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January 2, 2014Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 118, Issue 49

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Abuzz with business activity New shops enliven Elizabeth, Elbert commercial districts By George Lurie glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com

With the dawn of 2014, a bevy of new businesses have debuted — or will debut — in the heart of Elizabeth and Elbert.

The list includes several well-known area antique shops, which are in the pro-cess of relocating, and a western-themed boutique bringing new life to a once-popu-lar State Highway 86 location.

Sonfl ower Antiques, for many years a mainstay of Elbert’s business community, closed last month and will reopen in early January in a new location in downtown Elizabeth.

Sonfl ower’s owner, Pam Richardson, said she expects to be back in business by the fi rst or second week of January in her new store at 244 Main.

Richardson’s former 4,500-square-foot gallery in Elbert, located at 2295 N. Elbert Road, was a popular antique mecca for nearly 15 years.

Meanwhile, Dancing Wolf Gallery, which for a number of years had been doing busi-ness just two days a week in a renovated, historic Elbert church a quarter mile east of Elbert Road, is moving into Sonfl ower’s former location.

That building is currently closed while undergoing a major interior renovation. Debra Sherman, the owner of Dancing Wolf, said she is targeting Feb. 1 for the gal-lery opening.

Sherman plans to continue to operate her church gallery too but is shifting the bulk of her business to the new location.

Dancing Wolf specializes in cowboy and

Indian-themed antiques and artifacts but Sherman said the new location will also carry a wide variety of traditional antiques and arts and crafts.

The new store will be open Wednesday through Saturday, Sherman said, and “pos-sibly on Sunday afternoons too.”

The old gallery will be open by appoint-ment, “at least until my husband Lee re-tires,” Sherman added.

Meanwhile, two new businesses have opened recently in the heart of Elizabeth — Lil’ Bit Ranchy, located at 322 E. Kiowa

Longtime county resident Randy Wallace has opened a new store, Randy’s Antiques and Art, on Main Street in downtown Elizabeth. The new store is one of a number of new shops popping up on the town’s budding “antiques row.” Photos by George Lurie

Debra Sherman’s Dancing Wolf Gallery has been located in a renovated church in Elbert. When Sherman opens her new location next year, the old gallery will remain open part-time.

Brenda Moore’s new store, Lil’ Bit Ranchy, a western-themed boutique located at 322 E. Kiowa Ave., opened on Black Friday. The store carries everything from Western-style clothing to furniture, housewares and jewelry.

Shops continues on Page 6

Chamber hires new director

Longtime area banker Peg Kelley tabbed to replace Beverly Durant By George Lurie glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce has a new director.

Peg Kelley, a longtime Elizabeth resi-dent known to many around the area through her work as a community banker, has assumed leadership of the organiza-tion.

Her fi rst day on the job was Dec. 9. She replaces Beverly Durant, who resigned in October after leading the Chamber since January 2008.

Joining Kelley at the chamber is Nancy Corrado, who started Dec. 16 and will serve as the chamber’s administrative as-sistant.

Both Kelley and Corrado will work half-time at the chamber offi ce, with Corrado taking the morning shift and Kelley the af-ternoon shift.

“We’re still trying to get the offi ce orga-nized,” Kelley said.

An Indiana native who moved to Eliza-beth from Denver in 1993, Kelley worked for many years at Community Banks of Colorado in the Safeway Shopping Center and said she was “excited” about taking over at the chamber.

“I know and have worked with so many people around the community through the bank,” she said. “I’m really thrilled about the opportunity to lead the cham-ber.”

Kelley said the coming year should be an interesting one at the chamber since more than half of the board members are new.

Joining the chamber board this year are Claudia Henning, Ed Robinson, Samantha Tanner, Janie Taylor and Ron Patera.

Returning board members include Ann Koontz, Joyce Dickinson, Donya Lew-is and Debbie Ullom, who currently serves as the board president.

The chamber board will hold its fi rst meeting of 2014 on Jan. 10. At that meet-ing, the board will install a new slate of of-fi cers.

The chamber offi ce is located at 166 Main Street, Suite E.

Those wishing to meet the new director and/or join the chamber can contact Kel-ley at (303) 646-4287.

Peg Kelley (left) and Nancy Corrado have recently been hired as the new sta� at the Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce. Kelley is the new director and Corrado will work as the Chamber’s administrative assistant. Photo by George Lurie

2 Elbert County News January 2, 2014

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Exhibit captures ‘Western Spirit’Elbert artist’s equine portraits to be shownBy Sonya Ellingboesellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The 21st Annual Coors Western Arts Exhibit and Sale draws works by 62 art-ists from across the nation with special skills in portraying the western scene: cowboys, horses, incredible landscapes, wildlife and much more.

It opens with a red carpet reception on Jan. 7, 5:30 to 10 p.m. (ticket required) and is open to the public Jan. 11-26. Usu-ally, a good many pieces of art are sold at this event. A portion of art show pro-ceeds — a record $254,000 in 2013 — goes to the National Western Scholarship Trust, which supports more than 70 col-lege students studying agribusiness and rural family medicine.

Coors National Western curator Rose Fredrick says that due to the show’s popularity, it will be expanded into a second venue in the Gallery at the Na-tional Western Club, with 15 additional artists. Colorado-based Quang Ho is the featured artist and has created the an-nual promotional poster, which will be for sale.

Among the invited artists is Karmel Timmons of Elbert County, who has gained national recognition for her skill-ful portraits of horses and an occasional human or bison. Included in the National Western will be her first-ever color study: “Future Prospect,” capturing a beautiful, alert, young horse.

According to a recent story in “South-west Art” magazine, 10 years ago Tim-mons was a single mother working as a

bookkeeper when she met her husband Matt, an engineer. They bought quar-ter horses in 1999 and she said, “I bet I can draw those horses.” Now, Matt runs the business side of her artwork and she draws.

Timmons soon started drawing neigh-bor’s horses and has plenty of models close at hand in rural Elbert County. She works from photographs and uses char-coal and wax blend Nero pencils, which come in five strengths. She draws from lunchtime to late at night, seven days a week, unless she’s traveling to horse shows. Each amazingly detailed drawing involves 150 to 200 hours of work, taking her about a month.

The couple no longer own horses, which are expensive, but depend on her horse art, which adds a plus on the led-ger.

For lovers of western art, this show has become a must-see event.

Also scheduled: a lecture and lun-cheon at the History of Colorado Center on Jan. 7 with Quang Ho, Teresa Elliott, Dean Mitchell and Keith Jacobshagen discussing “What is Western Art?” and “Journeys West,” a Petrie Institute of Western Art Symposium, at the Denver Art Museum on Jan. 8. “Boone,” a pencil drawing by Karmel Timmons, will be included in the Coors Art Exhibit. Courtesy photo

Oil, gas vote again postponedNew regulations will not address fracking By George Lurieglurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com

At its final meeting of the year, the El-bert County Planning Commission once again struggled with — and once again postponed voting on — a revised set of oil and gas regulations that, in one form or an-other, have now been nearly three years in the making.

At their Dec. 19 meeting, four of the six members of the planning commission refused to approve the latest revisions brought forth by Community and Develop-ment Services Director Kyle Fenner.

By a 4-2 vote, the planning commission decided on Dec. 19 to continue their work on the proposed Memorandum of Under-standing regarding Elbert County’s Process for Minor Oil and Gas Operations and Re-

lated Facilities.The planning commission’s next regu-

larly scheduled meeting was scheduled for Jan. 2. At that meeting, a final vote on the oil and gas MOU could take place.

The process of refining the proposed new regulations, which are meant to guide future oil and gas development in the county, have already led to the resignation of one planning commission chairman (Grant Thayer) and the firing of another (Paul Crisan).

At the Dec. 19 meeting, tempers flared once again when Fenner presented the latest draft version of the MOU and sev-eral commissioners objected to the fact that there had been some recent revisions and edits to the previous document. Some changes from the last meeting also had not been inserted into the latest draft MOU, which was dated Dec. 18.

For her part, Fenner argued that Elbert County’s oil and gas regulations should not be too complicated — or appear too un-friendly to potential oil and gas operators.

“The [county’s oil and gas] regulations should not exceed what the state requires,” said Fenner.

At various times during the meeting, Fenner seemed frustrated and combative. At one point, she stated that she was told by the board of county commissioners to “get a vote tonight” on the revised MOU, a statement that many in attendance, in-cluding a number of commissioners, ap-peared to take offense to.

Planning commissioner Rick Brown, a retired attorney, said he could not vote on a still-incomplete document. Brown also said that recent editing done to the MOU was “too general” and “big enough to drive a fracking truck through.”

Elbert County’s new oil and gas regula-tions do not address fracking — or hydrau-lic fracturing — a relatively new and still somewhat controversial drilling process that requires large amounts of water to re-move oil and natural gas trapped in rock.

During the public comment period of the meeting, Crisan — the former planning

commission chairman who was removed from his position by the BOCC in Novem-ber — suggested Elbert County would be best served by simply adopting general rules from the Colorado Oil and Gas Con-servation Commission and also keeping in place a Special Use Review that would al-low the county to evaluate future oil and gas applications on a case by case basis — and via a more transparent public process.

During a recess in the meeting, Fenner went to her basement office in the county building and made additional revisions to the MOU, saying when she returned: “I re-ally want a vote tonight.”

But at the end of a more-than-two-hour meeting, Commissioners Brown, Tom Be-shore, Sue Link and Mike Kelley moved to postpone a formal vote on the MOU; Com-missioners Ron Turner and Bob Ware were in favor of voting on a final document.

Once the planning commission ap-proves a revised MOU, it will be up to the BOCC to review and approve the new regu-lations.

if you goThe National Western Complex is located just north

of I-70, between Washington Street and Brighton Bou-levard at 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. For a complete schedule of events, some of which, including the art show are included in general admission and others, such as rodeos, are separately ticketed, visit www.na-tionalwestern.com. For more on the show, see: www.coorswesternart.com.

Elbert County News 3January 2, 2014

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‘Heaven has gained an angel’ Arapahoe High shooting victim Claire Davis dies

By Chris Rotar crotar@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The list of items, each one dropped off as a gesture of hope and support, contin-ued to grow.

The fl owers, the candles, the cards, the teddy bears, the balloons, the banners urg-ing strength. Since Dec. 13, they piled up outside a fence at Arapahoe High School in Centennial.

Claire Davis — and all of Arapahoe High — was tight within an extended commu-nity’s embrace.

Nine days after Davis was shot in the head, one item, a yellow poster board, spelled out the heartbreaking conclusion of her fi ght for life.

“Heaven has gained an angel.”Davis had died the previous day, at 4:29

p.m. Dec. 21, at Littleton Adventist Hospi-tal, her family by her side. The 17-year-old had been in critical condition since fellow Arapahoe High student Karl Pierson shot her at the school around 12:30 p.m. Dec. 13.

A statement posted on the hospital’s Facebook page announced the news to the community and to those around the nation and world who spent more than a week praying for Davis to recover. The hospital’s message seemed to indicate that Davis was

indeed “Warrior Strong” — a mantra built on the school’s nickname and the need to rebound from a nightmare — until the end.

“Despite the best efforts of our physi-cians and nursing staff, and Claire’s fi ght-ing spirit, her injuries were too severe and the most advanced medical treatments could not prevent this tragic loss of life. Claire’s death is immensely heartbreaking for our entire community, our staff and our families.”

Shortly after that posting, the hospital

relayed a message from the Davis family, which, in part, stated:

“Although we have lost our precious daughter, we will always be grateful for the indelible journey she took us on over the last 17 years — we were truly blessed to be Claire’s parents. The grace, laughter and light she brought to this world will not be extinguished by her death; to the contrary, it will only get stronger.”

Davis, who loved horses and the boy-band One Direction, was a senior at Arapa-

hoe. Authorities believe she just happened to be near the north entrance to the school used by Pierson as he made his charge to the library in search of his primary target, the coach of the speech and debate team. The shotgun-wielding Pierson killed him-self in the library about a minute after shooting Davis.

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Rob-inson said the two knew each other, but likely not well, and that there is no evi-dence she was a target of Pierson’s.

“As the result of discussions with the Davis family and friends of Claire Davis, it is clear that Claire and the shooter were school acquaintances, but were never close friends,” Robinson said in a Dec. 18 news release.

Over the weekend, Davis’ family an-nounced the establishment of the Arapa-hoe High School Community Fund hon-oring Claire Davis. The charitable fund will “support Arapahoe High School and the surrounding community by providing assistance for mental health care, anti-bullying programs and other community needs,” according to a statement by the City of Centennial.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper post-ed a statement on his Facebook page the night of Davis’ death, offering his condo-lences.

“Claire Davis personifi ed the love and kindness she learned from her family,” he wrote. “All of Colorado feels that. They are in our hearts.”

Dozens of people gathered at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Centennial on Dec. 20 to pray for Claire Davis. The Arapa-hoe High School shooting victim died the next day. Photo by Jennifer Smith

Flooding legislation begins to emerge One bill would allow counties to use general fund money to rebuild By Ivan Moreno Associated Press

Destruction from September’s Col-orado fl oods is prompting proposals that state lawmakers say are aimed at removing bureaucratic obstacles to expedite rebuilding efforts.

Some of the proposals haven’t been fi nalized, but the legislative ses-sion that begins this month could see several bills in reaction to one of the worst disasters in state history.

“We’re going to learn more things as we go along. For some people, it’s going to take years to recover,” said Sen. Matt Jones, a Democrat on a bi-partisan committee formed to study the impacts of the fl oods and come up with legislation.

A bill that Jones plans to introduce would allow counties to shift some their general fund dollars to their road and bridge funds for infrastructure repair — a transfer that current law forbids. The Colorado Department of Transportation already has made repairs to state highways to reopen damaged roads before a Dec. 1 goal. But local governments are still repair-ing roads and bridges, and they’re facing cash fl ow problems while they wait for reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Jones said.

Letting counties use their general fund money for road and bridge re-pair would allow them to speed up work, he said.

Another proposal addresses the damage to irrigation ditches that farmers rely on. In some cases, the point of diversion for rivers and ditch-es is not the same as it was before the

fl oods, lawmakers said. A bill would allow changes to the point of diversion without going through the lengthy ad-ministrative process of water court.

The goal is to allow farmers to con-tinue producing their crops as soon as possible, said Republican Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, who is sponsoring the bill.

Rep. Brian DelGrosso, the Republi-can leader in the House and a mem-ber of the fl ood committee, said the irrigation measure tackles a problem that’s not immediately visible to many.

“Everybody always sees the roads, they see the bridges, they see every-thing else that’s affected,” he said. “But it’s really hard to see some of the water infrastructure needs.”

The September fl oods damaged

parts of northern Colorado, starting in the foothills and spreading onto the plains. Nine people were killed, nearly 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of miles of roads were washed out.

Other legislative ideas that are be-ing considered but are not yet fi nal-ized:

• Giving schools impacted by fl ood-ing priority for grants under a capital construction program called Building Excellent Schools Today.

• Waiving or reimbursing property taxes for people who had their prop-erty destroyed.

• Not requiring out-of-state disas-ter workers to fi le or pay Colorado in-come taxes if they travel to the state to help.

Flooding prompted closures on Riverdale Road near Henderson Road in Adams County in September. Courtesy photo

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4 Elbert County News January 2, 2014

4-Opinion

opinions / yours and ours

Flattery will get you everywhereOK, so maybe it’s not flattery that will

get you everywhere but rather kindness or, at a minimum, kind words.

Now don’t get me wrong, flattery when sincerely given is not a bad place to start either. The problem comes when we use flattery as a weapon or manipulative tactic instead of having it come from the truth of the heart.

There are few things I enjoy more than hearing people speaking lovingly and kind-ly to one another. And I can assure you that as I have an opportunity to witness such sweet acts and hear such warm words, even though I am not a direct part of the conver-sation, it warms my heart and I find it to be just so wonderful. It inspires me to seek out opportunities to do the very same thing. And do it as quickly as possible.

You know the old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say any-thing at all.” I often wonder why more people don’t subscribe to the philosophy or actually put it into practice on a more regu-lar basis, doing it so often that it becomes a good habit and all that emerges from their lips are words of love, hope and encourage-

ment.Love, hope, and encouragement are the

essence of what kindness is really all about.I bet you can think of a time or conversa-

tion that you had where you wish the words would have been sweeter, and the outcome much better.

Now, I know some families seem to be-lieve that speaking harshly or even caus-tically to one another is their `norm’ and just couldn’t even imagine trying to speak words that build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Unfortunately there are other old say-ings and philosophical beliefs that are so heavily engrained in the hearts and minds

of people that prohibit them from seeing the many benefits of speaking kindly and lovingly toward one another. Sayings like, “familiarity breeds contempt,” or “some-times it just seems easier to say harsh things or hurt those closest to us.”

Maybe it’s time to break that cycle!Maybe our resolution for 2014 could

be to speak words of optimism, love, hope and encouragement to one another. What would that sound like in your house, in your family, with your friends, and even with your co-workers? Maybe it will feel a little uncomfortable and even unnatural at first. But here’s the deal, the more that we do it and do it consistently, the more the people around us will seem to change as well.

I would say that the majority of us long for words of hope and encouragement, and more importantly we respond favorably to such nurturing talk.

I am not sure about you, but when I feel like the flattery is sincere or that someone is building me up through the use of kind and loving words, I feel better and everything in my life feels and seems better. My relation-

ships are stronger, work is a better place to be, and my family seems to thrive whenev-er we really focus on our word choices and sincerity and intent of what we say.

“I am so proud of you.” “Nice job today.” “You look beautiful.” “I am so glad you are in my life.” “Thanks for all you do for me or for us.” These are just examples, but I can promise you that when we take the focus off of the bad and we make a genuine ef-fort to look for the good and verbalize those good feelings to everyone we encounter, it will make an enormous and positive differ-ence in every one of our relationships.

Are you speaking words of love, hope and encouragement? Are you operating first and foremost from a position of kind-ness? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we all start practicing this habit even just a little bit more in 2014, each week really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is a resident of Highlands Ranch, the former President of the Zig Ziglar Corporation and the CEO/Founder of www.candogo.com.

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Nocturnal sales pitches and worthless coinsI was warned. When I mentioned to a

friend several years ago that I was plan-ning to move my television to the master bedroom, my friend said, “You might re-gret it.”

I think she was right. I now watch about 10 times as much programming as I did when the set was in the living room. The programming isn’t any better than it used to be — in fact, it’s worse.

Add to that some horrific visions in my room of rest, like the one I had re-cently when I couldn’t sleep, and simply wanted something or someone to com-fort me back into the arms of Morpheus.

I turned on the television at about 3 a.m., and a man who looked exactly like entertainer Jack Cassidy — just a little too good looking — started yelling at me about quarters.

He was standing right next to hun-dreds of shiny, uncirculated quarters, row after row of them.

For a limited time only I could own all of them, and ones that were yet to be minted — for two easy payments.

He had his pitch down perfectly, nev-er stumbled over his words, or let on that he was a shill — which he was.

He was exceedingly annoying, but I couldn’t stop watching, or wondering how many others were watching too and reaching for their credit cards.

Here’s a flashback for you.For the final eight years of a dear

friend’s life, I fixed her Sunday breakfast. I always brought her flowers. I checked in on her during the week. A couple of times I changed her bedding because of blood, provided updates to her relatives in North Carolina, and expected nothing in return — but I was receiving many, many things in return.

She was an artist. I am an artist. She was my final mentor, and I was able to see what it might be like to have dedicat-

ed yourself to a lifetime of art, but now it was no longer possible to make art, not for her.

Her husband, a brilliant poet, died long before she did. They lived in a small house on Kearney Street off of Colfax, where Ruth and Littleton made their art and poetry.

They created during the day, and en-joyed cocktails in the evening. I never met her husband, but I sensed that he loved Ruth profoundly, and wanted to ensure that she would be taken care of in her last years alone.

She told me that he began to invest in coins that were advertised in magazines, that would appreciate unimaginably, and provide financial security beyond belief for anyone who possessed them.

My constant readers know that I am a skeptic. I sometimes have doubts that Thursdays will follow Wednesdays.

When Ruth died, I was informed that I was to inherit her oil painting supplies. They hadn’t been touched in years, and were worthless to me. Imagine strangled toothpaste tubes.

I also was awarded a houseplant. It was monstrous, and I always said so, but I think she thought I meant that it was monstrously beautiful.

Finally, I was given all of Littleton’s coins, bags and bags of them, in neat little packets. I took the bags of coins to a coin shop on Broadway in Denver, and

an employee asked me where I had got-ten them.

He interrupted my story and said, “May I finish for you?”

He wanted to know if I had received them from someone whose spouse had died, but beforehand made a substantial investment in coins that would appreci-ate unimaginably, and provide financial security beyond belief for anyone who possessed them.

“Uh, exactly.”

He smiled and said, “I’ll give you $170.”

I didn’t heed my friend’s warning about a bedroom television — but I’d like to warn you about nocturnal sales pitches for the shiny quarters of your dreams. Or nightmares.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, edu-cator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

Ice fishing demands safety measuresOne of my New Year’s resolutions never

changes from year to year and that is to do more ice fishing. There’s nothing like spending a quiet day on the ice to cure a good case of post-holiday cabin fever.

Most high country waters are covered with a layer of good hard ice by now while Front Range waters such as Chatfield and Cherry Creek Reservoirs are slower to pro-duce safe ice. Any lake can have soft spots or unsafe ice but fluctuating temperatures at the lower elevations generally require more caution.

If you’re new to the sport, here are a few tips for staying safe on the ice:

What is safe ice? It takes at least 2 inch-

es of hard ice to support the weight of the average person and 4 inches to support several persons. I generally like to have 6 inches of solid ice beneath my feet when venturing across a larger body of water,

but I have fished on less, making sure con-ditions were safe first.

It’s always a good idea to have at least one other buddy along. Carry a throw rope and stay several yards apart when travel-ing over untested ice. Cleats that attach to your boots are essential. They make walk-ing over ice a lot easier and may prevent a serious fall.

A whistle and a set of safety picks around your neck are handy if you take a dip.

Tony Lane, the former police chief of Castle Rock, is an avid outdoorsman and wildlife photographer.

Joe Lane shows the rewards of a safe ice fishing trip to Elevenmile Reservoir. Photo by Tony Lane

Elbert County News 5January 2, 2014

5-Color

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Man to stand trial for chase Seven-day jury trial set for April By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CJ Galley, the man facing 35 charges stemming from a lengthy police chase that ended in Parker, will stand trial in April.

The 23-year-old Northglenn man, who police say fi red a gun at pursuing offi cers while driving, has been charged with at-tempted fi rst-degree murder, among many other counts, from the chase in February.

Douglas County District Court Judge Richard Caschette scheduled a seven-day trial to start at 8:45 a.m. April 8 at the Rob-ert A. Christensen Justice Center in Castle Rock. A motions hearing, which enables attorneys from both sides to argue for and against the inclusion of evidence for trial, was set for 9 a.m. Feb. 21. Galley has plead-ed not guilty.

Prosecutors are gathering fi les, in-cluding audio and video, from the Adams County Sheriff’s Offi ce as they build a case against Galley’s alleged co-conspirator, Da-vid Vasquez, 24. Additional charges could be fi led against Vasquez, who will appear at a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. March

13 in Castle Rock. He al-ready faces three counts of attempted fi rst-degree murder, vehicular eluding, two counts of possession of a weapon by a previous of-fender and theft by receiv-ing.

During a hearing in Au-gust, Douglas County Court Judge Susanna Meissner-Cutler cited “overwhelming evidence” in her decision to allow the case to go to a jury.

The chase started in a Taco Bell drive-thru in Castle Rock when police tried to arrest Galley on a warrant for assaulting an offi cer. Investigators say he rammed police vehicles and put the public in danger as he led authorities north on Crowfoot Valley Road. Galley allegedly swerved at offi cers who had placed spike strips on the road in an effort to stop the pursuit. Prosecu-tors for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s offi ce accused Vasquez of helping Galley navigate his way to Parker.

The chase ended in the early morning hours in Clarke Farms, a quiet neighbor-hood that awakened to the sounds of a police helicopter, sirens and K-9 units. Gal-ley, Vasquez and a 19-year-old female were taken into custody, but the woman has not been charged. She suffered a gunshot wound, the only injury in the chase.

Galley

Shooting response earns praise Changes since Columbine prove their worth By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com

There’s a general consensus in the law enforcement community that things could have been much worse.

By any measure, a school shooting that leaves two students dead and hundreds with deep emotional scars is an unthinkable and heart-wrenching tragedy.

As the gravity of the shooting at Arapahoe High School on Friday the 13th becomes more real, offi -cials will take every angle to look at what went right and what went wrong.

As for the swarming emergency response to the Centennial school, there is a lot that went right. It be-came obvious in the days follow-ing the shooting that the perpetra-tor had plans for widespread death and destruction. It is believed that the immediate response by an armed school resource offi cer and his confrontation of the shooter, ended the rampage much sooner.

Arapahoe County Sheriff Gray-son Robinson said years of intense training for an active shooter situ-ation were instrumental in limit-ing the number of casualties.

“The response was very effec-tive and obviously quick and also was very consistent with what we’ve done over several years, the exercises we’ve done on a regional level,” Robinson said.

Coincidentally, one month be-

fore the shooting, Littleton Pub-lic Schools was ranked by Secu-rity Magazine as the seventh best school district in the nation for security, and among the top 500 institutions nationwide. The mag-azine cited ongoing training, secu-rity protocols and a close partner-ship with local law-enforcement agencies as reasons for the high ranking.

At least 10 agencies — even Colorado Parks and Wildlife — re-sponded to the scene at Arapahoe High School. The Englewood Po-lice Department was among the responding agencies.

Response changes have paid o� Pointed criticism of the han-

dling of the Columbine High School massacre forced law en-forcement offi cials to rethink ev-ery procedure they had in place. In the 14 years since, police and fi re departments have completely overhauled communications sys-tems and revised tactics.

The directive for fi rst-respond-ers to eliminate the threat right away, with or without back-up of-fi cers, came from lessons learned in previous shootings, especially Columbine. That tactical change has proven effective, and the swift end to the Arapahoe High School shooting is a perfect example, said Sgt. Andy Coleman, public infor-mation offi cer for the Parker Police Department.

Previous rules for dealing with an assailant are almost laughable, like the use of colored cards by teachers who were instructed to lock the door and slide the cards underneath to let police know the condition of those inside. Green meant everything was OK, red meant help was needed, Coleman

said.Policies and procedures con-

tinue to be tweaked based on de-briefi ngs that analyze the per-formance of offi cers in realistic training scenarios. The Parker Po-lice Department, which sent three offi cers and a supervisor to Arapa-hoe High School the moment the call went out, participates in at least two active-shooter drills ev-ery year with neighboring agen-cies.

Interagency partnerships have become a crucial tool in making

sure adjacent jurisdictions are on the same page in an emergency. Mutual aid protocol at a scene re-quires “fairly close control,” with everyone checking into a com-mand post, Robinson said.

Coleman says the assistance, particularly when an offi cer from another department might be able to respond quicker, can make all the difference.

“It would be crazy to say we could handle it by ourselves,” he said. “There’s no way.”

With so many people converg-

ing on one area, a well-coordinated response depends largely on uni-form policies, full-scale rehearsals and, perhaps most importantly, a tried-and-tested communications system that enables responders to be as effective as possible.

“The communications system functioned exactly as we expected it to,” Robinson said. “We put a lot of time and resources to make sure we were inter-operable through-out the metro area. Our capability was tested and we passed with fl y-ing colors.”

The area outside Arapahoe High School was surrounded by law enforcement and � re personnel following the shooting. Photo by George Lurie

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6 Elbert County News January 2, 2014

6-Color

Higher blood pressure threshold OK in seniorsBy Lindsay TannerAssociated Press

Many older adults with high blood pressure can be treated less aggressively, which could mean taking fewer pills to get it under control, according to new treatment guidelines from an expert panel. But not all experts are on board with the advice — including the federal agency that appointed the group.

Panel members stressed that they are not changing the definition of high blood pressure: 140 over 90. For adults aged 60 and older, they are recommending a higher treatment threshold, prescribing medicine only when blood pressure lev-els reach 150 over 90 or higher.

Too aggressive blood pressure treat-ment can cause fainting and falls in older patients, or bad interactions with drugs they’re already taking for other illnesses, panel members said.

The panel does endorse the lower tar-get of 140 over 90 for younger adults — and for all adults who also have diabetes or kidney disease.

The guidelines released in December are based on a review of the most rigor-

ous kind of medical research — studies in which patients are randomly prescribed drugs or dummy pills — published since the last update in 2003. The research suggests older patients can avoid ma-jor health problems like heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease even when their blood pressure is above the current recommended level, the panel said.

For many patients, two or three drugs — or more — are needed to bring their blood pressure down. Many older adults could probably reduce their doses, or take fewer drugs, to reach the new, less strict target, said Dr. Paul James, a panel member and family medicine specialist-researcher at the University of Iowa.

While the guidelines were updated by a government-appointed panel, they don’t have the government’s endorse-ment like previous versions. The panel completed its work earlier this year, around the same time that the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute an-nounced that it was getting out of the guidelines business and turning the job over to the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Updated guidelines from those medical

groups are expected in late 2014.In the meantime, the heart associa-

tion is raising concerns about the new recommendations, saying that many studies they are based on didn’t last long enough to reveal dangers of undertreat-ed high blood pressure in older patients. The panel also overlooked other evi-dence suggesting the 2003 government-backed recommendations are sound, said Dr. Elliott Antman, the heart associ-ation’s president-elect. He noted that his group last month published a treatment formula that echoes the 2003 advice.

Dr. Gary Gibbons, the federal agency’s director, issued a statement Wednes-day emphasizing that his agency has not sanctioned the panel’s report, nor has the broader National Institutes of Health. While noting that the panel de-cided not to collaborate with the heart groups’ efforts, Gibbons said his agency would work with those groups “to tran-sition” the panel’s evidence review into their update. His statement did not ad-dress whether the agency opposes all the panel’s recommendations.

James said panel members chose to release their guidelines independently

to get the recommendations out sooner and into the hands of primary care doc-tors, who treat large numbers of patients with high blood pressure. The guidelines were published online Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Asso-ciation.

Dr. Curtis Rimmerman, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, called the guidelines “exceedingly important” given the prev-alence of high blood pressure, which af-fects about 1 in 3 U.S. adults, or 68 mil-lion.

Whether many doctors immediately adopt the advice “remains to be seen,” he said. Rimmerman predicted that some will continue to push to get older patients’ blood pressure lower than the new recommendation, especially those with previous strokes or heart problems.

The panel said their guidelines are simply recommendations, and that doc-tors should make treatment decisions based on patients’ individual circum-stances. The experts emphasized that everyone with high blood pressure can benefit from a healthy diet, regular ex-ercise and weight control, which all can help lower blood pressure.

Jan. 15

BlOOd drive Walmart community blood drive is from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 15 inside Bonfils’ mobile bus at 2100 Legacy Circle, Elizabeth. For information or to schedule an appointment, contact Bonfils’ Appointment Center at 303-363-2300 or visit www.bonfils.org.

THe OuTBacK express is a public transit service provided through the East Central Council of Local Governments is open and available to all residents of Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson and Lincoln counties and provides an economical and efficient means of travel for the four-county region. Call Kay Campbell, Kiowa, at 719- 541-4275. You may also call the ECCOG office at 1-800-825-0208 to make reservations for any of the trips. You may also visit http://outbackexpress.tripod.com.

divOrce and pOsT-decree clinic. Elbert and Lincoln County Pro Se Divorce Clinic is offered from 9 a.m. to noon the third Friday of each month at the Elbert County Justice Center, 751 Ute St., in Kiowa. For information, call 303-520-6088 or email morgan@hayday.org. The clinic is free for parties who have no attorney and who are going through dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or post-decree cases. All walk-ins are welcome, and will be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis.

dOuglas-elBerT cOunTy Music TeacHers’ as-sOciaTiOn meets at 9 a.m. every first Thursday at Parker Bible Church, between Jordan and Chambers on Main Street. All area music teachers are welcome. Call Lucie Washburn, 303-814-3479.

THe elBerT cOunTy sHeriffs pOsse is a nonprofit volunteer organization that is part of the Elbert County Sheriffs Office. As volunteers we support the Elbert County Sheriffs Office, all law enforcement in our county, and the community at large. Membership is open to anyone without a criminal record. It meets the last Monday of the month at the Elbert County Sheriffs Office at 7 p.m. For more information or a membership applica-tion, go to http://www.elbertcountysheriff.com/posse.html, or contact Dave Peontek at 303-646-5456.

THe elizaBeTH fOOd BanK, 381 S. Banner in Elizabeth (next door to Elizabeth Presbyterian Church) needs to let the

public know that we are available to help anyone who needs food. The hours are Friday 12:30-3 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-11:30 a.m. Other times by appointment.

elizaBeTH guiTar grOup. Elizabeth guitar circle will meet on the first and second Wednesday of each month at the Eliza-beth Library. Traditional protocol/courtesy. Country, pop, blue-grass, cowboy, Beatles, 50s, 60s, 70s, blues, jazz and more. We who play for pleasure would love to meet more of same. Acoustic or power down. Come prepared to share a few songs, perform, play along, sing along with others. Enjoy new guitar friends to jam with. Gerry Vinson hosts on the first Wednesday from 6:30-9 p.m., and Laurie Smith hosts on the second Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. Uncertain? Drop by and observe. Banjo, ukelele, mandolin welcome. Call Laurie at 720-363-3531.

lawyers aT THe liBrary, a free legal clinic for parties who have no attorney, will be offered from 6-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month at the Elizabeth Library, 651 W. Beverly St. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help fill out forms and explain the process and procedure for the areas of family law, civil litigation, criminal defense, property law, probate law, collections, appeals, landlord-tenant law and civil protection orders. Walk-ins are welcome. Everyone will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis.

MysTery BOOK cluB meets at 9:30 a.m. the first Saturday of each month at the Simla Public Library. The group enjoys talking about a variety of mystery authors and titles. We also periodically host a Colorado author during our meetings. Everyone may join us, and registration is not required. Visit the Simla Branch of the Elbert County Library District at 504 Washington Avenue, call 719-541-2573, or email farabe@elbertcountylibrary.org.

OvereaTers anOnyMOus meets from 10-11 a.m. and from 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays in the Sedalia Room at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 2100 Meadows Parkway, Castle Rock.

saTurday genealOgy fun meets at the Elbert Public Li-brary at 1 p.m. on the seocnd Saturday of each month. Beginning to advanced genealogy enthusiasts are invited to attend. The Elbert Public Library is in the Elbert School library at 24489 Main Street in Elbert. Call 303-648-3533 for more information.

things to do

along State Highway 86 and Randy’s An-tiques and Art at 211 Main.

When Sonflowers opens later this month, downtown Elizabeth’s budding “antiques row” — which also includes Sis-ters Antiques and The Carriage Shoppes — will have doubled in size.

Randy Wallace, owner of Randy’s An-tiques and Art, has been a business partner of Richardson the past five years.

“Pam and I are still working together but in two separate, smaller shops,” said Wal-lace, referring to the “cozier” 500-square-foot stores he and Richardson will be oper-ating just a block from each other.

“We specialize in quality,” said Wallace.At the corner of E. Kiowa Ave. and State

Highway 86 in Elizabeth, just a stone’s throw from Main Street, Brenda Moore is operating Lil’ Bit Ranchy, a new Western-themed boutique.

Moore said that since the store opened

on Black Friday — Nov. 29 — “business has been just fabulous.”

“The community has been really re-ceptive and supportive,” said Moore, a longtime county resident who spent eight years working for the Pro Rodeo Associa-tion and together with her husband Simon still competes in rodeo team roping events.

“Everyone is really happy there is some-thing going on here in this building again,” Moore said. Lil’ Bit Ranchy is located in the former White Buffalo store, which was owned and operated by Ginger McIntire until her untimely death in a motorcycle accident several years ago.

McIntire’s daughter Joei is renting the historic, white clapboard house to Moore.

Lil’ Bit Ranchy carries everything from furniture and clothing to housewares and jewelry — all with a decidedly western flare.

“We try to buy and consign as much as possible from local vendors,” Moore said.

“Elbert County has been home for 20 years,” Moore added. “We felt like there was a real hole in this community after Ginger died and are thrilled to be able to open our business here.”

Continued from Page 1

shops

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7-Life-Color

Elbert County News 7January 2, 2014South MetroLIFE

Trumpet player subject of tribute

Trumpeter Pete Olstad, who toured and performed with the Maynard Ferguson Band will be featured in the Colorado Jazz Reper-tory Orchestra’s 8 p.m. Jan. 10 concert at the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree. The concert will be a tribute to the late trumpet player, Ferguson, and at the last CJRO concert, orchestra leader Art Bouton promised happily that this one would be “re-ally loud!”

Olstad, who started playing trumpet at age 9, lived in Colorado as a youth, attend-ing Evergreen High School, where teacher Bob Montgomery helped him launch toward a career. He attended The Berklee School of Music in Boston and fi nished his degree at UNC in Greeley, winning awards as he pro-gressed. He has toured and performed with the likes of Buddy Rich; Woody Herman; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Mel Torme; Brian Setzer; Tom Jones and more.

He will follow Ferguson’s custom of end-ing the concert with “Hey Jude” and inviting others to bring a trumpet to the concert and join in. Tickets cost $20 plus a $3 service fee: www.lonetreeartscenter.org, 720-509-1000.

Genealogists to meetThe Columbine Genealogical and Histor-

ical Society hosts a pair of programs: “Swed-ish Shorts” at 1 p.m. Jan. 14 and “Conducting Successful Interviews” at 1 p.m. Jan. 21 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, 6400 S. University Blvd., Centennial. Visitors are wel-come. www.ColumbineGenealogy.com.

Poet Laureate soughtNominations are being sought for the

next Colorado Poet Laureate. The selected nominee will serve as an active advocate for poetry, literacy and literature by participating in readings and other events. Colorado Hu-manities and Center for the Book will accept nominations through Feb. 4, 2014. Submit interest to Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book, 7935 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 450, Greenwood Village, CO, 80111. Attention: Poet Laureate.

For nomination form and information, visit www.coloradocreativeindustries.org. Gov. John Hickenlooper will make the ap-pointment in October 2014 for a four-year term. Honorarium and travel budget are supplied in relation to presentations.

Call for artistsThe Lone Tree Photo Show has a new

name: “Exploring the Light 2014.” Colorado photographers are invited to submit up to three entries through www.CAllForEntry.org, where information is online now. Cat-egories include landscape, animals, abstract, and motion. Total cash awards up to $4,000. Deadline is Feb. 24. Show will be April 19 to June 8. Juror is Glenn Randall.

Auditions Auditions for “The Music Man,” directed

by Christopher Willard, will be Jan. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for boys and girls and from 2 to 5 p.m. for ages 8 and older at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. Pre-pare 16-24 bars of appropriate song and a one-minute comic monologue to present if asked. Bring headshot and resume. By ap-pointment only: Contact Ashley Thompson at THAC, 303-794-2787, ext. 211 or athomp-son@townhallartscenter.com.

Flower Faces on display“Flower Faces” by Kristen Hatgi Sink will

open with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Jan. 3 and continue through Feb. 28 at the Byers-Evans House Gallery, 1310 Bannock St., Den-ver. Admission is free. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; closed on holidays on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17.

Parker � ight attendant, artist paints on layovers By Sonya Ellingboe sellingboe@coloradocommunityme-dia.com

Paris, Venice, Switzerland, Beijing and more…

“It’s been a good ride,” said painter Paul Valdez of his two-track career as a fl ight attendant and artist.

A Parker resident since 1987, he has been traveling and painting on layovers for 38 years, he said. About seven years ago, he began to teach painting when in town, for the Greater Castle Rock Artists Guild and elsewhere, with class schedules fl uctuating according to fl ight schedules. He recently held a 40-year retrospective at Parker’s Main-street Center.

Valdez now fl ies nine days in a month and is enjoying routes to Asia — and painting in China. “I trans-

ferred to a De-troit base to do Asia,” he explains. His all-time fa-vorite places to paint are in Par-is — where he sits outside and works, sometimes selling a work off the easel to a tour-ist — and in Ven-ice, where he was painting along the edge of a canal, when a gondola passenger bought a painting.

It’s been a nice source of extra income, he said.

“We had a really nice dinner that night,” he said, refl ecting on the Venice sale. His wife is also a fl ight attendant, gets to share some of the trips with him.

Valdez, who carries watercolors for

any-thing over a 24-hour layover, will have a solo exhibit at Little-ton Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton Gal-lery from Jan. 8 to Feb. 13. There will be an artist’s reception from 5:30 to 7:70 p.m. on January 18.

Opening in the upstairs theater Jan. 17 is the comedy “Boeing, Boeing,” about a guy who is juggling three stewardess girl-friends and their various schedules. Val-dez’ show is part of Stanton Gallery coor-dinator Nancy Boyson’s effort to relate the art to what’s showing in the theater.

When Valdez is painting along the banks of the Seine or elsewhere, tourists have often mistaken him for a Parisian, he recalls happily. He says, “I always leave a bit of soul in each (painting).” His exhibit will include paintings from Europe, a re-cent image of a large park in China and a few of his latest abstracts.

One abstract was infl uenced by a fl ight over Beijing, en route to Shanghai on Chi-nese New Year. “I could see tons of fi re-

works going off,” he said. “Smoke from all the fi recrackers created a glowing haze that was incredibly surreal.”

His theme is “from above. Designs are everywhere, you only have to observe.”

An upcoming adventure: Valdez will conduct a painting tour to Giverny and the Monet Gardens from May 22 to 29. “I met somebody who knew somebody,” he said and was able to arrange garden painting time before and after hours — before the tourist crowds arrive. Painters will stay in a Giverny B&B for seven nights and also be transported to nearby loca-tions to paint during the day.

Estimated cost: $2,900, plus air travel to Paris.

The deadline to register is Jan. 21. For information, visit Valdez’ website:

pauljvaldez.com, or call Rich, 770-977-3434, e-mail info@artcolony-giverny.com, or call Valdez, 303-870-5586.

“R & R Arch in Paris” watercolor by Paul Valdez will be in his solo show at Town Hall Arts Center Jan. 8 through Feb. 13. Courtesy photos

“Notre Dame at Sunset” watercolor by Paul Valdez will be one of many of Valdez’ works on display at Town Hall Arts

Center’s Stanton Gallery from Jan. 8 to Feb. 13.

THIS MUST BEParis

Paul J. Valdez’ painting exhibit will run from Jan. 8 to Feb. 23 in Stanton Gallery at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon-days through Fridays and during performanc-es. A public reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 18. Call 303-794-2787 for more information.

IF YOU GO

8 Elbert County News January 2, 2014

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A tip of the hat to cowboy traditions25th anniversary event celebrates ‘Old West’By Sonya Ellingboesellingboe@coloradocommu-nitymedia.com

What started 25 years ago with the first Colorado Cowboy Gath-ering at the Arvada Center has grown into a four-day celebra-tion, slated this year for Jan. 16-19.

It will be all things cowboy at two venues in Golden: the Ameri-can Mountaineering Center will be the site for most programs and the Green Center-Bunker Audito-rium at Colorado School of Mines will host a pair of headlining acts.

The American Mountaineer-ing Center has a main stage and a smaller campfire stage. Some programming will be especially aimed at children, particularly the themed matinees.

Cowboy poetry grew out of traditions developed by workers on cattle drives and ranches, who would gather around a campfire following a long day in the saddle and entertain with songs, stories and poems.

The first evening, Jan. 16, is focused on Baxter Black, the fa-

mous cowboy poet, philosopher, author, storyteller, and rodeo and television commentator.

Born in New Mexico in 1945, Black began a career as a large animal veterinarian, but soon became a full-time entertainer, who makes frequent public ap-pearances. Black has written a weekly column, “On the Edge of Common Sense” for 32 years. The column appears in 130, mostly rural, papers and some readers may also recall hearing him on National Public Radio in the past.

Black will be at the Table Mountain Inn in Golden at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 16 for a VIP “Meet and Greet” ($50) and will perform that night at 7:30 p.m. at the School of Mines Green Center-Bunker Au-ditorium.

Friday starts out with a Main

Stage Variety Show at the Moun-taineering Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., featuring more than 10 poets and singers in a variety of acts, as well as “2 Barbs on a Wire” on the Campfire Stage, followed by day-long, more inti-mate programming on that stage as well. On the Main Stage from 2 to 4:30 p.m. is the “Son of a Gun Show,” hosted by Jon Chandler with Ernie Martinez and others. The “Main Stage Hootnanny,” “headlined by Dave Stamey, starts at 7:30 p.m. Chuckwagon Cookin’ is available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the daytime lineup at the American Moun-taineering Center begins at 10 a.m. on both stages, with Chuck-wagon Cookin’ available and the day culminates with the Riders in the Sky at 7:30 p.m. at School of Mines.

On Sunday, Cowboy Church is scheduled at 10 a.m. and a “Jack-pot Finale” Matinee at 1 p.m.

Tickets range from a Weekend Super ticket to admission for in-dividual shows. A visit to www.ColoradoCowboyGathering.com will give a glimpse at the full schedule, respective event costs and information on Chuck Wag-on meals.

Cowboy poet, humorist and philosopher Baxter Black will perform on Jan. 16 at the Colorado Cowboy Gathering in Golden. Courtesy photo

Tales from Transylvania HeightsYoung Frankenstein visits the Vintage stageBy Sonya Ellingboesellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Act I, Scene 1: Transylvania Heights: We hear a funeral dirge from the live band as a procession bearing a coffin crosses at stage front. The mad scientist Dr. Victor von Frankenstein has passed on and the villag-ers are ecstatic. Inspector Kemp (a funny Patrick Brownson), with a jerky wooden arm and leg, tries to keep the crowd civil.

Director Deb Flomberg had to change gears in her mind, I’d think, to inhabit this warped, but entertaining world described in legends, in the novel and early films about Frankenstein. The story is continued more recently by the brilliant but wacky, Mel Brooks, who adapted his movie for the stage and wrote music and lyrics. His edgy humor pops up throughout.

Next, we meet the mad scientist’s grandson, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Seth Maisel), a New York science profes-sor who insists on pronouncing the name “Fronkensteen” and assures us he is not mad.

He spars and dances with his lady love, Elizabeth (Shahara Ray), who says, “Don’t touch!” A telegram arrives, instructing him to hurry to Transylvania to claim the castle

inherited from his late grandfather — or the locals will claim it instead.

Frankenstein is greeted by the castle servant: a distinctly creepy, humpbacked, cloaked Igor (skillful comic Mark Shonsey) at the train station and escorted to his cas-tle where he is met at the huge door by Frau Blucher (Barbara Porreca), who mourns for her late boss —“He Vas My Boyfriend.”

Soon, a buxom yodeling lab assistant, Inga (Kristi Siedow-Thompson) appears, ready to help young Frederick, should he wish to continue his grandfather’s experi-ments to create a monster. Of course…

Mike Kienker, with six-inch high soles on his boots, towers over everyone as the monster, causes havoc and the story pro-gresses with song and dance numbers, choreographed by newcomer Jamie Hor-ban.

The musical director is keyboardist Hunter Hall and there is an 11-piece band.

The newly remodeled Vintage main stage looks great, although we suspect the construction work cut into rehearsal time. Music wasn’t as smooth on opening night as it probably will be after a week, nor was the production quite as polished as it should be.

Perhaps Mel Brooks’ script and score

run a bit long, but the concept is clever — to update the legend — and Maisel is bright, agile and adept as young Franken-stein. The production should improve with a few more run-throughs and it has some good song and dance numbers, including a tap-dancing monster. Now how many times can one experience that?

Seth Maisel (Frederick Frankenstein) and Kristi Siedow-Thompson (Inga) contemplate an experiment in “Young Frankenstein at Vintage Theatre. Photo courtesy of Denver Mind Media

if you goThe 25th Colorado Cowboy Gathering

will be from Jan. 16 to 19 in Golden at the American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th Street, and the Green Center Auditorium at Colorado School of Mines, 923 15th St. Free parking is available at both locations. Tickets: www.ColoradoCowboyGathering.com or 1-888-718-4523.

if you go

“Young Frankenstein” plays through Feb. 2 at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $31 ($26 in advance) at 303-856-7830, www.vintag-etheatre.com. The Vintage has arranged for a Brazilian caterer to serve dinners before performances. See the website for information about menus and reservations.

MILESTONES

Education

Bridget Bailey, of Eliza-beth, earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Northern Colorado.

Jesse Fernandez, of Eliz-abeth, earned a bachelor’s degree in music education, vocal/piano,general music, from the University of Northern Colorado.

Megan Harper-Ramsey, of Elizabeth, earned a mas-ter’s degree in special edu-cation from the University of Northern Colorado.

Chelsea Kueht, of Eliza-beth, graduated summa cum laude with a bach-elor’s degree in elementary teaching from the Univer-sity of Northern Colorado.

Brandon White, of Elizabeth, earned a bach-elor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Northern Colorado.

Chandler Guetz, of Kiowa, earned a bachelor’s degree in business admin-istration, accounting, from the University of Northern Colorado.

Jordann McCarty, of Franktown, was elected vice president of Engi-neers Without Borders, a Level 2 registered student organization at Fort Lewis College. McCarty’s major is engineering.

Tiffany Smith, of Parker, has been selected to ap-pear in the 2014 edition of “Who’s Who Among Stu-dents in American Univer-sities and Colleges.” Smith is one of a select number

of students honored this year for academic achieve-ment, campus leadership, service to the community, and potential for contin-ued success. She is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology at Bob Jones University.

Stephanie Lund, of Parker, has been selected to join the staff of The Sower, a bi-weekly newspapers that covers campus news for the Concordia Univer-sity student community. Lund, a senior, works as a layout editor and is majoring in English and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Lan-guages).

Austin Baker, of Parker, is a member of the Univer-sity of Wyoming School of Pharmacy’s class of 2017 professional pharmacy program. Admission to the professional program is limited and highly com-petitive.

Heidi Steinmetz, of Parker, has been selected by audition as a member of the University A Cappella Choir at Concordia Univer-sity, Nebraska. Heidi sings soprano II. She is a working toward a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

Emilee Nelson, of Parker, successfully audi-tioned into the Chorale, the premier concert and repertoire choir at Bob Jones University. Nelson is a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in jour-nalism and mass commu-nication.

John Solomon, of Park-er, was elected marketing/PR director of The Inde-pendent News Magazine, a Level 2 registered student organization at Fort Lewis College. Solomon’s major is English, communication option.

Alec Richards, of Parker, is a member of the Univer-sity of Wyoming School of Pharmacy’s class of 2017 professional pharmacy program. Admission to the professional program is

limited and highly com-petitive.

Caroline G Hinds, of Parker, was named to the dean’s list for the spring se-mester at Samford Univer-sity. Hinds is a sophomore biology major.

John Dembowski, of Parker, has been named a member of the Committee for Fees Allocation at the University of Nebraska. Dembowski is a graduate student studying account-ing. He is the son of Jerry

and Jean Dembowski.Andrew Escandon, of

Parker, was named to the fall 2013 president’s honor roll at Washburn University.

Eric Bartoszek, of Parker, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Northern Colorado.

Chelsea Campanelli, of Parker, graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in special educa-

tion, K-12 teaching, from the University of Northern Colorado.

Nichole Desrochers, of Parker, earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

Anne Fogg, of Parker, earned a master’s degree in clinical counseling from the University of Northern

Colorado.

Elbert County News 9January 2, 2014

9

Notice To Creditors PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORSEstate of Jerold D. Jackson, Deceased

Case Number: 2013 PR 34

All persons having claims against theabove-named estate are required topresent them to the Personal Represent-ative or to the District Court of ElbertCounty, Colorado on or before April 21,2014 or the claims may be forever barred.

John S. SmithPersonal RepresentativeP.O. Box 63, Kiowa, Colorado 80117

Legal Notice No: 927847First Publication: December 19, 2013Last Publication: January 2, 2014Publisher: Elbert County News

“Trust Us!”

Noticesaremeant tobenoticed.Readyourpublicnoticesandget involved!

Without public notices,the government wouldn’thave to say anything else.Public notices are a community’s windowinto the government. From zoningregulations to local budgets, governmentshave used local newspapers to informcitizens of its actions as an essential partof your right to know.You knowwhere tolook, when to look and what to look for tobe involved as a citizen. Local newspapersprovide you with the information youneed to get involved.

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SALOME’S STARSFOR THE WEEK OF DEC 25, 2013

ARIES (Mar 21 to Apr 19) You might be busier than you had expected right now. But between the social-izing rounds and the workplace tasks, there are oppor-tunities for special moments with that certain someone.

TAURUS (Apr 20 to May 20) Your creative approach leads to a quicker-than-expected solution to a work-place problem. Now you can devote more time to that proposal you hope to introduce by midmonth.

GEMINI (May 21 to Jun 20) Technological glitches create problems early on. But by midweek, all runs smoothly once again, and you’re well and truly on your way to meeting all your deadlines.

CANCER (Jun 21 to Jul 22) Your energy levels are high, and you feel you can handle everything that comes along. But try to take a break from your hectic pace for some quiet time with someone close to you.

LEO (Jul 23 to Aug 22) Before you pounce on that shiny new opportunity, take more time to check it out to see how much substance actually lies beneath all that glitter. A family member has important news.

VIRGO (Aug 23 to Sept 22) A personal situation you thought was resolved resurfaces, thanks to a possibly well-intentioned move that went awry. Deal with it as soon as possible. Accept the help of a trusted friend.

LIBRA (Sept 23 to Oct 22) That goal you set way back when is finally in sight. Maintain your focus on achieving it, and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by unimportant demands for your attention.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 to Nov 21) A temperamental flare-up creates negative feelings that need to be dealt with immediately. But things once again go well after the apologies are made and hurt feelings are soothed.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 to Dec 21) An early impul-sive act causes confusion. But all is smoothed over once explanations are made. Expect a friend or family member to ask for your kind and always wise advice.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 to Jan 19) You might have to do some juggling of your priorities, as a personal matter appears to require more time and attention. Put your pride aside and accept help from those who offer it.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 to Feb 18) Your creative aspect is strong. Not only does it help you accomplish your goals, but it also inspires others. This could lead to a potentially rewarding collaboration opportunity.

PISCES (Feb 19 to Mar 20) Be careful about making major decisions when you’re not really committed to them. And resist any pressure to do otherwise. Better to delay action until all doubts are resolved.

BORN THIS WEEK: You set goals and are rarely distracted by any attempt to move you off the path you’ve chosen to reach them.

© 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.

10-Sports

ElbertSPORTS10 Elbert County NewsJanuary 2, 2014

An Elizabeth cheerleader is tossed in the air during a preliminary routine at the Class 4A state championship Dec. 7 at the Denver Coliseum. The Cardinals finished 24th out of 39 teams. Photo by Hannah Garcia

GETTING A LIFT Local teams ready for more actionElizabeth girls basketball squad starts season 7-1By Scott StockerSpecial to Colorado Community Media

The Elizabeth girls basketball team went into the holiday break sporting a 7-1 record. One of the main reasons the Cardinals have been on the ball has been the play of senior Tatum Neubert.

Neubert, who is averaging 21.2 points and 10 rebounds a game for Elizabeth, will head for the University of Oregon in the fall. Prior to the Christmas break the Cardinals lost to Mesa Ridge, 67-51, yet she came through with 26 points. The Cardinals rebounded to beat Vista Ridge, 63-43, and Canon City, 40-37.

Joining Neubert in the double-figure scoring column is Sabra Ross, who is scoring 12.7 points a game.

Elizabeth will return to the court Jan. 6, when the Cardinals host Conifer, and then play at Vista Peak Prep on Jan. 10.

The Elizabeth boys will carry a 5-3 re-cord into their 2014 portion of their bas-ketball schedule. The Cardinals defeated Evergreen, 75-64, and Canon City in a nail-bitter, 59-56 in their final pre-2014 season schedule. They will open up af-ter the break, Jan. 7, playing at Colorado Springs Mitchell.

Jake Gavitt has been the pace-setter for the Cardinals, averaging 23.8 points a game, but he is also joined by three oth-ers in double-figures. James Christian-son is scoring 11.5 points a game while Ryan White and Trevor Boss have been chipping in with 10.9 and 10.4 points, re-spectively.

Against Evergreen, Gavitt scored 23 points. He was joined in double-figures against the Cougars by Christianson and Boss, who tallied 18 and 15 points, re-

spectively. Gavitt came through with 20 points against Canon City while Aaron Stone was the only other player to hit in double-figures with 13.

The Kiowa boys carried a 3-2 record into the holiday break and will return to action Jan. 10 when they host Vanguard Christian. The Indians defeated Flagler, 56-21, Dec. 20 in a game in which they were quickly in command. They led the visitors, 19-6, after the first period of play and only allowed Flagler two and three points, respectively in the second and third quarters.

Jake Sewald is the leading scorer for Kiowa averaging 11.8 points a game. He has also been chipping in with seven rebounds a game. Isaac Janes leads the team in rebounding with 7.8 a night while being the only other Indian player to score in double-figures with 11.5. Ca-leb Smith is No. 3 on the team in points scored with 8.8 a night along with seven rebounds a game.

The Kiowa girls have an unblemished 4-0 record heading into the Holiday break and hope to keep it clean when they host Vanguard Christian on Jan. 14.

Taylor Upchurch and Madi Zielin-ski led the way in scoring for Kiowa. Up-church is scoring 12 points a game while pulling down 7.5 rebounds a night. Zie-linski scores 10.3 points a game while Autumn Lindt is next in line with a 9.0 average.

The Simla boys have turned in a 4-1 re-cord heading into the break and will play Byers on Jan. 10, and Elbert on Jan. 11. Cody Norris has been the leading scorer to date for the Cubs, averaging 13 points a game. He has been joined in double-figures this season by Jason George, aver-aging 11 a night.

Leading the way on the boards for

Record-breaking run for one of state’s best everMcCaffrey punctuates career with another state title, more awardsBy Jim Bentonjbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Watching Christian McCaffrey play foot-ball reminds many people of the lyrics to the song, Mr. Touchdown USA.

As Hugo Winterhalter’s tune says, “give him the ball and just look at him go.”

McCaffrey, the Valor Christian running back who has committed to play football at Stanford, was a threat each time he had the football this season en route to helping the Eagles to their fifth consecutive Colorado state championship.

And for the second straight year, the 6-foot, 195-pound senior has been named the Colorado Community Media South Metro Offensive Player of the Year.

“He has to be considered as one of the best in the state all-time,” said Valor coach Rod Sherman. “In the month of October he had 17 carries the entire month. He never once was frustrated with that; he never once was disap-pointed he didn’t touch the ball more. He was thankful his teammates got the opportunity.

“It’s his character, his leadership. He prac-tices harder than anyone in our program and we have a lot of guys that practice hard. He’s the best practice player I’ve ever coached. On the field I think his versatility is what sets him apart from others. If we would have given him 20 carries a game I am assuming he would

own every state record for rushing.”McCaffrey rushed for 1,863 yards on 157

carries and scored 27 touchdowns during the 2013 campaign. He caught 39 passes for 721 yards and 16 TDs. He also punted nine times for an average of 41.2 yards, returned 10 punts for 296 yards and two scores and had five kickoff returns for 107 yards.

Defensively, McCaffrey was used sparingly but had one sack, three pass break-ups, two interceptions and one defensive score.

A two-time Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year, McCaffrey has led Valor to state championships in each of his four seasons. The Eagles whipped Fairview 56-16 Nov. 30 at Sports Authority Field to win their second consecutive Class 5A title and Knights defen-sive end Carlo Kemp was nothing short of im-pressed after playing against McCaffrey.

“He is the best player in the state with the way he runs and the way he fines holes,” Kemp told BoCoPreps. “He’s robotic. I don’t think he’s human. He changed the way we prepared on defense and got the better of us.”

McCaffrey’s uncanny career statistics place him second all-time in the Colorado records books for points (848), touchdowns (141) and TD receptions (47), and first with 8,456 all-purpose yards. He also ranks first in the 11-player ranks for touchdowns and points.

“It’s been a really fun ride,” McCaffrey said. “I can remember back to my freshman year playing with my brother (Max) and all his buddies. I wouldn’t take any of it back. I definitely feel I improved in multiple aspects

Valor Christian senior Christian McCaffrey (5) runs the ball for the Eagles during the Class 5A state championship game against Fairview. McCaffrey is this year’s selection for offensive player of the year. Photo by Tom Munds

Hoops continues on Page 11

McCaffrey continues on Page 11

Elbert County News 11January 2, 2014

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Simla has been Kade Pyatt, who is pulling down 10 re-bounds a game while scor-ing 8.8 points an outing. Norris and George are both averaging 6.5 rebounds a

game for the Cubs.The Simla girls are un-

beaten heading into 2014 with a 5-0 record, but they have not been putting a load of points on the board. In other words, defense has defi nitely been the key.

Simla, with Sam Kaatz leading the scoring with 12.5 points a game, only av-erage 47.8 points an outing.

Mikki Korinek averages 10 points a game while lead-ing the team in rebounding with seven a night. Hannah Lutz averages 8.8 points and fi ve rebounds a game.

Simla will host Byers on Jan. 10 and Elbert on Jan.

11. They will next travel to Kiowa on Jan. 14.

The Elbert boys and girls certainly hope to fi nd a way to get a few wins under their belts as the 2014 por-tion of the season gets un-derway. The boys are 0-4,

the girls 0-3.The girls host Rocky

Mountain Lutheran on Jan. 7 and The Colorado Springs School on Jan. 10 then trav-el to Simla on Jan. 11. The boys also travel to Simla on Jan. 11.

Sumiko McDonald is the leading scorer for the girls averaging 6.3 points a game while pulling down 10 re-bounds an outing. Emily Pranger is next averaging 4.7 points as well as 4.7 re-bounds a game.

this season; the experience, getting comfortable and not getting as nervous before games. I’ve gained some weight and improved on my speed and quickness.”

McCaffrey showed the ability to gain the tough yards inside the tackles and still displayed quickness and elusiveness on the outside.

“He’s the whole package,” said Sherman. “Early in his career he was more of an edge runner. This year he’s shown he can get fi ve yards between the tackles. He un-derstands the difference of when to do that and when to bounce it outside.

“People often ask me if he is going to Stanford to be a running back. Absolutely he is going to be a running back. They can run option routes with him, fl ank out and he is arguably the best kick and punt returner in the state.”

McCaffrey has played be-hind talented offensive lines at Valor and he formed a mu-

tual admiration society with the linemen.

“You couldn’t ask for a better dude,” said tackle Alec Ruth. “He works so hard on the fi eld and he is prob-ably one of the most humble dudes I’ve ever met in my life. He makes the rest of the offensive line look real good. ... He gives us recognition (too). He bought us dinner after our fi rst game.”

McCaffrey, the son of former Denver Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, knows a lot of his success starts up front.

“It’s awesome especially when you have an offensive line like ours,” said McCaf-frey, who also manages to maintain a 3.65 grade point average. “You get through the hole and you just see green. It’s really fun. That’s the best feeling in the world to hit the hole and see noth-ing in front of you.

“I can’t thank those guys enough for what they’ve done. They make my job so easy. I look up to those guys.”

And the rest of the state looks up to McCaffrey.

Continued from Page 10

Hoops

Continued from Page 10

McCa� rey

12 Elbert County News January 2, 2014

12-Color

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Broncos lineman fends off doubtersManny Ramirez helps keep Peyton Manning cleanBy Arnie StapletonAssociated Press

Manny Ramirez has arguably the toughest job in pro football. As Pey-ton Manning’s center, he literally works under the most demanding quarterback in the NFL.

Not only that, but before this sea-son, the seventh-year journeyman from Texas Tech hadn’t played a full year at center since his junior year at Willowridge High School in Houston — way back in 2000.

With Ramirez as its anchor, the Broncos’ offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL (17 through the first 15 games), giving Manning time to throw his record 51 TD passes and plowing the way for Knowshon Moreno to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time.

“Manny’s been awesome,” Man-ning said after a Christmas afternoon practice in pads. “That is no easy task to go from guard to center, espe-cially in a sophisticated, fast-moving, always-changing offense. I think it would be one thing if you knew what play was going to be called and you had 40 seconds to process it. But we call one play and change it to the next with five seconds on the play clock and when we change a play, Manny has to make his own calls and he has just gotten better each week.”

He’s got the brawn and backbone to match the brains, too, Manning said.

“I know he has played through a lot of injuries. It speaks to his tough-ness,” Manning said. “He is one of the strongest guys on our team, so it’s very impressive. I’m not sure people (appreciate it). I think people in this building understand with the so-

phistication of our offense just how difficult his job is and he’s just been outstanding.”

Ramirez is an unlikely fulcrum for this historic offense, spending all season casting aside doubters and defensive linemen alike.

“This summer, I’m hearing all kind of grief about Manny can’t do this, Manny can’t do that,” offensive line coach Dave Magazu said. “Well, I think Manny’s proven all those peo-ple wrong.”

Coach John Fox laughs now that nobody seemed to believe him when he kept saying in the offseason that Ramirez was his starting center and that he wasn’t just keeping the po-sition warm for J.D. Walton or Dan Koppen or Ryan Lilja or Steve Vallos or even Chris Kuper.

Ramirez, whose claim to fame be-fore this season was bench-pressing a school-record 550 pounds in col-lege, didn’t listen to the skeptics but he couldn’t help but hear them, ei-ther.

“Truthfully, and unfortunately, that’s been my entire life,” Ramirez said. “You know, even when I was playing in middle school and high school, I’ve always had doubters, and that’s fine. That’s always been moti-vation for me.”

He’s been proving people wrong since he first starting playing foot-ball.

“Growing up, where I’m from, people aren’t shy to tell you to your face, ‘You’re not going to make it. You’re a Mexican, for one thing. There’s not many Mexicans that play in the league anyways. You’re not smart enough. If you go to college, you’re going to have to go to a juco first and then go to college if you get an opportunity,’” Ramirez said. “I don’t know, it’s just some dumb stuff people were always saying, trying to put me down for whatever reason it

might be. But you’ve just got to put all that to the side.”

Ramirez started 11 games at right guard for Denver last year, but free agency was barely 20 minutes old when he got a call from his old college teammate, Louis Vasquez, inform-ing him he’d just signed a four-year, $23.5 million deal with the Broncos to play right guard.

“I was shocked, but at the same time I was excited because Louie and I got a bond that’s like brothers, so I was happy for him,” Ramirez said. “And then my mindset was I’ve just got to fight for a job.”

The Broncos had a plan in mind for Ramirez.

When Manning began the second chapter of his career in Denver fol-lowing the series of neck surgeries that affected his famed right arm, he rebuilt his throwing motion from the ground up.

No longer does he rely as much on his arm strength so much as he does on proper mechanics, using more of his hips and torso to direct his passes and generate speed. So, it’s impera-tive that he has room to step into his throws.

That means, the Broncos needed more height and beef in the middle of their line, and they got it with Vasquez (6-foot-5, 335 pounds) and Zane Beadles (6-4, 305) at guard and Ramirez (6-3, 320) at center.

“That’s helped us become a little more powerful on the run and a little stouter on the pass,” Fox said. “So, those are areas you try to get better at physically. And then mentally is the thing that Manny’s done a great job with.

“He’s got a quarterback behind him that’s a pretty demanding guy and changes and does things on the fly, so you’ve got to be a sharp guy and you’ve got to earn his trust and he has and done an excellent job.”