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March 14, 2014 Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 13, Issue 16 A publication of
centennialcitizen.net
City’s income gap among narrowest Centennial ranks in top 10 in nation in terms of paycheck disparity By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com Centennial is one of the most “equal” big cities in the country in terms of household incomes, according to a recently published report. NerdWallet surveyed 303 U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more, comparing the median incomes of the
bottom 20 percent and top 20 percent of households. Nationally, the top 20 percent of households make nearly 16 times more in median income than the poorest 20 percent, up from a ratio of 14.75 in 2007, according to the survey. But in Centennial, according to the report, the pay disparity gap is significantly less: In 2013, the city’s top earners made 8.05 times more than the bottom 20 percent, which ranked sixth nationally in terms of equality. Income continues on Page 10
City plans $6.6M for roadwork
A HELPING ‘HAN’
Public Works department briefs council on 2014 summer schedule By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Rod and Melanie Buscher, left, join actor Harrison Ford on the southeast side of Centennial Airport for a VIP tour of what will become Exploration of Flight, a new Wings Over the Rockies facility. Ford, along with Gov. John Hickenlooper, is one of the driving forces behind the Wingspan Capital Campaign, a $21 million charity effort to fund the facility slated to open in mid-2015. Courtesy photo by Deborah Grigsby Smith
Getting a deal on getting fit South Suburban offers discounts for `Customer Appreciation Week’ By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com Before the sun rises, John Perez visits Goodson Recreation Center at least two or three times a week before heading off to work. “I run three to five miles on the track and then lift weights and stretch,” says the 63-yearold Centennial resident, who works as a coach for the Colorado Running Club. “Goodson is a fantastic place to work out in the mornings. It’s not very crowded and has some great amenities.” Paula Brown, 28, of Littleton, agrees.
“I’ve been using the Goodson Center since I was in high school,” said Brown, a stayat-home mother of two. “The rec center is one of the little jewels of this area. For what I pay to use it, it’s a real bargain compared to some of the local health clubs I’ve checked out.” During South Suburban’s Customer Appreciation Week — happening from March 30 to April 6 — patrons of Goodson Recreation Center as well as South Suburban Parks and Recreation District’s other facilities can receive 10 percent discounts when purchasing admission passes. The once-a-year discount offer applies to Goodson as well as Buck Recreation Center in Littleton and Lone Tree Recreation Center, according to Jamie DeBartolomeis, marketing specialist with SSPRD. Discounts apply to punch passes, monthly passes and annual passes, as well as gym-
Centennial resident John Perez gets in his morning workout March 11 at the Goodson Recreation Center. Photo by George Lurie
The city’s Public Works department will spend $6.6 million during the summer of 2014 to repair and rehabilitate city streets. At a March 10 city council study session City Engineer Michael Terry gave councilmembers an overview of the 2014 plan, including the criteria used to rank and select streets for treatment. Terry also briefed the council on the various construction techniques used to preserve streets as well as the communication plan used to inform the public of the projects the department will tackle in 2014. “The city’s street rehabilitation program seeks to maximize network improvements and preserve current pavement conditions,” Terry stated, explaining the City’s program uses different treatments, including slurry seal, mill and overlay, and reconstruction to deal with specific street surface conditions. “The money has already been allotted and this is the point where we decide which streets will be slotted for work,” said Mayor Cathy Noon. At the study session, city councilmembers also learned that a “last-minute award of a DRCOG (Denver Regional Council of Governments) grant” will allow the city to schedule some needed road work and improvements in 2015 on Smoky Hill Road between Himalaya and Liverpool. “That was certainly good news,” said Noon. Terry’s report noted that the contracts of the service providers used by the city in 2013 for street repair projects “included a renew option for 2014 services, based on the contractors performance and pricing.” “Staff is utilizing the renew option contingent on receiving acceptable pricing from the contractors,” Terry told councilmembers. Two of the streets in the 2014 proposed rehab program are joint projects with
City continues on Page 10
nastics punch passes, valid at Goodson, which is located at 6315 S. University Blvd. in Centennial. Discounts also apply to facial and massage services and
personal training sessions. To learn more about South Suburban Parks and Recreation’s programs, including fitness schedules and camps, please visit www.sspr.org.
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