Lone Tree Voice 072122

Page 1

Week of July 21, 2022

FREE

DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

LoneTreeVoice.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17

Lone Tree looks for funding for bikeway construction project Cost is estimated at $1.6 million BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The city of Lone Tree requested funding to help pay for a bikeway construction project that was submitted to the Denver Regional Council of Governments. The regional council is currently reviewing more than 50 applications from individual counties or subregions that are requesting funds through the council’s Transportation Improvement Program. As part of the evaluation process, the council asked citizens to provide input. Comments were accepted through July 20. The city submitted an application to fund its “S. Havana Street Bikeway Construction” project. SEE PROJECT, P13

Soon after the Cherry Creek School District in Arapahoe County announced it would stop designating valedictorians in its high schools, the criticism started pouring in. “The pursuit of excellence has suffered another blow,” wrote George Brauchler, a former Arapahoe County district attorney, in a column for The Denver Post. “The crusade against meritocracy,

Accountability questions could hinder school district bond success Poll results point to serious challenges with transparency and trust BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The City of Lone Tree submitted an application to get funding for its “S. Havana Street Bikeway Construction” project. According to the application, the project’s start point is approximately 1,000 feet south of the RTD RidgeGate Parkway Station and its end point is the southern municipal boundary of the City of Lone Tree. The bright yellow marking on this image, which was part of the city’s application, represents COURTESY OF DENVER REGIONAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS where the bikeway is planned to be.

Views differ on whether high schools should stop naming valedictorians BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 22

and for mediocrity, in our schools reached a new level,” the Denver Gazette news outlet’s editorial board wrote. Cherry Creek’s decision even landed a story in national and international news outlet Newsweek, with other media coverage mentioning it too. The practice of honoring valedictorians is one the district’s high school principals had discussed “for many years,” the principals wrote in a letter to parents. “The practices of class rank and

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Big Talent! Small Venues! Great Setting!

valedictorian status are outdated and inconsistent with what we know and believe of our students. We believe all students can learn at high levels, and learning is not a competition,” the principals wrote in the letter about the policy, which will begin with the class of 2026. Cherry Creek’s new policy took aim at “unnecessary pressure,” the letter said, a welcome change in the eyes of Dr. Anna Mueller, an associate professor of sociology who has SEE VALEDICTORIANS, P4

Transparency concerns could decide the success of Douglas County School District’s potential bond and mill levy override questions, yet school board directors have taken limited steps to address the headwinds. Poll results presented to the school board in June showed a majority of voters wouldn’t support additional school funding in November, with many saying transparency and trust were major issues keeping them from passing an MLO and bond. “When we ask what are the issues on the outgoing surveys, trust and transparency comes up,” Brad Geiger, a member of the MLO/Bond Exploratory Committee, said on June 7. “And if you ask who don’t you trust, every name on the board comes up.” Colorado Community Media reached out to all of the school board directors to discuss transparency and trust in the district. Director Susan Meek was the only board member to respond to questions. Meek said she continues to advocate for listening to and engaging with the entire community to SEE SCHOOLS, P25

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