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Features

  •
    Deputy to kids: Don’t let drugs...

    An American bald eagle seems like a strange visual aid for a talk about the dangers of drugs. 

    But for almost 20 years, Arapahoe County sheriff’s Deputy Brian McKnight has used birds of prey to start a conversation with kids in Littleton on the dangers of alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes. 

  •
    Fitness experts urge an end to ‘...

    It’s one thing to make a new year’s resolution to get in shape. It’s another for that resolution to last until the end of the year, let alone the end of January.

    Keeping that resolution isn’t about just willpower and self-control — you have to find a way to enjoy working out, said Tami Adams, fitness supervisor for the Foothills Park and Recreation District. 

  • After 35 years, Light of the World...

    Light of the World Roman Catholic Church hopes it is less than a year away from completing a plan started almost 35 years ago. 

    The church, on West Bowles Avenue at South Oak Street, is set to break ground on an expansion that will provide a permanent worship space for parishioners. The current worship space, which seats about 700, is in a room originally designed to be a multipurpose area with no permanent seating or altar space. 

  •
    Cold weather doesn’t put skaters on...

    On a day when frigid temperatures frosted South Jeffco, parents braved the snow and cold to give their kids a chance to play on the ice. 

    Dozens of beginning ice skaters took to the rink at The Edge Ice Arena on Saturday for Foothills Park and Rec’s Give Ice Skating a Try Day. 

    The aim of the free lesson and skate rental is to spark a life-long love for being on the ice, said Lezlea Zessin, Foothills’ figure skating director. 

  •
    A look back at 2013

    Political changes from 2012 reverberated into 2013 among the Jeffco commissioners, with an opposing political view spicing debates over several key issues.

    The addition of Casey Tighe, the first Democrat elected to the Board of County Commissioners since 2006, gave Commissioner Don Rosier a sparring partner on several issues, including whether Jeffco should raise taxes and whether the county should be on the record as opposed to new gun laws. 

  •
    A lifesaving delivery

    Littleton Fire Rescue and the City Council honored a local letter carrier last week with the John P. Cernich Lifesaving Award.

    Postal worker Louise Devers noticed last summer that an elderly man on her route had not checked his mail for three days. Devers, fearing the man was in trouble, talked to a neighbor, who called 911.

  •
    Lights, cameras, celebration at...

    Walking in a winter wonderland took on a whole new meaning over the weekend as people braved the frigid temperatures to take in a Hudson Christmas at Hudson Gardens. 

    The light show drew holiday revelers despite temperatures that hovered near zero during the evenings. But the cold weather was actually part of the appeal for some.

  •
    Lighting the night in Littleton

    Story and Photograph by Chancey Bush  

    As the sun set behind the mountains, darkness settled over downtown Littleton — but not for long. More than 1 million twinkling lights illuminated the trees and the glowing smiles of eager youngsters waiting for an early glimpse of Santa Claus.

    The holiday spirit swept over Littleton as thousands gathered downtown on Friday night for the 30th annual Candlelight Walk and Tree Lighting tradition. 

  •
    Littleton Museum relives...

    The Littleton Museum is in the holiday spirit, and it shows. 

    The museum spent the weekend adorning its two historic farmhouses with authentic decorations used during early Christmases in Littleton.

    And while both farmhouses lack the typical modern mayhem of flashing lights and inflatable snowmen, a stark contrast is evident between the 1860s and 1890s decorations, said Andrea Wilhelm, a historical interpreter at the museum. 

  •
    Baskets of joy for Thanksgiving

    It takes more than just the will to help and the desire to give to feed thousands of people. 

    It also takes an assembly line that would have made Henry Ford proud. 

    Inside the small gym at South Jeffco’s Abiding Hope Lutheran Church on Nov. 22, 100 volunteers, many of them children, lined up along two banks of tables set up between hundreds of pallets of food. 

    Eileen Schoenberger, a member of the church, shouted  instructions before the assembly line got moving. 

  •
    Making forever homes

    As 16-month-old Aislynne stood on the courtroom table in front of Jeffco Judge Ann Gail Meinster on Nov. 21, her soon-to-be mother, Jena, straightened the young girl’s new dress. 

    Everyone in the courtroom laughed as Aislynne danced on the table, clapping her tiny hands to an unheard rhythm. 

    “Well, let’s make her yours officially,” Meinster told Jena through laughter. 

  •
    Comic-book artist spawns inspiration

    Some people define success not by the presence of monetary gain but by the absence of constraints — in other words, the freedom to pursue their dreams. 

    For Todd McFarlane, legendary comic book creator and owner of McFarlane Toys, success has meant the freedom to work without the constraints of others’ limitations. 

  •
    All the buzz: urban beekeeping

    It might seem counterintuitive, but for many beekeepers, taking care of a hive isn’t just about the sweet reward. 

    Instead, it’s born of a fascination with a creature that so much of our daily sustenance depends upon. 

    Bees, along with other insects and birds, pollinate 35 percent of the world’s food crops. Yet the number of bees in the world has dropped drastically in recent years.  

    The decline made Joanie Bock want to put a beehive in her Littleton backyard. 

  •
    A Marine to her core

    Marie Rugg was one of the countless patriots who volunteered to help our country during World War II.  

    But on this Veterans Day, Rugg’s story stands out as special. She was in the first wave of women to sign up for the U.S. Marines when women were allowed to join the corps.

    “I wanted to volunteer to free a man to fight,” said Rugg, who now lives in an apartment at the Gardens at Columbine assisted-living facility. “I just wanted to do something for my country.”

  • Sponsor-A-Family Program puts happy...

    Jefferson County’s Human Services Department is looking for some good samaritans this holiday season.

    The Holiday Giving Sponsor-A-Family Program matches donors with families receiving services from the county’s Division of Children, Youth and Families, said Korina Keating, Human Services’ volunteer coordinator. 

    A donor receives two lists for the family being shopped for —  one of needs and one of wants, Keating said. 

  •
    Doggy disguises a good trick, and a...

    As the judges compiled their notes, the costumed contestants sniffed out the competition. 

    It was a fierce battle. But when all was said and done, Leo, an 8-month-old puppy in a lion outfit, was obviously the top dog among the dozen or so canines competing for title of cutest. 

    The competition was part of the final event of the UFO World Cup Frisbee Dog Series, held Saturday at Clement Park and hosted by the Colorado Disc Dogs. 

  •
    A ray of sunshine

    The group descended on the backyard in south Littleton during the early-morning calm of the weekend.

    Armed with rakes and saws, plastic bags and hammers, the two dozen volunteers attacked a large pile of junk in back of the house. 

    The husband and wife who own the home, and who wished to remain nameless, have lived in the house for 43 years. The husband, a former engineer, had collected various items over the years that he either intended to fix or turn into something new. 

  •
    A patchwork orange

    It isn’t fall until there are pumpkins.

    There were more than a few pumpkin hunters looking for the perfect canvas for their Halloween art on Saturday at Littleton’s annual Harvest Festival pumpkin patch. 

    “The kids love to come out here and look for pumpkins,” said Betsy Reagan of Littleton. “It’s hard to say no to the kids when they find the perfect pumpkin.”

  •
    On a mission to bring ‘care’ to...

    Christina Garza’s paternal grandfather, who worked in a uranium mine, was diagnosed with liver cancer when she was 4. He died a year later. 

    Garza knew then her calling was to be a doctor.

  •
    Crawling with zombies

    Littleton is known for its genteel small-town ways — even the walking dead obey the traffic laws.

    About 300 zombies weaved their way through downtown Saturday, led by a Dixieland jazz band playing a funeral dirge, as part of the fourth annual Zombie Crawl and Pig Roast. 

    While most zombie hoards tend to cause mayhem and destruction, this band of undead stuck to the sidewalks and obeyed the traffic lights.