He said they have a mix of campers they were 100 percent Front Range at the

start, now a mix of kids from those who havent spent time outdoors,

to kids of professional athletes and some international camp-

ers. We push for diversity. In a given week the heaviest load would be 135 kids.

The youngest ones attend for one week and older ones may stay two or more. The cost is consistent

with other higher-end camps: $585 a week to $2,200 for a longer stay.

Counselors and staff are mostly 21 and

older, with some teen appren-tices. The average age is 24 and

there are about 42 on staff, including the nurse and kitchen help a 6-to-1

ratio. Many return. Avid4 Adventure runs a number of day

camps in the metro area as well, includ-ing camps in Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock. They are organized by age, offer a variety of activities and offer day care at the beginning and end of the day for those who need it. See the website for information about overnight camp and day camps: Avid4Adventure.com.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK? Want to know what clubs, art exhibits, meetings and cultural events are happening in your area and the areas around you? Visit our website at www.coloradocommunityme-dia.com/calendar.


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Housekeeping PositionPart to Full-Time

Seeking experienced, detail-oriented housekeeper towork in private home in Parker.

Must be fluent in English and havedependable year-round

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Lawn Care TechnicianWe have an opening in Parker(Pinery) for someone who enjoysworking outdoors, at a fast pace, ishonest and dependable, who canwork without direct supervision.Must also be able to demonstratesafe driving skills. Pay is on a per-centage basis, which can equate toas much as $25 - $35 per hour.Contact Steve at (303) 841-8190 toapply.

WHAT IS CAREGIVING?: Learn about this career opportunitywith Home Instead Senior Care atan informational meeting Wed.March 30th; 10am or 1pm.

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March 10, 201610 Lone Tree Voice10-Opinion

VOICESLOCAL

Craig Marshall Smith

QUIET DESPERATION

Michael Norton

WINNING WORDS

How is your procrastina-tion list looking these days? You know the one I am talking about, that list of things that need to get done, your to-do list that is hanging on your refrigerator door or that you keep tucked away inside your heart and head. Yes, those lists, how are they looking these days?

You see, we dont really call them procrastination lists, do we? We call them Action Items or To-do lists, we call them hopes and dreams, and maybe even some of us refer to them as goals and objectives. Yet when it comes to actually getting things done, we may fi nd ourselves just a little behind on our plan or so far behind that we start to lose interest in our hopes, dreams, plans and goals.

If this feels like I am writing this just about you, please do not feel alone, because you are not. There seems to be a true fascination with procrastination. The question is, why?

Some of these reasons may sound familiar or ring true for you, Well maybe if I just wait for a few more days, things will resolve themselves. Or, Today

is only Thursday, I can get to this before Sunday and Ill still be OK. How about this one: Maybe I was reach-ing too high or far; what made me think I could ac-complish this?

There are hundreds more statements and excuses just like those I mention above. And again, the question is, why? Why do we make excuses, why do we justify or rationalize away our hopes and dreams so easily when we know we really want to do more, be more, have more, experience more?

It comes down to commit-ment and prioritization. If we lack the 3 Ds discipline, deter-mination and drive we will lack the commitment neces-sary to complete our tasks and

projects and to fulfi ll our dreams and goals. And if we allow competing priorities to usurp what is most important to us, we deny ourselves the opportunity to achieve what is most impor-tant to us. What are you willing to commit to and how will you prioritize it against everything else you have going on?

And heres the real deal about this: As much as I am referring to hopes and dreams and goals and objectives, its also about the little everyday chores, to-dos, and tasks. All of those little things we need to do each and every day that we postpone, put off or forget about. And then what happens, all of a sud-den our Saturday and Sunday, which were intended for doing things for ourselves and our dreams and goals, become fi lled with the little things we should have been doing throughout the week. And you know what happens, right, that little voice inside our head starts getting in our ear, Oh well, I guess I have to put off my hopes and dreams one more time because I have to go to the market, the dry cleaner, the pharmacy, I have to get the

dogs to the groomer, and I have to clean out my car.

Success can be as hard or as easy as we make it. Most of the people who have plenty of time to love life, enjoy life, excel in what they do, or just have time to chill out and relax are the people who dont have a fascina-tion with procrastination in-stead they avoid procrastination like the plague. They are com-mitted to what is important and they know how to prioritize their minutes and days to maximize results.

So how about you? Is there always something else to do that keeps you from reaching your goals? Or are you committed to your success and wisely priori-tizing your activities and events? Either way, I would love to hear all about it at [email protected], and when we avoid our fascination with procrasti-nation it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is a resident of Castle Rock, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation, a strategic consultant and a busi-ness and personal coach.

Working through procrastination

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

No-knock means no-knockThanks to a previous town coun-

cil, we have a no-knock ordinance giving citizens the option to control the nuisance of unwanted solicita-tions at our homes by certain entities. Unfortunately, political and religious organizations are exempt. Should Castle Rock citizens be able to control unwanted solicitations from political and religious organizations as well?

Justifi cation for the exemption seems to be based on opinions of so-called legal authorities, developed by their overzealous interpretation of the language in the 1st and 14th Amend-ments.

They promote a fl imsy commercial versus non-commercial nature argu-ment, suggesting religious and politi-cal solicitations are non-commercial. However, buying and selling is com-mercial activity; selling is to infl u-ence or induce a purchase, to make something available for purchase. Just as products and services are sold, the political and religious solicitor is sell-ing their viewpoints and ideas.

In addition, their free speech argument is erroneous. Like all citi-zens, these so-called, non-commercial interests enjoy freedom of expres-sion in public places, and through fl iers, mailers, signs, internet, email, radio, TV, telephone, public events, and on private property with permis-sion. Using the opinion of those legal authorities who argue the ability to control solicitations from political and religious organizations violates free speech, lets consider solicitation on private property. Based on their argu-ment, would political and religious organizations be exempt from pros-ecution for trespassing when soliciting on land posted with No Trespassing signs? Could those landowners be charged with violating free speech?

Our homes are private proper-ty. Places to enjoy family and friends without unwanted solicitation. The current no-knock ordinance allows us to prohibit attempted intrusion by commercial solicitors. Should we also have the same choice to prohibit intrusion from political and religious solicitors? I encourage all citizens to email town council at [email protected] to request action.

Ken PerryCastle Rock

Recently we observed Presidents Day.

I did my part. Did you?

I bought a used Lincoln, drove it to Washington Park, and listened to the Jefferson Airplane.

I wish we could have a national holi-day that altogether prohibited references to the presidency. Im serious.

Not one word would be allowed to be written or spoken

about the presidential race.Anytime between now and Election Day

would be fi ne with me. Except the Fourth of July. I have my reasons.

I abhor the tone of this election. Its disgust-ing, actually.

There arent enough negative words to say about the negativity in it.

It reminds me of the Ultimate Fighting

Championship, something else that I think is idiotic.

Imagine that your day consists of attacking someone else.

And every four years we hear the same old song: I am going to make America great again.

I dont like any of the candidates. Maybe thats it.

Simply because they are politicians. Per-formers in country dinner theaters.

I am not going to name names, but youll be able to fi gure out to whom I am referring.

One of them is so offensive that he fi ts right in with an America that has made millionaires out of the Kardashians and Kanye West.

Another one is just boring, humorless, and she should know better than to think that any one person can make a major difference in a country with an endless number of special interest groups.

Whoever is elected will start to be vilifi ed the next day by the losing party.

I am a grump to begin with, but this just makes me grumpier.

I watched two women on Ashley Banfi elds

Its politics season, but dont let any get on you

Smith continues on Page 11

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Funeral HomesVisit: www.memoriams.com

In Loving Memoryprogram on split-screen, shout over each other to the point that neither one of them made a point, because you couldnt under-stand what they were saying.

It was ugly, and Banfield did nothing about it, except smile.

Of course, my idea is ridiculous.And if I wanted a day off, why not just

pitch a yurt in the back yard, and hunker down with the dog?

But then I wouldnt have much of a col-umn, other than just reporting that all of these goings-on are personally repulsive.

I have plenty of canvases and books and CDs, and dont need to read or watch any of it. Right?

The lead-up to the Super Bowl annoyed me too, and so did the aftermath, but it wasnt mean-spirited.

One local daily newspaper looked like it was a product of the Broncos organiza-tion.

You cant tell me that this only happens every four years, because some candidates announced two years ago.

When I see huge crowds of people cheering for their candidates snarky re-

marks, it nauseates me.One way or another, I am going to take

some time off, and shut it all out.It wont be easy, because it permeates

everything I watch and read.If a candidate says, Its Monday, the

candidates opponent says, Its Tuesday in Japan.

Gov. John Hickenlooper has always refrained from mudslinging, and I appreci-ate that.

Would that the other politicians did the same thing.

What if I were a high school student witnessing the debates and the upcom-ing conventions which are heightened lunacy? I know it would turn me off from politics.

Earlier today as I write this, a front-runner was put down rather harshly by someone in his own party who himself had been a presidential contender in 2012. It belonged on Saturday Night Live.

I promise you this.I will never mention any of this muck

again.I prefer to amuse you.Yours truly, Pat Paulsen.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at [email protected]


Smith

Starting March 24, foreclosure sales for the Jefferson County Public Trustee will be held at 2 p.m. Thursdays in the Jury Assem-bly Room on the court side of the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden.

On or after March 23, any foreclosure sale scheduled for a Wednesday sale date will be continued by the Public Trustee and set for a Thursday sale date.

Information concerning continuance

may be viewed on the Public Trustee website at www.gts.co.jefferson.co.us/All-Reports.aspx.

On sale dates the Public Trustee staff will be in the Jury Assembly Room at 1:15 p.m. to accept bid forms. No bid forms will be accepted after 1:45 p.m. Sales will start promptly at 2 p.m.

For further information, contact Public Trustee Margaret T. Chapman, 303-271-8576, [email protected].

Jeffco Public Trustee foreclosure sales move to new time and location

Gina Rea of Littleton, wearing skates, sits with her fan club at the Special Olym-pics State Winter Games Skating Com-petition while she waits to perform. Photo by Alex DeWind

athlete, according to Special Olympics of Colorado.

Special Olympics has about 20,000 athletes, including unified partners in flag football, basketball, soccer, bocce, bowling, golf, track and field, volleyball, softball, cross-country skiing and tennis.

The Unified Partners program is offered in about 189 schools across the state and in communities, according to Amy Turner, the Special Olympics of Colorado vice president of marketing and communications.

The teams are coed at every level, she said. Athletes can be as young as 8 and as old as 78.

Rea, who works part-time at Prim-rose Day Care, has made many friends through Unified Partners. At the skating event, she sat in the stands with her fan club a group of girls she met through Special Olympics sports, including skat-ing and tennis.

The program gives her immense

confidence, her father said, and teaches her social skills.

If you are disabled, he said, your world becomes very small. This really expands her world.

Stephanie Silvestain, 25, of Centen-nial, competed in the solo-skating com-petition to a song by her favorite artist, Taylor Swift.

Silvestain, too, spent part of the morning sitting in the stands with friends.

Her mother and father, Carol and Mike, love the program because its such a constant in Stephanies life.

She looks forward to it, her mother said. Its her Saturday morning rou-tine.

Skaters practice every Saturday from September through early April for about 1 1/2 hours at the University of Denver.

All coaches are volunteers who teach about three to four athletes at a time, said Debbie Marsh, whos been a coach for the past five years and a unified part-ner since she was 10.

For Tim Rea, the volunteers make all the difference. He calls his daughters coach a saint.

They make this work, he said.


Ice

Kit Miller is a junior at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch. She wrote and published her first book, Sailor Uncovered, in 2015. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando

Amels walked away the winner and will advance to the State Poetry Out Loud contest at the Lakewood Cultural Center on March 15. The Colorado champion will advance to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals on May 3 and 4 in Washington, D.C.

Amels said she became in-terested in poetry after walking into the Mercury Caf in Denver as a freshman. The cafe, 2199 California St., offers an open-mic night on Sundays and hosts poetry slams.

I love performance. Its kind of like my adrenaline rush, Amels said. Like the way a

football player loves getting on the field. They get really excited before they go out there. I love performing and standing up in front of people.

However, standing up in front of a crowd and performing doesnt come naturally for all.

If Im confident in what I write, I love to share it, but I prefer just to write it, Johnson said. Because I do get nervous during sharing. Unless Im really confident and like what I write, I usually just keep it to myself.

Miller, who published her first book, a murder mystery titled Sailor Uncovered, in 2015, said she typically doesnt share her work with others.

According to Mountain Vista creative writing teacher Jeff Hoefs, the poetry slam has helped his students not only

find their literary voices, but also overcome the anxiety of public speaking and sharing their work.

Ive seen Kit, for example, grow tremendously over the last three years in her ability to share, Hoefs said. I attribute it partially to this, where she is practicing in front of people and gaining that confidence.

Hoefs said he is always look-ing for authentic audiences for his students because it helps bring their ideas to the surface.

All three students said they plan to continue creative writ-ing in one form or another and routinely fill notebooks and computer files with ideas for poems and stories.

I have two or three note-books that I write in, Johnson said. Im trying to fill them up.


PoetryI nd human behavior fascinating. I like watching people and then writing what I see.

Kit Miller, Mountain

Vista junior

March 10, 201612 Lone Tree Voice12-Life

LIFELOCALC U L T U R EF A I T HF A M I L YF O O DH E A L T H

Coee pods brew debate over wasteDespite increased popularity, most pods cant be recycled

By Mike [email protected]

For years, Amy DeValk and her family avoided using single-serving coffee pods. But eventually, convenience and variety won out.

We use coffee pods at home, said DeValk, who lives in Highlands Ranch. We resisted for a long time because of the environmental impact, but after using them for a week while on vacation, we were hooked. They are convenient, easy to use and you can have different varieties of drinks.

DeValk isnt the only one caught up in the coffee pod fad: More than a quarter of American households up from 15 per-cent in 2014 now have a single-serve coffee brewer, according to a 2015 survey by the National Coffee Association.

In fact, in 2013, industry leader Keurig Green Mountain produced 8.3 billion K-Cups enough to circle the Earth 10 times, a March 2015 article in The Atlantic magazine said.

Many coffee drinkers want to enjoy their favorite beverage quickly and in an environmentally responsible way. But coffee pod users generally meet only half that goal: Most coffee pods are not recyclable because of the combination of plastics, aluminum and coffee grounds that cannot be separated.

As more people become aware of the environmental impact, an outcry against their use is growing, along with a push to make them more easily recyclable.

In February, the German city of Ham-burg banned the use of pods in govern-ment buildings because of their environ-mental impact.

The capsules cant be recycled easily because they are often made of a mixture of plastic and aluminum, Jan Dube from the Hamburg Department of the Environ-ment and Energy told the BBC in Febru-ary, following the decision to ban pods. Its six grams of coffee in three grams of packaging. We in Hamburg thought that these shouldnt be bought with taxpayers money.

Waste produced by pods has prompted the #killthekcup campaign on social me-dia to end the use of nonrecyclable pods.

Environmental concerns havent stopped pods from dominating the con-sumer marketplace.

Maian Tran, business development manager of Denver-based Marley Coffee, said single-use pods are now the largest part of its business.

We started with just the traditional ground and whole bean bags when we launched the company in 2009, Tran said. But when single-serve usage started to pick up, we launched our capsules around 2013. And now, theyre our top sellers.

Keurig first launched in 1998. Ac-cording to research from international marketing firm Mintel, U.S. consumers bought $3.1 billion worth of coffee pods in 2013 up from $132 million in 2008.

Green Mountain has had the corner on that for the longest time partially through patents and stuff like that, Den-ver-based Coda Coffee founder Tommy Thwaites said. When that patent ran out, all of these other companies kind of came up with their own way to do it. So it opened the floodgates up to competition and really lowered the barriers to entry in that market.

Green Mountains patent for the K-Cup expired in September 2012.

Going greenNow, smaller companies such as Coda

can tailor their pods to meet customer needs, such as making a recyclable pod.

The amount of garbage produced by those single-use pods is astronomical,

Thwaites said. We didnt even really want to get into the market until there was at minimum a recyclable option, and now we are looking at fully compostable options.

Mary Martin of Parker said she stopped us-ing single-cup pods because of the environ-mental impact.

Im a big coffee snob and used to use coffee pods until I learned how bad they are for the environment, Martin said. I went back to grinding my own beans and taking that little bit of extra time to brew a fresh pot of coffee in the morning, or whenever I or my husband needs it. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, and knowing that we werent adding to landfills, quickly weaned me off my need for the instant gratification of coffee pods.

Denver-based Boyers Coffee said demand from customers led it to develop a recyclable pod that would satisfy the market demand but not join in the grow-ing amount of landfill waste.

The cost of producing our single-serve recyclable cups and biodegradable filter isnt cheap, said Julie Byerlein, marketing director for Boyers Coffee. But its about providing a solution to our customers that demand a recyclable alternative without cutting into the convenience and custom-izability of the single-serve.

Marley Coffee uses recyclable pods called EcoCups.

We were one of the first premium brands to launch EcoCup in the retail market, Tran said. Most other cups are made of No. 7 plastic, which is not recy-clable in most municipalities, so people throw the whole cup away, and thats a ton of waste.

The EcoCup is made of an alternative

plastic that is recyclable. After brewing the coffee, you recycle the cup, and you can compost the coffee and woven filter. The only waste is the tiny foil lid.

In addition to the reduction of waste, 1 cent of each EcoCup goes to fund Marleys sustainability initiative, the Water Wise Coffee Project, which helps coffee produc-ers in Ethiopia tackle the waste generated by wet mills and clean up local rivers.

Keurig says it hopes all of its pods will be recyclable by 2020.

By then, some consumers may have already moved on.

It does concern me a little that they are not able to be recycled. It seems like a lot more trouble or waste than other means of brewing coffee even though they are meant for convenience, said Melissa Casaretto of Parker. I do see the appeal, but for me, I would prefer to use a French press or Vietnamese coffee filter set if I just wanted to brew coffee in small quantities or individually.

Consumers are increasingly seeking out environmentally friendly options for coffee pods. Shutterstock image

Unlike the Marley pods, most single-use coffee pods cannot be recycled because the combination of plastic, aluminum and coffee grounds cannot be seperated after use. Courtesy image

Traditionalists hold steadySome still prefer the old way of brewing coffee

Despite the ease and convenience of single-serve pods, for some coffee drink-ers a traditional brew is still the way to go.

Bagged coffees still remain the most popular, and we attribute this to the fact that many households have both pod machines and traditional brewers, said Julie Byerlein, marketing director for Boy-ers Coffee.

According to the National Coffee As-sociation, 59 percent of Americans drink a daily cup of coffee. And, on average, Americans drink 1.85 cups of coffee per day.

In a September 2015 blog post about the rise of coffee pod use, marketing pro-fessor Eric Anderson at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Manage-ment pointed out that, in 2002, the aver-age coffee maker cost $35. By 2013, that

figure had risen to about $90. The lowest-priced Keurig machine

listed on its website is the mini version for $79.99.

In addition, consumers 40 and older are more likely than their younger coun-terparts to drink their coffee at home, ac-cording to the coffee association.

Most folks my age dont give any grief, said Denise Gliwa, who lives in Denvers Cherry Creek area. They think the young folks are crazy for spending the money on those pods.

Chef Mick Rosacci owns and operates Tonys Market and Tony Rosacci Catering, which has locations in Castle Pines, south Jefferson County, Centennial and Denver.

He doesnt use pods and calls them a waste of packaging and money.

In a way, its indicative of much of modern society, Rosacci said. We de-pend on technology more than ourselves and we are losing touch with the simplest things in life in this case our food.

PODS BY THE

NUMBERS2012 The year Green Mountains patent for the K-Cup expired

10.5 Number of times the coffee pods produced in 2013 could circle the Earth

59 Percent of Americans who drink a daily cup of coffee

1.85 Average number of cups of coffee Americans drink each day

1998 The year Keurig first launched

Source: National Coffee Association, The Atlantic


CONGRATULATIONSJake and Diane Matlock

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7691 S University ~ Centennial CO 80122University and Dry Creek. Just south of King Soopers. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School.

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SAVE THE DATE

Staff report Mirror, mirror on the wall who

is the fairest one of all? In Marjorie Sokoloffs updated version of Snow White, presented March 9-12 at Moun-tain Ridge Middle School in Highlands Ranch, we get a different story.

Director/drama teacher Laurilea McDaniel said there are 105 students involved in this production, with lim-ited music, seven quirky dwarves, a

tongue-tied prince, a sassy mirror, a dancing chicken and of course, Snow White, in a tale about beauty, friend-ship and happily-ever-afters with a twist.

Playwright Sokoloff is the head of Camden County College Theatre De-partment in New Jersey and cofounder and artistic director of the Philadelphia Childrens Theatre, a professional the-ater company specializing in theater for young audiences.

From a description of the play in Playscripts catalog: The witch was the fairest one of all and she will not be si-lenced any longer. The story is told from the villains perspective, from her tragic childhood to her quest for revenge

Performances will be at Mountain Ridge Middle School, 10590 Vista Trail, Highlands Ranch: 3 p.m. March 9; 7 p.m. March 10, 11; 2 p.m. March 12.

Adult tickets, $8; student tickets, $6. Headstrongtheatre.com or at the door.

Eighth-grader Davis Helmerich plays what is described as a sassy mirror in Mountain Ridge Middle Schools production of Snow White, which uses a contemporary script by Marjorie Sokoloff. Laurilea McDaniel is director. Courtesy photo

Snow White comes to schools stage

Englewood concert to celebrate venue An upcoming concert will celebrate the

10th anniversary of Englewoods popular Hampden Hall. Internationally recognized pianist Natasha Paremsky will perform Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition at 2 p.m. on March 19 in Hampden Hall, on the second fl oor of the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway. All tickets cost $30 for this special concert.

For St. Patrick Cherish the Ladies, an all-female band

that has performed its Irish music and step dancing all over the world, will appear at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree, at 8 p.m. March 19. Tickets: 720-509-1000, lonetreeartscenter.org.

Rocky Mountain Brassworks: Tam OShanters Ride plays at the PACE Cen-ter, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker, at 2 p.m. March 13, with bagpipes, Scottish and Irish dancers and brass. Tickets: parkerarts.org, 303-805-6800.

Used book saleA special sale of CDs presented in

boxes by music genre will be featured in March by the Friends of the Library/Museums book sale committee. Later in

March, a sale of fi ction, mystery and romances titles will also be offered at reduced prices. (And the committee needs additional bookies to help sort and sell; call Sue McNamee, 303-997-5967, or email [email protected].)

Yes, a porcupineMeet a porcupine

at Bemis Library, 6014 S. Datura St., Littleton. Zuri, the

African crested porcupine from the Down-town Aquarium, will visit Bemis from 2 to 2:30 p.m. on March 24. 303-795-3961.

Samurai armorSamurai: Armor from the Ann and

Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection opened March 6 and will run through June 5 at the Denver Art Museum, with 140 objects that tell a story of samurai armor, helmets, horse trappings and additional battle gear. A spe-

cial exhibition ticket is required. Denverart-museum.org.

Plein air paintingsOpening March 19 at the Museum

Outdoor Art, second fl oor of the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway, is Daniel Sprick: Painting Out-of-Doors, new plein-air paintings, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on March 19. Runs through July 15. Also opening at MOA: On the Road With Cat Woman and St. Joan, animations and paintings by Diane Christiansen, in the White Box Gallery a collaboration with the Athena Project. Moaonline.org.

Arapahoe PhilharmonicFates Celebration is the concert title

for the Arapahoe Philharmonic concert at 7:30 p.m. March 19 at Mission Hills Church, 620 SouthPark Drive, Littleton. Harpist Rachel Knight, winner of the 2016 T. Gordon Park Concerto Competition, will perform Gianastras Harp Concerto. She and conductor Devin Patrick Hughes will give a preconcert talk at 6:45 p.m. The orches-tra will play Tchaikovskys Symphony No. 4. The audience is encouraged to bring nonperishable food for Orchestras Feeding

America Month. It will go to Mission Hills Food Bank.

Baroque performancesSeicento Baroque Ensemble, which

performs music from the 17th and 18th centuries, will present Scarlatti: Father and Son on March 11-13. Concerts: March 11, 7:30 p.m., St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver, with a 6:45 p.m. preconcert talk by Dr. Charlotte Mattax Moersch, a harpsichordist who teaches at the University of Illinois; she will also speak prior to the 7:30 p.m. March 12 concert at First United Methodist Church in Boulder; the third concert will be at 3 p.m. March 13 at Longmont Music Auditorium in Longmont. Tickets and information: seicen-tobaroque.org.

Lamb of GodThe Colorado Mormon Chorale and Or-

chestra, hosted by the Littleton Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will perform Lamb of God, written and composed by Rob Gardener, at 7:30 p.m. March 11 and 12 at Trinity United Method-ist Church, 1820 Broadway, Denver, and at 7:30 p.m. March 15, 16, 17 at the Newman Center, 2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver.

Sonya Ellingboe

SONYAS SAMPLER

Highlands Ranch history is subject of presentation Staff report

Highlands Ranch Then and Now: Birth of the Master Planned Community is Joe Toepfers title when he speaks at a program presented by the Highlands Ranch Historical Society at the Highlands Ranch Mansion on March 21.

From 6 to 7 p.m. you can tour the High-lands Ranch Mansion, with the program run-ning from 7 to 8:30 p.m. (Light refreshments available from 6 p.m.) Docents will be on hand to answer questions during self-guided tours before the program begins.

James Toepfer was the fi rst president of the Colorado Division of Mission Viejo and he will talk about the very early history of this master-planned community in Colorado. Hes been called the father of Highlands Ranch.

His stories of the early days when the ranch basically consisted of a few homestead homes and the mansion, through the fi rst 10 years, will shed light upon the massive undertaking of transforming ranch land into a community of thousands.

Topics covered include: What was Mission Viejo? Who were the major players at the begin-

ning? What were the overall design concepts

used in Highlands Ranch regarding open space, neighborhoods, retail and commercial areas, infrastructure and community ser-vices?

What was the Master Plan?Early residents and workers are encour-

aged to attend.RSVP required: [email protected] or call

641-715-3900, ext. 147406, theHRHS.org.


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