The Castle Pines Connection

Pat and Emi Kanan in their gallery. Photograph of Pitigliano, Tuscany to the right Article and photograph by Joe Gschwendtner Meet Castle Pines Village residents Emi and Pat Kanan, acclaimed photographers who capture the beauty of European landscapes through their lenses. Their talent is displayed in living rooms and boardrooms throughout the country. But this…

by Sally Uhrich The Pet Stuff Place, owned by area residents Sharon and Dick Adams moved in November. The store was formerly located in the Safeway Center in Castle Pines North. “We’ve been in business for six years thanks to the patronage of area residents and we look forward to staying in the area to…

Your Christmas tree can serve another useful purpose as mulch for trees and shrubs in your backyard and neighborhood. South Suburban Parks and Recreation will recycle Christmas trees from December 26 through January 10. Residents can dispose of Christmas trees at the Willow Spring Service Center, 7100 South Holly Street, Centennial. Trees will also be…

by Tracy Dudley Brian Givens and his family have lived in Castle Pines North for more than 12 years. However, Givens is not your average CPN resident; he spent 15 years playing professional baseball. Although he grew up in Colorado, Givens was drafted by the New York Mets in 1984, then moved on to pitch…

Congratulations to Donna Nelson (pictured above) for signing up on The Castle Pines Connection e-mail list and winning the drawing for a $50 Vino100 gift card. You could be next – e-mail and request to be added to our distribution list.

Information and photo provided by South Metro Fire Rescue No, let’s not sing Kumbaya around this campfire. This photo is taken of a dried out Christmas tree that went up in flames and literally burned in seconds. Live trees and wreaths, especially in Colorado’s dry climate, need to be well-watered when displayed in homes during…

Rock Canyon High School Cross Country Junior Varsity Boys take 1st place at Arvada West meet. Rock Canyon High School Cross Country Varsity Girls take 1st place at Arvada West meet. Article and photos by Elizabeth Wood West Rock Canyon High School cross country team Head Coach Dan Davies, Assistant Coach Alan Lind, and Co-Head…

This information has been provided by and space paid for by the Castle Pines North Metro District. Renewable water solutions how far we have come and where we have to go As public awareness has increased about declining aquifer levels, residents have adopted water saving methods to reduce the demand for water. While these efforts…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard Each year as summer turns to fall, leaves start dropping from the trees, and sometimes snowflakes even fly, Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) puts out boxes to collect hats and mittens to deliver to Stevens Elementary located in Wheat Ridge. For the past several year’s BRE has conducted both a school supply…

Congratulations to Suzanne Bac (pictured here with her son, Brenden) for signing up on The Castle Pines Connection e-mail list and winning the drawing for a $50 Hapa Sushi gift card. You could be next – e-mail and request to be added to our distribution list.

Front row kneeling (left to right): Lea McCaffrey, Ashley Owens, Maria Pangalos, Lizzie Brankin. Back row standing (left to right): Avery Tisdale, Elizabeth Curtright, Hannah Repka, Megan Baer, Kaity Rimer, Julia Loomis, Megan Criley, Gabrielle Garcia, Rebecca Teeter, Jackie Fisch. Not pictured, Chelsea Gause. Article and photos submitted by Shawn Hulsier In an effort to…

Castle Pines Athletics is currently registering for co-ed spring soccer for ages 4 up to fourth grade through March 1, 2010. The season will run from March 29 until May 15. Cost for the season is $75 for Castle Pines North residents and $95 for non-residents. All practices and games will be held in the…

by Terri Wiebold with contributions from Kent Paul (Kent Paul, fmr. Mr. Colorado – Personal Fitness Trainer – Village Fitness Center – Castle Pines – www.KPaulFit.com) Remember the “Freshman Fifteen”? Did you know that many Americans actually gain in the area of 15 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years alone? Kent Paul, former Mr. Colorado…

Reid Mooney, Lawrance Shook, Ethan Stephens and Oliver Adams (pictured above) help load the van from Freeway Ford with items collected from BRE families. At the end of November, these used household items were shipped to Sierra Leone, West Africa as part of the Kontainers for Kids project. Article and photo by Carin R. Kirkegaard…

by Karin R. Kirkegaard Bella Rock Adventures is currently taking registrations for women’s snowshoeing treks into the mountains. Women’s Snowshoe Hut Trip: February 28 – March 1, 2010 Get away from it all and enjoy an adventure-filled guided snowshoe hut trip to the Shrine Mountain Inn off Vail Pass. Try T’ai Chi at the hut;…

by Anthonette Klinkerman It’s a good thing this isn’t a Scratch-n-Sniff paper. I don’t want to be held responsible for asphyxiating anyone. But how could I possibly write about the holidays without including all the wonderful smells? The real ones, I mean. The air-freshener company interpretation of “pine” doesn’t smell like any naturally occurring tree…

by Paige Newman, Intern Writer, Rock Canyon High School Senior The holidays are supposed to be a time for celebration. A time for family and friends. A time for fun. But for many high school students, the holiday season brings chaos, final exams, and an extra load of work. As the month of December rapidly…

Churches in the Castle Pines community have a lot planned for the upcoming holiday season. Here are some of the highlights (events listed are held at the Church’s regular meeting place, unless otherwise noted): Castle Pines Community Church Meets at Buffalo Ridge Elementary School; www.castlepineschurch.org *Christmas Eve Services: December 24 at 5:30 p.m. Christ the…

Pictured above Avalon Kirby (left) and Alexandra Gray (right) will be “Ballerina Dolls” in this year’s production of “The Nutcracker”. Article and photos by Carin R. Kirkegaard This December, eight-year-old girls, Alexandra Gray and Jessica Kirby will be performing in the International Youth Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker”. The girls began their dancing career at…

Veteran Firefighter, Chris Jenkins, South Metro Fire Rescue Authority. Submitted by Andy Lyon Dedication to Duty Firefighter and Staff Person of the Year Awards Recognized A veteran firefighter, engineer and emergency diver has been chosen as the 2009 Firefighter of the Year at the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority. Chris Jenkins, who has been with…

by Anthonette Klinkerman Practical gifts are the hot item this year, and the Castle Pines community has every shopper covered. From pet services to fine dining, the merchants of Castle Pines North and Castle Pines Village have gifts cards and certificates ready to treat everyone on your list. Best of all, shoppers can give a…

Nanette and Danny Park own MiYO – a restaurant in the Village at Castle Pines Shopping Center that specializes in fresh, made-to-order breakfast and lunch offerings. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Breakfast means different things to different people. For some, it’s quick, hot, served in a cup and gulped on the way to work.…

Information provided by Douglas County No-cost homebuyer education, foreclosure mediation, as well as reverse mortgage counseling services for seniors aged 62 and older are now available to residents of Douglas County and the Castle Pines community thanks to a $32,236 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. For more information please contact…

Holiday cookies are among many time honored, family traditions. Favorites include cherry winks, spritz, divinity, snicker doodles, and toffee bars. However, the all-time favorite holiday cookie is considered to be the cut-out cookie. Fond memories come to mind of baking and decorating these delectable treats, with mom or grandma in a kitchen filled with the…

by Anthonettte Klinkerman with photo by Tim Gamble Waiting is hard. Most people consider the time it takes to microwave a bag of popcorn to be an eternity, but what if you were waiting for a kidney transplant? Galen Crowder (pictured right with his wife Angie) had his patience pay off in a big way…

by Sally Uhrich For parents of children with special needs, planning for the future can be quite the dilemma. Such is the case for village resident, Mary Lou Fenton, who has a special needs daughter, Emily. In an effort to plan for her daughter’s future, Fenton organized a group of parents to create a work…

by Lisa Crockett In October, the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners approved a construction contract with Hudick Excavating, Inc., for the eastern phase of the extension of Hess Road, which is now underway. The extension will serve as an east-west connection between Castle Pines North (CPN) and Parker. Currently, Hess Road terminates at Chambers…

Information provided by the City of Castle Pines North The Castle Pines North City Council accepted an annexation petition from A and A investments for annexation of land known as Lagae South and determined that it adequately complied with statutory requirements for an annexation process to proceed. Determining that the petition complies with applicable statutory…

Information submitted by Kathy Curtis, Taylor Morrison Homes Taylor Morrison has signed a contract to build approximately 230 single-family homes within the master planned community of Lagae Ranch in the city of Castle Pines North. Darwin Horan, with Ventana Capital, and Chris Fellows, with The Fellows Companies, representing the seller, R.I. Management of Tulsa, said…

by Scott Lasher Sweet silver bells will soon be ringing, which can only mean two things – the holiday season is upon us, and so is the winter sports season at Rock Canyon High School. Here is a preview of the upcoming season for a few winter sports: Boy’s basketball After winning the first playoff…

by Terri Wiebold Castle Pines North doubles in size; Council votes to annex More than 300 residents and neighbors attended the City of Castle Pines North (CPN) public hearing in October at the DCS Montessori School in CPN. After nearly six hours of presentations from city staff, the developer, and public comment, City Council voted…

Dr. Lisa Fox (second from right) and her staff sit atop piles and piles of candy collected in Zip Lock bags during Halloween Candy Buy Back to support Fort Carson troops. by Elean Gersack Halloween and candy have always gone hand in hand. But, just how much candy do kids really need? In this day…

Several Oak Hills board members (left to right) Sandy Stolar, Joe Dwoskin, Marty Cohen, and Dennis Valentine discuss HOA business. by Terri Wiebold with contributions by Dennis Valentine Oak Hills is located in unincorporated Douglas County, just north of Castle Pines Parkway, adjacent to I-25. The original subdivision filing was done in 1979, and the…

by Lisa Crockett Some snow storms slow things down around town, and some stop them altogether – especially if you are a student or the parent of a student in the Castle Pines community. So when weather suddenly hits in a big way like it did in October and again in November, how do you…

Submitted by South Metro Fire Rescue Roasting, baking, candy-making?  Here are safety steps worth taking! Cooking is a holiday tradition…and a leading cause of residential fires in the United States. In fact, hundreds of thousands of them each year. Cooking is also a major cause of burn injuries to children. Many of those fires and…

The importance of physical exercise should never be underestimated, when it comes to our pets. Benefits include increased physical and mental health well-being. Many behavior problems can be helped if not eliminated simply by increasing your dog’s exercise time. For those outdoor enthusiasts who wish to venture from walking paths, Douglas County offers three fenced-in-off-leash…

by Lisa Crockett As the holidays approach, many, if not most residents in the Castle Pines community will send and receive more mail than usual. As a result, mail delivery times will fluctuate. According to a statement submitted by the United States Postal Service (USPS), this fluctuation is a part of normal delivery service, not…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard With heavy snow threatening to blanket the racecourse, the Rock Slide, Douglas County Schools 5K fun-run fundraiser, was rescheduled for Saturday, December 12. The 5K run will begin at 9 a.m. with the 1-mile run/walk to begin following the finish – and don’t forget the Kiwanis Club pancake breakfast after the…

The Castle Pines Parks Authority (PA) is applying for a state lottery grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to help pay for development of “spade ready” parks in the state. The park at Lagae Ranch (recently named Elk Ridge Park) could earn up to $750,000 toward construction of the new park. The PA is requesting…

Front Row (left to right): Jennie Schaaf, Heather Griffin, Theresa McDowell, Jill Johnson, Linda Day. Back Row (left to right): Sheila Fuselier, Abigail Fuselier, Amy Hogsett, April McCaffrey, Beth England, Julie Lamb, Nicole Wight, Michelle Perovich. by Carin R. Kirkegaard and photos provided by Linda Day Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.…

Article by Carin R. Kirkegaard with photos provided by Kathy Werbick Late last summer, up on Copper Mountain, in a local pub, a test was held to see who of three winning contestants could drive a nail into a log first and then win in a rousing bout of Rochambeau. Castle Pines North resident Kathy…

Submitted by April Parcels, HOA1 Daybreak Meadows, also known as the Dead Zone, is a triangle shaped parcel of land of slightly more than 10 acres on the easterly side of HOA1. The story of the tracts begins with the original intent of the developer of the subdivision, Writer Corporation, to build homes on the…

Kathi Mercer (left) and Saralyn Crock (right) show-off some of the great finds at the Fall Clothing Exchange on November 5.Cloth Article and photo by Elean Gersack It does not take long for good ideas to fly rampant when moms start talking. But, actually doing something about them can be another story. Not so for…

by Lisa Crockett Open Enrollment: Parents wishing to enroll children in a Douglas County School District school, other than a designated neighborhood school, must complete an open enrollment form. Open enrollment forms can be downloaded from the district website at www.dcsdk12.org and parents can view a list of the schools available for open enrollment for…

Article by Lisa Crockett with photo provided by C. Hubbs Charlotte Hubbs heads Colorado’s State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). It’s a group with chapters nationwide comprised entirely of descendants of the revolutionary patriots who helped the United States achieve independence. In July, Hubbs, who lives in Castle Pines North, was…

Pictured above are members from the Castle Pines Community who made it out for the event. Front Row (from left to right): Tisa Meisel, Sally Wagner, Kelly Durie, Linda Day and Eileen White Back Row (from left to right); June Uralli, Terra Shaffner, Jen Jacoway, Mary Williams, Tammy Abramovitz. Article and photo by Carin R.…

by Elean Gersack Now more than ever, families are struggling financially. This holiday season will prove especially difficult for many within the community. To help ease the burden, The Douglas/Elbert Task Force is seeking individuals, families, and groups to support Santa’s Sharing sponsorship program. There are several ways to donate, and every little bit helps.…

by Lisa Crockett ‘Tis the season to send packages around the country. Here are some ways you can make this item on your holiday “to-do” list a little easier: Post office locations in or near the Castle Pines community : Castle Pines Village, (Castle Pines Postal Center), 80108 – 862 West Happy Canyon Road, Suite…

Laurie W. Anderson, President, Anderson & Associates Submitted by Laurie W. Anderson Anderson & Associates, a local public relations and marketing communications firm, marked 20 years in business in October, according to President Laurie W. Anderson (pictured right). Anderson started her firm in 1989.  She then partnered with Fred Hobbs from 1994 to 1999 when…

by Chris Bonham, Intern Writer Presents. Shopping. Singing carols at a family get-together with hot drinks near at hand. Nearly everyone in the United States can immediately recognize the sights, smells, and sounds of the holiday season. It is a time to laugh, love, and focus on what is important. It is a time of…

Daniel V. recites the life of a mystery figure from the Dark Ages Article and photo by Tracy Dudley Since the induction of Mystery History in 2001, once a year DCS Montessori students dress up as famous personalities from the distant past. As part of this event, students choose historical figures from a given time…

by Tracy Dudley From music and theater to nature and children’s events, there are numerous happenings around town for little ones, adults and families to take time to slow down and enjoy the upcoming holiday season. Holiday Concerts at the Castle December 6, 12, 18 and 20 The Cherokee Ranch & Castle will host several…

Article by Anthonette Klinkerman with photo by Tim Gamble Sue Lee, a Castle Pines Village resident, recognized the opportunity for a new kind of education when she left the elementary classroom and began teaching adults life management skills. “I was teaching little boys and girls in grown-up bodies,” she said, and identified a need for…

by Lisa Crockett The Ridge Golf Course is teaming up with Sedalia Nursery to offer Christmas Trees to the Castle Pines community. Trees sales will begin on Saturday, November 28, at The Ridge and run through Christmas Eve. “In addition to conventionally-cut trees, we’re offering live Christmas trees which can be re-planted after the holiday,”…

by Lisa Crockett Gone are the days of chalk and erasers – or even markers and sponges. In a development that mirrors most other areas of daily life, students at Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) now spend their time in classrooms with chalkboards that are “smart.” These so-called “SMARTboards” are interactive whiteboards that allow teachers to…

by Joe Gschwendtner Fire up your snail mail. Anyone can twitter, text, and telephone; it’s cheap and spontaneous. But what about a letter?  With stationery? Here’s an art form that stokes its own anticipation and adventure, making sentiments soar. When’s the last time you made the time to write something special? Let’s start with the…

Information provided by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office New law prohibits use of cell phones while driving House Bill 1094, which goes into effect December 1, 2009. prohibits drivers under the age of eighteen years from using wireless telephone for talking, listening, or texting while driving a motor vehicle. The new law also prohibits drivers eighteen…

Submitted by Officer Joe Stafford, Douglas County Animal Services Field Services Mgr. & Officer Lisa Massie Animal Services, Field Services Supervisor As winter rolls in, Douglas County Animal Services asks that you pause to consider the seasonal needs of your pets. The most important winter safety tip to remember is to not leave your pets…

Castle Pines Athletics hosted a camp to welcome new families to CPN. The American Academy Kids Camp at Castle Pines raised $2,000 for the newly opened school. Pictured above the new Kindergartners take a break at camp with Coach Emily Bishop and parent volunteer Paige Brandon. (photo by Lane Roberts.) by Carin R. Kirkegaard In…

by Carin R. Kirkegaard The holidays are typically a time where families come together to celebrate through tradition, whether its reading a favorite story, cooking a recipe that has been passed down through generations, or driving up to the mountains to find the perfect Christmas tree. The Rocky Mountain Region of the United States Forest…

Sheriff’s Office Victim Advocate Debbie Boyle-Grimwood Submitted by Deputy Cocha Heyden Public Information Officer Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff David A. Weaver was very pleased to hear that one of his employees was recognized for her work, at the annual conference for victim advocates. Sheriff’s Office Victim Advocate Debbie Boyle-Grimwood was presented with the Wendy…

submitted by Deputy Cocha Heyden Public Information Officer Douglas County Sheriff ‘s Office 303-660-7586 Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Launches On-line Crime Alerting and Mapping Service with CrimeReports.com Citizens empowered with near real-time neighborhood crime information available 24/7/365. Douglas County, Castle Rock CO. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and CrimeReports.com have announced a new On-line Crime…

Halloween safety tips from Sheriff David A. Weaver Halloween is an enjoyable holiday for kids and parents alike. It is important though, to take every precaution possible when it comes to your night of fun. Sheriff Weaver provides the following suggestions to keep your little monsters safe: Start at home: Turn on your exterior lights,…