The Connection

Submitted by God’s Grace Community Church God’s Grace Community Church invites the community of Castle Pines to help encourage Terrific Readers and Writers at Paris Elementary School in Aurora. At Paris Elementary, 90 percent of the school’s 415 students qualify for free or reduced lunch and speak a language other than English at home. At…

by Lisa Crockett Years after volunteers in the Castle Pines Community decided to pursue the possibility of a library, residents and local business people have come together to make the dream a reality. In late September, the Castle Pines Library will open in the Village Square Shopping Center and begin operation as the newest branch…

By Terri Wiebold The question as to whether or not to restrict access on Happy Canyon Road between US 85 and I-25 as part of the North Meadows Extension Project has been the subject of much debate recently. The people have spoken, and what they have said is they want to keep it open. The…

Fifth-grade teacher Jesica Harrington and some of her students at Timber Trail Elementary’s “Carnival for the Cure.” All proceeds from the event went to benefit Harrington’s family. Harrington has been battling an aggressive form of breast cancer for the last year.   Article and photo by Lisa Crockett A school carnival is a long-standing tradition…

Left to right Polly Lestdikow, Jeff Hoskins – President EverStone, Sherri Johnson. (Photos by Tim Gamble) by Anthonette Klikermann The little orange signs pointed the way as the 2009 HBA Parade of Homes made a stop in Castle Pines North. Located in the gated community of Whisper Canyon, the luxury home at 6858 Twisted Oak…

Submitted by Suzanne Greene Families struggling financially in this economy are now receiving less food from the Douglas/Elbert County Food Bank as supplies dwindle. Clients needing food has increased by 30% over this time last year. This is traditionally the time of year from August through October when donations slow due to summer vacations. Grants…

Colorado bicyclists are celebrating the new Bicycle Safety Act, which went into effect August 5. The new laws are geared to improve road safety for bicyclists and motorists, including a minimum 3 feet of space when passing a bicyclist. The Bicycle Safety Act was made possible through the supportive grassroots efforts by Bicycle Colorado members.…

Coach Bishop blows the whistle and takes a “photo op” break during the three-day Camp Castle Pines activities. Coyote Ridge Park proved to be an ideal location for hosting the camps, and the kids had a blast. by Carin R. Kirkegaard Castle Pines Athletics kept children ages 4 to12 from the Castle Pines community busy…

Ladies from the CPN Empty Nester Group gather at the HOA2 clubhouse on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month to play Mah Jongg, an ancient Chinese tile game. Article and photo by Carin R. Kirkegaard The Castle Pines North (CPN) Empty Nesters have a group of ladies that meet twice a month to…

Jim Christensen August 24, 2009 The Douglas County School District (DCSD) Board of Education announced today that it will have an emergency succession meeting tonight at 7:30 pm in the Board Room of the Douglas County School District building to accept the resignation of Jim Christensen, Superintendent of Douglas County School District (DCSD). The Board…

Submitted by Horizon Pain Center Golfers have a unique opportunity to tune-up their swings during special workshops hosted by The Ridge Golf Club. A Class IV K-Laser unit will be featured to immediately treat select participants. Dates and times are to be announced. Dennis Murray, Director of Instruction at The Ridge Golf Club, is teaming…

Submitted by Kristin Zagurski Rock your dollar begins Tuesday – use this guide to get ready Ready to Rock Your Dollar? It’s about time. The purchase and receipt redemption period for the program runs Sept. 1-30. Continue reading for a quick guide to the program. As always, any questions regarding Rock Your Dollar can be…

Submitted by South Metro Fire Rescue Bicycle safety begins with wearing a properly fitted helmet, but wearing a helmet will not prevent you from getting hit by a motor vehicle. You, the cyclist, are responsible for avoiding cars. Ride with traffic on the right side of the road and cross intersections using crosswalks. Look both…

by Anthonette Klinkerman La Dolce Vita has been a Castle Pines fixture for many years. The Italian restaurant hosts celebrations of every kind, from anniversaries to graduations, as well as provides meeting space for many non-profit groups and business gatherings. They are also integrated in the local community by regularly donating to the nearby schools…

Breanna Markwell , Colorado Lottery; Ashley Sommer, Jenny’s Café; Jessica Downing and Paul Britt; King Mountain Ranch “givin’ away” freebies at customer appreciation day. Information submitted by Jenny’s Market After six hundred and twenty five free -scoops of the freshest, richest gelatto and two days of fun and free give aways, Jenny’s Market in Castle…

by Terri Wiebold Let me tell you…Solid Life Christian Center really knows how to throw a party! The much anticipated Castle Pines community summer movie in the park drew record crowds to Coyote Ridge Park on August 22. Neighbors in Castle Pines Village, Surrey Ridge, Charter Oaks, Beverly Hills, Oak Hills, and Surrey Ridge Estates…

Bella Rock hikers perform Tai Chi at 8,500 feet. On June 20, seven women hiked through the wild flowers in Elk Meadow Park and then climbed Bergen Peak with Bella Rock Adventures. by Carin R. Kirkegaard In June, Bella Rock Adventures along with seven women hiked through Elk Meadow Park in Jefferson County open space…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard Revenge on Schulte, a band comprised of local Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) students has been making a name for itself while playing various Denver venues. Lead singer Ben Hilzer and Chris Battin, lead gutarist, founded Revenge on Schulte nine months ago with fellow RCHS classmates Andrew Wilson, rhythm guitarist, Ryan…

Information submitted by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is proud to announce the newly created Youth Education and Safety in Schools (Y.E.S.S.) program that will kick off in August for the 2009/2010 school year. The Y.E.S.S. program is a collaborative effort between the Douglas County School District, the DCSO, and…

Information provided by the Douglas County Water Resource Authority As water costs continue to rise and the available resource itself becomes harder to get, a not-so-new practice of using treated wastewater from household or commercial properties for irrigation of public landscapes, commercial lots, and golf courses is gaining new momentum. To maximize the efficient use…

Despite a chilly and blustery day, the bake sale for the Castle Pines Library was held during the dual swim meet between the two CPN swim teams. by Carin R. Kirkegaard Members of local area Brownie and Girls Scouts troops partnered with members from the Douglas County Libraries Foundation and held an old-fashioned bake sale…

Executive Director of the Colorado Municipal League, Sam Mamet, presented information to the City of Castle Pines North City Council in May regarding Colorado Municipal Home Rule. Article and photo by Terri Wiebold The Colorado Municipal League (CML) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has served and represented Colorado’s cities and towns since 1923. Its…

The bulldozers and the dust kicking up at Lagae Ranch are a result of Castle Pines North residents’ Master Association dues hard at work. After eight years of contributing to a parks fund, residents are witnessing a new park underway in Castle Pines North. The City of Castle Pines North held a ground breaking ceremony…

Information and photo provided by the Castle Pines North Metro District The first phase of the Master Landscape Plan has wrapped up and, like any construction project, the results were well worth waiting for. The roundabout at Daniel’s Park Road is graced with Colorado Green Moss and Rounded River Granite boulders, trees, shrubs, grasses, perennial…

by Chris Bonham, Castle Pines North Youth Advisory Council Chair It’s something that we’ve been promised again and again by politicians who claim to be on our side. Congress has even passed laws to protect this invaluable principle. Yet, it always seems to evade us. We’re constantly caught demanding more of it because we feel…

by Lisa Crockett A newly-formed group of young people is learning about local government, while providing a valuable service to the Castle Pines North (CPN) community. The City of Castle Pines North Youth Advisory Council (YAC), comprised of eight teenagers ranging in age from 13 to 18, meets weekly to discuss matters of importance to…

Members of the Castle Pines North Metro District gather at the Community Center for an open house in June. Information provided by the Castle Pines North Metro District The Castle Pines North Metropolitan District hosted an open house on June 24th for customers to meet and become acquainted with staff members and to view an…

Article by Terri Wiebold; photos by Tim Gamble Independence Day came early this year for residents of the City of Castle Pines North. The City held its Fourth of July festivities on July 3 at Coyote Ridge Park. Early-on rain and gusty winds did not stop local businesses and merchants from displaying their fares and…

Bella Rock Adventures is leading a hike through the foothills to catch the changing Aspens and glimpse the amazing fall colors Colorado has to offer. Saralyn Crock will be the lead guide for the hike. She has more than 18 years of experience in hiking, mountain biking and snowshoeing. The hike will take place September…

Douglas County Sheriff David A. Weaver Information submitted by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office It seems that when we have nice weather we tend to see an increase of door-to-door salespeople in our Castle Pines neighborhoods. Many of these people are legitimate employees trying to advertise their business. Unfortunately, many of these people can be con…

By Terri Wiebold The Castle Pines Village merchants are partnering with the Cherokee Ranch and Castle to host a summer wine walk and Celtic concert on Wednesday, August 12. The annual wine walk will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with the added entertainment this year of a Celtic concert in the plaza from…

by Lisa Crockett The Oak Hills Owners Association was unsuccessful in its bid to block the building of a 344-seat church in the community. After a hearing with the Douglas County Board of Adjustment in June, Castle Pines Community Church (CPCC) is approved to begin the process of constructing a church building. The 12.5-acre site…

Information submitted by Big O Tires Big O Tires was very proud to bring the Alive at 25 Premier Program to Castle Pines North this past May. Big O Tires (along with the Center for Transportation Safety) have supplemented the Premium program so that the students and their parents can attend this very important training…

In accordance with today’s presidential proclamation ordering U.S. flags lowered to half-staff on all federal facilities through Aug. 30 to honor U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, Gov. Ritter has also directed that U.S. and Colorado flags be lowered to half-staff on state facilities through sunset on the 30th. Earlier today, Gov. Ritter issued a statement praising…

American Academy charter school plans to open its 83,000 square foot facility in Castle Pines North for families to tour on September 18. The first day of school for students in grades K-8 will be September 21. (photo by Jeremy Gamble) by Terri Wiebold The Castle Pines community welcomes the completion of its first middle…

CPA teammates high five following a soccer game Castle Pines Athletics (CPA) is now accepting registration forms for fall soccer. The fall season runs August 24 through October 10. All practices and games are played in the fields located in Castle Pines North (CPN). The cost for soccer is $75 for CPN residents and $95…

by Paige Newman, Intern Writer, Rock Canyon High School An eyelash. A fountain. A broken wishbone. Dropping a penny in the well. The birthday candles on a cake. A star shooting across the sky. Why are these things important? Why do we wish on them? Why do we wish at all? Why, each year on…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard When Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) returns to school August 10 it will be with fewer buses and more parents driving, walking and biking their students to and from school. According to BRE Principal, Ally Berggren, BRE will be a pilot school working along with the Douglas County School District (DCSD) to…

Submitted by Deputy Ann Walton, Community Resources Unit, 303-814-7001 Deputy Ron Hanavan, Community Resources Unit, 303-814-7089WHAT Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to Host First “One Day Citizen Academy” The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, is now accepting applications for its first “One Day Citizen Academy”. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Sheriff’s Office,…

South Suburban Parks and Recreation continues its special 50¢ Friday activities commemorating 50 years of service to the community on August 14 at Family Sports Center, 6901 S. Peoria Street in Centennial. Visitors will enjoy 50¢ public skating and 50¢ skate rental at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.; plus 50¢ entertainment rides all…

The highlight of my summer was being back stage with my cousins, Micha & Davis at the Jonas Brothers “Jo Bros” Concert. I will never forget meeting Joe, Kevin & Nick!  It was soooo AMAZING! Katie Kenny, age 10 (pictured bottom left).

With hundreds of participants from eight local schools, the Rock Slide remains a highly anticipated community event. The race raises funds for local participating schools through advertising sponsorships and provides local businesses a unique venue to reach customers. Founded on promoting the importance of healthy living for children and families, the Rock Slide is an…

It isn’t just through monetary donations that the girls give back; they give of their time and talents too. by Carin R. Kirkegaard During the past year, Brownie Troop 1891 has been providing young ladies from the Castle Pines area opportunities and experiences that not only enhance personal growth, but give back to the community.…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard The laughter could be heard ringing as it drifted over the gate at the HOA2 pool each morning during the Castle Croc swim practice. The Crocs wrapped up season four over the summer and had a great time in the process. The team, run by head coach Paul Whitaker, spent the…

School finance has quickly become the hot topic for the Douglas County School District (DCSD). With a huge deficit in our Colorado State budget, and kindergarten through twelfth grade education making up approximately 40 percent of that budget, you can imagine where some of the cuts will need to occur. DCSD receives a little more…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard Starting August 3 through August 15, Clothes to Kids (CTK) of Denver is coming to Douglas County. CTK is a non-profit organization that provides new and quality used clothing to low-income school aged children, free of charge. Currently donations are being taken. CTK is looking for quality used and new clothing…

Elected officials from the City of Castle Pines North and the Town of Castle Rock gathered to discuss sharing resources and expertise. Article and photo by Terri Wiebold Elected officials from the City of Castle Pines North joined elected officials from the Town of Castle Rock in June for an evening of casual conversation and…

by Anthonette Klinkerman There was a big box office supply store commercial that came out at the end of the summer that never failed to make me laugh. A traditional winter holiday carol (politically correct terminology) rang out, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” A man went joyously sailing by on a shopping…

The Castle Cappellas performing at the City of Castle Pines North Independence Day celebration on July 3 at Coyote Ridge Park. Members include (pictured left to right) Crista Huff, Keri Brehm, Lynne Snyer, Rebecca Larson, Michelle Thurston, Jan Page, Mary Barnes, Teri Bultemeier, Cindy Kessinger-Wenninger, and (not pictured) Diane Burns. by Sally Uhrich Singing without…

Margie Woodruff Foundation Manager Douglas County Libraries Foundation 303-688-7638 Contact by e-mail 100 South Wilcox Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 Castle Pines Authors’ Reception featuring John Shors & Dave Cullen John Shors and Dave Cullen will be the featured at an Authors’ Reception on August 20, 2009, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Cherokee Ranch…

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Explorers Take Home Many Trophies from State Competition Submitted by Deputy Cocha Heyden Public Information Officer Douglas County Sheriff’s Office 303-660-7586 Members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Post #10-4 participated in the 2009 Regional Explorer Conference held in Gunnison, CO, during the week of July 6th. The Douglas County…

Submitted by Kristin Hayek Publicity & Outreach Coordinator Douglas County Libraries 303-688-7642 100 South Wilcox Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 Fundraising efforts by the residents in Castle Pines have paid off — the Board of Douglas County Libraries voted in May to sign a lease for a library to open in September at Village Square…

Submitted by SOUTH METRO FIRE RESCUE AUTHORITY 9195 East Mineral Avenue, Centennial, Colorado 80112 Phone: 720/989/2000 Fax: 729/989-2001 July 13, 2009 Dear Colleague: The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority desires to achieve the highest level of professionalism and efficiency on behalf of those it serves. I’m writing to ask you for your help in this…

Submitted by Deputy Cocha Heyden, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Announces its Newest Vehicle to the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, The Y.E.S.S. (Youth Education and Safety in Schools) car The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce its newest vehicle to the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, the Y.E.S.S. (Youth Education and…

Storefront for new library in Castle Pines North, located at 7437 Village Square Lane. (Photo by Tim Gamble) by Lisa Crockett After countless hours of work and planning, volunteers working to bring a library to the Castle Pines community have cause for celebration. Jamie LaRue, Douglas County Libraries Director, has been given unanimous approval from…

by Lisa Crockett Just a few short months ago, the City of Castle Pines North (CPN) celebrated its first birthday. Next month, our Nation will celebrate its 233rd birthday, otherwise known as Independence Day. Residents in CPN are invited to join neighbors and friends in Coyote Ridge Park on Friday, July 3 for an old-fashioned…

Epsilon founders Jim Masson (left) and Erin Kane by Lane Roberts The Pinnacle Building in Castle Pines North (CPN) is now home to Epsilon Solutions, LLC. A technology consulting company, Epsilon Solutions provides a variety of services including web site design, database design, office productivity solutions, and a variety of data analysis and graphic design…

Submitted by Kristin Hayek Publicity & Outreach Coordinator 303-688-7642 100 South Wilcox Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 Library to Open in Castle Pines Fundraising efforts by the residents in Castle Pines have paid off — the Board of Douglas County Libraries voted in May to sign a lease for a library to open in early…

by Tracy Dudley The Intel Foundation recently named Rocky Heights Middle School a finalist for the Intel Schools of Distinction Award in the Math Excellence category. The annual program honors schools across the United States for implementing innovative programs that inspire students to excel in math and science. Rocky Heights was recognized specifically for its…

by Anthonette Klinkerman Summer social events in Castle Pines North (CPN) are looking at bit different this year. The Master Association, CPN’s community-wide HOA, reduced dues for 2009 and transitioned from planning and implementing community-wide social events, to sponsoring events coordinated and hosted by other entities. For the past 10 years, the Master Association has…

Hikers with Bella Rock Adventures pause on the trail during a wildflower and meditation day hike. Tenderfoot 14’er Training Class Bella Rock Adventures is offering a Tenderfoot 14’er Training class starting in June and running through July. The class is designed to introduce women to training and preparing to climb Colorado’s 14’ers. The course will…

C-SPAN’s mobile production unit joined the Douglas County Kiwanis Club at La Dolce Vita restaurant in Castle Pines North as part of their Service America project. Pictured here, C-SPAN representative Rebecca Stewart presents Highlands Ranch student Hunter Gill with an award for “Outstanding Documentary” for his analysis of education and how to improve our schools.…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard The Douglas County School District (DCSD) made changes to proposed 2009-2010 bus routes. Taking into consideration feedback provided at informational meetings held in late April, as well as phone calls and emails from parents throughout the district changes were made to include the addition of stops throughout the district. The greatest…

Submitted by Deputy Cocha Heyden, Public Information Officer, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office 303-660-7586 Final Douglas County “Blue Thunder Memorial Ride” Was a Huge Success The 10th Annual “Blue Thunder Memorial Ride” took place on Saturday, May 30th and was a huge success. Over $4,600 was raised for a fund that was named in honor of…

Letter to the Editor from City Treasurer Doug Gilbert The city has now entered a phase when its budgeted expenses need reduction. In Colorado, cities cannot spend more than revenue. Current revenues do not support budgeted expenses so adjustments must be made. Managing the finances in a start up city is fraught with unpredictability in…