WEEK OF JANUARY 23, 2025
VOLUME 129 | ISSUE 47
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Castle Rock ceremony marks launch of 23rd Judicial District BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Elizabeth community offered a lot of feedback and opinions for the PROST Master Plan project at The Boo Bash on Main on Oct. 26. COURTESY OF CRITTER THOMPSON
Elizabeth outdoors plan advances Workshop draws community members to share thoughts BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The inter-agency effort to plan and improve Elizabeth’s outdoor spaces continues to move forward. A community workshop was held Dec. 11 at Elizabeth High School to solicit the community’s thoughts and opinions on “all things related to parks, recreation,
open space and trails,” also known as the PROST Master Plan. Alexandra Cramer, Town of Elizabeth planner and project manager, said that through a state GOCO Planning and Capacity grant, the town has “partnered with Elizabeth Park and Recreation District and Elizabeth School District to create a comprehensive plan that will shape the future of parks, trails, and recreation across the Greater Elizabeth area.” Landscape architect Jena Biondolilo, a member of the consultant team hired
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 16 | PUZZLES: 17
to develop the master plan, said the “intent of the PROST Master Plan is to serve as a road map for the town and EPR to plan for the future, help inform their priorities based on community needs, and acquire funding to implement improvements over the next 10 to 15 years.” The team is made up of professionals from SCJ Alliance and Catamount Studio and includes Biondolilo, Critter Thompson, the founder/owner of SEE WORKSHOP, P12
A large crowd gathered at Douglas County’s justice center in Castle Rock for a ceremony to mark the creation of Colorado’s first new judicial district in roughly 60 years, a move that breaks Arapahoe County off into its own district and leaves Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties with their own court system. “This moment is a testament to the growth and evolution of our community, a recognition that the needs of our citizens are ever-changing and that our judicial system must evolve alongside them,” Chief Judge Ryan Stuart, of the new 23rd Judicial District, said in a news release. Before, Colorado’s court system was made up of 22 judicial districts, and the 18th district included Douglas, Arapahoe, Elbert and Lincoln counties. But the state legislature — at least partly driven by a political split in the 18th district — decided to break it up, moving Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties into the new 23rd district. The Colorado Judicial Branch celebrated the establishment of the 23rd district at a swearing-in ceremony Jan. 14 at the Douglas County Courthouse. With the launch of a new judicial district comes a new district attorney — George Brauchler, a Republican and former district attorney who won election by a large margin for the new DA seat in November. The race in Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln encompassed an area that made for a deep-red electorate. A district attorney serves as the head prosecutor for a region of Colorado’s courts, also leading the prosecutors who work in that DA’s office. The office is responsible for prosecuting crimes that occur in the area. After being sworn in to office, Brauchler said: “We are in the business of justice.” “The rule of law for me means no one is above the law. We don’t show any favoritism. We don’t care about race, creed, religion, sexual orientation” or gender, Brauchler said, adding: “I don’t care about immigration status. You commit a crime in this (place), this community, you should have the same expectation as anybody else.” Brauchler, a longtime politician who has appeared on ballots in several elections, served eight years as DA for the 18th district, wrapping up his term in 2021. Many officials take office
More than 300 people were in attendance during the ceremony and witnessed the swearing in of 150 staff to the district, including district court judges, county court judges, and the SEE SWEARING IN, P23
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