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January 28, 2021
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LittletonIndependent.net
VOLUME 76 | ISSUE 14
Level yellow could be weeks away Post-holiday disease spike appears to taper off, but counties’ data still in red zone BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
roles in city government. “But libraries are rife with creative, innovative people. We’re rolling with the punches.” There has been no shortage of punches. When COVID struck last March, the library shut down completely, not reopening for curbside material pickup until late May, and patrons weren’t allowed back inside until mid-July. The library mostly shut its doors to the public again following a COVID spike in late fall, only
In mid-December, businesses across Colorado saw state officials throw them what appeared to be an extra lifeline with the arrival of the “5-Star” program to allow them to operate with expanded capacity if they followed stepped-up COVID-19 safety protocols. More than a month later, in some counties, that extra boost hasn’t materialized. And higher capacity for 5-star businesses may not arrive for weeks, one local public health leader for Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties says. Gov. Jared Polis’ unexpected announcement in late December that all of Colorado’s “level red” counties would move to level orange restrictions rendered the 5-Star program temporarily irrelevant, causing confusion for business owners and local governments. The 5-Star program allows qualifying businesses to follow restrictions that are one level less severe than they otherwise would need to based on their county’s level on Colorado’s
SEE BEMIS, P9
SEE YELLOW, P8
Bemis Library director Nancy Trimm stands in front of “Birds of Passage,” the Littleton library’s signature art display. Though PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT the library spent much of 2020 enduring layoffs and limited access, Trimm says the future is bright.
Bemis Library working on happy ending to COVID era Bolstered by slew of digital offerings, library carries on, but layoffs and reduced hours still sting BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As patrons again begin to peruse the stacks in Littleton’s Bemis Library at the end of January, they will re-enter a place that may feel
as comfortable and familiar as the community library ever has. But behind the scenes, Bemis is in the midst of a transition that will reshape the library for years to come — the outcome of a COVIDera trial by fire that has hindered some offerings but may put the library on the path to a brighter future. “It’s been a challenge to deliver the services we’re so passionate about,” said Nancy Trimm, the library’s former deputy director, who took the helm as director in November amid a reshuffling of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11
SOUNDS OF THE STREETS
Outdoor performers offer an eclectic array of entertainment P14