April 28, 2016 VOLUME 92 | ISSUE 37
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Special Section Inside LakewoodSentinel.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Jeffco ethics celebrated from tile to tail Local business and regional animal shelter among those recognized By Christy Steadman csteadman@colorado communitymedia.com When the name of his business was announced, president Steve Barrow urged his employees from Cody Flooring & Tile to stand up and savor the applause. “What a humbling experience,” said Barrow of the award received for conducting business in an ethical manner. The Rotary Club of Golden and the Golden and West Cham-
bers of Commerce honored Cody Flooring & Tile and the nonprofit Foothills Animal Shelter with its prestigious Ethics in Business awards at its April 22 luncheon. The 11th annual awards were held at Sheraton Denver West Hotel in Lakewood. There’s always a lot of press about the negative news, said Brian Richy, vice president of the Rotary Club of Golden. “We don’t hear about the good things.” Promoting the businesses and organizations that “do the right thing day in and day out” is a way to be a reminder to all of us, he said.
Jennifer Strickland, Foothills Animal Shelter’s executive director, smiles as she receives the Rotary Club of Golden’s Ethics in Business Award as the winner of the nonprofit organization, on April 22. On the left was Colorado School of Mines representative Tom Boyd. On the right: Paul Veldman, president of the Rotary Club of Golden. Photo by Christy Steadman
Ethics continues on Page 20
EARTH DAY GREENS UP COMMUNITY
City finds new ways to spread message By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Students and volunteers got to work this year for Earth Day. Learn more on PAGE 5. Photo by Clarke Reader
For longtime Lakewood resident Kelly McCready, embracing variety is the key to communication with his city. “I can only encourage them to use every possible way to reach people,” he said. “You can’t communicate with the community too much.” The city is listening. Lakewood’s leadership and city departments are looking for new ways to use familiar mediums to inform, educate and solicit input from its residents. “Every department is doing different things,” said Allison Scheck, marketing and community relations in the city’s Administration and Community Relations department. “Our new council is really interested in getting a lot of resident feedback, and City continues on Page 6
Juvenile sentencing bill causes contention District attorneys oppose bills sponsored by local legislators By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com For Sen. Cheri Jahn, the motivation is clear: To bring Colorado in line with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that makes it unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to life without parole and to allow for judicial discretion relating to circumstances behind the behavior of juveniles accused of murder. But for First Judicial District Attorney Pete Weir and his fellow district attorneys, the two Senate bills, SB 180 and SB 181,
proposed by Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge, and Sen. Laura Woods, R-Arvada, undercut the power of the courts and give short shrift to victims. “It’s frustrating when legislation is being proposed that dismisses what victims go through,” Weir said. “It’s incumbent upon district attorneys to speak up and say this is what our communities want.” SB 180 concerns a step-down program for juveniles who have been prosecuted as adults that would teach them life skills and reintegration into the community. The bill would allow some offenders to go through this program and then be considered for early parole. SB 181 would stop life without parole sentences for juveniles. Only inmates who
were convicted of felony murder or who were complicit in the murder may qualify for a senWoods Jahn tence of 30 to 50 years. George Brauchler, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, calls SB 181 “extreme” and “insulting” to the families of victims. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed both bills on a 3-2 vote on April 20. The package of the two bills goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee due to
a fiscal note on SB 180. “Because of strict state laws, judges had no discretion to consider things like circumstances when they were handing down these sentences,” Jahn said. “It’s not a matter of if these are awful crimes or not — they are — or if these individuals should be punished — they should. It’s about when does punishment go too far?” Amendments were added to SB 181 saying judges must consider the inmate’s age at the time of the crime, and whether or not he or she can be rehabilitated. The impact of crime on the victims also must be considered. Another amendment to SB Bill continues on Page 20