1-Color
June 5, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 125, Issue 45 A publication of
littletonindependent.net
Clarity Commons: A tribute to Claire Friends of family plan an acre of peace on Arapahoe High campus By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Bob Lembke can’t talk about Claire Davis without tearing up. “She just had a certain spark to her. Most young children do, she just had a lit-
tle different something,” he said on “They’re still grieving deeply May 29. the loss of their daughter and the Lembke had known Claire since loss of their future plans with her,” his two children, Adrienne and he said. “They’re holding firm in Corinne, befriended the two Davis their message of forgiveness, and children, Alexander and Claire, in developing their new normal day preschool. The two sets of parents by day. … It changes the future, hit it off, too, and they all became and they’re slowly coming to grips Claire Davis lifelong friends. with that and understanding what After the Dec. 13 shooting at Arapa- that means. They’re trying to make sense of hoe High School that ultimately claimed the senseless.” Claire’s life, Lembke knew he had to do Lembke says Jason Dunkel, the director something to help his friends through their of business services at Littleton Adventist grief. Hospital who served as a buffer between
the Davis family and the onslaught of the outside world, played a key role in bringing the family to forgiveness as quickly as they were able. “My wife and I forgive Karl Pierson,” Michael Davis, Claire’s father, told the world on Jan. 1, during a memorial service at the National Western Stock Show Complex. Pierson is the student who shot Claire moments before killing himself in the Arapahoe High School library. It is with that attitude of grace that Claire continues on Page 6
Mental health in focus School board gives initial approval for money for clinic By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Matilda the pig woke up from a deep sleep when she heard Sebastian Fritz’s voice and lumbered to him for some cuddle time. Matilda, just a year old, will hopefully have her first litter of babies sometime in August. Photos by Jennifer Smith
Babies on board at museum By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com Baby season has begun at Littleton Museum with the arrival of adorable twin lambs born on the morning of May 27, much to the surprise of elementary-school kids who happened to be visiting at the crucial moment. “We told them they didn’t have to watch, but they were OK with it,” said museum employee Sebastian Fritz. The mama sheep is very protective of her new little girls, herding them behind her and growling at visitors who linger too long. “Mom did a good job,” said Fritz. “Two is always a test.” Fritz said the lambs will get named once museum staff gets to know their personalities a little better. That’s how Matilda the pig got her name, too. She woke up from a deep sleep when she heard Fritz’s voice and lumbered over to him for some cuddle time. Though many of the farm’s pigs end up as somebody’s favorite breakfast meat, Matilda will be kept and POSTAL ADDRESS
This protective mama sheep tends to her lambs, twin girls that were just five days old when this photo was taken on May 31 at Littleton Museum. bred. Though she’s just a year old herself, she will hopefully have her first litter of babies sometime in August. Another sure sign of spring is when Henry the peacock starts flashing his tail feath-
ers for the peahens. He’s in full swing right now and will lose his longest and prettiest feathers soon, so an early morning visit to the chicken coop should be on Littleton residents’ to-do list soon.
LITTLETON INDEPENDENT
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Mental health is front and center in Littleton Public Schools’ 2015-16 budget discussion. While nobody mentioned the December shooting deaths at Arapahoe High School, it was evident that everyone in the room during the May 29 meeting of the board of education agreed that more resources need to go toward spotting kids who are in trouble before tragedy strikes. In March, Nate Thompson, whose position as director of support services has been converted to director of emotional and social support, said the district needs a universal screening tool for those issues first and foremost. “It’s about psychological safety,” he said. “What do we do for kids when they’re in that place when they might hurt themselves or others?” To that end, the board gave initial approval to adding $800,000 to mentalhealth services next school year, to include a dedicated clinic and the equivalent of 10.5 full-time mental-health workers to be distributed all levels, from the elementary schools on up. LPS staff is working with Arapahoe/ Douglas Mental Health Network on how best to implement a mental-health clinic within an existing district building but has not yet decided which one. When kids are sent to outside programs like ADMHN, whether by the district or a court order, per-pupil funding follows them. That cost LPS about $650,000 last year. Utilizing interns from area universities
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Mental Health continues on Page 5
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