Count the pink ribbons in this week’s paper!
We found the first one for you!
October 20, 2016 VOLUM E 128 | IS S UE 1 3 | 75¢
Enter your guess online at LittletonIndependent.net for a chance to win weekly prizes! 2016 Exclusive Sponsor: See ad inside for details. Winner will be announced in next week’s paper.
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
LittletonIndependent.net
Coffman, Carroll grapple for seat Challenger tries to use Trump against incumbent, who says he won’t vote for the GOP presidential nominee By Kyle Harding kharding@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Centennial Academy of Fine Arts fourth-graders Cadence Campbell, left, and Ryann Giblin show off their new thesauruses that were given to them by the Littleton Rotary Club on Oct. 13. Photos by Kyle Harding
Students learn new words
Rotary continues tradition of giving dictionaries to third-graders, thesauruses to fourth-graders
Fourth-graders at Centennial Academy of Fine Arts in Littleton were given thesauruses by the Littleton Roatary Club as an extension of the Dictionary Project.
By Kyle Harding kharding@coloradocommunitymedia.com The Dictionary Project has provided dictionaries to third-graders for more than 20 years. But Littleton Rotary Club and Centennial Academy of Fine Arts take it a step further by also giving students thesauruses as fourth-graders. Rotary member Dennis Brovarone spent the morning of Oct. 13 handing out 90 or so of the books to students at the school. The fourth-graders immediately wrote their names on the thesauruses, claiming them for their own, then began looking up new words. Instead of using “said,” they could use “exclaimed” or “groaned,” they told teacher Stacey Helbig. “You can say better stuff,” student Emily Groff said. While the dictionaries help the third-graders learn the definitions of words, the fourth-graders use the thesauruses to find new words they can use. “It really is essential for creative writing,” Brovarone said.
Knowing antonyms and synonyms is important for fourth-graders, teacher Beth Hartzell said. “This is where we start to perfect the craft of writing,” she said. “The thesauruses help that because students can really narrow down word choice.” Although fourth-graders all have Chromebook computers, Brovarone said there is still a place for a physical thesaurus. “Actually having something to hold that they can put their name on makes it more special than if it was on a screen,” he said. The roots of the Dictionary Project date to 1992, when a Savannah, Georgia, woman named Annie Plummer handed out 50 dictionaries to students at a school near her home. The idea spread to South Carolina and the Dictionary Project
nonprofit organization was formed in 1995. Since then, more than 18 million dictionaries have been handed out in all 50 states with help of groups like the Rotary Club. Centennial has more or less been adopted by the Littleton Rotary Club, Brovarone said. He volunteers to read with third- and fourthgraders every Thursday, and the club also supports a program to provide groceries for families of students on the free or reduced-cost lunch program. Despite the prevalence of technology in today’s students’ lives, Hartzell said her students use printed books and she teaches them the value of skill such as reading a map, noting that mobile applications may not always be available. “We’re big on physical books here,” she said.
While Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman has sought to distance his race for re-election in Congressional District 6 from the GOP presidential race, challenger Morgan Carroll has largely campaigned on tying the incumbent Aurora Republican to his party’s controversial nominee. Coffman, 61, seeking his fifth term, wants to foCarroll cus on keeping the House of Representatives in Republican hands rather than discussing Donald Trump. “I think the impact of this race is not who is in the White House,” he said. “The race I’m focused on is my own.” Coffman The race with Carroll, 44, also from Aurora and a two-term state senator first elected to District 29 in 2008, is being described as a toss-up by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, political prediction website 270towin.com and The Cook Political Report. Money has poured into both campaigns, with Coffman outraising Carroll $2.99 million to $2.17 million, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. District 6 continues on Page 9
ELECTION DAY IS ON THE WAY And we’ve got the rundown on all the races you need to know about as part of our election guide on PAGES 19-26.
LITTLETON INDEPENDENT (ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 315-780) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 | PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Littleton, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 2550 S. Main St., Littleton, CO 80120. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT LITTLETON, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 5 p.m. | Classifieds: Tue. 8 a.m. | Obits: Tue. 11 a.m. | Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.