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November 21, 2014 VOLU M E 9 4 | I S S UE 39 | 7 5 ¢
EnglewoodHerald.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
WHAT’S INSIDE
Chess champ speaks out: Garry Kasparov talks to local business leaders. See Page 9
A ‘Brilliant’ idea: Cartier show sparkles at Denver Art Museum. See Page 14 The Hoover Family, from left, Kristin, holding Jacob, a 2½-year-old boy with Down syndrome, and Jared share their story Nov. 13 at the SUN-Raiser Breakfast Ask to advocate for Developmental Pathways’ 3+ Initiative. The initiative will help families with children between the ages 3 and 5 with developmental disabilities. Photo by Christy Steadman
Tackling the age-3 gap
Nonprofit launches new initiative for kids with special needs
Title quest: A pair of south metro teams remain in the hunt for a football championship. See Page 21
By Christy Steadman
csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com
POSTAL ADDRESS
ENGLEWOOD HERALD
(ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 176-680) 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 Englewood Herald is published weekly on Friday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT Littleton, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SOCIAL WITH US
P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Not many parents dread their child’s third birthday. But Kristin and Jared Hoover, parents of 2½-year-old Jacob, who has Down syndrome, worry that Jacob’s learning progression will cease when he turns 3. At 3, the family’s Developmental Pathways services — including Jacob’s occupational therapy — will terminate for two years, until he begins school when the state takes over to provide assistance. “Zero to 3 is covered,” Kristin said. “Three to 5, there’s kind of a gap.” And those two years are a critical time for growth and development in a child’s life, said Ja-
son Berney, media and event planner for the SUN Foundation, the fundraising arm of Developmental Pathways. “Jacob has developed so incredibly well,” Kristin said, “but I worry about what happens to him from age 3 to 5. Will my son be able to eat with a fork or write his name by the time he goes to school?” Developmental Pathways is a Colorado nonprofit agency created to serve people, and their families, with developmental disabilities from birth to end of life. It works with six school districts in the Denver-metro area, including districts in Arapahoe and Douglas counties. The nonprofit’s Early Intervention Department provides much needed services and support for families until the age of 3. Recently, in an effort to help families with special needs children between the ages of 3 and 5, Developmental Pathways launched the 3+ Initiative. “The 3+ Iniative was created out of the des-
peration of our families looking for support,” said Melanie Worley, CEO of Developmental Pathways. “We need community support in order for this initiative to be successful.” The new 3+ Iniative was developed within the last six months, and its first public outreach event was a SUN-Raiser Breakfast Ask, which took place Nov. 13 at the Denver Tech Center Marriot. The event will most likely become annual, Berney said. It will cornerstone the nonprofit’s main event, the Pathway Client Achievement Awards, which takes place in the spring every year. Developmental Pathways, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, serves 5,500 people, with an additional 2,200 on a wait-list to receive the nonprofit’s services. The organization can provide services for any developmental disability, Berney said, but most commonly, it helps those with autism, cerebral Gap continues on Page 22
Hearing set for charter Appeal scheduled for group that wants to place school in Englewood By Tom Munds
tmunds @coloradocommunitymedia.com The state board of education has agreed to hear TriCity Academy’s appeal of the Englewood School Board decision to deny permission for the academy to establish a charter school within the Englewood district. The appeal hearing will be held at 1 p.m. Jan. 7 in Room 101 at the state board of education building, 201 E. Colfax in Denver. Following the hearing, the state board will render its decision. TriCity Academy applied to establish a charter school in Englewood, stating that they wanted to open the academy — a free public school of choice — in August 2015. There are currently charter schools in Littleton but none in Sheridan or Englewood. Appeal continues on Page 12
Steve Scott, a pastor at the Mosaic Church, puts together one of the Thanksgiving food baskets the church will distribute to families around the community. The goal is to deliver 200 food baskets on Nov. 23. Photo by Tom Munds
Church offers free Thanksgiving meal Mosaic to give out 200 holiday food baskets, cook up turkey dinner By Tom Munds
tmunds@coloradocommunitymedia.com As Englewood’s Mosaic Church closed in on its deadline for collecting Thanksgiving meals for those in need, Pastor T.J. Harris put out a plea. “We still need more turkeys,” Harris said. “We also need donations of all the other ingredients like stuffing mix, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.” With a goal of putting together 200 meals, he said those who want to help could also drop off gift cards for supermarkets and volunteers from the church
will use the cards to buy turkeys and other meal ingredients. The church collaborates with Englewood Schools on the project, Harris said, adding that faculty at each of the schools in the district nominates needy families who would benefit by receiving food baskets. Deadline for donations was Nov. 21, and volunteers were planning to spend their Friday and Saturday assembling the meal baskets to be delivered on Nov. 23. “I am struggling a little right now because I am caring for my two grandchildren,” said Joanne Thurman, an Englewood resident who expects to receive Thanksgiving continues on Page 22