12
News Elbert County ourelbertcountynews.com July 4, 2013 75 cents A Colorado Community Media Publication Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 23 Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy. POSTAL ADDRESS Oil, gas rules remain unsettled Anticipated decision fizzles amid disputes over big picture, wording By Deborah Grigsby [email protected] Landowners and gas and oil producers held their breath June 26, awaiting a vote from the Elbert County commissioners amending the county’s zoning regulations for oil and gas exploration. The decision is perhaps one of the most important issues to come before the county in decades. But when the daylong meeting ended with a vote to continue discussions, many stakeholders discovered the devil was, indeed, in the details. “In my opinion, this document is simply not ready,” said District 2 Commissioner Kurt Schlegel. Quarrels over grammar, syntax and whether or not a memorandum of under- standing should be “coupled” with the new zoning regulations raised hackles and left many feeling there was some sort of under- lying agenda. District 3 Commissioner Larry Ross tried twice to clarify that the land use amend- ment and the memorandum of under- standing that would be offered to gas and oil producers were not one and the same. “These are two separate documents,” said Ross. “One is a regulation that covers land usage and the other is a contract.” Memorandums of agreement, or MOUs, are often cited in land use regulations, noted Ross, but they have no place beyond that. In this case, land use regulations would govern the use of county land by gas and oil producers. By statute, they must com- plement, but not exceed, laws set forth by the state. Producers must apply for and be granted a permit before any drilling or exploratory operations may begin — a pro- cess that can take months. However, many counties and munici- palities offer MOUs as part of a voluntary administrative process to speed the per- mitting process along. Those producers that opt not to agree to county require- ments in the MOU would be required to Body language seemed to mirror the frustration felt by many at a June 26 Elbert County commissioners’ meeting. John Dorman, one of the volunteers who helped draft and edit the county’s proposed oil and gas regulations, tries to clarify the officials’ position on “coupling” the proposal with a standard memorandum of understanding. Photo by Deborah Grigsby Spending limits rise for county departments Officials get more leeway to make some purchases By Deborah Grigsby [email protected] Elbert County is still not out of the fi- nancial woods, but easing restrictions on spending by department heads is in the county’s best interest, according to County Commissioner Robert Rowland. In a 2-1 vote June 26, the Board of Coun- ty Commissioners increased spending lim- its for all county department heads from $2,000 to $10,000, with the exception of public works, which would be increased to $15,000. Rowland said the move does not affect strict budget control measures put into place earlier this year, but rather increases county efficiencies. “We hire our department heads to make the day-to-day things happens,” explained Rowland. “A $2,000 limit really handcuffs these folks from doing their jobs.” Before, purchases that exceeded the county spending limit of $2,000 would have to be held and brought before the commis- sioners for a vote. Rowland said large-ticket items such as fuel regularly exceed the limit, and depart- ments such as public works could operate more efficiently without so many adminis- trative encumbrances. “This doesn’t affect the strict budget control measures we’ve put into place,” Rowland said. “Each department head is required to sit down with the financial di- rector for a monthly budget review — to mi- cromanage our department heads is coun- terproductive.” District 3 Commissioner Larry Ross dis- agrees. He underscored the county’s frail fi- nancial situation, suggesting that a county purchase order system would be more ap- propriate. The measure was passed by a 2-1 vote, with Rowland and Kurt Schlegel in favor and Ross dissenting. Child-health law proves toothless Proposal was intended to spur increased physical activity By Kevin Vaughan I-News Network A 2011 state law requiring 30 minutes of physical activity a day for elementary stu- dents was supposed to mark a new tool in the fight against childhood obesity — but in reality it did little more than reinforce the status quo, an I-News examination found. The reason: The measure was so gutted during the legislative process that it has meant virtually no meaningful changes in the way elementary schools are operated. The standard imposed by the law — which allows recess to count as physical activity time — was already being met by districts across the state. Two years later, the school day looks ex- actly the same for students across the state as it did before the law was passed. “We didn’t change anything because we were already meeting it to begin with,” said Dave Eichman, director of athletics and physical education for Colorado Springs School District 11. That sentiment was echoed over and Elementary-school students play during recess at Hutchinson Elementary in Lakewood earlier this year. A 2011 state law written to incorporate physical activity into the daily schedule of elementary schools to help fight against childhood obesity has had little effect, according to an I-News examination. Photo by The I-News Network at Rocky Mountain PBS Rules continues on Page 7 Health continues on Page 7

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Page 1: elbert county news_0704

Elbert 7-4-13

NewsElbert County

ourelbertcountynews.com

July 4, 2013 75 centsA Colorado Community Media Publication

Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 23

Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.

POSTAL ADDRESS

Oil, gas rules remain unsettledAnticipated decision fizzles amid disputes over big picture, wordingBy Deborah [email protected]

Landowners and gas and oil producers held their breath June 26, awaiting a vote from the Elbert County commissioners amending the county’s zoning regulations for oil and gas exploration.

The decision is perhaps one of the most important issues to come before the county in decades. But when the daylong meeting ended with a vote to continue discussions, many stakeholders discovered the devil

was, indeed, in the details.“In my opinion, this document is simply

not ready,” said District 2 Commissioner Kurt Schlegel.

Quarrels over grammar, syntax and whether or not a memorandum of under-standing should be “coupled” with the new zoning regulations raised hackles and left many feeling there was some sort of under-lying agenda.

District 3 Commissioner Larry Ross tried twice to clarify that the land use amend-ment and the memorandum of under-standing that would be offered to gas and oil producers were not one and the same.

“These are two separate documents,” said Ross. “One is a regulation that covers land usage and the other is a contract.”

Memorandums of agreement, or MOUs,

are often cited in land use regulations, noted Ross, but they have no place beyond that.

In this case, land use regulations would govern the use of county land by gas and oil producers. By statute, they must com-plement, but not exceed, laws set forth by the state. Producers must apply for and be granted a permit before any drilling or exploratory operations may begin — a pro-cess that can take months.

However, many counties and munici-palities offer MOUs as part of a voluntary administrative process to speed the per-mitting process along. Those producers that opt not to agree to county require-ments in the MOU would be required to

Body language seemed to mirror the frustration felt by many at a June 26 Elbert County commissioners’ meeting. John Dorman, one of the volunteers who helped draft and edit the county’s proposed oil and gas regulations, tries to clarify the officials’ position on “coupling” the proposal with a standard memorandum of understanding. Photo by Deborah Grigsby

Spending limits rise for county departmentsOfficials get more leeway to make some purchasesBy Deborah [email protected]

Elbert County is still not out of the fi-nancial woods, but easing restrictions on spending by department heads is in the county’s best interest, according to County Commissioner Robert Rowland.

In a 2-1 vote June 26, the Board of Coun-ty Commissioners increased spending lim-its for all county department heads from $2,000 to $10,000, with the exception of public works, which would be increased to $15,000.

Rowland said the move does not affect strict budget control measures put into place earlier this year, but rather increases county efficiencies.

“We hire our department heads to make the day-to-day things happens,” explained Rowland. “A $2,000 limit really handcuffs these folks from doing their jobs.”

Before, purchases that exceeded the county spending limit of $2,000 would have to be held and brought before the commis-sioners for a vote.

Rowland said large-ticket items such as fuel regularly exceed the limit, and depart-ments such as public works could operate more efficiently without so many adminis-trative encumbrances.

“This doesn’t affect the strict budget control measures we’ve put into place,” Rowland said. “Each department head is required to sit down with the financial di-rector for a monthly budget review — to mi-cromanage our department heads is coun-terproductive.”

District 3 Commissioner Larry Ross dis-agrees. He underscored the county’s frail fi-nancial situation, suggesting that a county purchase order system would be more ap-propriate.

The measure was passed by a 2-1 vote, with Rowland and Kurt Schlegel in favor and Ross dissenting.

Child-health law proves toothlessProposal was intended to spur increased physical activityBy Kevin VaughanI-News Network

A 2011 state law requiring 30 minutes of physical activity a day for elementary stu-dents was supposed to mark a new tool in the fight against childhood obesity — but in reality it did little more than reinforce the status quo, an I-News examination found.

The reason: The measure was so gutted during the legislative process that it has meant virtually no meaningful changes in

the way elementary schools are operated. The standard imposed by the law — which allows recess to count as physical activity time — was already being met by districts across the state.

Two years later, the school day looks ex-actly the same for students across the state as it did before the law was passed.

“We didn’t change anything because we were already meeting it to begin with,” said Dave Eichman, director of athletics and physical education for Colorado Springs School District 11.

That sentiment was echoed over and

Elementary-school students play during recess at Hutchinson Elementary in Lakewood earlier this year. A 2011 state law written to incorporate physical activity into the daily schedule of elementary schools to help fight against childhood obesity has had little effect, according to an I-News examination. Photo by The I-News Network at Rocky Mountain PBS

Rules continues on Page 7

Health continues on Page 7

Page 2: elbert county news_0704

2 Elbert County News July 4, 2013

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What librarians look forward to readingContrary to what some people think,

librarians do not get to spend their days on the job reading.

Over-exposure to books, however, does mean that a lot of us spend our leisure time checking out the books that stare out at us from the shelves every day.

Summer is prime time to indulge in a little extra reading, and several favorite and new authors are coming out with great summertime reads. I asked the management team to share with me what books they are looking forward to read-ing this summer. You can find all of these books and more at the library.

Jan at the Elizabeth Library said that on her radar this summer is “The Shining Girls” by Lauren Beukes, about Harper Curtis, a time-traveling serial killer, who strikes and then escapes to a different time. One of his victims, Kirby, survives and becomes determined to stop Harper.

The nonfiction book “Frozen in Time” by Mitchell Zuckoff sounds really inter-esting. It is a combination story of surviv-al in the Arctic and a historical mystery.

The book explores what became of a

U.S. cargo plane that crashed in Green-land in 1942 and the two search-and-rescue missions that went out to try and help.

Jan also just finished “Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein, which is a 2013 Printz Honor Book and a great story about friendship and heroism.

As far as series — the Maisie Dobbs (by Jacqueline Winspear) and Ruth Galloway (by Elly Griffiths) series both have new books out. Both series feature strong, likable heroines in interesting settings.

One book that Kiowa and Elbert

manager Sue is looking forward to is Julie Garwood’s “Hotshot.”

Her newest effort includes family drama, suspense and, of course, ro-mance. It centers on a group of sisters who inherit an oceanfront resort, which they have to run for one year and make a profit to keep it.

Challenges and people who don’t want them to succeed threaten them. They refuse to let the threats scare them until one of them almost dies. An old friend with the FBI is called for help.

Tim in Simla recently read Cory Doctorow’s “Homeland,” a young adult techno-thriller about how makers are shaping the world by enabling the free flow of information and ideas via tech-nology. For a good nonfiction read, he recommends “Give and Take: The Hidden Social Dynamics of Success” by Adam Hughes. This book dispels the “greed is good” myth. Through a variety of case studies, Hughes explores how collabora-tion through giving improves the lives of everyone.

As for myself, one of my favorite

authors, Steve Berry, just came out with a new book called “The King’s Decep-tion.” Similar in style to Dan Brown and “The Da Vinci Code,” I find Berry’s series featuring Cotton Malone to be even more captivating, and I find it hard to put down his page-turning thrillers.

Brown’s long-anticipated sequel, “In-ferno,” is out now too. I also just picked up “Someday, Someday, Maybe” by Lau-ren Graham, the first novel by the star of “Gilmore Girls” and “Parenthood,” based on her experiences as a young actress struggling to make it in New York City.

I always enjoy the anticipation of the next good read, and sharing my favorite reads with other readers.

I hope something in this column piques your interest and you’ll come check it out. Happy reading!

Kari May lives in Elizabeth and is the director of the Elbert County Library District. She can be contacted through the library at [email protected]. Visit the library at www.elbertcoun-tylibrary.org.

Send uS your newS

Colorado Community Media welcomes event listings and other submissions.

Please note our new submissions emails.

events and club [email protected] notes, such as honor roll and dean’s list [email protected]

Military [email protected] press releasesSubmit through our websiteLetters to the [email protected]

Fax information to 303-566-4098Mail to 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Page 3: elbert county news_0704

Elbert County News 3 July 4, 2013

3

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ELBERT

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• 240 acres• Well,120 acres grass hay 120 acres pasture • 1010628GreG Waldmann 303-817-7111

Our hearts go out to those affected by the Black Forest wildfire.

Please help our neighboring community by donating to the Red Cross. Donate online at www.redcross.org

for the Pikes Peak Chapter or call 1-800-Red Cross

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Page 4: elbert county news_0704

4 Elbert County News July 4, 2013

4

CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVINGAffiliated with United Church of Religious Science

Sunday Services 10 a.m.Castle Rock Recreation Center

2301 Woodlands Blvd, Castle Rockwww.OurCenterforSpiritualLiving.org 720-851-0265

Sunday Worship8:00 & 10:45 a.m.

Trinity Lutheran School & ELC(Ages 3-5, Grades K-8)

303-841-4660www.tlcas.org

Trinity Lutheran Church

& School

Abiding Word Lutheran Church

8391 S. Burnley Ct., Highlands Ranch

(Next to RTD lot @470 & University)

Worship ServicesSundays at 9:00am

303-791-3315 [email protected]

www.awlc.org

Sunday Worship8:00 am Chapel Service

9:00 & 10:30 am Sunday School 9:00 & 10:30 am

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

www.st-andrew-umc.com303-794-2683

Preschool: 303-794-05109203 S. University Blvd.

Highlands Ranch, 80126

Open and Welcoming

Sunday 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.

First Presbyterian Church of Littleton

1609 W. Littleton Blvd.(303) 798-1389 • www.fpcl.org

P.O. Box 2945—Parker CO 80134-2945www.ParkerCCRS.org

303.805.9890

ParkerCommunity Churchof Religious Science

Sunday services held in thehistoric Ruth Memorial Chapel

at the Parker Mainstreet Center...19650 E. Mainstreet, Parker 80138

New Thought...Ancient Wisdom

Visit our website fordetails of classes &

upcoming events.Sunday Service& Children’s Church10:00 a.m.

www.SpiritofHopeLCMC.org

5755 Valley Hi DriveParker, CO303-941-0668

Pastor David FisherFellowship & Worship: 9:00 amSunday School: 10:45 am

Sunday Worship: 10:45AM & 6PMBible Study: 9:30AM

Children, Young People & Adults

www.parkerbiblechurch.org

4391 E Mainstreet, Parker, Colorado 80134

Church Office – (303) 841-3836

Where people are excited about God’s Word.

Castle Rock Highlands Ranch Littleton

Greewood Village

ParkerParkerParker

Franktown

Hilltop United Church Of Christ

10926 E. Democrat Rd. Parker, CO

10am Worship Service www.hilltopucc.org

303-841-2808

Little Blessings Day Carewww.littleblessingspdo.com

First UnitedMethodist Church

1200 South StreetCastle Rock, CO 80104

303.688.3047www.fumccr.org

Services:Saturday 5:30pm

Sunday 8am, 9:15am, 10:30amSunday School 9:15am

Sunday Worship 10:304825 North Crowfoot Valley Rd.Castle Rock • canyonscc.org

303-663-5751

An EvangelicalPresbyterian Church

“Loving God - Making A Difference”A place for you

worship Time

Welcome Home!Weaving Truth

and Relevance into Relationships and Life

9:00am Spiritual Formation Classes for all Ages

90 east orchard roadlittleton, co

303 798 6387www.gracepointcc.us

10:30AM sundays

To advertise your place of worship in this section,

call 303-566-4091 or email [email protected].

GR AC E PR E S B Y T E R IA N

303-798-8485

www.gracecolorado.comAlongside One Another On Life’s Journey

Sundays at10:00 am

Grace is on the NE Corner of SantaFe Dr. & Highlands Ranch Pkwy.

(Across from Murdochs)

You are invitedto worship with us:

Saturday 5:30pm

Sunday 9:30am

Joyful Mission Preschool 303-841-37707051 East Parker Hills Ct. • Parker, CO

303-841-3739www.joylutheran-parker.org

JoyLUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA

S E r v i C E S :Parker evangelical

Presbyterian churchConnect – Grow – Serve

Sunday Worship8:45 am & 10:30 am

9030 Miller roadParker, Co 80138

303-841-2125www.pepc.org

9300 E. Belleview Ave.Greenwood Village

Colorado 80111303-770-9301 orwww.stplc.org

*ages 3 yrs to those entering 6th grade

Saint Peter Lutheran Church and Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp

Day Camp 2013August 5 – 8

Office: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129PhOne: 303-566-4100A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERI-ODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ELIZABETH, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.POSTMASTeR: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129DeADLineS: Display advertising: Thurs. 11 a.m.Legal advertising: Thurs. 11 a.m.classified advertising: Mon. 12 p.m.

elbert county news(USPS 171-100)

LOCAL ADS,COUPONS,

SPECIALOFFERS &

MOREShopLocalColorado.com

Campaign touts lightning safety By Chris Michlewicz [email protected]

With wildfi res raging around Colorado, there is understandably a focus on the serious threat they pose to life and property.

But one threat that gets some of the least attention does some of the worst damage. Lightning kills more people in Colorado each year than any other weather phenomenon, with 91 people having died since 1980. The numbers are elevated in part because of the state’s active population, with much of the activ-ity taking place outdoors.

The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority held a press conference June 21 along with representatives from the Lightning Safety Alliance, the Lightning Protection Institute and the National Oceanic and At-mospheric Administration. They were calling attention to Lightning Awareness Week, a campaign to ed-ucate the public about the dangers of lightning in hopes of saving lives and protecting property.

“There is nothing more impor-tant to us,” said Dan Qualman, chief of South Metro Fire Rescue.

Lightning causes approximately $1 billion in property damage an-nually across the U.S., and the focus

of this year’s Lightning Awareness Week, from June 23-29, was to high-light the importance of lightning protection systems for both resi-dential and commercial structures.

The press conference took place at South Metro’s station 45, on Northgate Drive in Parker, where

a protection system has been in-stalled. Surprisingly, some fi re sta-tions have been without the light-ning strike mitigation systems because of budget cuts. A direct strike could potentially blow out the communications system.

Kim Loehr, communications di-

rector for the nonprofi t Lightning Protection Institute, said lightning is an “underrated threat” and a strike to a home can be disastrous. She said rods on the protection sys-tems do not attract lightning, but provide a pathway to the ground.

South Metro responds to doz-ens of lightning strikes to homes each year, some that spark attic fi res that get out of control. There is also a risk of explosions and dam-age to a building’s electrical system, not to mention electronics that are plugged in.

South Metro Fire Rescue Chief Dan Qualman discusses the need for lightning protection systems for homes and commercial buildings at a press conference June 21. Photo by Chris Michlewicz

LIGHTNING BY THE NUMBERS

500,000 lightning strikes in

Colorado each year

91 killed by lightning in Colorado since

1980

$1 billion in damage nation-

ally each year

• Insurance claims from residential light-ning strikes average $5,100

• The Empire State Building is struck 25 to 40 times per year

Source: The Lightning Protection Institute and Lightning

Safety Alliance

Page 5: elbert county news_0704

Elbert County News 5 July 4, 2013

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Army shrinking due to budget cuts Colorado among states seeing reduction in troops By Lolita C. Baldor Associated Press

The Army will eliminate at least 12 combat brigades, relocate thousands of soldiers and cancel $400 million in construction projects as the fi rst wave of federal budget cuts takes aim at military communities around the country.

In a massive restructuring, Army leaders said on June 25 that they will slash the number of active-duty com-bat brigades from 45 to 33, as the ser-vice moves forward with a longtime plan to cut the size of the service by 80,000.

And they warned that more cuts — of as many as 100,000 more active-duty, National Guard and Reserve sol-diers — could be coming if Congress allows billions of dollars in automatic budget cuts to continue next year.

The sweeping changes would elim-inate brigades — which number from 3,500 to 5,000 troops — at 10 Army bases in the U.S. by 2017, including those in Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Kansas and Washington.

The Army will also cut thousands of other jobs across the service, in-cluding soldiers in units that support the brigades, and two brigades in Ger-many have already been scheduled for elimination.

Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff, said one additional brigade will likely be cut, but no fi nal decisions

have been made.“I know in the local communities

it will have its impact,” Odierno told reporters June 25. “But we’ve done our best to reach out to them so they un-derstand what the impacts are. We’ve tried to make it as small an impact as possible for as many communities as we could.”

Members of Congress, meanwhile, expressed concerns about the pros-pects for greater cuts down the road.

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said his panel “will carefully examine the implica-tions of this initial restructuring, but we all must understand that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Much deep-er cuts are still to come.”

The Army is being reduced in size from a high of about 570,000 during the peak of the Iraq war to 490,000 as part of efforts to cut the budget and refl ect the country’s military needs as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end.

Odierno said the potential cuts of 100,000 more troops would be spread out across the active-duty, Guard and Reserves, and that there also could be reductions in the Army’s 13 aviation brigades.

While the personnel cuts may have less impact at some of the Army’s larg-er bases such as Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, they could be more painful for communi-ties around some of the smaller instal-lations such as Fort Knox, where cur-rently only one brigade is based.

The other seven U.S. bases that will lose a brigade are: Fort Carson in Col-orado, Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort Camp-

bell in Kentucky, Fort Drum in New York, Fort Riley in Kansas, Fort Stewart in Georgia, and Joint Base Lewis-Mc-Chord in Washington. Soldiers in the deactivated brigades would be trans-ferred to other units.

Odierno said the Army tried to spread out the cuts geographically. He said Fort Knox scored the lowest in military value, but insisted the re-duction was not the fi rst step toward closing the base. He noted that about 4,000 civilians workers had been add-ed there, as well as the Army’s recruit-ing command.

The overall cut in size has been known for more than a year, and Army leaders have been working on how to manage the reduction, conducting lo-cal community meetings across the country and releasing an extensive study on the issue earlier this year.

Under the plan announced June 25, the Army will increase the size of its infantry and armor brigades by adding another battalion, which is between 600-800 soldiers. Adding the battalion was a recommendation from commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan who said it would beef up the fi ghting capabilities of the brigades when they go to war.

Odierno said he continues to hope that he will be able to cut the 80,000 soldiers largely through voluntary de-partures.

He said he believes he will have to force several hundred offi cers to leave in order to get the proper number of soldiers at various ranks. But, if the au-tomatic cuts go forward, Odierno said he would likely have to force soldiers out of the Army.

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS IN A HURRY EDCLA serves up burgers

The Elbert-Douglas County Live-stock Association will host its annual hamburger fry at 7 p.m. July 10 at the Elbert County Fairgrounds, 95 Ute Ave. in Kiowa. The event recognizes 4-H members and their families who participate in the EDCLA Bred Heifer and Catch-a-Calf programs.

EDCLA board members will cook up the burgers while the 4-H young-sters make project presentations.

EDCLA members, families and guests are invited. EDCLA member families are asked to bring a side dish, salad or dessert. An ice cream social and board meeting will follow. For

more information, go online to edcla.org and click on “Calendar,” or email [email protected].

Conservatives to host DAThe Elbert County Conserva-

tive Breakfast Association welcomes George Brauchler, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District.

The July 13 event begins at 8 a.m. in the exhibit hall at the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa.

Breakfast will be catered by VFW Post #10649. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information or to reserve a seat, call 303-646-9877.

Elizabeth Celtic Festival setGrab your kilt, because the 2013

Elizabeth Celtic Festival arrives July 20-21 at Casey Jones Park, 34190 County Road 17 in Elizabeth. The festival blends the excitement of traditional Scottish Highland Games with a Medieval and Renaissance fest, a British dog show and a community fair to create a great weekend of fun for the entire family.

Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for seniors and teens 13-17. Children 12 and younger are free.

For more information or to order tickets, visit www.elizabethcelticfesti-val.com.

Page 6: elbert county news_0704

6 Elbert County News July 4, 2013

6-Opinion-Color

OPINION/YOURS AND 0URS

� ink I’m not cool? You’re getting warm I think most of us would rather be cool.

I think most of us would rather look cool and act cool, and to say cool things.

Cool people wear cool shirts. They listen to cool music. Know cool people. Drive a cool car. Eat at the coolest places. Go to cool parties. Go on cool trips.

They have a cool dog and a cool hat. Cool shoes? Absolutely.

I hear that word a lot, but no one has ever said that I was cool. I have known for some time that I am not cool. Cool people don’t own khakis. I own khakis.

I own dirty bucks too. Cool people wouldn’t be caught dead in dirty bucks.

I don’t think cool people face their cans. That means you shelve cans with the labels facing forward, just like they do in grocery stores. An askew label in my pantry gives me a headache.

Most advertising is aimed at cool peo-ple, except for two-pound, bacon cheese-burger ads. Cool people don’t pig out.

Cool people have cool watches. Cool people are always late. I don’t own a watch. I am never late. I am always early. Cool

people are never early.Cool people are always on the phone. I

am never on the phone.The coolest song about cool people is

the one goes, “You had one eye in the mir-ror as you watched yourself gavotte.”

I always thought she was saying “as you watched yourself go by.” Cool people never would have thought she said that.

I wonder if it takes more time and en-ergy to be cool. Maybe.

Maybe it’s cool not to be cool. Juno thinks Bleeker is cool, and about all he does is eat Tic Tacs like there is no tomor-

row. Cool people would never say “like there is no tomorrow.”

Are you old enough to remember when cool young men pushed up their sleeves? On their sport coats? One of them was on the Late Show and Letterman reached over and unpushed them. It was perfect.

We pick on people who aren’t cool. It’s human nature, unfortunately. If you aren’t in, you’re out — and that’s when things can get tricky, all the way up to bullying.

If you’re masculine-feminine or feminine-masculine, good luck. It’s 2013, but we still pick on people for all kinds of reasons. There is no such thing in the real world as live and let live.

If you were to see me in a bookstore, you would never guess what I do. I like that. I don’t look like an artist at all. I look nondescript, which isn’t cool. Most of the artists I know who look like artists aren’t very good artists. But they look cool. Many of them smoke. Smoking raises their cool-ness quite a bit.

I don’t have a speck of jealousy. Now and then I have wondered what it would be

like to be Cary Grant. It passes. I have never encountered swooning. Or glamorous women palming me their phone number.

I do have one story. When I was in college I was invited to audition for “The Dating Game.” I still don’t know why I was invited.

I remember standing there next to the mailbox and looking at the postcard. It had my name on it, and the day of the audition. I looked around and shook the card. No one pranked anyone back then. It was real.

I visualized myself sitting there and sounding like Navin R. Johnson, cat juggler.

I didn’t reply. I knew better. I would have made a fool out of myself, and what if I had been chosen? An all-expenses-paid trip to Lubbock with a stranger? No thanks.

I am on the outside of cool, and I’m not looking in. It was just something to con-sider this morning, before it gets hot.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at [email protected]

Stillness, quiet revive spirit I had three unplanned days off recently.

Back spasms brought my busy schedule to a screeching halt. The Lord was seri-ous when he inspired the words that King David wrote in the 23rd Psalm, “I will make thee lie down in green pastures.” I even had to fi nd a replacement for a wedding I was to offi ciate.

The older I get, the more I recognize that these times often precede specially blessed, extra-productive times. They set me up for success. That’s hard to believe for those of us who have lived by the motto, “The harder I work the luckier I get.”

In his book, “Margin,” Dr. Richard Swenson illustrates the necessity of restful times. Imagine how diffi cult it would be to read a book with no margins — no white space, he writes.

When every inch of a page is fi lled with words, all the way to the edge, reading is diffi cult, stressful and tiring. Many people live with no margin in their lives — every waking moment of every day is fi lled with activity and stimulation. I sometimes get stuck in that pattern.

But, what is “margin”? Not all recreation qualifi es as margin. The stress of vacation is different than work and often worth the effort, but too often it is far from restful. The vacation experience was enjoyable but little more than a diversion. Too often, summer vacations are not an experience of re-creation of the soul.

In order for a person to experience re-creation there needs to be stillness and quiet. Eugene Peterson, the author of “The Message,” a paraphrase of the Bible, once said, “A busy mind never thinks deep thoughts.” I heard this years ago when I was learning the art of stillness by visiting a Catholic monastery in Conyers, Ga. The quiet retreat, whether it was for a half-day or a day and a half, was a welcome sabbati-cal. My brain activity calmed down so my thought process was more thorough and focused.

Every week our churches invite people to rest and experience re-creation. Come and sit still, take a deep breath, think introspective thoughts, worship an awe-some God and discover how much of your burden He wants to remove from your shoulders or how He will help you carry it.

Tap into His resourcefulness for your needs or His gift of new opportunities. In a variety of ways, the churches speak the message of Jesus, “Come all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Cultivating the discipline to come and be still, quiet and listen helps us incorporate the experience into our daily

lives.In my slower, restful, injured mode I

meditated, prayed more and felt more deeply. Surprisingly, unpleasant circum-stances often produce the opportunity for stillness.

The white space between jobs can be a painful time of fear and need, but it can also be a time to listen, think and get ready for a new chapter of life, a new idea to pur-sue and a new energy for new relationships and a fresh setting.

My friend Darryl Chaney, whom I wrote about in the book “Welcome to the Big Leagues,” every season but one, had a one-year contract.

Each December he had to be still and wait for the front-offi ce people to decide his worth during their winter meetings and mail him a contract. The waiting became part of his character development and preparation for a new season.

What seems like the worst possible thing, a terminal illness, brings what is normal to a sudden stop and the need to face diffi cult questions.

As a hospice chaplain I have observed people who have faced this chapter of their lives with intentionality, purpose and grace.

They allowed the hospice staff to take the burden off of their family and help them be comfortable so they could write the most important chapter of life and fi n-ish spiritual work, pass the blessing to the children and grandchildren, mend fences and savor the experiences, relationships and memories that made their life mean-ingful.

Planned or unplanned, temporary or permanent, times of stillness should be maximized so we can experience re-cre-ation for our souls.

Dan Hettinger is director of pastoral services at Hospice of Saint John and president of The Jakin Group, a ministry of encourage-ment, especially to Christian workers. You can email him at dhettinger@hospiceof saintjohn.org or dan@welcometothebig leagues.org.

Better never late than late In the midst of our hectic life and some-

times chaotic schedules there are times when we fi nd ourselves running late for almost everything we do. As I found this happening more and more in my own life recently, I had to stop and ask myself, why?

Was I not placing enough emphasis or importance on the meeting I was sched-uled to attend? Did I believe that even if I was just a few minutes late that would be OK? Had I convinced myself that my time was more valuable than that of the person I was supposed to meet with? Or was I just cramming as much as I possibly could into my day and getting so wrapped up in a project or task that the time just slipped away and before I knew it I was already running late?

I found myself justifying my lateness, not only to me but to everyone that was on my calendar. Making excuse after excuse until fi nally I realized that I was making ex-cuses and making apologies for something that I could easily control.

You probably have friends or family members that fall into this category. They are late for everything and always call or text with a reason for why they are running late. I have a few people in my life too that qualify as habitual late arrivers. So much so that we would have to tell the person that is chronically late that the scheduled event was starting 15 to 30 minutes earlier than it was actually starting.

And here I was thinking, if I keep this up, if I continue running late for every-thing, that pretty soon people would start managing me in the very same way. I would get the invitation for a 7 p.m. dinner when the reservations were really for 7:30.

This just comes down to commitment and respect. Two things that I teach and coach on a daily basis, but was not apply-ing in my own life. And really when I have this conversation with clients or friends we discuss awareness of where we are sup-posed to be, the commitments we have made for the day, and the people or clients we are scheduled to meet with. We also make sure we take into consideration the respect for their time and expectations.

There are so many tactics to use that are helpful, including alarms or alerts on our smart phones to reviewing our calendars the evening before or very fi rst thing in the morning each day. Again, becoming aware of where and when we are supposed to be somewhere or with someone.

I would love to hear all about your strat-egies for being on time or your frustrations with others running late at [email protected]. And when we start improving our efforts at being on time, it will be a bet-ter than good week.

Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former president of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and founder of www.candogo.com

Elbert County News Colorado Community Media9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Phone 303-566-4100 • Fax 303-566-4098

GERARD HEALEY President and Publisher

CHRIS ROTAR Editor

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ERIN ADDENBROOKE Advertising Director

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Columnists and guest commentariesThe Elbert County News features a limited number

of regular columnists, found on these pages and else-where in the paper, depending on the typical subject the columnist covers. Their opinions are not necessar-ily those of the Elbert County News.

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Page 7: elbert county news_0704

Elbert County News 7 July 4, 2013

7-Color

OBITUARIES

Private Party Contact: Viola Ortega 303-566-4089 [email protected]

Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

complete the standard permitting process for gas and oil development.

According to Carolyn Parkinson of the Elbert County Community Development Services Department, the county can’t force producers to agree to more stringent prac-tices such as increased setbacks and re-strictions on water usage, but it can dangle the element of time as a carrot.

In short, the MOU is essentially a trade-off between the county and the producer, exchanging agreement to a county wish list for expedited permitting.

“What we are dealing with here, today, is

land use only,” explained Ross.But residents, even some who helped

craft the documents, insist the regulation and the MOU should be “coupled.”

“The only reason this county got con-sensus on this issue was the fact the two (documents) were coupled,” said Tony Car-rado. “We can’t restrict the oil companies by the regulation alone. Decoupling it from the MOU makes the regulation meaning-less and opens Pandora’s box.”

“Oil and gas are inevitable here in Elbert County,” said District 1 Commissioner Rob-ert Rowland. “And we’ve come too close to screw this up now — we’ve got to get this right.”

A unanimous vote by the board contin-ued the meeting until July 10 and directed staff to collect syntax and grammatical changes for review at that time.

Continued from Page 1

Rules

over again by officials in the 10 largest Col-orado districts — which account for more than half of the state’s 863,561 public school students — the I-News inquiry revealed. Checks with smaller districts by I-News showed the same thing.

Still, supporters believe the law marked an important change in Colorado by insti-tuting a standard where none previously existed.

“We felt like it was a step in the right di-rection,” said Reilly Pharo, of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group that backed the measure. “We know that obesity policy is complex, and it’s big-ger than what happens at the state Capitol.”

Weight issues increasingA far more encompassing measure was

originally envisioned in an effort to fight the burgeoning child obesity problem — a growing concern among health profes-sionals and policy makers who have seen a dramatic rise in the percentage of young people who are heavy. That reality concerns health officials — an obese child is at great-er risk of such things as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea, and is more likely to grow up to be an obese adult. In addition, obese children can suffer social discrimination.

“For kids, it has not only health conse-quences, but it has emotional consequenc-es, too,” said Janet Fulton, a lead epidemi-ologist and expert in physical activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion. “It is that double-edged sword.”

In 1980, about 7 percent of U.S. children ages 6 to 11 were obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. By 2010, that number had jumped to 18 percent. Among adolescents ages 12 to 19, the jump was similar — from 5 percent in 1980 to 18 per-cent in 2010.

Colorado has not been immune to the problem, although the data here is less clear-cut.

For example, the Colorado Childhood Survey, conducted by the state health de-partment, found that about 16 percent of children ages 1 to 14 were obese in 2011. But a different survey of high-school teen-agers showed that about 7 percent of those students were obese that same year.

At the same time, other data paints a bleaker picture among children in a state ranked as the “fittest” by virtue of the fact that its adult obesity rate is the lowest in the country.

When it comes to childhood obesity, Colorado ranks 23rd of the 50 states, ac-cording to the CDC’s latest data. That data, which dates to 2007, showed that a little more than 14 percent of the state’s children were obese.

Trends are disturbingOther trends portend trouble on the ho-

rizon.Latino children, who have overweight

rates 60 percent higher than white children, according to the federal Office of Minority Health, are the fastest growing segment of the elementary school population. And the percentage of poor children, also more likely to be overweight, entering the state’s elementary schools is also climbing.

Determining what constitutes “over-weight” and “obese” requires determining what is known as body mass index — a for-mula that takes into account an individual’s height and weight. In adults, it’s a simple calculation: Anyone with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight; anyone with a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.

In children, the calculation is more com-plicated. Although the determination is still based on BMI, it includes a comparison to other children the same age and gender. A child is considered overweight with a BMI between the 85th percentile and 94th per-centile as compared to children of the same age and gender. A child who is obese has a body mass index in the 95th percentile or higher when compared to children of the same age and gender.

Against that backdrop, legislators draft-ed a measure that would have required each school district to formally report how it was incorporating physical activity into the daily routine for elementary students. It also proposed minimum standards for what had to be reported — including the physical education curriculum used by schools, the number of minutes each week that students spent on things like exercise

programs, recess and fitness breaks, and the qualifications of those who supervised students in physical activity. And it would have required the Colorado Department of Education to report the collected informa-tion and correlate it with the academic per-formance information for each elementary school.

But opponents, including the Colorado Association of School Boards and several school districts, chafed at the potential cost and at the intrusion of the state into an issue that many believe is one of local control. The proposal also banged into the philosophical question of who is respon-sible for making sure kids lead healthy lives — parents or schools?

Schools fought measureAmong the opponents were the Jeffer-

son County, Adams 12 and Boulder Valley school districts.

“It was creating a mandate,” said Briggs Gamblin, spokesman for Boulder Valley Schools. “That was the height of the cuts, and we felt that we couldn’t support even well-intentioned programs at that time that were mandating new programs on school districts, many of them much more cash-strapped than us.”

The bill was amended to simply require that each school board institute a policy stating that all elementary students would have “opportunities” for the equivalent of 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Those opportunities could include gym class, re-cess, stretch breaks, and field trips that in-volve walking.

“It was a great bill in concept, but it got watered down,” said state Sen. Irene Agui-lar, one of the measure’s sponsors, who is also a primary care physician.

Because there are no reporting require-ments, there is no way to know with cer-tainty exactly how schools are complying.

Aguilar said she hopes the legislature can come back at some point and push for more substantive changes.

Research has shown that physical activ-ity is critical to maintaining a healthy body weight in adults — and, conversely, that it is almost impossible to do it with diet alone.

The U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans call for children to get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical movement a day. That means moving with enough intensity to get winded. A variety of activities that promote aerobic develop-ment and muscle and bone strengthening is recommended.

And research has shown benefits far beyond healthy body weight — things like attention, behavior and academic perfor-mance all improve when kids are active, ac-cording to multiple studies.

Trouble meeting goalKim Gorman, director of the weight

management program at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, pointed out that even in the best possible scenario — every student getting 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous move-ment every day — it would account for only half that is called for. And it would account for only about 46 percent of the year.

But even the best case has problems. In some schools, recess is an extension of lunch — meaning students who spend more time eating can end up with less time to move around. And recess doesn’t require a student to do anything — drive by an el-ementary when the kids are outside, and it’s not unusual to see groups of them stand-ing around, or even sitting on the blacktop, talking.

Still, Gorman and others argued that it’s critical to get youngsters moving, and it doesn’t have to be running laps.

Gorman’s idea is simple: She’d have 30 minutes of open playground time before and after school each day. And then she’d let the kids do whatever they wanted so long as they were moving — everything from jump-ing rope to playing basketball to dancing.

“It can be dancing — it absolutely can be dancing,” Gorman said. “It doesn’t have to be a punitive thing that kids don’t like.”

Data analysis and additional report-ing by Burt Hubbard. I-News is the public service journalism arm of Rocky Mountain PBS. For more information: inewsnetwork.org. Contact Kevin Vaughan at [email protected] or 303-446-4936.

This article was conceived and produced as a project for the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, which is administered by The California Endowment Health Jour-nalism Fellowships, a program of USC’s An-nenberg School for Communication & Jour-nalism

Continued from Page 1

Health

Elbert County Commissioner Kurt Schlegel, foreground, says a proposed amendment to Elbert County’s zoning regula-tions that would direct oil and gas exploration is not ready for a vote. The commissioners took up the matter at their June 26 meeting, but unsettled factors caused the meeting to be continued to July 10. Photo by Deborah Grigsby

Page 8: elbert county news_0704

8-Life-Color

South Metrolife8 Elbert County NewsJuly 4, 2013

Animals, owners receive diplomasCeremony marks completion of Freedom Service Dogs trainingBy Tom [email protected]

There were a lot of smiles, quite a few tears and even some excited barks during the June 22 Freedom Service Dogs gradua-tion ceremonies at Hampden Hall in Engle-wood.

“This is a big day for Lori, Lola and I,” said Bill Schmitz, referring to his wife, Lori, and her service dog before the ceremony. “Lola, our service dog, will be a huge help to us. Lori has multiple sclerosis and Lola is always right there to pick up anything she drops. Also, the dog has her own portable phone that, when it rings, Lola picks it up and takes it to Lori. She is very much a part of our family.”

He smiled and added that Lola even has her own shelf in the refrigerator.

“The shelf is stocked with bottles of wa-ter,” the Arvada resident said. “When Lori wants a bottle of water, she tells Lola. The dog opens the refrigerator door and gently takes out a bottle of water and brings it to Lori.”

Bill added the family has been Freedom Service Dogs supporters. He said there was an appeal for donations to cover the bills so a dog could have needed surgery on her front joints. The family donated to the project and the dog that received sur-gery turned out to be Lola. The family has provided a weekend foster home for dogs in training, and Bill has picked up rescued dogs from shelters and brought them to the Englewood Freedom Service Dogs facility.

The graduation ceremonies for the Schmitz family and Lola was also a special occasion for Michael and Sheri Folsom, owners of Englewood-based Cowboy Mov-ing and Storage.

“I have always had dogs and we have too because we love them,” Michael said. “We met the people from Freedom Service Dogs a few years ago when they moved into Englewood. We donated some moving ser-vices to help them, learned about what they

do and have been supporters ever since. We have included FSD and their dogs in many of our commercials.”

It takes about eight months and costs about $25,000 to train a Freedom Service Dog. The couple said they admired the work of Freedom Service Dogs, wanted to help them with their mission and, this year, they decided to cover the entire cost of training a dog.

“The dog we sponsored was Lola and it was a perfect fit when she was teamed up with Lori,” the Sedalia resident said. “It is so great to see Lola and Lori together and all the joy and help the dog brings. Words can’t do justice to the feelings we have when we see Lori and Lola together.”

Sheri said they like the work Freedom Service Dogs does and they also like the fact that FSD rescues dogs from shelters so they won’t be put down but can be trained to help others. She added she’d like to chal-lenge other companies to sponsor the train-ing of a Freedom Service Dog.

“Of course, all rescued dogs aren’t able to complete the FSD training,” she said. “But, when a dog isn’t able to complete training because of things like a love of chasing but-

terflies or squirrels, Freedom Service Dogs makes sure to find a good home for the ani-mal. As a matter of fact, one of our dogs is Farley, a dog that wasn’t able to complete the FSD training.”

Wisconsin resident Kevin Foster and his dog Brinley also received Freedom Service Dogs diplomas during the ceremonies

“This is a big day for my dog Brinley and I,” Foster, a Vietnam veteran, said before the ceremony. “I read a book called `Until Tues-day’ that talked about how much a service dog could help people like me who suffer with PTSD. I signed up with FSD, was on the waiting list and now, almost a year later, Brinley and I are graduating.”

Foster said he has already spent a lot of time with Brinley.

“Being with Brinley is calming and the dog has already kept me from sliding backwards in my mind to those really bad times,” he said. “We graduate, then head to the bus station for the 25-hour ride back to Wisconsin.”

Chuck Flynn, another veteran, had simi-lar comments about what having a Free-dom Service Dog named Mader has meant to him.

“I was getting treatment for PTSD at the Veterans Administration hospital and a doctor suggested a service dog might help me,” the southeast Denver resident said. “My big problems are intense flashbacks and nightmares. Since Mader came into my life, she comforts me, helps me keep calm, and the flashbacks and nightmares happen lest frequently and when they do, they are less intense. Mader is truly a blessing to me and I appreciate all the hard work that went into training her so she can help me.”

Lori Schmitz, left, and her husband Bill give their service dog Lola some attention as the family and dog prepare for the June 22 Freedom Service Dogs graduation. The training process for a service dog takes about eight months. Photos by Tom Munds

Chuck Flynn prepares to give his service dog Mader a treat. Flynn and Mader were among a dozen teams that received diplomas at the June 22 Freedom Service Dogs graduation.

‘Being with Brinley is calming and the dog has already kept me from sliding backwards in my mind to those

really bad times.’Kevin Foster, Vietnam veteran

Pastels on exhibit in Littleton gallery

“Pastels: a Fresh Look” is an exhibit of new paintings by artists Sue Shehan and Karen Spotts that will hang in Stanton Gal-lery at Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center in July. An artist’s reception, open to the pub-lic, will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 18. Town Hall is at 2450 W. Main St. Shehan studied art for her BA at the University of Kansas and focused on pastels as a medium a few years ago. The brilliant Colorado skies are a favorite subject. She exhibits at Cen-ter for the Arts in Evergreen. Spotts has a degree in art from Arizona State University and a master’s in art education from Lesley University. She has been a high school art teacher for 20 years and is a member of the Pastel Art Society of Colorado. She exhibits work at the Marisol Gallery at The Empo-rium in Castle Rock. The Stanton Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and during performances. Art is for sale through the box office. 303-794-2787.

Director joins Parker ChoralePaul Smith is the new artistic director/

senior conductor for the Parker Chorale, and will start this fall with development of the “Classic Parker Holiday” concert. He has taught choral music, most recently at Grandview High School, as well as direct-ing many church choirs, the Lamont Men’s Choirs and Young Voices of Colorado’s Boy-choir and VoiceMale. For information about the chorale, visit ParkerChorale.org.

Sidewalk Sale invites readersSouthglenn Library will be involved in a

Super Sidewalk Sale on July 12-13 (10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) and July 14 (noon to 5:30 p.m.) at Streets at Southglenn. Children’s, paper-backs, hardcover books, DVDs and audio-books will be available, as well as a selection of “better” collectible titles. The Friends of the Arapahoe Library District will use pro-ceeds to support library programs. In 2012, the group granted more than $100,000. In-formation: arapahoelibraries.org, 303-LI-BRARY.

Junior Naturalist training setChatfield State Park and the Audubon

Society will offer two sessions of Junior Naturalist training: 9 a.m. to noon July 13, focused on birds; and 9 a.m. to noon July 20, focused on reptiles and amphibians. Upon completing both programs, a Junior Ranger badge will be awarded. Registration: $5 per day or $8 for both. 303-973-9530 or denveraudubon.org. A state park pass is re-quired. Meeting place: Heronry picnic area in Chatfield State Park, west of the park of-fice, south of Littleton at 11500 N. Roxbor-ough Park Road.

Playwrights invitedLOCAL Theater company invites Colora-

do playwrights to submit a new, full-length and unproduced play (musicals and adap-tations are welcome) for consideration of production in LOCAL Lab 2014. In its third year, LOCAL will produce professionally staged readings of three plays next March at Boulder’s historic Chautauqua. Submis-sions accepted through Aug. 15. Email to [email protected], with subject heading LOCAL Lab 2014—Colo-rado.

Cirque du Soleil comingCirque du Soleil debuts July 17 in the

blue and yellow big top tent on the Pepsi Center grounds. The 2014 version is called “AmaLuna” and is directed by 2012 Tony winner Diane Paulus. Performances extend through Aug. 25. Tickets: CirqueDuSoliel.com/amaluna.

Page 9: elbert county news_0704

Elbert County News 9 July 4, 2013

9

South Metro Denver SBDC Announces Winners and Graduates of Spring 2013 Colorado Leading Edge: NxLeveL™ for Entrepreneurs Business Plan Course

The South Metro Denver Small Business Development Center (SBDC) graduated its most recent Colorado Leading Edge: NxLeveL™ for Entrepreneurs participants on June 19th.

The graduation ceremony was held at the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, where participants have been spending one evening a week for the past ten weeks gaining instruction on how to write a comprehensive business plan.

In attendance were John Brackney, President/CEO of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce and Marcia McGilley, Executive Director of the South Metro Denver SBDC. Darrell Schulte, President of the Colorado Business Bank Littleton Branch, was unable to attend; however, Colorado Business Bank is the Corporate Sponsor of the Colorado Leading Edge Program.

Twelve participants participated in the course and were awarded with certificates recognizing their accomplishment. At the end of the course, participants were invited to submit their business plans into a class competition, and three winners were chosen and announced at the graduation ceremony. Tamie Etchison and Debbie Wyss of Senior Helpers won first place and were awarded $300; Elizabeth Partridge of LizArt Creations won second place and received $200; and Ilona Major of We2Change won third place and was awarded $100.

“The twelve participants spent a great deal of time and energy in researching, writing and creating their business plans. We applaud their accomplishment. Our instructor Stefanie Dalgar of Dalgar Communica-tions, LLC, guided the participants through the coursework with ease and expertise allowing existing and start-up entrepreneurs to contribute to the growth our South Metro economy,” said Marcia McGilley, Executive Director of the South Metro Denver Small Business Development Center.

To learn more about the Colorado Leading Edge: NxLeveL™ program and other small business courses and offerings of the SBDC, visit www.small-businessdenver.com or call 303-795-0142.

NxLevel graduates and SBDC staff (l to r): Front Row: Anthony Masucci; Ilona Major; Natalie Harden; Elizabeth Partridge; Tamie Etchison; Marcia McGilley; Back row: Stefanie Dalgar; Steven Knowles; Wesley Carr, Patricia Gross; Debbie Wyss

HealthSouth opened their newest rehabilitation hospital in the South Park area last week with an open house for clients, guests, family members, fellow Chamber Inves-tors and local dignitaries. The tra-ditional ribbon cutting ceremony included: (l to r) Colleen Schwake (South Metro Denver Chamber), Jerry Gray (President of the West Region, HealthSouth), Mark Tarr (Executive Vice President, Chief Operation Officer, HealthSouth), Jay Grinney (President and CEO – HealthSouth Corporation), Dr. Jill Castro (Medical Director, Health-South Denver), Dave Shefte (CEO, HealthSouth Denver), John Brackney (South Metro Denver Chamber), Phil Cernanec – City of Littleton City Council, Lisa Hin-ton (Director of Marketing Op-erations, HealthSouth Denver). www.HealthSouthDenver.com

Calendar of Events For a complete calendar of South Metro Denver Chamber events and for more information, visit our web site at www.bestchamber.com or call 303-795-0142.

Thursday, July 4thChamber Offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day

Tuesday, July 9thBusiness Bible StudyThe Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial

2013 Chamber Golf Tour Course TBD

Business After Hours hosted by Columbia College 6892 S Yosemite, #3-100, Centennial

Wednesday, July 10thNonprofit & Business Partnership: “You...Even More Effective!” The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial

Thursday, July 11thTechnology Advocates Group DiscussionThe Egg & I, 6890 S. University Blvd., Centennial

Women in Leadership: University of Colorado Hospital Experts The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Com-mons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial

School rules limit snack sales Government targets junk food as part of health push

Associated Press

Kids, your days of blowing off those healthier school lunches and fi lling up on cookies from the vending machine are numbered. The government is onto you.

For the fi rst time, the Agriculture De-partment is telling schools what sorts of snacks they can sell. The new restrictions announced June 27 fi ll a gap in nutrition rules that allowed many students to load up on fat, sugar and salt despite the existing guidelines for healthy meals.

“Parents will no longer have to worry that their kids are using their lunch money to buy junk food and junk drinks at school,” said Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest who lobbied for the new rules.

That doesn’t mean schools will be lim-ited to doling out broccoli and brussels sprouts.

Snacks that still make the grade include granola bars, low-fat tortilla chips, fruit cups and 100 percent fruit juice. And high school students can buy diet versions of soda, sports drinks and iced tea.

But say goodbye to some beloved school standbys, such as doughy pretzels, choco-

late chip cookies and those little ice cream cups with their own spoons. Some may sur-vive in low-fat or whole wheat versions. The idea is to weed out junk food and replace it with something with nutritional merit.

The bottom line, says Wootan: “There has to be some food in the food.”

Still, 17-year-old Vanessa Herrera is partial to the Cheez-It crackers and sugar-laden Vitaminwater in her high school’s vending machine. Granola bars and bags of peanuts? Not so much.

“I don’t think anyone would eat it,” said Herrera, of Rockaway, N.J.

There are no vending machines at Lau-ren Jones’ middle school in Hoover, Ala., but she said there’s an “a la carte” stand that sells chips, ice cream and other snacks.

“Having something sweet to go with your meal is good sometimes,” the 13-year-old said, although she also thinks that encour-aging kids to eat healthier is worthwhile.

Rules not in e� ect yetThe federal snack rules don’t take effect

until the 2014-15 school year, but there’s nothing to stop schools from making changes earlier.

Some students won’t notice much dif-ference. Many schools already are work-ing to improve their offerings. Thirty-nine states have some sort of snack food policy in place.

Rachel Snyder, 17, said earlier this year her school in Washington, Ill., stripped its vending machines of sweets. She misses the pretzel-fi lled M&M’s.

“If I want a sugary snack every now and then,” Snyder said, “I should be able to buy it.”

The federal rules put calorie, fat, sugar and sodium limits on almost everything sold during the day at 100,000 schools — expanding on the previous rules for meals. The Agriculture Department sets nutrition-al standards for schools that receive federal funds to help pay for lunches, and that cov-ers nearly every public school and about half of private ones.

One oasis of sweetness and fat will re-main: anything students bring from home, from bagged lunches to birthday cupcakes.

The Agriculture Department was re-quired to draw up the rules under a law passed by Congress in 2010, championed by fi rst lady Michelle Obama, as part of the government’s effort to combat childhood obesity.

Nutritional guidelines for subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall.

Bake sales untouchedLast year’s rules making main lunch fare

more nutritious faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republi-

cans in Congress, who said the government shouldn’t be telling kids what to eat. Mind-ful of that backlash, the Agriculture Depart-ment left one of the more controversial parts of the rule, the regulation of in-school fundraisers like bake sales, up to the states.

The rules have the potential to trans-form what many children eat at school.

In addition to meals already subject to nutrition standards, most lunchrooms also have “a la carte” lines that sell other foods — often greasy foods like mozzarella sticks and nachos. That gives students a way to circumvent the healthy lunches. Under the rules, those lines could offer healthier piz-zas, low-fat hamburgers, fruit cups or yo-gurt and similar fare.

One of the biggest changes will be a near-ban on high-calorie sports drinks. Many beverage companies added sports drinks to school vending machines after sodas were pulled in response to criticism from the public health community.

The rule would only allow sales in high schools of sodas and sports drinks that con-tain 60 calories or less in a 12-ounce serv-ing, banning the highest-calorie versions of those beverages.

Low-calorie sports drinks — Gatorade’s G2, for example — and diet drinks will be allowed in high school.

Elementary and middle schools will be School continues on Page 12

Page 10: elbert county news_0704

10 Elbert County News July 4, 2013

10

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Name Changes PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petitionfor Change of Name

Public notice is given on June 18, 2013that a Petition for a Change of Name of anadult has been filed with the Elbert CountyCourt.

The Petition requests that the name ofJill Nicole Wonderly be changed toNichole Shea Kirkelie.

Case No.: 2013 C 28

Cheryl A. LayneClerk of CourtBy: Jafeen JenkinsDeputy Clerk

Legal Notice No: 927688First Publication: July 4, 2013Last Publication: July 18, 2013Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice

Notice of Sale

Contents unknown belonging to Josh Bearor whose last known address is: 4458 Lariat Trail Elizabeth CO, 80107 and stored in unit #14 STORAGE ONE/Elizabeth, 5229 Hwy 86, Elizabeth, CO. 80107, will be sold at auction or otherwise disposed of at this location after 7/12/2013.

Legal Notice No.: 927689First Publication: July 4, 2013Last Publication: July 11, 2013Publisher: The Elbert County News_____________________________

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Krieger Family DentistryLet Us Put a Smile on Your Face!

303-646-4678www.kriegerdentistry.com

187 East Kiowa Avenue · Elizabeth

George W. Krieger, DDS

We wish to extend a warm welcome to our old friends and current

patients!

We are located in a 1920s house next to State Farm Insurance

Serving Elbert County’s General Dental Needs(Including Cosmetic)

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ED KOVITZ AND ASSOCIATES, LLC18005 U.S. Highway 24 - Post Office Box 275, Peyton, CO 80831-0275

Office (719) 749-2690 Toll Free Fax 1-877-258-4474 E-mail: [email protected] our website at www.edkovitz.com

Professional Auctioneer Real Estate Appraiser Real Estate Broker

June 24, 2013 Ad Sent Via – Email – PDF FormatPlease email back verification of receipt of this email

Douglas County Publishing, Inc. Phone: 303-566-4075 Cell: 720-371-9142Attn: Ron Mitchell Fax: (303) 663-2282P.O. Box 1270 Email: [email protected] Rock, CO 80104

Deadline: Thursday, 5 P.M.

Dear Ron,

Please run this display ad as follows:

Elbert County News Only

Dates To Run:Thursday, July 4.

Size: 2 columns x 5”

Please reference billing – Big Sandy School.

We will mail some auction flyersand would appreciate your displayingthem. If you have any questions pleasecall.

NOTE: This ad was originally sent via email. Original ad and some auction flyers will be sent via

mail. Please display the auction flyers in the news office. - Thanks - Ed

Columns 2Height 5Total size 10Cost per column inch 8.75Cost of ad $ 87.50Number of Inserts 1Total of ads 87.50

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An Auction Flyer & additional directions are listed onour website, or contact us for an Auction Flyer & to beon our mailing list: Email, US mail or fax.

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Big Sandy School Auction

Billups’ camp focuses on big picture Highlights downplayed in favor of ‘real game’ By Jim Benton [email protected]

Chauncey Billups spent many hours during his younger years in basketball camps.

He now has his own camp, the Chauncey Billups Basketball Academy, which was held June 24-27 at the Parker Fieldhouse.

There were close to 500 youngsters, ages 6 through 17, who participated in the camp, according to director Marcus Mason.

Billups, the former standout at George Wash-ington High School and the University of Colorado, and fi ve-time National Basket-ball Association All-Star, was present at all sessions, and NBA players Blake Grif-fi n and DeAndre Jordan were featured on the fi rst day of the camp.

“I grew up going to camps in my neighborhood of Park Hill,” said Billups. “I know my camp is a lot dif-ferent from the one I went through.”

There were basketball drills and scrimmages, but also agility training, plus plenty of fun with Billups’ money shot at the end of each of the two daily ses-sions split up by age.

“We do agility, footwork drills,” said Billups, who was inducted into the Na-tional High School Hall of Fame June 27 during the National Federation of State High School Associations annual meeting in Denver. “People don’t equate that to

the sport. That is a very big piece of the sport. We never did anything like that at the basketball camps I went to.”

Billups would gather groups of players and talk for several minutes, and all the campers seemed to pay close attention.

“With the little ones, some of them are so small it’s almost like day care,” said Billups. “What I wanted them to get out of the camp was an appreciation for basketball. Then one day, they’ll fall in love with the game. It’s just fundamentals at this point.

“The older kids are at an age where they were here because they really like

basketball. You want to get them to the point where they can learn the real game of basketball. Not high-lights, but the real game of basketball. That’s what I tried to get across to the older kids.”

That was sometimes dif-fi cult.

“Yeah, they think it’s all fun and games,” explained Billups. “They come, show up and just shoot the ball up as opposed to working hard, being a good teammate and being a fan of your team and not just yourself. There are a lot of different layers to this game and I don’t think they realize.”

Billups, the NBA Finals

Most Valuable Player in 2004, also showed campers the reality of the NBA: that if you make big shots, you are rewarded.

He puts money on the fl oor and gives selected players a chance to pick up the money if they make the shot.

“The kids love the money shot,” admitted Billups. “My nickname is Mr. Big Shot. I wanted to give all the kids a chance to kind of know what it feels like to make the big shot, so we made up something called the mon-ey shot.

“I have $5, $10 or what-ever it might be and put it on the spot. There is a team that is picked out. When we blow the whistle and say go, they do whatever they want to do and we pick a team, basically the loudest, most obnoxious or most creative.

“Every person on that team has a chance. If the fi rst guy makes the shot and takes the money, I put more money down for the next guy. It’s a favorite of the kids. It’s not an easy shot for the little kids but a shot they can make. It’s a little farther than a three-pointer for the big kids.”

Cody Brown, a student at Thunder Ridge Middle School in Aurora, benefi ted from the camp.

“I learned a lot,” he said. “I’ve been going to camps all around Colorado. I learned how to get my shot off better and play better defense. The agility was im-portant. Speed and agility is the basics of basketball, and then strength comes along if you are in the post. We al-most won a chance for the money shot but we didn’t. You have to be the craziest to get a chance.”

Denver native and NBA veteran Chauncey Billups surveys the action during his basketball camp at the Parker Fieldhouse June 26. Hundreds of kids from the metro area were coached at the camp by former college and NBA players. Photo by Chris Michlewicz

Page 11: elbert county news_0704

Elbert County News 11 July 4, 2013

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Billups’ camp focuses on big picture Most Valuable Player in 2004, also showed campers the reality of the NBA: that if you make big shots, you are rewarded.

He puts money on the fl oor and gives selected players a chance to pick up the money if they make the shot.

“The kids love the money shot,” admitted Billups. “My nickname is Mr. Big Shot. I wanted to give all the kids a chance to kind of know what it feels like to make the big shot, so we made up something called the mon-ey shot.

“I have $5, $10 or what-ever it might be and put it on the spot. There is a team that is picked out. When we blow the whistle and say go, they do whatever they want to do and we pick a team, basically the loudest, most obnoxious or most creative.

“Every person on that team has a chance. If the fi rst guy makes the shot and takes the money, I put more money down for the next guy. It’s a favorite of the kids. It’s not an easy shot for the little kids but a shot they can make. It’s a little farther than a three-pointer for the big kids.”

Cody Brown, a student at Thunder Ridge Middle School in Aurora, benefi ted from the camp.

“I learned a lot,” he said. “I’ve been going to camps all around Colorado. I learned how to get my shot off better and play better defense. The agility was im-portant. Speed and agility is the basics of basketball, and then strength comes along if you are in the post. We al-most won a chance for the money shot but we didn’t. You have to be the craziest to get a chance.”

JULY 9, JULY 11

SOFTBALL CAMP. Elizabeth High School presents the Lady Cards softball camp for players ages 6-18 from 9:30 a.m. to noon July 9 and July 11. Camp will focus on the fundamentals of hitting, throwing, � elding, base running and defense. Bring tennis shoes (cleats recommended), glove and water. Bats, hel-mets, sliding gear, catching equipment, etc., are also allowed. The camp is at Elizabeth High School, on the varsity softball � eld, 34500 CR 13. Cost is $25 per player if registered by July 5, and $30 for camp-day registration. Call Coach Steve Biller at 720-480-2680 for information.

JULY 19

LEGAL CLINIC. A free clinic for parties who have no attorney and who are going through divorce, legal separation, custody, post-decree cases or protection order cases is o� ered from 9 a.m. to noon the third Friday of each month at the Elbert County Justice Center, 751 Ute St., in Kiowa. All walk-ins are welcome, and everyone will be assisted on a � rst-come, � rst-served basis. Upcoming dates are March 15; April 19; May 17; June 21; July 19; Aug. 16; Sept. 20; Oct. 18; Nov. 15; Dec. 20.

JULY 19-20

QUILT ENTRIES. Firehouse Quilts is looking for quilt entries for its eighth annual quilt show to support its mission of help-ing children in crisis in Colorado. Early bird entries submitted by May 17 are taken at a discounted entry fee ($15). Otherwise, the fee is $18 per item, and the � nal deadline is June 21. This year’s show has a special theme, Patriotic, along with 13 other categories. The show is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 19-20 at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock. All forms and instructions are available at www.� rehousequilts.org; click on the Quilt Show link at the top.

JULY 20-21

CELTIC FESTIVAL. The Elizabeth Celtic Festival is July 20-21 at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth. Take yourself back in time and enjoy traditional Scottish Highland Games with a Medieval and Renaissance Fest, a British Dog Show, and a community fairto create a great weekend of fun for the entire family. www.elizabethcelticfestival.com.

AUG. 17

MUSIC FESTIVAL. The Elizabeth Music & Arts Festival is from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 17 at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth. En-joy a day of live music, arts and crafts vendors, food and more. Activities all day long. Visit www.elizabethfestival.com

AUG. 23-25

CAMPDRAFT EVENT. A campdrafting clinic and competition is Aug. 23-25 at Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa. Be sure

to be in Elbert County for the � rst ever in the United States Campdrafting event. Learn how to do this Australian sport at the clinic (champions coming from Australia to show you how it is done) and then test your skills at the � rst competition in the US. Don’t miss this unique opportunity. Contact Mary Harris at [email protected] or 303-621-5836. Visit http://campdraft.us.

SEPT. 13

GOLF TOURNAMENT. The Elizabeth Area Chamber of Commerce presents the chamber golf tournament on Sept. 13 at Spring Valley Golf Club. Enjoy a morning of golf, fun, and meeting other business people. Shotgun starts at 8 a.m. with lunch and awards following all the fun. Visit www.elizabeth-chamber.org.

OCT. 26

HARVEST FESTIVAL. The Elizabeth Area Chamber of Com-merce presents the Harvest Festival from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 26 on Main Street in Elizabeth. Food, music, games and more. Spend an afternoon in Elizabeth for a safe Halloween by coming for trick-or-treat street throughout the town and enjoying games, vendors, food, and more on Main Street. Visit www.elizabethchamber.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 e� cient means of travel for the four-county region. Call Kay Campbell, Kiowa, at 719- 541-4275. You may also call the ECCOG o� ce 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 o� ered 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 [email protected]. The clinic is free for parties who have no attorney and who are going through dissolution of marriage, le-gal separation, or post-decree cases. All walk-ins are welcome, and will be assisted on a � rst-come, � rst-served basis.

THE ELBERT County Sheri� s Posse is a nonpro� t volunteer organization that is part of the Elbert County Sheri� s O� ce. As volunteers we support the Elbert County Sheri� s O� ce, 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 Sheri� s O� ce at 7 p.m. For more information or a membership application, go to http://www.elbertcountysheri� .com/posse.html, or contact Dave Peontek at 303-646-5456.

THINGS TO DO

Page 12: elbert county news_0704

12 Elbert County News July 4, 2013

12-Color

Located on the grounds of Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, and overlooking the majestic Rocky Mountains, The Memorial Garden accepts cremated remains in niches or a common urn. Cherry Hills is committed to serving our community by offering peace of mind through a loving and integrated approach to end of life care.

Please contact at 303.325.8306 for more information or to schedule a tour.

chcc.org/MemorialGarden

Edelweiss Pavilion, Hwy 8. Morrison (just north of the Fort Restaurant and south of Red Rocks)

Admission:Friday & Saturday--$8/person

Sunday--Frühschoppen! (FREE entry and $15 all-you-can-eat brunch buffet)

Kids 12 and under are FREE

www.biergartenfest.com

Join Us for the 17th Annual Biergarten Festival

Celebrating German Traditions and Culture!

Friday, July 12th 4PM-10PMSaturday, July 13th 11AM-10PM

Sunday, July 14th 10AM-2PMAuthentic German Food, Drink, and Live Music

Kids’ Games • Bratwurst Eating Contest

allowed to sell only water, carbonated wa-ter, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, and low-fat and fat-free milk, including nonfat fl avored milks.

At a congressional hearing June 27, a school nutritionist said schools have had diffi culty adjusting to the 2012 changes, and the new “a la carte” standards could also be a hardship.

And the healthier foods are expensive, said Sandra Ford, president of the School

Nutrition Association and director of food and nutrition services for a school district in Bradenton, Fla. She also predicted that her school district could lose $975,000 a year under the new “a la carte” guidelines because they would have to eliminate many of the popular foods they sell.

The food industry has been on board with many of the changes, and several com-panies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law three years ago.

Angela Chieco, a mother from Clifton Park, N.J., sees the guidelines as a good start but says it will take a bigger campaign to wean kids off junk food.

“I try to do less sugar myself,” Chieco said. “It’s hard to do.”

Continued from Page 9

School

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK? Want to know what clubs, art exhibits, meetings and cultural events are happening in

your area and the areas around you? Visit our website at www.ourcoloradonews.com/

calendar.