WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 2024
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 50
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Douglas County students to join Macy’s parade Elizabeth has concerns about plan for water Elbert County points out that town chose not to take part in steering committee BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
“It was amazing. It’s like one of the best communities of people that I’ve been in,” Marriott said of the other student musicians she performed with during last year’s parade. Arriving in New York a few days before the parade, Marriott said putting on what has become the iconic red-andwhite uniform for the first time was both cool and surreal.
Elbert County has been working toward creating a formal Water Master Plan for the last year. On Oct. 19, 2023, the Town of Elizabeth Board of Trustees (BOT) was asked to provide a representative to serve on the Elbert County Water Master Plan Steering Committee. Due to lack of staff time available, the BOT decided not to participate on the committee. On Oct. 9 of this year, the BOT released comments and analysis of the Elbert County Water Master Plan draft and called into question the underlying motivation behind the plan as well as questions about the validity of the data used. The document said, in part, the “Board of Trustees believes the underlying data and data analysis appears flawed and should be re-examined for the reasons set forth herein. More importantly, if the underlying position of the Steering Committee, population data, development data and input is inconsistent, the underlying recommendations are likewise in error. Due to the importance of this document, and its long-term impact on the County, this matter should be reviewed and begun anew.” The Town of Elizabeth expressed fundamental concerns that the steering committee was biased and created to “further justify development” — specifically, that the committee did not actually represent the agricultural community, professional planners, municipal residents, non-specialty county residents, representatives of industry, conservationists, business owners, or metro district representatives. The Steering Committee began meeting in autumn 2023 and is comprised of Elbert County Director of Community and Economic Development Marc Dettenreider, Elbert County Economic Development Department Project Manager Eric Larson, Elbert County citizen Robert Rowland, developer Tim Craft, Elbert County citizen Kermit Wetherberr, developer Jim Marshall, and Elbert County citizen Mitch Trevey. Rowland, a former county commis-
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SEE WATER, P8
Douglas County’s Katherine Whitmore, Austin Gorman and Audra Marriott will be traveling to New York to perform with the Great American Marching COURTESY OF TERI WHITMORE Band in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Three selected for Great American Marching Band BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Trading in their black and green marching band uniforms for bright red, three Douglas County students are headed to the Big Apple to perform with the Great American March-
ing Band in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “It’s quite unlike anything I think anyone really has the opportunity to do,” said Austin Gorman, a senior at Castle Rock’s Castle View High School. Gorman spent the entirety of his high school career playing the trumpet, rising to drum major by his senior year. Joining him to perform in the parade this year are Audra
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Marriott and Katherine Whitmore, who both attend ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch. While playing with the Continental League Honor Band with other Douglas County student musicians, Gorman learned about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade audition process from Marriott, a senior who plays the trumpet, who was selected to play in the parade in 2023.
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