LOCAL
Long-awaited Trader Joe’s opens in Greenwood Village
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POLITICS
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Romanoff among Democrats targeted by ‘phony websites’
It was clear on opening day of Trader Joe’s in Greenwood Village that all attendees saw it as a destination not to be missed.
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A quick visit to www.andrew romanoff2014.com brings the immediate trappings of a selfcongratulatory website, until you take a closer look.
Volume 32 • Number 13 • February 20, 2014
www.villagerpublishing.com
Pages
FLEURISH
14-15
Remembering Walt and Georgia Imhoff
Walt Imhoff’s charitable legacy will live on forever in the Denver society scene. He and his late wife’s many contributions will never be forgotten.
303-773-8313 • Published every Thursday
Index
Page 5..............................................Opinion Page 8.........................................Classifieds Pages 11-18....................................Fleurish Page 19..................................................digs Pages 20-24......................................Legals TheVillagerNewspaper
@VillagerDenver
A Taco House to Remember
Preserving the midcentury touchstones of Littleton Boulevard
By Peter Jones From a distance, Littleton’s Taco House may not look like much – and even up close, its 89cent tacos and drive-up service are not exactly the promise of fine dining. But look at the quickservice eatery a little longer and you might see the lure of its old-school design, bright yellow coloring and distinctly kitschy charm. To longtime locals, the restaurant at 1390 W. Littleton Blvd., built in 1961, may be a staple of a family-run business and no-frills Mexican food. But to fans of aging architecture and retro-cool, Littleton’s Taco House is the whole enchilada. “It took design elements from high-style buildings and put them down to a more pedestrian level,” said Rachel Parris, programs manager for the nonprofit Colorado Preservation Inc. “It’s really an example of what midcentury architecture can be.” Taco House is one of a number of Littleton buildings, constructed between 1949 and 1967, to recently catch the eye of Colorado Preservation and its annual “Endangered Places” list. Each year, the independent nongovernmental organization releases its survey of specific structures or Continued on page 2
Don and Dora D’Andrea, owners of Littleton’s Taco House, were as surprised as anyone by news that their quick-service restaurant had been marked for possible preservation. Photo by Peter Jones
Cherry Creek parents asked to contact politicians Superintendent bemoans budget cuts in charged letter
By Peter Jones Parents in Cherry Creek Schools are being encouraged to contact their governmental representatives in an effort to keep the 64-year-old school district strong in the face of budget cuts and unfunded directives. “Never before have we seen so many out-of-state interests and money, as well as top-down mandates from Washington, D.C., and our own representatives at the state Capitol,” Superintendent Harry Bull wrote last week in a letter to parents and other community members. “Gradually, our local school boards are being stripped of their right of local control of our neighborhood schools.” In a long often sharply worded
letter posted on the Cherry Creek School District website and distributed to the media, Bull criticized what he called “one-sizefits-all” reforms. “Your children cannot be used for experiments for untested, nonpeer-reviewed education policies that are not backed with scientific evidence,” Bull wrote. “Locally elected school boards and their chosen leaders are the best experts of what is best for students, not political special-interest groups.” Between 2008 and 2012, CCSD has had to reduce its budget by about 9 percent, or $39.7 million, resulting in program cuts, deferral of maintenance and the loss of about 340 full-time positions, Bull wrote. Had voters not passed a $25 million mill-levy override in November 2012, the district would have had to cut an additional $21 million or more for this school year, according to the district leader.
“It’s important to remember that none of these cuts have been restored,” the superintendent emphasized. Bull went on to say CCSD has lost $61.4 million every year in aid that would have provided school districts with extra support for infrastructure costs and at-risk students. The state has also been negligent in funding for special education, according to the superintendent. “The district currently receives $19.8 annually for special-education costs, but spends $61 million annually to provide special-education services. This funding gap puts tremendous pressure on the rest of the school system,” Bull wrote. Bull and other superintendents from across Colorado have banded together to ask the state legislature to allocate $275 million of recurring funds to public schools, in addition to a separate increase
proposed by Gov. John Hickenlooper. “During the several years of funding reductions, the legislature did not offer solutions for how the cuts should be made, but continued to pass additional unfunded mandates further straining already decimated budgets,” Bull wrote. “Now is the time to honor the Colorado Constitution’s stated commitment to local control.” The district leader’s letter encouraged parents and other community members to take the litany of issues to their state representatives and senators. “We ask that you call your state legislators and tell them that your neighborhood schools belong to you,” Bull wrote. “Let them know that we, and they, have a moral obligation to provide adequate resources so that each child has access to the best possible educational opportunities we can provide.”