September 22, 2016
HITTING THE TURF
VO LUM E 1 2 | IS S U E 1 7
Pomona faces off with Ralston Valley on the football field on PAGE 18.
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Proposed budget adds two new police jobs Arvada City Council takes initial look at budget, set for first reading on Oct. 3 By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com The City of Arvada’s proposed $198 million budget for the 2017-18 year includes the addition of 12 new positions, six of which will come from the general fund, three from parks and three from
police funds. The bottom line for these new additions was of concern to Mayor Marc Williams at the Sept. 12 workshop at which City Council got its first look at the document. The addition of two police sergeants was listed as an expense of $391,210 a year. But City Manager Mark Deven pointed out the expense stated in the budget for a new hire not only includes salary and benefits, but also all the equipment needed to fulfill the position. In the case of the police sergeants, it includes
new police vehicles. “I think it’s important to truly know what it cost us to add two sergeants,” Williams said. But council also requested a breakdown of the total cost of all potential new hires be presented at its next meeting on Sept. 26. Of the total budget, $81.5 million is designated for the general fund, which pays for personnel, street maintenance and municipal courts among others. The
BUDGET MEETING SCHEDULE Sept. 26: Utility rates, follow-up budget workshop Oct. 3: First reading of budget Oct. 17: Adoption of budget All meetings are held at 6 p.m. at Arvada City Hall, 8101 Ralston Road, in council chambers.
Budget continues on Page 3
Standley Lake student plays unique role in school’s band Jack Knight marches on with the help of four-legged friend By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Levi Shirley of Arvada died July 14 while fighting ISIS with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units in Syria. He was 24. His body was finally returned home Sept. 16. Courtesy photo
‘He had cheated death so many times’ Arvada family finally reunited with son, who died fighting ISIS in Syria By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com Susan Shirley said receiving the body of her fallen son, Levi “Jack” Shirley, early Friday morning brought mixed emotions. “It hurt a lot,” the Arvada resident said. “It makes it (his death) real in a way that it wasn’t.” It also brought a sense of relief, she said. After weeks of strenuous planning on the part of several departments in the U.S. and abroad, the bodies of Levi Shirley and two other Americans, including one from Castle Rock, finally made it home. All three died fighting ISIS with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), a militia group in Syria. By Sunday afternoon, Shirley’s emotions had quieted to some degree.
“I’m not crying at the moment,” she said. “So that’s good.” All three bodies were flown from Amman, Jordan, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Because of weight limits on domestic flights, they were transported by Amtrak after arriving in the U.S. The body of William Savage, 27, of Maryland, was transported to where his father lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. The bodies of Levi, 24, and Jordan MacTaggart, 22, of Castle Rock, arrived at Union Station in Denver at approximately 7:40 a.m. on Sept. 16. The office of Congressman Ed Perlmutter coordinated plans to bring the men home. It meant acting as a liaison between the YPG, embassy personnel in Amman and the Iraqi cities of Erbil amd Baghdad, and the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. “These three young men — Levi, Jordan and William — felt a need to serve which led them to fight ISIS overseas,” Perlmutter said in a written statement. “Though they did
not fight as members of our armed forces, they are Americans and as Americans we have a responsibility to bring these young men home and to give the families relief and closure.” Susan Shirley, Levi’s mother, said this will help her family begin the lifelong process of grieving and healing from the loss of Levi. The family had originally planned a memorial for Levi in August. “We didn’t know if he’d even ever be back,” she said. Susan recalled learning about Levi’s death on July 19, days after he had died on July 14. It is the call Susan said she’ll never forget. At home, writing on her computer, she had started a normal day. “I had one paragraph left,” she said. “And the phone rings.” She answered to a man who said he was from the consulate in Turkey. “It in no way seemed possible because he had cheated death so many times,” she said. Fighter continues on Page 4
Standley Lake sophomore Jack Knight was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an incurable genetic disease that causes muscle weakness and eventually robs patients of their ability to walk, move their arms, and care for themselves. But the diagnosis doesn’t stop the 16-year-old from doing one of the things he loves — marching band. “I think he has taken away all the excuses,” Standley Lake band director Crissy Duran said. “I feel like everyone works a little harder when they’re around Jack.” Two years ago, Knight lost his ability to walk and is now permanently in an electric wheelchair. He and his service dog, a golden retriever named Amber, have been inseparable for the past eight years and are starting their second season marching with the Gators. “When I joined the marching band, it was only natural that Amber join, too,” Knight said, adding that the dog has been Knight continues on Page 4
SERVE AND PROTECT Chaplains provide support for those on the front lines of law enforcement. PAGE 10