Northglenn Thornton Sentinel 022422

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Week of February 24, 2022

ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

Northglenn-ThorntonSentinel.com

VOLUME 58 | ISSUE 29

New park adjacent to Northglenn Justice Center to be named after Odell Barry BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Northglenn City Council voted unanimously on Feb 14 to name the park planned to be adjacent to the city’s new Justice Center after former Mayor Odell Barry. Councilors may change the name to Odell Barry Memorial Park in the future dependent on feedback from his family. The move comes after Northglenn’s Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Equity (DISE) board proposed naming the park after Barry to honor his legacy. Deja Moore, an at-large member of the board, said that white, cis-gender men and women are usually the folks honored by the city. “We do think it is really crucial as a city if we are moving in an effort towards DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) that we honor more folks of color that have made great contributions to Northglenn,” she said at the planning session meeting on Feb. 7. Barry was Northglenn’s first black mayor and died this year on Jan. 2. Moore listed many of Barry’s accomplishments: Denver Broncos player, Director of Northglenn Recreation District, Ward 2 council member for eight years, opened the state’s largest Dairy Queen, a partner at a real estate firm, tied for the World Record for the 220-yard dash and many more. Moore said naming a park after Barry is not a new idea. In March 2021, the DISE board talked with Barry’s family about pursuing a park naming request with the City. They formalized that request with a letter in May 2021 and the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved the request. in September 2021. Justice Center West Park is not

The artist rendering of the proposed park to be named after former mayor Odell Barry.

the official name, just a reference point for the park, which is adjacent to the Northglenn Justice Center. Northglenn bought the property in 2016 for $420,000 from Damon and Odell Barry. The appraised value was between $385,000 to $410,00. According to Amanda Peterson, Northglenn’s Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture, the city was able to pay more than the appraised value because of an Open Space Grant from Adams County, which funded 60 percent of the purchase. The park remains to be developed but will include parking, a teen adventure zone and other amenities. Peterson expects the construction cost of the project to be around $5 million and has so far secured $1.5 million from an Adams County Open Space grant. Councilor Jay Jaramillo mentioned that organizations like the

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 18

COURTESY OF JUSTIN PERDUE

Denver Broncos that were helped shaped by Barry may want to pitch in. “I believe this honor is long overdue,” said councilor Katherine Goff. When the proposal was first brought forth, Mayor Meredith Leighty said that she felt it was only because of the color of his skin. The second proposal was more thorough and contained more information that showed Barry’s many contributions to the city. “I think one of the things that is sort of missing from a list of his accomplishments was the impact he had on people,” she said. She noted how he impacted and shaped people who are now leading the state. The Process Councilor Julie Duran Mullica SEE PARK, P3

Odell Barry’s City of Northglenn portrait from the first year of his term as mayor COURTESY CITY OF NORTHGLENN in 1980.

VAN LIFE

With four wheels and a view, let it roll P14


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