1-Color
January 30, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 125, Issue 28 A publication of
littletonindependent.net
Sheriff set to cap career Grayson Robinson steps down this week By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com After more than four decades of public service, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson will take off his uniform for the last time on Jan. 31. A retirement ceremony for the popular sheriff will be held at the Arapahoe County Justice Center on his last day and it’s a good bet a few tears will be shed during the speeches extolling the career of one of Colorado’s most highly respected lawmen. Humble and self-effacing to the end, Robinson, 63, a native of western Pennsylvania, said this week that he would rather talk about “the outstanding men and
women I’ve been blessed to work with than about myself.” Pressed to reflect on his career, the sheriff said, “The last 42 years have been a wonderful adventure. I come from a family of teachers with a long history of community service. I always had a mindset of having a career with a purpose and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.” Robinson was accepted into the Littleton Police Academy at age 21, and he said, “I’ve never looked back. Serving as a public safety officer is all I’ve ever wanted to do.” After working for the Littleton police department for 20 years, Robinson joined the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office as a captain and worked as division commander of investigations before eventually being appointed undersheriff by then-Sheriff Pat Sullivan. In 2001, when Sullivan resigned before his final term was complete, Robinson was
appointed sheriff. He was first elected in November 2002 and then re-elected by wide margins in 2006 and 2010.
Tragedy before transition The sheriff, who is term-limited, announced his intention to retire late last year as part of what he called a “deliberate and well-considered succession plan.” Robinson urged Arapahoe County commissioners to appoint his undersheriff, David Walcher, to serve out the remainder of his term — a suggestion the commissioners unanimously approved Jan. 28. Walcher, who has been with the ACSO since 2009, began his career at the FBI’s Denver bureau and then he served 21 years in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Robinson
Following Robinson’s retirement ceremony, Walcher will be sworn in as Arapahoe County’s new sheriff. Unfortunately, just 24 hours after Robinson announced his plans to step down, the shooting occurred at Arapahoe High School. So rather than ride off quietly into the sunset, the sheriff has spent the past six weeks at the epicenter of a major investigation — and media firestorm. “It’s been a painstaking and emotional process,” he said. “We’ve been very busy trying to do the right thing. It’s what the community expects — and deserves.” At nearly every press conference, Robinson has made a point of expressing just how deeply he has been affected by the death of Claire Davis, the 17-year-old student who died in the Dec. 13 shooting at the Centennial high school. Sheriff continues on Page 13
City, mall exploring annexation Some stores closing as remodel looms for Southwest Plaza By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Sally Atchison and Bruce Annabel stand with a monument to their fathers. Houstoun Waring and Curly Annabel started the first Sister City program in the nation, resulting in a long friendship between Littleton and Bega, Australia. Photo by Jennifer Smith
A g’day in Littleton and Bega Children of sister-city founders visit Bega Park By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Proving once again that Littleton’s friendship knows no borders, residents welcomed the children of the men who started the country’s first Sister City Exchange Program to Bega Park on Jan. 25, Australia Day. “He would be very proud that this has POSTAL ADDRESS
continued on, and that this group has continued to come together,” said Sally Atchison, the daughter of former Littleton Independent publisher Houstoun Waring. The Littleton/Bega Sister City Exchange was established by Waring and Curly Annabel, the editor of a newspaper in Bega, Australia, after the U.S. State Department and U.S. Information Agency made the film “Small Town Editor” in 1951. The agencies showed it in foreign countries to encourage an independent press to compete with government-controlled news. It was filmed in Littleton
and featured Waring, who had achieved national recognition for his editorials on foreign affairs. Bruce Annabel remembers that the two men didn’t always agree on politics, as his father was more conservative than the vociferously liberal Waring. “But they were able to be cordial and respect each other’s views,” he said. “I think things like this at the grassroots level help cement the relationship at the government level.”
LITTLETON INDEPENDENT
What’s definite is that Southwest Plaza is getting ready to undergo a substantial remodel. What’s unconfirmed is that to facilitate that, an annexation into the city of Littleton proper might be in the works. “They’re remodeling, and we were told to turn in our keys on Friday, and that’s all we know,” said Shay Crane, manager of Aeropostale. Leading up to its last day of business on Jan. 26, the store looked like somebody’s yard sale and everything was marked down 75 percent. Other stores with closing doors at the mall include It’s Your Move, Cinnabon, Icing and Wet Seal. And although officials will not confirm details, sources close to the situation say representatives of General Growth Properties, which owns both Southwest Plaza and Park Meadows, are exploring a deal to make the mall’s Littleton mailing address a physical reality. “There isn’t any formal proposal right now, so there are no details at present,” said Kathryn Heider, public information officer for Jefferson County. Lots of folks probably thought the mall was in Littleton all along, but it’s actually in unincorporated south Jefferson County. Joining the city would add a 3 percent municipal sales tax to all purchases made there, not including groceries, which Mall continues on Page 9
Bega continues on Page 13
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