$1.00
March 11, 2021
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
EnglewoodHerald.net
VOLUME 101 | ISSUE 3
Gender, race issues debated by council Councilmember speaks about comments made at discussion on city priorities BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Bicyclists and pedestrians cross a briefly full South Platte River on March 5. Though a dry winter has left the river low, nice spring PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT days make a pleasant environment nonetheless.
‘I’m aching to get out there’ BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A
bout 60 cubic feet of water per second flowed down the South Platte River on March 5, just about average for this time of year — though that was after a rainstorm. For days prior, the river
was at half its average flow or lower, testament to a dry autumn that turned into a dry winter and a dry spring so far. But with the mercury in the mid60s, the Mary Carter Greenway was a pleasant place to be. Ducks alighted on the surface of the river, and songbirds chirped from the still-bare trees.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 16
“I’m aching to get out there,” said South Platte Park volunteer Sharon Pickens, gazing out the window as she held down the fort at the Carson Nature Center, surrounded by fish tanks and taxidermized birds. “But it’s going to be nice all week. I’m as eager as the animals for some warm sunshine.”
The topics of gender-neutral pronouns and systemic racism made their way into the Englewood City Council’s annual meeting about priorities for city policies, embroiling councilmembers in disagreements about social issues. Councilmember Rita Russell opposed a proposal for city staff to go through the city’s training documents Russell and make them more gender-neutral — changing instances of “he” and “she” to “they” in the city’s administrative materials, according to Shawn Lewis, city manager. City staff had floated the idea as part of an effort to make Englewood’s government more mindful of being inclusive of different identities. The proposal would not change parts of city ordinances, or laws, Lewis said during the Jan. 23 meeting known as the annual council retreat. The meeting took place over SEE COUNCIL, P8
CRAFTING THE PERFECT CUP Area roasters get creative, to the delight of coffee enthusiasts P14