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July 17, 2014
SouthPlatteIndependent.net
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O A publication of
Littleton may make lane change Intersection in western part of city could get roundabout By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Vincent Juarez, left, and Mike Cody of Mike Squared Designs created this obelisk in just a few short weeks. Photos by Jennifer Smith
Sculptures on loan grace Goodson Program benefits artists, parks and recreation district By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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Goodson Recreation Center welcomed three pieces of sculpture that are very different from each other but fit right in to their new surroundings. The public and representatives of South Suburban Parks and Recreation got a look at them during a reception the afternoon of July 9, during which the creators of two of the pieces were on hand. “It’s my nemesis, because it took me close to six weeks to make,” said self-taught metal sculptor Don Orr. “It deserves its name.” “Nemesis” is a 95-pound sculpture made of copper wire on steel, built up in layers into an appealing free-form piece. “I don’t necessary start out with a preconceived idea,” said Orr. “As you start working into it, the metal will tell you, `This is really what I am.’ ” Orr says he began sculpting in 1970 with varying degrees of intensity and at different locations throughout the country. He joined The Bridge
Sculptures continues on Page 14
These two does will continue to frolic outside of the Goodson Recreation Center for the next year.
The city’s public works department will ask Littleton City Council to approve nearly $1 million in the 2015 budget to install a roundabout at an intersection that’s averaging about five accidents per year. About 7,000 cars a day cross the intersection at South Prince Street and West Centennial Avenue, according to Charlie Buck, a traffic consultant with Felsburg, Holt and Ullevig. It’s close to Home Depot, several retail and fast-food outlets and lots of multifamily residential complexes, including RiverPointe Senior Community. Michelle Stevens, also with FHU, said roundabouts are great options for seniors, because they have to turn their heads less than at a four-way stop, and make fewer judgment calls. “Judging gaps is easier, and mistakes are not (as) lethal,” she said. AARP agrees, noting benefits on a spring 2014 fact sheet. “Because modern roundabouts feature lower, safer vehicle speeds, which also requires approaching drivers to slow down, pedestrian and driver risks are reduced,” it reads. Between February 2012 and December 2013, there were 11 accidents at the intersection, all of them front to side, according to the Littleton Police Department. “Left-turn T-bones are the most dramatic there,” said Stevens. She adds that a roundabout can reduce traffic delays by as much as 20 percent by keeping traffic flowing instead of stopping at stop signs. FHU also recommends reducing the number of lanes at the intersection from two to one in each direction, leaving more room to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. Councilmember Bruce Beckman wondered if some cost savings could be achieved by simply cutting out the extra lanes without adding the roundabout, but Buck said the construction costs would be similar and the safety benefits reduced. “We feel that the roundabout has significant benefits to the community,” said Charlie Blosten, the city’s director of public works.
Downtown merchants have a cow (e-i-e-i-o) Old MacDonald to visit this year’s Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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Once upon a time, Greg Reinke, president of the Historic Downtown Littleton Merchants, (affectionately known as the HooDLuMs), heard some complaints that people who like “turkey-leg events” might not be the best clientele to attract to downtown Littleton. He thought it was hilarious, and the Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown was born. It returns this weekend. The big news this year is an appearance by Old MacDonald (Dagnabbit!) from the Geico commercials, otherwise known as actor Larrs Jackson, and it’s no wonder a man of such great notoriety
Hoedown continues on Page 14
Organizer Greg Reinke dons overalls as he circulates among the crowd at a past year’s Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown. File photo