1-Color
June 20, 2014
Arapahoe County, Colorado Volume 13, Issue 30
centennialcitizen.net
Page 10
A publication of
Arapahoe seeks help with library Student-led design approved, construction now underway By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@colorado communitymedia.com
People fill the grass for the grand opening of the improved amphitheater during the Centennial Summer Blast Off June 7 at Centennial Center Park.
In full swing Centennial Center Park’s summer events series kicked off June 7 with the Summer Blast Off, a free concert featuring tribute band The Long Run: Experience the Eagles; local artist Katey Laurel; and the Aurora School of Rock. Summer Blast Off included food, music, children’s activities and fireworks. The event also marked the grand re-opening of the amphitheater following a renovation that included a stage cover and built-in lights.
PHOTOS BY MIKE DIFERDINANDO Children climb all over the place at the Summer Blast Off June 7 at Centennial Center Park.
LPS kicks off bond projects With kids out for summer, much work to be done By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com School’s out for the summer, but the hard work is just getting started. “This is going to make Littleton’s learning environment better for kids, a warmer place,” said Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Scott Murphy, speaking literally and figuratively. He was standing in front of the doors of Littleton High School’s original boiler on June 9, celebrating with other district representatives the infrastructure projects that will happen throughout the district while the kids are away. The minivan-size boiler has become the symbol for the district’s aging facilities, with an average age of 50 years. It will be replaced with something closer to the size of a refrigerator, much more efficient and that parts are still available for. Residents in the LPS district passed the $80 million bond issue by about 60 percent of the vote last November, and the revenue can legally only be used for capital improvements like building maintenance and infrastructure. “When a lot of the work goes on behind the walls, it’s hard for the public to know the their money is being spent,” said LPS Board President Lucie Stanish. In an effort to keep people up to day, the district will place signs in front of buildings that describe what work is being done and provide a phone number and website where people can get more information. Bob Colwell, former LPS Board of Edu-
From left, Scott Murphy, Sue Chandler, Jack Reutzel, Kelly Perez and Lucie Stanish celebrate the upcoming summer of progress, during which several construction projects will get accomplished thanks to the bond that voters approved last year. Photo by Jennifer Smith cation president, is heading up a citizens’ oversight committee, with volunteers recruited from the district’s various committees. And longtime LPS volunteer Dave Metcalf, a planner by trade, will again coordinate with the project team as he did in 1995 and 2002. Because of the age of the buildings, Doney said there is a large budget for asbestos abatement, which will be performed when there are no students inside. Most of the asbestos is in the glue that holds tiles to floors and ceilings, she said. Some of the work, like a new elevator at Newton Middle School, will bring the district into compliance with ADA requirements updated since 2002.
Other items will help LPS meet various other federal regulations — technology upgrades to accommodate online testing and new lunch-service tables to meet nutrition standards, for example. Other improvements throughout the district include HVAC, flooring, fire systems, roofing, repairs, plumbing, grounds repairs, lighting, electrical and ADA compliance. All work is expected to be done by August 2017. “This is very much about maintaining our facilities,” said Diane Leiker, LPS communications director. “A lot of work will be done, but you might not see it. It might not look that different, but it really is improving the life of our schools.”
In the days after Dec. 13, 2013, the windows of the Arapahoe High School library were covered in black paper to shield the students from seeing the place where Karl Pierson killed himself after fatally shooting classmate Claire Davis. “Students didn’t like walking past and seeing the black,” said Nicole Seavall, who will be a sophomore at AHS next year. Cris Goldy’s kids were among those students. A senior project manager at GH Phipps Construction Companies, he jumped in to make things better. “He contacted us right away,” said Diane Doney, Littleton Public Schools chief operations officer. “GH Phipps was just remarkable. They starting demoing before school was even out, at night.” They took that library down to an empty shell, and then took down the black. “It felt better,” said Seavall. “We knew that we were all moving forward.” Now Seavall is part of an effort to reclaim that space in time for school to start in mid-August. She and other students and staff began meeting when school resumed after the holidays, determined to find a way to honor Claire without commemorating the tragedy. “We didn’t want it to be a huge memorial to what happened,” said Seavall. “We didn’t want it to be focused on that.” The answer, they found, was fellowship. “We just wanted a place for students to be the Arapahoe Warriors and still be together in this one space,” said Seavall. So the new library will be filled with lots of ways and places the kids can commune, along with natural light and warm colors. “We wanted to keep with AHS colors, but not too overwhelming,” said Seavall, who handled a lot of the interior-design details. Small-group rooms let students work together on projects where they can be a little louder than in the rest of the library. One cafe-like space lets them bring in coffee and maybe a snack, keeping them fueled up for studying. Individual carels will be wired for charging electronic devices, so even if students are sitting alone, they can still stay in touch. One area has soft, comfy chairs for collapsing in, and another has long tables for sharing. “A lot of students wanted to be with their friends, but still get stuff done,” said Seavall. And there will be books, of course. But the shelves will be low enough so students can see each other over them, and so library staff can see them all, as well. Tracy Murphy will be returning as a member of that staff, and he was a member of the library committee. Pierson fired a shot into Murphy’s empty office before shooting himself, according to former sheriff Grayson Robinson. The new library will offer gentle nods of remembrance to that day. Library continues on Page 14
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