DAY OF HONOR: A number of events in the area will remember our nation’s heroes P14
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May 24, 2018
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
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Clock ticks on effort to recall councilmember
Daniel Martins, a valedictorian, speaks to seniors at the Englewood High School graduation ceremony May 19 in an address that discussed facing fears. “There is no voyage without a storm,” Martins said.
Proponents have until early July to turn in petition that would trigger election BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
ELLIS ARNOLD
Grads start ‘whole new life’ Social justice, millennial generation topics at commencement ceremony BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The class of 2018 wasn’t one for a casual send-off at Englewood High School. Instead, students gave poignant
and introspective looks at their journey ahead as high school graduates at the May 19 commencement ceremony in the school’s gym, the Pirate Field House. “We are mourning the loss of our childhood,” Samantha Vielbig said in an address on stage. To “the class of 2018: This is not a finish line, but the start to a whole new life. And so we jump, and our adventure begins.” SEE GRADUATION, P36
After two former Englewood mayors and two other residents filed a petition to recall Englewood City Councilmember Laurett Barrentine, about six weeks remain until the deadline to submit more than 350 valid signatures that would be required to trigger a recall election. The city clerk’s office authorized the petition May 7, which means supporters of the recall have until 60 days after that date to hand it in.
A successful petition would lead to an election to decide whether to unseat Barrentine, the councilmember for District 3, the city’s middle and southeast region. It would be the first city council recall election in Englewood in more than 20 years, and just the third in city history, according to a city document. The group of petitioners, including former Mayors Jim Woodward and Randy Penn, have accused Barrentine, who was elected in 2015, of “bullying and unwarranted threats to fire city employees” and of “regular distortion of facts and outright lies.” “Council Member Laurett Barrentine demonstrates conduct unbecoming of an elected official and creates a toxic, counterproductive dynamic on Englewood SEE RECALL, P19
CORRECTION Due to printer error, two articles promoted on the front page of last week’s Herald were not published in some editions of the newspaper. Those articles — one
on city council candidate Carson Green and one on the graduation at Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice — can be found inside this week’s edition. Pages 7, 10
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THE BOTTOM LINE PERIODICAL
‘Our package of bills will begin to close the barriers we face in addressing this public-health crisis.’ Brittany Pettersen, state representative | P8 INSIDE
VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 21 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
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VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 14