Read the stories from the latest issue:
Scattered within the Castle Pines communities are more than a few unsung heroes. Veterans Day on November 11 is an ideal time to shed some light on a remarkable man whose selfless concept of service was forged by our United States Marine Corps and its motto: “Semper Fidelis,” meaning “Always Faithful.” Craig Sundquist could serve…
Much of what makes Douglas County so attractive and a desirable place to live are the rolling hills and wildlife and the vast endless beauty as far as the eye can see. So, protecting valuable sections of land is a vital purpose of the Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC). DLC just announced the permanent conservation of…
On Friday, September 25, Douglas County Libraries (DCL) and its nonprofit, the DCL Foundation, hosted its 11th annual Fête des Fables Gala at the historic Highlands Ranch Mansion. This year’s theme was Snow White. The annual event not only celebrated a classic literary story but is the primary way the Foundation earns funding to support…
Mark your calendars for December 8, Colorado Gives Day (CGD). The Colorado Gives Foundation (Foundation) launched CGD in 2010, and since then, Coloradans have raised more than half a billion dollars, including more than $87 million in 2025. This year marks the 51st anniversary of the Foundation. While the recognized “big day” is in December,…
There are 23 secure ballot drop boxes within Douglas County. The one located in the City of Castle Pines is behind Douglas County Libraries – Castle Pines, 360 Village Square Lane. It is a walk-up or drive-thru location. Ballot drop boxes for the upcoming General Election are open through 7 p.m. on Election Day, November…
As methods of deception become more sophisticated every day, anyone, even the most vigilant, can fall victim to scams, fraud and identity theft. A common misconception is that the elderly are the most-targeted demographic. “Scams can happen to anybody,” said Deputy Kathryn Nicola, who is the community resources deputy and a public information officer with…
JoAnn DelMonte is a Midwest transplant who has called Colorado home for 25 years. The nurse executive moved to The Village at Castle Pines a decade ago and loves the variety of wildlife that shares her yard and her friends in the tennis community. In February, JoAnn will mark 25 years with UCHealth. Her…
Though she has had many professions over the years, Castle Pines Valley resident Nancy Mahlen finally found a job that combines her love of education and her desire to help people. Over the years, Nancy dabbled in commercial real estate, taught middle school and high school, entered the tech world and earned her PhD in…
For Emily Mitchell, the theater is home, both on the stage and behind the curtain. Her love of the arts was roused in 2016 when, at age 13, her dad took her to Newsies at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. “I had seen shows before,” said Emily, “but when I saw Newsies, I…
Holly Bergay rode a lifelong passion for horses and dressage to the pinnacle of her sport, a distinction that enhanced her work as a coach, mentor and business owner. Holly, 34, owns and operates Holly Bergay Dressage in Sedalia. This summer she earned a Gold Medal Award at the United States Dressage Federation’s competition in…
The story of Scotty Priest, lead pastor at Journey Church, starts in a nondescript suburb south of Atlanta in 1975. At age 16, a girl invited him to church, where he first heard the message of Jesus and became a Christian, and the trajectory of his life was changed. Scotty’s life as a pastor began…
“When women help each other, beautiful things can happen,” said Laurie Reese, a resident of The Village at Castle Pines since 2024. Laurie began writing as a creative outlet when her youngest children started kindergarten. Fifteen years later, a chance encounter led to her first book deal and her debut novel was published in 2023.…
An idea to bring a little Christmas magic to a few children has turned into an annual campaign that has expanded to include hundreds of kids and help families in need. It was during the pandemic that Anna Woosley came up with a festive plan to write letters from Santa to her nieces and nephews…
The Canyons resident Jodi Rosen has watched her 10-year-old son Brandon grow far beyond the stage. Brandon has taken classes at Performing Arts Academy (PAA) in Highlands Ranch for several years. He has developed his acting skills and, more importantly, gained confidence both on and off the stage. As the nonprofit celebrates its 20th anniversary,…
With it being election time again, it is interesting to explore Colorado’s political history. Here are some little-known facts: In 1893, Colorado became the second state to extend the right to vote to women. And it was the first state to do so through popular referendum. That was more than 25 years before the 19th…
In September, and back by popular demand, Pat Kanan and Joe Gschwendtner gave an encore of a presentation first given in July. The veterans discussed their time fighting in Vietnam in the 1960s to an audience of about 40 in the Wildcat Corner Community Room in The Village at Castle Pines. Thank you for your…
Veterans Day, November 11, is a day to acknowledge, express appreciation, and celebrate the brave men and women who have served our country. When the date falls midweek, like this year, events for the holiday are often held the weekend before or after, so more people can participate. Douglas County Veterans Day Tribute – Castle…
In September, members of the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) Douglas County chapter spent two weekends tackling overdue projects for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver (HH). Through their Ultimate Gift, an annual signature service YMSL initiative that allows chapters to go above and beyond their regular volunteer commitments, 168 members (high-school-aged young men and…
Winners of the E-subscription giveaway, David and Laura Brown of HOA1, shared photos from their day at the 62nd Colorado Highland Games in September. To join the E-subscription list, visit www.castlepinesconnection.com/news/e-subscription-email/.
Can you identify the critter above? If you said chipmunk, you would not be alone. But you would be wrong. There was a minor stir on social media recently with some people thinking the above was a chipmunk misidentified as a squirrel. It is in fact a squirrel, specifically a golden-mantled ground squirrel. Compare with…
“She eats one kibble at a time, like a proper princess.” Originating as a royal companion dog named after King Charles II of England (who was famously devoted to his spaniels), Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCS) have gained popularity over the years. The dogs are known for their noble appearance and actions and remain a…
Hidden Pointe resident Shari Peck joined with another mother, Sharon Bates, to help host a heart screening event in September at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS). Both parents lost their children – Kyra Peck, who attended RCHS and Anthony Bates – to undiagnosed heart conditions; both were only 20 years old. Shari and Sharon, who…
Have you ever seen a new bird at the feeder and wanted to know more about it? Or perhaps you heard a bird call and wondered what species was making the sound? There’s an app for that! With the help of funding from a grant from the National Science Foundation, the Cornell Lab of…
Every year, November 11 marks Veterans Day, a day dedicated to American veterans of all wars, living or dead; a day especially for thanking living veterans who served the country honorably during war or peacetime. This holiday has not always been known as “Veterans Day,” however. It originated as Armistice Day more than 100 years…
Dear Reader, Just a little column about pumpkins on the porch. Because of wildlife (mostly deer and squirrels), most of us have switched to faux pumpkins for our outdoor fall decor. But this year, with the bears on the prowl, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a concern and recommendation for real pumpkins on display. Colorado…
The fall season brings a plethora of sights and sounds, from bright orange pumpkins to the first holiday carols, but it also brings scents of everything pumpkin spice to woodsmoke on a chilly, damp autumn night. The smell of rain is the beautiful word “petrichor,” and the root of the word is the Greek root…
Arapahoe Basin – Open/Opening Soon Aspen Highland – 12/12/2026 Aspen Mountain – 11/26/2026 Beaver Creek – 11/25/2026 Breckenridge – 11/06/2026 Buttermilk – 12/12/2026 Copper Mountain – 11/06/2026 Crested Butte – 11/25/2026 Echo Mountain – 12/12/26 Eldora – 11/13/2026 Granby Ranch – 11/25/2026 Hesperus Ski Area – 12/26/26 Howelsen Hill Ski Area – 11/28/2026 Keystone –…
The Castle Rock Artist Alliance (CRAA) was founded in 2019. In recent years it has blossomed from 21 member artists to more than 100 today. Artists are comprised of film makers, musicians, dancers, painters, sculptures, jewelry makers, photographers and more. This nonprofit serves to celebrate the arts and to be a sanctuary for artistic…
In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote. To Francis Pearman Roth, “Freddie,” born a year earlier on the Elkhorn Ranch of Littleton, it likely never mattered. She would do what she was going to do, social constraints be damned. As a teenager, Freddie had an interest in everything…
Veterans Day, originally celebrated for the Armistice Day that ended World War I, is November 11th (see article on page 23, The history of Veterans Day). Armistice, a noun, is from the New Latin word armistitium: combined from the verb sistere (bring to a standstill) and arma (implements of war), literally means cessation of weapons.…
Number-Path puzzle By Susan Helton Fill in the white squares with the missing numbers, in numerical order 1 to 64, to form a single continuous path that does not cross itself and never runs diagonally. Word search: Election time By Susan Helton In the puzzle, find and circle these words related to elections.…
The Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) held its annual Legends of Agriculture Benefit Dinner on Friday, September 18, at CALF’s Lowell Ranch in Castle Rock. The sold-out event honored Teri and Mark Moore, longtime Douglas County residents and devoted contributors to agriculture, the western way of life and youth education in the community. Almost 400…
This is it, the month we all train for. As soon as the jack-o-lantern leaves my porch, I’m knee deep in recipes for pie, stuffing and the tastiest, creamiest mashed potatoes. As much as I love trying new recipes and spending hours in the kitchen, the true reason I like to cook is that…
Cranberries can be controversial. When they appear in November, often as a sauce with turkey on Thanksgiving, they spark debate. Team “canned cranberry sauce” swears by the nostalgia, while Team “homemade” absolutely must make their own. Some do not want to make room on their plate for cranberries at all, yet Americans consume more than…
The Ladies 9 in the Pines (Ladies 9) held another memorable Women’s Invitational golf tournament, silent auction and luncheon on Thursday, October 8 at The Country Club at Castle Pines. The event raised $310,00 to support AdventHealth Castle Rock’s breast cancer wellness and survivorship programs, which provide care and support before, during and after treatment. The…
Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) celebrated a milestone recently—30 years educating kids in Castle Pines. The celebration was worked into recent events hosted by the Buffalo Ridge Education Alliance (BREA), the parent teacher association. A school-wide party was held in conjunction with the annual fundraiser, the HERD Stampede Fun Run. The major festivities started with all…
Continuing a decade-long tradition, sixth graders at DCS Montessori (DCSM) collected gently used and new coats to provide warmth for adults and kids this winter season. A total of 234 coats were collected during daily school dropoffs and pickups and distributed to Rogers Elementary School and middle school Coperni 3, both in School District 11…
Douglas County School District’s (DCSD) Legacy Campus, a career pathways school, completed its phase two expansion with a ribbon cutting ceremony in August. Phase two involved the opening of another 20,000 square feet of classroom space for a total of 35,000 square feet. The school serves students from across the district with its Career/Technical Education…
Nestled at 9155 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree, Jack’s Modern Steakhouse brings a new distinctive culinary concept to the South Metro area. Bridging a gap for food lovers in Castle Rock, Parker and Highlands Ranch, Jack’s offers Australian Wagyu and in-house, dry-aged fish along with modern American steakhouse classics and so much more. Jack’s…
A childhood dream came true for Savannah Morgan (17) as she sang the national anthem at Empower Field at Mile High when the Denver Broncos faced the Green Bay Packers in the preseason on August 21. “I sang in front of 66,000 people. That’s insane,” Savannah said. “It was the coolest experience of my life.”…
For residents accustomed to traveling north outside the community to shop at Costco, the wait for a closer location is getting shorter with construction and infrastructure improvements continuing in the Dawson Trails development on the west side of I-25 near Crystal Valley Parkway. The warehouse is approved, infrastructure is taking shape and, if the current…
Officials with Douglas County Libraries (DCL) and community leaders gathered on August 26 to break ground on Douglas County’s newest library at Sterling Ranch that will serve the growing community and give young residents a place to build early reading skills. “Over half of our business is kids under the age of 7,” said Bob…
Park Meadows celebrated its 30th anniversary on August 29 by welcoming customers and community partners to its Birthday Bash in the Vistas on the west side of “Colorado’s Only Retail Resort.” The afternoon and early evening event featured plenty of activities for families and guests, including face painting, music, a roaming magician and signature anniversary…
Construction is underway to widen the front entrance to Cherokee Ranch & Castle (Castle) on Daniels Park Road in Sedalia. The aim is for better, smoother access to the Castle. “We are making it safer for our guests, staff and vendors to enter and exit the property,” said Greg Vigil, executive director at the Castle.…
Twice a year, the Douglas County community comes together for a volunteer clean-up event. This fall, “Dougnad” as it is called, is scheduled for Saturday, October 24 starting at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers will team up across Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Parker to complete simple yard work projects such as pulling weeds, pruning plants and raking leaves for older adults. Before…
Keeping residents informed about the decisions and services of county government is a priority for Douglas County. It is important work locally that has now earned national recognition. The Douglas County Department of Communication & Community Engagement received two awards in September from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association during the organization’s annual Savvy Awards.…
The Douglas County Community Foundation (DCCF) gathered with 510 guests at the Signature Aviation hangar at Centennial Airport, raising more than $315,000 to support Douglas County nonprofits and celebrate first responders, military, veterans, healthcare workers, educators and everyday heroes making an impact in the community. Among the evening’s honorees were Air Force veteran, businessman and…
When Christy Boswell decided to shift from her work with an HR consulting firm, she enlisted the help of a franchise broker to lead her toward a passion. Soon after learning about Scenthound, Christy knew it was the path for her. Scenthound provides grooming and hygiene services for dogs but goes beyond the basic…
Castle Pines residents have shopped the King Soopers on Lagae Road since 2002. For years, families see the same faces in the produce department, behind the service desk and pharmacy counter, in the floral department and restocking the shelves. One face behind the meat counter has welcomed shoppers since he started working for parent store…
The Rotary Club of Castle Pines (RCCP) donated three 18-pound boxes of Palisade peaches to Legacy Village of Castle Pines at the end of August. Residents were welcome to as many peaches as they wished and all were gone within the day. The RCCP makes a difference by supporting Douglas County families with their motto:…
Hidden Pointe neighbors Kim and Matt Gower met at an intersection, coming in opposite directions, each on a motorcycle. The rest, as they say, is history. “At the time, I thought there were very few things sexier than a woman on her own bike,” laughed Matt, who is a Colorado native. Growing up in southeast…
After AdventHealth Castle Rock successfully completed its Rock of Hope Campaign to bring high-quality cancer expertise to Castle Rock, donors and key community members gathered at a home reception fondly called Horizon of Hope. A fully complemented cancer center with radiation oncology will be coming in 2027. “What was once a vision of what could…
Swimming for Castle Crocs for 12 years gave Elise Barton a passion for sport, a drive to push herself and a work ethic that continues to motivate her today. Elise, who grew up in The Ridge at Castle Pines North neighborhood, began with the Crocs at age 5 and over the years she grew…
Paul’s Mystery Ship to End ALS continues to raise awareness, support families impacted by ALS, provide scholarships for students impacted by the difficulties of ALS or other neuromuscular diseases, and create programs that bring comfort and connection to those living with ALS. This year, the organization mixed things up with an afternoon of family-friendly fun.…
On August 21, hundreds of neighbors gathered at the Village Shops for Vino in the Village, the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce’s signature event. In its 11th year, the popular party has sold out multiple years in a row and this year was no exception. Guests enjoyed chatting with vendors, listening to live music and…
Girl Scout Troop 00688 began their journey from Kearney, Nebraska, to Colorado Springs early in the morning on August 6. With a trailer packed full of camping gear, they knew they were headed for adventure; they just did not know what kind. The miles passed with silly songs, games and chatter. With all the fun,…
A vibrant sense of community is one characteristic that sets Castle Pines––the 80108 ZIP code more specifically––apart from other Colorado communities. Neighbors know each other, they spend time together and they support each other. If you are a new resident, you have likely already experienced this firsthand. The same holds true for our friendly business…
On July 26, The Right Step (TRS) celebrated its relocation to the Denver Polo Club in Sedalia, just east of Highway 85 and Airport Road. The program provides equine therapy to all ages with safe, supportive and empowering experience for adaptive riders. The nonprofit began in 2008, inspired by a client with autism. Christine Remy…
American crows are common across the entire United States, including right here in Castle Pines. Crows are solid black birds with iridescent feathers and a familiar “caaw-caaw-caaw” call. They, along with magpies, ravens and jays, are known as corvids, a family of highly intelligent birds well adapted to living near humans. Crows are larger than…
Adopting a Bengal cat is perhaps the closest the average person can get to owning a wild animal. The result of breeding Asian leopard cats, a small wild feline species native to Asia, with domestic cats, Bengals sport leopard-like spots and marbled rosettes on their coats of various shades of gray, brown or white. The breed has…
Dear Reader, Let’s talk about hat etiquette. It’s that time of year and where I come from, in Texas (regarding western hats), we would follow the traditional rule of wearing felt from Labor Day to Memorial Day where we would break out the straw. There’s an old saying that the old guard still goes by:…
October: that month of multicolored foliage and spooky celebrations. The month’s name comes from its position as the eighth month in the old Roman calendar: octo means “eight” in Latin. The name remained even when the calendar changed. In Old English, October was Winterfylleth, meaning “winter full moon,” because the early Anglo-Saxons marked the beginning…
Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns, Hudson Gardens, Littleton Tuesday-Sunday throughout October, take in thousands of hand-carved pumpkins, explore an illuminated trail, and see larger-than-life pumpkin creations, including dinosaurs, dragons and a pirate ship, along with a pumpkin light show with music. magicofthejackolanterns.com Colorado Kids Ranch Pumpkin Patch, Monument Wednesday-Sunday throughout October, this 40-acre farm has…
Nonprofit Bin Blessed celebrated its 11th anniversary with a reception at Deni Schwartzel’s home in The Village at Castle Pines on a beautiful September evening. Bin Blessed supports There with Care, a nonprofit that provides bins of practical support items to families with critically ill children. To date, Bin Blessed has collected more than $1.3…
Colorado has ties to music and artists from every genre, ranging from big band swing to pop rock. Here are a few of the state’s notable music connections: Glenn Miller, one of the most successful band leaders of the 1930s and 1940s big band era, moved to Fort Morgan as a teen and attended high…
Elevate your heart rate and get a good scare at one of the many haunted houses nearby, or learn more about the haunted history of Denver on a goosebump-giving ghost tour. Some suggestions are family-friendly while some are only for those over 21. Be sure to visit the websites first to check age limits or…
In vino veritas is a popular Latin phrase meaning “in wine, there is truth.” The Latin root word ver means “truth,” and it is the root for “veritable” (can be proved), “verify” (to determine to be truthful), and “veracity” (the quality of being true or accurate). This month’s word is “verisimilitude” and knowing the root…
October, with the changing of seasons and the influence of Halloween, brings magic and mythical creatures to mind: dragons, vampires, unicorns, zombies, fairies, witches, trolls, ogres and more. Their infamous reputations proceed them…but is it always justified? Pick a book or a few and decide for yourself. Dracula by Bram Stoker is in part the…
Local author Susan Consola Appleby summed up the early South Platte/Deckers area as: “A seedbed for flowering enterprises attempting to capitalize directly upon the extraction of resources such as timber, gold, lithia springs and fish.” Good fortune smiled early near the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers. The narrow gauge (three-feet wide) Denver,…