Citizen Centennial 5-17-13
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 26
May 17, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
New laws get tails wagging Protection act, focus on shelter pets join statute books By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
Willow Creek Elementary teachers Peg Link, left, and Lisa Heaton admire a small sampling of the hundreds of Enkisoma beaded bracelets made in the traditional Maasai style by a woman or girl at the Kakenya Center for Excellence in Kenya. The project is part of the Centennial school’s efforts to bridge cultural gaps and to raise money on behalf of the Kenyan girls’ school. Willow Creek students will be selling the bracelets before and after school, May 21-23. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Small beads fuel big dreams School project fosters friendships, hope in rural Kenyan village By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
R
ural life in Kenya is filled with many challenges, but thanks to some very well-traveled beads, girls in a faraway Kenyan village now have hope. Education is often expensive, and for girls in particular it is considered a luxury, explained Willow Creek Elementary School teacher Lisa Heaton. She traveled last summer to Enoosaen, a small community outside Nairobi. While she was there, she visited the Kakenya School of Excellence, a primary boarding school focused on serving un-
derprivileged Maasai girls. Heaton was touched by the girls’ genuine enthusiasm for life. “They knew that education was a true gift; something we often forget here in the States, and I wanted to bring that global experience back to my students.” So Heaton partnered with Seeds to Sew, a New Jersey-based organization founded by a retired Cherry Creek School District educator, Janice Ito, and her daughter, Ellyn. Heaton’s students launched a schoolwide bead drive. Collecting thousands of tiny colorful seed beads, each slightly larger than a standard pinhead, Heaton and colleague Peg Link sent the beads more than 8,600 miles back to Kenya, where women and girls from the village school crafted hundreds of bracelets. The beads, now attached to woven black leather bands, have returned to Willow Creek Elementary and will be sold by students.
The bracelet Student sale takes place bracelet Sale before and after school, May What: Benefit for the 21-23. Bracelets Kakenya School of are priced at $4 Excellence, Kenya each or three for When: May 21-23, 8:30 to $10. 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 4 p.m. “The kids are Where: Willow Creek just so excited Elementary to connect with 7855 S. Willow Way, the girls in KeCentennial nya,” said Link. So excited, More info: 720-554-3900 in fact, the students have become pen pals. “We’ve sent letters and photos and in return, they’ve sent us photos with our photos,” added Heaton. “It’s just a really neat way to create global awareness in the classroom.” Heaton added that money from the sale of the bracelets will help buy books and school supplies for the Kenyan girls.
centennial tower keeps graveyard shift FAA drops order for study; ‘battle over,’ says airport exec By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com In spite of its on-again-offagain relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration’s budget woes, Centennial Airport’s graveyard shift is now officially off the chopping block, thanks to a hefty pushback not only by airport officials, but by neighboring community leaders, too. Airport Executive Director Robert Olislagers said the FAA notified Congress late on May 7 that the order to study the closure of the night shift at 72 towers had been rescinded. “That battle is now over and unlikely to come back up,” he said.
The battle to keep air traffic controllers on duty overnight at Centennial Airport is over. According to Airport Executive Director Robert Olislagers, the FAA has receinded its order to study the elimination of night shift operations. Photo by Deborah Grigsby Douglas County District 1 Commissioner Jack Hilbert said he’s pleased with the decision and that the move is the result of a community ef-
fort to get the FAA’s attention. Centennial Airport, which lies in both Arapahoe and Douglas counties, is one of the bigger aviation and aero-
space economic development clusters in the state, according to Olislagers. Hilbert, who helped lead the effort, said the grassroots work garnered the support of several communities, including Parker and Lone Tree, and multiple businesses and economic development organizations. “For us, it wasn’t just the just the job issue,” Hilbert said. “Community safety factors came into play, too.” Centennial Airport has had a long-running distinction as one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, Olislagers has said if Centennial did lose its night-shift air traffic control operation, it would only be a matter of time before accidents would follow. Airport continues on Page 10
Dogs had their day in Denver on May 13, as Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two pieces of legislation that led to some serious tail-wagging from our four-legged friends. The governor — who brought his dog Sky to a bill-signing at the Denver Animal Shelter — put his signature on a bill aimed at protecting dogs whenever police are called to their owners’ homes, and another that designates dogs — and cats — that are adopted from animal shelters as the state pets. “These pets become a huge part of people’s lives,” Hickenlooper said. Each bill received support from Democrats and Republicans in the General AsReport sembly this legislative session. “This is a bipartisan day for dogs,” said Sen. David Balmer, R-Centennial, who was flanked by Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Lucia Guzman and Rep. Lois Court, both of Denver. The three co-sponsored Senate Bill 226, known as the “Dog Protection Act.” The bill requires law enforcement agencies to put in place training, and to adopt policies and procedures that officers would be required to adhere to whenever they respond to homes where there are dogs. The measure allows dog owners the opportunity to put their pets outside or into another room whenever police come to the home for calls involving non-violent situations. The bill calls for the creation of a volunteer task force that will outline officer training guidelines. The bill was the result of recent headline-grabbing stories involving officerrelated dog shootings around the state. Erie resident Brittany Moore’s German Shepard, Ava, was 4 years old when it was shot to death by a police officer there two years ago. “We’ll always miss her and she’ll always be in our hearts,” Moore said afterward. “But I think this was a huge deal, this bill. I think it’s going to help a lot of situations,” The bill got unanimous support from both legislative chambers this session. The same cannot be said about Senate Bill 201, which designates cats and dogs that have been adopted from state animal shelters and rescues as the state pets. The bill received criticism from animal breeder and retail groups, who felt
Capitol
Dog continues on Page 10
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.