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February 27, 2015 VOLU M E 1 4 | I SS UE 1 4
CentennialCitizen.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Students celebrate freedom Young people honored by Sertoma Club for thoughtful essays By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Cherry Creek’s Matt Finesilver works to put Jason Romero of Pomona on his back during the state championship 132-pound match on Feb. 21. Finesilver won the match, 11-2. Photos by Tom Munds
Creek junior captures crown Matt Finesilver wins championship, while brother Josh finishes third; Bruins seventh as a team By Jim Benton
jbenton @coloradocommunitymedia.com Cherry Creek junior Matt Finesilver goes into every wrestling match with the belief that he can dominate. He did just that Feb. 21 at the Pepsi Center when he captured the Class 5A, 132-pound state championship with an 11-2 decision over Pomona’s Jason Romero. “Whenever I go into a match, I always believe in my heart that I’m the best guy out there and I’m going to dominate,” said Finesilver. “If you don’t believe like that, it is hard to win. My freshman year at state I went two and out, and that was a heartbreaker. I just took my lumps and got better and dished it out.” His win over Romero capped a Wrestling continues on Page 9
John Daniel of Arapahoe battles Jess Hankin of Coronado during the 132-pound match for third at the state wrestling championships. Hankin won the match, 6-2.
Who better to talk about love of freedom and country than “Herbie the Love Judge”? Former Denver County Court Judge Herbert Galchinsky is known for being a prolific wedding officiant, presiding over as many as 70 a year and more than 2,000 throughout his career. But on Feb. 17, he took some time out to preside over the 2015 Sertoma Freedom Week Awards Luncheon at Pinehurst Country Club, praising the eighth-grade essay winners for expressing themselves so articulately. “Sometimes we take freedom for granted,” he told them. “Don’t take it for granted. Work hard to preserve it. Freedom, to me, means choosing your own destiny, and these young people are off to a good start.” Twenty-seven middle-schoolers from throughout central Colorado and the Front Range, sponsored by the region’s 13 Sertoma Clubs, were invited to attend the “winners circle” luncheon. They earned plaques and $100 each for their freedomthemed essays. “The purpose of Freedom Week is to involve our community in a celebration of liberty, the central concept of our nation’s historical beginning,” reads the event program. “We strive to promote an awareness of how our lives have been enriched by the premise of freedom.” Jayla Barnes from Thunder Ridge Middle School in Aurora and Karmelle Dindinger from Euclid Middle School in Littleton netted an extra $200 each for claiming the top honors. “Freedom is an amazing privilege,” wrote Barnes. “It means everything from voting to standing up to what I firmly believe in. … I can practice my religious beliefs without worrying about being brutally tortured.” Barnes said she would likely use her winnings to pay for ballet classes, another passion. “I’m just really proud of all the hard work Sertoma continues on Page 9
Local trailblazer poised for new path South Suburban’s Lorenz retiring after decades of dedication to parks and rec By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Dave Lorenz, executive director of South Suburban Parks and Recreation, grew up in the rough-and-tumble world of north Denver, in the mainly Polish community of Globeville. Jeans, white T-shirts and tennis shoes were standard attire, and he and his friends knew how to have a good time. But he was smart and a good student, which led him on a path to the University of Colorado’s engineering program in 1961. “I didn’t fit in there,” he said. “Everybody had slide rules, and the buildings didn’t excite me.” Same story when he changed his major to business. But when a career counselor
suggested parks and recreation, he knew he’d found his calling and packed his bags for the University of Utah. “It was a hard decision, but one of my best decisions,” he said. “I left all my old friends behind. I was still dating girls from high school and running with the same crowd. It was good for me to get away.” After college, he volunteered for the Army at the height of the Vietnam War. With his degree in recreation, he hoped to be assigned to special services to help build morale among the troops. “But they said, `Son, there’s a war in Vietnam, and you’re going to Vietnam to the infantry just like everybody else,’ ” he remembers. It didn’t work out that way. Somebody made a mistake, he said, and he ended up in France, then Germany, running USO shows and service clubs and other activities. “We had a great time,” he said. Lorenz continues on Page 9
Dave Lorenz is retiring after 48 years with South Suburban Parks and Recreation District. Courtesy photo