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December 11, 2014 VOLU M E 70 | I S S UE 5 | 5 0 ¢
WestminsterWindow.com
A D A M S C O U N T Y A N D J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O A publication of
Santa makes a stop in Westminster By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com A visit from Santa means more to Sherri Vittum than just seeing a smile on her daughter’s face. It means keeping a family tradition alive. “When I was a little girl, my mom signed me up for visits from Santa,” Vittum said. “And now I’m doing the same for Abbie. It’s just incredible to see her face light up to have Santa come to the house.” Abbie’s visit from Santa on Dec. 2 was made possible by the Westminster Fire Department. For more than 75 years, firefighters and community members have chauffeured Santa to various homes in the city. The program has become so popular that the city uses an online lottery system to select which families get Santa visits. This year more than 1,000 children received a visit from Santa between Dec. 1 and 6. “I love to see the look on kids’ faces when Santa shows up on a fire truck,” said Lieutenant Jayson Sale, program coordi-
nator. “They are surprised, excited and sometimes can barely tell Santa what they want for Christmas.” This was Abbie’s third visit from Santa, and this year she asked for an Xbox and a Disney Infinity video game. She says she feels really special when Santa arrives at her door, like she’s the “only kid in the neighborhood lucky enough to meet Santa.” “I feel excited when I see Santa,” Abbie Vittum, 7, said. “My favorite part about Christmas is getting all the things from Santa and hanging up the lights and all that stuff.” Visits from Santa are just one of the many holiday traditions Vittum hopes to pass down to Abbie. She also hopes to provide the means for Abbie to have a close relationship with her grandma, Joyce Dowe, just like she did with her grandma as she was growing up. “Traditions like making homemade pie are very important to me,” Vittum said. “I just miss my grandma, and I know she would have loved Abbie. So it’s important for me that Abbie knows her grandma how I knew my grandma.”
Abbie Vittum, 7, poses for a photo with Santa. Abbie was one of about 1,000 children in Westminster who received a visit from Santa the first week of December thanks to the Westminster Fire Department. Photo by Ashley Reimers
Second time’s a charm Orion test launch a success By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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Although it was 4 a.m., Morning Star Yazzie and Ariyah Castro, both 11, were full of energy as they waited to see a rocket burst into the atmosphere. “It’s pretty exciting to be here,” Yazzie said. Yazzie, Castro and 13 other members of Girls Inc. took part in the Dec. 4 Orion launch watch party at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Girls Inc., the official watch party sponsor, partners with Lockheed Martin to provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education mentoring programs and inspire girls. The trip to the watch party was part of the Rocket Girls program, which teaches the girls how to build and launch their own rockets. “The girls are already engaged in STEM and learning about rockets,” said Chris Homolac, a Lockheed Martin mentor. “So it was really exciting for them to have the opportunity to experience a real launch and take it to the next level.” Unfortunately the girls and about 500 other people left the museum disappointed after a
Charm continues on Page 23
People wait patiently for the launch of Orion on Dec. 4 at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Due to wind and other issues, Orion ended up staying grounded until a second attempt on the morning of Dec. 5. Photo by Ashley Reimers
A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the Westminster Window 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.
Vanpooling saves commuters cash
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P L EA S E R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
By Ashley Reimers
Brandon Weiss never considered vanpooling for his commute from Parker to Westminster, until he received an email from someone in his office who was looking into the travel option. He admits the thought of trading in his car for a van filled with other people and the idea of adding even more time to his alreadylong commute didn’t seem appealing. But he gave it a try in September. “The vanpool has been fantastic, absolutely wonderful,” he said. “I consider myself a car guy.
I enjoy driving and have a sports car, so I never would have guessed I would enjoy a vanpool as much as I do.” Weiss’ vanpool leaves from Aurora and travels to Scottrade in Westminster. The group uses vanpool provider Way to Go, which provides the vehicle, maintenance and fuel costs in return for a monthly fee from each passenger. Scottrade also kicks in $25 a month to help pay the cost. Weiss estimates he’s saving about $150 a month by vanpooling, which doesn’t include wear and tear on his vehicle. “I was spending over $200 a month on gas and $100 a month on tolls, and now I get to split that with three other people,” he said.
“Anyone thinking about a vanpool should definitely take the time to investigate their options. It’s worth it.” In an effort to increase the number of vanpools traveling the US 36 corridor, 36 Commuting Solutions is offering new vanpoolers a one-time $75 cash incentive through the Curb Your Frustration campaign, funded by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Denver Regional Council of Governments, DRCOG and the Regional Transportation District, RTD. Currently, 43 vanpools travel the US 36 corridor, serving 211 passengers. “Vanpooling makes sense for people who live and work near each other who may not have ac-
cess to convenient transit service or who live far from their work location which likely makes taking transit too time intensive,” said Audrey DeBarros, 36 Commuting Solutions executive director. “Vanpooling is an affordable option to share the commute to work and is a convenient option for Denver metro residents.” The Curb Your Frustration campaign also offers new transit riders a free $45 RTD Regional 10-ride ticket booklet. For more information or to sign up for alternative travel options and incentive programs, visit http://36commutingsolutions.org.