Read the stories from the latest issue:
Article and photos by Joe Gschwendtner Joe Bucknam, traveling salesman from Iowa, found his way to Denver with wife Minnie in 1907. Finding fascination in the Sedalia area, they founded the Woodbine Ranch in Jarre Canyon in 1915. The main lodge was a substantial, multi-use building. Decorated to Joe’s rustic tastes, it showcased vintage weapons,…
By Shaun Kernahan; photos courtesy of the Quam family Mark and Amanda Quam’s first date was a Kenny Chesney concert, and they have been going to concerts as often as possible ever since. On one wall in their house, they created a shrine of music memorabilia – including a paper coffee cup sealed in a…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; courtesy photos Running with Scissors, an amateur studio band that has been playing together for the past 15 years, made its public debut in August at a socially-distanced neighborhood block party. Laurie Benton (lead vocals), David Feil (bass), Denis Freiden (guitar), John Grosh (guitar) and Greg Sherwood (drums) are the five…
Article and photos by Kathy Fallert Part of the Starbucks “secret menu” is something that dogs of all ages and sizes can really sink their noses into – puppuccinos. The Starbucks located off Castle Pines Parkway has their own Instagram (IG) account (@castlepinespups) celebrating the pets that come through the drive-thru looking for a special…
By Terri Wiebold; photo courtesy of Nancy Koontz There’s nothing like getting all dressed up and joining hundreds of your friends for a night out to support a great cause. The summer months are usually when nonprofit organizations host galas and do much of their fundraising, which has been particularly challenging this year. In response,…
I love this question. Let me tell you about something that just happened to me. I was hosting some longtime friends for lunch. Their two sons, 19 and 21 years of age, were with us. The table was preset and I asked the guests to please seat themselves while I gathered lunch. As I approached…
By Celeste McNeil The smile logo on your Amazon package is more than a cute symbol; it’s a reminder to help the local community while shopping online. The AmazonSmile program donates 0.5% of all eligible purchases to a charity of choice when the shopper links their Amazon account to the AmazonSmile program. With more than…
By Bryan Goodland During difficult times, it’s hard to be grateful for the things that we have. It is easy to fall into a state of depression over the loss of anticipated expectations and events. An effective way to change a life outlook toward a more positive view is to start journaling. Specifically, a gratitude…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett I spent my childhood years living just outside of San Francisco. Sourdough bread is a symbol of that city, and I think it must be somehow encoded in my DNA that it is the standard by which all other breads are to be judged. San Francisco sourdough is the…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Combine salt and sugar with four cups water in a large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Soak tenderloin in the salt and sugar solution, in the refrigerator, for at least 30 minutes (or a maximum of two hours.) While the tenderloin soaks, stir together vegetable oil, curry powder, and juice…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of Lauren Aragon The art of creating charcuterie boards has increased in popularity in the past year. Social media platforms are filled with beautifully designed trays of finger foods. In July, resident Lauren Aragon launched Comfort & Joy Food Boards as a way to give back to the Kempe…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of Bonnie Kirkegaard Colorado is home to one of the world’s largest collections of seeds, genetic material for livestock, microbes, and endangered plants. The facility, formally known as the National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation (NLGRP), run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is not a museum or a farm…
By Bryan Goodland One of the keys to maintaining mental health as one ages is to continually seek out challenges for the brain. There is more and more evidence that supports continuous learning and participating in new experiences delays cognitive decline, improves memory and may help maintain brain functions. Learning comes in many forms, including…
Article and photos by Lynn Zahorik On most any day, you can spy Dave Richardson zipping down the streets of Castle Pines on his electric bike (e-bike). In fact, he might just be passing you by as you sit in traffic. Dave and his wife, Carolyn, are two of the many people who are enjoying…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Lynne Basche When you are a metal detectorist, ring finder and treasure hunter like René Mills of Castle Rock, you are going to have some good stories. “Finding a ring in 15 inches of snow out at Red Rocks; that was my toughest,” Mills said. With her Garrett Ace…
Information provided by Bringing Music to Life In August, Bringing Music to Life (BMTL) donated more than 500 instruments to 36 schools throughout Colorado as a culmination of the organization’s 10th annual instrument drive. This year’s distribution adds to the more than 5,000 instruments donated to schools since its beginning as the Colorado Public Radio…
By Joe Gschwendtner; photos courtesy of Dennis Niewoehner To know The Village at Castle Pines neighbor Dennis Niewoehner is to appreciate a spirited romantic and driven man. Now 74, his was a high-octane life. Among his many titles are: counter-intelligence agent, rancher, horse showman, author (now in the midst of a third book), philanthropist, preeminent…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Stewart Vanderwilt “I’ve always had a strong connection to Colorado,” said Stewart Vanderwilt, Colorado Public Radio (CPR) president and CEO. Vanderwilt stepped into the role in 2018 after a national search to replace the founding CEO who was retiring. Vanderwilt joined CPR after more than three decades of experience…
Article and photo by Kathy Fallert; photo courtesy of Cassandra Babtkis Cassandra Babtkis is an artist with a great deal of intuition. Originally from California, Babtkis relocated to Colorado in 2010 and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies with minors in studio art and English creative writing from Denver University. She moved…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; courtesy photos Just prior to returning to school, two sophomores from the University of Colorado – Josh Harmon and Brad Hansen – whose roots run deep in the Castle Pines community, walked 84.6 miles from the Martin Luther King Memorial in Denver south to Fort Carson. The trek took 37 hours…
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Christy Kloter Even though there are several changes to school this year, one thing remains constant for Christy Kloter – her excitement and desire to connect with her students, both new and returning, in person and remote. Christy is a teacher who is passionate about what she delivers to…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of the Scott family Like so many young couples starting out, Bart and Kaley Scott didn’t envision what their future would hold. When they met in Colorado Springs in 2005, Kaley was attending college at the University of New Mexico (UNM) working on a degree in healthcare communications. Bart…
By Terri Wiebold; photo courtesy of Dennis Murray Twenty-year resident of the Pine Ridge neighborhood in the City of Castle Pines, Dennis Murray won the Colorado PGA Pioneer Open at the University of Denver Golf Club last month. Murray became a PGA Member in 1980 while working as the teaching professional at Columbine Country Club.…
Article and photo by Terri Wiebold Pickleball enthusiasts who have been improvising by playing their sport on full-size tennis courts in The Village at Castle Pines now have a place to call their own. The recently-converted court #2 at the Canyon Club has been getting much use. Among the first to enjoy the new pickleball…
Article and photos by Shaun Kernahan The smell of hot dogs and nachos, the sound of a vendor yelling, “Cold beer!”, the electric buzz of 50,000 fans cheering … these are just some of the familiar sights and sounds baseball fans have grown accustomed to when watching the boys of summer play a game. Sadly,…
Article and photo by Patte Smith There is a new opportunity on Tuesday evenings to meet people, get some exercise and cycle throughout the Castle Pines community and surrounding areas – all while enjoying the views of the Front Range from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak. Mark Massey, a fellow neighbor and cyclist said he…
Information provided by Douglas County School District and Douglas County Governmental entities in Douglas County recently secured partnerships enabling more access to COVID-19 testing across the county. The Douglas County School District (DCSD) announced its partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado (CCC), a social benefit enterprise of the Gary Community Investment Company. CCC was created to help…
By Celeste McNeil; photos courtesy of Rock Canyon Cross Country The Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) cross country team had a great turnout for the annual Dillon Run. More than 35 athletes attended this year, making it the most successful year for this event. Cody Jaramillo, a RCHS sophomore, was one of more than 20…
By Shaun Kernahan; courtesy photos Billy Wills was 12 years old when his dad went to the local pawn shop and picked up a secondhand guitar. Over the next 18 months, Billy learned to play that guitar, strumming songs by The Byrds, Herman’s Hermits and The Beatles. That guitar helped make Billy popular in junior…
By Bryan Goodland; courtesy photos People have been talking about the arrival of In-N-Out Burger to Colorado for a while now. Well, it’s starting to look like the wait just might be over. The company has plans to build restaurants in a few different cities in Colorado, but Colorado Springs is the keystone to the…
By Patte Smith; artistic renderings courtesy of Tall Tales Ranch A big milestone has been reached by Tall Tales Ranch, a nonprofit organization that was founded by Susan and Pat Mooney six years ago. The City of Lone Tree approved the Tall Tales Ranch Site Improvement Plan in July. The Mooneys’ vision to build a…
By Celeste McNeil; photo courtesy of South Metro Fire Rescue Hot dry Colorado summers often lead to wildfires. Many longtime Castle Pines residents remember the Cherokee Ranch Fire that burned 1,200 acres in October 2003. Thousands of Castle Pines residents were evacuated as flames raced toward homes and smoke billowed. The fire was extinguished the…
By Carin Kirkegaard Life can change at a moment’s notice, as residents impacted by the recent Chatridge 2 Fire discovered when local emergency response teams knocked on doors and gave the order that they had 10 minutes to evacuate their homes. CodeRED is a high-speed telephone emergency notification system that allows public safety personnel to…
By Patte Smith Douglas County Libraries (DCL) keep expanding and improving on community service offerings. Did you know you can borrow a microscope or a Nintendo system for the kids? You can strap on a virtual reality headset for a thrilling experience or learn to strum a ukulele. Want to be a seamstress – borrow…
Photos by Terri Wiebold Residents of the City of Castle Pines were eager to gather in family clusters, while being socially responsible, to enjoy a perfect evening outdoors for the first Movie in the Park of the summer – “Frozen II.” To view a slideshow of the event, visit https://www.castlepinesconnection.com/photo-album-2020/. Be sure to join for…
By Elizabeth Wood West Like so many other businesses and organizations, Douglas County Youth Orchestra (DCYO) was hit hard by COVID-19 this spring. Rather than canceling rehearsals for their spring 2020 performance of “Tom Sawyer,” students Zoomed with DCYO’s conductor and assistant conductor. The spring performance transitioned into a virtual experience. DCYO violinist Ella Winkler…
The kitchen is his office By Shaun Kernahan; photos courtesy of the Hernandez family Born in Southern California, Mike Hernandez moved to Guadalajara, Mexico when he was just a baby. By the time he was 17 years old, Hernandez was ready to spread his wings and start blazing his own trail, so he moved to…
By Patte Smith; courtesy photos Drive-in theaters have made a comeback this summer. In Colorado, there are eight drive-in theaters, and in the Denver area the last original 88 Drive-In Theatre in Commerce City is celebrating 48 years of bringing cinema classics to motion picture fans. With many indoor theaters closed and the traditional stream…
By Shaun Kernahan; photos courtesy of Bill Barclay Growing up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas meant hot summers and rolling hills, so when Bill Barclay discovered trout fishing brought him to cooler climates and mountains, he was, well, hooked. Barclay recently moved to Castle Pines with his wife, Pat, to be closer to…
By Patte Smith; courtesy photo Check your spare tire periodically to make sure it has good air pressure. Be sure all drivers in your household know how to take off a tire and put a spare tire on a car.My family took a road trip in June, and having a spare tire was a huge…
Article and photos by Joe Gschwendtner; photo courtesy of the Douglas County History Research Center Born in 1850, Isaac Jegirtha (I.J.) Noe hailed from Charlestown, Indiana. After a common education, he devoted his early years to farming. That was, until he fell in love and married Jennie Caine of Clark County in 1878. Meanwhile, his…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; courtesy photo Like many of us, community resident Karen Welden admitted that she has pretty much taken for granted women’s right to vote. “I had forgotten how tough the fight was to get me here but still, I take seriously my current ability to vote,” Welden said. 2020 marks the 100th anniversary…
Article and photos by Nancy Koontz Residents from The Village at Castle Pines celebrated and showed their patriotic spirit in a variety of ways this year. Kicking the Fourth of July weekend off, the Castle Pines Homes Association (CPHA) hosted an old-fashioned drive-in movie viewing of the 2009 Disney movie “Up.” The large blow-up screen…
In an attempt to stay in touch with younger generations and keep abreast of what’s hip, what’s hot and what’s happening NOW, this segment delves into the fringes of pop culture. Our intention is to educate, and we in no way endorse any of the products or ideas shared in this column. By Terri Wiebold…
By Lisa Nicklanovich “We are in the midst of a conservative revolution,” stated Rosemary Thomson, played by Melanie Lynskey, in the historical drama “Mrs. America” streaming on FX on Hulu. “It’s bigger than the ERA now,” Thomson explained. The nine-part series is based on and dramatizes the story of the movement for and against the…
Information provided by the Village Castle Pines Garden Club; photo by Terri Wiebold The Village Castle Pines Garden Club (Club) helped collect toiletries for the Help & Hope Center in Castle Rock last month, organizing a “drive up, drop off” event in The Village at Castle Pines shops. In only three hours on a Saturday…
By Terri Wiebold The board of directors and management of Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation have made the decision to temporarily suspend all public activities and pause its public program calendar, including the elimination of large gatherings. The suspension will be effective August 15 and will continue through the end of the year. “We are…
Article and photos by Patte Smith The community of Surrey Ridge is a tight-knit group of families and individuals who join together for parties in the park, Halloween hayrack rides, ladies bridge and many other activities throughout the year. This year, horse lover Renate Nieman organized the inaugural 4th of July community parade through the…
Article and photos by Joe Gschwendtner But for an offer from friends to stay at their Lima home, we might never have sampled this land of the Incas. Regrets? Only having overlooked it for so long. We allocated time between the capital, Cusco and the not-to-miss Machu Picchu. Our visit took place in early November,…
Article and photo by Carin R. Kirkegaard Mental health – the emotional, psychological and social well-being of an individual has always been important, particularly among youth and veterans. Robin’s Nest Foundation and War Horse Project are two Douglas County nonprofit organizations that provide a community space where individuals suffering from challenges like depression, anxiety and…
By Steve Whitlock; photo by Carin R. Kirkegaard Just like with people, pets need vaccinations. August is pet vaccination awareness month, which represents a nationwide effort to increase knowledge about vaccines and the importance of immunization for our furry friends. It is a significant topic. Late last year, a dog named Copper died in Highlands…
By Carin Kirkegaard; Photos courtesy of Julie Lamb The families of Cerney Circle celebrated a beautiful summer evening with a pop-up cinema on the circle. Becca Causey planned the event as part of “Flamingo Fridays” a tradition in the neighborhood that allows families to gather and jump-start the weekend.
RANDONAUTICA By Lisa Nicklanovich Randonautica is an app with more than one million downloads that is trending on TikTok and seems to be a global phenomenon. It is advertised on their website as “The world’s first quantumly-generated ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ reality game.” Randonauts share their experiences with the Randonaut community online after playing the…
By Stacie Chadwick I’m a creature of habit – an early morning workout, avocado toast for breakfast, and then? Too much sugar late at night. And, I’m more than a bit of a control freak. I like to craft my personal narrative, plug in the variables and chart my course on any given day. Predictability…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Combine avocado, feta, and olive oil in a food processor and blend for about four minutes, until the mixture is fairly smooth. Scrape sides of the food processor as needed to incorporate ingredients. Serve immediately with veggie dippers.
25 years in the making By Celeste McNeil; photo courtesy of Bob Vick With the slower pace of life the past several months, Bob Vick was looking for something to fill his time. He started gardening and built raised beds in the yard, and tried his hand at baking bread. With a shortage of commercial…
A baker’s saga Article and photos by Lisa Crockett Sourdough is very on-trend right now. Everyone, it seems, is whipping up their own starter (or getting some from a friend) and then turning out artisan loaves worthy of the cover of Bon Appetit magazine. Upon deciding that I too would partake of this particular fad…
By Bryan Goodland Paying for college can be a daunting task for any family. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, during the 2017/2018 academic year, undergraduate private nonprofit institutions cost an average of $46,014 per year, with undergraduate public institutions costing $17,797 per year. Of course, prestigious colleges can cost much more. Those…
to Colorado By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Brenda Bushey Although the annual Maine Lobster Festival has been canceled this summer, the Bushey family of Hidden Pointe is bringing the experience of a New England seafood cookout to Colorado. Having grown up in East Weymouth, Massachusetts, Brenda Bushey is familiar with seafood cookouts on summer…
Article and photos by Lynn Zahorik You don’t have to be a member of the flower power generation to be in awe of the 1965 Volkswagen (VW) Bus that is cruising the neighborhood. It is a stunning automobile painted in classic turquoise and white and adorned with the traditional silver VW badging on the front.…
…and the world By Nancy Koontz; photo courtesy of Judy Pecsok Judy and Tom Pecsok, residents of The Village at Castle Pines since 1999, love their Colorado home, but equally enjoy their time traveling the world. As a couple, the Pecsoks have traveled often, particularly enjoying ski trips to Austria and Switzerland – so much…
GOODBYE LAWN… By Lisa Nicklanovich; courtesy photos Community residents Leigh and Eric Houston have a front yard that looks a bit different than most of our front yards; while most of us have grass lawns, the Houston’s recently replaced theirs with a xeriscape yard. Xeriscape refers to a landscape that is meant to save water,…
By Carin Kirkegaard; courtesy photos The Vintage Car Club (VCC) of Castle Rock awarded Jacob Skelton a $2,500 automotive technology scholarship to attend the Lincoln College of Technology. For the past three years, the group has partnered with Ponderosa High School and its automotive program to select a Douglas County senior with plans to academically…
By Shaun Kernahan; photos courtesy of the Zales family Camping in Colorado’s high country is perhaps the perfect 2020 summer vacation. Bryan Zales, Castle Pines resident, has always loved all the adventures being out in the mountains offered. He learned from the best, his dad. When Dr. William Zales retired after more than 30 years…
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Michelle Barton Michelle Barton was out biking when she was caught in a thunder and lightning storm last month. “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever been through,” Barton said. After hearing thunder, she decided to turn around. When it continued, she decided to get off her bike and…
Article and photo by Lisa Nicklanovich Closed gyms and finding ways to exercise at home were good for the stationary bike market, and Peloton is leading the pack. The high-end indoor bicycle enables riders to have a challenging, competitive, high-tech pedaling experience at home. With its Wi-Fi enabled touchscreen tablet that streams live and on-demand…
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of Kurtis Klein Many people look at 2020 as a year they hope to leave in the rearview mirror. That’s not the case for resident of The Village at Castle Pines and lifelong golfer Kurtis Klein. For him, two very important life events took place in 2020 – the…