The Connection

by Kathy Dunker Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) will be holding a legal camp entitled Mock Trial Week from July 25 through July 29 with an exhibition trial on July 30. The week is geared for high school students at all skill levels from those with little or no experience as a trial team competitor…

Almost 100 kids attended each day at Castle Pines Community Church’s annual week-long Vacation Bible School. This year’s theme was “PandaMania – Where God is wild about you!” Thirty-eight volunteers, mostly teens from Castle Pines Community Church, assisted with games, skits, songs, and lessons during “PandaMania.” Photo by Nicole Zwick. For more information about Castle…

Brownie Troop 3719 celebrates Earth Day by helping pick-up trash around Castle Pines. -Photo courtesy of Cari Ogg

Castle Pines Athletics’ kindergartners run through a parent tunnel and celebrate the end of a soccer game at Daniels Gate Park. (Photo by Chad Maurer.) Submitted by Lane Roberts, Castle Pines Athletics Twenty-seven teams of local children ages three to third grade enjoyed playing soccer in Castle Pines this spring. Castle Pines Athletics hosted the…

by Sally Uhrich The month of June brings with it warmer weather, blooming flowers and Father’s Day. Mark your calendar on the 19th and begin planning how you will honor the special father(s) in your life. While mothers usually prefer to dine out on their special day, it’s a surefire bet that most fathers prefer…

Lin Miklas of Remax Alliance (right) wins a complimentary ad from The Castle Pines Connection’s publisher Terri Wiebold (left), during several drawings at the Castle Pines multi chamber event. By Elizabeth Wood West with photo by Tim Gamble More than 100 business people enjoyed lively conversation and a delicious buffet at Castle Pines Chamber of…

Rocky Heights seventh grade stock market sharks (pictured from left to right): Lexi Wynne, Allison Janedis, Emilee Nelson, and Avery Lemler took second place in state. Article and photo by Amy Shanahan The seventh grade Adventurer’s team from Rocky Heights recently participated in a statewide spring Stock Market Game sponsored by the Colorado Council for…

Dennis Murray, PGA pro and director of instruction at The Ridge at Castle Pines North (The Ridge) is set to offer junior golf camps, along with a multitude of other instruction options this summer. With a big smile, a great attitude, and a true love of the game, Murray’s approach is all about having fun.…

Alex Gray and Avalon Kirby perfecting their ballet moves in the studio. By Kathy Dunker The International Youth Ballet has a brand new production coming to Denver University (DU) this month; namely “Cinderella.” Led by the company’s Artistic Directors Mark and Sandra Carlson, the performances will be at the Newman Center Gates Concert Hall on…

Article by Kathy Dunker with photos by Holly Coffee Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) held its graduation ceremony for the Class of 2011 on Wednesday, May 18, at Shea Stadium in Highlands Ranch. This rite of passage from student to young adulthood was well attended and culminated a full week of senior activities at the…

Castle Pines resident and recent Lutheran High School Parker graduate Colt Olson will be headed to Montana State University – Billings in the fall on a baseball scholarship to pitch for the Yellow Jackets. By Nate King, senior sports editor, Lutheran High School Parker; Photo provided by Marla Olson Lutheran High School Parker (LHSP) is…

Members of the Castle Pines Garden Club, a Castle Pines Village group dedicated to gardening, education and charitable work, breaks ground on its new “Serenity Garden.” Located on the banks of Village Lake, the new garden provides a showcase for water-conserving plants and gardening techniques. By Lisa Crockett with photos provided by Kathy Dennis, Castle…

Fourth-grader Trent and others look on as they learn about the multi-color press. (photo by Elean Gersack). By Elean Gersack with photos by Tim Gamble and Elean Gersack Neighborhood printer Unique Litho, located in the Inverness Business Park, hosted a special tour on Thursday, May 5. Dan Prehn, manager of mailing operations, helped create a…

By Kathy Dunker The Spring edition of Party with a Purpose was held at the Kabza residence in Amber Ridge in April. Party with a Purpose raised $554 and collected 474 toiletry items for The Gathering Place in Denver. Pictured left: Suzanne Kabza displayed her wares from Wildtree. To learn more about Party with a…

Eagle Scout Will Stopps sits on one of the benches in the newly-landscaped area he built and installed for Faith Lutheran Church. By Elizabeth Wood West with photos courtesy of the Stopps family Members of Faith Lutheran Church in Castle Rock are enjoying new benches and landscaping, thanks to 17-year old Will Stopps, Castle Pines…

Article and photos by Elean Gersack The Buffalo Ridge Elementary School’s Dream Team (DT) is just people helping people. The fifth grade crew, with the help of teacher leaders Jen Jacoway and Jolie Pinke, spent this year finding simple ways to help others. “We help instill our school’s character pledge and make sure people are…

Information provided by Wendy Aiello for Sterling Ranch The Board of Douglas County Commissioners on May 11 approved both the Sterling Ranch rezoning and the water appeal. Approval signals the start of the next phase for the 3,400-acre planned community, which is located northwest of the Castle Pines community. The vote comes following the recommendation…

Mike Moroni enjoying dinner with his daughters Gabrielle (12) pictured on the far left, Isabella (6) in the center, and Allie (4) on the right at La Dolce Vita on June 7. (Picture by Terri Wiebold)

Brickelle Bro, a fourteen-year-old freestyle swimmer and bilateral amputee, was recently awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation. by Lisa Crockett with photos provided by the Bro family Brickelle Bro, a 14-year-old eighth grader at Rocky Heights Middle School and a resident of Castle Pines, is a bilateral amputee –…

Carla Kenny learns how to handle a fire hose flowing at full bore.   by Patte Smith, photos by Carla Kenny “Crawling on my hands and knees in a pitch black room, I held my hand out to feel the side of the wall in order to get my bearings. It was so hot and…

Flag Day is held every year on June 14. The holiday, signed into law in 1949 by President Harry Truman, is a national day of patriotism and pride. Though the holiday has been “official” for just 61 years, it has been observed throughout the country since the 1800s. At a time when many immigrant school…

Local Tri the Rock triathletes (pictured from left to right): Will Dennen from Castle Pines Village; Lauren Olczak from Buffalo Trail Estates; Sydney Lindquist from Kings Crossing; Myki Timlin from Hidden Pointe; and John Dennen from Castle Pines Village. By Kathy Dunker with one photo courtesy of the Lindquist family It was a 60 degree…

Submitted by James LaRue, Director of Douglas County Libraries Let’s keep a good thing going Castle Pines; library looks to the community for funding In 2007 and 2008, the library sought additional funding to build new libraries in Lone Tree and Parker, and open a new service location in Castle Pines. Both years, voters defeated…

Second graders at Buffalo Ridge Elementary enjoy a visit from 7News Meteorologist Maureen McCann. May is the beginning of severe weather month in Colorado. Second graders at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School kicked off a month long weather unit with a visit from 7News Meteorologist Maureen McCann on May 2. McCann, a weekend meteorologist at the…

By Elizabeth Wood West, photo provided by Lifetouch Photography In its first year of participating in the highly-competitive 5A state division, Rock Canyon High School’s Track Team stunned their coaches by setting 12 new school track records and having 10 athletes qualify for state track finals. Taylor Sheridan placed sixth for shot put; Ali Will…

Students at TTE, as well as Castle Pines city and metro district officials, at the Arbor Day tree planting. After raising $1,500 through a spare change drive, students at the school donated a seven-foot-tall Australian Pine tree. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Students at Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) conducted a spare change drive and…

Sat, June 11, 9 a.m. to 10 am. at Cherry Knolls Park, located at 7077 S Elizabeth in Centennial Display throwing, running and hitting skills at event sponsored by Colorado Rockies and Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA). Winners in each age group advance to July regional competition. Winners of each region advance to state…

RHMS jazz musicians David Victery and Dana Daniels enjoying their night in the spotlight at Dazzle nightclub. By Joe Anderies On Tuesday, April 26th the Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) Jazz Ensemble was featured on the main stage at Denver’s premier jazz venue, Dazzle. Listed as one of the top ten jazz clubs in the…

     Youth invited to register for June 20-24 Career Academy Information provided by Douglas County Youth, ages 14 – 21, are invited to register for a no-cost Career Academy during the early afternoons of June 20 – 24 at the Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center in Greenwood Village, with one day spent at College America in…

     Dave Bauer practices his technique at CPR. by Elizabeth Wood West with photos courtesy of SMFRA South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFRA) held its citizen academy this spring for residents, providing them with an overview of emergency services and hands-on experience with firefighting, CPR, and other safety measures. SMFRA’s Training Bureau conducted the eight-week…

AA’s new landscape plan should be completed in the fall of 2011. Article and photos by Kathy Dunker When American Academy (AA) opened the doors of its new building in 2009, landscaping was not the top priority. With school budgets being what they are now, AA anticipated having to live with the bare minimum of…

Castle Rock Bridge Club Director, Curt Soloff, teaching a group of 49ers on Tuesday, May 24. By Kathy Dunker Do you want to learn how to play bridge? Are you in the market for a bridge club? Well, look no further. The Castle Rock Bridge Club is looking to expand its membership and would love…

Mattot Celebrates Great Character with characters. Left to right: Mattot, Mitch, Christina and Rebecca. Article and photos by Elean Gersack During March and April, students at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School (BRE) helped cap off a year full of great character. Congratulations to those receiving the honor of being recognized as their classroom character winner for…

Information and photo provided by The Dumb Friends League Homeless cats and dogs are on the rise in the Denver area. The Buddy Center and the Dumb Friends League (DFL) Denver shelter have received 1,500+ animals more in recent months compared to the same period last year. To help ease the load at the centers…

Zoe, born premature and weighing only 14 ounces, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Zoe came to SUF confined to a wheelchair and walker and is now taking steps on her own and controlling her muscular and skeletal systems head to toe. by Kathy Dunker with photos courtesy of the SaddleUp! Foundation Stonecroft residents, Bryan Gray,…

Schuler with her college savings check in front of the Colorado State Capitol on April 28.  Article by Kathy Dunker with photos courtesy of the Schuler family Kaylee Schuler, a fifth grader at DCS Montessori, won first place honors and a $250 college savings account for doing what she loves to do – write. “The…

Junior Croc Coaches rallied together for some fun as the Crocs kicked off their sixth season (pictured left to right): Maria, Chloe, Brooke, and Nicole.      Article by Kathy Dunker with photos by Carin Kirkegaard Gearing up for their sixth summer season, the Castle Crocs Swim Team held its annual kickoff party on Sunday, May…

Photo of bison herd taken from Daniel’s Park Road looking into Amber Ridge By Elizabeth Wood West with photo by Tim Gamble It is springtime at Daniels Park: Twenty five adult bison and eleven calves are happily grazing on 800 acres of pasture set aside for them in the 1,000-acre park owned by the City…

Fourth grader Josh Bullock feeds crayfish in his classroom at Timber Trail Elementary. The crayfish are part of a science unit designed to teach about the life cycle. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett In a science unit that is part class pet and part experiment, fourth graders at TTE are keeping live crayfish in…

RHMS eighth grader, Logan Schurr, in the leading role as Millie Dillmount. Article by Kathy Dunker with photos by Maclain Looper Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) Drama Club performed its spring musical comedy last month, “Thoroughly Modern Millie Junior.” Led by director Maclain Looper and musical director Susie Ritter the production was quite impressive and…

By Kathy Dunker Get out your bikes and air up the tires! June is Colorado’s official Bike Month with the highlight being Bike to Work Day. Wednesday, June 22, is this year’s Bike to Work Day, and employees are encouraged to leave their cars at home and enjoy a nice bike ride to work. The…

    Information provided by Douglas County Prairie Canyon Ranch is the site of open space day in Douglas County, an event celebrating 16 years of open space preservation in the county. Since the inception of the county’s open space program, the county has protected a total of 46,220 acres of open space. Historic Prairie Canyon…

Information provided by Douglas County A residential-only electronics recycling, personal documents shredding and clothing donation event will be held on Saturday, July 23, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., at Sports Authority Stadium, 11901 Newlin Gulch Blvd., in Parker. For personal document shredding, up to three boxes or bags of paper will be shredded at…

Castle Pines Athletics “Soccer Tots” bundled up to show off their new trophies after finishing their last game on May 14 in the unusually cold spring weather. Brad and Mackenzie McDonald led a team of seven three-year-olds for the new program offered this spring. (Photo by Shannon Terry.) Information and photos provided by Lane Roberts,…

Team Segal (from left to right) Charlie, Marissa, Heather, and Greg. Article by Kathy Dunker with photo courtesy of the Segal family Heather Segal, resident of Esperanza, was formally diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome three years ago. Sjogren’s (pronounced show-grins) is an incurable autoimmune disease in which white blood cells attack moisture glands. While dry eyes…

Article by Elean Gersack with logo provided by The Elephant Rock The 24th annual Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival, planned for Sunday, June 5, will help jump start the 2011 Colorado cycling season. Come solo, as a group or with your family and enjoy some amazing Rocky Mountain scenery as you trek your way around…

Members from Fifth Annual Tee it up Golf Tournament enjoy the beauty of the Eisenhower Golf Club at the United States Air Force Academy. Tournament registrants can utilize the Eisenhower Golf Club driving range and putting green anytime before the tournament. Information and photos provided by the MacKenzie Grace Foundation Golfers mark the calendar and…

Submitted by Cindy Baker, RCHS Drama Teacher Moon Over Buffalo May 12-13: RCHS drama will close out its year with the popular play, “Moon Over Buffalo.” Also a comedy, the story features an acting company lead by a has-been husband and wife team who experience marital difficulties just as the famous producer is coming to…

Information provided by Wendy Holmes, Douglas County office of public affairs For residents and commuters in the Castle Pines community who have been enjoying the convenience of the new RidgeGate Parkway to Main Street extension, road closures may cause delays the fist two weeks in May. Ridgegate Parkway will be closed in both directions –…

by Elean Gersack Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8. Delight the special moms in your life with treats and specials from the locals. From flowers and goodies to pampering and brunch, everything you need for a wonderful Mother’s Day can be found in Castle Pines. Read on to learn about the many great Mother’s Day…

by Elizabeth Wood West May marks the one-year anniversary of the city’s formation of its much debated and controversial urban renewal authority (URA). May also marks the six-month time frame for the commission to wrap up final business following the citizen vote in November to abolish the URA. According to Ward 3 City Councilman and…

by Sally Uhrich Summer is almost here and with it, the ability for entertaining outside. The 2001 June edition of Women’s Day Magazine features a refreshingly different dessert described as, “Sangria you eat with a spoon.” The colorful fruit-sangria combination not only makes for a lovely presentation, but is also low in fat. Planning Tip:…

Contributed by Patte Smith; photos courtesy of Elaine Love “Quack, quack, quack,” said the duck as he swam as fast as he could down Plum Creek. “Get out of my ‘quack’ way! I can win a one million dollar annuity if I’m one of the three lucky ducks who floats across the finish line first!”…

The International Youth Ballet presents two productions of Cinderella on Saturday, June 4, at the Newman Center Gates Concert Hall, at The University of Denver. Children’s show – Saturday, June 4, at 2:30 p.m. Come dressed as your favorite Cinderella character, receive a goodie bag, and meet the ballerinas for an autograph session after the…

Sedalia Historic Museum and Gardens’ publicist Carole Williams stands next to the restored fireplace/mantel and watercolors by a local artist. Article and photos by Elizabeth Wood West If you are looking for a charming Mother’s Day weekend outing, consider visiting Sedalia. Located less than five miles north of Castle Pines Village on the corner of…

McLennan hitting the slalom course during a recent competition. Article by Amy Shanahan with photo courtesy of SkiPix.com, LLC/Wendy Scipione Castle Pines resident and Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) sixth grader, RJ McLennan, is passionate about skiing. In fact, McLennan is a ski racer who has been skiing since the age of three, and skiing…

Information and photo provided by Amy Shanahan The Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) Jazz Band performed at the 2011 Jazz Celebration at Metro State on April 8. The band performed and received number one overall Superior Ratings from the five judges and clinicians. The Jazz Celebration at Metro State is in its tenth year and…

Submitted by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office On Wednesday, May 4, starting at 8 a.m., deputies, police officers, and many others within Douglas County will carry the Flame of Hope, in support of a group of very special athletes associated with Special Olympics Colorado. Deputies, police officers, security guards, civilian personnel, county employees, and members…

Submitted by Robert Rotruck American Legion Post 1187 The Harry C. Miller Post 1187 of Castle Rock has selected Castle Pines resident Russell Maranto to participate in the 2011 Colorado Boys State event June 5 – 11, which will be held on the CSU Pueblo Campus. Russell, an eagle scout and a junior at Rock…

by Elizabeth Wood West Castle Pines Village residents will soon be able to enjoy more peace and quiet and less unwanted train horn noise. Through the efforts of Village resident Don Somsky, Castle Pines Homes Association (CPHA), Castle Pines Metropolitan District (CPMD), and Douglas County, a partial railroad quiet zone is now being planned for…

Submitted by Brooke S. Fox, president/CEOof Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation Celebrate the arrival of spring at the Lowell Ranch on Plum Creek with the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) on Saturday, May 7. This year, CALF continues its tradition of launching the season of planting and renewal with its annual May Day Festival. From 10…

Douglas County Library patron service technician Jill Swanstrom and Castle Pines resident Christine Merritt Submitted by Nancy Marr, Douglas County library community relations specialist Castle Pines Library has added three public computers and public black and white printing, and upgraded one computer that has been in the library since its opening. All Douglas County Libraries…

American Pop Forever! Fifth graders at Buffalo Ridge Elementary helped cap off their elementary school career with a celebration of pop culture during ‘American Pop Forever’ on Thursday, April 14. This group of fifth grade girls took time for a photo before performing in the musically inspired dancing and singing show lead by BRE music…

by Patte Smith, photos by Carla Kenny Chairs were flying, men running and screaming, and out came the tasers as a “prisoner” went berserk at the Douglas County jail. “I had the living daylights scared right out of me!” said a wide-eyed Carla Kenny. “Even though this was a reenactment of what it’s like when…