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Week of June 16, 2022
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LittletonIndependent.net
VOLUME 133 | ISSUE 47
Retiring LPS superintendent talks timeline for replacement search District head proposes 7- to 8-month search BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Following his announcement of plans to retire in summer 2023, Littleton
Public Schools Superintendent Brian Ewert laid out a proposal before the district’s Board of Education for what a search process for his replacement could look like. Speaking during a June 9 board meeting, Ewert put forward a six to seven-month timeline, beginning in August and ending in February or March of 2023, that includes hiring a national
search firm, conducting community outreach and selecting a finalist. He urged the board to conduct an “inclusive” process that allows for a diversity of community opinions to be heard and stressed the importance of a search that is “highly polished” and “looks good to the community.” Ewert said the board should employ transparency,
especially in its final stages when it looks to hold a final round of interviews with what Ewert suggested should be two or three finalists. A recent Colorado state law signed April 4 allows school boards to interview superintendent finalists in executive session if multiple finalists are named. A past state law also allows for public schools to put forward sole finalists,
which some open records advocates saw as a blow to transparency. Ewert said despite the state laws, the board should pursue multiple finalists and said he “doesn’t recommend” the board conduct finalist interviews in executive session. “I don’t see why the board would want to interview in SEE SCHOOLS, P11
Woman shot during robbery in Littleton’s Progress Park Police seek two suspects BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
cessfully, the Littleton Independent, which is part of the Colorado Community Media network, took a multi-faceted approach to reach a variety of readers and residents, posting a survey online and hosting multiple focus groups to further discuss community issues.
A woman was shot and her purse stolen near Big Dry Creek Trail in Progress Park on the evening of June 12, according to Littleton police. Two suspects are still at large, police said. Officers responded to a call at 8:43 p.m. of a report that the woman had been shot during a robbery that occured along the bike path in the north Littleton park, according to Littleton Police Department spokesperson Sheera Poelman. Poelman said the woman was shot in the leg and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the first suspect was described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5-feet-3-inches tall with
SEE HOUSING, P6
SEE SHOOTING, P7
People walk on Main Street in downtown Littleton.
FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT
Housing tops resident priorities in special survey
Traffic, crime and growth among other issues BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Housing density and affordability are chief areas of concern for Littleton residents, according to
a broad survey and focus group meetings conducted by the Littleton Independent earlier this year. Through a grant-funded project in 2022, the Independent worked to gauge readers and the community regarding priorities and readership, and to take a deeper look at where the local newspaper can improve. To carry out the project suc-
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
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