The Connection

Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) is happily preparing for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. The school administration is already back at it while awaiting the arrival of the new and returning students. With an anticipated enrollment of approximately 1,323 students, RHMS will experience its biggest and possibly best year ever. RHMS, proud of their high…

Information provided by Dr. Grant McKernan, Kai Medical Waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) have been studied as reliable indicators of disease risk. Simply stated, an individual can be highly susceptible to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes, depending on their waist circumference and/or BMI). According to…

This is Chloe the cat; she was a rescue that was adopted at the Buddy Center in Castle Rock by the Dunbar family. Chloe is now a resident in Forest Park. Have an adorable photograph of your furry friend, or a very photogenic pooch, kitty or other critter? Here are two ways to make him/her…

Information provided by Bark Busters USA As kids head back to school, families may experience behavior problems with their pets that often accompany this time of transition. By providing training and the right combination of food, shelter and entertainment, families can help their canine companions adapt to a new schedule. “When kids go back to…

by Chris Bonham, Intern writer For many people, and teens in particular, summer is an iconic period of freedom and relaxation. We all watch and wait for the first signs of the season. We eagerly anticipate and plan all that we want to accomplish during the short span of three months. Everyone loves the sound…

Join a vibrant and interactive learning community and discover the joy of learning in a fun, friendly, and intellectually stimulating environment. OLLI South is the south metro division of the University of Denver’s University College Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a nationwide learning program with an active presence on more than 125 college campuses. OLLI’s mission…

Boutique IT firm recognized for growth By Terri Wiebold with photo provided by Eric Brown Notion ONE, a trusted provider of IT services and website design and hosting, was recently recognized by the Denver Business Journal as one of the fastest growing companies in Colorado. Castle Pines North resident Eric Brown is the chief delivery…

Budget cuts and larger class sizes mean that Timber Trail Elementary will be switching from its year-round, four-track schedule to a more traditional one, though it will still be slightly different from other schools in the Castle Pines community. Rather than the week-long fall break and spring break observed at other schools in the community,…

by Sally Uhrich One of the newest additions to The Village at Castle Pines is The Pet Stuff Place. Although the store offers many pet items, the most appealing is the selection of canine and feline food. A wide variety of wholesome, natural foods are available for your pet. All food is preserved naturally and…

SPORTea owners and Happy Canyon residents Keys and Elizabeth Allan enjoying a refreshing glass of their family-owned product rom their home in Happy Canyon. Article and photos by Elizabeth Wood West Ultimate Performance Products, Inc./dba SPORTea®, was founded and launched in the mid-1980s by Happy Canyon residents Keys and Elizabeth Allan. Their product, SPORTea, is…

by Terri Wiebold with photos by Tim Gamble If you haven’t attended a Wines of the Pines event, you are clearly missing out! The buzz is not just about the wine; it’s about all the terrific charitable organizations Wines of the Pines supports, and the local business sponsors who make the events possbile. Wines of…

Castle Pines North residents challenge the city’s establishment of Urban Renewal Authority; petition calls for vote of citizens The democratic process in action; petition gatherers present CPN City Manager Gary Suiter (center left) and City Clerk Carl Kollmar (center right) with the citizen’s petition containing nearly 500 signatures which, if verified and approved, will place…

Information provided by Becky O’Guin South Metro Fire Rescue Authority South Metro Fire Rescue Authority firefighters with the help of the Castle Rock Fire Department responded to a large brush fire Aug. 21 at 10:07 a.m. The cause of the fire was due to a faulty catalytic converter on a vehicle. The vehicle catalytic converter…

General Manager Mike Henritze, several volunteers, and Sea to Shining Sea riders had a good time at The Ridge rest stop. Article by Tracy Dudley with photos by Tim Gamble A group of athletes comprised largely of injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans left their west-coast starting point at the Golden Gate Bridge on May 22…

Mary L. Pierce, CFP®, CLU®, Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial will host two Dream Book Workshop/dinners in September. These workshops will help provide focus on planning beyond the numbers and learn ways to define retirement goals and plans to reach them in today’s market environment. The first workshop will be September 9 and will focus…

Carson J. and his sister Maggie marvel at the new 3-D rattlesnale exhibit at The Wildlife Experience. Article and photos by Terri Wiebold Last month, The Wildlife Experience invited visitors to be the first in the nation to see an exhibit using 3D technology, taking visitors on virtual field trips around the world, enhancing how…

Information provided by Douglas County The U.S. Department of State has announced passport fee increases effective July 13 for a U.S. Passport book or card for first time applicants and minors, age 16 and older. The fee changes were not initiated by Douglas County. Fees charged by Douglas County – $25 processing fee and $8…

‘Not Your Average Love Story’ creators (left to right) Paris Allred, Ashley Nuss, Tanner King, Evan Hunchar. Article by Kathy Dunker with photo by Amy Shanahan Once again, the students from the Nighthawk News at Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) made news of their own. At the end of May, several Nighthawk News reporters created…

This information provided by the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Independence Day celebration in the Castle Pines community check us out!

This information provided by the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce. The much-anticipated Castle Pines community event – $20 on the 20th has arrived! Here is how it works… Residents are encouraged to spend $20 they had not planned to spend on local goods or services in Castle Pines North. It’s that simple. When you begin…

On Friday, August 13, DCS Montessori will hold a back-to-school open house. This is a chance for new and returning students to visit classrooms and meet teachers before the start of school. Lower and upper elementary students are also invited to drop off their school supplies during the visit so they do not have to…

Book Start volunteer Jim Clements reads to children in a Douglas County childcare center. Book Start, an early literacy program of Douglas County Libraries, is seeking more volunteers. Information provided by Nanci Marr, Community Relations Specialist, DC Libraries According to a recent Volunteering in America report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, and…

Carla Kenny by Terri Wiebold with photo provided by Carla Kenny For the past decade, Castle Pines North (CPN) resident Carla Kenny has been active in planning and coordinating events for residents in the Castle Pines community. She has dedicated countless hours on the planning side of events, and now it is her turn to…

Article by Lisa Crockett with photo courtesy of the Lee Family Amelia SahngEun Lee just finished the fifth grade at Timber Trail Elementary and is looking forward to starting middle school at Rocky Heights. This summer has also brought other new beginnings – the sixth grader, who studies TaeKwonDo under the tutelage of her father,…

Empty Nesters meet at the King Soopers parking lot in Castle Pines North before heading out to Meyers Ranch Park in Jefferson County for the group’s first hike of the season. By Carin Kirkegaard with information submitted by Jan Lorenzen and photo by Tim Gamble The Castle Pines North (CPN) Empty Nesters braved the record-breaking…

More than 140 Castle Pines Village residents and Castle Pines Metro District staff members showed their support by wearing red and wearing S.A.F.E. stickers at a recent Happy Canyon Road roundabouts public meeting. by Elizabeth Wood West with photo courtesy of Castle Pines Metro District More than 140 Castle Pines Village residents and Castle Pines…

Article and photo by Carin R. Kirkegaard Local Castle Pines North (CPN) swim team, the Castle Crocs, ended the summer on a high note taking 80 percent of the swimmers that signed up for the preliminary swim meet onto championships and finishing second overall in the “C” Division of the Mountain High Swim League (MHSL).…

CPN’s Master Association Board Directors (left to right): Larry Cook, Jim Steavpack, Steve Labossiere, Jack Zelkin; and Forest Park Delegate, Keith Dodd. Article and photo by Kathy Dunker Discussions have taken place recently in Castle Pines North (CPN) regarding the responsibilities and the relevance of the Castle Pines North Association (Master Associaion). Under the direction…

by Lisa Crockett The difference between success and failure at school can be as simple as a pencil and paper. Each school year, Douglas County students receive a list of supplies they will need to complete their work throughout the school year – things like paper, rulers, glue, crayons and markers. For some students, buying…

Information provided by Lane Roberts, Castle Pines Athletics Castle Pines North was hopping with lots of baseball and T-ball players at the neighborhood parks this summer. For the second year, Castle Pines Athletics, a local recreational youth sports program, hosted an exciting summer of baseball for kids ages four and up. The program is set…

This annual fashion show, boutique and silent auction will include a luncheon again this year. Tickets go on sale in July—this event sells out. Live Auction includes a NEW 42” flat screen TV! Friday, September 17, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Douglas County Events Center For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.detaskforce.org…

Column by Anthonette Klinkerman A, B, C, D… You know the rest. And since A always gets top billing, I’m going to focus on B. B is for Back to School! It’s that time of year again. People are crawling the malls, looking for all the Back to School fashions they can find. Apparently looking…

Castle Pines Village resident Jim Hanrahan displays one of his hand-made Bluebird houses. by Elizabeth Wood West with photos provided by courtesy of Barbara Hanrahan All it took was attending a community wildlife committee meeting for longtime Colorado and Castle Pines Village resident Jim Hanrahan to become hooked on building Northern Flicker and Bluebird houses.…

by Sally Uhrich with photo provided by Beth Deuel, The Pooch Mobile The Castle Pines Canine Festival was held in conjunction with the European Market at the Village at Castle Pinesin June. The festival was organized by The Pet Stuff Place and provided an opportunity for visitors to mingle with different vendors, offering many services…

This information has been provided by the City of Castle Pines North. The incorporation of Castle Pines North in 2008 presents City residents with a unique opportunity to develop a sustainable community, remaining small enough to retain its rural-urban lifestyle while providing local opportunities to live, work and play. Creating a balanced, livable community is…

by Lisa Crockett Something for everyone. That’s the goal of the executive director of the new Lone Tree Arts Center, Lisa Rigsby Peterson. The Arts Center is currently under construction in RidgeGate (adjacent to Super Target in Lone Tree) and is slated for completion in Fall 2011. “My hope is that we can keep the…

Tammy Lopez Information and photo provided by Tammy Lopez Allstate Insurance Company is proud to announce the opening of a new office in Castle Pines North. The Lopez Agency, LLC, is independently owned and operated by Agent Tammy Lopez. Located at 562 E Castle Pines Pkwy, Unit C2, office hours are 8 a.m. to 5…

By Carin R. Kirkegaard Kids ages six to fourteen can register to compete in the Fall Frenzy Kid’s Triathlon. The event will take place August 21 at the Grange Pool in the Meadows, located in Castle Rock. The event divides the kids into groups with appropriate distances for each age. Triathlon Distances: Ages 6-8: 25…

The Castle Pines North Metro District provides the information on this page as a public service for the people of Castle Pines North. As part of the CPN Metro District’s ongoing water conservation efforts, we are partnering with the Center for ReSource Conservation to offer a two-hour inspection of household sprinkler systems – free of…

Dog lovers shouldn’t have all the fun! The Dumb Friends League invites people to celebrate their love of cats on Saturday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at CatFest. The annual CatFest will highlight adoptable cats and kittens, as well as feature a purebred cat exhibition, demonstrations, and vendor booths selling catrelated merchandise.…

by Elizabeth Wood West It appears that not everyone in and around the Castle Pines Village and Sedalia area is bothered by train horn noise. A recent telephone survey, sponsored by Douglas County, indicated there is not enough local support for the creation of a public improvement district (PID) and an assessment to pay for…

Vehicles used in the roundabouts rodeo included a Douglas County tandem snowplow (plow attached), a large Douglas County “low boy” 72’ tractor-trailer, a Douglas County School District bus, a pickup truck with a large 30’ stock trailer attached (provided by citizen volunteer Matt Clough), a Castle Pines Metro District snowplow, and a Castle Rock Fire…

Photo taken by Kristi Lindquist. Pictured above from left to right Castle Pines kids Lauren Olczak, Sydney Lindquist, Eric Lindquist, John Dennen and Will Dennen proudly display their medals after finishing Tri the Rock held at the Butterfield pool and park located in the Meadow’s subdivision of Castle Rock. By Carin R. Kirkegaard The fifth…

By Kathy Dunker The Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) Science Olympiad teams rocked the state tournament at the Colorado School of Mines last April. Out of the original 65 middle school teams who entered Science Olympiad, the two RHMS team finished 13th place and 28th place overall which is rare for first year teams to…

By Terri Wiebold with contributions from Anthonette Klinkerman Castle Country Assisted Living in Castle Rock is the proud recipient of another Best of the Best Award, thanks to an assist from Castle Pines North resident Anthonette Klinkerman and her Courtesy Bootcamp. This is the second year in a row that CCAL has taken one of…

This information has been provided by the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce. Business Accounting Seminar he Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce will host a “Business Accounting Seminar” Tuesday, July 20th beginning at 8:00am. The seminar will be presented by Bill Schwartz of Cook Financial Associates and include accounting procedures and year-end responsibilities among other topics.…

Kirsten Lumsden pictured with Congressman Mike Coffman (center) and her art teacher, Drew Walter. Lumsden’s pastel piece “Great Sand Dunes”. Article by Kathy Dunker with photos by Rosanne Lumsden Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) is very proud of aspiring young artist, Kirsten Lumsden, who won first place in the Sixth Congressional District’s High School Art…

By Terri Wiebold with information provided by Thomas Carter, Leadership Douglas County The Leadership Douglas County (LDC) graduating class of 2010 released the results of a six-month quantitative and qualitative analysis entitled “Human Needs and Services in Douglas County: A Stakeholders’ Assessment.” Local Castle Pines Village resident Thomas Carter was among the graduating class of…

This information has been provided by the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce. The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce will host an Independence Day Celebration at Coyote Ridge Park on Friday, July 2 from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. The party will include some traditional features like a pie contest, games and barbeque concessions as well…

Submitted by Taylor Goertz Capital Improvements Manager City of Lone Tree The City of Lone Tree has scheduled concrete repairs on Lincoln Avenue between I-25 and Oswego Street beginning on July 23 (weather dependent) for 60 days. The construction activity will require the closure of the right and center lane of westbound Lincoln Avenue on…

Information provided by the City of Castle Pines North In a move to ensure collaboration and consensus surrounding the formation of an Urban Renewal Authority (URA), the Castle Pines North City Council has signed Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with the Castle Rock Fire District, Parker Water and Sanitation and the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority. The…

This information has been provided by the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce. Mark your calendars for Castle Pines North (CPN) new boost to our local economy. It kicks off on Friday, August 20, and it is called “$20 on the 20th.” The idea is to spend $20 you had not planned to spend on local…

Shannon McFarland sprints to the finish of the Colorado Half Marathon. Shannon was one of two 12-year-old girls competing in the event. Carol McFarland and daughter Shannon gut through the miles of the Colorado Half Marathon. The event was held on Mother’s Day. By Carin R. Kirkegaard with Photos provided by Carol McFarland Castle Pines…

KeyBank celebrated its Grand Opening in June. Branch Manager Yurich Cline greets customers at the celebration along with the Denver Nuggets mascot, Rocky. Information and photos by Lisa Crockett KeyBank, the newest business in the Castle Pines community, is now open to serve customers in the Shoppes at Castle Pines Shopping Center on Lagae Road.…

This photo, taken from the rooftop of Cherokee Ranch & Castle looking west, visually demonstrates the location of the existing Sedalia Recycling Center and Depository, as well as the site of the proposed Sedalia Sustainability Center. Both the existing site and the proposed relocation site are east of U.S. Highway 85, contiguous to the Cherokeee…

by James LaRue, Director Douglas County Libraries Dean Ruppelt is a patriot. He served in the Army Reserves from 1982-1987. He served another stint in the Navy from 1987-1991. In September of 2007, he joined the National Guard. In August of 2008, he got married (on 08/08/08, in fact – a brilliant stratagem to make…

by Terri Wiebold The Castle Pines North City Council was effective in establishing an Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and adopting a URA Plan in late May, prior to HB1107’s June 1 cutoff which would prohibit the inclusion of agriculturally-zoned land into an URA’s boundaries. City Council contends that the establishment of the URA and the…

Left to right: Sheriff Dave Weaver, Sgt. Gary Butler (behind), Lt. Alan Stanton, Audra Garton (behind), Sam Stairs, Deputy Heyden, Sgt. Ron Hanavan, Deputy Ann Walton (front), Deputy Micheller Rademacher (sunglasses), CSV Jill Jaltuch (hat), Phyllis Harvey (back), Toni Reynolds (hidden), CSV Stephanie Trotter (front-long hair), Explorer Newby, Chief Holly Nicholson-Kluth. By Terri Wiebold with…

By Anthonette Klinkerman Being a SAHM, or Stay At Home Mom, can be an isolating experience, but fortunately help is on the way in the form of MOMS Club. If you are a SAHM and are not yet a member, mark your calendar for the August 7 membership drive from 10 a.m. to noon at…

Article by Kathy Dunker Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) is introducing a new program which will be open to all parents and guardians for the upcoming school year. The “WalkAbout Program,” inspired by the success of the Watch DOGS program, is a school supported, parent staffed group that provides a positive adult presence on campus…

Information provided by Douglas County Recognizing the value of their generation’s voice, Douglas County’s teens are speaking out about the County’s economic, environmental and community sustainability … and asking their peers and others to join them in the discussion – online. It is called the Douglas County Sustainability Youth Zone – a blog featuring video…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard with photo by Nicole Chillino Parker found a sense of purpose and fulfillment when the idea for the reality television show, “Backyard Genius,” took root following a neardeath car accident. Parker rolled his truck on an icy road, and the experience changed the way he looked at life. Parker has been…

Each year, DCS Montessori holds field Day at Retreat Park. Students walk from the school to the park early in the morning, then spend the day participating in fun team events, eating healthy snacks, and celebrating with a group picnic lunch. Each event is typically class-based fun and games, and students often chant cheers to…

South Suburban Parks and Recreation is hosting comprehensive blood screenings conducted by the University of Colorado Hospital from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 am. The location closest to the Castle Pines community is in Lone Tree, 10249 Ridgegate Cir., Tuesday, July 20. This high-quality laboratory screening with rapid turnaround of results consists of 30 tests, including…

Information courtesy of American Academy website Last month’s eighth grade graduation at American Academy (AA) was a lovely event that saw 29 students cross the threshold into young adulthood. Diplomas were handed out and accepted, parents and teacher wept with joy and pride and all was right with the world. Parent volunteer Holly Landauer put…

Norman Harris, a World War II Veteran, visited the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., as a participant in the Rocky Mountain Honor Flight Program. The flag he holds is in honor of a fellow veteran who was unable to make the trip. by Lisa Crockett When the National World War II Memorial was…