Voice
LONE TREE 3/7/13
Lone Tree
March 7, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlonetreenews.com
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 8
Court approves voucher program Opponents make plans to continue their fight By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com
Taylor Muckel, a fifth-grader at Timber Trail Elementary School, won the Elementary Division in the 2013 Stars of Tomorrow talent show. Courtesy photos
Stars shine at arts center Kiwanis event showcases talent of young people
2013 STARS OF TOMORROW WINNERS Elementary School Division Taylor Muckel, fifth grade, Timber Trail Elementary; awarded $500 Middle School Division Loren Hardy, Jenna Hardy and Ali LeBlanc, seventh grade, Mesa Middle School; $750 High School Division Andriy Sovetov, junior, Chaparral High School; $1,200. Best of Show Katelyn Pyfer, senior, Douglas County High School; $1,800.
By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews. com The Lone Tree Arts Center proved a good fit for the 2013 Stars of Tomorrow talent show. Nearly 30 Douglas County students competed for more than $4,000 in scholarships from the Kiwanis Clubs of Castle Rock and Douglas County. The students were selected from a field of Douglas County students for the club’s ninth show. It was the first time the event was at the Lone Tree Arts Center, where competitors let down their hair as they prepared to go on stage, said Ron Claussen, Kiwanis spokesman. “Usually they don’t really talk to each other while they’re waiting for the competition to
Katelyn Pyfer, a senior at Douglas County High School, won Best of Show at the 2013 Kiwanis Club Stars of Tomorrow. begin,” Claussen said. “But this time they were backstage playing games, joking around and having a great time. The arts
center just did a great job with everything.” The show is the first stop for Douglas County High School
senior Katelyn Pyfer, who won Best of Show and a spot at the district competition. Pyfer performed a piano recital, accompanied on guitar by her brother Mathew Pyfer. She will advance from the Kiwanis Clubs of Colorado District Stars of Tomorrow to compete against statewide Stars of Tomorrow winners for additional scholarship money.
Gun-control bills advance amid uproar Two sides stake out positions on day when Democrats prevail By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
Mark Kelly testifies before the Colorado Senate’s State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee in support of a bill that would require all gun sales and transfers to be subject to background checks. The retired astronaut and Navy captain is the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was badly hurt in a shooting at an Arizona political event. Photo by Vic Vela
Seven Democratic-sponsored gun control bills passed state legislative committees on March 4, following a remarkable day where swarms of people filled the Capitol to make their voices heard on the most polarizing political issue of the session. The seven bills passed two Democraticcontrolled Senate committees on party-line votes, following lengthy hearings that often became emotional — and sometimes got a little rowdy. The first bill hearing began just after 10:30 a.m., with passage of the seventh and final bill of the day taking place about 12 hours later.
There was plenty of buzz in and around the Capitol throughout much of the day — including honking vehicles that drove around the Capitol in circles all day long, in what was a grating display of displeasure from those opposed to the gun-control measures. Those in favor of the bills also made their opinions known before the hearings started. A press conference was held by gun violence victims and family members whose lives have been affected by mass shootings, all of whom called for tighter gun laws. One of them was Mark Kelly, the space shuttle commander and husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona. On Jan. 8, 2011, Giffords was seriously injured in a shooting rampage while she was hosting a constituent event that took place outside a grocery store near Tucson. The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, used a Glock 18 semiautomatic handgun to fire more than 30 rounds in a matter of seconds Guns continues on Page10
The Colorado Court of Appeals has upheld Douglas County’s pilot school voucher program, overturning a 2011 Denver District Court ruling. The plaintiffs who set out to stop the voucher program say they’ll appeal the case to the Colorado Supreme Court. “I think it’s safe to say the final decision will be made by the Colorado Supreme Court,” said school board President John Carson, who said the program would not start until “we’ve got clearance from the legal system. It’s not clear exactly when that will be yet.” Two members of the three-judge appeals-court panel agreed in the Feb. 28 decision to uphold the voucher plan, with a third judge dissenting. “We conclude that plaintiffs do not have standing to seek redress for a claimed violation of (Colorado’s school finance law), and that the (Choice Scholarship Program) does not violate any of the constitutional provisions on which plaintiffs rely,” the ruling said. “Therefore, we reverse the district court’s judgment and remand the case for entry of judgment in defendants’ favor.” Carson said he’s cautiously optimistic. “We’re just excited we’ve gotten a real clear statement from some esteemed judges in the state that the program is in fact constitutional,” he said. “That’s a huge stamp of approval. We feel this decision puts us in a Vouchers continues on Page 7
Call keeps job as GOP leader
Incumbent state chair fends off former Douglas County chief By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com Colorado Republican State Party Chairman Ryan Call was re-elected to his post over the weekend, defeating former Douglas County Republican Chairman Mark Baisley. The two met Feb. 27 at the Highlands Ranch Sheriff’s Substation for their only debate prior to the March 2 election. “I believe the GOP, the Grand Old Party, ought to stand for the Great Opportunity Party,” said Arapahoe Call County resident Call, who has served as state party chair since 2011. “We need to invite into our party those who may not agree with us 100 percent. From the Reagan Democrats to the Ron Paul libertarians to the social conservatives, we need them all to be able to build Chairman continues on Page 7
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