community gardens sprouting around Town

business owners band together

T O W N O F C A S T L E R O C KT O W N O F C A S T L E R O C K

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castLe rocK, co Castle Rock Recreation Center 2301 Woodlands Blvd. Castle Rock, CO 80104

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peRmIt NO. 26A magazine for everyone who calls Castle Rock homeA magazine for everyone who calls Castle Rock home

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grouPsgROWgardensCommunity gardens sprout in Castle Rock 4

uniquebuSiNESSownersEntrepreneurs revitalize Town 6

LEgACywaterpROjECTRueter-Hess is part of the plan 8 - 9

meetTOWNcounciLGet to know your Councilmember s10-13

gETTiNgvisioniNchecKReviewing the Town’s Cornerstones 16

Leaving a

where to call:

A publication of the Castle Rock Community Relations DivisionDEsiGnED by Karen McGrath, Community Relations Creative services supervisor

ExECuTivE EDiToR Fritz sprague, Deputy Town Manager

EDiToRs Kristin Accola, Management Analyst

Karen McGrath, Community Relations Creative services supervisor

Caroline Kipp, Community Relations specialist

pHoToGRApHy Mark sims and Karen McGrath. Rueter-Hess photography by Jackie shumaker.

on the cover: Downtown’s new street patios are a great place to relax and unwind.

legacy

e m e r g e n c y m a s s n o t i f i c a t i o n get up-to-date information during severe weather or other emergencies. To register, visit DCSherriff.net.

i just love summertime in Castle Rock. so far this summer, i’ve had the privilege to enjoy many of the local community events that help make this such a great place to live. i put on Western wear for the opening of Wrangler park, took in the action at the second annual ERock Twilight Criterium and have enjoyed all of the beauty brought to Downtown Castle Rock by operation Castle bloom.

i appreciate all of the special occasions that i get to take part in as a member of Town Council. i also appreciate the gravity of the important decisions that my fellow Councilmembers and i often have to make on behalf of our community. one such decision that we have been weighing recently is how best to secure the Town’s long-term water future.

it’s no secret among those of us who live here that water is of vital importance in Castle Rock. The availability of a sustainable water supply affects the value of our homes and businesses, and the quality of life for our community. one of the Town’s major goals is to go from using all nonrenewable groundwater to using 75 percent renewable water by the time we reach our build-out population of 100,000 residents.

Three major Legacy Water projects will help the Town reach that goal. We’ve purchased water storage space in Rueter-Hess Reservoir near parker and are constructing a water purification facility here in Castle Rock, along Plum Creek. We’ve also requested proposals from long-term water providers and have been weighing the responses for the four finalists throughout this summer.

securing a future water supply for the Town now will ensure that we have enough water resources available to support our families today and into the future. your elected leadership hopes that you take interest in, and provide us your feedback on, this important and historic decision. visit CRgov.com/waterRFP, for all of the latest.

KNOWgOODto Lost and found

Lose an item, or have something stolen? The Castle Rock police Department may

have your property, and it wants you to get it back. To facilitate finding the owners of lost property, the department updates CRgov.com/lostfound with details of property that it has recovered. Log on to see

if something you are missing has been found.

improved water treatment

starting this fall, Castle Rock Water will switch from chlorine to chloramine disinfection for its water

distribution system. The switch is being made in anticipation of the Town’s move to using renewable water in addition to groundwater. Many water providers have used this safe, effective disinfectant for more than 90 years. Like chlorine, chloramine can impact kidney dialysis treatment, aquatic life, and industries that rely on highly processed water. visit CRgov.com/chloramine to read more.

A new connectionA crosstown trail connection will be available in Castle Rock when the trail along Hangman’s Gulch is complete. When finished, the trail will connect from the East Plum Creek Trail all the way to the Castle Rock Recreation Center. The portion between the Recreation Center and Front Street is finished, along with the final phase’s design. Construction of the final phase will begin after additional land is acquired, which is expected later this year. The trail is part of the Colorado Front Range Trail, which ultimately will connect Front Range communities from Wyoming to new Mexico. visit CRgov.com/trails for additional information on all of the Town’s trails.

Small-town charmThe Town Trolley is available to rent for birthdays, weddings, reunions, business functions and other special events. The trolley seats up to 25 people and has charming historic details including wooden benches, brass railings and removable windows for open-air riding. visit CRgov.com/trolley to view rates and to make a reservation.

Enhanced customer serviceTo increase efficiency and improve customer service, the Town’s water billing customer service representatives moved in June from Town Hall to Castle Rock Water’s main office, 175 Kellogg Court. Customers can continue to pay or drop off water bills at Town Hall. Those with in-depth questions should visit the Utilities offices. Questions? Call 303-660-1373.

Flowers in bloomDowntown Castle Rock

has come alive this summer via

operation Castle bloom – an effort by the Town, Downtown Development Authority and local business to add to

Downtown’s charm by displaying more

than 250 planter boxes beside roadways and at

businesses. Dutch Heritage Gardens donated more than

$10,000 worth of flowers for the effort. Support local businesses and check out the blooms before fall arrives!

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Community GardensSpROuT ThROughOuT CASTLE ROCK

Community garden at glovers park, 534 S. gilbert St. crgov.com/commgarden

The Real Community garden, 4881 Cherokee Drive therock.org/ministries/garden

Senior Center Community garden at Fire Station 153, 5463 E. Sovereign St. (Founders Village) castlerockseniorcenter.org

After being laid off last year, Castle Rock resident Roxanne Fitzgerald decided it was time to follow her divine calling. she acted on her passion for healthy eating and growing her own food and started The Real Community Garden outside of The Rock church in The Meadows.

she planted the seed for the idea with her church in november 2011, and more than 150 volunteers gathered in April to build garden boxes and plant a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Today, the garden includes 120 raised boxes, an orchard with 14 trees, rows and rows of share crops, and plans for up to 80 more garden boxes next year.

“it makes us speechless,” said Fitzgerald, who leads the garden project along with her husband, brian Fitzgerald. “it’s an incredible blessing.”

Theirs isn’t the only community garden growing in Castle Rock this year.

Resident Jackie searle had a similar idea about one year ago. she approached the Town, asking for support for a community garden. After some community engagement, including a survey, the parks and Recreation Commission and Town Council approved the idea and a site – Glovers park.

While the Town parks and Recreation Department supports this project, it is a community-based and community-run effort. Residents can rent one of 26 boxes, and five of them are ADA accessible.

Resident Melody Kearney has always had a kitchen garden, so she went to one of the garden’s meetings and got hooked.

“Jackie’s passion and dedication are contagious, so i kept going back, learning more and watching the dreams and ideas get voted into a reality,” she said. “i see the community garden as an opportunity to learn more about the lost art and pastime of gardening.

The American Community Garden Association, a nonprofit organization with a goal of increasing and enhancing community gardening across the united states and Canada, estimates there are 18,000 community gardens across the nation.

One of the first community gardens in Castle Rock bloomed at Fire Station 153 in 2006. The garden includes 26 vegetable and herb varieties this year, said Deb santy, administrative assistant for the Castle Rock Senior Center, which heads up the gardening efforts.

“Anyone who wants to help is welcome to,” santy said. “This is just a great little thing to have for our organization.”

For each of the gardeners, the theme has been not just growing food, but also growing community.

“The community that plants together grows together,” Kearney said.

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intersection maKeoverTown installing three new traffic signals

Of the 41 traffic signals in Town, about 40 percent are controlled by the Colorado Department of Transportation. The Town has been working closely with CDoT to manage the signals and work out kinks.

Still, managing traffic signals is a balancing act.

First and foremost, a signal’s main job is to decide which direction has the right of way. The time a green light shows on each side is determined by traffic volume. (For example, twice as much traffic on one street generally means twice as much green time for the signals controlling that street.)

However, this simple math is complicated by the yellow and “all-red” signal indications and the fact that drivers often don’t get going at a green light immediately. Lengthening the green light isn’t such a simple solution, because the longer one side is green, the longer the other side is red, so that side gets backed up.

The math is also complicated by left turn arrows, pedestrian signal timing, coordination with the other signals that form the system, and by emergency vehicles that break a signal’s cycle.

For a more detailed look at how signals work, visit CRgov.com/signals.

Traffic signal timing – A balancing act

Motorists traveling through the intersections of Meadows boulevard and sabercat Way and Meadows boulevard and Coachline Road will cross through new traffic signals later this month.

Town Council in June approved construction of signals at these intersections. The signals are being installed and will be running by mid-August. The total cost of the project is $343,000. The signals at sabercat and Coachline are paid for by funds contributed by Castle Rock Development Co., the developer of The Meadows.

Town staff recommends new signals to Council based on a variety of factors – traffic volume, accidents, the presence of pedestrians and the way traffic progresses along streets.

Each year, the Town conducts 24-hour traffic counts at major intersections without signals throughout Castle Rock. Staff also reviews the past year’s accident reports at each intersection and evaluates trends over time. intersections that reach a pre-determined standard warrant signals.

in the case of Meadows boulevard and sabercat Way, a signal was warranted based on peak-hour traffic volume, but not accident reports. still, the study showed an upward trend in the number of accidents occurring there.

At Meadows boulevard and Coachline Road, there was enough traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours to merit the signal.

A third signal will be installed at plum Creek parkway and Gilbert street. because this intersection will eventually become a roundabout, the Town will install a temporary signal.

For its efforts related to signal management, the Town recently won an American public Works Association award. The Town’s signal operations and management plan outlines specific objectives and performance measures to guide decisions on all aspects related to signals.

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stash owner Crystal Ewoniuk has always dreamed about a white picket fence, but not in the traditional sense. she wanted the fence for her yarn business.

Two years ago, that dream became a reality. she moved from a lot in The barn to her own shop in Downtown, complete with a white picket fence.

Many business owners, like Ewoniuk, are realizing their dreams in Castle Rock, and they’re doing so together, by creating a informal alliance.

There’s no member list or phone tree. Meetings happen one-on-one, or in small, impromptu gatherings at each other’s businesses. The idea is simple. They’ve agreed to shop locally and are hoping others will follow their example.

“We just kind of seem to find each other, and we help each other out,” said Airship printing co-owner Renee Magee. “Local businesses keep Downtown alive. There is a lot that these little shops have to offer.”

Each business owner wants to offer something unique, and they’re quick to point out what each other’s businesses offer.

At stash, for example, shoppers get crafting supplies, of course, but they also can get expert advice, or they can join an open knitting group from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. At Airship, miniature T-shirt samples show customers exactly what they will get when their custom order arrives.

Finn-LaFleur offers modern art, fashion and culture, said Desiree (Finn) LaFleur, who owns the shop with her husband billy LaFleur, who handcrafts furniture, and her brother, artist Carlos Michael Finn.

“it’s young, hip and fresh,” Desiree LaFleur said, adding that she never orders the same clothing twice.

The stories of how these entrepreneurs came to Castle Rock are unique, but the reasons they stayed are similar – good schools and a family-friendly community. Their hope is that businesses here will continue to grow, and that someday, Downtown Castle Rock will become a shopping destination, as well as a great place to live and connect.

“There’s a lot to offer in Castle Rock,” Ewoniuk said. “My hope for Castle Rock is that it grows, and that it grows in a way that is good for everyone.”

c a s t l e R o c k

airshipprinting

finn – LafLeur

stash

seek to revitalizeu n i q u e b u s i n e s s o w n e R s web

77O U t LO O K 2 0 1 2 stash

webhitsProPertytaxcaLcuLatorCRgov.com/propertytax

Most Castle Rock homeowners pay less than $40 in property taxes annually to the Town for services such as fire, police, parks, recreation, open space, planning and code enforcement. The rest of what residents pay in property taxes – an average of $1,700 total on a $300,000 home – goes to other entities like the County and Douglas County schools.

now, residents can see an exact breakdown of what they pay and to which entity with the Town’s new property tax calculator. visit CRgov.com/propertytax and click the “search for your address link.” Enter your home address, and a chart will pop up, detailing where your tax money goes.

traiLelevationinformationCRgov.com/trailelevation

in Colorado, residents enjoy knowing how high they’ve climbed. Castle Rock’s new trail elevation electronic map will give hikers and bikers that information and more for all of the trails located within Town.

To use this feature, visit CRgov.com/trailelevation and click on one of the Town’s trails, which are marked in red. Facts about the trail, such as surface type, length, construction date and trail name appear in a pop-up menu. An elevation profile appears on the bottom of the screen.

townmappingcataLogCRgov.com/mapdata

As part of a partnership with open Colorado, a statewide initiative by public and private sector professionals to get more government information online, this tool makes a variety of data easily accessible. users can access and download aerial imagery, zoning district maps and more.

Town launches three new Web features that increase transparency

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Rueter-Hess is part of the planRueter-Hess Reservoir, which opened this year near parker, will be a critical part of any renewable water solution the Town pursues.

The Town owns enough storage in Rueter-Hess to hold all of the water that roughly 18,000 families use in one year. The Town plans to fill its space in the reservoir with water when it is available during winter and spring and then draw down on those stores later, during summer periods of peak demand or lesser water delivery.

before the Town can use Rueter-Hess as a resource, though, infrastructure needs to be put in place to move water from the reservoir to Castle Rock. The needed pipeline and pump station would cost about $25 million. The Town is working with adjacent communities, including Castle pines north and The pinery, to share the cost of that infrastructure.

The Town can store groundwater and return flows in Rueter-Hess but must also secure – and fund – a renewable water supply with which to fill the space. This need is a focus of the long-term water provider process that has been under way since last year.

The Town is considering proposals from four consultants that would provide part of the water the Town needs to reach its goal of 75 percent renewable water by the Town’s build out (100,000 residents, projected to occur around 2065). Virtually all of the Town’s water currently is nonrenewable groundwater.

Town Council had considered a property tax to fund the renewable water project that ultimately is chosen. Council has instead decided to pursue funding through user charges and fees, because a property tax would put an unequal funding burden on business owners over homeowners and would not consider a customer’s actual water usage in determining their total water costs.

Details about the various options being considered for a renewable water project can be found at CRgov.com/waterRFP. Town Council is discussing options regularly; meeting dates can be found on the site as well.

The project that will be pursued as an outcome of the process is one of the Town’s three Legacy Water projects. Rueter-Hess is another, and the third is the Plum Creek Water Purification Facility that will open in Castle Rock next year. Visit CRgov.com/pure for more information on that project and how it will help secure water for our future.

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AbOuT rueter-hess What role does Rueter-hess play in the Town’s long-term water plan?

it allows us to capture water during the winter and spring and store it for use during the summer, when renewable water isn’t as available.

how much capacity does the Town own in Rueter-hess? 8,000 acre-feet, or enough water for roughly 18,000 families for one year.

how will the Town get water from Rueter-hess to Castle Rock? Through a pipeline from Rueter-Hess to the Castle Rock water system.

What water can be stored in Rueter-hess? The Town is currently permitted to store groundwater and return flows in Rueter-Hess. The Town’s permit would have to be amended for renewable water to be stored in the reservoir. That is because removing renewable water from

streams, for example, will have environmental impacts downstream. As anticipated, the Army Corps of Engineers

is evaluating those impacts before approving the storage of renewable water in Rueter-Hess.

When will we start drinking Rueter-hess water? The earliest estimate is in 2016.

how big is Rueter-hess? Rueter-Hess is one of the largest reservoirs to be constructed in Colorado and along the Front Range in decades. it will hold approximately 72,000 acre-feet of water. An average house uses about one-half acre-foot per year.

What can i do at Rueter-hess for recreation? Conceptual recreational uses include hiking and biking trails, fishing and nonmotorized boating. Many experts will be involved in the planning and environmental impact process that will determine these uses. Costs of providing such amenities also will need to be examined. 9

Obtaining a long-term, renewable water supply is important, because it affects the value of our homes and businesses and the quality of life in Castle Rock. The Town’s goal is to conduct an open, transparent project-selection process and to continually communicate unbiased information regarding the process to the public.

Look for this seal on Town water communications to ensure the information is official.

Details regarding upcoming presentations and public comment opportunities will be posted at CRgov.com/waterrfP.

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mayor DisTRiCT1Paul Donahue The Meadowspaul was first elected in 2008. his current term ends in April 2016.

Mayor Donahue grew up on a farm in south-central nebraska. He’s been in and out of Castle Rock since 1990, when he started work toward his master’s degree in business administration at the university of Colorado. He’s lived in Town continually since 2002. paul also has a bachelor’s degree from Trinity university in san Antonio. He worked in regional sales for verizon for a number of years before becoming a financial adviser. He currently works for Edward Jones in Castle Rock.

He and wife, Jennifer, have three sons – Tanner, 18, Aidan, 16 and Mac, 14.

paul is a second Amendment enthusiast and part owner in the Centennial Gun Club. He spends most of his free time at his boys’ sporting events. He also is active at The Rock church.

Email paul at pdonahue@CRgov.com.

councilmembers

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Local laws. The annual budget. Land-use decisions. Direction and policy. That’s just the beginning of the responsibilities of the seven members of the Castle Rock Town Council.

Council is not a full-time job, and the members don’t have offices at Town Hall. Contact Your Town Council representative using the contact information below.

Mayor/District 1 The Meadows Paul Donahue 720-733-3585 pdonahue@CRgov.com

Mayor Pro Tem/District 7 East Founders Village and Castlewood Ranch Joe Procopio 303-660-1372 joepro@CRgov.com

District 2 Woodlands, Metzler Ranch and Diamond Ridge Mark P. Heath 303-660-1396 mheath@CRgov.com

District 3 Red Hawk and parts of The Meadows Jennifer Green 303-660-1366 jgreen@CRgov.com

District 4 Downtown core and Castle North Chip Wilson 303-660-1384 chipwilson@CRgov.com

District 5 Escavera, The Woodlands, Castle Oaks/Terrain, Renee Valentine 303-660-1383 rvalentine@CRgov.com Cobblestone Ranch and parts of Founders village

District 6 Southeast Castle Rock Clark Hammelman 303-660-1371 chammelman@CRgov.com

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DisTRiCT2Mark P. Heath The Woodlands, Metzler Ranch and Diamond RidgeMark was elected in 2012. his current term ends in April 2016.

Mark p. Heath is the newest member of Town Council, having been voted into office at this past April’s election.

An active Castle Rock resident and local business owner, Mark ran for Council because he wanted to represent his district. He does so on Council, as well as by being a Council representative to the parks and Recreation and Water Resources commissions and on the Town’s Audit Committee. Mark also is an alternate Council representative for the Castle Rock Economic partnership – a community organization that aggressively pursues business opportunities for the Town.

Economic development initiatives are a good fit for Mark’s background, which includes two years of service as the elected president of the Castle Rock Downtown Merchants’ Association. He and his wife, Julie, also own park street and Jerry street storage and other commercial properties in Town.

“Expanding the tax base is key to maintaining the great quality of life that we enjoy in Castle Rock,” Mark said. “Town Council and Town staff work with organizations like the Castle Rock Chamber and EDC to meet that goal while maintaining our small-town charm.”

Mark’s family, which also includes three children, capitalizes on the Town’s family friendliness by participating in various school and sports activities. They also enjoy the Colorado lifestyle by camping and skiing, and Mark skates on a recreational ice hockey team.

“We absolutely love living in Castle Rock,” said the puma Ridge/sapphire pointe resident. “i look forward to contributing to our great community for years to come.”

Email Mark at mheath@CRgov.com.

DisTRiCT7 Joe Procopio Castlewood Ranch and parts of Founders Villagejoe was first elected in 2008. his current term ends in April 2014.

Mayor pro Tem procopio, 72, grew up in new Jersey. He moved here more than 12 years ago from Fairfax County, va., to be closer to his son’s family and a longtime friend and naval Academy classmate. Joe is a combat veteran of the vietnam war, having served three tours in southeast Asia.

Joe has attended seven colleges and earned four degrees – a bachelor’s in electrical engineering; a master’s in operations research and two law degrees. He’s a retired Navy officer, corporate executive and attorney. He now spends much of his time substitute teaching and coaching high school lacrosse. He’s long been active in Town committees, including the board of Adjustment, a budget reconciliation committee, the Transportation Advisory board and as chairman of the public Works and utilities commissions.

Joe’s grown son, who has three children, lives in Highlands Ranch. Joe also has a grown daughter, who also has three children, who lives in the Chicago area (Naperville, Ill.).

Joe also keeps busy as vice president of the u.s. naval Academy Alumni Association (Rocky Mountain Chapter); as a founder and officer of the council of Castle Rock’s Emmaus Anglican Church; working in jail ministry; mentoring a Christian teen group; on the Town’s art council; and as a national adviser to the Khmer (Cambodian) veterans who escaped “The Killing Fields” and emigrated to the united states.

Email Joe at joepro@CRgov.com.

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Mayor/District 1 The Meadows Paul Donahue 720-733-3585 pdonahue@CRgov.com

Mayor Pro Tem/District 7 East Founders Village and Castlewood Ranch Joe Procopio 303-660-1372 joepro@CRgov.com

District 2 Woodlands, Metzler Ranch and Diamond Ridge Mark P. Heath 303-660-1396 mheath@CRgov.com

District 3 Red Hawk and parts of The Meadows Jennifer Green 303-660-1366 jgreen@CRgov.com

District 4 Downtown core and Castle North Chip Wilson 303-660-1384 chipwilson@CRgov.com

District 5 Escavera, The Woodlands, Castle Oaks/Terrain, Renee Valentine 303-660-1383 rvalentine@CRgov.com Cobblestone Ranch and parts of Founders village

District 6 Southeast Castle Rock Clark Hammelman 303-660-1371 chammelman@CRgov.com

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Chip Wilson Downtown core area and Castle NorthChip was first elected in 2008. his current term ends in April 2016.

Councilman Wilson was born and raised in western Massachusetts. He joined the Army after graduating high school in 1985 and moved within the Army to Colorado in 1988. Chip studied military law and served in the United states and abroad, including two years in Germany. He left the Army after the Gulf War. since then, he’s been working for united Airlines, where he’s currently a manager. He’s lived in Castle Rock since 1995.

Chip’s wife, Terry, is a third-generation Castle Rock resident. Terry’s family helped homestead the Town and owned the Ford dealership here from 1940 to 1987. Chip, Terry and their children – Emily and Will – live in Terry’s childhood home just outside Craig & Gould.

Chip loves golfing, camping and boating. He also enjoys traveling – Aruba and Kauai are among his favorite destinations.

Email Chip at chipwilson@CRgov.com.

Jennifer Green Red Hawk and parts of The Meadowsjennifer was elected in 2011. her current term ends in April 2014.

Councilwoman Green and her husband, Rob, have called Castle Rock home for 10 years. Jennifer is a Colorado state university graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. she has worked in the communications industry for nearly 14 years and currently manages global offers and contracts.

originally from Tennessee, Jennifer moved to Colorado after being raised in Albuquerque. Jennifer and Rob are involved in plum Creek Community Church and spend much of their free time outdoors, enjoying all that Castle Rock has to offer. She notes that their family can be found at the Castle Rock Recreation Center about five days a week, as their son is on a year-round swim team.

Jennifer and Rob have been married for almost 14 years and have two children – son Logan is 10, and daughter Cassidy is 7.

Email Jennifer at jgreen@CRgov.com.

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Clark Hammelman Plum Creek, Crystal Valley and South Castle RockClark was first elected in 2010. his current term ends in April 2016.

An iowa native, Councilman Hammelman lived in new Jersey, omaha, neb., and Washington, D.C., before moving to Colorado in 1987. After he retired from a 30-year career in public policy and business, Clark and his wife, Carol, moved to Castle Rock in 2004.

before being elected to Town Council, Clark served for five years on the Town Planning Commission. He also has served on the Downtown Advisory Commission and sign ordinance Working Group. He and Carol have four grown children and one granddaughter.

Email Clark at chammelman@CRgov.com.

Renee Valentine Escavera, The Woodlands, Castle Oaks/Terrain, Cobblestone Ranch and parts of Founders VillageRenee was elected in 2011. her current term ends in April 2014.

Councilwoman valentine and her husband moved from West Chester, Ohio, to Colorado in 2003. One year later, they made the Escavera neighborhood their home.

Renee worked for Marriott Hotels and Resorts in sales and marketing for 15 years and transferred from ohio to Colorado with the company. in 2005, she began her career in real estate and is a broker/owner with Keller Williams Real Estate. she recently opened her own office in Downtown Castle Rock.

Renee graduated from bowling Green state university with a bachelor’s degree in hotel management.

Renee and her husband, paul, have been married for 20 years and have four children – Jaclyn, 19, and sons Zack, 16, Luke, 15, and Leo, 3. Jaclyn is a graduate of Castle View High school and is enrolled at Miami university of ohio. Zack and Luke attend Douglas County High School.

Email Renee at rvalentine@CRgov.com.

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blue Cruisersbest of the best The 70 members of the Castle Rock Fire Department have always strived to be the best at what they do. For the past two years, they have been on a mission to prove it.

As of press time, the department had been recommended for accreditation – an honor just 143 of more than 26,000 fire departments nationwide have earned. In August, the

Commission on Fire Accreditation international will announce the award.

The Fire Department team had been working on accreditation for years but decided two years ago to completely invest itself in the accreditation process.

“From fire trucks to paper clips, it’s an all-encompassing self-assessment process,” said Craig Rollins, firefighter/paramedic and the department’s accreditation manager.

The process started with a community survey, which indicated residents wanted a quick and timely response from highly trained staff. Then, the department

set out to determine how current practices met those goals and what could be done to improve.

For example, staff dug deeper into response time data. In the past, Rollins said, they looked at response times based on stations. now, they’re

evaluating response times in smaller zones. They are also evaluating more of the process – from the first 911 call to the moment all emergency vehicles are on scene, instead of from when the vehicles are dispatched to the time the first apparatus arrives.

The accreditation process culminated in May, with a four-day site visit in which an outside group evaluated the department.

“you’re basically under the looking glass,” Rollins said. “it’s a review of, ‘is the department doing what it says it is doing?’”

Besides improved service, there are other benefits for the community, too, including a better Insurance Services Office rating and, therefore, potential lower homeowner’s insurance rates for residents.

Accreditation officially comes up every five years, but for this department, it’s an ongoing commitment to improvement. From now on, the department will track nearly 100 performance indicators to ensure it is meeting the community’s ideals.

“The Castle Rock Fire Department has worked hard to be the best at what we do in all aspects of the services we provide,” Fire Chief Art Morales said. “We felt that we were worthy of accreditation, and embraced the challenge accreditation posed. ultimately, our hope is that, through accreditation, our community will continue to have one of the best fire departments in the nation.”

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blue Cruisersyou might have noticed them this summer while mountain biking at Ridgeline open space, walking on East plum Creek Trail or shopping at the outlets at Castle Rock.

They ride bikes with red and blue lights, from which they can quell a confrontation or make an arrest, if necessary.

They are the officers of the Castle Rock Police Department’s new Bike Patrol, which will remain activated for the year until sept. 1.

Town police officers had occasionally patrolled on bicycles in the past, but never as part of an organized unit. The bike patrol was formalized for this summer as part of the police Department’s community policing concept, said Commander Jason Lyons, who heads up the patrol Division.

“Their function is to increase the police presence and visibility throughout the entire Town, with specific focus in the downtown business area, the retail communities, the parks, trails and open spaces, as well as attend all of our Town special events,” he said.

No additional staff members were added in order to form the Bike Patrol; the manpower was shifted from other areas to increase community policing during the summer months.

The four officers who comprise the unit received 32 hours of bike patrol training and drive bikes specially equipped for Castle Rock’s terrain. They work Wednesday through saturday, so their schedules line up with busy shopping, outdoors and events times.

Being on bicycles makes the officers more approachable and allows them to have more face-to-face interaction with the public.

said Lyons: “Any positive interaction with law enforcement increases the community’s confidence in their Police Department.”

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TAKE A ChANCE ANDgive hopeA st. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Dream Home is again being built in Castle Rock.

The 4,180-square-foot home is built by oakwood Homes and located in The Meadows. It includes five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a mud room, a three-car garage and a basement. it is valued at $470,000.

Tickets are $100, and the drawing will be Thursday, sept. 20. Tickets are available online, dreamhome.org.

Proceeds benefit St. Jude, which is ranked as one of the best pediatric cancer hospitals in the country. It is the first and only National Cancer institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted to children.

ViSiON check2020 ViSiON STATEMENT

The Town of Castle Rock is a world-class community with a small-town character. As we grow to approximately 100,000 residents, together, we will work to sustain and enhance our livable community by pursuing and achieving our primary goals.

When the Town Vision Committee created the Town’s Vision 2020 in 1999, 2020 was the future. now, it’s nearing tomorrow.

soon, the Town will be updating its vision document. before we do that, we’d like to review how the Town and the community have done in achieving the four vision 2020 Cornerstones.

The Cornerstones are fundamental guiding principles, which expand upon the overall vision. They help to steer the Town toward its desired future:

Community PLanning intent: To ensure the Town is carefully planned to accommodate the needs of existing and future residents while preserving and protecting Castle Rock’s Town identity and quality of life.

Community services intent: To ensure that all necessary community services are provided to support the public interest and well-being of all Castle Rock residents and businesses.

Local economy Intent: To promote economic self-sufficiency and long-term stability of the local economy, to provide residents with a broad range of employment opportunities and to provide the Town with a healthy tax base.

Town identity intent: To preserve Castle Rock’s character as a distinct and physically separate community that is the center of Douglas County.

Next, we will examine achievements related to the 26 primary Vision 2020 goals. Feedback will be formally solicited this fall in the form of an electronic survey.

Visit CRgov.com/visionreport to read the entire vision and to stay up-to-date on the vision update.

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