WEEK OF FEBRUARY 27, 2025
VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 12
FREE
Dougco Schools expand career education with bond funding BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After a year-long lobbying effort at the state Capitol to reinstate the annual Wine Walk events in downtown Parker, the Parker Chamber of Commerce realized the greater Parker community needs to have stronger relationships at the Capitol, and this year, is opening its invitation to the annual Parker Day at PHOTO BY HALEY LENA the Capitol to more community members.
Parker business owners invited to spend a day at state Capitol BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Parker Chamber of Commerce is opening its invitation to the annual Parker Day at the Capitol on March 11 to more community members in an effort to build more engagement at the state level. “For a long time, Parker was just far enough that we kind
of didn’t engage as much with what was going on at the Capitol,” said the chamber’s president and CEO, TJ Sullivan. For the past two years, the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee has had the opportunity to go to the state Capitol and ask questions to elected officials, as the committee is responsible for being a voice for the business community when
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17 | PUZZLES: 19
it comes to government initiatives and policies. But after a year-long lobbying effort at the state Capitol to reinstate the annual Wine Walk events in downtown Parker, Sullivan realized the greater Parker community needed to be more involved and have stronger relationships at the Capitol. After the Wine Walks were shut down by the state in 2023
for not complying with licensing laws affecting alcohol in retail locations, Rep. Anthony Hartsook got involved and worked on a piece of legislation that would make the event compliant, which passed in summer 2024. Throughout the legislative process, Sullivan and Mayor SEE PARKER DAY, P12
With the voter approval of a $490 million bond, Douglas County School District is expanding its career and technical education programming to meet the growing demand from students. The November 2024 bond dedicates $32.8 million to investing in career and technical education (CTE) in the school district. District officials shared the plans for adding opportunities for students at the Feb. 11 school board meeting. Many of the additional classes will be offered at the Legacy Campus in Lone Tree, which is the central location for the district’s CTE programs. Upcoming opportunities at Legacy include classes on electric vehicle and automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, construction and electrical work. Outside of the Legacy Campus, the district will also offer cosmetology at Douglas County High School in Castle Rock and automotive technology at Highlands Ranch High School, expanding two popular class options to new schools. Student participation in the district’s career and technical education programming has significantly increased from last year. This year, approximately 25,500 students are enrolled in the district’s 75 CTE programs. “Whether their next step is college, the military, vocational training or directly entering the workforce, we aim to serve as a student launchpad,” Rex Corr, principal of the Legacy Campus, said. SEE FUNDING, P6
2025
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