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January 24, 2014 Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 13, Issue 10 A publication of
centennialcitizen.net
Fire chief is poised to blaze new trail Arapahoe County officials cut the ribbon on the new walkway at the Arapahoe County Justice Center Jan. 16. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Justice Center touts improvements Walkway makes security more efficient By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Bitter cold winds whipped the flags flying for the first time over some major improvements at the Arapahoe County Justice Center Jan. 16. “I’m cold,” Arapahoe County Undersheriff Dave Walcher told the few dozen dignitaries hearty enough to gather for the ribboncutting ceremony, who were all in agreement. “I don’t know why we’re not going inside this building right here.” He gestured toward the brandnew walkway that connects the
two buildings that comprise the justice center, now serving as a single security entrance to both. It’s a feature that’s welcomed by anyone who visits the facility in Centennial on a regular basis. To get to the main courthouse, one previously had to walk up a graded path to the main door, out of which often stretched a long line to get through security. If you happened to enter the wrong building, you’d have to repeat the process in the other building. “You’d see mothers with small children and seniors in wheelchairs sitting out in the cold,” said Judge Charles Pratt. “The moods of people when they get to our courtrooms are going to be much better when they get there. They’re already grumpy enough to be there.” County officials began studying ways to make the entire complex,
which includes the county jail, more efficient in 2005, with the goal of not raising taxes. A study concluded it would take $500 million to do everything they wanted. “Instead of moving forward, Arapahoe County took a step back to determine if there were other ways in which to address the courts’ space needs,” said County Commissioner Nancy Doty. The entire project was initially expected to cost $193 million, but it was pared down to $27 million. Other completed improvements include 10 new courtrooms, a new jury room, moving the district attorney’s office to another location, converting office space to another six courtrooms, adding 176 parking spaces and an elevator. Center continues on Page 19
Gun business booming in Centennial State’s biggest firearms ‘club’ opened earlier this month By George Lurie
glurie@ coloradocommunitymedia.com In Colorado’s “safest” city, the gun business is booming. Earlier this month, just a rifle shot away from the Centennial Civic Center, the Centennial Gun Club opened for business in a dramatically expanded and decidedly upscale new facility. Rated Colorado’s “safest” city among those with a population of 75,000 or more by CQ Press for nearly 10 years running, Centennial is now home to the state’s largest “gun club.” In business in Centennial since 2012, the new club, which opened Jan. 4, features the largest indoor shooting range in the Rocky Mountain West. During the club’s first weekend in its new location, more than 3,500 people came through its doors, said the club’s owners, Richard and Mary Abramson, Nebraska natives who’ve lived in Colorado for 14 years and who modeled their business on a similar facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. Castle Rock’s mayor, Paul Donahue, a vocal proponent of expanding
Mary Abramson, who together with her husband Richard, owns the Centennial Gun CLub, which opened in a new, expanded location on January 4. Photo by George Lurie the state’s “open carry” gun laws, is a close friend of the Abramsons and a managing partner of the club. “We did our research and found Centennial was an ideal area to start a business like this,” said Mary Abramson. “Originally, we were going to do a retail store only but then someone suggested we put in shoot-
ing lanes too.” Members pay a one-time initiation fee and then either monthly or annual dues. Membership includes unlimited use of the shooting range and discounts on all purchases. “Business has been great from the Gun continues on Page 19
Armstrong says he’ll be hands-on, inclusive By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com As a teenager, Chris Armstrong was so sure about what he wanted to do for the rest of his life that he traded in his senior year of high school for the fire academy and was working by the time his classmates graduated. “My stepdad was a firefighter, so I grew up around firefighters and the fire station,” said the new chief of Littleton Fire Rescue, looking back on when he joined the Miramar Fire Rescue Department in Florida, where he grew up, and spent the entirety of his career — until now. “It was just a natural progression for me,” he said. Along the way, the 48-year-old rose through the ranks from paramedic to deputy chief of operations. He has earned Armstrong a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety and a master’s degree in emergency-services management from Columbia Southern University. He is also a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and received the Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. As deputy chief, he was responsible for 155 employees serving a population of almost 125,000. Here, he’ll oversee the 170 employees who provide emergency-response services and life-safety education to the combined 220,000 citizens of Littleton, the Littleton Fire Protection District — which includes Centennial — and the Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District. “I’m excited to be here, and I’m ready to get to work and meet everyone,” he said Jan. 15, five days before his first official day at work, while in town to find a house and get a head start on reviewing LFR policies and procedures. “I’m looking forward to continuing to provide what Littleton’s always had, outstanding service and fiscal responsibility,” he said. He’s just as excited about Colorado’s great outdoors. “The first thing on my list is to get a mountain bike,” he said. Tall, fit and tattooed with a firefighter motif on his right bicep, he’s looking forward to fishing, hunting, snowboarding and riding ATVs with his family. His wife, Debbie, will join him here soon, but his daughter Morgan, 18, and son Kyle, 20, are both attending college in Florida. Asked what he’ll miss about the Sunshine State, Armstrong says not much. “Florida was a good home,” he said. “I’d lived there since I was 2. But it’s changed a lot. People aren’t as friendly as I’d like them to be. That’s what we like about Littleton, everybody’s been really friendly.” He’s aware of the challenges LFR has faced of late, including low response times and organizational uncertainty. But Littleton City Manager Michael Penny believes Armstrong is the right person to lead the department back to solid ground. “The hiring of a new chief comes with confidence that the current partnership structure is successful, cost effective and provides excellent service throughout LFR’s service area,” said Penny. “Chief Armstrong will soon lead the Chief continues on Page 19
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