May 19, 2016
DRIVE THROUGH
VOLUM E 127 | IS S U E 43 | 75¢
Longtime family dealership moves from Littleton location. PAGE 2 A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
LittletonIndependent.net
MEET THE CLASS OF 2016 Local graduates highlighted on PAGE 17.
Foster parents fill need Lilli Bills, right, and Natalia Wolanska demonstrate how to use a self-contained game that can be used to help physical therapy patients regain motor skills. The two were part of a team that designed and built the game in STEM class at Newton Middle School. Photo by Kyle Harding
STEM centers spur skills LPS middle-schoolers design, build projects By Kyle Harding kharding@colorado communitymedia.com For Littleton Public Schools, science, technology,
engineering and mathematics education isn’t just for kids who want to pursue careers in those fields — it’s about learning to work together and developing hands-on skills. Four years ago, the district and Littleton Public Schools Foundation embarked on a plan to turn the school’s
outdated technology labs into STEM centers, where the students not only design projects, but build them as well. “Whether or not any of these kids actually go into a STEM field, I don’t really care,” Superintendent Brian Ewert said. “These kids are so wellversed in working together.”
Sixth-graders in Marc Finer’s STEM class at Newton Middle School showed off some of what they built for district officials on May 11. One project is already in use at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Littleton. STEM continues on Page 25
Opponents still fighting The Grove Building permit issued for senior apartment complex last month as court case continues By Kyle Harding kharding@coloradocommunitymedia.com For Leah Burkett, the approval of a four-story senior apartment complex
across the street from her house is an example of local government not representing residents. Last month, the city issued a building permit for The Grove, a mixed-use project with 160 apartments for people 55 and older, and shortly afterward work began on the site of the old sheriff’s department building at Littleton Boulevard and Bemis Street.
Burkett and her group, Advocates for Littleton, are still fighting against the project, although their prospects look grim now. Advocates for Littleton is embroiled in a legal battle with the city and Zocalo Community Development, appealing for the right to challenge the development.
Collaborative program matches homes with kids By Alex DeWind adewind@coloradocommunitymedia.com Kelly Mayr has five birth children, three adopted children and one foster child. So the month of May, which is National Foster Care month, resonates with her. She’s been a foster parent for about five years and, in that time, some 15 children have passed through her home. “Once you know there’s a need, it’s hard not to foster,” the Highlands Ranch resident said. “And there is a need all over.” Mayr fosters through the Collaborative Foster Care Program, a joint effort to help children in the departments of human services of Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson counties. On average, 1,100 children in the three counties are in out-of-home care on any given day, according to the program. Forty percent are teenagers. All have experienced trauma and almost all have special needs, including emotional, behavioral, medical or developmental. The Collaborative Foster Care Program started with Arapahoe and Jefferson counties in 2008 to maximize staff and reach a broader range of potential foster families, said Ruby Richards, the Douglas County child welfare administrator.
Grove continues on Page 25
Foster continues on Page 9
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