HOMETOWN
November 26, 2015
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
Special Section Inside!
Beckman becomes first official mayor Littleton charter change replaces old term ‘president’ with ‘mayor’ By Jennifer Smith jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Bruce Beckman replaces Phil Cernanec as Littleton’s new mayor, thanks to a unanimous vote by city council on Nov. 17. “I will work together with council to
meet future challenges and preserve what we have,” Beckman pledged before the vote. Beckman was nominated by Councilmember Jerry Valdes, and Councilmember Bill Hopping offered the second. There were no other nominations and no discussion. In Littleton, the mayor has no greater standing than any other councilmember. Beckman will run the meetings and be the face of council at mayoral functions, but he’ll vote on all ordinances along with the other six members, and his vote will
carry no more weight. Beckman will, however, be Littleton’s first official mayor. While the “mayor” term has been used unofficially, the charter referred to the head of the council as its president until voters made a change on Nov. 3. The change makes the Beckman terms “mayor” and “mayor pro tem” official. Beckman’s first act as mayor was to nominate Debbie Brink-
man, the current District 4 representative and former mayor, to be mayor pro tem. Cernanec said he was “proud to second” the nomination. “It would be a pleasure to serve with Councilmember Beckman,” said Brinkman. “I have enjoyed our working relationship over the years, and I think that we would have a great balance between each other.” Councilmember Doug Clark cast the only vote against Brinkman, who was
DOWN ON THE SWAMP
Mayor continues on Page 19
WHAT’S INSIDE
Crime spree: Police conduct manhunt for suspects from robbery, shooting. See Page 3
T.J. Hogle plays Shrek, the jolly green ogre, and Tyrell Ray is his bouncy sidekick, Donkey. “Shrek” plays through Dec. 27 at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. Turn to Page 13 for more on the show. Courtesy photo
Runner raises funds, honors victims’ memory Tim Dougherty runs the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1 in memory of his sisterin-law, Mary Sherlach, who was the school psychologist killed at Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec. 14, 2012. Courtesy photo
PRSRT - STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LITTLETON, CO PERMIT #70 EDDM POSTAL PATRON
Marathon participant lost relative in Newtown By Jennifer Smith jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com On Nov. 1, Tim Dougherty ran one mile for his sister-in-law, Mary Sherlach, and 25 more miles for the other 25 souls who were killed with her in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. Sherlach was the school psychologist at Sandy Hook who ran toward the shots with the school’s principal, Dawn Hochsprung. Both women were gunned down by 20-yearold Adam Lanza, along with four other adults and 20 children. “She was incredibly brave,” said Jane Dougherty, Sherlach’s sister and Tim’s wife.
“She knew what they were running toward in that moment. She was a tough cookie. She always took charge. She wasn’t the oldest, but she always took that role in the family.” In her honor, Tim Dougherty, of Littleton, ran the New York City Marathon to raise money for the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation. He and nine other runners raised $120,000. “It will support the whole mission to prevent other tragic mass tragedies from happening,” he said. “They’re going to schools, trying to teach students and teachers alike that if you see something, say something. … More often than not, (the shooters) have said something to somebody. You’re not going to get in trouble for speaking up.” That day was tragic for the whole large and tight-knit family, he said. He heard about the Marathon continues on Page 19
Find all of this week’s advertisers online
ShopLocalColorado.com Please support our local advertisers for their contribution to keeping our community connected, and tell them you found them in the News-Press!
Holiday spirit: Littleton family volunteers at Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota. See Page 12
Player of the year: Cherry Creek sophomore Mitchell Johnson is one of the south metro athletes of the year. See Page 21
SOUTH PLATTE INDEPENDENT OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 5 p.m. Classifieds: Tue. 8 a.m. Obituaries: Tue. 11 a.m. Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.