M
August 13, 2015
E T R O
D
E N V E R
FARMERS’ MARKET
VOLUME 91 | ISSUE 52
Saturdays
SOUTHWEST PLAZA
NEW!
MAY 2 - OCTOBER 31
Saturdays LAKEWOOD
Sundays
JUNE 27 - SEPTEMBER 26
HIGHLANDS RANCH
MAY 3 - NOVEMBER 1
Wednesdays
Thursdays
JUNE 17 - OCTOBER 28
JUNE 18 - OCTOBER 29
LITTLETON
WHEAT RIDGE
303-887-FARM • www.denverfarmersmarket.com 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
Muralfest enlivens Lakewood First-time event adds color to Colfax corridor By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com Amid a sea of brown, gray and black buildings and cement, the vivid greens, blue and yellows of the first murals created as part MURALFEST of Lakewood’s MuralFest ARTISTRY stood out all Seven Colorado the brighter. muralists were selected And as muto participate in ralists put finLakewood’s first annual ishing touches MuralFest by a jury of on their crelocal art experts. The ations — the work required for each soundtracks mural depended on the of dance, artist — some took just salsa and Irish a day, others weeks. At music with the the event, enthusiasts steady swell were able to visit with of hundreds some of the muralists of interested as they put the voices in the finishing touches background — on their creations. visitors chatted Organizers are already with local arts thinking of potential groups and locations for next year vendors at that could benefit from last weekend’s this kind of artistic event meant to attention. inspire community interest Mural continues on Page 6
Sandy Toland works on her mural along Colfax Street. Many came to watch the artists paint their artwork. Photo by Clarke Reader
Jeffco Schools, JCEA agree to contract terms Union members to vote on 10-month deal Aug. 21 By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com After five months of contract negotiations, Jeffco teachers will have an agreement in place when school starts on Aug.17, but one teacher and union negotiator echoed the sentiments of many district educators, calling the 10-month duration “insulting.” The Jefferson County Education Association signed a temporary agreement accepting the 2015-2016 collective bargaining contract at an Aug. 6 negotiation session. Key interests in the negotiations included educating the whole child, having effective teachers in the classrooms, retaining school-level autonomy, and optimizing teacher instructional time and scheduling. Compromises include improving collaborative planning and decisionmaking regarding class sizes, instituting provisions designed to ensure that performance drives pay increases, updating the evaluation process to align with the state’s educator effectiveness requirements, and increasing the number of full-time digital librarians. The contract must still be ratified by the union, which will review and vote on the 45-page document at a membership meeting on Aug. 21 at the Jeffco Fairgrounds. The current contract expires on Aug. 31. “When we started the process a long time ago, we set out to reach an agreement,” said Arik Heim, union negotiator and a Wheat Ridge High School social studies teacher. “I think, for the most part,
the bulk of the agreement is something good and good for education...” “It’s not a perfect agreement by any stretch,” said school district negotiator Jim Branum, “but it is the best possible agreement.” One point of contention is the agreement’s 10-month span, Sept. 1 through June 30, 2016. Many teachers and union members hoped for longer-term security. “We accepted it because we believe in doing what’s best for students and putting the time in to create the best learning conditions for students — that was always our driving force,” said Stephanie Rossi, a JCEA negotiator and teacher at Wheat Ridge High School. “The 10-month agreement — it’s insulting. … We would have preferred to have a three-year agreement to have some stability for our effective educators in Jeffco.” JCEA membership accounts for approximately 3,500 of the district’s 5,400 teachers, or about 65 percent. A simple majority must approve the contract, or it will go back to the bargaining table. If members ratify the agreement, the contract will be presented to the Jeffco Schools Board of Education at its Aug. 27 meeting for final approval. “This innovative contract is a result of nearly 150 hours at the negotiating table by the negotiating team as well as a commitment to collaboration by the JCEA and Jeffco School Board,” said Jeffco Schools Superintendent Dan McMinimee in a press release following the Aug. 6 meeting. “While both sides compromised on contract components, we believe this agreement is good for Jeffco students and Jeffco teachers. I am looking forward to its implementation during this next school year.”
Applewood residents fight rezoning in court Mineral law cited in effort to stop redevelopment By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com Neighbors of Applewood Golf Course have asked the state district court to stop a proposed housing development, citing a decades-old law that revolves around the extraction of mineral deposits. The Minerals Preservation Act bars rezoning land for any use that would prevent removal of commercial mineral deposits. The Save the Applewood Coalition says that’s exactly what lies beneath the golf course and, therefore, any housing development would impede extraction of those minerals if desired. “All along the creek and along 32nd used to be one of the richest gravel deposits in the state,” said Kathy Lower, a neighbor and former lawyer who was investigating documents related to the golf course as far back to 1973 when she came across the minerals statute. “The Applewood area is the only piece of land around that has not had its gravel excavated.” The Save Applewood Coalition has filed a complaint for declaratory judgment with the Colorado District Court for Jefferson County against the Board of County Commissioners, Coors Brewing Co. and Applewood West Holdings in hopes the court will stop the proposed rezoning of Applewood Golf Course. The complaint lists Coors as the property owner and Applewood West as the developer. The golf course, at 14001 West 32nd
Ave., has been at the center of controversy since February when the plans to redevelop it into housing were announced. Rezoning documents were filed at the end of June for a low-density, adult residential neighborhood called the Applewood Active Adult Community. It proposes 400 single-family detached homes with open space, trails and landscaped buffers, as well as a 30-acre park. The coalition wants the court to declare the Minerals Preservation Act exists and applies to the golf course property. It also has asked the court to stop any further proceedings in the rezoning case until the court issues a decision on the mineral statute. “We feel so strongly that the act applies that we filed for declaratory judgment because it seems crazy to go through the long zoning process when we believe it shouldn’t happen,” Lower said. But the rezoning process is moving ahead, said Scott Carlson of the development company Carlson Associates, which is part of the redevelopment team. He said he has met with Carlson’s and Coors’ legal teams, but they have not yet settled on a defense strategy. The company also has met with county planning staff to address a few unrelated concerns. “It was a productive meeting,” Carlson said. “In about three to four weeks we want to be ready for resubmittal, with ways to mitigate their concerns.” Any property being rezoned in Jefferson County, must go through a public hearing process before the county planning commission, and the county board of commissioners.