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Features

  •
    Plan for Chatfield Reservoir...

    The Army Corps of Engineers has released its final plan for the expansion of Chatfield Reservoir, a proposal designed to help meet growing demands for water but one that is still opposed by at least one conservation group.

    The chosen plan, labeled Alternative 3, would raise the water levels by a maximum of 12 feet and increase the maximum storage by 20,600 acre-feet. Some 587 acres of Chatfield State Park, Colorado’s most popular, would be flooded in peak storage years to provide more water for urban and agricultural users on the Front Range.

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    Member of sister-city delegation...

    When a young person makes that first long sojourn away from home, it's often a challenge to know what to bring along.
    But it always makes sense to bring an appetite.

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    Western Welcome Week wows Littleton...

    Littleton has a lot to offer.
    And most of it is on display this week as Western Welcome Week gets into full swing.

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    Striking the right note

    Music is freedom. 

    Music can mean freedom from the pain and misery of a broken heart, or the feeling of freedom that new love brings. 

    For Donavan Ariza, 16, music has meant freedom from the stress, pain and loneliness of fighting cancer.

    “It was everything. It brightened me up when I was down,” Donavan said. “It helped me out so much.”

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    A call to service

    Some families you’re born into, bound to each other by blood.

    Others you earn your way into with blood, sweat and sacrifice.

    After 20 grueling weeks of training, testing and a lot of pushups, 25 new members were welcomed into the metro area’s firefighting family on Friday when they earned their badges. 

    The new firefighters will work at the Littleton, West Metro, South Metro and Cunningham fire departments.

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    Pyrotechnics pack them in

    It just doesn’t feel like the Fourth of July without a big, colorful fireworks display. 

    Especially if you’re the one putting on the show.

    “This is our Fourth of July. Some people have barbecues — we shoot fireworks,” said Les Nack, a member of the Western Enterprises Inc. crew that was responsible for Littleton’s 21-minute-long fireworks display to cap the city’s July Fourth celebration. “I think you have to have a little firebug in you to do this job.”

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    Dirty Dash is all about filthy fun

    The superhero team had become one with the mud.

    Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man and Wonder Woman were covered in muck as they crawled across the finish line. 

    “I’m not Wonder Woman,” Amanda Carlson corrected as she pointed to her chest. “I’m Supergirl.”

    Carlson’s Supergirl insignia was barely distinguishable because of the thick layer of ooze she had accumulated over the 5-kilometer course. Only her bright red boots somehow managed to maintain their luster. 

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    A hot time at the Littleton Museum

    Having modern conveniences in the kitchen doesn't always translate into doing less work. 

    Just ask a woman trying to cook her family a meal in the 1890s.

    "Industrialization made it harder for women," said Kathie Owens-Tucker, an interpreter at the 1890s farmhouse in the Littleton Museum. "We were expected to do more with all the new modern conveniences."

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    The not-so-old college try

    It’s not often that bicycles being prepped for a triathlon have streamers attached to their handlebars.

    Yet during the Foothills Feat Kids Triathlon on Sunday, it was a pretty common sight.

    Two age groups, 6 to 8 and 9 to 14, competed to post the best times while swimming, biking and running. The event was a mini version of the adult sprint triathlon that took place earlier in the day at the Foothills Park & Rec facilities on South Ward Street.

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    Uneasy riders

    Any one of the Harley-Davidson or BMW motorcycles lined up at the Jeffco sheriff’s firing range was a bike lover’s dream. 

    And a bad guy’s nightmare. 

    The Sheriff’s Office hosted an advanced police motorcycle school for more than 50 officers from 11 area law enforcement agencies, including Jeffco deputies, on May 14-15. The 40-hour course gave the officers a rare chance to improve on their skills and to practice live-fire exercises while on their bikes. 

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    Center supports veterans at...

    Veterans at Arapahoe Community College have a new home base at school. 

    The Veterans Service Center, which opened last month, was created by ACC to help meet the needs of the influx of veterans signing up for classes, said Nancy Nickless, Veterans Affairs certifying official and financial aid counselor for ACC. 

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    Running to remember

    Columbine High School and the surrounding community took to the pavement again Saturday for the eighth annual Run for Remembrance through Clement Park. 

    The 5K run/walk raised money for Craig Hospital, the Columbine Memorial and the Frank DeAngelis Columbine High School Academic Foundation. 

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    Jeffco says 'I do' to...

    History isn’t always made during epic events. 

    Sometimes it takes only a $30 check and two signatures. 

    When Jennifer Whitton and Tana Trejillo signed their civil union certificate last Wednesday morning at the Jeffco clerk and recorder’s office, staff members interrupted what they were doing to applaud. 

    It was the first same-sex civil union in Jefferson County.

    Whitton and Trejillo, together five and a half years, were all smiles as they handed over the $30 check to the county.  

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    A trajectory toward science

    If you’re trying to inspire kids to pursue a career in science, engineering, math or technology, it helps to have an astronaut and some liquid nitrogen on your side. 

    Lockheed Martin opened up its Waterton Facility in Littleton to about 1,400 kids last Thursday as part of its nationwide Young Minds at Work Day. Company employees brought their kids and their kids’ friends for a day of science-based fun that featured NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, along with a few rockets and frozen rubber balls.

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    The tale of the (duct) tape

    Ah, duct tape. Is there anything it can’t do?

    The handyman’s favorite tool to fix anything around the house is also one of the most versatile materials for do-it-yourself craft projects. The wide tape, which can be found in a variety of colors and designs, can be used to make anything from wallets and purses to full-length prom dresses.

    “My friend makes a lot of things with duct tape. She made a prom dress for her sister completely out of duct tape,” said Sarah Bruner, 13. “It’s pretty easy to work with.”

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    200 honor crime victims at Courage...

    Gray skies couldn’t dampen the mood of the more than 200 participants in the 20th annual Courage Walk in Golden on Saturday morning.

    The annual event honors the strength and courage of crime victims and those who have lost loved ones to violence. The Courage Walk coincides with National Victims’ Rights Week.

    Jeffco probation department employees Brandy Lewis and Wendy Ala participated in the Courage Walk for the first time.

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    The faithful celebrate Easter at...

    Sunday marked the 66th annual Easter Sunrise Service at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison.  

  • Jeffco Open Space at 40: Second era...

    The first 26 years of the Jefferson County open-space sales tax and three successful referendums at the ballot box proved that voters value open lands. In 1998 they showed how much by passing a measure that helped double the amount of scenery and public land in Jeffco’s Open Space park system.

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    Open Space at 40

    When development threatened to turn their paradise into parking lots, the people of Jefferson County decided to preserve the beautiful landscapes they treasured before open land became subdivision material.

    Nov. 7, 2013, will mark the 40th anniversary of the day Jeffco voters agreed to enact a 0.05-cent sales tax to fund a program that would preserve some of the scenic peaks, outcrops, meadows and streams that define our county from the mountains to the plains.

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    When Irish tunes are playing

    St. Patrick’s Day can evoke images of green beer, parades and “Kiss me, I’m Irish” buttons. Yet what can get lost in all the noise and revelry is the beauty and emotion of Irish culture.

    And there is no better reflection of that than in the music of the Emerald Isle, which was on display Saturday at Littleton’s Bemis Public Library. Tradition, Tartan and Tears, a local Celtic band, played a selection of classic Irish songs in celebration of the holiday.