Read the stories from the latest issue:
The 93rd Academy Awards, originally scheduled for February 28, will now take place Sunday, April 25. The awards show will honor movies released in 2020. This is the fourth time in Oscar history that the event has been postponed. The other postponed ceremonies followed the Los Angeles flooding in 1938, the assassination of Dr. Martin…
By Bryan Goodland; courtesy photos Just like the song in Disney’s classic movie Mary Poppins says, there’s nothing more satisfying then flying a kite on a beautiful day. There’s no better time to celebrate this quintessential spring pastime than on a breezy afternoon in April, which happens to be National Kite Month. Organized by the…
By Hollen Wheeler It’s the season of Lent and with Easter Sunday just around the corner, those who partake in this holy tradition will find their season of fasting, penitence and abstinence coming to an end. Part of the Christian calendar, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday lasting 40 days, culminating on Easter Sunday, which for…
By Lynn Zahorik; photos courtesy of Darwin Thompson and Nick Ainsworth With the return of spring, many Coloradans look forward to welcoming back the hummingbirds that flew south for the winter. These fascinating zippy little creatures start to command the attention of locals in mid-April. Four species of hummingbirds can be seen in Colorado. The…
By Chris Michlewicz; Photos courtesy of Eric Hurst, SMFR It’s a commonly held belief that a firefighter’s diet while on duty consists of foods like chili, hamburgers, spaghetti and pizza. The men and women at South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) are reshaping that perception. The department has overhauled its menu in recent years, favoring raw…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett I love magazines in much the same way I love to see old friends – they are filled with things I find interesting and they are always there for me when I need them. I like travel magazines, news magazines and craft magazines. Heck, one year I somehow ended…
Hitting the sweet spot By Chris Michlewicz During a trip to Florida, the Bertocchi family noticed something striking about the five ice cream and gelato establishments within a popular entertainment district in Sarasota: only one of them had a line around the block. Fast-forward a few years and the Bertocchis are the owners of a…
Article and photo by Chris Michlewicz The closure of fine-dining hotspot Racines last July was a loss for longtime customers and the Denver restaurant scene, but there’s always a silver lining. Residents in the Castle Pines community gained an experienced chef whose reputation preceded his arrival at MiYO Cafe, a popular breakfast and lunch eatery…
By Stacie Chadwick All a mother wants in life is for her child to be happy. It’s a subliminal need fueled by emotion. A primal instinct driven by that first, curious flutter in the womb. And it never goes away. My grandmother is no different from any other mother in this respect, even though her…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Brenda Bushey All adult Americans should be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination no later than May 1. Working with that deadline in mind, Colorado is currently vaccinating all people who fall under the categories outlined in Phase 1A and Phase 1B. These two phases include anyone age 50…
When resident Hiemi Haines emigrated to the United States from Korea with her family in 1976, she was a teenager, and learning English was hard. “I wasn’t able to speak English for about a year, so I learned to rely on people’s facial expressions,” Haines said. This ability to understand and communicate with people who…
By Steve Whitlock; photo courtesy of Meg Huber Meg Huber, who grew up in Castle Pines, is one of the newest interns with the Borgen Project, a nonprofit aiming to reduce global poverty through U.S. advocacy. It’s a great fit with her education ambitions, as she attends Southern Virginia University majoring in business management while…
By Julie Matuszewski; photo courtesy of MacKenzie Boeckmann MacKenzie Boeckmann knew she wanted to be active in her community and be part of something that was bigger than herself. As a high school student, Boeckmann enjoyed all her math classes and loved explaining advanced math homework to her peers. She found this rewarding, to help…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Sarah Zales An introduction made on a walk during quarantine last year turned into a friendship that led Sarah Zales and Brooke Walters to co-chair the Forest Park social committee, a neighborhood located in the City of Castle Pines. Despite planning during a pandemic and the fact that both…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of Chris Dudley Castle Pines resident Chris Dudley always knew he wanted to be a firefighter. “It was the easiest life choice I’ve ever made,” Dudley said about his decision to become a firefighter at 41 years young. He has been a firefighter at Castle Rock Fire Station 153 for…
By Julie Matuszewski; photo courtesy of Sarah Swift An Etsy online business owner of unique custom-made cups, hoodies and more, Castle Pines resident Sarah Swift uses her online platform “Show Love Shop Local” to inspire others to support small businesses within Douglas County. Having recently been named Miss Douglas County’s Outstanding Teen, Sarah strives to…
By Hollen Wheeler; photo courtesy of Raptors Athletics “Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd,” repeat, repeat repeat. The life of a baseball mom can be a repeating loop, hundreds of trips to ballparks and even more to practice fields. Not to mention, there is potential for travel to…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; courtesy photos “More than a physical experience, it’s a mental one,” said resident Roger Hudson about floating in a sensory deprivation tank, also called an isolation tank, pod or pool. One thousand pounds of pharmaceutical-grade magnesium sulfate, commonly known as Epsom salt, is dissolved in a foot or less of skin-temperature water.…
Article and photo by Lisa Nicklanovich Is there a supplement that may improve skin health by reducing wrinkles and dryness … one that may help increase muscle mass, prevent bone loss and relieve joint pain? It’s no wonder collagen supplements fill many shelves in health food stores. Associated with a number of health benefits and…
Caption and photo by Hollen Wheeler Seventh grade boys practiced at Coyote Ridge Park, prepping for their end-of-season basketball tournament. The team represented the Rock Canyon Jaguars in the Gold Crown Foundation’s feeder program, an after-school sports initiative that prepares youth for high school sports. The boys played a total of 10 games from January…
By Celeste McNeil; courtesy photo National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) students at Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) recently participated in the Thank Yous for Health Care Workers project. The eighth grade students made nearly 150 thank you cards to be delivered to health care workers at UCHealth. “The Thank Yous for Health Care Workers project…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard with information provided by Douglas County School District; courtesy photos Douglas County School District (DCSD) middle and high school students returned to full time, in-person learning last month following the District’s spring break. Castle Pines community students woke to their “first” day of school being snow-delayed for 90 minutes – a…
By Julie Matuszewski: photos courtesy of Chelsey Nielson Timber Tail Elementary (TTE) students have a passion for books and fun, which is what the Books and Battles competition was all about. Typically known as Battle of the Books, this year Douglas County Libraries (DCL) offered a modified online quiz show. This year’s event took on…
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Erin Dill and American Academy Read Across America Day was created to encourage children to read and is celebrated by many on March 2 along with the birthday of Dr. Seuss – his 117th this year. American Academy first grade students held their own special celebration with a day…
By Celeste McNeil; photos courtesy of BRE Celebrating the 100th day of school has become an annual tradition in many elementary schools across the nation in the past dozen or so years. Castle Pines schools are no different. Typically, in February the youngest students celebrate this milestone with a day of curriculum and fun focused…
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Lisa Hess and Wenda Wilson The library of Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) recently transformed its space into a unique marketplace for fellow first graders to shop multiple second grade student-run businesses. As a part of Project Based Learning (PBL), second grade teachers Lisa Hess and Wenda Wilson’s students became…
Information provided from DCS Montessori; photo courtesy of the Liepen family Douglas County Montessori (DCSM) fourth grader Matthew Liepen holds one of his favorite reads from the Books and Battles competition. “I enjoyed the competition the library organized,” commented Liepen. “The 13th Story Tree House was my favorite book in the battle. The whole series…
By Chris Michlewicz; photo and graphic courtesy of Castle Pines Metropolitan District Water and sewer customers in Castle Pines will soon decide whether to approve the proposed inclusion of the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District (CPNMD) into the Parker Water & Sanitation District (PWSD). The neighboring entities first began discussing the subject of inclusion in…
By Chris Michlewicz; graphic by Tim Gamble Signs that Trader Joe’s is considering a new location in northern Douglas County have created a buzz in the community. Trader Joe’s, a specialty “fresh format” grocery store chain based in California, submitted a liquor license application with the Town of Parker (Town) for a proposed location northeast…
By Chris Michlewicz; rendering courtesy of DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation If all goes as planned, the City of Castle Pines will be home to a world-class ice arena by summer 2023. The proposal from DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation (DAWG Nation) is to build a multi-sheet hockey facility – purpose-built to support both disabled and able-bodied…
Information provided by Douglas County The Douglas County CSU Extension Advisory Council is accepting applications for all positions to fill its board. The mission of the advisory council is to provide information and education in addition to encouraging the application of research-based knowledge in response to local, state, and national issues. Council members serve as…
Simple pleasures and work Article and photo by Kathy Fallert Jack and Kay Yi stay very busy with dry cleaning and wet cleaning. The second owners of Castle Pines Cleaners, the Yis have been in business for 15 years. Both originally from South Korea, the couple met and married in Seattle 27 years ago. Kay’s…
Information provided by the Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce The Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce annual meeting and awards ceremony celebrated local businesses and individuals in a virtual event that included a pre-taped Academy Awards presentation that recognized these outstanding organizations and people in the community. The winners of the 2021 Castle Pines Chamber of…
By Terri Wiebold The Castle Pines Connection welcomes Hollen Wheeler and Steve Chezik to our team. Hollen joins The Connection as a writer. She and her family moved to Castle Pines from Texas in 2017. A 20-year veteran in politics and public affairs, Hollen worked on Capitol Hill before being politically appointed to a former…
Family-friendly amenities Article and photo by Chris Michlewicz A groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the much-anticipated expansion of The Country Club at Castle Pines (CCCP). Years in the making, the extensive, $17.1 million project officially began February 12 with shovels in the ground on a frigid but beautiful day, with about 30 club dignitaries, project leaders,…
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Kyle Jones Meet Paxton, a Boston terrier that lives in the Castle Pines community with his owners Kyle Jones and Kevin Gandomcar. Named after former Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch, his perfect markings give him the appearance of wearing formal wear, as if he were a distinguished gentleman. It…
By Bryan Goodland; photo by Chris Michlewicz Right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of downtown Denver is a place where the buffalo roam and the deer and antelope … well you know the rest. Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the Denver Zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals spread across…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of Trish Jones One of the deciding factors for replacing the countertops in Brambleridge resident Trish Jones’ kitchen was trying to keep the grout between the tiles clean. A granite solid surface has remedied that problem and given Trish and her husband, Kerry, an updated kitchen. There are many choices…
Dear Reader, You’re going to have to bear with me as I am going on a little bit of a rant this month. I know there are things people do that drive us all crazy – like not holding the door, or returning the shopping cart. This month I’d like to talk about one of…
By Joe Gschwendtner; photos courtesy of Fern Adams Seventy-six years old with 42 grandchildren makes for an epic story at any time. Perhaps being born on July 4, 1857 was a portent. Spring 1865 found Emma Jane in Waterloo, Iowa with sisters Ida, Eva, Etta and Nellie in a Conestoga wagon, wearing sunbonnets heading west.…
Editor’s Note: Last month, The Connection featured Charleys Gurley Love and his wife Dr. Minnie Celia Francesca Love in “To Sedalia with Love.” We chronicled their lives together and Minnie Love’s work following her husband’s death, including her accomplishments in the medical field, her activism in women’s suffrage, her participation in local government and her…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Sarah Garrett Photography The knitting club, known simply as “KC” has been meeting for 16 years. The group came together to celebrate a member’s wedding. Pictured from left to right: Liz Decker, Kelly McCracken, Jolie Rotar (bride), Grace Holcomb, Jen Munro and Laina Doyle. “We don’t have a cool…
Article and photos by Shaun Kernahan On August 12, 1990, on a cliffside in South Dakota, Sue Hendrickson and a team from the Black Hills Institute discovered arguably the most famous dinosaur fossil in history. At 40 feet long from tail to nose and 13 feet tall at the hips and over 90% recovered, Sue…
By Stacie Chadwick Last night, my husband and I went to a socially-distanced dinner with friends. As one moment led to another, we literally and figuratively took our masks off, and the conversation moved more deeply than the cocktail chatter that seems to permeate polite communication. We quickly flowed through the requisite kids and COVID-19…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photo courtesy of Lori Dishneau Pictures of bobcats passing through yards and sunning on decks have been filling the social media pages of many community neighbors the past few weeks. It is uncertain how many bobcats are actually out roaming the neighborhoods, but there have been photos with anywhere from one…
Volunteers provide hope for those with mental health struggles By Chris Michlewicz A small army of volunteers from Douglas and Arapahoe counties is helping those with mental health struggles find hope during uncertain times. Volunteers for the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness — or NAMI — not only find the work…
By Lynn Zahorik; courtesy photos Cars of every shape, color and brand travel the streets and highways of Colorado. What they all have in common is a license plate displaying a series of letters or numbers indicating that the car has been registered with the state. People spend a lot of time in their vehicles,…
A little taste of home Article and photos by Chris Michlewicz Everyone knows the adage “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” It turns out the same can be said for Sedalia’s hometown diner. By the time Donna Ingman opened O’Brien’s Cafe in 1994, she had already forged close relationships with hundreds of people in and…
By Hollen Wheeler; courtesy photos The hot trend in home decor is the tiered tray, a relatively easy and stylish way to add an accent display to an empty space in the kitchen or as a centerpiece on the dinner table or entryway. Tiered tray decorating is simple and doesn’t require a degree in interior…
Article and photos by Lisa Crockett I have, as far as I can tell, no Irish blood. I don’t have red hair, green eyes, or particularly good luck. In March though, everyone is a bit Irish. I’ve perfected a handful of delicacies from the Emerald Isle that I cook just once a year on the…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of Popcorn Bliss The second Thursday in March is Popcorn Lovers Day, and who doesn’t love popcorn? This time-honored and versatile snack can be enjoyed plain, sweet, salty, savory or a combination of flavors. So many more options exist though … To begin with, popcorn can be flavored to your…
National Read Across America Day By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos by Shaun Kernahan March 2 has become National Read Across America Day in honor of Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel, or Dr. Seuss. The American children’s author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator and filmmaker was born March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel adopted his pen name…
By Chris Michlewicz A social group that promotes healthy aging through connection hopes its members “enter as strangers” and “leave as friends.” CircleTalk is a program designed to disrupt loneliness and isolation in the lives of older adults, and it has become a critical tool during a time when social isolation is more pronounced than…
By Chris Michlewicz; photos courtesy of the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District When you lead by good example, others will often follow. That’s what happened when Marilyn and Blair Marsden, who have lived in the Stonecroft neighborhood of Castle Pines for 12 years, saw messages last summer on a neighborhood social media platform stating the…
By Chris Michlewicz; photos courtesy of Rusty Walker It might not have been obvious to him as a kid, but the hard work and dedication that helped Rusty Walker become a standout youth athlete helped prime him for later success in the business world. Walker, a 13-year resident of The Village at Castle Pines and…
By Celeste McNeil; photo courtesy of Amelia Graser Amelia Graser has spent her life in education. As a child in Los Angeles, she helped in her mother’s third grade class, running ditto copies, sharpening pencils, organizing and cleaning erasers. She played school in the playhouse her father built her. Teaching was a natural choice for…
Meeting at The Exchange in Castle Pines for a bite to eat, longtime Surrey Ridge friends enjoy sharing stories, catching up on family news and reminiscing. Being friends for many years, the ladies feel “comfortable in our own skin” when they gather. These longtime friends share ideas, companionship and laughter. “Having friends is like having…
By Nancy Koontz; photo by Terri Wiebold There’s a bright light and a smiling gate guard who greets residents of The Village at Castle Pines and visitors at gate 4, Sunday through Thursday. The very loved and appreciated, Erak Hillman celebrated more than a decade of service as the main gate guard this past September.…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of the Ringgenberg family “For a while I wanted to move to a small town but then I realized I do live in a small town,” Laura Ringgenberg said with a smile. Laura has been a Castle Pines resident since 2004 and has lived in a few different neighborhoods before…
By Nancy Koontz; courtesy photos Arizona will gain a ray of sunshine from the Castle Pines community this spring. The former president of the Village Castle Pines Garden Club and a big proponent of the Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation, Janice Wright – along with her husband, Chatt – will be moving to their new…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Chris Dudley National Nutrition Month is a great time to try to incorporate some healthy changes into the usual routine. Try the suggestions below for each week of the month. Encouragement and ideas have been provided by Chris Dudley, resident and Castle Rock firefighter who has been coaching nutrition,…
By Claire Bauer, RCHS intern writer; photo courtesy of RCHS With the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year in full swing, Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) sports are up and running – literally. Girls basketball players are actively training and competing. The amount of strength and dedication these Jaguars have put into their sport…
Article and photo by Shaun Kernahan When the Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) varsity boys basketball team tips off each game this season, the stands are not filled to capacity. Only a select number from each player’s family are allowed into the gym. That is where local sports bar, Berg Haus in Castle Pines, has…
By Kathy Fallert; photos courtesy of the Saenger family Castle Pines resident since the age of 1 and Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) senior, Jacob Saenger, has had some exciting experiences this year when it comes to his favorite sport – hockey. After multiple years of playing AAA hockey in Colorado, Jacob decided to play…