May 7, 2015 VOLU M E 9 5 | I S S UE 1 1 | 7 5 ¢
EnglewoodHerald.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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WHAT’S INSIDE
May matters: Gov. Hickenlooper dedicates month to supporting mental health. See Page 5
Eyes of the beholder: Painter Don Hartman shares his inspiration in new exhibit. See Page 16
Tony Belluardo weighs out a portion of dough as his uncle Rico Merola prepares it for the container that will store it until it is needed to make a pizza at Rico’s Pizzeria. Merola founded the restaurant that bears his name and it is a family operation as Belluardo is his nephew and other family members working there include his daughters Lucia Vrchota, Gina Mineo and his son-in-law Sal. Photos by Tom Munds
Rico’s puts focus on food, family
Lacrosse primer: As high school teams head to the playoffs, catch up on the basics. See Page 24
Pizzeria founder insists on quality meals, customer service By Tom Munds
tmunds@colorado communitymedia.com
POSTAL ADDRESS
ENGLEWOOD HERALD
(ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 176-680) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Englewood Herald is published weekly on Friday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT Littleton, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.
Tony Belluardo prepares the dough for a customer’s order at Rico’s Pizzeria. Founder Rico Merola insists the business be a family operation and Belluardo is his nephew.
Rico’s continues on Page 4
Finalists named for Englewood Schools superintendent
POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 7315 S. Revere Pkwy., Ste. 603 Centennial, CO 80112
School board narrows search and sets interview date
DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m.
By Tom Munds
tmunds@colorado communitymedia.com
GE T SOCI AL WITH US
P LE A S E R ECYC L E T H I S C O PY
Founder Rico Merola wants every customer’s visit to Rico’s Pizzeria in Englewood to feel like a trip to mom’s house. Merola or a member of his family greets customers as they come in the door at 3500 S. Broadway, and it is usually a family member taking orders and delivering the food. The 77-year-old Merola arrives about 8 a.m. each Tuesday to help get everything ready for the restaurant to open at 10. “I only come in on Tuesdays, but family members are always here to do what needs to be done,” he said. “We make about 10 gallons of our special sauce and we mix the dough we use for about 80 pizzas as well as for bread sticks and the bread we use for our sandwiches.” He said he looks forward to his day at the pizzeria. Apparently
family members also look forward to the day, as they have branded each Tuesday as “Terrific Tuesday.” “I have been doing this for 38 years,” Merola said with a smile. “I guess I just come because I like to be here, to work with family members and to greet the people, many who have become friends over the years.” The doors are open at 10 a.m., and the inside of the restaurant is quiet except for the sounds that go with preparing to serve customers. At about 10:45, customers begin to arrive and the number coming through the door steadily increases. Soon, the restaurant is humming with conversation. In one booth, a man and woman are talking business, while at a table, Lucia Vrochota, Rico’s youngest daughter, smiles and talks with customers about the Colorado Rockies. “I have been working at the restaurant since it was the Red Moon in Cinderella City,” she said. “I used to do some of the cooking, but not now. I don’t want to mess up my nails so I have become the restaurant’s social butterfly.” Customers coming into the
It took about two hours in executive session May 1 for the Englewood School Board to select the four finalists for superintendent. The finalists are: • Michael Lynch is the director of Secondary Programs and Professional Development for Adams 50 School District. About 10,000 students are enrolled in Adams 50 schools.
• Brian Recht served as superintendent of Wyoming’s Albany County School District, which includes Laramie, for 11 years. • Wendy Rubin has been Chatfield High School Principal for the past four years. Chatfield has an enrollment of about 2,000. • Stephen Schiel is the district administrator for Wisconsin’s Amery School District. The district has four buildings on the same campus serving about 1,500 students. Plans are for the four finalists to tour the district on May 8. On May 9, three committees will interview the candidates. One panel will be made up of school board members. The other two panels will be
made up of volunteers that include school district employees and residents of the community. From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. May 9 at The Englewood Campus there will be a time for the public to meet and talk to the candidates. The search for a new superintendent was launched in March when Brian Ewert announced he was leaving Englewood to accept the position of superintendent of Littleton Public Schools. “Our entire search process is being assisted by representatives of the Colorado Association of School Boards,” said Duane Tucker, school board president. “We received applications from an excellent pool of 23 candidates.
The school board members evaluated each candidates application, eventually narrowed the field to six semifinalists and then to the four finalists.” This marks the third time School Board Member Vickie Howard has participated in a superintendent search. “The process has been very similar as we received assistance from the Colorado Association of School Board representatives,” she said. “In each case, there were very good candidates.” Howard said the school board members worked together to select the four finalists in the effort to select the best possible person as the district’s new superintendent.