WEEK OF NOVEMBER 7, 2024
VOLUME 37 | ISSUE 49
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Dougco settles on Meridian for probation services North county location has transit access, sets stage for new judicial district BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A man plays bagpipes at the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument at Civic Green Park during a Memorial Day service.
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
Seeking next generation to help veterans American Legion post in Highlands Ranch calls for younger vets BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNTIYMEDIA.COM
Members of the Highlands Ranch American Legion Post are seen at many events, proudly carrying the American flag. But according to the commander of the post, the group is so much more than that. “We’re veterans helping veterans,” said Joe Langran, commander of the post. And this is especially true for recent veteran Michael Matthie. Earlier this summer, Matthie retired from the Army and moved to Highlands Ranch from Germany with his
wife and daughter. He first joined the Army at 18, and served for 20 years during which he completed four Middle East rotations. Matthie was on assignment in Germany when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict emerged. “Next thing you know, I’m on a D17 (aircraft) heading out to southeast Poland for an indeterminate amount of time,” Matthie said. But once he qualified for retirement, he did so to be able to be with his family. Seeking out the local legion was a matter of trying to find a place of camaraderie and people who have had similar experiences, said Matthie. The American Legion was founded in 1919 and was part of establishing the agency that has become the Department of Veteran Affairs. Today, there are thousands of posts across the country. The Highlands Ranch American Legion Post 1260, recently renamed the
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 16 | CALENDAR: 19 | SPORTS: 20
Christopher M. Falkel American Legion post 1260 of Colorado, has been active for nearly 20 years. Matthie initially thought the legion consisted of a group of older men who served in the Vietnam and Korean wars. But when the Highlands Ranch legion met him with open arms in late August, he knew he belonged. “They are the same type of breed that I am,” said Matthie. After only a few months of being retired from the Army, Matthie said having the members of the Highlands Ranch legion to go to has been impactful. He added that they have provided him a sense of grounding as he continues to transition back into civilian life and look for employment. “What they’re doing for the community, as well as veterans in the community, is pretty significant,”
After hearing loud opposition from Lone Tree residents, Douglas County’s leaders halted a plan to place an office that monitors people after they are convicted of crimes near a neighborhood. Now, the county has found a new location. County Commissioner Abe Laydon, who in May pushed Commissioner George Teal to back off the earlier Lone Tree-area spot, expressed support in October for the new location. Off Meridian Boulevard, south of the E-470 toll highway and east of Interstate 25, the newly selected location will offer probation services. “It is this perfect combination of a great deal for us fiscally — it’s in the perfect location right in Meridian,” Laydon said, adding, “There’s really no neighbors to complain or be upset about the adjacency, yet it’s a wonderful facility that will house some really significant departments within our county.” A change in the state’s court system drove the need for a new office. Colorado’s court system is made up of 22 judicial districts, and a new district is on the way. Today, the 18th Judicial District includes Douglas, Arapahoe, Elbert and Lincoln counties. But state lawmakers — driven by population growth and a political split in the region — decided to break up the district, moving Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties into Colorado’s first new judicial district in decades. As part of that retooling, Douglas County officials had been poised to add a probation office near the light rail station off Lincoln Avenue near I-25. Residents of the Heritage Hills gated community expressed wide opposition to the plan to place the probation office near their neighborhood, including at a community meeting in May with a frustrated crowd of more than 200 people. Area residents expressed fears about safety. The newly selected location, farther east, sits SEE PROBATION, P14
FIND ELECTION RESULTS ONLINE Results from Tuesday’s elections occurred after our press deadline. To find results, analysis and more election news, scan the code at right or go to colorado communitymedia.com/ elections-2024
SEE VETERANS, P10
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