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December 11, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I SS UE 47
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
Mall Santas boast fancy duds Roadways
drive talk on economy
Lone Tree center enhances its holiday experience with small, authentic details By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com When a shopping center dares to call itself a retail resort, it sets a high mark for customer expectations. Especially at Christmastime, Park Meadows aims to meet its own grand standards. “We really have a very traditional experience, but we need to always raise the bar on what the experience is,” Park Meadows’ general manager Pamela Schenck Kelly said. The mall’s focus is on Santa Claus — a topof-the line, always-improving Santa Claus. Park Meadows’ top choice for the starring role — one of five who work there during the holiday season — is a Sterling resident whose real name is Larry Propp. His lengthy resume, naturally white beard and ease with children earn him a ranking as a premier Santa — and a correspondingly handsome, but undisclosed, pay plan. “Larry is extraordinary,” Kelly said. “I felt we needed to make our point of differentiation that our Santa is extraordinary. “Last year, when I toured the metro area and some other shopping centers outside Colorado, I noticed a lot of shopping centers were pulling back, doing less and less to really expand on the holiday experience.” Cherry Creek, meanwhile, went with a Disney’s “Frozen” theme for 2014. Kelly, however, wanted to do more but stay true to her own nostalgic vision of the holidays. She found room for improvement in the red suits he and the other Santas wear during their six weeks of work. This year, the mall spent about $3,500 to step up the appearance of its Santa Claus suits. They hired a Lone Tree seamstress to add small but decidedly festive touches, a process that took most of 2014. “You can’t really buy a Santa suit the way we want them,” Kelly said. “We special-ordered big, brass buttons. Some have `SC’ for Santa Claus. Some have reindeer on them. We custom-ordered belts. We had all the Santa suits re-furred with plusher, better fur. We added gold Bavarian and different brocades around them. “I believe the customer feels the Santas continues on Page 9
Panel discussion also touched on energy, water and making Denver an international city By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Santa arrives at Park Meadows Mall Nov. 8 wearing one of the suits upgraded to make them appear more authentic. Photo by Jane Reuter
The state’s roads and future forms of funding for the Colorado Department of Transportation led the conversation at the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce Economic Forecast Breakfast on Dec. 5. Hunt, executive director of CDOT, said his department faces obstacles in paying for the upkeep of roadways and new projects. “The overwhelming concern is around funding,” he said. Hunt said the impact of TABOR and falling revenue projections from the state’s gasoline tax were cause for concern. Business leaders and government officials from around the Denver metro area gathered at the Denver Marriott South at Park Meadows to discuss the economic future of the region. The event featured a panel discussion and question-and-answer session that touched on a number of topics, including managing Colorado’s business-vital roadways; how to make Denver an international city; oil and natural gas production; and the state’s water future. Pete Casillas, president and publisher of the Denver Business Journal, moderated the event. The panel was made up of Hunt; Harry Horowitz, senior industry manager, Office of Economic Development and International Trade; Sam Knazier, government affairs manager at Whiting Petroleum Corp.; and John Ricks, associate director of the Colorado Tourism Office. According to Hunt, CDOT was hoping to get $1 billion from the General Assembly as personal incomes and the state budget grew, but now will be lucky to get $100 million over Economy continues on Page 10
For community, a year of living with tragedy Arapahoe High shooting leaves search for lessons, answers, healing By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com One year ago, it was unimaginable that two lives would end violently inside the walls of Arapahoe High School. But on Dec. 13, 2013, that’s exactly what happened. Senior Karl Pierson walked into the building with a gun, mortally wounded classmate Claire Davis, then killed himself in the school library. It all took less than two minutes. In all the minutes since, emotions in the community have run the gamut from heartbreak to confusion, anger to hope, fear to Warrior pride. “It’s a beautiful conundrum we face now: each of us being both ‘Warrior Strong’ and needing to lean on each other more than ever,” wrote AHS senior Anna Sutterer in a story for Colorado Community Media in January. The tragic event galvanized the community into action. Dozens of fundraisers have brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars to go toward the library renovation, mentalhealth support, anti-bullying programs and
Clarity Commons, an acre of peace on the AHS campus initiated by Davis family friend Bob Lembke. “Kids hopefully will leave messages for others or for their future selves,” he said. “Every one of them, to some degree, has been changed by this. Some profoundly, some positively, some maybe not. It’s been a consistent drumbeat about how to deal with the worst side of life.” While Littleton Public Schools has officially remained mostly silent, the district has taken actions toward protecting the well-being of its students. It created an advisory committee that will focus on mental health and school security. The board of education allocated $810,000 for an in-house mental-health clinic and $200,000 for additional school resource officers. The library was completely remodeled and open in time for the new school year. “There is no doubt that LPS continues to be a special place with unprecedented support from its communities,” Superintendent Scott Murphy, who in October announced he was retiring effective June 15, wrote in a letter to parents in November.
Looking for lessons
Tom Mauser’s son Daniel was killed in the 1999 massacre at Columbine High AHS continues on Page 17
At Clarity Commons on the campus of Arapahoe High, a large granite pillar is engraved with Claire Davis’ image and inspirational thoughts. Photo by Chris Rotar