Cultivating the arts By Lynne Marsala Basche; photo by Lynn Zahorik In 2009, the Castle Pines Arts and Cultural Foundation (CPACF) began as a committee to help establish a library in Castle Pines. Funds were raised for the first storefront library and, eventually, the new standalone facility. Throughout that time, the organization grew to a…

Cultivating future leaders  By Lynne Marsala Basche During her high school years in South Dakota, YouthRoots founder Lacey Books participated in a basic leadership program. When Books was out of school and looked back on the experience, she realized how beneficial it would be to have been able to apply those lessons and skills right…

Community service for children By Lynne Marsala Basche In 1915, Kiwanis International was founded by a group of businessmen in Detroit, Michigan with a mission to “empower communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children.” The local Kiwanis Club of Castle Rock takes that statement to heart as the…

Heroes in all shapes, sizes and species By Lynne Marsala Basche; photo courtesy of Friends of Douglas County K-9 In 2011, David Swieckowski, Angela Sanders, Terry Barnhart and Kim Vanderholm learned that two of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) working dogs needed to be retired but that the DCSO did not have the funds…

By Lynne Marsala Basche You may be struggling. Someone you know could be suffering. In fact, one in five adults and adolescents will be diagnosed with a mental health issue in their lifetime. In 2014, after seeing a spike of various mental health issues in Douglas County, officials recognized the need to increase community mental…