January 28, 2016
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Youths with disabilities learn work skills Class takes workforce readiness to new level in community By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com While touring Arvada’s Blackjack Pizza with her Significant Special Needs (SSN) class a few years ago, Kathy Jackson, a para-educator at Arvada West High School, thought: “What if our students could work here?” Now, three days a week, eight of her students travel across 64th Avenue to the pizza parlor and Gluten Free Things bakery, learning essential skill sets that can only be taught outside the classroom. ”We’re trying to do our best to prepare them for the world — whether they’re selfsufficient or need a little help,” said Jana Downing, fellow special needs para-educator.
Every day, students in Patti Molholm’s Significant Special Needs class come prepared to be successful in their academic subjects, such as reading, science and math, as well as to learn about one other fundamental subject — life. ”Our goal is to teach them — alongside their academics to graduate — life skills, responsibilities,” said para-educator Jana Downing, as she watched four students fold and label pizza boxes. “And we hold high expectations of them, within their abilities.” For senior Ariel Albert, working at Blackjack is a highlight of her day. ”In my class I like reading, listening to her (Ms. Patti),” she said. ”Blackjack is fun. KJ takes us on Wednesdays and I put stickers on labels and glue them down — it helps to get me to focus.” The tasks given to students — filling Workforce continues on Page 5
Preparing and folding pizza boxes helps Arvada West junior Hunter Sauer practice math skills while giving him a sense of independence. Photo by Crystal Anderson
Seniors struggle to find housing
“The Marketing Maven,” as she’s known in the chamber, aka Carolyn Bond, thinks about answering her trivia question, during the chamber’s Top Brass Leader trivia game at the Arvada Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner Jan. 21. The cops-androbbers themed event was held at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. Photo by Crystal Anderson
Affordability is crucial issue for Colorado’s aging residents By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Arvada chamber celebrates business Chamber of Commerce celebrates year with 91st annual dinner By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com Arvada is stirring — or at least it was during the Arvada Chamber of Com-
merce’s 91st annual dinner, Jan. 21 — with the celebration of the business, nonprofit and ambassador of the year. ”We’re an engaging organization that really does care about the businesses and people in the community and we want people to recognize that,” Kami Welch, president of the chamber said. Taking nearly 260 guests back to the Public Enemy era where fugitives like Bonnie and Clyde were rampant and
crime was everywhere, attendees took part in a modern who-done-it style mystery. The event, held at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., celebrated winners, praised up-and-coming leaders, and raised money for local organizations through a silent auction. To see more photos from the retrostyle event, and to see a list of this year’s chamber award winners, turn to PAGE 6.
The senior population is expected to double in the next 20 years, but many may be out of luck when it comes to finding a place to live. “The biggest challenge for this aging population is finding housing they can afford,” said state Sen. Jessie Ulibarri, D-Adams County. “Most folks in the state have experienced the housing crunch. But seniors don’t have a lot of options.” Developers are focused on providing affordable housing along transportation corridors, like Lakewood’s West Rail or W Line, the Gold Line, which is coming through Arvada and the B Line, which would pass through Westminster and Adams County. These projects are all part of RTD’s FasTracks program. The Gold and B lines are part of the 41-mile Northwest Rail Line project from Denver’s Union Station to Longmont. The hope is to provide living options for those looking to make use of multimodal transportation, like at Lakewood’s West Line Flats, which had a groundbreaking on Jan. 21. “This is a dream come true for West Colfax because we can offer this to people of all ages,” said Bill Marino, board member of the West Colfax Community Association. “There is a strong demand for studios and one-bedroom apartments in the area.” West Line Flats is the first all-marketrate apartments along the W Rail, with a cost of $1,100 a month for studio apartments, $1,350 for one-bedrooms and $1,700 for two-bedrooms. Although this kind of development is important, it provides only minimal options for seniors, Ulibarri said. Seniorspecific options are coming to these communities, but are more than a year away in most cases. Wazee Partners is attempting to build
Seniors continues on Page 5