Citizen Centennial 7.12.13
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 34
July 12, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
Woman charged in fatal overdose Former teacher’s aide linked by authorities to three other deaths By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com A former Cherry Creek School District teacher’s aide faces one charge of first-degree murder in the 2011 death of one man,
and is linked to the deaths of three other individuals. According to court documents, 50-year-old Almeda Beth Sullivan of Centennial is charged with the death of 21-year-old Carter Lee Higdon, who died of a drug Sullivan overdose in her home on Oct. 1, 2011. Investigators found Sullivan connected to the 2008 deaths of Sierra Renee Cochran, 19; Lindsey Jo Saidy, 28; and Martynas “Tez”
Simankas, 20. Sullivan told investigators that at Higdon’s request, she picked him on Sept. 30, 2011, and brought him to her home. She said the two talked until about 3 a.m. when Higdon fell asleep. Sullivan said when she arose early the next morning, Oct. 1, 2011, to take her daughter to a track meet, Higdon was still sleeping. When she returned around 1 p.m., she said she saw foam coming out of his mouth and could not wake him. Sullivan contacted Higdon’s mother and stepfather, who insisted she call 911.
FounTain oF YouTh
On a recording of that 911 call, Sullivan can be heard saying, “I didn’t give him anything.” According to the warrant, Sullivan admitted to selling prescription pills. Two years earlier, on Jan. 13, 2008, 19-year-old Sierra Renee Cochran also died of an overdose in the same home. Sullivan was employed by the Cherry Creek School District from 2003-05 as a bus driver and teacher’s aide. She is due in Arapahoe County Court later this month.
District aims to conserve more water Some green may fade, but areas will remain usable By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Jersey Babb, 6, shows off her best karate moves in the fountain at The Streets at SouthGlenn on July 7. According to Babb’s mother, Jacque Babb, the Centennial girl’s interest in martial arts was inspired by her older brother. While pools and lakes were crowded over the July 4 holiday weekend, many Centennial residents made their way to local parks and spraygrounds as a way to beat the heat. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Toymaker takes on bedtime monsters Plush creations fuel imagination while helping slay nighttime fears By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com As former newspaper designer, cartoonist and pet toy creator Dale Taylor pondered how to convince his daughter Widget there weren’t monsters living under her bed, he knew he had quite the task ahead of him. “It started off with she didn’t like the shadows, and then she didn’t the light and it was cute,” Taylor said. “But one night it was just one thing after another, and trying to get her to go to sleep became pretty frustrating because we were all tired.” The 44-year-old Centennial father pondered the night’s activities and how to eradicate the child’s fears and still encourage her imagination. It had to be something that was powerful enough symbolically to quell the child’s fears, but yet soft enough to sleep with, Taylor explained. And so, the Targimals were born. Targimals, according to Taylor, are legendary pint-sized warriors, part of a creative plush-toy line he founded along with his Centennial-based toy company, Forge Bedtime continues on Page 9
Although South Suburban Parks and Recreation already adheres to water conservation guidelines far more restrictive than that recommended by the Denver Water Board, the district is doing even more. Along with South Suburban’s normal water-sipping efforts such as xeriscaping, use of low-flow toilets and showerheads, as well motion-activated faucets, the district has announced it will convert seven low-use turf areas to natural open space, seeding each with native grasses this fall. But while recent rainfall has eased watering restrictions somewhat, South Suburban Parks and Recreation Director of Parks and Open Space Jim Priddy explained the district will continue to do what it can to maximize conservation efforts Priddy said SSPD has reduced its voluntary watering levels from 12.5 gallons per square-foot down to 12 gallons and plans to stay at the reduced levels. “While some of the areas are not going to be as dry as we anticipated, we are going to stay at the 12-gallon level,” he said. “And we’ve also taken on sever other ways to save water.” For example, Priddy said the district also will not be filling and running the Gallup Gardens water feature this year, which will save more than 10,500 gallons of water used to fill the fountain, and another 1,000 gallons of water per week added to combat evaporation. The small water feature at AirLife Memorial Park — along Littleton’s Mary Carter Greenway Trail — will also not be filled, saving an estimated 500 gallons of water per month. Other water saving measures include reduced hours for the sprayground at Cornerstone Park, which will shut off at 6 p.m., two hours earlier than in previous years. Tree plantings approved prior to April 2013 will be fulfilled, including those identified for matching gift donations and planting by volunteer groups or part of budgeted capital improvement projects, but no new additional plantings will be considered. The district’s computerized irrigation Water continues on Page 9
When former newspaper designer Dale Taylor tried to convince his daughter Widget that monsters didn’t live under her bed, the 44-year-old Centennial father came up with a line of plush toys that fueled the girl’s imagination, yet helped build more courage than any nightlight ever could. Courtesy photo
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