1
December 18, 2014 VOLU M E 51 | I SS UE 1 8 | 5 0 ¢
Service Guide
Inside
Northglenn-ThorntonSentinel.com A D A M S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
WORKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
Adams 12 seeks funds to address fast growth By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com
Erin Presley-Froemke paints a toy in the Elf Workshop during Thornton Winterfest on Saturday. The weekend event also featured live music, Santa, ice skating and fireworks. Photo by Ashley Reimers
POSTAL ADDRESS
NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL
Adams County deputies and investigators covered the neighborhood around 21 Cragmore northwest of Interstate 25 and U.S. 36 the afternoon of Wednesday, Dec. 10, after three bodies were found earlier in the day when a woman called 911 to report a disturbance. Photo by Mikkel Kelly
OFFICE: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031
Two arrested for triple homicide
(ISSN 1044-4254) (USPS 854-980)
PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the NorthglennThornton Sentinel is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 8703 Yates DR., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 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
Suspects caught after high speed chase, gunfire By Vic Vela An Adams County Sheriff’s deputy was shot while taking a homicide suspect into custody on Dec. 12, capping a week of violence that included the loss of three lives. The officer, a detective who survived the shooting, was arresting Furmen Lee Leyba in north Denver when he was greeted with gunfire. The deputy, whom the sheriff’s office is not identifying, was transported to an area hospital for the treatment of nonlife threatening injuries and later released, according to the sheriff’s office. Sgt. Aaron Pataluna, a sheriff’s office spokesman, said the
Denver Police Department is handling the case involving the wounded deputy. “As far as I know it is still an active investigation,” Pataluna said. “We will not know who shot our detective or if the charges will be filed in connection with the shooting until Denver PD completes their investigation.” Leyba, 30, was taken into custody at the scene. Law enforcement officers had previously arrested Gabriel Lee Flores, 41, in connection with the Dec. 10 deaths of three men, whom authorities found shot inside a house on Cragmore Street, located in an unincorporated area of Adams County. The two suspects were formally charged with felony murder on Tuesday. Authorities arrived at the
residence shortly receiving a phone call about the incident, at 7:20 a.m. Later in the day, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spotted a black Jeep Wrangler that matched the description of a “be on the lookout” message that had been sent by Adams County authorities. The driver, allegedly Flores, led authorities on a highspeed chase that began in Golden and ended off C-470, near Morrison. Both suspects are being held in jail without bond. Pataluna said no other suspects are being sought at this time. “Any time you have multiple people lose their lives, it’s an unfortunate event,” Pataluna said. “We never want to see anyone get hurt, especially in the line of duty.”
The Five Star school board is contemplating the idea of using certificates of participation, COPs, to fund solutions to school crowding and maintenance issues. The board discussed the option during the Dec. 10 board meeting. After a failed $220 million bond issue in November, which would have funded new schools and make major maintenance improvements, the district is left with finding new ways to handle the imminent growth in the district. Superintendent Chris Gdowski said the schools facing capacity issues are Cotton Creek, Meridian, and Silver Creek elementary schools, Rocky Top, Northglenn, and Westlake middle schools, the International School at Thornton Middle and Legacy High School. In terms of maintenance and repair issues, Gdowski the most pressing concerns include a roof replacement and sewer line replacement at Horizon High School, HVAC replacement district-wide and the replacement of high mileage buses. The cost for the improvements is approximately $9.8 million. If the district does not move forward with COPs, other options for addressing the growth and maintenance needs could include boundary adjustments, programming changes, split sessions, additional mobile classrooms, year-round schooling and more charter schools. COPs are a used to generate capital for new construction and maintenance/ repair purposes. They are different than general obligation bonds because future repayment of the bond is not secured by voter-approved tax revenues and each annual payment of outstanding principal and interest on the COPs is subject to annual appropriation or non-appropriation by the board of education. COPs also require collateral to secure future repayment and the risk of annual non-appropriation creates greater risk to the certificate holders than that encountered by bond holders making interest rates for COPs higher than bonds. Gdowski said the district could refinance current COPs and add new capitol. The district is currently paying on a 2004 COP with an annual payment of $805,000 scheduled for final payment in December 2018. The district is also paying on a second COP, with an annual payment of $2.504 million scheduled for final payment in December 2027. Gdowski said if the district refinanced the existing COPs and added $30 million in new capital, the annual aggregate payment would be $3.77 million. If $50 million was added in new capital, the annual aggregate payment would be $5.022 million. The district could also choose to issue new COPs. “If the district issued new COPs for $12 million the annual payment would be $850,000,” Gdowski said. “If the district issued new COPs for $15 million the annual payment would be $1.06 million through 2034.” Board president Mark Clark, vice president Norman Jennings and director Kathy Plomer expressed support for COPs. Clark said he doesn’t have a problem with COPs, his concern is safety. “We need to be proactive,” he said.
Adams continues on Page 6