The Transcript 5
July 23, 2015 Bell Middle School eighth grade iSTEM student Heidi Smith speaks about the school’s project — a test chamber of a habitat for red wiggler worms to compost in a micro-gravity environment — at a NASA debriefing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 27. Smith was sad to see the rocket explode that was carrying the project to space, she said, but is now looking forward to a second opportunity to improve the project. Photo courtesy of Jesse Swift
Bell students hope to redo space project Project explodes in space, but learning survives By Christy Steadman
csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com The red wiggler worm project that 60 Bell Middle School eighth-graders worked on all school year — and which won a rare chance to ride into space — exploded with the failed SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch on June 28. But even though the project did indeed go up in flames, students suffered only about a 20 percent loss, according to Jesse Swift, Bell Middle School iSTEM engineering teacher. The design, skills and testing that went into the project did not explode with the rocket, Swift said. “The one last piece of putting it into space is all that we lost. The project was lost, but the learning is still there.” The school won a grant from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to design and build an experiment that would go to the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting the earth. Bell was the only middle school awarded the grant, and was one of only three schools in Colorado chosen to participate. The other two were Centaurus High School in Lafayette and Chatfield Senior High School in Littleton. Students in iSTEM, which stands for innovation, science, engineering and math, were split into seven groups. They designed and built a habitat for red wiggler worms to compost in a micro-gravity environment, said eighth-grade iSTEM science teacher Shanna Atzmiller. “It did not make it to the ISS,” she said, “but the experience for the kids, and for us as teachers, was very rewarding. We saw a lot of growth in our students.” Composting worms in space has never been done before, Atzmiller said, and the completed experiment was equivalent to high school work. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space is committed to the project, Atzmiller said, and will have a decision within the next few months as to whether and when the students may be able to send their project back to space. “I felt sad when all that work exploded into thin air,” said iSTEM student Heidi Smith, 14, who worked on the biology team. But now she’s excited. “We can work on it again and improve it,” she said. “I’m looking forward to a second chance.” Smith is one of the 20 students who have already committed to coming back and working on the project next year, despite the fact they will all be freshmen in high school, Atzmiller said. “I feel that our experiment would have worked very well if it did get to go up to the ISS,” Smith said. “Even as a teenager, you can work very hard and accomplish goals. It was an amazing opportunity to get to do this experiment.” The students will be able to apply problem-solving skills they learned through the process of the experiment for the rest of their lives, Swift said. The learning process they went through is invaluable, he added. “To learn that in eighth grade is a very strong skill.” Students learned a great lesson — not only from the explosion, but through the whole process of doing the project, Atzmiller said. “We realized that with every failure comes more success,” she said. “We can’t move forward in science without failures.”
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10 years on the Jefferson County Symphony
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point to Bestor’s integrity, vision, professionalism and ability to work with others as the foundation of Golden’s growth and success in financial and resource stability, and economic and community development. He hired the right people, trained, managed and led them, Kay said. “All these things that make a great community were accomplished by his staff.” “The care he has taken of the city has been outstanding,” said Bob Short, a Golden resident for 27 years who has known Bestor since 1993. “He has a willingness to help people and help the community.” Amenities such as Fossil Trace Golf Course, the community center and biking and hiking trails — all of which Bestor had a hand in developing — are here to stay, Short said. “The city has flourished.” Bestor “created an atmosphere where people feel the ability to do their job,” Golden Police Chief Bill Kilpatrick said. “It’s an atmosphere that says, ‘We can do this.’ He fostered that.” For Bestor, one of the most rewarding parts of his Golden career was guiding the city through the 2008-2010 recession. “Lots of jurisdictions in the U.S. were hurting,” Bestor said, but Golden remained stable. Golden suffered some service impacts, such as not having the grass cut as often or vehicles serviced as frequently, but necessary city services were maintained. No one lost his or her job because of the recession, and city employee salaries and benefits were not reduced. “We didn’t get raises,” Bestor said, “but we didn’t make cuts.” Born and raised in Rochester, N.Y., Bestor graduated with a bachelor’s in management in Detroit in 1967. After witnessing an urban riot while employed with the railroad in Detroit, he became a Volunteers in Service to America member and helped people in poverty negotiate with the housing authority. He later earned a master’s in management from the University of Utah. Bestor met his late wife, Ann, while running the county jail in Jackson County, Mo. The two eventually moved to Rifle with the intention of going into the restaurant business. However, Bestor landed a job as Rifle’s finance manager, then assistant manager and later city manager. The Bestors raised two children — Nick, 26, lives in Loveland and is a physical education teacher and soccer coach. Andrea, 30, who lives in Golden, works at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Andrea has a daughter, Lilly, who is 9. After 38 years of marriage, Ann died of cancer in 2012. Golden city councilmembers, city staff and the whole community were very supportive, Bestor said. “It was a time when you feel the value of living in a community like this.” Now, he is in a serious relationship with a Golden resident who is also a widow. They plan to travel through the fall throughout the U.S. and Africa. Bestor also loves to read. And in his 50s, he learned taekwondo, earning a second-degree black belt. Bestor, who plans to stay in Golden, has greatly enjoyed working with the city’s residents. Even with controversial topics, people always remained polite, he said. “They might challenge the decisions we make, but they don’t challenge our integrity.” And it’s that appreciation for residents, and the pride he has for the community, for which he may be most remembered. The hallmark of his career, Golden Mayor Majo-
Board. Jane also previously worked in sales for The Golden Transcript. Honored guests of the parade are Dan Thoemke, a Golden native and founder of the organization Community Faith in Ac-
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TOP FIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS Retiring city manager Mike Bestor, who attributes Golden’s successes to a team approach, considers the following accomplishments among his top five in his almost 22 years as city manager: Guanella Reservoir The reservoir on the west fork of Clear Creek near Empire was built in 2003. It took the city at least 10 years to obtain this important water supply. What started as a “handshake deal” turned into a “huge chess game,” Bestor said. “The city had no water. Now, we’ve got this huge body of water that could get us through any drought.” Golden’s financial position Golden has maintained its infrastructure without accruing much debt, and is in good financial condition, Bestor said. “There’s always enough votes on council to get it done,” he said. “All assets of the city are in good shape.” Quality of workforce Working for the Golden is not a “cushy job,” Bestor said, but presents opportunities for people to take risks. The city does its best to keep negativities out and gives everybody the opportunity to be treated as a professional. “People come to work and get to do what they do best, every day,” he said. “People really like working here.” Keeping the beltway out It’s been a 20-year battle, Bestor said. Neighboring communities would like to see massive development on the highway, primarily from Broomfield to Golden, but the Golden doesn’t feel it’s in the city’s best interest. Mayor Marjorie Sloan has been a key player in the efforts, Bestor said. She negotiated with the Colorado Department of Transportation and stood up for the community’s best interests. Downtown success Downtown Golden has a lot of vibrancy, Bestor said, but that wasn’t always the case. Businesses have filled once-abandoned buildings, which has contributed to the downtown area’s success. Out-of-towners and locals alike enjoy spending time in downtown. “There’s not a lot of small towns left because it’s hard for them to survive,” Bestor said. “But this one is surviving, and we’ll continue to do so.”
IN THEIR WORDS “The best part about working with, and for, Mike Bestor was simply shared respect and trust. It made the working relationship a true friendship of which I will always be grateful for.” — Golden Fire Chief John Bales “Mike was never a `helicopter boss.’ He led by example and cared about the staff and the citizens. His sense of humor got us through rough patches, and he was always fair across the board.” — Golden City Clerk Susan Brooks “Mike gives staff the opportunity and freedom to go do what they do best. As a result, I have gained tremendous confidence in my own abilities, and I credit Mike for making me feel important. He had a gift for making everyone feel important, from staff to citizens.” — Communications Manager Karlyn Tilley
rie Sloan said, is “bringing people with good ideas together and creating environments in which both the ideas and people flourished.” Residents always knew their opinions would be valued, she said. “Mike can look around with pride at the improvements that we all appreciate and visitors admire. Our downtown vitality, the Clear Creek experience, pedestrian and cyclist accessibility and transportation advances, all came to life while he was city manager.”
tion, and Donovan Rice, the fourth annual Buffalo Bill Days scholarship recipient and valedictorian of his class at Golden High School. Other highlights of the parade include clowns, dance groups, local businesses,
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music and classic cars. The parade takes place 10-11:30 a.m. July 25. The route starts at 9th Street and Washington Avenue, continues to 13th Street, then heads south to Arapahoe Street where it will head west to 12th Street.
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