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March 12, 2015 VO LUME 1 26 | IS S UE 3 3 | 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
Postelection coverage: Both urban-renewal measures pass in special election. See Page 4
A creature feature: All manner of mythic monsters invade museum in Denver. See Page 11
More than a hundred volunteers who lined the road for the funeral of Army Sgt. Floyd Jackson march back to the funeral home. Many of the volunteers, which included civilians, Boy Scouts and military personnel, carried American flags that were dipped as the procession passed by. Jackson died in a Korean prisoner of war camp in 1951. Photo by Tom Munds
Decades later, soldier laid to rest Floyd Jackson died in 1951, DNA aids identification of remains
Time to play ball: High school baseball season is back, but the weather sometimes makes it tough to practice and play. See Page 17
By Tom Munds
tmunds @coloradocommunitymedia.com
POSTAL ADDRESS
Army Sgt. Floyd Jackson died more than 60 years ago. But loved ones - his mother, brothers and sisters, family friends — never had the chance for final closure or to honor a fallen hero with a full military funeral. Jackson paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country when he died in a Korean prisoner of war camp half the world away. Those same loved ones were plagued first with nagging, then lingering, then permanent unanswered questions. Until recently, that is. Because the right people were in the right place at the right time,
A picture of 19-year-old Littleton resident Floyd Jackson after he joined the Army in 1950. Courtesy photo Jackson was laid to rest next to his mother on March 7 in Olinger Chapel Hill Cemetery in Centennial — six decades after he died in the POW Jackson continues on Page 10
Joanne Mueller, niece of Army Sgt. Floyd Jackson, received the folded flag that covered his coffin from Army 1st Lt. Joseph Zarella during the March 7 funeral ceremonies at Olinger Chapel Hill Cemetary. Jackson was captured in 1950 and died in a Korean prisoner of war camp in February 1951. The Army recently used family DNA to identify his remains. Photo by Tom Munds
Littleton to stop use of red-light cameras LITTLETON INDEPENDENT
Police chief says they’ve served their purpose
(ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 315-780) OFFICE: 7315 S. Revere Pkwy., Ste. 603 Centennial, CO 80112
By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@colorado communitymedia.com
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. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Littleton Independent 7315 S. Revere Pkwy., Ste. 603 Centennial, CO 80112 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
Littleton High School students wait to cross Broadway underneath a red-light camera on March 6. The cameras will come down after July 31. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Say bye-bye to red-light cameras in Littleton. On March 3, Littleton City Council voted unanimously not to renew its contract with American Traffic Solutions, the company that operates the camera system. The contract ends July 31, so that’s when the eyes in the sky will begin to come down from their perches. “We think it’s been successful in a way, and not as successful as we’d hoped in a way,” Littleton Police Chief Doug Stephens told council. Stephens At the time council implemented the program in 2009, increasing safety was the stated priority. But data shows that injury accidents only decreased at three of the intersections — with the biggest drop at
Broadway and Littleton Boulevard — but actually increased at the other two. Non-injury accidents increased at all of them except Broadway and Littleton Boulevard. Violations in general have decreased from a high of 16,000 in 2010 to 9,000 last year. That means a couple of things, said Stephens. First, the lights did what they were supposed to do and changed driving behavior. Second, the cost to the city per violation was getting increasingly more difficult to justify, as fewer tickets meant less money to pay ATS. ATS charges the city per passing vehicle, not per violation, averaging about $650,000 a year. Up until now it’s generated some revenue for the city, but Stephens said it would likely have been a deficit this year. In addition to the actual cost is staff time, because Littleton’s policy was for a sworn officer to review every photo. That meant 7,381 hours over the six-year life of the program — hours those officers weren’t on the street in a department that already struggles to stay fully staffed. Red lights continues on Page 10