January 7, 2016
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Wadsworth fire leaves one dead, two hurt Several local businesses also displaced by blaze
Emergency workers found the body of a man Jan. 4 in the rubble of the building. Police identified the man as addictions counselor John Rutter who was last seen in the building before the Jan. 2 fire. Photo by Crystal Anderson
By Crystal Anderson canderson@colorado communitymedia.com
A mid-morning fire engulfs the Scenic Heights Office Building, 6475 Wadsworth Blvd., Saturday, Jan. 2. The building is a complete loss, according to Arvada Fire. Photo courtesy of Arvada Fire Protection District
Investigators using heavy equipment and K-9 dogs discovered the body of a man at about 3 p.m. Jan. 4 in the rubble of an Arvada office building decimated by a fire two days earlier. Arvada police identified the man as substance abuse counselor John Alan Rutter, 55, who was last seen by a colleague working in the building when the fire broke out. The Facebook page for Creative Treatment Options, where Rutter worked, confirmed late Jan. 4 that the man found was Rutter.
Tannis Jahn, office manager and counselor for Creative Treatment Services, said Rutter was in the office when the fire started. “I know that he was there because we were working together,” Jahn said in a Jan. 4 press conference at the nearby business, Sportline.
Music school marks first anniversary By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Rock continues on Page 16
Fire continues on Page 20
WHAT’S INSIDE Holiday Blues? Check out these ideas for getting yourself unstuck from a rut. See Page 10
Olde Town’s Rock Life Music Academy helps students realize music dreams
Years ago, Alex Boccia remembers being a young teen watching his first battle of the bands behind a fence near his Illinois home, dreaming that one day he would play that stage and win. Today, after realizing that dream, he’s helping students of all ages reach theirs through music. Born out of a passion to teach and play guitar, Boccia’s Rock Life Music Academy helps teach children, teenagers and adults how to play guitar and drums in a low-key, easygoing, yet challenging environment. A guitarist for the local rock bands Old Ironsides Band and A Memory Down, Boccia, 27, understands the demands of the
Arvada Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire, which began shortly before 10 a.m. Jan. 2 in the Scenic Heights Professional Building at 6475 Wadsworth Blvd., Deputy Fire Marshal Deanna Harrington said.
Brett Schneider, left, stands with his new guitar and guitar teacher, Alex Boccia. Schneider said his skills have improved immensely since starting lessons at Rock Life Music Academy. Courtesy photo
Sports: Basketball season set to resume. See Page 19
Recall group mostly funded by teachers’ unions Secretary of State orders release of donor information By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com Nearly 100 percent of money used by Jeffco United — the parent-founded organization behind the successful recall of three conservative school board members — came from local, state and national teachers’ unions, according to campaign reports ordered released by the Colorado Secretary of State. The information was released Christmas Eve in compliance with a decision of the Colorado Administrative Courts. The suit filed by Colorado Government Watch, which works to ensure transparency and accountability of public officials and organizations, resulted in the Dec. 16 ruling that Jeffco United’s main purpose was to
support the recall. That makes it an issue committee, required to report its donors to the Secretary of State. “In sum, because United had a major purpose of supporting the recall election, it was an issue committee obligated to register and file reports of its contributions and expenditures,” the ruling read. Jeffco United organizers argued that nonprofits that support social welfare issues do not have to release donor information under Federal Election Commission guidelines. Jeffco United, started in May by parents Tina Gurdikian and Wendy McCord, cited its purpose as supporting education and the importance of voting as a nonpolitical committee. The released Jeffco United reports show the bulk of its money did not come from grassroots-based contributions. Although organizers sought sponsorships and received help from individuals in the community, 99 percent of its funding —
$286,615 in total — came from local, state and national teachers’ unions. The Jefferson County Education Association gave $20,000, the Colorado Education Association $113,500 and the National Education Association $150,000. Records show $3,115 came from individual donors. “We are talking about playing by the rules of the game, and this wasn’t in the rules of the game,” said Lynea Hansen, a Jeffco United spokesperson. “We were playing by the rules that were given to us … We didn’t appeal this decision because enough is enough. This community really needs to heal.” The organizers of Jeffco United also created two additional groups last summer — Jeffco United for Action, an issue committee which supported and help fund the recall; and Jeffco United Forward, an independent expenditure committee which advocated for the election
of board members. Organizers said those groups were created for clear purposes. But the court saw these actions as an attempt to hide the organization’s intent to support the recall. “…by setting up an intermediate committee, United cloaked the identities of its contributors from public disclosure,” the ruling stated. “The disclosure by JU4A (Jeffco United for Action) that United was one of its major contributors provided little information to the electorate about who was actually funding the recall, and defeated the transparency that is a primary goal of the fair campaign practice laws.” In October, Jeffco United donated $93,000 to Jeffco United for Action, its largest donation. The recall effort ousted the conservative board majority elected in 2013 of Jeffco continues on Page 20