The one thing you can depend on is that things change. And things changed for me this month.

As I’ve mentioned for the last couple months, my time on Castle Rock Town Council, and as mayor of Castle Rock, was coming to an end. After being elected to three consecutive terms on town council, I was no longer eligible to run again. It was with mixed emotions that I stepped down and watched the new council members be sworn in April 13.

First, I’d like to congratulate new council members Brian Logan and Clark Hammelman for being elected to their first terms, and to Paul Donahue for being reelected for his second term. Leading council now are Mayor Ryan Reilly and Mayor Pro Tem Chip Wilson.

I must admit I still have this urge to head to town hall every Tuesday but I know that’ll start to fade. In fact, I already know how I plan on spending some of my newly found time.

Council takes more hours than most people can imagine, and now I will spend more time with my family and on running my framing business. But I’m not walking away from a public life.

Even during my time on town council, I always had an interest in regional issues. As such I served on a number of county and regional boards. I now will focus more of my attention on those issues that affect all of Douglas County — water, transportation, business development, employment and more. Douglas County is the best county in Colorado, but it won’t remain so by accident. It will take effort and smart decisions. I’ll stay active and have a voice so those efforts happen.

I also am going to keep the conversation going with you through this column. We’ll talk about some of those issues above, but also talk about some of the people who live in this county who are doing great things in their communities.

Two people who have been mentioned in this paper, but deserve more attention are Rhonda and Scott Jostad. They lost their daughter Alyssa eight years ago during a watercraft accident at Chatfield Reservoir. As a tribute to her, Rhonda and Scott are giving two $1,000 scholarships to two of Alyssa’s friends who are graduating from Chaparral High School.

Friends of Alyssa who apply for the scholarships are required to write an essay about how Alyssa impacted his or her life. Rhonda and Scott will then choose the two best essays and present them at the end of the school year during the senior academic ceremony. The deadline for the essays is May 3 and can be turned into the counselor’s office at Chaparral High School.

Another senior event — this one for those over 50 years old — is a special senior fitness day. Seniors are invited to learn more about fitness resources in the area from 10 a.m. to noon May 4 at the Lone Tree Recreation Center.

Last but not least, if you haven’t bought your duck for the annual Ducky Derby in downtown Castle Rock, you have just a few more weeks. The event is May 22. Go to www.crduckyderby.com for more information. At a minimum, you’ll help some great community causes, and you just might win $1 million. Yeah, that’s worth the $5 investment.