1-Color
February 7, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 93, Issue 51 A publication of
englewoodherald.net
CLOWNING AROUND
Bill seeks extended bar hours Watering holes could stay open as late as 4:30 a.m. By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com A legislative committee said “cheers” to a bill that would allow bars to stay open later, despite concerns that the measure could lead to more drunks being on the streets in the early morning hours. House Bill 1132 would allow cities and counties to determine for themselves whether to allow bars to stay open until 4:30 a.m — two and a half hours past the current statewide cutoff time of 2 a.m. Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, the bill sponsor, pointed to violent crime that occurs in downtown Report Denver at bar closing time, as motivation behind her bill. Duran said that when all bars close at the same time, “drunks spill into LoDo streets.” She said that by allowing bars to stay open later, patrons will leave at 2, 3 or 4 in the morning, instead of the mass exodus that happens now. “This has been an issue that has been ongoing in the City of Denver for a long time,” Duran said. Her original drafting of the bill would have allowed bars to stay open until 7 a.m. However, the bill was amended to a 4:30 cutoff at the start of a House hearing last week. Business groups and the Colorado Restaurant Association backed the bill after Duran filed an amendment that allowed local governments to let bars stay open later, but would not give cities and counties permission to reduce bar business hours. Duran and legislation supporters said that the 2 o’clock bar closings put a strain on police who are doing their best to patrol downtown areas. Allowing bars to stay open later could help police with crowd control, supporters said. LoDo business owner Paula Grey said that that the “2 a.m. dump of thousands of people” into downtown streets needs to come to an end. “This bill is addressing public safety,” she said. Not everyone agrees. Fran Lanzer, of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the bill could increase the number of drunks getting behind the wheel, through all hours of the night. Hannah Kenny, of Centennial, also worried about the possible dangers associated with people being able to party into the early morning hours. “That’s just terrifying to me,” she said. “I just don’t see the sense from the safety perspective why they should be open later.” The committee voted 12-1 to move the bill to a full vote in the House. The lone dissent came from Rep. Tim Dore, R-Elizabeth, who worried about people leaving bars after they close in one town, and then driving across city lines to bar hop at other watering holes that stay open later.
Capitol
Littleton resident Tammy Lichvar, left, gets help adjusting her wig from Colorado Clowns President Molly “Skiddles” Kleeman during a Feb. 2 class at the school. Nine students are halfway through this year’s session being held in Englewood. Turn to Page 12 for more. Photo by Tom Munds
High school demolition delayed Temporary halt needed for crews to remove asbestos By Tom Munds
tmunds@coloradocommunitymedia.com Silence instead of the growl of the equipment and the crash of falling walls engulfed the Englewood High School site as the building demolition slowed to a crawl last week so crews can safely remove asbestos from the remaining wing of the school. “The demolition is about 40 percent complete but the company put it on hold as the focus shifts to abatement of the asbestos in the utility tunnels,” said Brian Ewert, school superintendent. “The estimate is it will take about two weeks to remove the asbestos. But the contractor assures me the demolition project will still resume so phase two construction can get underway. The estimate is phase 2 will be finished as planned by the end of 2014.” The tunnels were created under the remaining wing of the building to carry the utilities throughout the school. The abatement is necessary to remove asbes-
The artistic concept of the seventh- through 12-grade campus being built on the Englewood High School site. The project is scheduled to be completed by December of this year. Courtesy art tos in the pipe insulation and in the dirt floor of the tunnel. The demolition and asbestos removal are part of the project that will create a new, up-to-date seventh- through 12thgrade campus on the Englewood High School site.
POSTAL ADDRESS
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
Englewood residents made the high school transformation possible when they voted to approve a $40 million bond issue funding for the project. The school district also received an $8 million state grant to help finance it. Phase one was completed late last year. The phase included demolition of the north portion of the school, including the auto shop, wood shop and swimming pool so crews could construct the new gymnasium and wing that will eventually be home to the middle school, plus the cafeteria as well as the student commons areas. The work was completed early and, over the Thanksgiving break, high school and Demolition continues on Page 5