The Castle Pines Connection

By Michelle Post I recently celebrated one of my students as she received her doctorate degree, and after the ceremony, I reflected on my own doctoral journey. I realized the importance of the power of others. I could not and did not complete my doctoral journey alone. I needed the power of others. I believe…

The incubator and brooder set up for this year’s chick hatching allowed students throughout BRE to peek in and see the progress. Article by Kathy Fallert; courtesy photos Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) held its second annual chick-hatching event at the school to help their students learn about embryology.  Forty-one fertile eggs were donated to the…

Information provided by Leadership Douglas County Leadership Douglas County (LDC), a program of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, is designed to bring diverse people together to enhance their experiences, perspectives and take their personal and professional leadership journey to the next level. The communities within the county serve as the classroom. Participants learn through…

The RCHS girls varsity tennis team after winning their region and advancing nine of 11 girls to the state championships, the first time in the school’s history. By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Stacie Chadwick The girls varsity tennis team at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) won their region and advanced nine of 11 girls…

By Lisa Nicklanovich; courtesy photosDouglas County High SchoolDavid Roney, golf, The College of Wooster, OH.   Coach Jeff Riley said, “David has been a varsity player for us for four years.  He was the leader of our golf team for the past two years, and he is a remarkable young man.  He has a tremendous…

The top three winners in the RHMS Spring Speech Smackdown  (left to right):  Megan Williams, Olivia Gibson and Jazlyn Eskanos. Contributed by RHMS student Kira Zizzo; photo courtesy of Judi Holst On May 1, the Spring Speech Smackdown, with the theme of “This I Believe,” took place at Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS).  Students spoke…

  Some of the members of the Village Idiots Cycling Club on a drizzly morning at their third annual bike drive.  One hundred and one bikes were donated that day. Article and photo by Patte Smith Kids riding bikes, laughing, pedaling their way to a friend’s house or off to school – the innocence and…

Pino’s Italian Kitchen & Bar is officially open for business in the City of Castle Pines. Article and photo by Terri Wiebold New restaurant owner and local resident Joe Sabia stood proudly outside Pino’s Italian Kitchen & Bar (formerly La Dolce Vita) while the finishing touches were completed on the restaurant renovation and signage change.…

“Yet they are without doubt the healthiest and most educated generation of elders that ever lived—and, of course, the wealthiest.” ~ Neil Howe People from across the United States came together in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963 to peacefully demonstrate their support to end racial segregation in schools and the creation of jobs for…

BRE fourth-grade Health Team 4 (left to right) front row: Emmet D., Grace K., Bella W., Joey S., Grant R. and Kyle D.; Second row: Mia W., Kristie V., Carson S., Blake H., Georgie H. and Olivia B.; Third row: Maddie K., Andrew A., Emma T., Morgan B. and Palmer W.; Back row: Mrs. Gutierrez,…

Nine consecutive years of coaching are nearly in the record books for Castle Pines resident Jeff DePasse (left) with his 12-year-old son Nick (right). By Kathy Fallert; courtesy photo Twelve-year King’s Crossing resident Jeff DePasse has been volunteering his time as an athletic coach for the local sports program Castle Pines Athletics (CPA) for the…

RCHS orchestra and choir students enjoyed Times Square in New York as part of a trip of sightseeing and music inspiration. By Sarah Bermingham, RCHS intern writer; photo courtesy of Andrea Scott and Julia Dale In April, the Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) choir and orchestra took a trip to New York City.  More than…

By Amanda Merriman Connection writer Amanda Merriman admits she is hopelessly addicted to books. It has been this way nearly all her life. Every month she shares what she has been reading with the hope that others will share in the obsession too. Erika Swyler’s interestingly named first novel, “The Book of Speculation,” has all…

For more than 60 years, Jim Bishop has been building a castle nestled in the San Isabel National Forest, stone by stone. Bishop’s perseverance and dedication to his quest are a testament that everyone has greatness within. A very colorful character with a lot of passion, Bishop welcomes visitors to his handmade castle in the…

A very optimistic Cindy Kessinger, the new Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra executive director. By Patte Smith; photo courtesy of Cindy Kessinger Congratulations to Cindy Kessinger who was appointed as the executive director of the Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra (LTSO) in April.  In her new role as the executive director, Kessinger will continue to build on…

Cutline and photo by Elean Gersack  The Rock Canyon orchestras, choirs and guitarists came together for the year-end Arts Festival Concert on Tuesday, May 9, in the Rock Canyon gymnasium.  The sound and song spanned from classical to pop hits and energized the families and friends who filled the bleachers.  In this photo, directors Benjamin…

Kayla Inman, a Castle Pines resident and recent graduate of Rock Canyon High School, won first place at the America the Beautiful Congressional Art Competition. By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of Kayla Inman Kayla Inman of Castle Pines took first place at the Fourth District’s Congressional Art Competition, a nation-wide high school arts competition held…

Duke’s Steakhouse owner Neal Minarick showed samples of their new one-of-a-kind dinner rolls, made specifically for Duke’s by Best Buddies Bakery, one of Wellspring Community’s enterprises, a local nonprofit serving special needs adults. By Elizabeth Wood West; photo by Terri Wiebold What do you get when you mix a wonderful nonprofit organization with a popular…

By Kathy Fallert Originally from Eastern Nepal about 20 miles away from India’s border, Ashok Neupane grew up learning a lot about Indian cuisine. Neupane is now the owner and manager of India’s Kitchen on Mainstreet in Parker, with a second location in Centennial near County Line and Holly. The Parker location was opened in…

Yearbook staff members Lauren Dressler, Belen Hebbelinck and Gabby Botero posed for a picture after winning the national Pacemaker Award on April 8 for the RCHS yearbook “U Discover.” By Riley Busch, RCHS intern writer; photo courtesy of Kristi Rathbun As the school year came to a close, high schoolers throughout the country reflected on…

In addition to receiving goodie bags, The Connection intern writers from Rock Canyon High School were treated to lunch at Duke’s Steakhouse.  Pictured left to right:  Jack Hibbett, Sarah Bermingham and Riley Busch. We love and appreciate our student partnerships! Article and photos by Terri Wiebold The Connection is thrilled to be working again this…

Resident Sue Fraley, participating artist Information and photos provided by the Douglas Land Conservancy Douglas Land Conservancy is pleased to announce the 4th Annual “Capturing the Beauty of Open Land” event will take place on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 at the White Pavilion in downtown Castle Rock. “Capturing the Beauty of Open…

Ann Marie McDonnell sprucing a room for a family at Joshua Station in Denver, which helps families transition from homelessness to a healthy, stable living environment. By Lisa Nicklanovich; photos courtesy of Ann Marie McDonnell and Lady Uhlig Photography For Ann Marie McDonnell, interior designer and HOA #1 resident, designing and staging spaces represents more…

Pictured left: BRE’s science fair winners pictured from left to right, back row: Owen M., Miller D., Jake B., Molly B., Liam A., Amelia M. and Ava D.; middle row: Aspen H., Sophia H., Joshua B., Gabrielle C. and Sophia P.; front row: Jenna P., Gavin R., Kiefer D., James W., Maycee T. and Principal…

“The Greatest Generation” valued loyalty to family, country and work; this played an important role in living through two world wars and the Great Depression. “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt By Michelle Post; courtesy photos I am not sure of the answers I would receive if I…

Deb Santy, assistant director of the Castle Rock Senior Activity Center (right) with Executive Director Debbi Haynie. The Castle Rock Senior Activity Center was instrumental in organizing the past three Senior Expos. An incredible amount of planning and dedication by the staff of the Castle Rock Senior Activity Center (CRSAC), as well as many other…

By RHMS student Kira Zizzo; photos by Amanda Gin and Riley Irwin On March 3, Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) was illuminated with ingenuity, originality, aptitude and ambition at Imagination and Innovation night. The halls were lined with iLab projects that students worked on for two quarters. Voices reverberated around the building as students competed…

South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) was recently awarded the Ready Set Go! award for excellence in recognition of the fire mitigation program they established with the PineRidge community in the City of Castle Pines. Left to right are Life Safety Coordinator Einar Jensen, International Association of Fire Chief’s President, John Sinclair, and SMFR Fire Chief…

Castle Pines Girl Scout Junior Troop 2687 delivered cookies to the Tennyson Center for Children. Pictured above left to right: Rachelle M., Caroline C., Rachael S., Claire Y. and Madeline L. Not pictured: Campbell D. and Jasmine T. Article and photos submitted by Juli Yeater Community service is important to Castle Pines Girl Scout Junior…

Information provided by the Douglas County School District A new Netflix series that debuted in March has become a popular topic of conversation in the hallways of several Douglas County schools, causing concern for some parents. Based on a 2011 New York Times best selling novel by Jay Asher, “13 Reasons Why” is a fictional…

By Elean Gersack Castle Pines Arts & Cultural Foundation will welcome Missoula Children’s Theatre to town this summer for the fourth straight year. This year’s play, “Jack and the Beanstalk,” will boast two performances on Saturday, July 22 at 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at Rocky Heights Middle School. As always, Castle Pines youngsters will…

By Patte Smith Most of the Castle Pines community shops for groceries at King Soopers, and many residents use the new library. You have the chance to help support local schools and the library by shopping and fueling up your car at King Soopers using a “scrip” card. Buffalo Ridge Elementary, American Academy, DCS Montessori…

The Rosenlund family is a tight unit, as is evidenced in their home life and in their work at Nations Lending in Castle Pines. Pictured from left to right, back row: Pricilla Rosenlund, Pamela Zahner, Joe Zahner, Tammy Anderson and Thurston Rosenlund; front row: Savannah Rosenlund and Truett Rosenlund. Article and photos by Kathy Fallert…

Students enjoy some of the many game-related activities offered at Rock Canyon High School’s After Prom, held on April 8 to provide a safe environment after the prom. By Riley Busch, RCHS intern writer; courtesy photos This past month, many high school students within the Castle Pines community donned tuxedos and flowing dresses and embarked…

By Lisa Crockett It never fails. You have a late-night craving for brownies (or pancakes, or chicken á la King), so you whip out the whisk and mixing bowls and get to work . . . only to discover you’re missing a crucial ingredient. While a midnight King Soopers run isn’t out of the question,…

By Kathy Fallert; photos courtesy of Candy Palazzo Thirteen-year-old Carly Palazzo, resident of Buffalo Ridge Estates, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the young age of 2 due to an unexplained gene mutation. Palazzo, along with 17-year-old Grace Garcia from Parker were chosen to represent Colorado at the annual Teens Speak Up! (TSU) conference in Washington,…

The RCHS basketball team after making the buzzer beater win against Grandview High School in the Great Eight competition, which took them to the Final Four for the first time in school history. The final moments of the game were played on ESPN’s SportsCenter. By Jack Hibbett, RCHS intern writer; photos courtesy of Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com…

By Amanda Merriman Connection writer Amanda Merriman admits she is hopelessly addicted to books. It has been this way nearly all her life. Every month she shares what she has been reading with the hope that others will share in the obsession too. This month’s Bibliophiliac’s selection, “Himself”, is a debut novel from author Jess…

Information provided by Douglas County Libraries Douglas County Libraries (DCL) presents an adventurous start to its Summer Reading Program with another season of Page to Stage children’s theater. This year’s entertaining production, presented in partnership with Front Range Theatre Company in Castle Rock, is an originally written adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland.” The traveling production…

Rock Canyon Bands marched in the parade in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida as part of a spring break trip. By Sarah Bermingham, RCHS intern writer; photos courtesy of Blake Unger This past spring break, the Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) Bands spent five magical and educational days at Walt Disney World in Orlando,…

Map of the 1937 Chase Landholdings (in blue). I-25 is highlighted purple, Santa Fe (Hwy 85) is red, Happy Canyon Road is green and Daniels Park Road is yellow. By Joe Gschwendtner Picking up where we left off last month …While John Chase Jr. was clearly the shaker and mover among the three sons who…

By Patte Smith; courtesy photo Spring is here, and many farmers markets open during the month of May. It is time to get out and enjoy the weather and stroll through markets offering fresh produce, home-grown flowers, arts and crafts, local brewed beer and activities for kids. When heading up to the mountains this summer…

Castle View High School Baca, Merissa Beauchamp, Lauren Beaujon, Anthony Besocke, Madelyn Bloom, Braden Brodin, Samuel Cage, Kellie Chavez Islas, Brayan Curry, Anna Curry, Blake Dean, Keaton DeVries, Jack Dudley, Koby Dunbar, Jane Endley, Skylar Finley, Brandon Galligan, Amber Gladstone, Madison Hosmer, Joseph Howland, Andrew Jackson, Joshua Kouri, Haylie Matese, Marissa Negron, Christopher Nouss, Marianna…

Castle Pines Postal Center employee Marie Dudgeon waved goodbye during the final days of operation at the store located in the King Soopers shopping center. Article and photo by Terri Wiebold Castle Pines residents were surprised in late April to find a sign taped to the door of the Castle Pines Postal Center which read,…

By Lynne Marsala Basche; photos courtesy of DCS Montessori School DCS Montessori (DCSM) celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday, April 22 with an event that included alumni, parents and staff, as well as current students, families and staff. All of the board of directors and Montessori Educational Foundation members were present, too! DCSM celebrated 20…

By Kathy Fallert Little did I know as I wrote the Day Trippin’ article last month regarding “RTD Southeast Rail Line and R Line Updates,” I have been parking illegally at Lincoln Station for years. I was under the assumption, as are many, that parking there is free. Apparently, I have been lucky that I…

French language students at Rock Canyon High School, along with teachers Alexis Savas and David Sapienza, traveled to Morocco where they rode camels in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga in the Sahara Desert. The group also visited the Medersa Ben Youssef, an Islamic school in Marrakech before traveling to the High Atlas Mountains where…

Olivia Voss, a junior at Rock Canyon High School and a Castle Pines Village resident, earned the highest possible composite ACT score of 36, a significant achievement reached by only one-tenth of one percent of high school ACT test takers. By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Lisa Voss Nearly 2 million high school students take…

Ready, set, go at the 2016 Memorial Day Run & March. Information and photos provided by the Memorial Day Run & March organization Race, run, ruck, walk or roll at the 2017 Memorial Day Run & March 5K, 10K and 30K runs on Saturday, May 27 starting at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The entire community…

Castle Pines Valley: In April, residents began to see construction on four model homes in the Phase 1 section of Castle Pines Valley (formerly Lagae Ranch). Production homes for prospective buyers are expected to follow starting in late spring. Residents can also expect continued road construction for Lagae Road down to Happy Canyon Road and…

Article and photo by Amy Shanahan; photos courtesy of Evan Semon Mark and Lisa Voss (pictured top left) know a thing or two about running a successful restaurant. The Castle Pines Village couple has spent the past seven years running The Tilted Kilt in downtown Denver and they have numerous years of hospitality and restaurant…

By Michelle Post This is the year of video marketing. Are you ready? Here are just a few stats to confirm that statement: 500 million people watch Facebook videos every day; 400 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute; online video will account for 74 percent of online traffic; and what took television…

By Patte Smith An Overview of the Colorado Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging with speaker James Riesberg Thursday, May 4, networking at 8:45 a.m., meeting 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. St. Andrew’s Methodist Church, 9203 South University Avenue, Highlands Ranch Older Americans Month Proclamation and Reception Tuesday, May 9, 12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.…

By Lynne Marsala Basche All neighborhoods are vulnerable to crime, and the Castle Pines community is no different. Recently, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) has seen a spike in opportunistic crimes in Castle Pines, and while residents are fortunate to live in a community where public safety is a priority, precautions must be taken…

More than 100 members of the TTE choir had the honor of singing the national anthem at the April 9 Colorado Rockies game. By Lynne Marsala Basche; photos courtesy of Linda Sovich and Cindy Berndt On April 9, spectators at Coors Field enjoyed peanuts, Cracker Jack and the Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) choir singing the…

Bikers enjoy a ride on Spruce Meadows Open Space Trail in Douglas County. Access to exercise opportunities were among the determining factors that led to the County being ranked number one in Colorado for overall health outcomes for the second consecutive year. Information provided by Douglas County Congratulations residents of Douglas County! You live in…

By Amanda Merriman I know I am not going to be the next Lita Ford or Joan Jett. All the same, I would be extremely happy if I could pluck out some songs on an upcoming camping trip. Or, when we settle around the fire pit at our new home, it would be so nice…

  Article and photo by Lisa Crockett| Lately, I’ve been binge watching a Netflix show called “The Great British Bake Off.” It’s a familiar reality show format, with a group of contestants assembled to face a weekly baking challenge. After all but three of the amateur bakers are sent home, a grand finale is held…

Information and graphic provided by the City of Castle Pines With summer right around the corner, the City of Castle Pines Public Works Department is gearing up for road maintenance season. This summer, the City will replace concrete panels on Castle Pines Parkway and Monarch Boulevard, and repave several neighborhood streets. Annual maintenance is carefully…

First grader Thomas Shank used his oil pastel skills to create his shaded owl piece. Thomas is pictured with his art teacher, Wendy Wilson, who was also on the planning committee. By Lynne Marsala Basche; photos courtesy of Wendy Wilson This year’s Annual District Art Show, held March 31 through April 3 at the Highlands…

BRE’s Green Team has been busy saving energy at their school. Picture above, left to right, back row: Liam A., Blake C., Casey G., Mrs. Romero, Anya H., Gabe H., Charlotte S., Katie S., Mrs. Robinson and Dylan L.; front row: Taylor M., Christina S., Abbie M., Bryce H., Preston M. and Jackson H. By…

Information provided by Douglas County Douglas County’s Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) is an evolving document that establishes a common vision for what the County will look like over the next 20 to 30 years. The CMP provides guidance for a variety of issues that directly affect the quality of life of Douglas County residents, including…

Ryan James Day By Lynne Marsala Basche; photos courtesy of Linda Day Ryan James Day loved a challenge. At age 9, for example, he wanted to learn the piano. So he did. Ryan’s parents, Jim and Linda, laugh wondering how he knew to read notes. Whether participating in sports or attending Douglas County High School…

BRE students battle their way to branch championships   By Kathy Fallert; courtesy photo The Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) third and fourth grade team battled their way to victory as the Lone Tree branch champions in this year’s Battle of the Books competition.  The competition is similar to a game show format.  The students all…