June 17, 2021
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An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 25
Improved water safety could save lives Swim school business owners give tips for keeping kids safe this summer BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Gov. Jared Polis sits at his desk June 7 in the state Capitol building to sign a bill aimed at addressing bullying policy among PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD school districts in the state.
Anti-bullying law signed, two years after boy’s suicide State law to change school bullying policy is enacted in name of two teens BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After Jack Padilla, a freshman at Cherry Creek High School, took his own life in February 2019, his father, Rick Padilla, made it his mission to make a difference in the lives of youths who face mental health challenges. Along with experiencing depres-
sion, Jack Padilla had dealt with bullying at school and on social media. In western Colorado, a Montrose teenager named Caitlyn Haynes died by suicide in 2015. She, too, experienced bullying. Both teens’ families pushed for a bill in the state Legislature called “Jack and Cait’s Law,” a proposal that hopes to change how schools address bullying. On June 7, Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill in a ceremony with the Padilla and Haynes families standing alongside him. The families were “trying to make meaning of tragedy and dif-
ficulty,” and they turned their loss into an effort that can help others, Polis said at the ceremony. The Colorado Department of Education had already written a “model bullying prevention and education policy” in recent years to provide guidance to school districts developing their own bullying prevention policies. But the state’s model policy was not required to be adopted by any local education agency — rather, school districts are only encouraged to follow the state’s policy, Rick Padilla said. SEE BULLYING, P10
Here’s something parents might not know: Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children aged 1-4 than any other cause except congenital anomalies, or birth defects. “Drowning doesn’t look like drowning the way it’s portrayed in the movies,” said Lindsey Talaga, owner of the Goldfish Swim School Centennial East location. “Drowning is actually often silent with no frantic waving or yelling.” The process of drowning can begin in mere seconds. That’s why it’s important to take precautions around pools and other bodies of water where kids swim and play. Talaga and Wendy Skaalerud, owner of the Big Blue Swim School’s Centennial location, shared some tips to keep families safe as summer break begins.
Drowning a common emergency Every day, on average, about 10 people die from unintentional drowning, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, two are children aged 14 or younger.
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SEE SAFETY, P8
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 23
MARCHING FORWARD
Cherokee Trail, Smoky Hill students celebrate commencement
P7 AND P19