12-1-16 Villager E Edition

Page 1

ELECTION RESULTS FINALIZED County’s voter turnout was 75 percent NEWS | PG 2

WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN DO?

VISIONS OF SUGARPLUMS

FLAIR | PG 20

FLEURISH | PG 21-22

Colorado Ballet has a ball

Amy Van Dyken-Rouen tells her story

VOLUME 35 • NUMBER 2 • DECEMBER 1, 2016

Since 1982

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TheVillagerNewspaper

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Serving Arapahoe County & Surrounding Communities

Colorado Gives Day means boost for nonprofits

Colorado nonprofits and supporters gather at the state Capitol during last year’s Colorado Gives Day. Deadline for the statewide giving program is midnight on Dec. 6. Photo courtesy of Community First Foundation That means when the county itable donations. “I can give to differ- each gift go a little bit further. Many pate. I think that’s the big thing,” Dozens of qualified recipients in ent folks and it’s all one transaction.” of the nonprofits also have matching- Rinderknecht said, noting the minigives, it also receives. Arapahoe County Think of it as the Amazon of gift programs. mum contribution is $10 and the avThose south metro organizations “Every dollar gets a boost,” erage gift is $100. include Arc of Arapahoe and Doug- nonprofit contributions. Simply fill The money will be sent on Dec. las Counties, SECOR Food Bank, the “giving cart” with gifts to quali- Rinderknecht said. “It’s fun to be and Arapahoe Philharmonic, among fying Colorado-based organizations part of the larger giving movement 6, Colorado Gives Day, otherwise Arapahoe County gives—along a host of others. and hit send. Participants can plug in Colorado.” known as the first Tuesday of the first with the rest of Colorado. “I can pick all my favorites, but I in their ZIP code and other searchThis year, there is even a kid- full week in December, as a kickoff Of the more than 2,100 state- also have the opportunity to find new able criteria to find the nonprofits or friendly page where children, with to holiday giving. based nonprofits eligible for the up- ones,” said Dana Rinderknecht, di- causes of their choice. help from a parent or grandparent, Last year, a record-breaking coming Colorado Gives Day wind- rector of the Community First FounA $500,000 incentive pool cre- can also partake in kid-specific dona- $28.5 million was raised in 124,000 fall, at least several dozen are located dation, the nonprofit that coordinates ated by Community First and First tions. in Arapahoe. the annual day of synchronized char- Bank has been established it make “Everybody can particiContinued on page 26

HUD reaches anti-discrimination settlement with Littleton landlords Couple’s company routinely denied housing, according to complaint

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has settled a complaint with the owners of a Littleton apartment complex that regularly discriminated against the disabled and families with children. The settlement resolves a complaint brought by Denver Metro Fair Housing Center against owners George and Helen Turk and their propertymanagement company Katchen & Co. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination—based on disability and family status—in the sale, rental and financing of housing. The law specifically protects families with children under 18 and requires providers

Families with children and residents with disabilities have a hard-enough time finding housing that meets their needs without having to face unlawful discrimination.

- Gustavo Velasquez, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to make reasonable accommodations for the disabled. “Families with children and residents with disabilities have a hard-enough time finding housing that meets their needs without having to face unlawful discrimination,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD’s assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity. “HUD will contin-

ue working with our partners to make certain housing providers meet their obligations under the Fair Housing Act.” The matter came to HUD’s attention when Metro Fair Housing Center and a family filed complaints alleging Littleton’s Langford Apartments discriminated against families with children. The complaint alleged

that a man looking for an apartment for himself, his wife and toddler responded to a Craigslist ad for a unit and was told by the on-site manager for Katchen & Co. that Langford did not rent to families with children. In subsequent tests of compliance conducted by the Fair Housing Center, another on-site manager allegedly told a tester, “no kids,” and “we don’t accept children.” The manager also allegedly told a tester posing as a deaf person that “we don’t allow service animals” and “if you’re deaf, I don’t think this is the place for you.” Under the agreement announced last week, the Turks will pay the Fair Housing Center and the complaining family $70,000, provide Katchen employees with fair-housing training and establish a companywide anti-discrimination policy. In addition, future ads for Langford units will explicitly encourage families with children and people with disabilities to apply.


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