Citizen Centennial 11-15-2013
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 52
November 15, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
Building inspector out of job, facing felonies Man accused of entering home, stealing underwear By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com An Arapahoe County building inspector arrested in September on suspicion of illegally entering a woman’s residence and snatching a pair of her underwear has lost his job but will have his day in court next
month. Lambert Leon Iringan, 65, is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 13. He will appear before Judge Gerald Rafferty in the 18th Judicial District’s Division 308 courtroom. After posting a $200,000 bond, Iringan waived his right to a preliminary hearing at his initial court appearance. Arapahoe County officials initially placed Iringan on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the sheriff’s department. But Andrea Rasizer, a county spokesperson, said this week: “Effective Sept. 24, Iringan no longer works for Arapahoe County.”
A Centennial resident employed by Arapahoe County since 1998, Iringan was arrested Sept. 13 in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred the previous day. According to investigators from the sheriff’s office, he is suspected of unlawfully entering an occupied residence in unincorporated Arapahoe County. A woman told sheriff’s deputies that a man came into her bedroom, which was dark, while she was still in bed around 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 12. According to the woman, the man did not notice her and went to a dresser and
began opening drawers. When the suspect removed an article of clothing from a drawer — later reported to be underwear — the woman screamed and the suspect fled the scene. The victim told Arapahoe County sheriff’s investigators she was having her basement remodeled and that the contractor for the project had been scheduled to meet with a county building inspector that morning. Iringan faces two felonies and one misdemeanor: second-degree burglary of a dwelling, first-degree trespass and theft of less than $50.
Officials learn basics of life in the spotlight Incoming members of council get orientation By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com
Southbound traffic approaches the South Holly Street crosswalk on Nov. 11. The crosswalk is intended to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. Photo by George Lurie
Crosswalk signal keeps things safe No accidents reported since device installed By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com A new crosswalk signal — the first of its kind in the city — is proving to be highly effective in protecting pedestrians and cyclists navigating the Centennial Link Trail as it crosses South Holly Street just north of Arapahoe Road. The new signal system, known as HAWK, was installed in September and so far, has kept the busy crossing safe. “We’re not aware of any accidents being reported since the HAWK was installed,” said Centennial spokesperson Allison Wittern, who added that the location chosen to install the HAWK “was not a problem crosswalk. The HAWK enhanced safety in this area where there was already a lot of pedestrian use,” said Wittern. “The HAWK also improved connectivity to the nearby trail.” HAWK — or High-intensity Activated crosswalk — is a push-button activated hybrid beacon that city officials believe provides a safer crossing environment for walkers and cyclists. Research has shown nearly 97 percent of motorists comply with the HAWK bea-
con. The system’s design was imported from Europe, where it is used at both street and railway crossings. But until 2010, the Federal Highway Administration categorized the HAWK system as experimental. In the U.S., the system was first deployed at a pedestrian crossing in Tucson, Ariz. The system costs $132,000 and Centennial’s first HAWK crossing was funded through a partnership with South Suburban Parks and Recreation District. The signal remains dark until activated by a push-button on either side of the crosswalk. For pedestrians and cyclists using the crosswalk, the signal works much the same as any other push-button activated traffic signal. But for drivers approaching the crossing, the HAWK system looks somewhat different. After being activated, the HAWK system actually goes through five distinct stages: When the crossing button is pushed, the HAWK signals on Holly begin flashing yellow to alert drivers the crosswalk will be occupied soon. Then the signal turns solid yellow, warning drivers to prepare to stop after which it turns red, requiring drivers to stop at the stop line.
Finally, the signal flashes red to let drivers know that after coming to a complete stop, they may proceed with caution if the crosswalk is clear. After completing a full cycle, the signals return again to their dark state. The system also features a countdown clock on the WALK indicator to let pedestrians and cyclists know how much longer they have to cross the street. Eric Milton, who was hiking along the Centennial Link Trail Nov. 11, said he uses the Holly Street crosswalk two or three times a week. “Since they put this new light in, it’s much easier and a lot less scary to cross here,” he said. A few drivers who stopped at the crossing seemed to be confused when pedestrians cleared the crosswalk and the signals flashed red at the end of the HAWK cycle. “I’ve never seen that before. I guess it means we can go now,” said one driver through an open window. Several other drivers continued to idle at the crosswalk until the flashing red signals stopped and the HAWK system went dark again. Asked if motorists had complained about the new signal system being confusing, Wittern said no. “We’ve actually received very little feedback” from the city’s Citizen Response Center about the HAWK crossing, Wittern reported.
When newly elected city council members Mark Gotto, Doris Truhlar, Kathy Turley and CJ Whelan are sworn in on Jan. 6, they will have already received nearly 10 hours of formal training on how to conduct themselves in the public spotlight. On the evenings of Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, city officials will hold an orientation for the new council members and “this year, the council orientation is going to be different than what we’ve done in previous years,” said Allison Wittern, public information and special events manager for the city. At next month’s training, in addition to being issued their new City of Centennial laptops, business cards and email addresses, the four new councilors, according to Wittern, “will also have their first opportunity to sit in their seats on the council chamber dais and make motions and experience some of the things they’ll deal with at their first meeting.” Wittern said the first session of orientation also will include a welcome and overview, a tour of the civic center building and answers to important legal questions. The second night of orientation will feature a mock council session. “There will be an explanation of the public comment part of the council meeting,” Wittern explained. “We’ll address a lot of other key issues too. A mock land-use case will be on the agenda as well as a mock public hearing and review of a (simulated) open space funding agreement.” Wittern said City Clerk Brenda Madison will play a key role in the orientation and Mayor Cathy Noon and the four other sitting council members are also expected to attend. “For the orientation, we try to select topics that our new council members want to be familiar with sooner than later,” Wittern said. “It also will be a good opportunity for everyone to get together for the first time.” On its website, the city includes a section for newly elected city officials titled: “So you just got elected to a municipal office, now what are you going to do?” “In the heat of the campaign, you had a lot of dreams, may have made a few promises. Now it’s time to carry out the planks of Council continues on Page 19
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