The Connection

By Elizabeth Wood West Get ready to caucus – election year 2014 is here. There are many local, state, and national candidate races, campaign events, and assemblies this year for Douglas County voters to participate in. According to the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder’s election office, there are a total of 218,155 registered voters as…

Castle Pines residents Taylor Robinson, Grayson Kamel, Sarah Parker and Ally Fritsch performed in “Willy Wonka” this winter. “Playing an Oompa Loompa in ‘Willy Wonka’ was my favorite part so far because of all the fun dance numbers and the amount of stage time,” remarked Fritsch. By Amy Shanahan; photo courtesy of Nancy Fritsch Youth…

Dragonfly Celebrations, a new party-planning business owned by Castle Pines resident Page Warnke, plans celebrations for adults and children alike, like this “pretty and pink” party for a child’s birthday. By Lisa Crockett; photos courtesy of Dragonfly Celebrations Everyone loves a party, but Castle Pines resident Page Warnke loves everything leading up to a party,…

Ginger Whellock is pictured here in front of several of her gorgeous paintings. Whellock paints every day and constantly strives to improve her work. A plaque above her desk in her studio provides inspiration with a quote from Winston Churchill. “The way to achieve happiness is to try for perfection that is impossible to achieve,…

Timber Trail Elementary fifth graders present proposals to reduce waste and conserve energy at the school. Students earned a $2,000 grand from Douglas County School District to help them implement some of their plans. By Lisa Crockett; photo courtesy of Timber Trail Elementary As part of its Project Based Learning (PBL) approach, educators at Timber…

Douglas/Elbert Task Force volunteer Diana Stigleman stocks shelves in the “Birthday Room.” The Task Force provides new toys to children in need who are celebrating a birthday. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett For a family struggling to make ends meet, a little food in the pantry and enough money to pay the utility bill…

The Douglas County Conservation District is now accepting orders for seedling shrubs and trees, available at a nominal cost on a first-come, first-served basis. By Elizabeth Wood West; photos provided by Pam Brewster/Douglas County Conservation District If your green thumbs are itching to get outside this spring and start digging in the dirt, take heart.…

By Elean Gersack It’s February and that means it is National Heart Month. We should be good to our hearts throughout the year, but this month marks a time to give it some extra love and make a commitment to improve heart health. Taking simple steps can help care for your heart. Eat Right –…

Dream Team members Aidan, Riley and Dylan hold the heart shaped suckers that will be on sale February 3 – 7 and delivered on Thursday, February 13. By Avarie P., BRE Ridgeline Staff Reporter Buffalo Ridge Elementary School (BRE) is doing something special to spread the love on Valentine’s Day. BRE’s Dream Team is selling heart…

Third grader Marissa Lopez teaches her mom, Liah, how to animate a bouncing ball. Students in a special after-school enrichment class at Timber Trail learned animation techniques that taught computer and problem-solving skills. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett A bouncing ball. It seems like a fairly simple image. Just a single sphere, bouncing a…

By Cindy Kessinger The 1937 musical “Babes in Arms” featured a beautiful valentine song that has been a Valentine’s Day favorite and sung by many greats, including Frank Sinatra. But the lyrics to “My Funny Valentine” are not your typical I love you lyrics. “Your looks are laughable, un-photographable, yet you’re my favorite work of…

By Lisa Nicklanovich Did you make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more, eat better, get organized, or save money?  With these helpful apps on your phone, you might just be able to count yourself in the small percentage of people who actually stick to their resolutions. All apps listed are free and are compatible…

Article and photos by Lisa Crockett A new eatery in town brings a local favorite to the neighborhood. Golden Flame Hot Wings in the Village Square shopping center is the third location in the chain that gained popularity in Aurora. A large selection of wings and famous locally-produced sauces which range in intensity from mild…

Caption and photo by Lisa Nicklanovich Womenade board members (left to right) Sharon Kollmar, Wanda Kasunic, Pat Nohavec-Fink (hostess), Donna Scott, and Carla Kenny at the annual Womenade holiday brunch held on December 7. Approximately 50 women celebrated the season and contributed towards helping local families in need. Nohavec-Fink’s home was the perfect holiday setting,…

By Elean Gersack It’s time to think about registering kids for sports leagues and activities. Here is a quick reference guide to some of the most popular leagues and recreational activities around. Castle Pines Athletics Never leave the community and play at home with Castle Pines Athletics. Spring soccer begins in late March and runs…

Sue Young By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Sue Young After being a counselor at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) for ten years, Sue Young is bringing her passion and energy for helping kids and families to her new role as an educational coach. Young commented, “Retiring has given me the opportunity to work more…

A Douglas County Partner mentor and mentee go for a ride aboard the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Article by Lynne Marsala Basche; photo courtesy of Douglas County Partners Celebrate the gift of mentoring, and experience the rewards for both mentors and mentees during January – National Mentoring Month. There is no better way to get involved and…

Marcio Stewart, who is starting a free fitness program for Castle Pines residents, stands at Elk Ridge Park, where the program will be held. Article and photo by Steve Baska Castle Pines resident Marcio Stewart, 49, says exercising is more fun and sustainable when you join a group for mutual support, so he is starting a…

Caption by Terri Wiebold; photo courtesy of Joe Roos The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce held its December board of directors meeting at the Douglas/Elbert Task Force building, located at 1638 Park Street in Castle Rock. Board members toured the facility and learned about the programming and services the Task Force provides prior to conducting…

Castle Pines Village resident Barb Gschwendtner is one of thousandswho suffer from celiac disease. Fortunately, many local restaurants offer gluten-free meal choices, making it much easier to eat out. Article and photo by Joe Gschwendtner I live with a celiac. That is to say, I live with Barb, my wife of 45 years who is afflicted with the…

Rock Canyon High School’s tennis coach Manuel Gonzalez (left) and Eagle Scout Eric Stopps sit on one of the five new benches Stopps constructed for the school. By Elizabeth Wood West; photo courtesy of Brian Stopps Castle Pines resident Eric Stopps has been in Boy Scouts of America (BSA) 11 out of his 17 years of…

Medical staff for the new Castle Pines Foot and Ankle Clinic, PC and Castle Pines Physical Therapy and Spa, PC in Castle Pines: (From left to right) Kristina Calabrese, DPT; Adam Toren, DPM; Chelsea Farrington, DPT; and Cynthia S. Oberholtzer-Classen, DPM. By Elizabeth Wood West; photo courtesy of Ellen Jaskol Residents from the Castle Pines…

Sixty-two women attended the annual Castle Pines Village Garden Club luncheon at the Cherokee Ranch and Castle. The beautiful décor was the perfect backdrop to an afternoon filled with music, good food and friends. Article and photo by Amy Shanahan The Castle Pines Village Garden Club (CPVGC) held its annual Christmas brunch at the beautiful…

Josie Gibson (left) and Emily Glynn (right) – both from Castle Pines competed in the Junior Olympics cross country nationals meet in San Antonio on December 14. By Elean Gersack; photo courtesy of Lesley Gibson After months of practice and an exciting season, two girls from Castle Pines headed to San Antonio on December 14…

By Elean Gersack Spring is just around the corner, which means it is time to start thinking about playing outdoors at Castle Pines neighborhood parks. The Castle Pines North Metro District manages Coyote Ridge, Daniel’s Gate, and The Retreat Parks while the City of Castle Pines manages Elk Ridge Park. Below is information about making…

Third grade entrepreneur Ben B. sells his wares at a bake sale at Timber Trail Elementary. The sale, which was conducted during the school’s lunch period raised $237. Proceeds provided holiday gifts for a family in need. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Five hundred dollars is a lot of money. For an eight-year-old, that’s a lot…

Caption by Amy Shanahan; photos courtesy of Jimmy Dozer In addition to listening to children’s gift requests and posing for pictures, Santa and Mrs. Claus enjoyed shopping and browsing the shops and restaurants in The Village at Castle Pines during the “Santa in the Pines” event on December 7. Friends and neighbors turned out from…

Brownies in Troop 2687, sponsored by Timber Trail Elementary School, have established a Facebook page to help reunite lost pets with their owners. By Lisa Crockett, Photo courtesy of Colleen Odechuck Jackie Hall, who is eight years old, is the proud owner of a guinea pig named Shy – a companion she says she’d be devastated…

Without a formal art background, Kelle McCarter turned her love of style and art and an interest in calligraphy into a successful business. “I’ve reached this point through sheer ignorance and passion!” McCarter remarked. McCarter is pictured here in her home workspace with one of her beloved golden retrievers. Article and photo by Amy Shanahan Kelle McCarter is…

Information and map provided by The Town of Castle Rock After a ground breaking ceremony in late October, crews wasted no time getting to work on The Town of Castle Rock’s number one transportation priority, the North Meadows Extension. With much of the site clearing complete, crews will now begin hauling dirt from the Castle…

By Elizabeth Wood West Local business partners and developers Tim White and Doug Decker broke ground last month on their latest commercial project, the Town Center at the Meadows (Town Center) in Castle Rock. The Town Center will be comprised of two commercial buildings connected by a second floor walkway, totaling more than 30,000 square…

The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of McNeill Fine Art Gallery in Castle Pines in late November. Pictured (center) is artist Katherine McNeill alongside her husband (left) and members of the community. Article and photos by Joe Gschwendtner Katherine McNeill’s Gallery had its opening gala in Castle Pines…

By Elizabeth Wood West Four years ago, Castle Pines Village residents submitted a petition to Douglas County asking for help to reduce the daily, loud, conversation-stopping train horn noise from trains traveling along U.S. Highway 85. Federal law requires train engineers to sound their horns at all crossings for public safety. In response, Douglas County…

Members of the Timber Trail Elementary choir performed last month at Azura Memory Care in Castle Rock. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Timber Trail Elementary students helped jazz up the holidays last month – literally – for a group of residents at Azura Memory Care in Castle Rock. Members of the school’s choir put…

Rina Castanon (pictured in red in center) hosted Forest Park friends to celebrate the season and exchange ornaments as a symbol of friendship. By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Rina Castanon “The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it” is the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote that Rina Castanon puts on the invitation to…

(Left to right) Logan Schafer, Rachel Zetwick, Director of Vocal Music Julia Dale, and Emilia Bartelheim. By Amy Shanahan; photo courtesy of Katy Zetwick Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) was proud to be the only school in Douglas County to have students selected to the All State Jazz Choir. Three of its students were chosen…

By Elizabeth Wood West; site plan provided by The Town of Castle Rock Alberta Development (Alberta) and The Town of Castle Rock (Town) are close to coming to terms regarding Alberta’s proposed “Promenade at Castle Rock,” a new 200-acre development to be located just north of The Outlets at Castle Rock on the west side…

Pictured right: Castle Pines Valor Vespers performers – left to right: Max Shean (trumpet), Jack Hefner (trombone), Hadleigh Seely (soloist), Tyler Traeger (voice/soloist/guitar), and Bishop Magehee (voice/soloist). Article and photo by Julie Montoya It was a December night of holiday song and dance, as students from Valor Christian High School performed a free music event in…

Article and photo by Elean Gersack Buffalo Ridge Elementary School students read, read and read some more during the school’s Reach Your Reading Peak read-a-thon held during the month of November. All students were encouraged to read 3,000 hours in three weeks and they exceeded the goal by reading 3,271 hours! On Friday, December 6,…

Information provided by the CPACF The Castle Pines Arts and Cultural Foundation (CPACF) offers thanks to all who supported the inaugural Castle Pines commemorative ornament. “We are grateful to Cherokee Ranch & Castle, the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce, the Castle Pines Library, Daz Bog, King Soopers, Starbucks, and above all, to our stellar sellers,…

By Lynne Marsala Basche Domestic violence is personal, difficult to speak about, and happens all around us. Statistics show that one in three individuals will be affected by domestic violence in their lifetime. A victim can be male or female and facing physical, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse. Victims need assistance to break the cycle…

As we enter our sixth year of publication (55 issues to date), we are happy to report that The Castle Pines Connection is growing in distribution, size, readership, and impact. We are thankful for all the readers who send us story ideas and photos every month, and we are especially grateful for our loyal business…

Information provided by the Douglas/Elbert Task Force Get tickets now for the “30 Years of Love Benefit Concert” that will be held on Sunday, February 16 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock. Colorado’s own platinum recording artists “Firefall” will perform two one-hour sets of their hits…

Castle Pines residents Kathi Mercer (pictured in hat) and Jean Givin (not pictured) sponsored a frozen turkey drive to benefit the Denver Rescue Mission’s effort to collect 15,000 turkeys to distribute to needy families and individuals across the Denver area. Thanks to the generosity of many Castle Pines neighbors and friends, Mercer and Givin collected…

Carter Barnes, Cade Varela, Faith Bush, Samera Shim, Ava Maurer & Aneya Goel. Information courtesy of DCS Montessori Kids … have you ever wanted to be an elf for Christmas? Have you ever thought about how fortunate you are? Have you ever wanted to help the less fortunate? Well, Santa’s Elves helps you do just…

By Patte Smith Christmas tree recycling can be found close to home until the end of January in Castle Rock. Trees may be dropped off at any time and will be accepted from December 26 through January 31. Drop-off sites include Centennial Park, 22 North Gilbert Street; Fairgrounds Regional Park, 500 Fairgrounds Drive; Founders Park,…

A Kansas family is re-connected with the long-lost history of a loved one, thanks to a local author and the story The Castle Pines Connection ran about his book a few months ago. Pictured above (left to right) are Ben Kristek, Joyce Binkley, and Ron Binkley. All are holding memorabilia of Phillip Binkley, a World…

Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) varsity cheer team (listed alphabetically):  Ariel Bailey, Halie Balman, Jayla Balman (captain), Ashley Bradley (manager), Claudia Bradley, Peyton Burger, Lauren Fultz, Megan Gaby (captain), Schyler Geck, Clara Goodman (captain), Alisa Grossman, Morgan Hildebrand, Gavi LeBauer, Lily Lytle, Rachel Moote, Caleigh Newberry, Paige Parrottino (captain), Hayley Pearson, Taylor Porter, Emma Roth,…

Many organizations in Douglas County will benefit from the generous donations Coloradans made December 10 on Colorado Gives Day. Nearly 88,000 donations to 1,442 nonprofits were made on this spectacular day of giving. While the final numbers will not be available from the Community First Foundation for a few weeks, initial numbers are upwards of…

Eagle Scout Bray William Polkinghorne completed his eagle scout project at the young age of 14. By Elizabeth Wood West; photo provided by Stephanie Monaghan/Sandy Puc’ Photography Fourteen-year-old Bray William Polkinghorne is quite young to have achieved the rank of eagle scout. Perhaps the reason is because Polkinghorne joined the Boy Scouts of America in the first…

The Navigator team of eighth grade students at RHMS conducted interviews of experts in order to gain background information for their National History Day projects. On December 11, forty visitors came to RHMS to be interviewed and filmed on a wide variety of topics. Article contributed by RHMS eighth grade students Karen Yi and Nashira…

This talented group of young football players didn’t let their Super Bowl loss get them down. The team has been together for five years and have recorded only three losses, and have played in the Super Bowl every year. By Amy Shanahan; photo courtesy of Archie Anderson For the fifth consecutive year, this team of DC…

Kindergartner Daxs represented France and delighted guests to his country with homemade crêpes (with a little help from his dad). Daxs’ favorite part of France is unquestionably the Eiffel Tower. Article and photo by Elean Gersack On Friday, December 6, a three-week journey into other lands and cultures came to a fun conclusion with a World Fair…

By Lisa Crockett There’s a new sheriff in town. Or rather, a team of deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) that will spend the next year working exclusively in Castle Pines. Previously, officers were rotated through the community on a quarterly basis. However, starting in late January, Deputies Anthony McClarnon, Andy Glenn, Corey…

By Lisa Crockett; photo courtesy of Janell Lewis These kids – all residents of Castle Pines – found a fun way to reach out to those less fortunate this holiday season. The group filled 25 boxes with fun, simple gifts for kids like clothes, toys, toothbrushes, Chapstick, lip gloss, tools, flash lights, flip flops, books, decks…

By Elean Gersack; photo courtesy of Monica Harmon     Head coaches David Brock and Chad Shane led the Dolphins White CFC division of 10-year-old Castle Pines and Castle Rock boys to an undefeated season with a Super Bowl win on Sunday, November 17. The Super Bowl was played against Spartans Gold and the Dolphins won 8-6,…

Baby By Amy Shanahan, courtesy photos Thank you to all of our readers who submitted pictures of their adorable pets for our Cutest Pet in the Pines Holiday Contest! The holiday season brought out the best in your closest furry friends, and we enjoyed seeing all of the great photos. The staff of The Castle…

Douglas County Libraries Director Jamie LaRue will retire in January 2014 from a position he has held since 1991. He is leaving to pursue a second career as a speaker, writer, and consultant. By Lisa Crockett; photo by Terri Wiebold After more than two decades at the helm of Douglas County Libraries (DCL), director Jamie…

The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce’s current and new board members celebrated another successful year at their annual luncheon at Gabriel’s Restaurant and Tuscan Bar in Sedalia. Article and photo by Elizabeth Wood West Dozens of Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce members (CPCC) celebrated a busy and successful year with CPCC President Sharon Kollmar and…

Forest Park resident Mayra Goluskin (right) and her sister Monica Diaz help clients explore the world through their award-winning travel agency, Cruise Planners. By Julie Montoya; photo courtesy of Mayra Goluskin To many who live in the Forest Park neighborhood of Castle Pines, Mayra Goluskin is the fun-loving friend and neighbor next door. But what…

Olena and Barry Borges, the owners of Cobbra Closets are very excited to be a part of the Castle Pines community. “We were very lucky to find this spot,” stated Barry Borges. “We look forward to being a part of both the Castle Rock and Castle Pines communities and feel that we can serve both…

Bridget Johnson of The Gathering Place in Denver (left) happily receives hundreds of socks from Susan Elizabeth Lee (center) and Phillis Shimamoto (right), the co-founders of the “Sock-it-to-em” campaign. By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Susan Elizabeth Lee Susan Elizabeth Lee, a Castle Pines Village resident for ten years, began the “Sock-it-to-em” Sock Campaign in…

The Bundt Shoppe owner Pam Randall pictured with AA first graders (from left to right) Pierce, Morgan, and Jackson engineered a new flavor of cake for Halloween called Yummy Mummy. Information and photo provided by American Academy First graders at American Academy (AA), along with STEM instructor Chris Todd and The Bundt Shoppe owner Pam…

By Lynne Marsala Basche This holiday season, our community’s needs have never been greater. Find a cause that is dear to your heart, and see how you can help. Visit an organization’s web site to learn about special programs and highest demands. Most larger organizations offer online secure payment processing, so donating money directly to…