The Connection staff enjoyed a festive holiday party at Maggiano’s Little Italy – top row, left to right: Nancy Koontz, writer; Lynne Marsala Basche, managing editor; Joe Gschwendtner, writer; Heidi Lewellyn, proofreader; Terri Wiebold, publisher; Liz Rector, writer; Sandy Gamble, account manager; Kathy Fallert, writer and proofreader, John Basche, writer, Laura Gooding, account manager and Lisa Crockett, writer. Bottom row, left to right: Tim Gamble, webmaster, Patte Smith, writer and graphic designer; Elizabeth Wood West, advertising sales manager; Lisa Nicklanovich, writer/office manager; Susan Helton, writer; Daniel Williams, writer; Michelle Post, writer; Krysta Parr, graphic designer; Lynn Zahorik, account manager, Amanda Merriman, writer and Marla Silverman, proofreader.The Connection staff is committed to continuing the tradition of sharing a little good news with our readers, and 2018 promises to be colorful, inspired and packed with interesting stories and photos celebrating the amazing people and businesses in the Castle Pines community.

Article and photos by Terri Wiebold

The ringing in of the new year often brings with it a fresh perspective on priorities, goals and a renewed sense of motivation. It is a time to assess where you have been and where you are going, and this holds true for individuals and businesses alike.

Much of the past year was spent studying our demographic and learning about you, our readers. We worked with some very talented individuals to help better connect with you and understand how to better serve the greater 80108 community. Special thanks to Pamela Herrmann – CREATE Buzz, Michelle Post – The Post Institute, and Kelli Escalante – Lauren Graphics. Thank you, too, to everyone who has provided feedback during the past nine years; we love to hear from our readers at editor@castlepinesconnection.com.

We hope you like our new look and you are as excited about the changes happening with your community newspaper as we are.

It is our mission to cultivate positive community relationships by sharing inspiring stories, relevant news and information with readers in the greater 80108 area.

The expansion of the food and dining guide insert to include not only eating but entertainment and events is one change we are especially excited about (see related story page 24). Reader support has helped the guide to grow in popularity, and the launch of this new

E Guide will be a great resource for readers who are looking for all things eating, entertainment and events, in a format that is convenient and easy to take on the go. Take a look at the restaurants and organizations who are included, and be sure to thank them for their participation in your community newspaper.

If you love what we do and want to be a part of the continued growth and success of The Connection, we invite you to sign up for a voluntary subscription of $36/year ($3/issue). While advertising dollars are the sole funding source of the paper, the voluntary subscription contributions you have sent in over the years have let us know that what we are doing is appreciated and valued, so we thank you for joining in. It has also helped us to grow and continue to give back to the community, particularly in our ability to support local nonprofit organizations and schools.

Thank you for your continued participation, feedback and support!

You have honored us with your contributions, and as a locally-owned community newspaper, we hope to continue to be able to give back.