Sentinel Northglen 7.18.13
Northglenn -Thornton
July 18, 2013
50 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ournorthglennnews.com, ourthorntonnews.com
Adams County, Colorado • Volume 49, Issue 49
Park-n-Ride closes at Washington, 104th lot City takes another step toward developing former Target site By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com
There are about 90 children featured in the Colorado Heart Gallery on display at the Adams County Government Center through July 30. Biography pamphlets are included under theirp hotographs. Photo by Tammy Kranz
Center hosts Colorado Heart Gallery Exhibit features children looking for adopted parents By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com Raeonna, 10, likes arts and crafts, animals, singing and dancing. Her favorite colors are purple and pink. Misti, 11, enjoys singing, especially Taylor Swift songs, and riding her bike. Dwayne “JR”, 16, loves music, sports and cars. He is said to be social and have a great sense of humor. Raeonna, Misti, Dwayne and dozens of other youth in Colorado are featured in the Colorado Heart Gallery, and are looking for adoptive families.
The gallery is on display in the main lobby at the Adams County Government Center, 4430 S. Adams County Parkway, through July 30. The gallery, created by Adopt Colorado Kids, is a traveling photography exhibit that features portraits of those children in the state’s foster care system who have waited the longest for an adoptive family. “Adams County has been involved with the Colorado Heart Gallery since it began in Colorado in 2005,” said Ruth Kedzior, assistant county administrator. “(The government center) was chosen because the atrium has plenty of space and a beautiful backdrop for the gallery as well as good exposure because a number of people come to the center for business on a daily basis.”
The gallery features five large, vertical, three-sided panels. More than 90 children are featured on the panels, each with a small pamphlet describing the child. More than 580 children have been featured in the Colorado Heart Gallery since it started, with a success rate of 48 percent of children and youth being placed in adoptive homes, according to the Adopt Colorado Kids. More than 50 percent of children featured in the Colorado Heart Gallery in 2011 were placed in adoptive homes, the organization said. More than 60 professional photographers have donated their time for this project. The virtual Colorado Heart Gallery can be seen at HeartGalleryCO.org.
The city of Thornton has taken another step toward securing a developer, or developers, for the former Target site at 104th Avenue and Washington Street. The city on July 1 closed down the Regional Transportation District’s Park-n-Ride that has been at that location since 1995. Jeff Coder, Thornton’s deputy city manager of city development, said shutting down the lot came down to two issues: safety of the commuters and making it more attractive to developers. Although the Target building has been demolished, Coder said, crews are still removing utility and water lines on that property. “We’ve had challenges with people cutting through the lot and ensuring everybody’s safety,” he said. “Also, the lot isn’t adequately lit any more. Plus, we need to demonstrate to folks that the property is completely ready for development.” While no developers have been secured for the site, Coder said, “It looks like we have good interest in the property and hope to get it developed soon.” Although RTD had a lease agreement with the former owner of the property, it never had one with the city, Coder said. According to Julia Yugel, public relations specialist with RTD, 25-30 commuters on average used the lot. She said riders can use the park-in-rides at Wagon Road or the 104th and Revere locations. “The routes will still pick up and drop off passengers at this spot (at 104th and Washington), there just won’t be parking there,” she said. The routes that stop at the location are AA, 40X and 12. Ride continues on Page 18
Council rejects ban on type of pets sold in city Ordinance designed to stop the support of puppy mills By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com Northglenn City Council rejected an ordinance that would have outlawed selling dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores unless those animals came from an animal shelter or rescue organization. The measure failed by a 4-5 vote on first reading during council’s July 8 regular meeting. “The purpose of this … ordinance is to promote animal health, safety and welfare standards; to promote community awarePOSTAL ADDRESS
ness of animal health, safety and welfare standards; and to foster a more humane environment in the city of Northglenn,” said acting City Manager David Willett before council began its discussion. The ordinance would have grandfathered in the pet stores already operating in the city and would have outlawed individuals from selling or giving away pets in public places. Some council members said they were voting in favor of the ordinance to move it forward to a public hearing. However, because the ordinance failed on first reading, there will be no public hearing. Kim Snetzinger, Ward IV, voted in favor of the ordinance but listed several concerns.
“We are allowing medical marijuana shops to be in the city,” she said. “We’re going to be allowing recreational marijuana shops in the city. We allow smoking in the city. Those are all things I would consider more of a harm to a person, and now we’re not going to allow people to make their own decision on what kind of business they want to support or where they buy their animals or what kind of animal they can buy.” Carol Dodge, Ward I; Joe Brown and Leslie Carrico, Ward II; Marci Whitman, Ward III; and Gene Wieneke, Ward IV, voted against the ordinance. Mayor Joyce Downing; Wayne Dodge, Ward I; Mayor Pro Tem Susan Clyne, Ward III; and Snetzinger voted in favor of the ordinance.
NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL
(ISSN 1044-4254) (USPS 854-980)
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As of July 1, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Park-n-Ride at 104th Avenue and Washington Street in Thornton closed permanently. RTD encourages riders to use the closest Park-n-Ride, seven miles east, at 104th and Revere. Photo by Tammy Kranz
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