House Bill 19-1262 -- State Funding for Full-Day Kindergarten What this means for Douglas County School District families
May 14, 2019 House Bill 19-1262 -- State Funding for Full-Day Kindergarten What this means for Douglas County School District families Free full-day kindergarten is coming soon to a school near you, at no cost to parents. Colorado Governor Jared Polis will soon sign House Bill 19-1262 into law providing state funding for full-day kindergarten across the state. This means that free, full-day Kindergarten will be offered in Douglas County School District this fall! Why wasn’t Full-Day
Mike McNairy of Creative Colors International is elected as the next Chamber Board Chair
Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, thank you for electing me as your next Board Chairman. We’ve been working hard to support, encourage, and promote member businesses in our community, and strive to be the loudest “voice” for business, ensuring a vital community through positive growth. This upcoming year will prove to be challenging, eventful, and fun. I’m very excited to be working with some of our community’s best and brightest on the Board of Directors and together will strive to elevate our Chamber to
Festival Park continues to shine in coveted Colorado awards
In the heart of Downtown Castle Rock, Festival Park serves as a community gathering place and is home to some of the Town’s most treasured events. After a redesign in 2017, the inspired space has won several awards and continues to garner recognition. This spring, Festival Park was nominated for two more awards that celebrate community character and vision. More recently, the Denver Regional Council of Governments gave the park a Metro Vision award. The award recognizes regional efforts to create
Master Magnetics, Inc. is pleased to announce, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Brown is named Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce 2019 Business Person of the Year.
CASTLE ROCK, Colo., May 10, 2019 – Brown received the award at the Chamber of Commerce 2019 Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony. The ceremony highlighted local business leaders, honoring winners in multiple categories, including Small Business of the Year, Citizen of the Year and Castle Rock Advocate, among others. Fellow Business Person of the Year Nominees were John Saunders of Where Food Comes From and Joe Weber of Chick-fil-A. In addition to her daily responsibilities at Master Magnetics, Brown is
CDOT hosting public meetings for I-25 South Gap Project
Published on May 7, 2019 in 2019, Breaking News, I-25 Gap, Multimodal Transportation & Road Work CDOT is continuing to evaluate improvements to I-25 between Monument and C-470 as part of the Planning & Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study. Two upcoming public meetings will highlight the latest ideas, recommended alternatives and data supporting needed improvements and priorities “after the GAP” construction project is completed.May 14, 2019 5 – 7 p.m. Lewis-Palmer Middle School 1776 Woodmoor
Under the Dome- 2019 End of Session Report
VIEW THE SINE DIE REPORT HERE2019 Session FactsDemocrat/Republican split in House of Representatives: 41/24Republican/Democrat/Unaffiliated split in the Senate: 19/16Number of bills, resolutions, and memorials introduced during the 2019 Legislative Session: 653Number of bills signed by the Governor as of 5/3/19: 155Number of bills vetoed as of 5/3/19: 0Last day for the Governor to Act: June 2, 2019 Introduction The 2019 Legislative Session commenced with a new political landscape. Democrats entered
Chamber Announces Best of the Best at Annual Awards Ceremony
The Chamber's vision of igniting passion for business success and community prosperity was evident at this year's annual banquet where award nominees, community leaders and members reflected on the Chamber’s sixty-four years of commitment to our business community. The annual passing of the gavel ceremony, a time-honored tradition, provides the opportunity to announce new leadership, recognize the Chamber's successes, and to celebrate the outstanding business leaders in our community. Castle Rock Chamber
U.S. Economy is Stronger than Expected, Colorado Economy is Solid
Recently released data shows the U.S. economy is stronger than expected and the Colorado economy is on solid footing. The best economic news was delivered by the BEA - U.S. real GDP for Q1 increased at a rate of 3.2%. In addition, the NAHB Housing Market Index is trending up, light truck and auto sales were strong in March, construction spending is up, and the 30-year mortgage rate is around 4.0%. Colorado is on track to add 48,900 jobs this year. This is lower than expected, but, initial and continuing
Under the Dome, Week 17 (2019)
Highlights of the Week In the final days of session, bills are moving quickly and hundreds of bills are still in the works. With calendars growing long, the House and Senate both convened Saturday to continue their work, the first Saturday the legislature convened since a July 2006 special session. A bill can be introduced as late as May 1 and still make its way through the process and all bills have to be in their second chamber and pass second reading by midnight on May 2 to have a chance of making
Castle Rock Water registered apprenticeship program in Water Operations.
Castle Rock Water and Arapahoe Community College have partnered to create a registered apprenticeship program in Water Operations. You can work up to 30 hours a week for Castle Rock Water in a paid apprenticeship program while attending Arapahoe Community College’s new Sturm Collaboration Campus. Castle Rock Water will also sponsor up to 50% of tuition! We have two info sessions coming up to find out more. You need to attend an info session to be eligible to apply. Please see the attached flyer or click
Subdivision density bonuses are currently allowed in the Large Rural Residential, Rural Residential and Estate Residential zone districts.
Subdivision density bonuses are currently allowed in the Large Rural Residential, Rural Residential and Estate Residential zone districts. A public workshop will be held May 7, 2019 at 4 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room, at 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 to present proposed amendments to the Douglas County Zoning Resolution (DCZR) and Douglas County Subdivision Resolution (DCSR) to eliminate all density bonus regulations. For more project information, visit Project Records Online and
Chapel Restoration Fund 2019
Rock Solid for the Next GenerationsChapel Restoration Fund 2019 Before we repair the cracks and repaint the walls in our 113-year-old chapel, we need to stabilize its foundation. For about five years, with the help of Denver Foundations, we’ve been monitoring the stability of the chapel’s foundation. We’ve learned that it’s been sinking about a centimeter or two every year. This settling has been causing the cracks in the plaster walls and ceiling and the peeling wallpaper you’ve seen. We’ve hidden the
Under The Dome Week 15 (2019)
Highlights of the Week On Friday, the Legislature hit the 100 day mark leaving 20 days left of the legislative session. With 106 bills signed by Governor Polis and 92 bills postponed indefinitely, there are still hundreds of live bills to work through in the final weeks of session. This week the Joint Budget Committee met to resolve differences on the Long Bill between the two chambers, coming to an agreement for transportation funding, and other bills with fiscal notes are now moving through the
Under the Dome, Week 16 (2019)
Highlights of the Week This week under the goldendome Governor Polis signed the budget bill on Thursday, the School Finance Act to fund K-12 schools was introduced, and the House held the longest committee hearing of this session. Even though the Senate worked late Thursday into Friday morning, three significant bills were delayed until next week: SB 188, to create a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program; HB 1210 to allow local governments to set their own minimum wage; and SB 107 to
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Castle Rock Landscape Makeover Contest – Summer 2019
Castle Rock Water is transforming the landscape and we’d like you to be a part of it! Castle Rock Water is ensuring the Town has a strong water future and one way is by promoting conservation in the landscape. We are encouraging homeowners to transform their landscape into a ‘ColoradoScape’, which is a low-water use landscape with a lot of color and plant variety that blends in with our native surroundings. During summer 2019, Castle Rock Water will host a landscape makeover contest, valued at $8,000,
Under The Dome Week 14 (2019)
Highlights of the Week This week the General Assembly passed the most comprehensive oil and gas reform in decades, the sponsor of the bill to repeal the death penalty voluntarily pulled the bill, and the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act moved forward in the Senate. The House passed the budget bill on Thursday and Friday and next week the JBC will meet as the conference committee to reconcile differences and ensure it is a balanced budget. The House added several amendments to the Long Bill during a
Under the Dome, Week 13 (2019)
Highlights of the Week This week the Senate debated the FY2019-20 Long Bill, the budget for the state, and several amendments were added. One of the more significant amendments increased transportation funding by $106 million General Fund, adding to the $230 million for transportation already in the budget. This was a last minute deal struck between the Senate majority and minority leadership to prevent the Senate GOP from requiring the budget bill be read at length which would have taken approximately
Pegasus Restaurant marks 30 years in Castle Rock
Owners credit customers, staff for eatery's successJanie, John and Sheridan De Lay are the mother, father and daughter operation behind Pegasus Restaurant, which celebrates 30 years in Castle Rock this month. They credit supportive staff and customers for their success.JESSICA GIBBSPosted Monday, April 1, 2019 1:30 pmJessica Gibbsjgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com The numbers each mark a different milestone — 20 years in the first building they bought instead of rented, 30 years in Castle Rock, and 35 years
Leadership Douglas County Now Accepting Applications
Leadership Douglas County (LDC), a program of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, is committed to ensuring the continuity of knowledgeable and effective leadership in Douglas County. Douglas County is virtually the geographic center of Colorado and provides an enviable blend of quality lifestyle and business environment.Download 2019-2020 application information (word doc)Click Here for 2019-2020 application information (PDF)Leadership Douglas County Application Application Deadline: June 20, 2019
Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce announces the 2019 best of the best nominees
And the nominees are…. Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce announces the 2019 best of the best nominees for their Annual Awards: Businessperson, Small Business, Citizen, Castle Rock Advocate, P.S. Miller Philanthropist, Ping Lee Jung Volunteer, and Ambassador of the Year. Winners will be revealed at the Chamber's Annual Banquet ceremony on May 4, 2019. Please help us congratulate all of our nominees! The Businessperson of the Year Award recognizes business owners and/or management who have competitively
Arapahoe Community College Receives Historic Gift Of Up To $10 Million from Sturm Family Foundation
State-of-the-Art Sturm Collaboration Campus Will Establish Industry-Aligned Higher Education Model Castle Rock, Colorado (March 15, 2019) – Arapahoe Community College (ACC) has received a gift of up to $10 million from the Sturm Family Foundation, the largest in the history of the 13-institution Colorado Community College System. A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY With an over $5 million match opportunity, bringing the full potential of the gift in excess of $15 million, the funding will be used in its
Under The Dome, Week 10, 2019
Highlights of the Week This week, the Joint Budget Committee began setting the budget for the larger departments including the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing which runs the state’s Medicaid program, K-12 education in the Department of Education, and the state’s behavioral health programs in the Department of Human Services. Under the Dome, there were several late nights in committee debating newly introduced, controversial bills and the legislature finally reached the halfway
Under the Dome, Week 9 (2019)
Highlights of the Week On Monday, the House Energy and Environment Committee met to discuss a bill to distribute plastic straws only upon request in restaurants and a second bill to extend and modify Colorado’s innovative vehicle tax credit. HB 1143, Distribute Plastic Straws Upon Request Only, was brought by the Colorado Restaurant Association in an attempt to get in front of a potential full plastic straw ban. However, environmental groups testified in committee that the bill did not go far enough
Under the Dome, Week 8 (2019)
Under The Dome, Week 8 Highlights of the Week Two high priority bills for Democrats saw lengthy hearings this week and, in each case, moved ahead. SB19-085, Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, combines several policies from attempts in previous sessions to address the wage disparities based on sex. HB19-1177, Extreme Risk Protection Order, or the Red Flag bill, was heard in committee on Thursday late into the evening. The bill would create a temporary order to remove and restrict access to firearms
Under The Dome, Week 7 (2019)
Highlights of the Week HB19-1174, Out-of-network Health Care Services, and SB19-134, Out-of-network Health Care Disclosures And Charges, are two bills to require disclosures about out-of-network care to patients and to sets rates of reimbursement to providers and facilities for services provided that were out-of-network. Recent years have seen bill to address this issue fail, but bi-partisan support has brought the issue back to the forefront this session with insurers/consumer groups supporting
Under the Dome, Week 6 (2019)
Highlights of the Week On Tuesday, Perry Will was appointed to the last vacant House seat. The House District 57 seat was left open when Senator Rankin was appointed to the Senate to replace Senator Randy Baumgardner, who recently resigned from his position. Representative Will spent 40 years of his career working for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, most recently as a supervisor. Senator Rankin’s wife, Joyce Rankin, was one of the contenders for the vacancy. This is the first week of the session where
Mixing Old With New in Historic Downtown Castle Rock
Rapid growth in suburban community has not affected its identityBY KEVIN TILSON Published: 2019.01.24 03:00 PM A Castle Rock building that dates back to 1918, the B&B Café, was once the site of an infamous gunfight where a fugitive shot and killed the Town Marshall. A bullet hole from the gunfight can still be seen in the café’s tin ceiling, reminiscent of Castle Rock’s rich western history. The streets of Castle Rock are lined with historic structures with stories of their own about
Under the Dome, Week 5 (2019)
Highlights of the Week This week at the Capitol the perennial bill to take Colorado off of daylight savings time died in Committee, the building was filled with members of the public on Wednesday to testify on a bill to update Colorado’s comprehensive sex education requirements, and legislation to create a program to import drugs from Canada passed its first committee. On the Senate Floor Monday, there was a lengthy debate about SB19-042, National Popular Vote. The bill would enter Colorado into an
Under the Dome, Week 4 (2019)
Highlights of the Week It was a busy week under the gold dome with a filibuster on the Senate Floor, several health bills moving forward in committee and on the floor, and Governor Polis signing his second executive order to create a new state office. A lively debate took place on the House Floor this Wednesday about SB19-039, Interdistrict Transportation of Students. The bill would remove language from a section of statute created last year by HB18-1306, Improving Education Stability for
Political Advocacy Update from Chamber President, Pam Ridler
The Douglas County Business Alliance is in full swing and monitoring legislation that affects business. Today we took the following positions on these bills:HB 1008 - Include Career and Technical Education in Building Excellent Schools Today Program (Support)HB1013 - Child Care Expenses Tax Credit for Low Income Families (Support)HB1096 - Colorado Right to Rest (Oppose)SB5 - Import Prescription Drugs from Canada (Oppose)SB6 - Electronic Sales and Use Tax Simplification System (Support)SB34 - Local
Castle Rock celebrates community successes through annual report and video
The start of a new year often brings a mix of reflection and anticipation. The Town takes great pride in looking back on community accomplishments, while planning for the year ahead. Several major accomplishments from 2018 include: · Opening Fire Station 152 in Crystal Valley, and adding 12 new Fire staff positions · Reconstructing Meadows Parkway and installing new traffic signals · Beginning to receive WISE water in the Town’s journey toward a sustainable
Ridler Graduates from U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program
Fellowship Provided State and Local Chambers with Opportunities to Engage Nationally on Critical Education and Workforce Issues WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced Pam Ridler, President/CEO of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce graduated from its premier business leadership program. The inaugural Business Leads Fellowship Program trained and equipped leaders from state and local chambers of commerce with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build
Under the Dome, Week 3 (2019)
Capitol will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day DCBA bill tracker: https://bit.ly/2SDrzzp Highlights of the Week On Thursday, Governor Polis signed an executive order containing directives to create a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Program, to use Volkswagen settlement dollars to electrify the state’s fleet of vehicles, to form a Transportation Electrification Workgroup, and to develop a clean transportation plan. Under the Executive Order, the Colorado Department of
Colorado Economic Growth Will Taper off in 2019
From an economic perspective, 2019 is going to be an interesting year. The 2019 cber.co economic forecast projects that momentum from 2018 will carry into 2019. There will be solid growth in the first half of the year followed by slower growth in the second half. There is more downside risk than upside potential. A few of the things to watch for in 2019 are:The slowing in the global and U.S. economies will be felt in Colorado.Colorado will add 61,000 jobs in 2019.The economy is operating inefficiently
6 Popular Misconceptions About the Chamber That Could Be Limiting Your Business
Chamber membership is good for business because it influences the community's perception of you. However, many business owners don't know exactly what the chamber does and so they don't take advantage of the help and resources it offers. For a minimum investment, the chamber can help your business grow in ways that may be difficult for you to do on your own. But if you believe these popular chamber misconceptions, you've likely put off joining and that could hurt your business. 1.Membership Costs a Lot
Best Places to Live in Colorado
Learn more about the best places to live in Colorado, and why you should consider moving to each.By Kevin Litwin on August 19, 2016 21:37 PMShareMattInden/MilesHere are the best places to live in Colorado:Aurora, COBoulder, COCastle Rock, COColorado Springs, CODenver, COFort Collins, COGrand Junction, COLakewood, COLittleton, COLoveland, COPueblo, COWestminster, COAurora Aurora has dozens of neighborhoods along with current and former military instillations, led by Buckley Air Force Base and its 12,100
U.S. Chamber Awards Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation
U.S. Chamber Awards Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation The United States Chamber of Commerce today awarded the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce with 4-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. “Business leaders are a critical voice in conversations about promoting economic growth and job creation in their communities.” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, U.S. Chamber vice president of Federation Relations and
Community Recognition
Castle Rock is a top Town The numbers, facts, research and databases help tell the story residents live every day - Castle Rock is a great place to be. In fact, our Town ranks among the best both locally and nationally, according to a variety of national publications and studies.Money Magazine: Top Place to Live Money magazine recognized Castle Rock in its top places to live in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Most recently, Castle Rock ranked in the Top 10, coming in at No. 4. Narrowing the list is difficult, of
6 Reasons Solopreneurs Need a Chamber Membership
If you’re a solopreneur, you’re likely putting in some long hours building your business. Anything that helps you be more productive for little money is a necessary investment for you at this point. You may have thought briefly about the chamber and then decided against it because when you think of older people standing around talking about business, you probably figured it wasn’t for you. It’s not how business gets done nowadays. But the chamber offers a lot more than what you imagined and a lot of it
4 OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO SELL YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
If you own a business you probably spend a lot of time thinking of different ways you can sell your product or service. Maybe you’ve investigated neuro-marketing or tried one of these sales approaches. A hard, persuasive sell is getting more difficult these days, isn’t it? Relationships are becoming incredibly important to brands, especially with social media. So is content marketing. Everyone wants infotainment. They long for information that is engaging and solid, not too long, not too short. Consumers
4 Reasons You're Losing Customers (or soon will be)
Do you track the number of sales you make along with the revenue? Of course you do. How do your numbers look? Are you increasing or remaining the same? Hopefully you’re not down this year but if you are, these may be some of the reasons why and what you can do to fix them: You Can’t Compete on PriceI’m making a broad generalization here, but as a small business you can’t compete on price with the big chain stores just as I can’t compete with writers who are overseas and on Fiverr. I don’t want to. Neither
6 Tips To Selling Online
If you’ve been considering opening up your business to online sales, or maybe you already are but are wondering if your online store is all that it could be, take a look at the following tips on how to make your online store a success. Design for ExperienceWhile there are some people who don’t mind digging through clutter to find a great deal, most people prefer shopping in well-lit stores, with wide aisles, and organized shelves/racks. This translates to the online world as well. A cluttered website, with
5 Tips on How You Can Start Using Video for Your Business
5 Tips on How You Can Start Using Video for Your Business Video content has exploded as a marketing tool and if you’re on the sidelines wondering why, it may help to know that according to eMarketer, daily time dedicated to digital video watching (for adults) has increased exponentially over the past 5 years. From a measly 6 minutes a day in 2010, to 55 minutes in 2014, we’re certainly getting our time in front of the screen.But it’s not just the amount of time spent that causes marketers to flock to this
4 Tips to Make Your Business More Likeable
4 Tips to Make Your Business More Likeable © GraphicStockPeople buy from people they know, like, and trust. While you might be in the right place at the right time when someone is up against it, and they may buy from you once without knowing, liking, or trusting you, for them to return, you’ll need more than luck.Know and trust generally come along when you establish yourself as a likeable business with a human behind it. It’s difficult for people to like you if they don’t trust you, unless you’re a
5 best communities in the West, Castle Rock named as a Runner Up
Sunset Magazine searched the West for towns, cities, and neighborhoods that are easy to love. All the winners boast a strong sense of community—the gift of making you feel like you belong.View entire article here.Best suburb: Runners-upCampbell, CA. This San Jose suburb has long been overshadowed by its immediate neighbors, wealthy Los Gatos and Saratoga as well as Apple-HQ Cupertino. Now it’s coming into its own, with a newly vibrant downtown and the soon-to-be-revamped Pruneyard shopping center. Housing
Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Recruits Pamela Ridler to Board of Directors
The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) is proud to announce to its national Board of Directors Pamela Ridler, CCE representing Colorado. Ridler became the President/CEO of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce in 1998. Prior to her position with the Castle Rock Chamber, Ridler held the position of Vice-President of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. Ridler got her start in the non-profit arena as director of the United Way of Ellis County in Hays Kansas. Established in 1914, ACCE
