1-Color
February 20, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 125, Issue 30 A publication of
littletonindependent.net
School projects poised to begin Work will start at The Village, other locales this summer By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
des, who is not pleased with the pace or the progress.
Littleton Public Schools is wasting no time spending the money voters authorized last November to whip the district’s aging buildings back into shape. “A key element of what we look at is doing what’s best for the safety of the students,” said Mark Crisman, senior engineer with Jacobs Project Management Company, the lead contractor on the projects, while outlining the plan for the LPS Board of Education during its Feb. 13 meeting. LPS residents passed the $80 million bond issue by about 60 percent of the vote last November, and the revenue can legally only be used for capital improvements like building maintenance and infrastructure. The district estimates the actual need at about $102 million, but asking for that much would have raised taxes. Some of the easier work will start this summer and planning and design is under way on larger projects — in particular the failing roof at Damon Runyon Elementary School. Crisman said it will take up to a year to get ready for that, and work should start in the summer of 2015. Diane Doney, LPS chief operating officer, said she hopes to be able to replace all the wood trusses, many of which are now being propped up, with steel. “The current condition of that roof is safe,” said Terry Davis, director of operations and management for LPS. In the meantime, a much-anticipated replacement of Littleton High School’s ancient and minivan-size boiler will happen this summer. Goddard Middle School will get a new one too, and Arapahoe High School will get a chiller. Roof repairs will happen at Goddard, Heritage High School, LHS and the Education Services Center. Restrooms at the Ames facility will be updated and the preschool area will be expanded. The Village will also get a lot of work this summer, with upgrades to lighting, fire systems, mechanical/HVAC, carpets and roofing. The Transportation Services Center will too, including the replacement of an obsolete bus wash. Every classroom door in the district will be fitted with push-button locks, which Doney says the teachers have asked for, and some kitchen serving stations will also be replaced. Other projects scheduled for the second year of construction, which Crisman described as the most aggressive of the fouryear plan, include improvements to the Littleton Public Schools Stadium, to include an accessible ramp. Littleton High School’s theater will be remodeled, and an addition
Park continues on Page 21
Projects continues on Page 5
Children’s author Jean Reidy offers tips to Littleton Academy students Feb. 11. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Local students learn from pros Children’s authors impart wisdom on young readers By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Fourth-grader Hanna Hartzell wants to be a doctor when she grows up, but for a little while on Feb. 11, she got to be a famous author. She got to play children’s author Jean
Reidy in Littleton Academy’s wacky premiere of “Miss Jean’s Publishing Wild Ride,” directed by Reidy herself. She’s the author of books like “Too Purpley,” a 48-word tome about being comfortable in both one’s wardrobe and one’s skin, and “Time Out for Monsters,” an epic free-verse poem about keeping imagination alive. “It was really exciting, because I want to be someone like her, someone nice who likes to hang out with kids,” said Hartzell. The event was part of the school’s Book
Week, revived for 2014 after a six-year hiatus. Reidy, who hails from Greenwood Village, joined Colorado authors Todd Mitchell and Teresa Funke and national authors Michael Shoulders and Polly Holyoke in imparting their love of the craft to the kids. “I’m hoping to show you that there is an author, a writer, a poet or an artist in each and every one of you,” said Reidy. She came prepared with a jubilation Students continues on Page 5
Sterne Park project four months behind Drainage work was to be complete last November By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Although it looks like a tornado hit the south side of Sterne Park and traffic in the neighborhood has been diverted for months, those responsible are asking for just a little more patience. “I can appreciate everybody’s impatience, but we’ll get a good project up at the end of the day,” said Richard G. Borchardt, senior project engineer with the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. The work started in July 2013 and was originally anticipated to wrap up by November of that year. Delays came in the form of weather and some utility work costing more than expected, said Borchardt. He says they’ll finish the majority of construction in the first week of March, and go back when the temperature reaches 50 degrees and rising to complete the paving and landscaping. “We are committed to landscape resPOSTAL ADDRESS
Improvements at Sterne Park are taking longer than expected. Photo by Jennifer Smith toration and paving before the project is complete and final payment is made to the contractor,” said City Manager Michael Penny in an email to Councilman Jerry Val-
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