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April 24, 2014
50 cents Adams County, Colorado | Volume 50, Issue 36 A publication of
northglenn-thorntonsentinel.com
City halts marijuana business licensing Staff to review policy on where businesses can operate By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
family of Mr. Maldonado,” Thornton Police Chief Randy Nelson said. “The independent review by the District Attorney’s office concluded that the officers involved in the use of deadly force were justified. We hope the District Attorney’s findings help
The city of Northglenn has halted licensing any more medical and retail marijuana establishments for a year. City Council approved an emergency ordinance by a 8-1 vote during its April 14 regular meeting that imposes a moratorium on the acceptance of applications for marijuana businesses until March 24, 2015. Council adopted medical marijuana business regulations in 2009 and expanded that to include retail marijuana in 2013. Council intended to limit where these locations could be located by setting distance limitations where marijuana could be sold and cultivated. According to the ordinance language, council felt compelled to adopt the moratorium to review its regulations because of the amount of applications it was receiving. “The city has received more applications and more inquiries regarding medical marijuana and retail marijuana businesses than the city council anticipated, and desires to revisit its regulatory scheme to better evaluate the locations in the city where such businesses may be located, and to consider whether additional criteria are necessary to evaluate the number, type
Death continues on Page 17
City continues on Page 16
Family and friends leave messages of love for Wesley Maldonado next to the parking lot where he was killed Jan. 3 in Thornton. Police shot Maldonado in self-defense after he raised a weapon at them after leading them on a high-speed chase. Photo by Tammy Kranz
DA: Police justified in shooting death of man Investigation clears officers of criminal wrong-doing By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@coloradocommunitymedia.com Criminal charges will not be filed against the three police officers who shot
and killed a man after a high-speed chase in Thornton and Denver in early January. Adams County District Attorney Dave Young sent a letter to the Thornton and Denver police chiefs April 11 regarding the findings of the investigation into the shooting death of Wesley Maldonado, 35. “The loss of life is always tragic and we extend our condolences to the friends and
Book program promotes healthy choices By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com Third-grade students in three Adams 12 schools are part of a new program dedicated to promoting the prevention of drug, tobacco and alcohol use and abuse. Similar to the DARE program, the Homer and Me book program is an effort among the Northglenn Police Department, Adams County Youth Initiative and Tyke Publishing of Colorado that provides students with personalized books and workshops with local police officers teaching students to make wise choices regarding their health. The pilot program is being implemented into Malley Drive, Stuckey and Westview El-
ementary Schools this spring and is no cost to the district. The book is called “Homer and Me. A Day at the Baseball Park” and focuses on hitting a homerun against drugs. “Each child receives a book with his or her name in it, which makes them part of the story,” said Kelly Kinch with Tyke Publishing. “The teachers read the story to the students before the workshops so they have an idea what to expect. This book program really is just a way to promote positive choices regarding healthy eating exercise, alcohol, tobacco and drugs use prevention.” Malley Drive was the first school to host a workshop. On April 14, Northglenn police officers spoke to students about the dangers of tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and prescription drug use.
POSTAL ADDRESS
During the workshop, Homer, the star of the book, made an appearance and students also had the opportunity to try on alcohol impairment goggles to demonstrate the effects of drinking alcohol. Northglenn police Chief Jim May was one of the leadings supporters of the program. He said since the DARE program was pulled from the schools, there’s been an increase in drugs and alcohol use among teenagers. He’s hoping this program will make a positive impact on students at a young age. “This program is a great opportunity for the police department to get back into elementary schools and teach kids the dangers of drugs and alcohol,” he said. “We’re very thankful the district is working with us and
Malley Drive students try on some alcohol impairment goggles with the help of Northglenn police officer J.C. Gardner during a Homer and Me workshop on April 14. The goggles demonstrated to students the negative effects of drinking alcohol. Photo by Ashley Reimers allowing us to get back into the classrooms.” Students at Westview will have
NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL (ISSN 1044-4254) (USPS 854-980)
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their workshop on April 28 followed by a workshop at Stuckey Elementary on April 30.
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