Littleton 11-14-2013
November 14, 2013 75 cents
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 125, Issue 17
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlittletonnews.com
Majority of graffiti innocent but pesky Parks district spends thousands on cleanup By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com
The ducks are running out of room to swim in Ketring Lake as the water continues to recede. Denver Water cut off the High Line Canal, which feeds the lake, this year because of the drought. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Ketring gets another shot at water Canal was damaged in September deluge By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com Ketring Park neighbors are celebrating news that Denver Water is filling the lake with water straight out of a nearby fire hydrant. “I say we all shout it out for Larry (Borger), Denver Water and city of Littleton for arriving at such an unusual yet wonderful solution,” Alicia Rudnicki wrote in an email to her neighbors. “Maybe we all
should visit the lake … with champagne in hand.” This action follows an unsuccessful attempt to fill Ketring Lake via the High Line Canal in September. Stacey Chesney, spokesperson for Denver Water, explains that the day that effort began, Sept. 11, was the same day heavy rainfall and eventual flooding began along the Front Range. “We had to stop running the canal the next day because of the significant flooding and damage to portions of the canal, so Ketring Lake never filled,” she said. “The damage to the canal also prohibited us from running the canal again after the storms subsided. And now the forebay, which supplies water to the canal, has
been drained for the winter.” The city persisted, and the agreement to run the potable water from the canal was reached. It will cost about $3,900, the same amount the city normally pays to fill the lake from the canal. It was expected to begin Nov. 12 and take 10 to 15 days. Chesney says Denver Water plans to have the canal completely repaired in time for next spring. “Additionally, our reservoirs are not full at this time, but we are in a much better position heading into this winter with system-wide reservoir levels at 96 percent full,” she said. Canal continues on Page 4
Community gathers to thank its heroes Veterans Day ceremony draws hundreds in Littleton By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com About 300 people turned out to Littleton’s World War II Memorial on Nov. 11, a golden autumn day, to honor veterans present and past who have stood firm in their protection of the nation. “Let us never forget that we can’t celebrate the joy without remembering the great price we paid for that freedom,” said Ed Pietsch, commander of American Legion George C. Evans Post 103. His thought was underscored by 26 peals of a bell, each signifying a veteran Littleton lost over the last year. Pietsch called them unsung heroes. “Their families may be the only ones who knew their names and the sacrifices they made,” he said. Mayor Debbie Brinkman acknowlPOSTAL ADDRESS
edged she can never fully appreciate those sacrifices, but stood before her city’s heroes simply as a grateful American representing all grateful Americans to say “thank you.” “The enormity of their sacrifice is beyond compare,” she said. “So how do we dare to believe that two words, eight letters is enough? … It isn’t enough to say it, we need to be it. Ceremonies are important, but our gratitude has to be more than once a year. We have to honor their efforts by living well.” Charles Dwyer of the American Legion took the opportunity to remind the observers that the day was also the 60th anniversary of the end of hostilities in the Korean War. “All veterans have earned the right to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Jack Woodman, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Pat Hannon Post 4666. He urged all citizens to help ensure that all who have served to protect the country are in turn protected by that country.
Darlene Romero, in foreground, auxiliary president of American Legion George C. Evans Post 103, and Kate Surman of VFW Pat Hannon Post 4666 are escorted by Lou Trujillo as they place flowers at the base of the flag at the WWII Memorial. Photo by Jennifer Smith
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 Englewood, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display advertising: Thurs. 11 a.m. Legal advertising: Thurs. 11 a.m. Classified advertising: Mon. 12 p.m.
One person’s art is often another person’s expensive cleanup job. But, says one park ranger, “Most of the time it’s just nonsense.” Dan Scheuerman, senior park ranger at South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, says graffiti has been on the rise throughout the district since a sudden, unexplainable increase in 2007. Since then, the district has counted 1,067 incidents for a cleanup cost of about $263,000. “Time and money spent removing graffiti could be spent on upkeep and enhancements to parks, trails, open space and facilities,” said SSPR spokesperson Jamie DeBartolomeis in a press release. Since late August, there have been 40 incidents across the district. Scheuerman often sees more graffiti in the fall, he says, as kids settle back into school. Most of it is innocent, just kids goofing off, he says. “Those 14-year-olds can run pretty fast,” said Scheuerman. “Unless you happen to get lucky, it’s almost impossible to catch them.” Littleton Police Officer Jim Hanna agrees. “To be honest, we’ve seen a reduction in gang activity,” he said. “People used to talk about the wannabes, and then it got real.” He’s referring to the shooting death of DaVon Flores in October 2012. Three men have been arrested and are awaiting trial. Hanna worked as a school-resource officer for several years, and said Littleton Public Schools is good about keeping any and all gang activity, including graffiti, away from its buildings. “It almost seems like it’s a reprieve for the kids that they don’t have to deal with it there,” he said. But wander the culverts and trails of the city, and you’ll see plenty of evidence that even if the kids aren’t in gangs, there’s plenty of gathering going on. Most of it is doodling, name-calling or just nonsense, as Scheuerman calls it. A particularly ironic one proclaims, “Jesus loves you.” If that artist also supports “Do unto others,” presumably she’d be glad to pay the $500 Scheuerman said it cost to remove her work. “There’s not a lot for teenagers to do,” said Hanna. “They get chased out of the parks by people who think they might be
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Graffiti continues on Page 18
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