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November 18, 2021
ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
Northglenn-ThorntonSentinel.com
VOLUME 58 | ISSUE 15
Building bridges at City Hall
SPECIAL REPORT
New and outgoing Westminster councilors call for cooperation BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton.
PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT
They came seeking confidence; they left traumatized Sexual abuses were kept quiet for decades at the world-renowned Colorado Center for the Blind, former students and employees allege BY DAVID GILBERT DAVID@COLORADOSUN.COM
More than a dozen previously unreported instances of sexual misconduct and abuse spanning at least two decades at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton have surfaced during an internal
investigation of the school’s parent organization. Among the offenses were the alleged sexual assault of a 13-yearold girl by a summer youth camp counselor in 2001, of which police have no record; a teacher accused SEE BLIND, P6
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
ABOUT THIS SPECIAL REPORT This project is a collaboration of Colorado Community Media, publisher of this newspaper, and The Colorado Sun. The Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
As the new group of Westminster City Councilors prepared to be sworn in Nov. 8, the theme among speakers became finding common ground on the City Council dais. Nov. 8 marked the last meeting for outgoing Westminster’s Mayor Anita Seitz and former city councilors Kathryn Skulley and Jon Voelz. Bryan Head from Westminster’s Chamber of Commerce thanked the council for their service and shared gratitude for the work he and the former mayor complimented each other. “We belong to different political parties and often see issues from widely different angles, and as a few of her colleagues on council can probably attest, it can be exasperating being Anita’s conservative friend. She doesn’t take her talking points from anybody; her positions are principled, carefully researched and well thought out, and respectfully articulated, even when she is wrong,” he said. “It’s been an absolute honor finding common ground.” Head also detailed how Seitz was one of the first supporters of the Chamber and the projects they completed together. One such SEE CITY HALL, P2
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Colorado residents discuss what makes them thankful.
P16