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July 22, 2021
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
EnglewoodHerald.net
VOLUME 101 | ISSUE 23
Venardos Circus thrills crowd with dazzling acrobatics Old-school traveling circus plays before packed house at Aspen Grove
Hotter, drier climate influences how and when fires ignite
BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A year and a half since its big top tent was last unfurled, Venardos Circus resumed its breathtaking act before adoring crowds in Littleton. The Florida-based traveling circus, founded in 2014 by former Ringling Bros. ringmaster Kevin Venardos, is hitting the road again for the first time since the pandemic upended life, starting with a series of (nearly) sold-out shows at the Aspen Grove shopping center in Littleton. On opening night July 14, ringmaster Venardos took the stage SEE CIRCUS, P6
BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
(RJ) program. “People who endure crimes want to know: Why were we targeted?” they said. “Did the person who did this think about what they were doing? We want to know people care, and we want a direct engagement to know what happened. That doesn’t always happen in the court system.” In an RJ process, Stenson explained at an information session on July 15, the offender and victim — referred to as the responsible and harmed parties — sit down for
State climate experts and local fire officials along the Front Range say wildfire season no longer has an end as heat, low moisture and other factors have created a year-round problem. Russ Schumacher, the Colorado state climatologist and the director of the Colorado Climate Center, said 2020 was the worst year on record for wildfires, rewriting record books on what kind of fires can happen and when. In the past, wildfire season was generally contained to the hottest part of summer in July and into August. Now, Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District Chief Daniel Hatlestad said, wildfires are a 12-month priority. The Inter-Canyon Fire District covers 52 square miles in Jefferson County. “We are seeing these fires spread, and spread quickly every month of the year,” Hatlestad said. “The fuel load across the Front Range has created more intense, frequent and longer-burning fires. There is no longer a change of approach to prepare for wildfire season because there is no season.” Schumacher said it is not just Colorado — Western states have had year-round fire problems since 2002 as average temperatures have crept up and annual precipitation levels have decreased.
SEE JUSTICE, P10
SEE FIRES, P2
Venardos Circus performer Lady Beast stands atop a pair of bottles on a stack of PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT chairs under the big top.
‘Restorative justice’ seeks to undo damage of crime Process works to provide closure to victims, help perpetrators make amends BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Englewood is ramping up a program court officials hope will provide a more holistic and community-focused answer to criminal offenses.
Colorado wildfires are year-round danger
Englewood’s Municipal Court is expanding its fledgling restorative justice program, joining numerous other Colorado cities in giving offenders, victims and the community the chance to work together to repair the harm done in a crime. Kicked off this spring, Englewood will soon expand access to the program from juvenile offenders to adult offenders on Aug. 1. The traditional criminal justice system doesn’t always fix the damage to victims’ lives or to the community, said Ames Stenson, who was hired this spring to head Englewood’s restorative justice
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
ON AN UPSWING
Pickleball is still popular among seniors, but now younger generations are discovering the sport
P14