December 31, 2015
THIS WEEK IN VO LU ME 52 | ISSU E 2 0 | 50 ¢
LIFE
LOCAL
Mother Cabrini Shrine offers visitors a sense of peace page 12
Northglenn-ThorntonSentienl.com A publication of
A D A M S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
‘Wouldn’t you want to live there, Mom?’ Son’s question starts extravagant house lighting display
By Corrie Sahling csahling@coloradocommunitymedia.com It all started 20 years ago around Christmastime with a house draped in lights. “Wouldn’t you want to live there, Mom?” asked Janice Snidow’s then-3-year-old-son as the family drove by the decorated house. “The day after that Christmas, I went out and bought a bunch of lights,” Snidow said, smiling. “And the next Christmas, my son saw another house that was more decorated
and, ‘Wouldn’t you want to live there, Mom?’ So, the day after Christmas I went out and bought more lights. We’ve been adding every year since.” The extravagant Christmas decorations at the Snidow house in Thornton take weeks to set up. Everything is hooked to a timer. “It all turns on at the same time, whether or not I’m here,” Snidow said. The preparation is a team effort. The whole family works to decorate for the holiday. The son that began it all is now 23, and he brings his girlfriend to help. “All three kids are involved,” Snidow said. “They love it.” To no surprise, the decorations bring a Lights continues on Page 8
For 20 years, the Snidow family has been decorating their house for Christmas and adding more each year. Many of the pieces were handmade or were bought at auctions — so they are decorations that can’t be found elsewhere. Photo by Corrie Sahling
Top Adams County stories of 2015 Northglenn, Thornton and all of Adco enjoyed a bustling year By Corrie Sahling Northglenn had a busy year of community events and new festivals, Thornton’s residents rallied behind support for the Wadley Farms neighborhood fighting an oil and gas drills and Adams County saw a lot of activity with DIA. Here are some of the top stories from 2015 in no particular order. Adams County Hyland Hills Park groundbreaking After 12 years of planning, the Hyland Hills Park and Recreation broke ground on the future 81-acre Clear Creek Valley Park. The March 12 ceremony highlighted the history of the district’s efforts to acquire the land and featured two Belgian draft horses, Winston and Bryce, led by Dave Cameron, who plowed through the soil, beginning the project’s official start. Located immediately north of I-76 between Lowell Boulevard and Tennyson Street, Clear Creek Valley Park will become a flagship facility for Hyland Hills. Once complete, the park will feature a large community garden, sports fields, exploration and adventure play areas, imagination playground, trails, fishing, model boating and more.
The conference center on floor two of the Westin at DIA offers a framed view of the transit center, which is set to open in April. Photo by Corrie Sahling
DIA development The Yes on 1A ballot measure received voter approval for takeoff, setting the stage for 2016 to become they year that Denver International Airport will become even more of an economic engine for the entire region. On June 3, the Airport Coordinating Committee (ACC), comprised of elected officials from Adams County, Aurora,
Brighton, Commerce City, Denver, Federal Heights and Thornton, unanimously approved an amendment to a 1988 intergovernmental agreement, which if approved, sets the stage for economic development and job creation near DIA. A pilot program was approved by Denver City Council and by Adams County Board of Commissioners. The 1,500-acre pilot program would allow a wider spectrum of commercial use than is permitted under the 1988 agreement, which ensures Adams County and its cities reap benefits from DIA as Denver does. Sales tax — which could range from $170 million to $260 million in the first 30 years depending on development — would be split evenly between Adams County and Denver. Elected officials rallied behind the 1A for DIA ballot measure, and voters agreed: with 83.9 percent approval in Adams County and 77.89 percent in Denver. DIA Westin The Westin hotel at DIA opened its doors to the public on Nov. 20. The hotel has 519 rooms, 35 of which are suites, and the price for a night’s stay ranges from $185 for a 385 square-foot traditional room to $831 for a 1,200 squarefoot hospitality suite. A feature of the hotel being so close to the airport is the 37,500 square feet of function space for business meetings or social events. The hotel offers three different dining options; a coffee shop, a bar and a local ingredients, farm-to-table restaurant. The projected final cost of the Westin at DIA is between $580 million to $586 million. A mid-December snowstorm, which canceled or delayed hundreds of DIA flights, led to the new hotel’s first sellout.
NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL (ISSN 1044-4254) (USPS 854-980) OFFICE: 8753 Yates Dr., Ste. 200, Westminster, CO 80031 | PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 8753 Yates Dr., Ste. 200 Westminster, CO 80031. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 12 p.m. | Classifieds: Mon. 2 p.m. | Obits: Mon. 2 p.m. | Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.
Year end continues on Page 5