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January 1, 2015 VO LUME 1 26 | IS S UE 23 | 7 5 ¢
LittletonIndependent.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
Cool cats: A new calendar will get 2015 off to a purr-fect start for those who are smitten with kittens. See Page 2
‘The Art of Color’: The works of four painters will soon fill a Littleton gallery. See Page 13
Bring it on: Goalies can have as big an impact on a game as any position in sports. See Page 18 Amberly Kroha demonstrates one of the kaleidoscopes her STEM class made, as several classmates look on. The students made five extras to donate to Children’s Hospital. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Of kaleidoscopes and kindness POSTAL ADDRESS
Newton kids learn STEM concepts with a dose of generosity By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com
LITTLETON INDEPENDENT (ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 315-780) OFFICE: 7315 S. Revere Pkwy., Ste. 603 Centennial, CO 80112 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.
Joshua Price knows what it’s like to be sick, scared and just a kid. The sixth-grader has already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. “I cried, because it was a big shock,” he said. “I started thinking in depth about everything
that might happen to me.” The diagnosis came during a visit to Children’s Hospital, one he did not particularly enjoy. “Most of the kids are there for a long time,” he said. “I was there for 10 hours, and I was bored.” So when Marc Finer, Price’s STEM teacher at Newton Middle School, came up with the idea to make kaleidoscopes and donate some to Children’s, Joshua thought that was a great idea. So did Joyce Butler, who is on the hospital’s board of directors. “This is a great way to pay back the community and share back your experience and your
knowledge with a whole bunch of other kids,” she told Finer’s class on Dec. 18, during her visit to accept the kaleidoscopes. The students were excited to explain how they made them, and to show off the laser engraver they used to write “Manufactured and donated to Children’s Hospital Colorado by Newton Middle School’s STEM classes” on the oak and cherrywood base, along with the date and school logo. They carefully placed three mirrors in a plastic tube to form a triangle, then filled it with mineral oil and colored sand. When
South metro stories of the year A look at the top 10 of 2014
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Staff report In the south metro Denver area, this past year was one of hope and change, inspiration and pain, growth and remembrance. The following are the top 10 stories of 2014, in no particular order, as chosen by Colorado Community Media’s editorial staff.
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aimed at a light source, the effect is a swirling cacophony of sparkly beauty. “The children will be really fascinated with this,” said Butler. “And what a wonderful time to receive them. A lot of kids have to be there for the holidays.” The idea came in part because Finer’s 14-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, has been volunteering at Children’s for nearly a year. “She loves it,” he said. “She’s gained perspective on what the children are going through. Not everyone is perfect. Everyone goes through their own struggles.”
Jeff Pearce offers cookies to the more than 500 people waiting in line for the opening of the Park Meadows’ L.L. Bean store Nov. 21. File photo
In November, Colorado’s unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent, the lowest since early 2008, before the recession slammed the country. The south metro area did its part in job creation in 2014, as businesses continued to find the region an attractive place to set up shop or expand. Some of the major developments of the year: • Sterling Ranch won another legal battle in
February and forged ahead in northwest Douglas County. At build-out, the development is expected to include more than 12,000 homes and spawn a number of businesses around it. • Charles Schwab opened its new Lone Tree campus in early October. As many as 4,000 employees are ultimately expected to work inside the office buildings. • Also in October, plans were unveiled for Year end continues on Page 4