Week of July 14, 2022
$1.00
An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 34
Homeless camping ban policies differ across Denver metro area Other laws can affect where unhoused people may be forced to move
Whether a person gets moved doesn’t just come down to whether a city has a formal ban or not. Meanwhile, several cities in the Denver suburbs continue to take steps to address homelessness while a pattern of increasing homelessness in the Denver metro area continues. “Camping bans do absolutely nothing to resolve homelessness,” said Cathy Alderman, spokesperson
for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “They may eliminate the visibility of homelessness for a period of time, but they certainly don’t help people get out of the situation of homelessness.” Some cities make an effort to connect unhoused people with services that can help them, but whether a city extends that hand alongside
Centennial blood drive helps address critical shortage
Centennial residents express housing concerns during District 1 meeting
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The sight of a person pushing a shopping cart full of belongings, begging for money on major streets
or sleeping outdoors is common in many places around the Denver metro area, and the laws that dictate where unhoused people can’t rest differ across the many cities and towns in the region. At least several jurisdictions have no formal camping ban on the books, and Aurora’s new camping ban, which could push people into other areas, illustrates the complexity of laws that affect the unhoused:
Vitalant sees 12% decline in new donors over this past year BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After second grade teacher Katie Bolger, a 34-year-old Centennial resident, read an article about a critical need for blood donations and learned there would be a community blood drive July 1, she felt it was important to show up. “There’s always a need,” Bolger said about blood donations. “You never know, you know, when you or a family member might be in need of blood.” About 10 years ago, Bolger’s sister-in-law fell asleep at the wheel and drove off the road. The seatbelt severed her arm. Thankfully, a trauma nurse was in the car behind her and was able to provide assistance until help arrived. “She lost a lot of blood, and she almost died,” Bolger said. “But luckily, people had donated.” The community blood drive was hosted by Centennial store Curate: A Local Mercantile, which helps sell the products of local artisan and boutique vendors. The shop partnered with Vitalant, a national nonprofit that hosts about 60,000 blood drives annually, to host the blood drive in a Vitalant bloodmobile parked near the shop, located at 8242 S. University Blvd. “We wanted to do something for the community. We’re always looking for events that draw people SEE BLOOD DRIVE, P11
SEE POLICIES, P4
City moves forward with grant-funded study, asks for more citizen input BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Karli Millspaugh and Brent Millspaugh on July 1, 2022, in the Vitalant PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW bloodmobile.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 19
As Centennial moves to the next stage of its housing study, some residents expressed concerns about development, affordability and the value of community input during the District 1 community meeting with council members Candace Moon and Robyn Carnes on June 28. A packed room of about 30 people in the Southglenn Library
Evergreen Jazz Festival Big Talent! Small Venues! Great Setting!
Dancers Welcome!
Free Parking!
EvergreenJazz.org 303-697-5467
SEE MEETING, P10
July 29, 30 & 31