June 25, 2015 VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 23
2015 WINNERS
INSIDE! 2015 WINNERS GUIDE LoneTreeVoice.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Plans for leaf bridge move forward
One council member outvoted in quest to gather more input By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com A pedestrian bridge with an 85-foottall metal leaf sculpture likely will become part of Lone Tree’s skyline by late 2016. Though City Council member Kim Monson wanted to delay approval of the project another month, the rest of the council voted June 16 to approve the $6.8 million span over Lincoln Avenue. The bridge would extend over Lin-
coln at Heritage Hills Circle, west of the Charles Schwab corporate campus and Bank of the West. It would connect to the Willow Creek Trail, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to get from city amenities like RidgeGate’s Lone Tree Arts Center and the under-construction Lone Tree Library to north-side gathering places like the Cook Creek Pool and Entertainment District. “This will really create a north-south trail through the entire city,” said John Cotten, public works director. “We (already) have east-west trials. It gives us sort of the grid system we like to create in streets.” Bridge continues on Page 9
Fentress Architects, designer of the Denver International Airport terminal, created the leaf pedestrian bridge concept for Lincoln Avenue approved by the Lone Tree City Council June 16. This photo illustration shows what the bridge would look like from the perspective of a driver heading west. Courtesy art
Officials explore park plan Park Meadows Drive property has limitations By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com
The new citizens recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem. Some glanced at a placard with the lyrics, excited to participate in the song. Here’s a glimpse into the stories of three people who became citizens on June 8: • Madhu Kumar, a wife and mother of two, said she feels like her naturalization has opened a lot of doors. Originally from India, she married her husband, Sunil, who was studying for his doctorate in ecology at Colorado State University. The two had son Ayush, 8, and daughter Anika, 5, in the U.S. so they’d be American citizens. Kumar said she’s excited to be able to hold a government job, since it was impossible on a green card. “We’ve struggled a lot in the last 11 years, but now I’m really happy I know my children get to grow up here,” she said. “My husband and I both had a very different childhood in India and here, our children are going to have real access to learning every day. I’m hoping for a better future and to give back to the U.S. and country we come from. My heart is in both places.” • Camila Mitchell, who’s originally from Brazil and now resides in Denver with her husband and infant daughter, said it’s taken her since 2009 to formally become an American citizen. Everything had a time frame. Mitchell came to the U.S. on a visa while engaged to her husband, Charlie, and then obtained a green card for two years. But it wasn’t easy. So many things got messed up in the process, she said. “I know things are going to be much
A preliminary design for a new Lone Tree park shows a quarter-mile trail, open playing field and a potential site for a playground or picnic shelters. The city of Lone Tree will host a public meeting on the proposed park — which would be located at the intersection of Kimmer and Park Meadows drives — at 7 p.m. June 25 at the Lone Tree Civic Center, 8527 Lone Tree Parkway. The idea to spruce up the 7-acre, South Suburban Parks and Recreation-owned area near the Entertainment District is tied to the city’s long-held plans to redesign the commercial area. But South Suburban planner Chad Giron said the site cannot accommodate a wide range of uses because it is too small and is restricted by a detention pond. The amphitheater sketched there in a 2013 vision book of the Entertainment District area isn’t possible, he said. The detention pond could be used as a “non-programmable turf field,” Giron said. That means it would be maintained as an informal play area, but not used for scheduled games or league play. An existing trail that extends from Park Meadows Drive along the detention pond would be upgraded, and Giron suggested building a loop trail around the pond. Though the site has room for a small playground along Park Meadows Drive, Giron said it’s not ideal because of heavy traffic. The city also plans to extend Kimmer Drive into the Entertainment District, making the now three-way intersection a four-way intersection with a traffic signal. That also will increase traffic in the area. Instead of a playground, Giron suggested creating a gathering place with a shelter and benches. Council members had mixed reactions to the preliminary plan. “It is a little disappointing,” said Susan Squyer. “We see that big open space and think we want to use it all.” Mayor Jim Gunning said a simple park is still a major improvement. “Aesthetically, it just creates a much better look for Park Meadows Drive,” he said. “For me, it’s just kind of a big eyesore (now). We have two more apartment complexes coming in on that street, and quite a bit of office
Citizens continues on Page 9
Park continues on Page 9
Dozens of people sing the national anthem for the first time as American citizens at a naturalization ceremony in Centennial on June 8. Bridgette Yeboah-Spaun, third from left, is originally from Ghana. Yeboah-Spaun said now that she’s a nurse in the U.S., her plans are to build a clinic back in her home village. Photos by Taryn Walker
New citizens embrace opportunity Naturalization rites held in Centennial By Taryn Walker
twalker@colorado communitymedia.com Bridgette Yeboah-Spaun had no idea she would fall in love with someone in the United States when she came here from Ghana to study nursing, she said. Four years later, she was elated to take pictures with her husband, Ben, shortly after becoming a U.S. citizen. She was among 50 immigrants to be naturalized by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Centennial on June 8. Yeboah-Spaun recently earned her master’s degree in nursing from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. Now that she’s working as a nurse practitioner, she has goals of going back to Ghana and building a free clinic for her home village. “This has all been a long journey, but becoming an American citizen is just an extra bonus for me,” she said. “It’s really exciting and unbelievable at the same time. Now I have the opportunity to give and reach out more with my work.” Twenty-nine countries were represented at the ceremony, and for many it was on to the next step — registering to vote and applying for a U.S. passport. The room was filled with the new citizens and their friends and family, plus U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora), members of the Columbine Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and television crews, among others.
Newly naturalized American citizen Madhu Kumar smiles as she poses for a photo with her husband Sunil and children Anika, left, and Ayush The ceremony was chosen for June, as it marks Immigration Heritage Month. It all started with a video titled “Faces of America” and a welcoming from Coffman, who represents the 6th Congressional District. “We welcome you to this country. God bless your families and the state of Colorado,” he said. Next, it was time for the immigrants to read the oath of allegiance with their right hands raised. A couple minutes later, it was done. The months — and, for some, years — of hard work to obtain their citizenship were over.