Englewood 4/11/13

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April 12, 2013 75 centsA Colorado Community Media Publication

Arapahoe County, Colorado Volume 93, Issue 8

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Former teacher pleads guiltyAlexandra McLean gets probation for relationship with boyBy Tom Mundstmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

The legal process has ended for a former Englewood High School teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a male student.

Alexandra Elizabeth McLean, 28, received no jail time as she pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from her relationship with a 17-year-old male student in 2011.

She appeared before 18th Judicial District Judge Marilyn Antrim to enter the guilty pleas on March 29.

According to information from the judi-cial district, the fact McLean had been ex-tremely truthful and remorseful about what

happened and the fact that it is unusual for a psychosexual evaluation not to rec-ommend treatment were among the rea-sons she was allowed to plead to the lesser charges.

When she appeared in court, McLean entered the guilty plea to the misdemeanor sexual assault charge and specifically to a subsection of the statute where the victim was younger than 17 and the defendant was more than 10 years older than the victim even though the victim was two months from his 18th birthday.

The judge sentenced McLean to two

years deferred judgment on that count. Successful completion of the deferred judg-ment will result in the misdemeanor sexual assault count being dismissed.

However, she also entered a guilty plea without deferred judgment to misdemean-or second-degree official misconduct. The record cant be sealed, she can never teach again and the charge will not be dismissed when she completes probation.

She was sentenced to supervised proba-tion for two years; she is not permitted to

McLean

Daddies take daughters to danceAbout 65 fathers bring girls to Englewood eventBy Tom Mundstmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

The normal sounds of athletic compe-tition in Englewood Recreation Centers gymnasium were replaced April 5 by mu-sic and sounds of people having fun at the Daddy and Daughter Dance.

We decided to try it and we didnt know what response we would have, said Dave Parks, recreation program director for the dance, in the leadup to the event. We thought we were going to cancel the event last week because of a lack of participation when we only had five dads signed up. Then the floodgates opened and we have about 65 dads registered for tonights dance.

Englewood Youth Council helped deco-rate the gym for the dance. There were ta-bles wrapped in colorful material, matched with chairs set along both edges of the gym. A table of refreshments was set up just in-side the door, and balloons were scattered around the floor.

As dads checked in, they were given cor-sages for their daughters, who ranged in age from toddlers to several young ladies who were in their teens or almost in their teens.

Scott Keslow attached the corsage to his 7-year-old daughter Elizabeths wrist and, while dad sat at the table, Elizabeth went out to kick balloons around the floor.

Todd Fahnestock guides his daughter Ellowing around the floor at the March 5 Daddy and Daughter Dance at the Englewood Recreation Center. This is the first year for the dance and about 65 dads signed up. Photos by Tom Munds

Scott Keslow puts a corsage on his daughter Elizabeths wrist as they prepare to join others attending the Daddy and Daughter Dance in Englewood. The event was on the brink of being canceled for lack of participation before a flood of registrations came in.

DeGette meets with officialsFocus of discussion was on national issues impacting EnglewoodBy Tom Mundstmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

Democratic Congresswoman Diana De-Gette joined Englewood city officials and council members April 3 to talk about how national issues like the 2013 sequester and proposed stricter wastewater treatment regulations will impact the city and its resi-dents.

DeGette, who represents Englewood as part of Colorados 1st District, said there was originally a time conflict because she was to attend the ceremonies surrounding President Obamas visit to Denver. However, she said the meeting with Engle-wood was important, so arrangements were made to meet earlier so she could be at both events.

The city prepared a list of issues for discussion, and City Manager Gary Sears said the top priority was to talk about the 2013 sequester and its impact on Englewood.

The sequester is the first of automatic spending cuts required under the Budget Control Act, signed in August 2011 and de-signed to reduce federal spending by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

The sequester for fiscal year 2013 man-dates across-the-board budget cuts of $85.4 billion, but some areas like Medicare and veterans benefits are exempted.

I think just about everyone agrees se-quester is a horrible policy that cuts pro-grams we all care about, DeGette said. The idea was to get the parties to work together to develop a balanced budget, but that still hasnt happened.

She said she is already hearing about the impact of sequester on local commu-nity agencies. She asked that city officials forward information about the impact the spending cuts have on agencies and resi-dents.

Mayor Randy Penn said Meals on Wheels officials told him they expect pro-gram funding to be reduced because of se-quester.

The Meals on Wheels people said they will be able to continue to provide for the current list of clients, he said. However, the funding reductions mean they cant ac-cept any new clients.

The congresswoman suggested city of-ficials urge residents to contact members of Congress and urge them to take action to end the sequester.

DeGette was asked about possible fed-eral reaction to Amendment 64 legalizing recreational marijuana.

We have asked and not received any guidance from the Department of Justice on this issue, she said. I did introduce a bill that legalization of recreational mari-

DeGette

McLean continues on Page 9

DeGette continues on Page 9Dance continues on Page 9

2 Englewood Herald April 12, 20132-Color

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Denver Bronco stands tall for kidsYou dont want to be a running back,

or a slot receiver who has the audacity to enter the area of the gridiron that Den-ver Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard patrols.

But if youre a kid who lacks Peyton Manning-like protection from lifes hard knocks, dont worry.

Wesleys got your back.Woodyard paid a visit to the state

Capitol last week to show his support for a legislative resolution that designates April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.

The resolution, which was adopted by the General Assembly, calls upon all citizens to educate themselves on how they can be the one to make a difference in the life of a child, and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Woodyard is no stranger to causes involving children. He often advocates on behalf of CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates for children and for his own charity, 16 Ways, which benefits kids from underprivileged backgrounds.

To me, its important to step up and be a part of the community, Woodyard said in a recent interview with Colorado Community Media. It only takes one person to make a difference in a childs life. And when youve been given the platform that Ive been given, its important to take advantage of it.

State Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, a sponsor of the resolution, is involved in many child welfare-related issues at the

Legislature. She said that awareness of these types of causes is heightened when-ever community members of Woodyards stature are involved.

Sometimes its the celebrity or some-body who can draw the attention of the community, Newell said. And he has been a great addition to the child abuse preven-tion community because hes drawing in people who are sometimes not necessarily involved.

About the only thing that rivals Wood-yards impact in the community is his play on the field especially on the heels of his performance last season. Woodyard, 26, a Broncos team captain, had a breakout season at weak-side linebacker. He had career numbers in categories that included tackles, sacks and interceptions.

But then theres the way the season end-ed. As a lifelong Broncos fan, I can honestly say that I still havent gotten over Januarys playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. I re-member collapsing on my couch after the game, like my heart had just been ripped

out of my chest, straight out of some Aztec sacrifice ritual.

Seriously, my voicemail and text-message inbox was flooded that night with messages from concerned friends who were making sure that I hadnt taken a leap from the top of downtowns Republic Plaza.

So, yes, it was a painful loss, to say the least and that goes for the players, too.

Its one of those things that I dont think you get over, Woodyard said. But it motivates me. It motivates my teammates.

If the Broncos are going to advance further in the playoffs this season, theyre gonna have to do it without a key member of their defense. Pass rusher Elvis Dumer-vil, a fan favorite in the Mile City High since 2006, will be in a Ravens uniform this season, following a bizarre episode from last month that involved a signed, $8 mil-lion contract not being sent to the NFL in time for the leagues deadline.

OK, so bizarre doesnt do the incident justice. I mean, who transmits a docu-ment literally worth millions of dollars via a piece of machinery that gets less use out of it than a Donkey Kong Atari video game? What, carrier pigeons werent available?

But, I digress.Im gonna miss Doom, Woodyard said

of Dumervil. Doom was a role model to me. He taught me to be a man on and off the field. His leadership and play will be missed.

I talked to him the other day and I told him that I hope he breaks the sack record

in Baltimore, but not against us.But there are plenty of things for Bron-

cos fans to be excited about this season. Among them will be having another guy named Wes to cheer for on game days.

Oh, were very excited, Woodyard said of the addition of Wes Welker to the Broncos receiving corps. Hes an extreme competitor and were so happy to have him on board.

Not only is it gonna be nice to have the former New England Patriots standout on our team, Broncos players are just as thrilled about not having to defend against him.

Absolutely, Woodyard said, laughing. I know (Broncos cornerback) Chris Harris is excited about that. Those guys had some battles.

Woodyard recognizes that he and the Broncos did a lot of good on the field last season. But dont think for a second that he doesnt want to accomplish bigger and better things.

When you think youve arrived, thats when you hit bottom, he said. It was a good season, but I could have done so much more. Im grateful to have the op-portunity to be where I am, but Im looking forward to this season.

Vic Vela is the legislative reporter for Colorado Community Media. Email Vic at vvela@ourcoloradonews.com, and fol-low his legislative updates on Twitter: @VicVela1.

Tree sale marks Arbor DayEnglewood receives award for the 28th straight yearBy Tom Mundstmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

Englewood will hold two separate Arbor Day celebrations, first putting on a tree-climbing demonstration April 19 and then holding a tree sale on April 20.

The citys Arbor Day celebration kicks off at 1:30 p.m. April 19 at Charles Hay World School. There will be a ceremony as En-glewood is honored as a Tree City USA for the 28th year in a row. There will be a tree-climbing demonstration, and blue spruce seedlings will be distributed to all students.

The event is open to the public, and Charles Hay World School is located at 3195 S. Lincoln St.

Activities continue April 20 with the tree sale at Cushing Park. Jerry Barton, parks supervisor, said the first-come, first-served giveaway starts at 8 a.m. and will run un-til all 100 trees have been sold at $10 each. There will be a variety of trees available, but the sale is open only to Englewood resi-dents and each resident can only purchase one tree.

Cushing Park is located at 795 W. East-man Ave. The tree giveaway will be in the parking lot at the west end of the park.

Both Arbor Day events are sponsored in part by the Keep Englewood Beautiful Commission. Traditionally, there are com-mission members who volunteer to help with the Arbor Day activities.

Arbor Day began in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton urged the State Board of Agriculture to set aside a special day to plant trees, with prizes to the counties and the individuals who planted the most trees.. The program was set and, on April 10, 1872, Nebraska residents responded by planting almost a million trees.

In 1874 the governor of Nebraska offi-cially established Arbor Day for the state. By the 1880s, other states had taken up the idea, and planting trees on Arbor Day was becoming an annual event in schools around the country.

The Arbor Day Foundation was created in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day celebration. The foundation was estab-lished to promote Arbor Day and planting trees.

The foundation created the Tree City USA program about 30 years ago as another means of encouraging tree planting. Today, almost 3,500 communities have earned Tree City USA designation.

The river known as the Purgatoire or Picketwire was incorrectly described in a column in the April 4 and April 5 editions of

Colorado Community Media newspapers. The river runs east from Trinidad.

correcTion

so much insiDe the heralD this weekAnnual exhibit. Hundreds of works by young Englewood artists are on display at the citys library. Page 4

Music legend. Hank Williams: Lost Highway brings humor and sadness to the stage in Lone Tree. Page 17

Coming on strong. The Englewood Pirates lacrosse team is a much improved operation this year. Page 19

March Madness. A local man played a high-profile role as a referee in this years NCAA Final Four. Page 23

Englewood Herald 3 April 12, 20133-Color

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President promotes gun control in Denver Obama praises state legislators for new laws By Vic Vela vvela@ourcoloradonews.com

President Barack Obama talked about gun violence during a speech in Denver on April 3, while lauding recent gun-control measures that have been signed into state law, and touting Colorado as being a mod-el of whats possible at the national level.

The presidents remarks at the Denver Police Academy highlighted gun laws that soon will go into effect in the state, includ-ing those that institute universal back-ground checks on gun sales and place limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Citing recent massacres like last years shootings in Aurora and Connecticut, Obama said its now time for Congress to take up similar gun measures for imple-mentation at the national level.

Every day that we wait to do something about it, even more of our fellow citizens are stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun, Obama said.

In Colorado, gun-control bills have dom-inated headlines this legislative session. So far, Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed three bills that have passed the Democrat-ic-controlled General Assembly.

Republicans scoff that the gun measures are nothing but feel-good efforts that only hinder law-abiding citizens ability to ob-tain guns, while doing nothing to get the weapons out of the hands of criminals.

Obamas visit was met with some pro-tests outside the police academy. And, earlier in the day, several Colorado sheriffs held a press event, denouncing further gun-control efforts.

But Obama sees value in passing gun measures. He said Congress needs to ad-dress the loopholes in the current national background-check system for gun purchas-es, as Colorado legislators have done with recent legislation here.

Obama said that if a person wants to buy a gun, you should at least have to go through a background check to show that youre not a criminal, or someone legally prohibited from buying one.

The president cited statistics that indi-cate background checks often do keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

So, this does work, he said. And, by the way, if youre selling a gun, wouldnt you want to know who youre selling it to?

Wouldnt you want in your conscience to know that the person youre selling to isnt going to commit a crime?

Obama also said high-capacity ammu-nition magazines have no place in our com-munities.

I dont believe that weapons designed for theaters of war have a place in movie theaters, he said to applause. Most Ameri-cans agree with that.

The president acknowledged the polar-izing nature that surrounds the gun-control debate. He said Colorado is a state where hunting is a tradition, and where guns are handed down from generation to genera-tion.

And they treat gun ownership with rev-erence and respect, he said.

At the same time, Obama said its im-portant for people to understand where the other side is coming from on these issues.

There doesnt have to be a confl ict be-tween protecting our citizens and protect-ing our Second Amendment rights, the president said.

Among those attending the speech were Hickenlooper and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The two took part in a round-table discussion on gun issues that involved Obama, prior to the presidents speech.

Several state legislators also were atten-dance, including Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Au-rora. Fields whose son was shot to death in 2005 and who sponsored some of the states gun legislation said she felt that her work has been validated by Obamas trip.

President Barack Obama addresses police o cers and other audience members during a speech at the Denver Police Academy on April 3. Photo by Vic Vela

City officials attend presidents speech Mayor, police o cers among those invited to Obama event By Tom Munds tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

Englewood Mayor Randy Penn said it was a complete surprise when he was told he had been invited to be in the audience April 3, when President Barak Obama vis-ited Denver to deliver a speech on gun con-trol.

Invitations were extended to Penn, along with Police Chief John Collins and two members of his staff.

It was new to me. I had never had the opportunity to attend a presidential event like this, Collins said. It was interesting to watch the event unfold. There were more media at the event than there were mem-bers of the audience.

Collins said he was with law enforce-ment offi cers gathered behind the presi-

dent. He said the event was well-organized, and being near the president of the United States is something he will always remem-ber.

Penn said he was given a ticket as a member of an audience of about 300 for the presidential appearance.

The mayor said being near the president was everything he expected. He said it was a special feeling, like being close to a rock star.

When I arrived, I found out I was giv-en the wrong ticket, which allowed me to be among 30 invited guests who took part in a roundtable discussion with President Obama, he said.

The president just sat and chatted with those of us at the table. That was really a special memory for me.

He said his ticket gave him a seat in the front row for the speech, and got him the chance to shake Obamas hand. The mayor said that, too, was special, and he hesitates to wash the hand the president shook.

4 Englewood Herald April 12, 20134-Color

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Student art on display at library Several hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures exhibited By Tom Munds tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

A lot of color covers the walls and tops of bookshelves at the Englewood Public Library, as several hundred works created by young Englewood artists are on display for the annual Student Art Show.

The art show opened April 4, and the artworks will be on display through April 30. The show is free and open to the public.

Seven-year-old artist Cassidy Cas-taneda was joined by family members, including her great-grandmother, for the opening-day reception.

This was fun to make, the girl said about her artwork depicting an ele-phant. I have never seen an elephant, so we used what the teacher showed us. I liked that we got to wrinkle the paper, because an elephants skin is wrinkled.

She said the only change she would make to the artwork would be to make one of the the elephants legs bigger. But she said it is OK as it is, because not all animals are born the same.

Preparations for the event began in earnest a few days before the April 4 opening, when Englewood School District art teachers and parent volun-teers begin putting up the creations of Englewood students ranging from kin-dergartners through 12th-graders. The works include paintings, drawings, sculptures and other media.

Generally, the works are put up by school to make it easier for the artists and their parents to fi nd the specifi c works in the show.

There are hundreds of pieces. Art-works cover most available walls, the tops of the bookshelves and the dis-play cases, and some hang from the ceiling.

Miranda McDowell searched until she found the sculpture of a girl she created.

I like art and I like creating pot-tery, the Englewood High School se-nior said. I like art because it is a way to express myself by being creative.

She also likes to draw, and she tries to draw anything that catches her at-tention.

I like to draw with pencil because, if you make a mistake, you can erase

it, she said with a smile.Ellen Tieberg is a regular library

user who has seen the art show in years past, but this is the fi rst time she has come to the show with one of the artists.

I have seen the art for several years when I have come to the library and I have always been amazed by the qual-ity of the art the students create, she said. This year is special because my son Christian is a kindergartner at Charles Hay World School and we came to see his artwork.

She said her son likes to draw and will do so on about anything, includ-ing using a marker to draw on the wall, an issue that is under discussion.

This is the last year that retiring Englewood High School teacher Sheila Olson will take part in the show.

We got the district art show start-ed about 1990, the art teacher said. The fi rst two years, it was at the high school, and then we moved it to the li-brary so more people could enjoy the art.

She said there is a lot more diversity in the art show now than during the early years. Also, there are a lot of kids doing art now.

There are a lot of kids who are visual learners and I like to see them take up art as their voices, providing a variety of ways to express themselves, she said.

Cassidy Castaneda checks out her creation depicting an elephant on April 4. The girl and her family attended the April 4 artist reception that opened the student art show at the Englewood library. Photo by Tom Munds

Englewood Herald 5 April 12, 20135

Office: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129PhOne: 303-566-4100A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Englewood Herald is published weekly on Friday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT LITTLETOn, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.POSTMASTeR: Send address change to: Englewood Herald, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129DeADLineS: Display advertising: Thurs. 11 a.m.Legal advertising: Thurs. 11 a.m.classified advertising: Mon. 12 p.m.

englewood herald(iSSn 1058-7837) (USPS 176-680)

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Cassidy Castaneda checks out her creation depicting an elephant on April 4. The girl and her family attended the April 4 artist reception that opened the student art show at the Englewood library. Photo by Tom Munds

Mayor pro tem receives two awards Englewood Elks, National League of Cities honor Woodward By Tom Munds tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

Englewood resident Jim Wood-ward was honored twice in about a month for all his work for the community.

In mid-March, he received the gold National League of Cities award for earning 50 credits at-tending NLC leadership classes. The award was presented during the NLC conference in Washing-ton, D.C.

He received his second award on March 30 when he was named the Citizen of the Year by Engle-wood Elks Lodge 2122.

I knew I was to receive the National League of Cities award. I actually completed the require-ments in June 2012 but I didnt receive the award until the March conference, Englewoods mayor pro tem said. The Elks award was a complete surprise and I didnt

even know the lodge was consid-ering me for the award until they called me.

The NLC Gold Award requires a local offi cial to earn 50 credits by attending classes in the fi ve core areas of municipal leadership.

He said he earned two credits for attending a four-hour class and eight credits for attending full-day programs. He earned his fi rst credits in 2006.

I spent the time in these class-es because I felt the material was valuable and I learned informa-tion I was able to bring back to our community, he said.

Woodward is one of the 271 NLC members to have reached the Gold level in the Certifi cate of Achievement in Leadership pro-gram since its inception.

He was honored as Citizen of the Year during the March 30 awards night at the Englewood Elks Lodge 2221 that included honoring police offi cers, fi refi ght-ers and members of the lodge.

Marty Murphy, lodge secretary, made the presentation. She said it was an honor to present the award to Woodward.

He is a man who had volun-teered countless hours to his com-munity, she said He has been on city council since 2004 and served two terms as Englewood mayor.

Woodwards son Jason said his dad enjoys working in the yard and playing golf, but his fi rst pri-ority has always been about giving back to the community.

Jim Woodward was born and raised in Minot, S.D., and visited Colorado the fi rst time in 1969 on his way to San Francisco.

He eventually moved to Colo-rado to stay in 1974, working part time in building maintenance while he went to school at what was then Metropolitan State Col-lege.

He was majoring in human ser-vices and psychology but decided that wasnt the fi eld for him, left school and took a position man-aging a group of commercial of-fi ce buildings.

That eventually led him to the real estate fi eld. He earned his brokers license in 1980 and worked in that fi eld for 12 years, several of them as head of his own company.

He took a position as a director of leasing for a fi rm and did that until 2002, when the fi rm was sold to a larger company and he decid-ed to semi-retire.

He began his volunteer work in the city in 1999 as he accepted appointments to the parks and recreation commission and to the urban renewal authority.

Woodward was appointed to the city council in 2004, success-fully ran for a full term in 2005 and again in 2009. On the council he served as mayor for a pair of two-year terms.

He is eligible to seek another term on the council but has not announced whether or not he will run for re-election.

Englewood Elks Lodge 2221 Secretary Marty Murphy, left, prepares to present the lodges Citizen of the Year plaque to Jim Woodward, right, as his son Jason looks on. The event was part of the March 30 lodge awards night. Photo by Tom Munds

Roscoe Davidson Administration Building

4100 S. Bannock St., 303-761-7050

April 16School board work session will

be held at 6 p.m. in the boardroom.

Bishop Elementary School3100 S. Elati St., 303-761-1496 April 12A spotlight assembly honoring

individual students for academic and citizenship achievements will be held at 8:20 a.m.

April 15

The Cub Club will meet at 9:30 to provide a chance for parents and next years kindergartners to visit the school.

April 18Kindergartners will leave at 9:30

a.m. for a fi eld trip to the Denver Aquarium.

April 19Englewood Rotary Club mem-

bers will distribute seedlings to stu-dents to mark Arbor Day.

Clayton Elementary School4600 S. Fox St., 303-781-7831 April 17

A School Advisory Committee meeting will be held at 5 p.m.

April 18Claytons Big Night Science Fair

will be held at 6 p.m. April 19Englewood Elks will distribute

seedlings to fourth-graders to cel-ebrate Arbor Day.

Cherrelyn Elementary School4500 S. Lincoln St., 303-761-

2102 April 12The Images of the World Assem-

bly will be held at 1 p.m.

April 17The Rotary Club will do a skit at 8

a.m. about their writing contest.A meeting for sixth-grade par-

ents about the transition to Engle-wood Middle School will be held at 6:30 p.m.

April 18The Englewood High School

recycling club members will meet with third-graders at 8 a.m. to pro-mote recycling.

April 19The Lions Club will distribute

seedlings to fourth-graders at 1:30 p.m. in celebration of Arbor Day.

Roscoe Davidson Administration The Cub Club will meet at 9:30 A School Advisory Committee April 17

SCHOOL CALENDAR

6 Englewood Herald April 12, 20136

The Denver Concert Bandunder the direction of Jacinda Bouton

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The bands musical program will feature

Devilishly delightful works and Oceanic favorites.

Saturday April 20 7:30 pmLone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree, CO 80124

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WConcrete utility work fundedCouncil approves money for about 450 locationsBy Tom Mundstmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

City council action April 1 cleared the way for crews hired by Englewoods Concrete Utility to begin work in late spring to re-move and replace sidewalks, curbs and gutters adjacent to about 420 homes as well as to do repair work on city-owned concrete.

This years project will cost about $431,000, plus there will be additional $67,250 contingency fee if needed.

The project isnt paid for en-tirely by the city, because of fees paid by members of the utility, with city funds to pay for work on city-owned concrete.

We are recommending the same contractor we used last year

because we were very satisfied with the quality of the work done for us, said Dave Henderson, public works administrator.

This years project plans for the contractor to do work at about 420 residential locations as well as work in some alleys and on some other city-owned concrete such as corner curbs, alley entrances and concrete alleys.

During the discussion on ap-proving the contract, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Woodward said the con-crete utility is a service for Engle-wood residents.

Membership in the utility is like an insurance policy, he said. Residents who are part of the util-ity pay a small fee and, when the concrete in front of their homes need work, it is done by the utility at no charge to the homeowner.

He added that, in most mu-nicipalities, when concrete is de-termined to need work, the city notified the property owner pay the cost of getting the concrete repaired.

For decades, it was the same in Englewood, with property owners responsible for total cost of repair of the sidewalk, curb and gutter in front of their property.

If a property owner couldnt afford to have the work done, the city could contract to have the bad

concrete replaced and place a lien against the property for the cost of the work, which was paid off when the property was sold.

In 1997, in an effort to ease the financial burden of concrete re-pair, Englewood became the first city in the country to set up a con-

crete utility.When Rick Kahm introduced

the 1997 proposal to the City Council, he said it was a simple system that allows property own-ers to join the utility, pay an annu-al fee, and when that individuals concrete is repaired, the utility pays the bill.

Membership in the utility is voluntary. But, when membership was opened in 1997, only 707 of the almost 11,000 property own-ers in the city declined to be part of the program.

Now only about 600 owners have opted not to participate in the utility.

Utility members pay an annual fee based on the amount of con-crete around the property.

The average annual fee is about $35 for the owner of an Englewood home with a 50-foot frontage.

At the same time, the average cost to remove and replace a 10-foot section of concrete sidewalk curb and gutter is about $350 to $400.

There will be a lot of scenes like this starting in late spring, when concractors hired by the city begin doing repair work for the Englewood Concrete Utility. File photo

Measure would extend work programPlan allows partial benefits for employees with reduced hoursBy Vic Velavvela@ourcoloradonews.com

State lawmakers have voted to renew a rarely used program that gives struggling businesses an alternative to laying off employees.

Senate Bill 157, which has passed both chambers of the Democratic-controlled Gener-al Assembly on party-line votes, would extend the Colorado Work Share Program indefinitely. The program gives businesses the op-portunity to keep their workers at reduced hours, rather than lay-ing them off alto-gether.

Under the pro-gram, which businesses can enter into on a voluntary basis, employees receive prorated unemployment benefits to compensate for the loss of hours.

Workers can receive up to 26 weeks of pro-rated unemployment benefits through Colo-rado Work Share, under recent federal changes made to the program.

The program receives federal money for re-imbursement, rather than adversely affecting the states Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada, a House sponsor of the bill, said the program allows businesses that are going through a temporary tough time to keep skilled workers, instead of losing them.

Kraft-Tharp said in a recent interview that the program helps companies like Vestas Wind Systems, which has reduced employees hours

at their Brighton, Pueblo and Windsor wind-power factories.

This is a pretty specialized field, she said. We dont want to lose those people, or have them move away.

The Work Share program, which was put in place in 2010, and is administered under the Colorado Department of Labor and Employ-ment, had to be taken up again by the General Assembly because it is scheduled to sunset in July. The bill keeps the program going, while making adjustments to keep it in line with fed-eral guidelines.

Kraft-Tharp acknowledges that the program isnt well-known, and that only a handful of Colorado businesses are taking advantage of it. But she expects that to change soon.

There was no money for Department of Labor staff time when it passed in 2010, so the state has not been able to promote this, she said. But, with the new changes, we can access federal grants, so we can allocate staff time to support it.

Republicans are opposed to the continua-tion of the program. The bill passed the Senate without any GOP support in March, and again in the House on April 2.

Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, said dur-ing a recent debate on the House floor that businesses that pay into the states unemploy-ment insurance trust fund could essentially end up paying the wages for competitors workers, even though the workers are still em-ployed there.

So, potentially you can have a competitor down the street paying for the employees of a fellow competitor somewhere else in town, DelGrosso said.

But Kraft-Tharp sees value in the program.The bottom line is, if youre going to be laid

off and if we can help you, were going to help you, she said. Its about keeping people employed and keeping their paychecks coming home.

CapitolReport

City selects 11 award nomineesYoung people recognized for dealing with challengesBy Tom Mundstmunds@ourcoloradonews.com

The Englewood City Council shined the spotlight on a special group of young men and women, selected as the citys 11 nominees for this years Arapa-hoe County Mayors and Commission-ers Awards.

The city program honors young men and women 13 to 19 years old who live in or attend school in Englewood and who have overcome personal obstacles to serve their family, school and com-munity.

They will represent the city as the Arapahoe County commissioners evaluate nominees from communities throughout the county.

The presentation to the award nom-inees was at the top of the April 1 city council agenda.

Mayor Randy Penn welcomed the friends, families and the nominees to the council meeting.

Each of these young people has overcome difficulties in their lives, he said.

We also honor them for how they have persevered to make differences in their own lives and the lives of others. We admire what you have achieved and we are pleased to honor each of you in-dividually.

Leigh Ann Hoffhines, the city com-munications coordinator, also coordi-nates Englewoods participation in the Arapahoe County Mayors and Commis-sioners Award program. She read each of the names of the citys nominees and quoted comments from the individual

who nominated the young man or woman for the award.

Frequently used comments includ-ed, a role model, makes a positive impact on classmates and the school, and is always helpful to others.

Penn handed out the certificates and gift cards to the citys nominees. The other six members of the council lined up to congratulate and shake the hand of each of the nominees.

The young men and women the city honored were:

Colorados Finest Alternative High School Jennifer Dickerson, Hally Fields, Angela Hancock, Kayleigh Jar-man, Fidel Navarrette, Sara Nusickel and Maja Sehic.

Englewood Middle School: Brittany Dean, Yesenia Holguin and Nicholas Spence.

Englewood High School: Shane Menefee.

The names of the citys representa-tives will be forwarded to Arapahoe County.

On April 29, a committee represent-ing the Arapahoe County commission-ers will consider nominees from com-munities throughout the county for county honors.

The program began in 1986. For several years, the YMCA organized and took the lead for the program and the awards.

In 1999, nine counties joined togeth-er to establish Metro Mayors Commis-sioners Youth Association as an inde-pendent organization.

The final association awards event was in 2010.

Since then, Arapahoe and several other counties have continued pro-grams to honor the achievements of special young men and women.

Bill would punish outsourcing on state projectsContractors uneasy with provisions of measureBy Vic Velavvela@ourcoloradonews.com

Democratic lawmakers on April 8 un-veiled legislation aimed at promoting lo-cal hiring and putting in place penalties for contractors who outsource work involving state projects, when avoidable.

But, so far, the so-called Keep Jobs in Colorado Act has been met with uneasiness by representa-tives of the con-tracting field, who are ex-pressing concern over key requirements of the legislation and worry that the bill could run up the cost of doing business with the state.

House Bill 1292 was announced at a Cap-itol press conference, where it was touted as

The family that runs togetherFoonbergs and friends rally for cancer researchBy Jennifer Smithjsmith@ourcoloradonews.com

It was a good plan that almost came together, but it still had a great outcome.

Spurred on by patriarch Jay, the Foonberg family rallied in support of one of their own April 7 during the South Platte River Half Mar-athon in Littleton.

Jay, 77, started running marathons just 20 years ago but has since finished races on all seven continents. Hes currently on a quest to run half marathons in 25 states half in half, he says.

Im no jock. Im noth-ing special, he said. I just do them to say I did them. Im no hero. Id just rather be surrounded by young, healthy people than old people like me.

When he found the half marathon in Littleton, the Los Angeles resident jumped at the chance to visit his son, David, a Jeffer-son County resident.

I thought, `Wouldnt it be great if we ran one to-gether? said Jay.

Fortuitously, Davids cousin Michael, a cancer survivor, had a big event of his own the same week. On April 9, the Greenwood Vil-lage resident accepted the Courage Award from the Melanoma Research Foun-dation during its annual Wings of Hope for Melano-ma Gala.

So the family decided to tie the two together. Da-vid signed up his business, Littleton Drum Studio, to sponsor the marathon, and about 30 Foonbergs, friends and relatives ran or walked it in Michaels honor, including Michael himself.

My father unknowingly did a great thing by giving

(Michael) a huge distraction the past several months, one that also made him healthier, said David.

Michael, a high-school basketball coach, has al-ways been active, and train-ing for the race helped him get back in shape after treatment.

But its kind of bitter-sweet, because hes just been diagnosed with thy-

roid cancer, said David. Its kind of hard to cel-ebrate a year free of cancer when it just started over.

Michael finished the race in a respectable two hours and 38 minutes. But Jay, the man who started it all, hit a snag. He couldnt acclimate to the Colorado elevation, and ended up not running.

I am glad my father wasnt foolish, said David.

Michael Foonbergs friends and family ran the Platte River Half Marathon April 7 in honor of his journey to cancer survival. Courtesy photo

Englewood Herald 7 April 12, 20137

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Concrete utility work fundedcrete utility.

When Rick Kahm introduced the 1997 proposal to the City Council, he said it was a simple system that allows property own-ers to join the utility, pay an annu-al fee, and when that individuals concrete is repaired, the utility pays the bill.

Membership in the utility is voluntary. But, when membership was opened in 1997, only 707 of the almost 11,000 property own-ers in the city declined to be part of the program.

Now only about 600 owners have opted not to participate in the utility.

Utility members pay an annual fee based on the amount of con-crete around the property.

The average annual fee is about $35 for the owner of an Englewood home with a 50-foot frontage.

At the same time, the average cost to remove and replace a 10-foot section of concrete sidewalk curb and gutter is about $350 to $400.

Aircraft firms tax credit gets supportBill aims to boost employment in stateBy Vic Velavvela@ourcoloradonews.com

A bill that would expand tax in-centives for the purpose of new hires in the states aviation field is flying through the Legislature with biparti-san support.

House Bill 1080 modifies the 2005 Aircraft Manufacturer New Employee Tax Credit, which provides a one-time $1,200 tax credit for a new employee that is hired by an aircraft manufac-turer.

The bill expands the available tax incentives to manufacturers that pro-vide aircraft maintenance, repair and modification services, which were not included in the bill from eight years ago.

Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, a bill

sponsor, said its important to extend the existing earned tax credits in an effort to attract high-paying jobs in a growing field, rather than having planes fly to other states just for the purposes of having repairs done.

We have to recognize that big car-riers like United or Frontier, when they need to maintain an airplane, very of-ten theyll fly it to Wisconsin or Chi-cago to do the work there, and then bring it back, he said. I think its ri-diculous that Colorado is losing out on those job opportunities. Why not do that maintenance, why not do more of that final fit and finish kind of work while theyre on the ground here?

Holbert said he was approached about the idea for the bill by represen-tatives from Centennial Airport, which has runways that extend into Holberts Douglas County legislative district. Airport Executive Director Robert Olislagers said Colorado is in a tough competition with other states for tax

incentives for aviation jobs.Twelve hundred dollars in tax

credits doesnt sound like a whole lot, Olislagers said. But, if you add that in with other incentives that Colorado counties are providing, it starts to add up.

Olislagers also said he hopes the bill will create more aviation jobs for veterans, especially when it comes to work that involves modifications of military aircraft.

The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House on April 5 by a vote of 61-2, with two members excused from the vote.

Its a growing industry in Colo-rado, said bill co-sponsor Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada. This bill helps aircraft manufacturers by being able to hire employees.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it will be sponsored by Repub-lican Sen. Ted Harvey of Highlands Ranch.

Bill would punish outsourcing on state projectsContractors uneasy with provisions of measureBy Vic Velavvela@ourcoloradonews.com

Democratic lawmakers on April 8 un-veiled legislation aimed at promoting lo-cal hiring and putting in place penalties for contractors who outsource work involving state projects, when avoidable.

But, so far, the so-called Keep Jobs in Colorado Act has been met with uneasiness by representa-tives of the con-tracting field, who are ex-pressing concern over key requirements of the legislation and worry that the bill could run up the cost of doing business with the state.

House Bill 1292 was announced at a Cap-itol press conference, where it was touted as

a bill that will reform state procurement, the bidding process for state work projects.

Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, said the leg-islation will promote local hiring, domes-tic manufacturing, and will help stop the outsourcing of jobs with taxpayer money.

Our number one job is boosting our states economy and connecting more Col-oradans to good jobs, Pabon said. One way to do that is to ensure that state funds, our taxpayer dollars, go to hire Colorado workers and support Colorado businesses.

The bill would expand the states best value bidding process, to include factors beyond low bidding in awarding contracts, such as the availability of Colorado workers and whether domestic materials like iron and steel are being used for state-backed projects.

The bill also would put in place financial penalties for companies that do not meet a current legal threshold, which requires that 80 percent of all taxpayer-backed state proj-ect labor be conducted by Colorado work-ers.

Sen. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, said that the 80 percent requirement has been on the books since 1933, but that the jail penalty

for company owners who do not abide by the law has not been enforced.

Kerr said the bill would replace jail time with financial penalties for companies that do not comply, with fees as high as $25,000 when violations are found.

We are putting some teeth into a law that is already in existence, Kerr said. And we are making sure that it is feasible for it to be followed, as well.

The bill takes a three strikes and youre out approach to companies that do not comply with the law, which could result in a company no longer being able to do busi-ness with the state. Enforcement will be up to the state Department of Personnel and Administration and the state Department of Labor and Employment.

If somebody violates those rules, theres going to be consequences, Pabon said.

But representatives of the contracting field were not exactly jumping out of their seats with excitement over the bill, during a legislative committee hearing that followed the press event.

Some had neutral positions on the bill, saying they just dont know enough about the legislation or its cost to form an opinion

at this time. But they did express concern over the 80 percent requirement, especially over how its enforced.

Some who testified said that, for ex-ample, it would be difficult for contractors to ensure they are working with Colorado-based materials.

Thats a complicated process, said Craig Clark of Dynaelectric, an electrical contracting company. We have a tough enough time identifying a U.S. project.

Republican members of the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee also expressed concern that contractors would be penalized over things that would be difficult for them to control, such as whether those in the process are being hon-est about whether labor and materials are Colorado-based.

Theres absolutely no way in this free market system that everyone is going to be truthful, said Rep. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction. It gets into the weeds so deep and puts such a burden on a general con-tractor.

The committee ran out of time during the hearing and will vote on the matter at another time.

CapitolReport

8 Englewood Herald April 12, 20138-Opinion

McLean: Conditions of probation include requirement for therapy

opinions / yours and ours

Amid tragedy is forgiveness, accountabilityForgiveness itself is not often a topic in

an editorial, but the recent words of Lisa Clements, wife of slain Colorado pris-ons chief Tom Clements, inspire food for thought.

She stood with her two daughters by her side at her husbands service March 25 in Colorado Springs and said, We pray for forgiveness and peace for the family of the man suspected of taking Toms life, and we pray every day for forgiveness and peace in our own hearts.

She noted she shares her husbands belief in redemption and the ability for the human heart to be changed.

Her comments echo many other ex-pressions of forgiveness in news reports

through the years. One surely was the reaction of the

Amish community in Lancaster, Pa., after a 32-year-old gunman killed several girls in a one-room schoolhouse before killing himself in 2006.

While the Amish community was not in-clined to interact with the media, its stance was clear to not think evil of the gunman and instead pray for the shooters family,

which was further conveyed by neighbors who interacted with the tight-knit com-munity. Some Amish even reached out to comfort the family of the gunman.

Although the level of forgiveness to some surely seemed too generous, it seemed to quiet the surrounding commu-nity as it respectfully honored the perspec-tive of its neighbors, the direct victims of the shooting.

We noticed a similar effect following Lisa Clements thoughtful statements.

The complex mix of grieving, account-ability and forgiveness is too much for any one editorial, but we venture to say the heart does not so quickly follow the mind once someone has decided to forgive.

And while each persons offer of forgive-ness is based on various factors such as whether remorse is expressed a commit-ment to forgiveness reflects the best in all of us, a step toward mending and some-how improving the future to come.

In a recent CNN interview, Lisa Clem-ents said she could be enraged but chooses not to be angry with news that an errant court proceeding allowed the gunman to be released from prison four years early.

She said she will not let it consume her. While she supports this need for account-ability, we admire her strength as she champions a commitment to forgiveness and the steadfast view she shared with her husband that people can change.

our view

Will the Rockies be improved this season?The Colorado Rockies have a new man-ager and have brought in a number of new players for this season. We asked people at

several south metro-area locations if they thought the changes would help the Rock-ies play better baseball this year.

I think the Rockies will do all right .... Pitching has improved and I believe Manager Walt Weiss will have the players working on fundamentals and he will show them how not to do those little things they do when they beat themselves. Doug Severinson, Elizabeth

I do think they will be improved. Several top players are back from injuries and they have some new people on the roster. Also, Walt Weiss as the new manager will teach them to improve on the little things they have to do to win games. Tom OConnor, Englewood

I believe they will be a better team than they were last year. I believe new manager Walt Weiss will bring more energy to the team and I think they have made moves that have strengthened the pitching staff. Trevor Johnson, Denver

I guess I think the Rockies will be better this season because I am always optimistic at the start of the season. I really like the attitude Walt Weiss has brought to the team. I think they will win more than half their games this season. Brian Ewert, Centennial

question of the week

April, dont be cruelI happen to like April. I think April is

a month of optimism, which is saying something, because I humbug just about everything. If anything can go wrong, it will. If I dropped one hundred slices of Wonder Bread coated with peanut but-ter, 98 of them would land peanut butter down. I know it.

Ive known two girls named April, and both of them were beautiful. Maybe that has something to do with it, why I like April. One of them, this is the absolute truth, was named April May. I think she was a June bride, and took the name of her husband, which messed up one of the greatest names ever.

I guess April May sounds like it could be the name of an adult film star too.

T. S. Eliot wasnt as thrilled with April as I am. He wrote The Waste Land in 1922, and it starts this way:

April is the cruellest month, breedingLilacs out of the dead land, mixingMemory and desire, stirringDull roots with spring rainAt the time Eliot was writing The Waste

Land his marriage was failing, and he was suffering from a nervous disorder. There you go. Of course hes not going to write April is the coolest month if he is miser-able.

He could have been referring to Tax Day-month too. Income tax became per-manent in 1913 with the Sixteenth Amend-ment to the Constitution, and income tax day typically falls on April 15.

I always enjoy seeing stories about people who file at the last minute, driving to the post office, and saying, Whew!

I finish my tax returns in February. I have an accountant, a great accountant. Why dont you just use TurboTax? I was asked. Because I have a great accountant, is always my answer. My accountant and his daughter have been doing my taxes for over 20 years. I would miss them.

I am right-brained, so tax codes and forms are a foreign language. My accoun-tant approaches taxes very differently than I ever could. He works with numbers the way I work with colors. He seems to enjoy it, navigating information into compliancy.

I have decided that I will paint for another 10 years, and then quit. And then there will be no more deductions for paint-brushes and stretcher bars. I might be able to do my own taxes again, like I did when I was in college. Clip a W-2 to a one-page form, and be done in five or ten minutes. That would be a relief.

But right now I have a slew of catego-rized envelopes, that turn into rounded-off numbers, that detail every thing I spent and earned as a artist.

Im giving April the benefit of the doubt, and I doubt everything. I think there are crueler months, for one thing. July and August? You can have them. If I had to live in St. Louis in July and August, my poem would start out, July and August are the cruellest months, and the Cardinals are 16 games back.

April is OK with me. Winter is over, and things are blossoming. Its impossible to be a total grouch when things are blossoming. The derivation of the name is uncertain, but the belief is it comes from the Latin aperire, to open, which makes sense, because its the season when trees and flowers begin to open.

April has become infamous for another reason, namely 4:20 p.m. on April 20. Be sure to have some Cheetos handy.

Ironically, April is National Poetry Month. Somewhere a poet will recite The Waste Land to an audience, that might not agree with her, because right outside the lilacs are lilacking away.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net

Finding the right level of toleranceSo what is an acceptable level of toler-

ance? I guess the answer is really situ-ational, as in some instances we can be or become extremely tolerant and in other cases find our patience being tried and maybe even fried.

Thresholds vary based on our personal-ity and are shaped by our life experiences. For example, someone who has been living with chronic pain or frequent injuries may have built up a tolerance to pain. Treatments and therapies that used to be exceedingly painful have become more tol-erable. Aches and pains that were so severe that they sidelined us from lifes activities have given way to our desire to do more.

I know many people in this very situ-ation right now. They are suffering from bad backs, hips, knees, cancer, diabetes and other debilitating diseases. I have seen these same people rise to the occasion and get themselves to an acceptable level of tolerance associated with their pain. The pain or hurt doesnt go away, its just that over time they have conditioned them-selves to accept as much as they possibly can.

What about at work? Where do we draw the line and hold people accountable for performance and productivity? What is our acceptable level of tolerance when either our staff or our managers are not working at the expected level of performance? We can choose to ignore it and hope it will get better, which never works, or we can have a calm and productive discussion and re-set expectations for everyone.

I know for me personally, as a leader or manager and even as an employee, I always felt like others were not keeping up with my pace.

This included my managers and senior executives. In this case it was not a matter of having a discussion with others and re-setting expectations, it was about me realizing that I needed to adjust my ac-ceptable level of tolerance. Once I made that adjustment and got to that point of acceptance, I became less resentful and much more productive.

How much are we tolerating in our relationships? Do our partners, spouses, children, parents, and friends support us and do everything they can to make us feel appreciated, respected and loved? And if not, do we accept that, sweep it under the rug, and again hope that it gets better? It never works. We need to share with every-one what we are willing to accept and tol-erate and what we are not. And as difficult as that may sound, once the conversations have happened in most cases things will begin to get much better.

And as a consumer, as a customer, what is our acceptable level of tolerance? We can choose to continue to shop or eat or drink at places where we dont feel appreciated and receive poor service, or we can decide that there are probably better options, a store, restaurant or bar where the attention to customer service and quality surpasses our expectations.

The point is this: We are in control. We get to determine what we will accept and what we will not. We set the thresholds of tolerance, not anyone else. It is a freeing and liberating feeling when we finally get to that point and our opportunities to enjoy life increase proportionally.

How about you what are you willing to tolerate? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and my hope is that this will be a better than good week for you.

Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former president of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and founder of www.candogo.com

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Englewood Herald 9 April 12, 20139-Color

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Coming Up:

The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia& AlzheimersLearn the dierences between Alzheimer's, otherdementias and normal memory loss due to agingand the programs oered by the Colorado Chapterfor both the person with Alzheimer's and thecaregiver.Presented by David Hoppe, Family ServicesDirector for the Alzheimers Association

Tuesday, April 16, 20134:00 pm 6:00pm

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Myths And MisperceptionsOf Hospice Care

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juana is a states rights issue. It had bipar-tisan support but hasnt been moved for-ward. Well keep trying.

Englewood also expressed concern about the fact the federal grant that made it possible to once again have the police impact team wasnt going to be continued, which could mean the end of the team.

Sears said the grant made it possible to once again have a four-member impact team by hiring offi cers, so offi cers were not taken off the street. He said the impact team works with individuals and residents on specifi c concerns and issues. The pro-gram is in its fourth year. The federal grant paid salaries for the four-member team for three years and the city guaranteed the sal-aries for the fourth year.

I understand this project has been

valuable for Englewood, DeGette said. Please get me a letter outlining the de-tails and what the impact teams benefi ts and achievements are to the community. I doubt we can get the grant continued, but our staff can see if there are other pots of grant money available to help keep this valuable program operating.

The congresswoman said there are hopeful signs the national economy is re-covering from the recession, but with the sequester it is likely the next two or three years will be tough when it comes to federal funding to communities. She then asked if Englewood could weather the challenges.

We are pretty well positioned right now, Penn said. Revenues are up and we are seeing development projects getting underway. It probably wont be easy but I think Englewood can deal with reduced federal spending.

DeGette continues from Page 1

DeGette: Congresswoman sees hopeful signs in economy

Congresswoman Diana DeGette, left, speaks with Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Jim Woodward and Council Member Linda Olson. DeGette met with city o cials April 3. Photo by Tom Munds

My daughter decided it would be a good idea for us to come to the dance to-night, Scott said. She said she thought it would be fun, and I think it will be fun too.

A special booth was set up in a corner of the gym where dads and daughters could select funny hats and things to have their photos taken.

Jaden Serpico, 3, selected hats her family would wear. The group that included Jaden, John and Justin Serpico and Katie Allard posed for photos with the hats and then posed for photos as a family. They all agreed it was a good way to start a fun evening.

The music varied from old-time rock n roll to more modern numbers. Some of the young girls invented their own steps to the faster tunes, while there was some tradi-tional dancing to some of the slower songs. A few dads picked up their young daugh-ters to dance, like Gabriel Orozco and his 5-year-old daughter, Isabel.

This is a beautiful event and it is huge for me, Gabriel said during a break in the music.

My wife and I separated and this is the fi rst time Ive had Isabel. We are having a good time and I asked her if she wants to come with me next year and she said yes.

It seemed almost all the couples knew how to join in for the chicken dance and for the hokey pokey.

The disc jockey had a hula-hoop con-test for the daughters, and most girls kept the hoops going for at least a minute or so. When it was the dads turn, the hoops quickly fell. The comment was that daugh-ters need to give their dads hoop lessons.

Sofi a Novosau was one of those good with the hula hoop. She said she liked to dance with her dad.

This is great and I like the chance to be with dad, the 8-year-old said. He works hard so I dont get to see him or do a lot of things with him. This is great fun for me and for dad.

Dance continues from Page 1

Dance: I like the chance to be with dad

contact children under the age of 18 or the victim during her probation; and she must register as a sex offender.

Another condition of her probation is that she must remain in therapy, and the therapist is to provide monthly reports to the probation offi cer.

However, she was not ordered to under-go sex-offender treatment.

All other conditions of probation are up to her probation offi cer.

McLean had faced two Class 3 felony counts of sexual assault on a child by a per-son in a position of authority,

The case began in late 2011 when Engle-wood police notifi ed the school district they were investigating a sexual assault incident that apparently happened Nov. 18, which was the start of Thanksgiving break.

Brian Ewert, Englewood school superin-tendent, said that in accordance with pol-icy, McLean was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 28, 2011, and on Dec. 8, the district received her resignation

The charges were fi led by the 18th Judi-cial District Attorneys Offi ce, based on the material gathered in the Englewood police investigation.

McLean, with her lawyers, turned her-self in to authorities Jan. 4, 2012, and was advised of the charges she could face. She posted $25,000 bond and was released.

She waived preliminary hearing on March 6, 2012, and her lawyers request for a continuance was granted when she was ini-tially scheduled to be arraigned on May 21. On Aug. 13, the judge granted another ar-raignment continuance and reset the court appearance for Oct. 22, when the not-guilty plea was entered and the trial date set.

McLean continues from Page 1

McLean: Conditions of probation include requirement for therapy

HAVE A STORY IDEA?Email your ideas to Englewood Community Editor Tom Munds at tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com or call him at 303-566-4108.

Amid tragedy is forgiveness, accountability And while each persons offer of forgive-ness is based on various factors such as whether remorse is expressed a commit-ment to forgiveness refl ects the best in all of us, a step toward mending and some-how improving the future to come.

In a recent CNN interview, Lisa Clem-ents said she could be enraged but chooses not to be angry with news that an errant court proceeding allowed the gunman to be released from prison four years early.

She said she will not let it consume her. While she supports this need for account-ability, we admire her strength as she champions a commitment to forgiveness and the steadfast view she shared with her husband that people can change.

Finding the right level of tolerance

How much are we tolerating in our relationships? Do our partners, spouses, children, parents, and friends support us and do everything they can to make us feel appreciated, respected and loved? And if not, do we accept that, sweep it under the rug, and again hope that it gets better? It never works. We need to share with every-one what we are willing to accept and tol-erate and what we are not. And as diffi cult as that may sound, once the conversations have happened in most cases things will begin to get much better.

And as a consumer, as a customer, what is our acceptable level of tolerance? We can choose to continue to shop or eat or drink at places where we dont feel appreciated and receive poor service, or we can decide that there are probably better options, a store, restaurant or bar where the attention to customer service and quality surpasses our expectations.

The point is this: We are in control. We get to determine what we will accept and what we will not. We set the thresholds of tolerance, not anyone else. It is a freeing and liberating feeling when we fi nally get to that point and our opportunities to enjoy life increase proportionally.

How about you what are you willing to tolerate? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and my hope is that this will be a better than good week for you.

Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former president of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and founder of www.candogo.com

10 Englewood Herald April 12, 201310-Color

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Englewood Herald 11 April 12, 201311-Color

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