The Connection

Michael Oher visits Valor Christian School Michael Oher (pictured above right), tackle for the Baltimore Ravens and inspiration for the movie “The Blind Side,” participated in an interview to help raise funds for the scholarship program at Valor Christian School, located in Highlands Ranch. During the interview, Oher discussed his journey from the projects in…

David A Weaver, Douglas County Sheriff It’s that time of year. Folks are out enjoying the spring weather, looking for bargains – bartering, just having a great time. My Community Resources Unit has put together a list of tips and do’s and don’t’s about conducting a garage sale. Take a minute to look them over.…

Information provided by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and best known crime prevention concepts in North America. In the late 1960s, an increase in crime heightened the need for a crime prevention initiative focused on residential areas and involving local citizens. The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) responded, creating the…

Provided by Joan Wills, Tri-County Health Department Article by Jake Rankin, MBA, Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® As my parents and grandparents age, I often think about the comparison between the struggles they face as they age and the struggles I faced growing up. For example, when I was a child, they were always telling me…

This information has been provided by the City of Castle Pines North Moving into spring, Public Works crews will be transitioning from snow plowing and pothole patching to street sweeping, pavement/concrete repairs and street re-striping. Public Works is currently requesting proposals from consultants to perform a pavement management plan for the City. The plan, accounted…

The Wildlife Experience is pleased to announce it will participate in the Blue Star Museums program providing free admission to active military and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day of this year. The Blue Star Museums program was created by The National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families. Blue Star Families…

by Elean Gersack Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9. Plan ahead and delight the special moms in your life with treats from the locals. From flowers and goodies to massages and brunch, everything you need for a wonderful Mother’s Day can be in Castle Pines. Read on to learn about the many great Mother’s Day…

Provided by Centennial Airport Community Noise Roundtable In an effort to gather as much input from the public as possible, the Centennial Airport Community Noise Roundtable (CACNR) will hold its second public hearing to identify and discuss aircraft-related noise issues. The session will be held on May 5 at 7 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel…

Eighth grade teacher, Holly Spurlin, with her RHMS PeaceJam Leaders.  PeaceJam meets for one period every Thursday morning. Article by Kathy Dunker with photo courtesy of Amy Shanahan Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) has a valuable enrichment class called RHMS PeaceJam Leaders. PeaceJam is an international organization that pairs Nobel Peace Prize winners with youth…

Submitted by Dep. Robert Rotherham, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up their efforts to apprehend intoxicated and impaired drivers during the up-coming Memorial Day Holiday weekend which takes place the weekend of May 28th. Deputies will be providing extra enforcement from Friday, May 28 at 6:00 pm through…

Paul J Miller Public Information Officer Douglas County Search and Rescue National Association for Search and Rescue’s Valor Award The National Association for Search and Rescue’s Valor Award was presented to Douglas County Search & Rescue and four other Colorado search and rescue teams at the association’s national conference in Tunica, Mississippi, on May 13,…

Mail ballots for the upcoming Castle Pines North Metropolitan District board of directors election have been mailed to registered, eligible voters in Castle Pines North. If you are a registered, eligible voter, you should have received your ballot. The election will be held May 4, 2010, to vote for candidates to fill two seats on…

Pictured above, students from Mrs. Shaffner’s first grade class e-mail their EPals from Saudi Arabia. The EPals Classroom Exchange is a program that connects students from BRE with students from all over the world. Article and photos by Carin R. Kirkegaard Technology has made the world a smaller place. The Internet, handheld video cameras, iPods,…

To assist its residents with the high cost of prescription drugs, Douglas County is participating in the free prescription drug discount card program sponsored through the National Association of Counties (NACo). This free prescription drug discount card helps to reduce the cost of prescriptions not covered by insurance and has resulted in $250 million in…

Information submitted by Dennis Murray Free golf, free clubs for kids As the US Kids Golf Foundation’s Denver local tour director, and director of instruction for Troon Golf and The Ridge at Castle Pines North, Dennis Murray and his staff are continuing their ongoing efforts to grow the game of golf through youngsters and their…

DCS Montessori sixth graders Erin Z. (left) and Kira S. (right) are up to the challenge of creating the school’s yearbook. by Tracy Dudley Dedication is the word. When DCS Montessori decided to publish its school yearbook in-house this year, 22 sixth graders stepped up to the plate. Once the students had the photos and…

Bria Pellandini (left) and Guillermo Arribas Article and photo by Lisa Crockett A group of high school seniors who have spent the last four years on the stage at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) is preparing their grand finale – their last play before graduation. The play, “Beyond a Joke,” will run at the school…

Information provided by American Academy Thanks to our illustrious librarian, Juliann Brant, the American Academy (AA) library just received the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) We the People “More Perfect Union” Bookshelf grant. As a result, the AA library will be receiving a “bookshelf” of books and other materials pertaining to this year’s NEH…

May 8 and May 15 Douglas County invites residents to free mulch on Saturday, May 8 and on Saturday May 15, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Castle Rock Water Treatment Plant, 1400 Caprice Dr. in Castle Rock. The county will provide a front-end loader to help load mulch into pickups and…

By Elizabeth Wood West The Town of Castle Rock (Town) council members unanimously voted Refined Alternative 6 Castlegate Drive as the preferred alignment for the North Meadows Extension project at their April 8 special council meeting. The project is being planned to provide a second access between The Meadows development and U.S. Highway 85 and…

Information submited by April Parcells Wow! We’re well into spring and summer is right around the corner. Mark your calendars… We will kick off our summer with our fantastic annual pool opening party on Saturday, June 5, 2010, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Join us for food, music, and lots of fun. We also…

Information provided by Renee Palmer, Broker Associate Renee Palmer, Broker Associate with Your Castle Real Estate, has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance, with a particular emphasis on short sales. At a time when millions of homeowners are struggling with the possibility of foreclosure, the…

Since last month’s article, Joe Gschwendtner moved forward on his race to become Governor. Due to his late entry into the race, he is petitioning in all congressional districts, and will be on the primary ballot on August 10th.

Solid Life Christian Center welcomed the largest crowd ever to participate in the annual Castle Pines North Easter Egg Hunt at Coyote Ridge Park on April 3. To read the story and view a complete slide show of the event, go to www.castlepinesconnection.com/pages/photo/2010/album10.html.

Bidders consider items for auction at Timber Trail Elementary’s year-end fundraiser. The event, held at Cielo at Castle Pines, featured an online auction, a silent auction and a live auction, raising which raised $35,000 to offset budget cuts at the school next year. Article and photos by Lisa Crockett About 200 parents, teachers, administrators and…

This greenfield space of The Canyons property was annexed into the City of Castle Pines North in October 2009, and is one area city council is considering in a “blight” study for the city. The blight study is a requirement for the city to be able to establish an Urban Renewal Authority (URA). If established,…

On May 17 at 7 p.m. the Rock Canyon Elementary Instrumental Music (RCEIM) program will perform the final concert of the 2009-2010 school year. The concert will be held at Rocky Heights Middle School. The young musicians will have the opportunity to perform alongside members from the Colorado Chamber Orchestra. RCEIM is a before and…

Information provided by American Academy American Academy (AA) is offering a new extracurricular activity that teaches real-life skills to teens to better prepare them for interacting with peers and adults. Led by AA parent Kara Good, the Leadership Program for Teens is a highly interactive three-week program developed for sixth through eighth grade students who…

Aerial view of Elk Ridge Park – photo courtesy of Bob Wiebold by Anthonette Klinkerman Castle Pines North (CPN) residents currently enjoy three beautiful parks, and the city’s newest park – Elk Ridge Park – will be a welcomed and well-funded addition. Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) recently awarded the Castle Pines Parks Authority a $700,000…

Wines of the Pines and the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce wish to say thank you for making the first charity event, The French Wine Tour, such a great success. It is a privilege to be able to support and promote such charities as the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center, Douglas County Veteran’s Monument,…

Braving near-blizzard conditions in March, Maureen Shul (pictured above right) was sworn in by Castle Pines North City Clerk Sharon DeRouen (pictured above left) to represent Ward 1 on city council. This information has been provided by the City of Castle Pines North City Council appointed Maureen Shul as a Ward 1 council member at…

Article and illustration submitted by Mark Shively, Douglas County Water Resource Authority As spring weather returns and summertime is just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about firing up the sprinkler system again. Turning on your system may reveal some things have changed since the last time you watered the lawn. That…

This information has been provided by Castle Pines North Metro District. On January 26, 2010, the City of Castle Pines North (CPN) filed a petition in District Court to dissolve the Castle Pines North Metro District. The Metro District exists primarily to deliver drinking water, wastewater and storm water services, and parks and open space…

Information submitted by Keith Reeves, Columbine Printing Columbine Printing & Copy Center in Castle Rock’s owner, Keith Reeves, was honored for his company’s sales growth by CPrint® International. According to Todd Nuckols, CPrint® president, Columbine Printing & Copy Center is among an elite group of companies who are seeing sales increases in the slow economy.…

Article by Anthonette Klinkerman As the snow fell outside the day before spring break, inside Buffalo Ridge Elementary students were using magic words, saluting, and shouting out, “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” as “Colonel Klinkerman” put them through their etiquette paces. “There’s no giggling in Courtesy Bootcamp!” she cried, causing the students to erupt in laughter. “I…

This information has been provided by the City of Castle Pines North The City of Castle Pines North is on strong financial footing. The latest fiscal update includes: January and February revenues exceeded expenditures by more than 10% each month (more than $60,000 per month) As of February 28, 2010, the City was at a…

Eighteen RCHS seniors participated in Signing Day. Not pictured: Ty Henry, Fort Lewis College; Steffani Meusburger, White Water College. Article by Kathy Dunker with photo courtesy of RCHS National Signing Day is a big day for many high school seniors. It is the first day these seniors can sign a binding national letter of intent…

Brownie Troop 646 had a career try-it with Angie’s restaurant, located in Castle Rock. The girls had the opportunity to learn about being self-employed as well as how to juggle being a working mom from April McCaffrey, owner of Angie’s and resident of Castle Pines North. Mike McCaffrey showed the girls the kitchen and they…

RHMS student Sabrina Pham getting a face full of pie on Pi Day. Article by Kathy Dunker with photos courtesy of Amy Shanahan As you may or may not remember, pi is defined as a mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is an unusual number since…

Information provided by Carin R. Kirkegaard and photo by Vivian Jenner Pictured above, Marielle Renehen competes in the breaststroke at USA Swimming Sectionals held in Federal Way, Washington located just outside of Seattle. Renehen competed along with anywhere from 70 to 130 swimmers in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke and in the 100 and…

Castle Pines North Ward 1 Council Member Jennifer Havercroft Information provided by City of Castle Pines North Castle Pines North Ward 1 Council Member Jennifer Havercroft has resigned her position effective April 14 due to a family move. Havercroft submitted a letter of resignation to the city council at its April 13 meeting. The council…

South Suburban Parks and Recreation celebrates three days of fitness and wellness during the first week of May. All events are free and open to the general public. On Tuesday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lone Tree Recreation Center, 10249 Ridgegate Circle, attendees can visit a variety of booths with a myriad…

By Elean Gersack Fetch your sneakers, grab a leash and bring your furry friends to the 2010 Furry Scurry. This marks the 100th year of The Dumb Friends League (DFL) helping pets and people and has inspired a centennial goal of raising $1 million in donations. The two-mile fun walk/run is planned for 9 a.m.…

The Governor has ordered the flags on all public buildings lowered to half staff for today, April 19, 2010, at the request of the President, for victims and survivors of terrorism.

Family owned and operated Blue Spruce Assisted Living Facility opened for business in March in Castle Pines North. The 3,400 square-foot facility has six residential bedrooms and facilities for caregivers. by Sally Uhrich Adele and Morris Barbera opened Blue Spruce Assisted Living Facility in Castle Pines North in March. The residential home is located at…

Award-winning DC Dolphins first-time cheerleaders with head coach Stephanie Collins and assistant coach Jen Walters by Tracy Dudley Among a wide variety of other sports, the Douglas County Dolphins youth athletic club offers competitive cheerleading. However, Castle Pines North resident Stephanie Collins felt there should be a more recreational option for those who wanted to…

Paul J Miller Public Information Officer Douglas County Search and Rescue Douglas County Search and Rescue successfully passed their Mountain Rescue Association Re-Accreditation tests on April 24th and 25th. The testing process was conducted at Castlewood Canyon State Park on Saturday with three different scenarios. Two winter scenarios were performed at Berthoud Pass on Sunday.…

by Tracy Dudley Since Kevin Brown moved to Castle Pines North in 1998, he has coached local baseball from t-ball to competitive teams at Rock Canyon High School. However, this will be his first year without coaching, as he is now focusing on helping student athletes with their college recruiting by way of highlight video…

Our Role in the CPN Community The primary function of the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District outlined in 1984 when the District was established, was to provide the residents of Castle Pines North with water, wastewater, and storm water services, and to maintain District owned parks, trails and open space. Of equal importance, CPNMD has…

Andy Rhodes Dwight Zemp Information provided by the CPNMD The Castle Pines North Metro District (CPNMD) board of directors voted in February to elect new officers. The board elected Andy Rhodes as president and Dwight Zemp as vice president. Rhodes has been a resident of Castle Pines North since 2003, and was elected to the…

Castle Pines Village resident and local businessman Joe Gschwendtner announced his exploratory campaign for governor of Colorado. The self-described “anti-politician” made the decision to run following caucuses, and he is looking to expand the current field of candidates. Gschwendtner will now focus on fundraising efforts and gathering signatures on a petition for the primary ballot.…

Sunday June 6 Cyclists get your chains lubed and tires pumped because the Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival is the unofficial start of the Colorado cycling season. The 23rd annual ride takes place on Sunday June 6 at the Douglas County Fair Grounds in Castle Rock and is currently accepting registration of riders of all…

by Sally Uhrich Owning a pet can be a wonderful, rewarding experience for you and your family. However, pets can transmit diseases that may be harmful to humans-especially young children and people with certain medical conditions. These are called zoonotic diseases. There are two types of zoonotic diseases that concern pet owners; illnesses that can…

Sharon DeRouen Press release provided by Sara Edwards, City of Castle Pines North Sharon DeRouen officially took office as city clerk March 9, when she was sworn in at the Castle Pines North city council meeting. DeRouen replaces the former city clerk, Janie Berry, who did not run for reelection. No candidates qualified to run…

Public works includes street maintenance and lighting, traffic signals and signage, permit processing and related services that help keep the city running smoothly. As you are no doubt aware, some areas of the community have deteriorating roads, which is due to age and inferior structural pavement design. City Council has already increased resources targeted to…

The Governor’s Energy Office announced NEW consumer rebates under federal Stimulus funding. These rebates are aimed at energy efficiency, but include incentives such as an extra $75 off on a energy efficient clothes washing machines. The program kicks off April 19th with a website and call center. It’s estimated there is enough funding to create…

Article by Kathy Dunker A day at American Academy (AA) is a day of exploration. AA places a special emphasis on teaching their students science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). To support that part of its mission, AA treats science class as an essential rather than an elective. From the smallest kindergartner to the tallest…

Information submitted by Susan Seamark, CPMD This is a regular election to be held on May 4 that will be conducted by mail ballot. Registered voters in approximately 1,525 homes may participate. There are six candidates for three open positions on the Castle Pines Metropolitan District Board of Directors. Elected directors will serve four year…

Maureen Shul submitted by Maureen Shul, CP EDC The Castle Pines Economic Development Council (CP EDC) unanimously elected Maureen Shul as its new president in February. Shul replaced David Verebely, who was instrumental in the formation of the organization. The CP EDC is a nonprofit organization that works in tandem with neighboring municipalities, Chambers of…

Charter members of the newly-formed Rotary Club of Castle Pines Article and photo by Kathy Dunker Rotary International is excited about its expansion in Douglas County with the formation of The Rotary Club of Castle Pines. Current Rotary Club membership in Castle Rock, Parker, and Highlands Ranch represents a cross-section of more than two hundred…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard with photos provided by Jane Kelly This summer, special needs students between the ages of 10 and 17 years old will have an option for a summer day camp. Local Castle Pines community resident, Kelly McAlear will launch her academic special needs program, The Sky’s the Limit, with six sessions of…

by Elizabeth Wood West “I will do everything possible to stop this ridiculous noise,” declared Castle Pines Village resident and petition organizer Don Somsky. Last fall, Somsky and other Village residents worked with the Castle Pines Homes Association (CPHA) to circulate a petition for residents and businesses that are impacted by train whistle noise. The…

Band members from the Rock Canyon Band Feeder Festival Concert perform at the concert held March 16 at Rock Canyon High School. Buffalo Ridge Elementary, Redstone Elementary, Timber Trail Elementary, Wildcat Mountain Elementary, Rocky Heights Middle School and Rock Canyon High School performed songs separately as well as one collective song for the show’s conclusion.…

Submitted by Elizabeth Gee, Hughes & Stuart Marketing on behalf of Castle Pines Metro District ROUNDABOUTS PROPOSED TO MAKE HAPPY CANYON ROAD SAFE & EFFICIENT Paul Dannels, District Manager of the Castle Pines Metro District, has announced public safety funds, held by the Douglas County Special District, have been reserved to pay for two proposed…

Castle Pines Village resident Gina Gerken (right) assists HawkQuest founder, Kin Quitugua, during a presentation in Castle Pines Village. Article and photos by Tracy Dudley For the second year in a row, more than 200 Castle Pines Village residents and their families were treated to HawkQuest’s breathtaking exhibit of live raptors. The occasion? The Castle…

by Joe Gschwendtner Ah, the ironies of life. Take the contrast between age and youth. When young, we think we know it all and would fly to the moon if we could. When we get older, genuine wisdom has settled in—but we lack the energy of youth. If only youth could have our understanding. Mere…

The Boys and Girls Club is to inspire and enable young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. In the photo above, CPN resident Chad Sanders poses with a group of children from one of the Denver clubs. by Carin R. Kirkegaard Chad Sanders, Castle…