by Terri Wiebold

Drivers Use Caution– New Traffic Signal Expected to be Operational by April 5

Effective noon, March 30, the traffic signal at the intersection of Castle Pines Parkway and Yorkshire Drive was put in four-way flashing mode. The signal is flashing yellow to drivers on Castle Pines Parkway and is flashing red to drivers on Yorkshire Drive.

Principal Traffic Engineer for the Douglas County Public Works Department, Alex Larson, cautions drivers to be alert during this time of transition. “Now is the time when accidents tend to happen,” said Larson. “This transition period is a warning to drivers that there is a change coming and to pay extra attention.”

The final change is scheduled to occur around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, when the light will become fully-functional. According to Larson, this is the most dangerous time. Drivers are encouraged to use caution when traveling in this area.

To read the details on how this traffic light came to fruition read the article “CPN Master Association Safety Committee Gets the Green Light.”

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Close to Home

Wildlife Experience, 10035 S. Peoria St., Parker – weeklong wildlife camps for ages 5-10: www.wildlifeexperience.org, 720-488-3300

South Suburban Parks & Recreation, various locations in South Suburban district – a large variety of camps for ages 5 and up: www.ssprd.org, 303-708-9500

Primrose Schools, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Parker – a variety of themed camps for younger kids: www.primroseschools.com, 303-792-9234

Vacation Bible School, Castle Pines Community Church – June 26 to 30 at Buffalo Ridge Elementary: www.castlepineschurch.org, 303-663-9755

Around the City

Bits, Bytes, & Bots Computer Adventures, Jim Elliot Schools, 2680 E. County Line Rd #C, Littleton – camps for ages 6-14 involving robotics, game creation, movie making, web design and more: www.bitsbytesbots.com, 303-494-2687

Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids, Unity Church of Denver, 3021 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO – 2-4 week acting camps for ages 5-16: www.theatreforkids.net, 303-245-8150

Denver Center Theatre Academy, 1101 13th St., Denver – performing arts classes for ages 2 ½ and up: www.denvercenter.org, 303-446-4892

Mad Science, various Denver locations – 3 different science camps for ages 7-12, and one for ages 4-6: www.madscience.org:8080/colorado/, 303-403-0432

Thorne Natural Science School, Littleton and Boulder – environmental education for ages 6-8, 9-11, and 12-15: www.thorne-eco.org, 303-499-3647

Falcon Sports Camps, Air Force Academy campus – large variety of sports camps for ages 8-18, including some residential camps: www.airforcesports.com, 719-333-2116

Colorado Academy Camps, 3800 S. Pierce St, Denver – programs for ages 5-18 in academics, art, sports and more: www.coloradoacademy.org, 303-986-1501

Kent Denver School, 4000 E. Quincy Ave, Englewood – Academics, arts, and sports camps for as young as 4 years old: www.kentdenver.org, 303-770-7660 X 627

Downtown Aquarium, 700 Water St., Denver – marine-themed summer camps for ages 5-10: www.downtownaquarium.com, 303-561-4444

Dumb Friends League Critter Camp, 2080 S. Quebec St., Denver – a camp for animal-loving third-fifth graders: www.ddfl.org, 303-751-5772 x7231

More day camp links can be found at:

www.coloradodaycamps.org

www.coloradoparent.com

www.kidspages.org
Residential Camps

Academy by the Sea, Carlsbad, CA: www.abts.com, 877-928-3123

Blue Mountain Ranch, Florissant, CO: www.bluemountainranch.com, 719-748-3472

Cheley Colorado Camps, Estes Park, CO: www.cheley.com, 800-CAMP-FUN

Id-Ra-Ha-Je Camps, Bailey, CO: www.idrahaje.org, 303-838-5668

Keystone Science Discovery School, Keystone, CO: www.keystone.org, 970-513-5800

Anderson Western Colorado Camps, Gypsum, CO: www.andersoncamps.com, 970-524-7766

Camp Shady Brook, Deckers, CO: www.campshadybrook.org, 719-329-7266

Sanborn Western Camps, Florissant, CO: www.sanbornwesterncamps.com, 719-748-3341

More residential camp links are available at: www.camppage.com/colorado.htm

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Crime prevention was traditionally thought to be the sole responsibility of local law enforcement agencies, but the concept of community policing has dramatically changed that philosophy. Partnerships between police and the residents they serve have helped empower people to take active roles in crime prevention in their neighborhoods.

Castle Pines North (CPN) is a low crime area, and residents play an important part in maintaining that statistic. Neighbors watch out for each other and are quick to report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods to the Sheriff’s Office. They take precautions to keep their homes safe, such as locking doors and windows - even when they are at home; keeping garage doors closed when not in use; and keeping the exterior of their houses well lit at night. These simple steps help to keep the community of CPN a safe place to live.

With nicer weather around the corner and with day-light savings in effect, residents will be outside more and staying out later. People will be coming into neighborhoods visiting friends, looking at homes for sale, and shopping at garage sales. Kids will be out on bikes and pet owners will be walking their dogs. The activity level in residential neighborhoods will increase, and as a result so should homeowners’ awareness. Staying alert and continuing to take precautions to maintain security can be the keys to continued safety!

Here are some things residents can do to help prevent becoming a victim:

At Home

Never open the front door automatically after a knock. Use a peephole and ask for identification.
If a stranger asks to use the phone, do not permit entry into the home. Offer to call for emergency assistance for them.
If a window or door has been forced open while the homeowner was gone, do NOT enter or call out. Use a neighbor’s phone and call 9-1-1 immediately.
Always close and lock garage doors before driving away.
Never leave keys in the front door – even for a minute – after opening it.
Don’t place keys or a purse down just inside the door while carrying packages inside.
Make sure every external door has a sturdy deadbolt with a minimum of 1 ½” bolt.
Secure sliding glass doors with commercially available locks or with a wooden dowel in the track.
Make sure windows are of good quality and have equally strong locks. Don’t forget about the basement windows.
Never hide keys in mailboxes, planters, or under doormats. Give a spare key to a trustworthy neighbor.
Have locks changed on a new residence.
Trim shrubbery that hides doors and windows. Cut tree limbs that could help an intruder climb into a window.
Turn on outside lights after dark to illuminate porches, entrances and yards – front and back. Consider timers that turn on automatically.
Install motion-sensor lighting on the exterior of the home.
Clearly display house number so police and emergency vehicles can find the home quickly.

Away From Home

Always be alert to surroundings and the people around.
Walk confidently and at a steady pace.
Make eye contact with people when walking.
Whenever possible, travel with a friend.
Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible. Avoid doorways, bushes, and alleys where someone could hide.
Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the street – continue walking.
Do not overload arms with packages.

In the Car

Always lock car doors after entering or leaving vehicle.
Check the back seat before getting into the car.
Park in well-lit areas.
Think you are being followed? Drive to a well-lit public place.
If the car breaks down, open the hood and attach a white cloth to the antenna. If someone stops to help, stay in the car and ask them to call local law enforcement.
Don’t stop to aid other motorists. Go to a phone and request help for them.
When being driven home, request the driver wait until you are inside.
Don’t leave packages, cell phones, purses or briefcases on the seat or in plain view when away from the car.
Get keys out and ready before walking to the car.

In The Office

Never leave wallets in plain view in a pocket of a jacket hanging on a door.
Mark personal property with some type of identification.
Don’t leave cash or other valuables in the desk.
When riding in an elevator with another person, stand by the control panel. If attacked, press the alarm and as many of the control buttons as you can.
Be alert to pickpockets on crowded elevators.
If you work outside of normal business hours, keep the office door locked.
Be aware of exits and escape routes at the office and have emergency numbers easily accessible and posted.

Source Information:

Douglas County Emergency

Preparedness Guide 2003-2004

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Note: Precinct 61 also includes portions of Oak Hills and Surrey Ridge, and Precincts 63 and 65 also include a small portion of Castle Pines Village.

Douglas County Democrats and Republicans are holding their party’s caucuses at locations around the county Tuesday, March 21. Caucus location is determined by precinct. Residents can find out what precinct they will vote in on the map located to the right.

Democratic Caucuses

All Castle Pines North Democrats will be holding their caucuses at the Castle Rock Middle School located at 2575 Meadows Boulevard in Castle Rock from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. For more information, visit the Douglas County Democrats website. To reach them by phone call 303-539-9048.

Republican Caucuses

Castle Pines North Republicans will be holding their caucuses at locations dependent upon a resident’s precinct (refer to the map at the right to determine the appropriate precinct).

Precinct 59 will meet at 6787 Serena Ave
Precinct 60 will meet at 8118 Oak Briar Way
Precinct 61 will meet at 344 Thorn Apple Way
Precinct 63 will meet at 7349 Norfolk Place
Precinct 64 will meet at 7259 Tenby Way
Precinct 65 will meet at 7306 Oxford Drive (HOA2 Clubhouse)

All caucuses will run from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. For more information, visit the Douglas County Republican website. To reach them by phone call 303-730-0100.

It is through these caucuses that candidates are chosen to represent a particular party in the upcoming election. Caucuses are held in a public place or in a private home that is open to the public. No invitation is required. Registered voters from the neighborhood simply attend and participate. At the caucuses, each party will select representatives to serve as the precinct committee and appoint delegates to the higher conventions/assemblies.

To participate in the precinct caucus, a voter must be a resident of the precinct for 30 days, be registered to vote 29 days before the caucus, and be affiliated with the political party for two months.
Once precinct caucuses are complete, the next step in this multi-level process are the county conventions/assemblies held in April and state conventions/assemblies held in May. Finally, the August primaries will determine which candidate will represent the respective parties on the November ballot.

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Coaches that need a field to practice on this spring and/or summer make sure to contact the Metro District and reserve one of Castle Pines North three park locations. CPN has three fields available to all residents including: The Retreat Park, Daniel’s Gate Park, and Coyote Ridge Park.

Several soccer, baseball, softball, football and lacrosse teams utilize these parks for team practice. To reserve a CPN park, the majority of the sports team must reside in Castle Pines North.

Park pavilions can also be reserved for birthday parties or other group events.
Please make sure to clean-up the field and/or park when finished utilizing the facility. Trash bins are available at each park. Let’s make sure to keep the community clean.

To reserve a ball field or picnic pavilion in one of CPN’s three local parks, please contact Jan Walker with the Castle Pines North Metro District at 303-688-8550 ext. 21 or by email at jan@cpnmd.org.

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