Week of January 12, 2023
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ParkerChronicle.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 16
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 7
Council approves Town Hall expansion Price tag — $25M BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock holds up a photo of Casey Devol at a media briefing. Devol is the suspect in a double homiPHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER cide near Franktown.
Outgoing Sheriff Tony Spurlock reflects on a 42-year career Tragedy, highlights and change BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock’s 42-year stint in law enforcement started with a conversation about his career aspirations with his manager at a grocery store. That manager was married to a cop who was put in contact with Spurlock. The rest is history. Spurlock dreamed of being in law enforcement since he was 10 years old. After speaking with his manager’s husband, he began working at the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office where he started as a deputy. He later moved into
investigations and in 2015, he took over as Douglas County’s 33rd sheriff. Spurlock has gone on to serve the office for eight years, terming out in 2022. As Spurlock comes to the end of his final term, he reflects on a full career. Not all moments are happy, as he explained. During his time as sheriff, many tragedies have taken place, including school shootings, officers losing their lives and the unexpected complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Tragedy fell upon us here in Douglas County and one thing led to another and I started to see different ways that the sheriff can influence public safety and the sheriff can keep people alive and the sheriff can be a part of making a long term difference,” he said.
One of the most difficult parts of being a sheriff for Spurlock is having employees intentionally disrupt the sheriff ’s office. He said the other difficult part is when an officer has been severely injured and killed. “I never thought I’d have to do it… sit next to the wife of an officer that was just killed and grab her hand and hold her and say, ’I have no idea where the hell we are going with this, but we are going together,’” said Spurlock. As sheriff, Spurlock has focused on mental health, the mental wellness of the community and employees, leading him to become a strong advocate for the Emergency Risk Protection Order, otherwise known as the Red Flag Law.
A Douglas County group called Just Say No to Extremism gathered in downtown Castle Rock in
remembrance of the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s Capitol. Standing outside of the Douglas County Wilcox Building, around 15 people waved American flags
Other council business
and carried various signs, including ones that read “Stop Absurd Election Conspiracies” and “Stop Extremism DougCo.” For about an
The council also appointed a substitute assistant Municipal Court judge and new members and alternates to the Town of Parker Special Licensing Authority during the Jan. 3 council meeting. Assistant Municipal Court Judge Courtenay Patterson has nearly two decades of experience as a licensed attorney, including more than seven years in Colorado. Patterson comes from her own firm, where she worked on federal civil litigation and
SEE JAN. 6, P5
SEE COUNCIL, P7
SEE SPURLOCK, P8
Anti-extremism group marks Jan. 6 anniversary BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In a series of unanimous votes, Parker Town Council has decided to move forward with a multi-milliondollar Town Hall expansion project. The council approved four contracts, including a partnership with Anderson Mason Dale Architects and JHL Constructors. The project will include a two-story Town Hall expansion on the east side of the building and the council chambers will expand on the west side. The project might also include a realignment of Pikes Peak Avenue to make up for lost parking spaces. Another parking lot could be built on the east side of Pikes Peak Avenue. The projects, approved in four 5-0 votes at the council’s Jan. 3 meeting, are anticipated to cost more than $25 million, however, numbers are subject to change. Councilmember Joshua Rivero clarified with Parker’s Project Manager Bob Exstrom that although staff is being relocated from Old Town Hall to the new expansion space, the project is more than an expansion. The project will include retrofitting and modernization of the building. “This is money well-spent,” said Councilmember Laura Hefta. “It is not growth and government. It is necessary, it is needed.” Construction is estimated to begin in the first quarter of 2024 and take more than two years to complete.