WEEK OF JUNE 26, 2025
VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 23
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Castle Rock church will continue to offer shelter Town to pay legal fees following settlement BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
settling into its new home. “It’s been a ton of work,” Mendus said, “but it’s truly a labor of love, and all the customer support just reinforces that we made the right move.” She said the Castle Rock community has rallied behind the shop with appreciation for having a local toy store in town. “They’ve told me they’re tired of bigbox stores and online shopping,” Mendus said. “They’re so happy to have a place to bring their kids for a little treat. Many take advantage of our free gift wrap, and my favorite thing — getting to help them shop.”
The Rock Church can continue to provide temporary housing onsite, following a settlement with the Town of Castle Rock. On June 13, attorneys for The Rock Church, 4881 Cherokee Drive, announced that the church had reached a settlement agreement with the Town of Castle Rock, bringing an end to a federal lawsuit the church filed against the town in May 2024. According to the terms of the settlement, Castle Rock issued a revised Letter of Determination that explicitly permits the church to continue offering housing, as well as agreeing to pay $225,000 toward the church’s attorney fees. Additionally, the settlement allows the church to operate a coffee shop ministry on site. “This is a welcome resolution that goes far to encourage churches who care for those in need and a good example of the type of cooperation between church and state that every community should welcome,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys. First Liberty, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom, represented the church. The lawsuit originates from a dispute regarding the church’s ability to provide temporary housing. Since 2019, the church had been using an RV and a trailer to temporarily house people who otherwise would
SEE TOY STORE, P2
SEE SHELTER, P6
Castle Toys is settling into its new and bigger location on Fifth Street in Castle Rock.
PHOTO BY JULIA KING
Castle Rock toy store just got bigger Castle Toys’ new location offers space to unplug, rediscover ‘power of play’ BY JULIA KING SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Sometimes, all a kid needs is a simple toy. And getting to walk into a store full of them — rather than clicking through an online catalog — is a timeless kind of magic. At Castle Toys in downtown Castle Rock, music plays and stomp rockets fly. Children and adults alike are encouraged to play, explore and rediscover the “power of play.” That’s exactly what owner Cindy Mendus set out to create. “Kids can learn so many life skills
through play,” Mendus said. Those include critical thinking, creativity, resourcefulness, how to socialize, entertain themselves without electronic devices, take turns, and win and lose graciously. These are all core life skills that can “get lost” in the contemporary world, Mendus added, which tends to teach children to place value on outcomes like test scores. Castle Toys first opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the customer base grew, so did Mendus’ dream. She wanted to offer more toys, more variety — and that meant needing a bigger space. Now located on Fifth Street, the store is
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