Chronicle Parker
Parker 5.3.13
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 27
May 3, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourparkernews.com
Parker Library to move Construction could begin next year on town-owned land By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com
From left, Autumn Volkman, 5, Kale Volkman, 6, and Donovan Striano, 5, dig a hole for a new tree April 27. Families and Scout troops helped plant 60 trees along the Cherry Creek Regional Trail to celebrate Arbor Day.
Spring
sprouts Photos by Chris MiChlewiCz
Six-year-old Jason Roach, of Parker, pounds nails into a birdhouse while his dad, Shawn, supervises during the town’s Arbor Day event.
The Town of Parker’s annual Arbor Day celebration at McCabe Meadows Park was a perfect way for families to finally enjoy some spring weather. Julie Wassell, special events supervisor for the town, said the April 27 event drew a record 200 people, and more volunteers join every year. Sixty trees were planted along the Cherry Creek Regional trail just east of South Parker Road and Indian Pipe Lane.
A new Parker Library will be built on land purchased by the Town of Parker. The partnership, announced April 30, will make the long-awaited expansion of the library happen much sooner than expected. The 2008 defeat of a ballot measure to fund the construction of a combined library and civic center where the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center now stands put Douglas County Libraries on a three- to five-year plan. Now that the town has stepped in, the library could be open by late 2014, said Jamie LaRue, director of Douglas County Libraries. “The library managed to put the money away, waiting for the right moment,” he said. Parker Town Council, which has made it a priorLaRue ity to turn the downtown area into a prominent creative district with a thriving business culture, approved a purchase and sale agreement in February to buy 9.39 acres of land near Mainstreet and Pine Drive for $2 million. The town will retain ownership of the property and plans to add retail elements and public amenities to complement the library, Mayor Mike Waid said. “The town is very excited to be entering into this partnership with Douglas County Libraries to bring the citizens of Parker and the citizens of Douglas County something that they have asked for for quite some time,” he said. Library continues on Page 10
Man enjoys spending his golden years in classroom 80-year-old volunteer does his part for students at Pioneer Elementary By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com In a perfect world, every elementary school would have a “Mr. Charlie.” Charlie Thoma retired 27 years ago, but he had no intention of leaving the workforce entirely. Instead, he dedicated his time, patience and brain to helping young schoolchildren overcome struggles in the classroom. Even at 80 years old, Thoma seems to have boundless energy and enthusiasm for pitching in around Pioneer Elementary School. After stints as a computer lab teacher in the Littleton and Cherry Creek school districts, he found himself in Parker, and within three months, had landed a parttime gig at Pioneer assisting children with individual learning needs. That was more than 13 years ago.
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Paula Haugerud, the principal’s secretary and former volunteer coordinator for Pioneer, knows how rare it is to have the same person helping out for an extended duration. Typically, the parent of a student will volunteer, but leave once the child moves on to a different school. “When I started here, he was a part of the school,” said Haugerud, whose two boys were taught by “Mr. Charlie,” as he is known around the prekindergarten-to-fifth-grade school. Aside from the joy of helping children learn, Thoma’s reasons for coming week in and week out are threefold. The first is “job satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment,” which was lacking in his career as a middle manager for what was then US West, the Denver-based telecommunications company. The second reason is, the work keeps his brain sharp, and the third is that the schedule provides structure. Thoma earns a small paycheck for his Tuesday-through-Thursday visits, but sets the record straight: “I’m not in it for the money.” That much is evident when looking at the organization of a folder that never leaves his side. It’s filled with notes about where to be and when, and memos about subjects in which students need the most attention. He usually works with kids in groups of three to five. Haugerud says Thoma’s services are invaluable. He goes where he is needed, whether it’s reading to preschoolers, help-
Charlie Thoma, 80, has been helping students at Pioneer Elementary School since 2000. Photo by Chris Michlewicz ing third-graders with their math lesson or challenging a handful of talented and gifted pupils. His ability to adapt to different grade levels throughout the day comes naturally.
The tutoring sessions are short, but Thoma’s intervention has enabled countless children to get over academic hurdles. Charlie continues on Page 25