Lakewood Sentinel 0427 by Colorado Community Media

APRIL 27, 2017

ADVENTURES JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

SCHOOL SAFETY:

First responders train for the worst at former Jeffco school P2

SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING: Twice in a recent two-month span, Denver-area women killed their children, then themselves. In a special report, one father shares the heartbreak of losing his family, and experts give insight into the reasons tragedies like these happen. P 9-12 Make a fresh start. Call today schedule astart. visit! Make Your newspaper isamade possible by advertisers atofresh fresh start. like thisMake one, who support our efforts to keep you Call visit! connected to schedule your community! Calltoday today to to schedule aavisit!

WEST LINE SHINE: East Lakewood development earns praise P4

THE BOTTOM LINE

‘It’s a labor of love. These students don’t get academic credit for this.’ CSM professor Toni Lefton | faculty adviser for High Grade | Page 27

Lakewood Estates Lakewood, CO | 303-625-6437

Lakewood Estates Lakewood Estates The Courtyard Lakewood Lakewood, CO | At 303-625-6437 Lakewood, CO | 303-625-6437 Lakewood, CO | 303-872-0656

INSIDE

VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 25 | CALENDAR: PAGE 31 | SPORTS: PAGE 33

LakewoodSentinel.com

VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 37

2 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

School safety training facility opens in Jeffco Center will help police train for active-shooter situations BY SHANNA FORTIER SFORTIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On the day before the 18-year anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, Jefferson County Public Schools dedicated a training facility where law enforcement agencies and other first responders can prepare for active shooter situations, learn crisis prevention techniques in a real-school environment and use a simulator that offers interactive training for a variety of school threat scenarios. The Frank DeAngelis Center for Community Safety, named after former Columbine High Principal Frank DeAngelis, is located at the Martensen Elementary School building, 6625 45th Place in Wheat Ridge. Martensen opened in 1954 and closed to students in 2011. The facility now serves Jeffco Public Schools safety and security staff, local police and fire departments, other school district security departments, and has also hosted training for the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI. Seventeen agencies have booked 157 days of training at the facility for the 2016-17 school year. “The dedication is a reminder of the importance of continuous work towards school safety and security,” said Diana Wilson, chief communications officer for Jeffco Schools. “We all want to keep our kids safe, but we also know we can’t do that alone as a school district.” On April 20, 1999, 12 students and one teacher died and 20 were injured when two teens went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton. At the time, the crime was the worst school shooting in U.S. history. The training facility is a result of partnerships with the school district, Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office and individual police departments in Jefferson County. “This is a one-of-a-kind facility in the United States,” said Steve Bell,

OF ING N E EV

Frank DeAngelis, former Columbine High School principal, said he thinks every day about the students who were killed at the school on April 20, 1999. PHOTOS BY SHANNA FORTIER chief operating officer of Jeffco Schools. “If there’s one out there that’s something like this, we can’t find it.” The training facility is the vision of John McDonald, executive director of safety, security and emergency planning for Jeffco Schools. “Between 1982 and 2010, our school district has had three school shootings,” McDonald said. “Between 1999 and 2016, the state of Colorado has had seven school shootings. Too many, too much, no more. This facility offers us a place to train. This facility provides a different kind of education. This is where tactics are learned, strategies discussed and egos are checked at this door.” In 2006, Emily Keyes was killed at Platte Canyon High School during a hostage situation. To honor her memory, the training room at Martensen was named the Emily Keyes, I Love You Guys training room. “I love you guys,” was the text she sent her parents minutes before she died. McDonald said that when he started thinking about the community and resiliency that has surrounded Jeffco over the years, he thought of DeAngelis.

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COLORADO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS 1982: Deer Creek Middle School, Jeffco Public Schools 1999: Columbine High School, Jeffco Public Schools 2002: Community College of Aurora 2006: Platte Canyon High School, Bailey 2007: Youth with a Mission Christian Center, Arvada 2010: Deer Creek Middle School, Jeffco Public Schools Wheat Ridge Police Chief Dan Brennan said the new training center fills a void that was left in the community when Martensen Elementary closed. “Frank has been one of my heroes and he is also a mentor and friend,” McDonald said. “I’ve seen him in the middle of crisis and I’ve seen the grief and burden he carries — and the strength that he carries it with.” DeAngelis represents hope, McDonald said, and so does the training

2013: Arapahoe High School, Littleton Public Schools 2016: East High School, Pueblo In total, 19 dead and 29 wounded. facility. So it was only natural to name it after him. “This building is a reminder of all those lives lost,” McDonald said, “and all those lives we will save in the future.”

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Lakewood Sentinel 3

7April 27, 2017

LAKEWOOD NEWS IN A HURRY Green Mountain Water recall Tom Stocker, a member of the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District who was elected in 2014 and whose term ends in 2018, is facing a recall on May 2. John Dahaney appears on the ballot as a replacement for Stocker if the recall is approved. The district serves about 10,000 homes and includes the area from Indiana Avenue and Kipling to Sixth and Yale Avenues. Voters will receive a mail ballot, or can vote in person at 13919 W. Utah Ave. Stocker has indicated me might sue the board of directors if he is recalled. Stocker was censured in November after a board meeting on the 8th where a candidate for the district manager position removed themselves from consideration after an interaction with Stocker,

according to minutes from the meeting. City hosts yard waste cleanup Residents can recycle green, organic yard waste during Lakewood’s free yard waste cleanup events from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays April 29 and May 6 in the parking lot of the Jeffco Public Schools building, 809 Quail St. All material collected will be composted, so only green, organic waste will be accepted such as tree branches, yard clippings, leaves and shrub prunings. Logs smaller than 24 inches long and 6 inches in diameter will also be accepted. Items not accepted include plastic, sod, dirt, trash, treated wood and construction materials such as plywood, brick, concrete, pavers, edging and fencing. Proof of Lakewood residency is

required, but there is no cost to drop off acceptable items. No business or private contractors allowed. For more information, call 303-987-7193 or visit Lakewood. org/Cleanup. RRCC receives Genesis Award The Jefferson Economic Development Corporation awarded Red Rocks Community College with the Genesis Award for “Economic Developer of the Year” for the Arvada Campus expansion at the 24th Annual Industry Appreciation Awards. This award honors an organization that has significantly contributed to sustained economic vitality in Jefferson County through creative leadership, innovation, facilitations, and collaboration both within and outside of Jefferson County. RRCC was nominated by

the City of Lakewood and the Arvada Economic Development Association. The college was the recipient of the same award in 2015. Through the eyes of the child The theme for Mayor Adam Paul’s Lakewood is the city through the eyes of a child, and to that end, Paul wants to know what the children of the city think about Lakewood. Children are encouraged to send thoughts and comments to Paul at Lakewood.org/YouthView. Some of their ideas will be shown on the page and posted to Facebook. Children should tell the mayor: What challenges do they face in Lakewood? What do they like the most? What don’t they like?

Selling a Home on the 1st or 2nd Day (or Without Listing at All) Is Just Not Smart

It’s no surprise that the number of listings rate. Send me an email request and I’ll send “for sale by owner” is at a record low in our you a free RPR report on your home. (Don’t current real estate market. To some readers, be shy about requesting it — it’s quick and that may sound counterintuitive — why pay a free for me to create and send it to you.) The second valuation tool, listing commission when it’s so easy to sell a home? But this is REAL ESTATE which any member of our MLS TODAY can access — not just Realtors — precisely when you need profesis called Realist. When I’m presional representation the most. paring for a listing appointment, I When it’s “this easy” to sell a pull a valuation on both RPR and home, you still need to price a Realist, and often they are close home just right and then be to each other — and far from the prepared to handle tons of Zestimate! I’d be happy to email showings and plenty of offers. you both reports, so you can Sorry to say it, but you’re not well compare them to Zillow’s valuaequipped to handle these tasks! tion of your own house. Let’s consider them one at a The third document I create in time. Pricing your home “just By JIM SMITH, preparation for a listing appointright” is not so easy. Maybe ® Realtor ment is a spreadsheet of compayou give credence to Zillow’s “Zestimate” of your home’s value, but no rable sales near the subject property, using Realtor does. Zestimates deserve even less an MLS program called Virtual Office. Below is an example of that spreadsheet credence than the valuations of county assessors. Like you, Zillow doesn’t have access to which I created for an actual listing. I’ve obscured the addresses of the comps, but you the more accurate valuation tools we use. If your agent is a member of a Realtor can see they’re all townhouses. They’re in the association, he or she has access to RPR, which stands for Realtor Property Resource. This valuation tool is only available to listing agents who are Realtors. Except for really unique properties with hardly any comparable sales to cite, I’ve found RPR to be very accu-

same complex as the 2-bedroom, 2-bath townhouse with 1,172 square feet, plus an unfinished basement, that I listed. Except for having a finished basement, the comp I highlighted is identical. It was listed for $230,000 and sold in 5 days for $241,700. The RPR report for my listing came in at $237,000 and the Realist report came in at $233,000. What would you have listed it for? I listed it for $235,000. Despite a lot of wear & tear from being a rental (especially the carpets), and despite a furnace that really needed replacing, we closed on it this week for more than the listing price — something we wouldn’t have accomplished by listing it for more. Now let me address the “tons of showings” and “plenty of offers.” When listing without an agent, the seller is really challenged on both counts. One of the most important services you receive from a listing agent is the handling of showings, hopefully by a showing service like Showing Time or Centralized Showing Service. (I prefer CSS.) You can’t hire these services yourself, so how are you going to handle all those show-

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ing requests — although you won’t get as many by not listing it on the MLS? Worse than the showing requests is the flood of solicitations you will get from agents whose primary source of business is prospecting “by owner” listings. There’s only one known cure for this annoyance, since the no-call list doesn’t apply when you advertise your home for sale, and that is to list your home with one of them (or us). Only then will the calls stop! Back to the value of a showing service. They screen each caller to make sure they are licensed. After calling you to approve the showing (unless you’ve said that’s not necessary), they give the lockbox code and showing instructions to the showing agent, along with your own detailed instructions such as “remove shoes or use booties” or “dog in garage—don’t enter.” Later, the showing service sends multiple email requests for feedback to each agent and forwards responses to your agent and/or you immediately. You need that! Okay, you’ve listed your home “by owner,” and you have several agents submitting offers. You’re the only party to your transaction

without professional representation! How do you negotiate those multiple offers to your advantage? Trust me, having an agent experienced in that process is worth money in your pocket and gray hairs off your head! Few agents know what the 10 agents at Golden Real Estate know, which is how to “work” multiple offers to your advantage. If an agent sells listings in 1 or 2 days, he or she does not use our approach and probably did not get you the best deal. When you see 0 days on market, it means there was little or no possibility of working with competing offers.

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4 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

An artist’s rendering of Depew Street, after the West Line Village town home project is complete. COURTESY IMAGE

Taking the W Line to West Line Village City officials, residents laud new development as positive step BY CLARKE READER CREADER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For more than 40 years, Maddie Nichols has lived in one of the oldest parts of Lakewood — the Two Creeks neighborhood. With Colfax and Sixth avenues as north and south boundaries, and Sheridan and Wadsworth boulevards on the east and west, the area has seen little increase in development in recent years. “There were times when it looked like everything was going down the drain,” Nichols said with a chuckle. “But because of the W Line, we’re seeing more interest in development. While that’s a good thing, we want to make sure any development will be a positive part of the neighborhood.” Such a development may be on its way with the announcement of West Line Village, 134 new market-rate townhomes adjacent to Sheridan Station, located at West 10th Avenue and Depew Street. “We’ve not seen much development in the area in a while, and the fact that these are market-rate and for sale is a big deal,” said Mayor Adam Paul. “I think this project is going to be a game-changer for the whole area.” The transit-oriented development will include nine distinctive floor plans ranging from 800 to 1,750 square feet, including studios, one-, twoand three-bedroom homes, one- and two-car garages, as well as a front or backyards. Buyers can select upgrade options like balconies, gas fireplaces, hardwood floors, appliance and finish upgrades, and storage solutions. The homes will range from $200,000 to $400,000. The project is being spearheaded by DIRC Homes and Trailbreak Partners.

“This project has been in the works for several years before coming to fruition,” said Doug Elenowitz, principal with Trailbreak Partners. “Our plan has always been not to just build a development, but to build a community.” Trailbreak and DIRC spent years working with Two Creeks and other neighbors to get the project right, a move that Paul said is an example of how development should progress in the city. “We’ve been a part of meetings and discussions, and our neighborhood has appreciated the way they’ve reached out to us,” Nichols said. “Of course, there are always going to be people who are not at all in favor of development, but since it’s going to happen, we want it to be the best quality possible.” The development is named after the W Line, which highlights the many transit options available to residents, explained Michaela Derenne, marketing manager with DIRC homes. “We wanted to capture how convenient it’s going to be to travel for residents,” she said. “They will be able to just step out their door and take the W Line to Denver or Golden, and have all kinds of pedestrian and bicycle options.” Site demolition is already complete, Elenowitz said, and early estimates are that some houses will be ready in late 2017 or early 2018. “This the vision so many of us had when we started thinking about the W Line years ago,” Paul said. “I believe this new community will bring a great energy to the area.” The hope is that the West Line Village will go beyond providing affordable housing options, and catalyze more growth in the east side of Lakewood. “We’d like to see improvements made at places like the shopping center at 10th Avenue and Sheridan,” Nichols said. “We hope this will lead much more positive development around us.”

Lakewood Sentinel 5

7April 27, 2017

JEFFCO NEWS IN A HURRY Drug Take-Back Day The Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office is hosting a drug take-back day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29 at three locations. The three locations are: The sheriff ’s office headquarters, 200 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden Conifer High School, 10441 County Road 73 in Conifer Dakota Ridge High School, west parking lot, 13399 W. Coal Mine Ave. in Littleton Drug take-back days offer residents an opportunity to safely and anonymously dispose of expired, unwanted or unused pharmaceuticals and other medications. Prescription and over-the-counter solid dosage medications, such as tablets and capsules are accepted. Items not accepted are intravenous solutions, injectables, needles, oxygen containers, marijuana and illicit substances such as methamphetamine. Prescription medication should be removed from original containers and placed in plastic or Ziploc type bags prior to drop off. For more information, contact the sheriff ’s office at 303-279-6511. Anybody who is unable to participate in Drug Take-Back Day can always drop off unwanted, unused and expired household medications, such as prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs, to the MedReturn Drug Collection Unit anytime of the year between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, 9485 West Colfax Ave. To learn more, call 303-432-5925.

Ladies Only Sample Tour The Ladies Only Sample Tour (LOST) takes place from 4-8 p.m. May 4 at various shopping districts in Arvada, Golden and Littleton. Bracelets cost $12.50 per person and provide access to receive free samples, treats and beverages from participating businesses. To learn more, visit www.ladiesonlysampletour.com or call 303-797-9507. Spring Gear Sale Colorado Mountain Club’s Spring Gear Sale takes place from 6-8 p.m. May 5 at the American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., in Golden. Attendees will find deals on gently used outdoor gear. Credit cards and cash transactions accepted. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Ten percent of the proceeds from sales will benefit the Colorado Mountain Club. To learn more about the event or the club, visit www.cmc.org. The Mendelssohn Trio West Side Live! Presents is featuring a performance of The Mendelssohn Trio at 7 p.m. May 6 at the Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W. 32nd Ave., in Golden. The Mendelssohn Trio consists of Erik Peterson on violin, Barbara Thiem on cello and Theodor Lichtmann on piano. Tickets cost $17 per person. Tickets are available at the Jefferson Unitarian Church’s office, in the commons area on Sundays or online at www.westsidelivepresents.org.

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April 27, 2017A

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A nationwide search involving hundreds has narrowed to just six contenders to be Jefferson County Schools newest superintendent. At the April 20 study session of the Board of Education, the public was told that out of more than 800 potential applicants, 69 decided to apply. From that group, a consulting firm winnowed down the list to 11 “top candidates.” The candidates come from Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The hiring firm Ray & Associates Inc. presented resumes and information about the 11 to the Jeffco Board at the meeting, but the names and resume details were kept from the public. The five-member board then entered into an executive session where they selected six individuals to interview over the coming days. The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requires school districts to make public the names of finalists

for positions such as superintendent, at least 14 days prior to an offer of employment. Colorado Community Media filed a CORA request for the names of the six candidates selected to be interviewed. The district denied that request on Monday, claiming that the board had not selected finalists yet. The CORA statute define a finalist as “a member of the final group of applicants,” from which the board chooses. In the 2014 superintendent search, also handled by Ray & Associates, the board interviewed five candidates, before announcing a single “finalist.” The first round of candidate interviews is scheduled for this week, including an executive session April 26. A second round of interviews is optional, according to the Ray & Associates timeline. The timeline calls for the board to meet with the consultants this week. The district website says the board hopes to select a candidate in May. “We’ve done some hard work on this, yours is about to begin,” Bill Newman, of Ray and Associates, told the board before it adjourned to executive session to review the

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8 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

JEFFCO FROM PAGE 6

applicants. “Tonight’s goal is to get this down to who you would like to bring in to meet in person.” Before the board adjourned to executive session, board member Brad Rupert reminded the public about the district’s use of confidentiality for the process. “I’d like to remind the public that to some extent we don’t make the rules on this process,” Rupert said. “Many of the candidates we will be talking to already have excellent jobs and they don’t want to alienate

themselves from that job. So there is some need for confidentiality.” The district’s 2014 choice of superintendent was Dan McMinimee, who was approved on a 3-2 vote. McMinimee served three years. The Jeffco school board voted Jan. 12 to not renew his contract, which was to expire in July, and begin a search for a new superintendent. In March, McMinimee stepped down from his position as active superintendent of Jeffco Schools and took on an advisory position. He announced earlier this month that he would be taking the superintendent position with the New America School network of schools for the Denver Metro Area, beginning July 1.

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Lakewood Sentinel 9

7April 27, 2017

‘I LOST ALL OF THEM’ BY ALEX DEWIND | ADEWIND@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Portraits of Ethan Laber, 5, and his brother Adam, 3, teddy bears and blue gemstones — which the boys loved to find in backyard treasure hunts — were displayed for guests at a memorial service at St. Philip Lutheran Church in Jefferson County on Dec. 6. ALEX DEWIND

In a world of grief, Ryan Laber keeps memories of family close

t times, Ryan Laber feels as if he is drifting in the ocean. Grief washes over him in waves, recedes, then comes in again. Other times, he stands in a valley, staring at sheer cliffs encircling him, wondering how he will ever climb out. “Losing all of your children and your spouse — that is a pretty earth-shattering thing,” he says. Since his wife shot and killed their sons and then herself five months ago, the days flash back and forth between memories of life as it was and the reality of life as it is now. He is trying to move forward, wading through the sorrow, coming to terms with his wife’s depression and bipolar disorder, holding onto the joy his sons brought him. “It’s this nonstop buzz of emotion,” Laber says. “What you’ll find is that you’re just trying to look for tangible memories of the things you lost.” Laber, 40, is a 6-foot-3 solidly-built man with a welcoming demeanor and a dimpled smile, a director in an electronics company whose life revolved around his family. The sadness in his brown eyes wells into tears when he remembers. On Nov. 30, police found his wife of 12 years, Jennifer, 38, and their two sons, Adam, 3, and Ethan, 5, dead in the family minivan on an abandoned loading dock outside of a shuttered Sports Authority in Lone Tree. The Douglas County coroner determined the boys each died of a single gunshot wound and Jennifer from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Laber was upstairs in Ethan’s bedroom, where

he and Jennifer read bedtime stories to their sons, when he saw the police car pull up to their Highlands Ranch home later that day. “I put my arms on his bed and I tried to talk to them.” He knew. They were in heaven.

• WHY WE WROTE THESE STORIES See page 14 for an editorial explaining the thought process behind this package.

•

On a March afternoon, Laber sits in a Highlands Ranch coffee shop, next door to Salsa Brava, a favorite Mexican restaurant of his sons. As he talks about their deaths and his grief, his eyes dart from his coffee cup to the room

around him. The day his world shattered was Nov. 29. Laber had left his work at Arrow Electronics in Centennial by 5 p.m. to make it home in time for dinner, as he did every evening. But their home was dark. Jennifer, Ethan and Adam were gone. Confused, Laber started calling friends and family. He wondered if he had unconsciously said or done something to upset Jennifer, a stayat-home mom. He wondered if she had taken the boys and started driving to Minnesota, where they had lived until moving to Colorado two years ago. She had talked about wanting to move back. SEE GRIEF, P10

‘You can only see what’s immediately in front of you, behind you and beside you. You can’t focus on the future.’ Ryan Laber

10 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

What drives a parent to kill a child? Experts point to a variety of reasons, a key one being mental illness

‘Part of the reason that the recent deaths of children at the hands of their own mothers captures our horrified attention is because it is so rare.’

BY ALEX DEWIND ADEWIND@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Every day, Stephanie Schmalz drives by Highlands Ranch on C-470 from her home in Morrison to her job in Lone Tree. So when she learned in November that Jennifer Laber, a Highlands Ranch mother, had killed her two young sons and then herself, the tragedy stayed with her. It moved her to post a message on a Highlands Ranch Facebook page called Word of Mouth: “I didn’t know these kids. I didn’t know this mom. I do, however, know this mom’s heart. She was likely depressed, overwhelmed, feeling worthless, not measuring up to standards that she thought others have set for her — that the world has set for her.” Her post received more than 600 likes and dozens of comments thanking Schmalz, a mother of three, for her words and extending compassion for the family involved. “I feel like what I wrote is what people think about but don’t say,” Schmalz said. “It takes a village to raise kids — it takes a village to raise a family.”

Randi Smith, psychology professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Variety of reasons for ‘rare’ occurrence The Laber tragedy — followed two months later by a similar case involving another Highlands Ranch mother and her 10-year-old daughter — generated an outpouring on social media of compassion, shock and disbelief. Many comments came from women, who although not in any way condoning — or understanding — the killings, expressed empathy for mothers who are struggling with stressors of everyday life or a mental illness such as depression. The resounding questions became: How could this happen? Why the kids? Even among mental health and forensic experts, there is no clear answer.

According to a 2014 study by Brown University in Rhode Island, over the past three decades U.S. parents have committed filicide — the act of a parent killing his or her child — about 500 times every year. Seventy-two percent of the children killed were age 6 or younger. One-third were infants. Ten percent of children killed were between 7 and 18 years old. When a parent also kills himself or herself, the act is referred to as filicidesuicide. Filicide is rare: About 74 million children from infancy to 17 years old live in the United States, according to the U.S. Census. The average number of filicide cases has stayed at about 500 a year for

GRIEF FROM PAGE 9

He called the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office at about 8 p.m. Deputies came to his house, took down information and sifted through credit card transactions. The Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun that Jennifer had purchased earlier that day had not yet shown up. Laber went to bed at about midnight. He slept, somehow knowing he would need energy for the next day. He awoke at 5:30 a.m., and soon after, a neighbor called, asking if he had seen the news. Police had discovered three bodies in a van near the old Sports Authority in Lone Tree. Helicopters circled over the scene. Laber immediately called the sheriff ’s department. He was told there wasn’t enough information yet. “That was code for ‘we are worried about you hurting yourself and we are not going to tell you anything,’ ” Laber remembers thinking. “That’s when it sunk in.” Four months later, Laber still doesn’t understand what went wrong. Friends and family of Jennifer didn’t see signs. Her behavior hadn’t changed. Looking back, Laber believes that she had been planning her suicide for months and reached a point of calm in knowing her life would soon end. The sorrow is overwhelming. But, he

After the tragic loss of his wife and two sons, Ryan Laber passed out blue stones at a celebration of life gathering at O’Brien Park in Parker on Dec. 3. His sons loved to treasure hunt, he said, especially for blue gemstones in the backyard. ALEX DEWIND says, he is not angry: His wife was ill.

•

Ryan and Jennifer met in Minnesota, where they both grew up. Ryan, 26 at the time, was out to dinner with work clients at a restaurant. Jennifer, then 24, was at the same restaurant with friends. They met, dated for two years and married in September 2005. Shortly after, Jennifer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression, Laber says. She was hospitalized more than once in her late 20s following a suicide attempt. It was the first time Laber had ex-

perienced mental illness in someone close to him. And, at first, it angered him, coming so soon after their marriage. One time, after visiting her, he pounded so hard on the armrest in his two-door sports car that it broke. “It was at that point in time that I recognized that I couldn’t sit there and tolerate it,” he says. “I had to do something differently.” Laber reached out to his pastor, who coached him into redirecting his anger. He started going to therapy with Jennifer and attending classes to learn about mental illness. Eventually, Jennifer learned to manage the depression and bipolar

the past 30 years, though the population of the country has grown. According to Randi Smith, a psychology professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, when parents cause their children’s deaths it’s more likely to be accidental or, in some cases, part of an ongoing pattern of child abuse. “Part of the reason that the recent deaths of children at the hands of their 1 own mothers captures our horrified at- a tention is because it is so rare,” Smith e said. Reasons for filicide range from murders committed out of “love” — described as altruistic killings — to child abuse and neglect, but mental illness often stands at the forefront. That’s especially true in cases of the killing of a toddler or adolescent, who has formed an attachment with the parent, said Phillip Resnick, an internationally known forensic h psychiatrist and professor c at Case Western Reserve i University in Ohio. “Killing children once i their role is established i in the family would be an J Resnick extreme measure,” said v g Resnick, who has studa ied filicide for 50 years. “It wouldn’t be done casually or incidentally — it t would require some extreme forces p coming together.” c p SEE PARENTS, P12

disorder with medication and lifestyle changes. The couple felt stable enough to think about starting a family and Ethan and Adam were born a few years later. “We reached a point, years ago,” Laber told mourners at a Dec. 2 vigil, “where the darkness had subsided for a family to be born.” The family’s move to Colorado was prompted by a job opportunity for Laber at Arrow Electronics. Though they were leaving close friends and family, Laber and Jennifer saw it as a fresh start. The family moved to an apartment in Parker before settling in a home in a kid-friendly cul-de-sac neighborhood of Highlands Ranch. Life was easy, simple, with a happy flow from day to day. Laber made it home for dinner every weeknight. He and his sons loved to wrestle. He and Jennifer took turns cooking. On Saturdays, Laber woke up with the boys while Jennifer slept in. They made chocolate chip pancakes. Saturday nights, the four of them went out to dinner, then came home to watch movies on the couch. It was a family ritual. Jennifer was kind and caring with the boys, consistent about teaching them good manners. A vegetarian, she encouraged the boys to eat healthy. She instilled a love for cuddling. SEE GRIEF, P11

Lakewood Sentinel 11

7April 27, 2017

‘Grief is unique — there is no one-box-fits-all’ Therapist talks about importance of working through grieving process BY ALEX DEWIND ADEWIND@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Linda Coughlin Brooks lost her 17-year-old daughter nearly 20 years ago, when she died unexpectedly from epilepsy in her sleep. Brooks, a therapist who knows the grieving process all too well, has since dedicated her life to helping others. “I help someone who doesn’t know if they want to live or die,” said Brooks, sitting in her Greenwood Village Brooks office. Photos honoring her patients’ loved ones who have died cover the walls. “I help them reengage in life.” A former nurse of 37 years, Brooks is certified in death and grief studies. In her private practice, the Grief Journey, she provides care for individuals and families experiencing grief, loss and life transitions, such as a divorce. She also serves as the regional director of Compassionate Friends, a nonprofit organization with more than 700 chapters across the United States for parents who have lost a child.

MANY EXPERIENCE MENTAL ILLNESS

WHERE TO FIND HELP

One in ﬁve adults nationwide experiences a mental illness, according to the National Association of Mental Illness. One in 25 lives with a more serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14 — three-quarters by the age of 24, the association reports. About 2.6 percent of adults live with bipolar disorder. And almost 7 percent of American adults live with major depression, the leading cause of disability worldwide, the National Institute of Mental Health reports. Nearly 60 percent of adults with a mental illness didn’t receive mental health services in the previous year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has found.

Mental health and suicide prevention • Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado: Provides a statewide network of suicide prevention resources and hotlines by county. suicidepreventioncolorado.org/ page-18121. • Colorado Crisis Services: Operates a Crisis Line and Support Line and provides referrals to other mental health services in the Denver metro area. 24/7 crisis line: 844-493-TALK (8255). • AllHealth Network: Behavioral health services, including inpatient and outpatient programs and group, individual and family counseling, offered in locations across south

Research says that individuals experience grief in five stages: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But Brooks said that grief is not linear — the experience is different for every individual. She saw a patient one time for the loss of a dog, a companion. She saw a patient for nearly two years for the loss of a mother. “Grief is unique,” she said. “There is no one-box-fits-all.”

COURTESY PHOTOS

gret, it would be that — even after you think you reach a point of stability — you still need to have the conversation.”

•

After the deaths, family and friends stayed with Laber in his home. But he felt alone. He couldn’t eat. He compared the feeling to an episode of the old, black-and-white television show “Twilight Zone.” The main character travels to Earth to find that there are no other people, only buildings. “There’s this stagnation,” he

• Jefferson Center for Mental Health: Offers a variety of services, from hotline, therapy, counseling and wellness classes. Hotline: 303-425-0300, jcmh.org.

• Jennifer Laber battled depression and bipolar disorder. “She wanted nothing but for Ethan and Adam to have a mother they could depend on, a mother that felt well,” Ryan Laber said. says. “You can only see what’s immediately in front of you, behind you and beside you. You can’t focus on the future. Your eyes can’t look forward.” He sees the boys’ playset in the backyard, the toys in their rooms and the clothes in their closets. Jennifer’s clothes hang in his closet. Her jewelry box rests on the dresser. A pan inscribed with Laber and Jennifer’s names sits in the kitchen. To honor them and be reminded always, Laber printed and hung photos of Jennifer, Adam and Ethan all over the house. Everywhere he looked,

•

Grief support • The Grief Journey: Bereavement care of all types including support groups and individual counseling. 303951-9240, griefandgrowth. com. • Compassionate Friends: Support groups for parents who have lost a child. compassionatefriends.org. • Parents Surviving Suicide: Support groups for those who have lost individuals to suicide. 303-322-7450. • Parents of Murdered Children: For families and friends of individuals who have died by violence. Colorado-pomc. org. For Front Range chapter, contact Phil Clark, 303-7486395.

guilt, and provides resources, such as support groups. Coming to terms with guilt and regret can shift the focus from how a person died to how they lived. And being around peers who have experienced loss and moved forward in life can instill a sense of hope in a grieving individual, Brooks said. The goal, she said, is “to see someone choose life, choose reengagement in a productive way.”

they were there. One day, he opened their urns, wanting to touch their ashes. Overcome with emotion, he collapsed. Mentally and physically exhausted, he stayed on the couch for the rest of the day. “You want to expose yourself to those feelings,” he says, “but sometimes you push too hard.”

FROM PAGE 10

Adam, 3, was a defender of people, his dad, Ryan Laber, says. Ethan, 5, would seek out the kid on the playground who was alone and play with him or her. To honor them, Laber would like to work with an organization for parents who have lost children.

• Adams County Mental Health Center (Community Reach Center): Offers crisis services, and treatment and counseling in the Metro North region for children to seniors for mental health issues from depression and anxiety to more severe disorders. 303-853-3500, www. communityreachcenter.org.

Often, phone calls and check-ins from family members and friends become less frequent as time goes on, as life goes on. But mourning loss is not a journey that an individual can do on his or her own, Brooks said. It requires a safe environment where the individual can honor and work through his or her grief. In her practice, Brooks listens, normalizes the feelings associated with grief, such as anger, regret and

GRIEF “She wanted nothing but for Ethan and Adam to have a mother they could depend on, a mother that felt well,” Laber recounted at the Dec. 6 memorial service for Jennifer and the boys. “In her mind, they deserved the utopia each of them had brought to our lives.” Ethan would seek out the kid on the playground who was alone and play with him or her. Adam, big for his age, was a defender of people. Though he was two years younger than Ethan, they weighed the same. Their favorite activity was treasure hunting for the blue glass gems the family hid in the backyard. Everything seemed to be going the right way for a young family, Laber says. They kept in contact with friends and family in Minnesota. They had a decent home, great neighbors, good schools. “Despite all that stuff, it still crept up,” Laber says of Jennifer’s bipolar disorder and depression. Tears well in his eyes. “If there was any re-

metro Denver. Emergency and crisis intervention line: 303-730-3303. Information or appointments line: 303730-8858.

•

These days, when he has the energy, he spends a couple of hours sorting through his family’s belongings. A friend who lost a loved one told him to take down some of the photos on the walls, so he did, and it helped. In his grieving, Laber has connected with others who have lost a child, a spouse, a close friend. But he finds his situation is different: “I lost all of them. It’s not like I could even be grateful for something that was still left.” The faith community, friends, family and coworkers have helped him on his road to healing, he says. Pastors from four churches reached out to him — he has relied heavily on his faith. People flooded his Facebook and mailbox with messages

and letters. Neighbors, family and friends have continually been by his side. He sees medical professionals and attends support groups to help him cope. He could have shut out the world, Laber says, but he knew that would have led him to depression. Instead, he lets the grief pass through him, following the path of others who have experienced a devastating loss. “I invited them all in to share with me where they found the footholds,” he says. “I take different pieces from what I understand from different people.” Laber is unsure if he will stay in his house. Once a place of memories, he says, it is becoming a house of ghosts. He knows he will never let go of Adam, Ethan and Jennifer. To remember Jennifer, he would like to join forces with an existing statewide organization on suicide prevention. To honor his boys, he would like to work with an organization for parents who have lost children. The future remains too murky to see. But he is certain of one thing: He would like, someday, to be a husband and father again.

12 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

PARENTS FROM PAGE 10

In a 2005 study of 30 filicide-suicide cases published by the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law — written by Resnick and four other authors — 70 percent of the motives were identified as murders committed out of “love” to relieve the real or imagined suffering of the child. The second most prevalent reason was acute psychosis, such as schizophrenia, which can cause delusions. That was the case for LaShuan Harris, a 23-year-old who, in 2005, dropped her three boys, ages 6, 2 and 16 months, into San Francisco Bay. Harris, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, believed she was listening to God and sending her children to heaven. She was found criminally insane and sentenced to a psychiatric hospital. Other motives of filicide have included mistreatment, such as child abuse resulting in death; having an unwanted child; and revenge against a spouse. In March, a Chicago father shot and killed his twin daughters. According to national media outlets, police dispatch heard the father tell his wife he wanted her to live and suffer before shooting her in the leg — she survived — and then shooting and killing himself. Michael Karson, a clinical psy-

chologist at the University of Denver, cited a variety of reasons for filicide, including an “end-ofthe-world” psychosis, when a parent feels that he or she is trying to spare their child from what is to come. Postpartum depression, a hormonal imbalKarson ance that can affect new mothers following childbirth, can be a cause in rare instances, Karson said. In instances of postpartum psychosis, the mother most likely has a history of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder, a mental disorder characterized by symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorder, according to a 2016 report of filicide in the United States authored by Resnick and published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. That was the case for Andrea Yates, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2001 drowning of her five children. The Texas woman reportedly experienced severe postpartum depression and psychosis. She is now in a state mental hospital. Postpartum psychosis occurs in about one out of 1,000 new mothers, as opposed to the two or three out of 100 new mothers who might experience postpartum depression, a common and treatable malady, Resnick said. But, he emphasized, “most people with postpartum de-

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pression don’t go on to harm their child or commit suicide.” In some altruistic filicide cases, the report in the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law says, the parent was depressed and considered the children’s deaths as extended suicides rather than homicides. The study found that parents who killed their children and themselves overall appeared to have high rates of mental illness. Smith echoed that finding. Filicide-suicide scenarios, such as the two recent cases involving mothers and their children in Highlands Ranch, she said, usually occur in the midst of a deep depression with psychotic features or in the midst of a bipolar episode. After the death of his wife and two sons, Ryan Laber publicly spoke of his wife’s battle with depression and bipolar disorder. Jennifer Laber, 38, was diagnosed in her mid20s after a suicide attempt, he said. Her autopsy revealed that she had bipolar-disorder medication in her system at the time of her death. According to the police report, Cristi Benavides, 40, the Highlands Ranch woman who was found dead with her daughter, Emma, in February, had a history of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. ‘Things pass, things get better’ How to prevent such tragedies is the challenge. World Psychiatry, an office

journal of the World Psychiatric Association, suggests that psychiatrists should assess filicide risk in a systematic way, as they do for suicide, by asking questions about childrearing practices, parenting problems and feelings of being overwhelmed — and then provide steps to ensure the safety of all involved. And although many resources exist for those contemplating suicide, Karson wonders whether a parent thinking of filicide would admit to those thoughts. “How,” he asked, “can we arrange a world in which a person in that situation would tell someone?” Several mental health and education experts also say establishing connections for parents to community and the support that can be found there — whether personal or professional — is key. “Many people can profit from talking with mental health care professionals, experiencing support and seeing how to change situations so that they can manage stress more productively,” said Judith Fox, associate professor of the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Psychology experts agree that in many filicide-suicide cases the parent acts on impulse. “Things pass, things get better,” Karson said. “All the lost opportunities — if they could just get past that impulse.”

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Lakewood Sentinel 13

7April 27, 2017

Wheat Ridge corner is getting Lucky’s Boulder-based grocery to anchor 38th and Wads. corner BY ANDREA W. DORAY SPECIAL FOR COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Lucky’s Market, a Boulder-based natural foods grocer, will anchor a redevelopment project on the southwest corner of Wadsworth Blvd. and 38th Avenue next year. The project, named “The Corners at Wheat Ridge” is slated to open spring 2018. Wheat Ridge City Manager Patrick Goff describes The Corners at Wheat Ridge as a neighborhood development featuring multifamily housing, coffee shops, retail and restaurants. “We’re pleased to have locally owned company Lucky’s Market as an anchor,” says Goff. “We believe they will attract new and different shoppers to the area, and also help provide redevelopment opportunities for existing retail centers.” Sam Yujiri lives a few blocks west of 38th and Wadsworth Boulevard. “I’m excited,” Yujiri said about the announcement. “I like change

and I think this development will bring more business and more commerce to Wheat Ridge.” According to Kristen Tetrik, director of marketing and community impact for the grocer, Lucky’s Market believes in making natural foods more accessible, including fresh produce and “never ever” meats that contain no antibiotics or artificial growth hormones, as well as a full bakery free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Tetrik also cites the company’s community impact programs such as ‘Bags for Change.’ “Customers with reusable bags receive a wooden dime for each one used, which they can keep or donate to local nonprofit organizations. Each quarter, we double the amount raised,” says Tetrik. Other community impact programs include specific days in store dedicated to local nonprofits, and “10% for Good.” “When you purchase our private label products, 10 percent of the profits are reinvested back into the community,” says Tetrik. Lucky’s Market was founded in Boulder in 2003 by former chefs Bo and Trish Sharon. Now with 24 stores nationwide, Lucky’s Market has been referred to as the fastest-

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growing small grocery-store business in the U.S. “I’m looking forward to getting healthy food and specialty items that are more affordable,” says Patti Archer, who lives in Westminster but works near the corner of Wadsworth Blvd. and 44th Ave. “I think any time there is competition, the consumer benefits. It’s also nice to see small business succeed.” Tetrik says Lucky’s Market is eager to become part of the Wheat

Ridge community. “People have been asking us to open a Lucky’s Market in Denver for years, and we’re thrilled to expand in our home state of Colorado, as well as support local farmers and producers,” says Tetrik. “Plus, we believe grocery shopping should be fun, not a chore.” In a similar redevelopment project, the city saw a Sprouts grocery store anchor a redevelopment of the southwest corner of 38th Avenue and Kipling Street in 2015.

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14 Lakewood Sentinel

LOCAL

VOICES Our thought process behind this week’s special report

n Nov. 30, Jennifer Laber was found dead with her two sons, ages 3 and 5, in the family minivan outside a closed Sports Authority. Just two months later, on Jan. 30, Cristi Benavides and her 10-year-old daughter were found dead in the basement of a home. In both instances, law enforcement authorities determined the mothers had killed their children, and then themselves. Both families lived in the Douglas County community of Highlands Ranch, one of the more than 20 towns, cities and counties that Colorado Community Media covers. The tragedies devastated family members, neighbors and school communities and generated an outpouring of comments on social media. There was compassion for all involved. But there also was shock and disbelief: Why would a parent kill his or her child? Because the tragedies occurred in such proximity to each

April 27, 2017A

other, and because one of our communities was struggling with the ensuing grief, we thought it important to try to understand why this happened and to put these cases in context of issues surrounding them. Those stories are packaged as a special report in this week’s editions, on our communities’ websites and at coloradocommunitymedia.com. Reporter Alex DeWind spent weeks researching and reporting to find answers to the why. She found that the act of a parent killing his or her child is rare. And that the reasons are varied, but that mental illness is at the forefront. In both of these instances, family members and law enforcement say depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder were present.

A publication of

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One in five adults experiences a mental illness; one in five children ages 13-18 has, or will have, a serious mental illness. It’s time to talk about the issue and make sure resources and support systems exist to help. In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness month in May, a new public health campaign called “Let’s Talk Colorado” gets underway. The campaign, supported by a coalition of agencies led by Tri-County Health Department, focuses on eliminating the stigma around mental illness so that those who need the help will seek it. Look for our story next week about the campaign.

SEE OUR VIEW, P15

Earth Day is every day

ecause we do not think of the next generation, they will never forget us. – Henrik Tikkanen What did you do on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22? I drove – alone – on several errands. After my car was totaled when I was ALCHEMY crashed into recently, though, I now drive a vehicle that uses a bit more gas. So for both environmental and economic reasons, I’m even more cognizant about combining trips. I also did some spring cleaning and some laundry, although with only some bio-friendly deterAndrea Doray gents. I mean, after all, biodegradable cleansers can be more expensive and less effective … right? I took a chance and planted my patio pots before Mother’s Day, and, on the advice of the garden center guy, I purchased bags of soil with only organic compounds because I grow an herb garden as well as flowers. I prepared a meal of bison filet not just because it’s lean and healthy meat, but also because bison are humanely and sustainably raised on ranches, where their hooves actual help reseed and restore the ecosystem. All day on the radio I heard public service announcements reminding us, for example, to choose reusable water bottles (I do) and shopping bags (mostly I don’t). And as I listened to these earth-saving pleas, I couldn’t help but be struck by the dichotomy consistently

LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

OUR VIEW

‘Just do it’ is more than a shoe motto

playing out in our country. Even as more and more of us take personal responsibility for preserving the planet, the current administration systematically dismantles effective safeguards in ineffective attempts to restore jobs and hide cronyism. Scott Pruitt, the man somehow selected to lead the Environmental Protection Agency is hardly a protector himself. He spent much of previous political life challenging, suing and even decrying the need for the very agency he now heads. I awake each morning to the frustrating reality that there’s not much you or I or anyone else inclined to conserve, protect, and sustain our environment can do at this highest level. But I do pick up my pen to converse with you here, and I call and write emails to members of Congress. I’ve now gathered a supply of cloth shopping bags and stowed them in the front of my car so I will remember to use them. My condo community doesn’t do recycling, but I’ve started to collect my paper and my cans and my glass to carry to a friend’s place that does. I’ve decided to buy brown coffee filters next time, not the ones that have been chemically treated to turn them white, and to commit the biodegradable cleaning ingredients. I can remind all of us here to turn off the tap while brushing our teeth or shaving, to choose reusable water bottles, and to find a way to recycle no matter what. The statistics about the amount of plastic – which never goes away – are absolutely staggering. For SEE DORAY, P15

think I’ve mentioned before that I am a runner. Sort of. Not really a happy one, or one by nature. I run because I know that it is good for me (if I do it right), and because there are very few ways to build up cardiovascular endurance HITTING as effectively as simHOME ply putting one foot in front of the other for an extended period of time. At any rate, the hyper-competitive nature of my personality compels me to want to be better at it, which means running faster. So, I Michael Alcorn started doing some research into exercises to help speed, and different processes I could engage in to improve my split times, and so forth. And, in the end, they’re all great and useful, but do you know what I realized it all boiled down to? That, if you want to run fast, you have to run fast. I know. There’s nothing slow runners like more than a good tautology. What I mean by that is that all the exercises and training regimens in the world are not as valuable as simply resolving to run faster for an extended period of time, until your body is used to doing it at that speed. That is how you learn to run faster. It’s really pretty simple. All things considered, I’d still rather be chasing a basketball around the court. It’s the simple answers in life, it

seems, that kill you. The more complicated the answer, the more subjunctive clauses and dependent phrases, the more loopholes and excuses you have to avoid doing what is necessary. Not so with simple answers. You don’t suppose it’s just coincidence that the Ten Commandments uses only 300-ish words, but the U.S. Tax Code requires a semi-tractor, a forklift and Dwayne Johnson to haul around? You want to become a good trumpet player? Play the trumpet. For hours and hours every day, play the trumpet. (This one, I know from experience as a teacher, is an answer that drives students crazy.) You want to become a computer programmer? Then program computers. Learn to write code, learn to write in different languages (are there still different languages? Is Fortran still a thing?), and then simply write. Isn’t that what Malcolm Gladwell told us made Bill Gates special? Speaking of writing, also from experience, you want to be a writer? Then sit down and write. Every day. 500 words, 300 words, a Haiku, something, just write. The simple answers don’t give you a lot of wiggle room, is the problem. And also the wonderful solution. Once you are forced to abandon all the different “buts” and “what ifs” that keep you from taking your interest and turning it in to something productive, you end up with just you and the thing, whatever it is. That’s a

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SEE ALCORN, P15

Lakewood Sentinel A legal newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Lakewood Sentinel is published weekly on Thursday by West Suburban Community Media, 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210, Golden, CO 80401. Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Lakewood Sentinel 15

7April 27, 2017

OUR VIEW FROM PAGE 14

To ensure we presented this sensitive topic appropriately, we followed the media resource guide compiled by the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention to help journalists cover suicide, along with other guidelines for reporting on homicides. l We worked not to sensationalize the stories, to explain in context the reasons that could lead to these tragedies and to find sources with knowledge and authority on the issue. We hope the stories spotlight the importance of public community discussion on mental illness and the need for support systems. Also, a sidebar provides information on resources for grief and mental health support. Finally, when Ryan Laber shared us with the story of his family and his experience with devastating

grief, we committed to him that it would be told with great care, compassion and respect. Journalistic ethics guidelines call on us to minimize harm in the telling of truth. We do that by treating our sources as human beings who deserve our respect and compassion, particularly in circumstances such as these. And to ensure Mr. Laber did not incur any more harm because of our story, we made an exception to our guideline that does not allow sources to read articles before publication. We are conscious of the privilege of telling his story. We wanted to make sure we got it right. We realize these stories may be uncomfortable to read. Our hope is that they bring some understanding of not only the consequences for those left behind but also what can lead to these kinds of tragedies. As one mother said: “It takes a village to raise a family.” In the broader sense, a community is a family. We must take care of each other.

ALCORN FROM PAGE 14

confrontation that you can understand and overcome. By the way, this is not necessarily a philosophy I would adhere to in life-threatening circumstances. “You want to be a swimmer? Dive in a lake.” There may be some necessary preparations. But, generally speaking, life presents very few Gordian knots without

DORAY FROM PAGE 14

example, every piece of plastic ever made still exists today, and we use enough plastic each year to circle the earth four times. And, sadly, more than one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually

simultaneously presenting a sword with which to cut through them. Next time you face a challenge, try to avoid the tendency to discover all the complications, and go, rather, for the simple answer. Oh, yeah, I might have forgotten to mention: “simple” is, in this context, NEVER the same thing as “easy.” Quite the opposite, actually. Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. His novels are available at MichaelJAlcorn.com

from plastic in our oceans. Perhaps most importantly, I can urge us all to make our voices heard – often – about preserving and protecting our most valuable resource, Mother Earth. Andrea Doray is a writer who also urges us to consider the dire situations so much of the rest of the world endures with respect to water, pollution, and unbearable living conditions. Let’s remember our own future generations. Contact her at a.doray@andreadoray.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A yuge cost The Denver Post recently reported that an undocumented Aurora mother hof four was taken into custody when she checked in for her appointment with ICE. According to her attorney she has complied with our law for years, but is now scheduled for deportation. One of her children is developmentally disabled. Besides the obvious lack of compassion, it is worth reviewing the financial impact of this decision. ICE reports the average cost for a deportation in 2016 was $10,854. Furthermore, if the mother is deported, social services ewill undoubtedly bear additional costs of care for this woman’s developmentally disabled child. On a larger scale, if our nation engaged in the mass deportation that ICE seems to be headed towards, the direct cost to taxpayers is estimated by the American Action Forum to be between $420 and $620 billion. This does not include the damage to our economy done as we lose agricultural, service, and skilled tech industry labor. Don’t forget another $20 billion for the proposed “wall” between Mexico and America. Are we sure it makes sense to spend this money deporting law-abiding community members when we could instead be investing this in quality education, healthcare for all, transportation, and affordable housing? Robin Kupernik, Arvada

Where McMinimee fell short In a recent letter to the editor it was suggested that a school superintendent who was hired to ensure quality education for 86,000 students with a $950 million budget (of which $280,000 is going to his compensation) should somehow not be responsible for his own decisions, his approach to communications, and his ability to raise public awareness regarding budget needs vis a vis the mill levy. It’s the board’s job to set strategy and it depends on its full-time, dedicated superintendent to run the business of Jefferson County Public Education. His weakness in doing this has been pointed out several times by numerous readers. I don’t think Mr. McMinimee is a bad administrator or that he has had anything but good intentions for Jefferson County Public Schools. With the recall of the Koch brotherbacked board majority he was left in a tough spot and tried to make that best of it. The board made the right decision after giving him a fair shot. All that said, he did not serve Jefferson County Public Schools successfully. I wish Mr. McMinimee well, and I look forward to an effective leader stepping up to Superintendent position as a result of the current selection process. Marjorie Frantz, Golden

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU If you would like to share your opinion, visit our website at www.coloradocommunitymedia.com or write a letter to the editor. Include your name, full address and the best telephone number to contact you. Send letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

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16 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017

Overcoming stigma and doubts about mental health help

ASK A THERAPIST

Dear Reader: When a friend or family member – or perhaps yourself – is dealing with depression, it can be very challenging. The challenge becomes greater when there is a resistance to securing the appropriate professional help. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health, and this can prevent people from taking action to address their symptoms and move toward recovery. Although many of us may expe-

rience periods of sadness, a diagnosable major depressive episode lasts at least two weeks and impacts a person’s ability to work, carry out usual daily activities and to have satisfying personal relationships. Depression afJennifer Morris fects 6.8 percent of U.S. adults in any given year and one-tenth will experience a mood disorder in their lifetime. An interesting study comparing the impact of mental illness versus physical illness shows that the degree of disability from mild depression is similar to that of epilepsy, moderate depression to multiple sclerosis and severe depression to paraplegia.

CATHOLIC

UNITED METHODIST

ear Community Reach Center: What advice do you have to educate family members and friends – who are opposed to medication for depression and favor a “just-tough-it-out” approach – that medication is an effective tool in conjunction with therapy?

ST. JOAN OF ARC www.StJoanArvada.org 12735 W 58th Ave · 80002 · 303-420-1232 Daily Masses: 8:30am, Mon-Sat Confessions: 8am Mon; Wed – Fri 7:30am & 4:00pm Sat Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 PM Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9:00, 11:30 am, 5:30pm

get the information needed to make an informed decision. Numerous myths surround medications, but they are not addictive, they do not change your personality and the newer medications have few side effects. Lastly, please remember that with appropriate treatment, recovery is possible, and there is hope. Jennifer Morris, MA, LPC, is a therapist at Community Reach Center and is working as the Disaster Response Coordinator and School-Based Mental Health Specialist. She has been with CRC since 1999 and has managed a variety of programs including School-Based Therapy and Outpatient. This column is for educational purposes only, and opinions are not those of this Colorado Community Media. Answers are not specific to any individual and are not a substitute for regular or urgent medical consultation and treatment. To learn more about Community Reach Center, a nonprofit mental health center with numerous outpatient offices in Adams County, visit www. communityreachcenter.org or call 303-853-3500.

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We would never expect someone with diabetes or heart disease to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” yet when it comes to seeking treatment for mental health issues, this is at times the expectation. Some suggested first steps for professional treatment can include, seeing a therapist, talking with your primary care physician, meeting with a psychiatrist and support groups. Resistance to taking medications is not uncommon. However, antidepressant medications are proven effective in treating depression, especially in conjunction with therapy. Antidepressants help alleviate symptoms, but also work on neurotransmitters that influence both physical and psychological symptoms. If your loved one is hesitant to taking medications, perhaps encourage a consultation with their PCP or a psychiatrist to inquire about what options are available, possible side effects and answer any other questions. Meeting with a doctor does not mean they will have to take the medications, but one can at least

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ADVENTURES The Royal Gorge Route Railroad Page 4

a special supplement of

Places To Go Page 2

2017

olorado Adventures

Places to go

ABOUT THIS SECTION Late spring and summer bring a wealth of activities and events to the Denver metro area. Consider all of this: • Miles and miles of hiking and biking trails. • State parks, including Roxborough, Chatfield and Cherry Creek. • Annual family-friendly events that draw thousands of people. Those include Parker Days, Western Welcome Week, Buffalo Bill Days, the Arvada Harvest Festival, the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival and Westy Fest. But sometimes — especially as the weather warms up and the days get longer — you just want to get out of town. Colorado has a multitude of welcoming destinations, and we explore some of them in this section. Some of the destinations in this section are just on the outskirts of the metro area. One of those nearby spots is Estes Park, where you might see an elk or two and can stay at a worldfamous hotel. If you want a longer road trip, consider Telluride. It’s about a sevenhour drive, but you’ll still be in the beautiful state of Colorado. Maybe such a trip will become an annual tradition for your family, one to join the county fair outings and those long summer bike rides. — Chris Rotar

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is in Aspen, of course. Photo courtesy of Chris Council and Emily Chaplin

Aspen

Durango

ELEVATION: 7,908

ELEVATION: 6,512

WHERE IS IT? Most Denver-area road trippers go west on I-70 to Glenwood Springs, then turn southeast on State Highway 82, altogether a trip of about four hours. In the summer, consider going through Leadville to Twin Lakes, then over stunning Independence Pass. NEED TO KNOW: Though typically thought of as the domain of the jet set, Aspen’s got a lot to offer regular folk as well. The Aspen Music Festival and School hosts hundreds of live musical performances though the summer. The free Aspen Art Museum, housed in a daring structure that looks a bit like a wicker basket, houses a bevy of striking pieces. More adventurous visitors might consider a hike to Conundrum Hot Springs, a clothing-optional geothermal spring accessible by an eight-mile trail south of town. FUN FACT:

The Stanley Hotel. Photo courtesy of Visit Estes Park

PLACES TO GO written by David Gilbert

Aspen went through several incarnations before it became some of the most expensive real estate on the planet. Before World War II, Aspen’s population had dwindled to less than a thousand. In the 1970s, counterculture icons like Hunter S. Thompson and John Denver popularized Aspen as a funky, bohemian colony. MORE INFORMATION: www.aspenpitkin.com

WHERE IS IT? The quickest way is down Highway 285, turning west at Del Norte on Highway 160. The most beautiful way is Highway 285, turning west at Poncha Springs, west on Highway 50 to Montrose, then south on Highway 550 – the Million Dollar Highway, a spectacular wend along the shoulder of giant mountains. NEED TO KNOW: Durango is uniquely situated between the desert of the Four Corners region and the mountains of the igneous San Juans. Mesa Verde National Park, with its ancient and mysterious ruins, is just down the road. The Durango and Silverton Railroad heads north out of town through magnificent scenery. Little-known Navajo Lake is 50 miles southeast, straddling the New Mexico border, where a bevy of boat rentals can be had. FUN FACT: Hike back to Denver on the Colorado Trail – the south end is in Durango, the north in Waterton Canyon. Fun fact: The original name of the Animas River that runs through town was the Rio de las Animas Perdidas – the River of Lost Souls. MORE INFORMATION: durango.org

Places to go

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2017

olorado Adventures

Places to go Estes Park

Fort Collins

Glenwood Springs

ELEVATION: 7,522

ELEVATION: 5,003

ELEVATION: 7,761

WHERE IS IT?

There are several gorgeous routes into Estes Park, though the most common is to take Highway 36 northwest out of Boulder. It’s about an hour and a half from Denver. The Peak to Peak Highway, a more scenic route, departs from Golden and goes through Nederland.

North of Denver on I-25 by about an hour and a half. If you hit the Wyoming border, you’ve gone too far – or you’re headed to buy fireworks.

NEED TO KNOW: There are few better jumping-off points to experience Colorado’s high alpine tundra during its brief summer than Estes Park. Trail Ridge Road, which traverses the crest of the Rockies through Rocky Mountain National Park, starts just outside of town. About 11 miles of the road are above timberline. The park is loaded with world-class hiking, views, wildlife and natural splendor. Though quite a bit less remote than the 1980 horror movie “The Shining” made it out to be, the stately old Stanley Hotel offers late-night ghost tours to guests, though they are asked to refrain from hacking open doors with fire axes. FUN FACT: For years, the death toll from the 1976 Big Thompson flood that swept through the canyon to the east of Estes was listed as 144, until in 2008, supposed victim Darrell Johnson was found to be alive and well, living in Oklahoma. It turned out he had decided to ditch a crummy cabin rental without telling anyone, and was presumed dead when the cabin was washed away.

NEED TO KNOW: Fort Collins teems with old-school charm, from the restored trolley that clatters between City Park and College Avenue to the quirky shops in Old Town. Stop at Walrus Ice Cream on Mountain Avenue for a root beer float made with Coopersmith’s Root Beer, or at the Silver Grill Café for gooey cinnamon roll French toast. West of town, head up Poudre Canyon to see the strange folded granite of northern Colorado. The Mishawaka Amphitheatre holds concerts by the river all summer. No visit would be complete without a tour of the New Belgium Brewery. FUN FACT: Horsetooth Reservoir, on the west side of town, submerged the town of Stout when it was filled in 1949. Legend has it that the town’s old stone buildings are still standing deep beneath the surface. MORE INFORMATION: visitftcollins.com

West on I-70, just shy of three hours. NEED TO KNOW: Glenwood Springs has long been known for the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, a massive geothermal soaking pool alleged to have healing properties. Same with the Yampah Spa & Salon, featuring naturally occurring “vapor caves” filled with minerals that some say can cure a range of ailments. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, largely perched atop a mountaintop at the edge of town, features zip lines, a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, and giant swings that fling visitors over the abyss below. Get someone else to drive on the way into town, so you can gawk at Glenwood Canyon. FUN FACT: Doc Holliday, the Old West gunfighter, died in a Glenwood Springs hospital in 1887. Holliday had always figured he’d “die with his boots on,” and his last words – while looking at his bare feet – were “This is funny.” MORE INFORMATION: visitglenwood.com

Places to go

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

MORE INFORMATION: visitestespark.com

The Durango & Silverton Railroad. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Lashmet

Summer color at Linden and Mountain in Fort Collins. Photo courtesy of Tim O’Hara and Visit Fort Collins

2017

olorado Adventures

A Royal Ride The Royal Gorge Route Railroad: an epic adventure

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2017

olorado Adventures

2017

olorado Adventures

Places to go The free gondola from Telluride ascends to Mountain Village. Photo courtesy of visittelluride. com

Grand Lake ELEVATION: 8,369 FEET WHERE IS IT?

Go west out of Denver on I-70, then north on Highway 40 west of Idaho Springs. Turn north on Highway 34 at Granby. NEED TO KNOW:

Grand Lake is Colorado’s largest natural body of water, and boating, sailing and fishing abound. The town of Grand Lake, on the lake’s north shore, boasts a boardwalk with dozens of shops and restaurants. The Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre hosts musicals all summer – this season’s lineup includes “Mamma Mia!”, “Newsies,” “West Side Story” and “Almost Heaven.” Hit up one of the many boat-rental outfits to head out on the lake – local marinas rent everything from paddle boards to pontoon party boats. FUN FACT:

Though on the western side of the Continental Divide, Grand Lake provides water to the Front Range via the Alva B. Adams Tunnel. MORE INFORMATION:

visitgrandcounty.com/explore/towns/grand-lake/

Grand Junction ELEVATION: 4,583 FEET WHERE IS IT?

Due west on I-70, about four hours. Can’t miss it.

NEED TO KNOW:

The undisputed capital of the Western Slope, GJ (as the locals call it) is the hub of desert adventure. Colorado National Monument is just west of town, featuring landscapes of spires and cliffs. Main Street between First and Seventh streets is

a lovely walk of quirky shops and good eats. Stroll a block south on Fifth to check out the top-notch Museum of the West. Venture south of town to journey onto the Uncompahgre Plateau, a vivacious landscape of canyons. East takes you up Grand Mesa, to fab fishing in 10,000 lakes. West goes deep into the Colorado River Canyons. North is no-man’s-land. And, of course, there are the wineries in town and in nearby towns, like Palisade, which is also known for its peaches. FUN FACT:

Peter Heller’s 2012 post-apocalyptic novel “The Dog Stars” is largely set in and around the ruins of Grand Junction. MORE INFORMATION: visitgrandjunction.com

Great Sand Dunes National Park ELEVATION: 7,520 TO 13,604 FEET WHERE IS IT?

The easy way is south on I-25, turning west on Highway 160 at Walsenburg, then north into the park. The prettier way is down Highway 285, turning off onto Highway 17 at the north end of the San Luis Valley. NEED TO KNOW:

The tallest dunes in North America, the Great Sand Dunes cover 80 square miles of the valley floor. Close to Memorial Day, visitors can experience Medano Creek, a temporary stream that flows in successive waves. Intrepid trekkers can head up into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for some stunning scenery.

Places to go

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Sunrise over Colorado National Monument. Photo courtesy of the Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau

2017

olorado Adventures

Places to go ALSO IN THE AREA: Crestone, a lost-in-time hippie village, and Colorado Gators, a geothermal outpost home to some massive reptiles. South of the park is Sand Dunes Swimming Pool, a geothermally heated pool and greenhouse with low-cost rental cabins. FUN FACT:

Legend has it that mysterious web-footed horses roam the dunes in the moonlight. MORE INFORMATION: nps.gov/grsa

Telluride ELEVATION: 8,750 FEET WHERE IS IT?

Go west on I-70 to Grand Junction, then south on Highway 50 to Ridgway. Go west on State Highway 62 to Placerville, then east on State Highway 145. At roughly seven hours from Denver, it’s about as out of the way as a Colorado town gets.

galleries and gourmet restaurants on Colorado Avenue, but for a bird’s-eye view, check out the gondola to Mountain Village – a free, 13-minute ride to a mountaintop town featuring eye-popping views. The other joy of summer in Telluride is access to the high country of the San Juan Mountains, teeming with waterfalls and ghost towns. Coming into Telluride from the east are two of the West’s most famous four-wheel-drive roads: Imogene Pass and Black Bear Pass, the latter dropping precariously into town with a spine-tingling descent down a series of unforgiving switchbacks. FUN FACT:

The summit of Imogene Pass – more than 13,000 feet high – is home to a restored Colorado National Guard installation called Fort Peabody, which was built in 1904 to keep deported striking miners from sneaking back into town. MORE INFORMATION: visittelluride.com Human-powered watercraft on Grand Lake. Photo courtesy of Grand County

NEED TO KNOW:

Telluride is nestled in a stunning box canyon beneath towering peaks. Visitors can stroll the

Places to go

Great Sand Dunes National Park. Photo by Shutterstock.com

Find Clues Solve Puzzles Reach the Goal 860 Tabor St. Suite 210 Lakewood, CO (303) 396-7359

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

2017

Vail

Woodland Park

ELEVATION: 8,022 FEET

ELEVATION: 8,465 FEET

WHERE IS IT?

Due west on I-70 about 2 ½ hours from Denver. NEED TO KNOW:

Though the town’s name is synonymous with skiing, Vail is loads of fun in the summer as well. Events abound. The Bravo! Vail Music Festival will run from June 22 to Aug. 4 this year, featuring chamber, classical and jazz performances. The Vail International Dance Festival will run from July 29 to Aug. 12, and boasts top-notch dance talent from around the globe. The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, showcase all manner of high elevation plants in a variety of settings, crowned by a 120-foot waterfall. FUN FACT:

Vail was founded in the early 1960s by a group of World War II 10th Mountain Division veterans who fell in love with the area while training at nearby Camp Hale in the war years. MORE INFORMATION: visitvailvalley.com

olorado Adventures

WHERE IS IT? Head northwest out of Colorado Springs on Highway 24, about 20 miles from I-25. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, take the back way through Deckers. NEED TO KNOW: The hot new thing in Woodland Park is the Dinosaur Resource Center, a handson kid-friendly dinotopia featuring more than 30 skeletons and “life restorations.” Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is 15 miles west of town, home to fossilized redwood tree stumps and displays of some of the exquisite fossils found in the area. Rangers host night sky programs several times through the summer, taking advantage of the glorious night skies. The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, 10 miles west of town, offers a variety of tours to meet the center’s resident lobos. FUN FACT: At nearly 8,500 feet above sea level, Woodland Park’s average July high temperature is only 74 – the perfect place to beat summer heat within easy reach of the big city. MORE INFORMATION: woodlandparkchamber.com

Vail Village at dusk. Photo courtesy of Abby Hein and Vail Resorts

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Lakewood Sentinel 25

LOCAL

April 27, 2017

LIFE

appeal to home school

Benefits, challenges of parents who teach their kids

HOME-SCHOOL PROGRAMS The Home School Connection offers groupsetting classes for home-schooled children in grades kindergarten through sixth. Students may attend one class a week. Subjects include performing arts, creative writing, science and physical education. Locations are in Westminster, Lakewood and Evergreen.

BY ALEX DEWIND ADEWIND@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ecause of her experience as a student in public schools, Ashley Maes decided to homeschool her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. “When I was in school, I never felt challenged,” the Littleton resident said. “I was present in school but not participating, and I felt like I could do more for my children.” She continues to home-school because of the freedom it provides — her family isn’t restricted to a school-day schedule and her kids can explore their passions and interests, Maes said. Maes’ decision to home-school reflects a trend that has significantly grown over the past two decades. In 1999, there were about 850,000 home-schooled students ages 5 through 17 in the United States, according to a household education survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. That number jumped to an estimated 1.1 million students in 2003 and an estimated 1.5 million students in 2007, the most recent year of the survey. In Colorado, 7,659 students were registered with public school districts as home-schooled in 2016, up from 6,462 students in 2010, according to the Colorado Department of Education. Douglas County School District currently has 509 home-schooled students, the district reports. In fall of 2016, according to records from the Colorado Department of Education, Jefferson County Public Schools had 436 home-schooled students and Adams 12 Five Star Schools had 313. All of the districts’ home-school counts have increased since 2010. Families home-school for a number of reasons. Considered the most important are religious or moral instruction, concern about the school environment and dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools, the survey by the U.S. Department of Education reported. Colleen Sprister, of Sedalia, wanted her four children, ages 7, 9, 11 and 13, to have a Christ-based education. Private school was not in her family’s budget, so she and her husband decided to home-school. Sprister’s children are enrolled in Classical Conversations, an international home-school program with an emphasis on classical learning and Christianity. They work in group settings one day a week with other

For more information, call 720-289-9230 or email info@wwahomeschool.org. Two Roads is a K-12 charter school that offers home-school programs at its two campuses — 6980 Pierce St., Arvada, and 5890 Alkire St., Littleton. Home-school students are required to take a minimum of 6.25 hours of classes per week on campus.

For more information, call the Arvada campus at 303-423-3377 or the Littleton campus at 720-425-6163.

The Academy Charter School, based in Castle Rock, offers a home-school program with curriculum, lessons and classes for homeschooled students in Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Parker. The program is tuition-free with a small cost for materials. For more information, visit academycharter. org/home-school.

FAST FACTS Home-school programs must have no less than 172 days of instruction, averaging four hours a day.

Colleen Sprister, a resident of Sedalia, home schools her four children, ages 7, 9, 11 and 13. She made the decision because she wanted her kids to have a Christ-based education. “I get to see my kids through the good and the struggles everyday ,” she said, “and we get to work through it as a family.” COURTESY PHOTO Classical Conversations students from Castle Rock, Parker and Elizabeth. The other four days, they work on assignments at home. Her kids also participate in recreational activities, such as gymnastics and football, and work on their family’s small-scale farm. Home schooling has strengthened the relationship of her family, Sprister said. “I get to see my kids through the good, the struggles, every day, and we get to work through it as a family,” she said. Like Classical Conversations, many resources provide curriculum for families who home-school. Programs are offered online or as an extension of a public or charter school. Some are free; others have a fee for curriculum and material. When a parent or legal guardian decides to home-school a child, they take on the responsibility for the student’s education, according to the Colorado Department of Education.

That includes providing curriculum, books, supplies and tests and maintaining permanent records. That also includes making sure the student has at least 172 days of instruction a year in basic subjects, such as reading, writing, math, history, science and others. For Maes, taking on the role of a teacher has been challenging. Keeping her kids focused and interested can be difficult, she said. “It’s hard being with your kids all the time and getting them motivated,” Maes said. “Because you’re Mom, they feel like they can argue with you.” Another challenge that some homeschool families face is being labeled with stereotypes, such as socially awkward or sheltered. Maes had concerns about socialization when she first started homeschooling her children, she said. But she no longer worries about that. Her children interact with others when they are out running errands. They play with kids in their neighborhood,

Students in a home-school program must have academic progress evaluated in grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Home schooling is considered nonpublic and is not regulated by the state of Colorado. The parent who oversees the homeschool program is responsible for obtaining and paying for books, supplies and tests. Home-school resources vary because programs can be purchased from private companies or the parent or guardian can create the curriculum. Source: Colorado Department of Education

kids on their sports teams and students at the charter school they attend one day a week. “I used to be terrified that they would be hermits,” Maes said. “They are learning to interact with a variety of age groups.” Maes isn’t sure if she will homeschool her children through high school. She is taking it year by year. For now, the positives outweigh the negatives. “The relationship I am developing with them is different,” Maes said, “and I’m treasuring that because I won’t get that time back.”

26 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

Spending the summer with live music

f there’s a better part of summer than music under the stars, I don’t know what it is. Colorado has no shortage of picturesque locations for LINER summer concerts, NOTES and while everyone is well aware of places like Red Rocks, many more intimidate venues exist that provide a lovely setting for some classic acts. The Denver Botanic Gardens, Arvada Center and Clarke Reader Hudson Gardens in Littleton have concert lineups that are shining jewels. “What makes a good concert series is a mix of the new with the familiar,” said Barry Osborne, marketing manager with Swallow Hill Music, which puts on the concerts at the Botanic Gardens and Arvada Center. “We want these experiences to be like relaxing in your backyard, listening to

WHAT’S PLAYING? To find the Summer Stage Concert Series at The Arvada Center, call 720-898-7200 or visit www.SummerAtTheCenter.com. To find the Denver Botanic Gardens Summer Concert Series, call 1-877-435-9849 or visit concerts.botanicgardens.org. To find the Hudson Gardens & Event Summer Concert Series, visit www.altitudetickets. com. something you really love.” The lineups at all three venues tend toward classic rock acts, with musicians like Three Dog Night coming to the Arvada Center, Joan Jett, Firefall and Yes heading to Hudson, and Stephen Stills, Judy Collins and Randy Newman performing at the Botanic Gardens. “People are really excited about Stills and Collins, particularly because Collins is a Colorado musician,” Osborne said. “Newman is such a great songwriter. I think it will be really interesting to see

how he balances his deep, sarcastic songs with his popular movie songs.” Blues wizards are always fantastic performers, and this summer offers a mix of old hands and the new guard performing. The Robert Cray Band and Jonny Lang will be stopping by Arvada, Littleton will host The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, and the Botanic Gardens hosts blues god Buddy Guy and a special coheadlining performance with Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. “The Taj Mo’ show is going to be really special, because they’re in such high demand as solo artists,” Osborne said. “They’re well-known friends, and seeing them together will reinvent the way they approach their music.” Among the three venues, all your stylistic bases are covered. A fan of country and bluegrass? Clint Black and The Punch Brothers are heading your way. More of a jazz fan? You can’t miss Herbie Hancock and Béla Fleck & The Flecktones and The Chick

Corea Elektric Band. For pop lovers, The B-52s, Michael McDonald, Loverboy and Survivor will all be in town. And if your leanings take you off the beaten path, José González and Dweezil Zappa playing years of his father’s music will more than serve. As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. So I encourage you to check out one of these venues and see someone you’ve always been curious or have heard good things about. “We’ve got the whole summer ahead,” Osborne said, “and we’re really excited about it.” Me, too. Clarke Reader’s column on how music connects to our lives appears every other week. A community editor with Colorado Community Media, he is so excited to see Randy Newman live — he better play “Sail Away.” Check out his music blog at calmacil20.blogspot.com. And share what concerts you’ll be going to this summer at creader@ coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Edge Theater having fun amid the ‘Misery’ Lakewood theater stages Stephen King’s classic BY CLARKE READER CREADER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As a creative person, it is encouraging to know whether people support the work. But for romance novelist Paul Sheldon, his number one fan Annie Wilkes might be a step or two over the line. That’s the setup of Stephen King’s classic horror thriller, “Misery,” which is playing at The Edge Theater this spring. “We want to keep it simple and

just focus on the story,” said actor Rick Yaconis. “We’re taking a very cinematic approach to telling this story to audiences.” Directed by Warren Sherrill, “Misery” runs at The Edge, 1560 Teller St., April 28 through May 21. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday. After a nasty car accident in the Colorado Rockies, Paul (Yaconis) is rescued by Annie (Emma Messenger). As it happens, Annie’s favorite character is Misery Chastain — a character that Paul recently killed in an effort to start a new stage in his career. Needless to say, Annie is less than thrilled about the scenario. “Annie is a very complicated

monster,” Messenger said. “She is this interesting blend of childlike adoration and chilling mental control.” Dan Mundell rounds out the small cast as Buster, which Messenger said adds a dimension of the outside world to the proceedings. There’s a creative challenge that comes with putting on a show as well-known as “Misery,” but Yaconis said going in new creative directions is what the theater does best. “I think people are going to be curious about how this story translates onto the stage,” he said. “We’re bringing a fresh view, and people are going to be on the edge of their seat the whole time.” Annie is such a classic character

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Misery” WHERE: The Edge Theater 1560 Teller St., Lakewood WHEN: April 28 - May 21 Friday - Saturday - 8 p.m. Sunday - 6 p.m. COST: $28 INFORMATION: 303-232-0363 or www.theedgetheater.com

because she’s so mystifying and frightening, Messenger said. This fact, combined with the subtext and scares of King’s work, makes the production a must-see. “I hope everyone comes to love Annie Wilkes,” she said. “I do.”

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7April 27, 2017

Achieving that ‘High Grade’ at School of Mines BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Students at the Colorado School of Mines are more than just aspiring engineers, scientists and mathematicians — they are also skilled artists and creative writers. They seem to be total opposites, but engineering and art collide together surprisingly well, said Rebecca Reeve, 22, a senior studying mechanical engineering who has been painting nearly all of her life. “Art encourages people to think outside the box,” Reeve said. “It’s huge to be able to think outside of the box with engineering.” On April 14, about 150 people attended a release party at the Foothills Art Center for Mines’ 41st edition of “High Grade” — the school’s annual art and literary journal. The journal features varied genres of art in mediums including visual arts, creative writing and music. The content is submitted by students, faculty, staff, alumni or anybody with an affiliation to Mines. “A lot of people don’t realize that engineers are really creative,” said Wenli Dickinson, the journal’s editor-in-chief, who is a junior studying environmental engineering. “The quality of the journal shows that we are more than just engineers.” “High Grade” has had its original name since its founding in 1976 — but the journal itself has evolved a lot. It started out as a couple of standardsized pages stapled together, with the content printed in black and white. Modern versions are a full-color, bound book of about 100 pages. The name “High Grade” has a couple of different interpretations, said Toni Lefton, a professor in Mines’ Humani-

ties, Arts, and Social Sciences Department who has been the faculty adviser for “High Grade” for 18 years. Defined, high grade refers to a topquality ore that is rich in metal value and is commercially profitable, Lefton said. But students around campus often think of it as how hard they work to obtain good grades, she added. Either way, Lefton said, “High Grade” creates a legacy that reflects upon the creativity of the Mines community — past, present and into the future. This year’s journal features more than 50 works of submitted pieces, not including web-exclusive content such as music and fiction that wasn’t printed in the journal. A lot of the 2017 content has the common theme of aging and the passing of time, which served as a framework of sorts for the journal, Dickinson said. Each year, the “High Grade” staff of Lefton and about 25 Mines students, re-

ceives hundreds of submissions, which then go through a jury process to select which submissions will be published in “High Grade.” The journal is not just a bunch of engineers casually getting together to throw some artwork together to pass out around campus, Reeve said. “`High Grade’ is a hidden gem of our school,” she added. In addition to their academic course load, the students work hard to produce a quality journal, Lefton said. “It’s a labor of love,” she said. “These students don’t get academic credit for this.”

Nationally, a hot term in education is STEAM, which integrates arts and design into STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — subjects, Lefton said. Although Mines is a world renowned university for engineering and applied science, there is much more that goes on at Mines, Lefton said. There are robust extracurricular activities and clubs for students to get involved with athletics, as well as visual and performing arts, she added. “Mines is a small STEM school, but the arts are alive here, too,” Lefton said. “We get a little steamy.”

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“High Grade,” Colorado School of Mines’ annual art and literary journal, is available for free to anybody or organization that wants one. This year marks the 41st edition of the d journal, which was released on April 14. To obtain a hard copy of this, or many previous editions, the general public is welcome to stop by the “High Grade” office, which is located in Stratton Hall #413, 1005 14th St., on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden.

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The Golden Transcript office at 722 Washington Avenue (second floor) also has copies available. Full versions of the journal can also be downloaded by visiting http://highgrade. mines.edu. The site also has web-exclusive content such as music and fiction that wasn’t printed in the journal. Any questions about the journal can be answered by sending an email to highgrade@ mines.edu.

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April 27, 2017A

LAKEWOOD NEWS IN A HURRY ‘Shrek: The Musical’ comes to town The Lakewood Stake of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting “Shrek: The Musical” at 7 p.m. on April 27, 28 and 29 at the church, 6465 W. Jewell Ave. Tickets are free. Call Jacquie Pearson at 303-880-1415. RRCC presents Charlie Brown Red Rocks Community College’s Theatre Arts and Dance Department presents the musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Directed by Kelly Jo Eldredge and choreographed by Marilynn Toth, the show runs at 7 p.m. from April 27 through 29 at the college’s

theater, 13300 6th Ave., west end, lower level. Admission is $10. Tickets may be purchased in advance online at www.tinyurl.com/RRCCTickets. Credit and debit cards are also accepted at the door. Prescription Take Back Day Lakewood Police is taking part in National Prescription Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. Residents can bring unused overthe-counter and prescription medications to the police department, upper deck parking, 445 S. Allison Parkway.

Ballet Ariel closes season in Lakewood Ballet Ariel brings its season finale, featuring “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” a new and original ballet based on the short story in Rudyard Kipling’s classic “Jungle Book,” to Lakewood at 7 p.m. April 29 and 2 p.m. April 30 at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. Director Ilena Norton and contemporary choreographer Gregory Gonzales have created this ballet to the melodic and rhythmic music of Alberto Ginastera, a leading Argentinian composer of the 20th century. Ballet Ariel will also perform “La Fille Mal Gardee (The Misbehaving Daughter).”

Tickets are $26 for adults, $23 for students and seniors, and $20 for children. Tickets can be purchased by calling 303-987-7845, at www.Lakewood.org/Tickets, or at the Cultural Center box office. Cofluence acapella to perform The Confluence acapella choir will perform at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 9200 W. 10th Ave. in Lakewood. The performance at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 30, will be the group’s last of the year. Entitled “American SEE BRIEFS, P29

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BRIEFS FROM PAGE 28

Dream,” the show features Appalachian and other roots music of America. A special feature will be the Colorado premiere of “The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass,” which blends a classical-based Mass with bluegrass. Admission is $15 for adults; $9 seniors and students; children under 6 are free. For additional information, call 303-279-2932 or visit confluencechoir.org.

Cultural Center hosts Las Cafeteras The Lakewood Cultural Center presents the music and storytelling of Las Cafeteras at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5. The group creates a remix of traditional Son Jarocho sounds, poetry in English and Spanglish and instruments like jarana, requinto, a donkey jawbone and a wooden platform called the Tarima into one energetic performance. Tickets start at $20 and are available at 303-987-7845, www. Lakewood.org/LCCPresents or the Lakewood Cultural Center Box Office, 470 S. Allison Parkway.

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tattoos and accepting donations. In addition, nearby shops will be offering a percentage of their sales to She Should Run.

Fallen Owl partners with She Should Run Lakewood’s Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio will be collaborating with local women inspired by the She Should Run movement on May 6 by tattooing the inspirational catch phrase. She Should Run’s goal is to inspire women to run at all levels in public office roles. The tattoo studio, 8789 W. Colfax Ave., will tattoo the phrase, “Nevertheless, She persisted” on customers donating to the cause throughout the day on May 6. Although the event has already capped out at 100 preregistered tattoos, the community group will also be offering temporary

FREE LUNCH & LEARN

LWV hosts May book club The League of Women Voters’ nonfiction book club choice for May is “Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations,” by Thomas L. Friedman. The league will host a meeting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17, and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, at the Westland Meridian, 10695 W. 17th Ave., Lakewood. Call Lynne at 303-985-5128 for information.

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April 27, 2017A

Jeffco BOE prepares to give final budget direction May 4 meeting to decide budget, adoption on June 1 BY SHANNA FORTIER SFORTIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A new timeline has been set for the Jefferson County Public Schools 201718 budget, with final direction being presented to staff May 4 and budget adoption on June 1. The original timeline, which had budget adoption on May 4, was revised with the anticipation of more state funding, said Kathleen Askelson, chief financial officer for Jeffco Schools. Discussion on the 2017/2018 budget began in October with additional discussions at board meetings each month since. In a board meeting discussion on March 23, the board directed staff to start building the budget with a conservative estimate of $4 million in new state funds and $19.8 million in increased compensation. However, the Colorado School Finance Act — released April 19, the day before the Jeffco board was to give final direction to staff — indicated a 2.8 percent inflation and $48 million increase of the negative factor. Askelson said this will give Jeffco an additional $8 million.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS TO CLASSROOM ADDITIONS

IF YOU GO

Add additional temporary units to elementary sites

WHAT: Jefferson County Schools Board of Education Meeting

Consider relocating center based programs

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4

Hard boundary adjustments to shift student population into schools with capacity

Initiate split sessions (e.g., K-3 morning, 4-6 afternoon) or year round school

WHERE: Jeffco Schools Board Room, 1829 Denver West Drive, Bldg. 27, Golden

Eliminate/limit choice enrollment options

Source: Jeffco Public Schools

Because of this, she recommended to the board at their April 20 meeting that they push budget adoption back one month and rework the numbers. Reworking includes bringing revue from state funding from $4 million to $12 million and increasing the district wide compensation placeholder from $17.7 million to $24.7 million. The additional million dollars would go into the general fund, which is used for the routine operations. “I think it’s good news,” Askelson told the board. But board member Brad Rupert said he was cautious to “count chickens before they hatch.”

On June 16, 2016 as part of finalizing the Facilities Master Plan, the Board approved that Jeffco Public Schools would move toward a K-5/6-8 elementary and middle school configuration. That decision reaffirmed by the Board in February. In order for this change to happen, the district needs more classrooms at four area middle schools: Drake, Dunstan, Ken Caryl and Creighton. The staff indicated that the additions to Drake and Dunstan middle schools are critical to alleviating area growth trends in the northwest corridor and central areas of Jeffco Public Schools. Ken Caryl and Creighton middle school additions support the ongoing implementation of the 6-8 grade middle school model. The cost of additions at all four middle schools is $26 million. The discussion of the additions was tabled at a February board meeting.

COMMENT: If you would like to address the Jefferson County Board of Education during public comment periods, visit secure2.jeffco. k12.co.us/board/ or email board@jeffco.k12. co.us.

Postpone 6-8 migration Move only Rooney Ranch Elementary School sixth graders to Dunstan

Middle school additions Classroom additions to Drake Middle School in Arvada and Dunstan Middle School in Lakewood were also discussed at the April 20 Board of Education meeting.

AGENDA: The meeting agenda is available at www.boarddocs.com/co/jeffco/Board.nsf.

However, moving into the 2017-18 budget, the Board will be asked to make a decision on funding the Drake and Dunstan additions at its May 4 meeting. The 16 classroom additions at Drake will cost $10.5 million and the eight classroom additions at Dunstan will cost $4.5 million. According to Tim Reed, director of facilities and construction management for Jeffco Schools, construction at both schools would be done and classrooms open August 2018. District staff proposes funding for these additions out of reserve funds.

Skunk found at Stott Elementary in Arvada tests positive for rabies STAFF REPORT

Another skunk has tested positive for rabies in Jefferson County. This one was found on the property at Stott Elementary School, 6600 Yank Way in Arvada. Jefferson County Public Health is urging anyone who may have come in contact with this skunk to notify their healthcare provider immediately. Skunk rabies is on the rise in Jefferson County with 11 skunks testing positive for rabies already in 2017. The public is strongly urged to vaccinate all of their domestic pets and valuable livestock against rabies

and to be sure vaccinations are kept up-to-date. Rabies is caused by a virus that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals and is nearly always fatal. The virus is shed in the saliva of infected animals. People or animals can get rabies from a bite, or from a rabid animal’s saliva if it comes in contact with eyes, nose, mouth or open wounds. Immediate medical treatment is required after exposure to an infected animal. Skunks, bats, foxes, raccoons and other wildlife should not be handled or fed to prevent exposure to this virus.

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7April 27, 2017

THINGS to DO THEATER

Children’s Theater: 1 p.m. Saturdays through April 29, with 11 a.m. shows on select days at Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden. Miners Alley Children’s Theatre presents “Peter and the Wolf.” Call 303-935-3044 or go to minersalley.com. ‘A Skull in Connemara’: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays through April 30 at Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden. Additional show at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 23. A raucous and unsettling comedy about death and dirt. Call 303-935-3044 or go to minersalley.com. Dinner Theater Show: 6 p.m. Sunday, April 30 at Colorado ACTS Theater, 11455 W. I-70 Frontage Road North, Wheat Ridge. “The Diaries of Adam and Eve” is a light-hearted look at the world’s first love story through the eyes of America’s greatest humorist, Mark Twain, whose Garden of Eden bursts with wit, laughter and the lyric poignancy of the first love and the first loss. Call 303-4566772 for reservations. Spring Musical ‘Guys and Dolls’: 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 4-6, and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Event Center at Pinnacle. Presented by Timbergriffen Theater Company, along with students from Early College of Arvada and the Pinnacle Charter school. For tickets, call 720-4734400; they also will also be sold at the door. Las Cafeteras: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. Tickets available at 303-9877845, www.Lakewood.org/ LCCPresents or the box office. Group creates a remix of traditional Son Jarocho sounds, poetry in English and Spanglish and instruments like jarana, requinto, a donkey jawbone and a wooden platform called the Tarima into one energetic and uplifting performance.

ART

Wheat Ridge Quilt Circle: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month in the Red Brick house at Historic Park. Upcoming meetings are April 26, May 24, June 28, July 26, Aug. 23, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Nov. 29. Presented by the Wheat Ridge Historical Society.

this week’s TOP FIVE Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 28-29, and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Colorado ACTS Theater, 11455 W. I-70 Frontage Road North, Wheat Ridge. Delicious story of the adventures experienced by Charlie Bucket on his visit to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. Tickets purchased at the door. Call 303-456-6772, email coloradoacts@yahoo. com or go to www.coloradoacts.org. ‘Misery’: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays from April 28 to May 21 at the Edge Theater, 1560 Teller St., Lakewood. Shows also at 8 p.m. Monday, May 8 and Thursday, May 18. Novelist Paul Sheldon is writing as if his life depends on it, and it does. Adult themes. Call 303-232-0363 or go to www.theedgetheater.com.

those who would like to experience the music and dance and prayer of the afternoon. Contact Christina Bryan at 303-359-1878 or christina.bryan@ colorado.edu to schedule a rehearsal time. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 29 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 30 at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. Ballet Ariel original ballet based on the short story in Rudyard Kipling’s classic `Jungle Book.’ Tickets available at www.Lakewood.org/Tickets, by calling 303-9877845 or at the box office. Go to www.balletariel. org.

Spring Sharing: 2-3 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at First United Methodist Church, 1500 Ford St., Golden. Presented by the Rocky Mountain Network of the Sacred Dance Guild. Dancers and dance groups invited, as are

Paint Mom a Masterpiece: 4:305:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., Arvada. For ages 5-12 years. Outdoor, instructor led class with a step-by-step tutorial. No experience necessary. All supplies included. Dress appropriately for activity and the weather. Register at Arvada.org/public-classes. ‘Damage’ Art Exhibit: open through February 2018 at Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, in the mezzanine near the library. Denver artist Sharon Brown’s exhibit features psychologically charged paintings created mostly from photographs. Go to www. rrcc.edu.

EVENTS

Community Coffee with Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp: 8 a.m. Thursday, April 27 at La Dolce Vita in Olde Town Arvada; and at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27 at Panera in Walnut Creek, Westminster. Contact TracyForStateRep@ gmail.com or 303866-2950 Aging Actively at 50 and Older: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27 at Boulder Public Library Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. Arrive at 6 p.m. for registration and coffee. Presented by EnrichLifeOver50. org, which focuses on the positive aspects of growing older. A Denver area chapter is being formed.

Go to www.ELO50.org for details or to register. SilverSneakers Senior Prom: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, April 28 at the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Theme is the Kentucky Derby - Run for the Roses. Call 303-403-4241 for information. Go to ApexPRD.org Fox Hollow Golf Tournaments: Saturday, April 29 (Two Man Better Ball) and Saturday, May 21 (Spring Stableford). CGA golfers with handicaps may play in the Fox Hollow Amateur Open on Saturday, June 3. This 27-hole facility at 13410 W. Morrison Road, Lakewood, added new tee options for all player levels. Join the golfing fun through October; go to fhmgc. org. Meet 2018 Senate Candidate: 7-9 a.m. Monday, May 1, at Davies’ Chuck Wagon Diner, 10151 W. 26th Ave., Lakewood. Presentation of the Jefferson County Republican Men’s Club. Christine Jensen, 2018 candidate, presents “Why I’m Running for State Senate District 20, Running so Hard, and Why You Shoud be Running with Me.” Republicans, especially students, youth and women, are invited. Go to www.JeffcoRepublicanMensClub.org. Upcycled Gardening: 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., Arvada. For ages 5-10. Learn about seed starting and have a few plants to put in the beds and pots after that last snowfall. Sign up in advance at Arvada.org/ public-classes.

Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Season Finale: 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30 at the Green Center, Colorado School of Mines, 924 16th St., Golden. Tickets for `An Arabian Night’ are available online at www. jeffsymphony.org or by calling 303-278-4237, or at the door before the concert.

Take a Bite of the Big Apple: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4 at Atria of Applewood, 2800 Youngfield St., Lakewood. Join Active Minds as we virtually visit one of the world’s most important cities. We’ll explore the city’s past and present, as well as the important people and places that have shaped this unique city. Call 303-233-4343. Mile High Dowsers: 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Clements Community Center, 1580 Yarrow St., Lakewood. Learn beginning dowsing from Jennifer Newton. Practical dowsing is presented by Jack Roberts, who also will demonstrate the group’s website improvements. Richard Herman is the featured presenter, sharing his knowledge of the dowsing world, which is educational and entertaining. Go to http://www. milehighdowsers.org/ Round Table Issues Breakfast: 7 a.m. Friday, May 5, at American Legion WilmoreRichter Post 161, 6230 W. 60th Ave., Arvada. Learn about local projects and events. Open to the public. Contact 303-424-0324 for cost and other information. Avian Arvada: 8-11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., Arvada. Join an avid birder from the Front Range Birding Company for a bird walk around Oberon Lake. Bring binoculars if you have them; a few extras will be on hand. Dress

Lakewood Sentinel 31

for the weather; bring water and a snack, and meet at the Nature Center. Sign up Arvada.org/publicclasses. Busy Bees, Monarch Butterflies, and other Pollinators: 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 6 at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., Arvada. For ages 5-10 years. Explore the importance of plant pollination and helping all the pollinators in our backyards. Make a native pollinator house to take home and encourage these beneficial insects to spend more time nearby. Presented by Pioneer Farmsteaders. Sign up at Arvada. org/public-classes.

Mountain Derby Daze: 1-5 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at Anchorage Farm, 12889 S. Parker Ave., Pine. Fundraiser celebrates the tradition of the Kentucky Derby. Play games, enjoy a silent auction, have your face painted, compete for prizes and enjoy Southern Derby fare. Mint juleps, beer and wine served; Shirley Temples for the kids. Kentucky Derby race will be aired live as the event finale. Go to www. mrcco.org. Proceeds benefit the Mountain Resource Center. Container Gardening Workshop: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at First United Methodist Church, 1500 Ford St., Golden. A master gardener from CSU’s Extension Service will discuss horticultural techniques as well as design concepts. After the presentation, the master gardener will answer questions about specific concerns. Asian Food Bazaar: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Simpson United Methodist Church, 6001 Wolff St., Arvada. Beef teriyaki and chow mein dinner available for purchase. Baked goods, sushi and omanju also available. Call 303-428-7963 or go to www. simpsonumc.com.

Gardening in Colorado: Growing Veggies and Flowers in Containers: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Wheat Ridge Library, 5475 W. 32nd Ave., Wheat Ridge. Pick up special techniques to grow herbs or your favorite vegetables in containers. The class also covers design concepts for flower containers. Taught by a Colorado State Universitytrained Colorado Master Gardener. SEE CALENDAR, P32

32 Lakewood Sentinel

CALENDAR FROM PAGE 31

International Dawn Chorus: 6-9 a.m. Sunday, May 7, at Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge, 9210 W. 80th Ave., Arvada. Rise early and listen to the chorus of birds starting a new day. Bring your binoculars and join bird enthusiast Doug Shoffner on a bird walk. Family friendly program; no reservations needed. Wheat Ridge Historical Society: 7:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Red Brick House, 4610 Robb St. Social time begins at 7 p.m. Upcoming meetings are May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12,

April 27, 2017A Oct. 10, Nov. 14. The society’s holiday party is Dec. 12 at the Braugh House. American Legion Post 161 Meeting: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at 6230 W. 60th Ave., Arvada. Contact 303-424-0324 for cost and other information. Demographic Challenges: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden. Jefferson County Commissioners and the Jeffco League of Women Voters will discuss key issues identified by the league’s recent study of the county’s demographics and the challenges we will face in the near future. The public is welcome to observe the

discussion; however, no questions will be taken from the audience at this special meeting. League of Women Voters Book Club: 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 in the Lakewood area; and 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 20 at Westland Meridian Library, 10695 W. 17th Ave., Lakewood. Get a copy of the nonfiction book, “Thank You For Being Late, An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations,” by Thomas L. Friedman, three-time Pulitzer prize winner, and be ready to discuss by May. Call Lynne at 303-985-5128 for Wednesday’s meeting location and details about either meeting. The public is welcome.

Food Pantry: open from 9-11 a.m. Wednesdays at New Apostolic Church, 5290 Vance St., Arvada, rear entrance (across the street from Beau Jo’s restaurant). Contact Gertrude at 303-902-6794. Fun with Animals: 10-10:45 a.m. Wednesdays in March at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St., Arvada. For ages 3-6 years. Learn about coyotes, beavers, bugs and fish. Use books, stories, crafts and games. Sign up at arvada.org/public-classes.

HEALTH

Improve Your Body Image: noon and 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 2 at Lifetree Café, 5675 Field St.,

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Lakewood Sentinel 33

LOCAL

7April 27, 2017

SPORTS

Green Mountain baseball gets bounce-back win over Wheat Ridge BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

WHEAT RIDGE — Nobody is perfect, including Green Mountain’s baseball team after suffering its first loss of the season April 15. Despite the Rams (12-2, 4-2 in Class 4A Jeffco League) suffering its first setback of the season against defending 4A state champion Valor Christian, Green Mountain stayed at No. 5 in the CHSAANow.com 4A baseball rankings last week. More importantly then holding steady in the state rankings, Green Mountain got back in the win column April 17 with an 11-6 victory over conference rival Wheat Ridge (8-6, 2-4) on the Farmers’ home field. “You never know how kids are going to respond to their first getting kicked in the teeth a little bit,” Green Mountain coach Brad Madden said. “They bounced back well against a really good Wheat Ridge baseball team.” Green Mountain sealed the win with a 5-run top of the sixth inning after the Farmers had to go to their bullpen. Sophomore pitcher Aaron Arcilise came in with a 4-2 record and two saves, battled through five innings. Green Mountain finished with a dozen hits. Eight of nine starters had hits. Dylan Jacob, Thomas Lyall and Sage Schaller combined for six hits and six RBI. “We wanted to get to their bullpen as quick as possible,” said Green Mountain junior JD Wadleigh who picked up his fifth victory on the mound for the Rams. “We wanted to get to their thinner area of pitching.” Luke Kuberski and Schaller both had 2-run singles in the big top of the sixth inning for the Rams. Senior Matthew Ramirez capped off the inning with an RBI triple to put Green Mountain up 11-4. “You fight some mistakes with your young kids. You hope your seniors guys kind of leads the way. That really didn’t happen today,” Miller said. “Hopefully you have a short memory and we are

Green Mountain junior JD Wadleigh has five victories on the mound this season as the Rams head down the final stretch of the regular season before the postseason begins in a few weeks. DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS back at it on Wednesday.” Jacob, the Rams’ starting third baseman, has a loaded schedule last week. Jacob was Green Mountain’s starter quarterback this fall in the football field, played basketball in the winter is now juggling baseball and swimming for the Rams this spring. Friday night he had prelims for the Jeffco Invite at Meyers Pool. On Saturday morning he went 1-for-3 from the plate with an RBI in a 7-1 victory against Evergreen and then head back to Meyers Pool for the finals of the Jeffco Invite. “This is one of my busier weeks. It should be a lot of fun,” said Jacob, who will play football at Western

State Colorado University next fall. “It keeps me out of trouble as I like to say. I’m always staying busy. It’s just great to grind with the two sports and put it all together.” The top two teams in the final 4A Jeffco standings earn automatic bids to the postseason. RPI points will determine the remainder of the 32-team playoff field. Valor, Green Mountain, Golden, Wheat Ridge and Evergreen were all within the top 32 in the 4A RPI standings heading into this week. Dennis Pleuss is a communications specialist for Jeffco Public Schools with a focus on athletics and activities. For more Jeffco coverage, go online at CHSAANow.com/Jeffco.

4-0 shutout of Green Mountain on April 21. Hamblen extended her goal scoring streak to eight games. Maddie DeHerrera, soccer, sophomore, Ralston Valley: She scored three goals and wound up with seven points in the Mustangs’ 6-0 triumph over Bear Creek on April 17. Dominic Baca, track, senior, Alam-

eda: He fashioned a time of 54.31 to win the 800 meters on April 18 at the Clear Creek Frontier League meet. Megan McGriff, lacrosse, sophomore, Bear Creek: McGriff scored three goals on seven shots and picked up 11 ground balls in the Bears’ 10-4 win over Wheat Ridge on April 20.

JEFFCO STANDOUT PERFORMERS Michael Thorne, baseball, sophomore, Faith Christian: He didn’t have an at bat during the 19-3 win over SkyView Academy on April 20 but he walked four times, scored four runs and stole three bases. Laryssa Hamblen, soccer, sophomore, D’Evelyn: Hamblen scored three of the Jaguars’ four goals in a

STANDOUT PERFORMERS are five athletes named from south metro area high schools. Preference is given to those making their debut on the list. To nominate an athlete, contact Jim Benton at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Pushing through the pain can pay off

hile talking with Jack Huber, I could only think about how it takes a few steps to get everything working after sitting for a while and how things I used to be able to easily do are now harder. And I’ve never had a OVERTIME major injury. Jack Huber, a senior wrestler and football player at ThunderRidge, has undergone surgeries for injuries to his shoulder, knees and chest. Despite pain plus long rehabilitation stints, he kept grinding and qualiJim Benton fied for the state wrestling tournament three straight seasons. He finished fifth at 182 pounds in the 2017 Class 5A tournament. “The injuries started my sophomore year,” he said. “I had to decide if I wanted to keep doing this because of all the money spent for the surgeries, and it was painful. I decided to stick it out, one more year, one more time.” Huber signed a letter of intent to wrestle at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo during an April 27 signing ceremony at ThunderRidge. He will join his brother Joe on the Mustangs’ wrestling team. Joe Huber was a 2015 Ponderosa High graduate. “A year ago, I didn’t know if I would be able to wrestle,” Jack said. “I didn’t know with the surgery if it was going to work. I feel good now. I feel normal again.” No mercy for boys volleyball bid Boys volleyball took a called third strike at the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Legislative Council meeting on April 20. The club-level Colorado Boys High School Volleyball Association and the CHSAAsanctioned Tri-Peaks League prepared a proposal requesting that boys volleyball be sanctioned as a two-classification spring sport. But, for the third time in recent years, a bid to have the sport sanctioned was denied when 54 percent of the 72-member council voted to not even open the classification and League Organizing Committee report for consideration. Also at the meeting, a mercy rule for all levels of boys and girls basketball was considered by the council and approved by a 59-11 vote. If a team has a 35-point lead after three quarters, a running clock will start and only stop for timeouts, injuries and free throws. In hockey action, Chaparral and Woodland Park will be added as new teams for the 2017-18 season. Former swim coach honored Former Littleton boys and girls swim coach Maurice “Stringy” Erwin will be one of six people inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. The 53rd annual induction banquet, set for SEE BENTON, P39

34 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

Faceoffs are where it all begins Techniques to gain possession have huge influence on outcome in boys lacrosse

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It might not look like a game of rock-paper-scissors when two players trot to the center of the field for a faceoff in boys lacrosse, but that’s a complicated form of what it is. The player who has the better plan to counter the other player’s move and is able to execute usually is the winner. And winning faceoffs is crucial to a team’s success. Teams face off at the start of the game, the beginning of each quarter and after every goal is scored. “Possession is a big part of the game,” Bear Creek coach Issac NelsonGarner said. A faceoff starts with two players crouched with their sticks lying horizontally on each side of the midfield line. The ball is place between the head of each stick and the butt-end pointing down the midfield line. Once the whistle is blown, each player fights for the ball in an effort to gain possession. “Winning face offs is a mixture of power and speed,” ThunderRidge senior Brett Naves said. “If you’re faster than the other guy, you can win, but if you are stronger than the other guy, you can also win. So it’s kind of like a rock-paper-scissors match.” Basic faceoff techniques include the clamp, jam and rake. The clamp can be neutralized by a jam. The rake usually loses to the clamp but the rake can beat the jam. “I start with the clamp, but if I’m getting beat with a clamp I usually like to switch it up and try jumping him,” Ponderosa sophomore Andy Bauer said. A jump is when a player holds down the stick of the opponent who has clamped. A player using the clamp quickly moves his wrists over so the

Valor Christian sophomore Eric Pacheco controls a faceoff against Ponderosa sophomore Andy Bauer during an April 11 game at Echo Park Automotive Stadium. Pacheco claims winning faceoffs in high school is about efficiency. JIM BENTON

Girls game features a different move

back of the head is clamped down on the ball before the opponent. The jam is a move where the head and shaft are punched over the ball to block the opponent from any access. The rake is when the player moves his stick under the jam before it can disable him. “You have to have the right body and special muscles. You need special reflexes and you need more shoulder power to press and you need good foot

movement,” Wheat Ridge sophomore Tanner Spirek said. But physical attributes just might be secondary. “The most important quality for a faceoff player is competiveness,” Littleton coach Andrew Paredes said. “If that player has a refuse-to-lose attitude, he will fight and scrap for every loose ball and win them more often than he loses them.”

Basic moves used by players taking faceoffs in boys lacrosse. Clamp: A player using the clamp quickly moves his wrists over so the pocket of the lacrosse stick is clamped down on the ball before the opponent can do so. Jam: The jam is a move where the stick is punched over the ball to block the opponent from any access. It is a defensive move to gain possession of the ball instead of creating a fast break. Rake: The rake is when the player moves his stick under the jam before the opponent gains possession. The ball is usually raked away from the opposing faceoff specialist. Jump: Used to counter almost any move by picking up the head of the stick and pushing it forward over the ball, with the stick usually under the stick of the opponent. Punch: A move to counter the jump where the ball is punched with the stick forward to be scooped up. Sources: www.coachup.com; Stack.com; blog.comlax.com/nation/articles/thelacrosse-faceoff

LEADING THE WAY The top boys faceoff percentage leaders from area schools, through games of April 20: • Nick Pacheco, Valor: .786 • Ryan Stewart, Cherry Creek: .780 • Brett Boos, Chaparral: .747 • Eric Pacheco, Valor: .722 • Mike Madayag, Golden: .719 • JT Simonton, Cherry Creek: .716 • Duke Hindman, Littleton: .713 •Shawn Casebolt, Lakewood: .694 • Alex Fielding, Heritage: .647 • Landon Nolta, Mountain Vista: .636 Paredes also points out that, as in hockey, other players need to be involved in gaining possession following a faceoff. “An excellent faceoff unit can control the game for its team,” Parades said. “While the faceoff player himself is the central part of that unit, the three players combined really make a difference. There will be games when SEE LACROSSE, P39

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Lakewood Sentinel 35

7April 27, 2017

Puccio coming home to lead Green Mountain boys hoops program

LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain High School has a new boys basketball coach, but he is a very familiar face to the Rams’ community. Mike Puccio, a 2000 graduate of Green Mountain, helped the Rams advance to the Class 5A state quarterfinals his senior year before losing to eventual state champion Palmer. “I’m looking forward to coming home where it all started for me over 20 years ago and being apart of the GM family again,” said Puccio, who was the boys varsity head basketball coach for Standley Lake in Westminster for nine years. Puccio takes over for Derek Van Tassel, who has coached Green Mountain’s boys basketball, along with the Rams’ boys and girls golf programs for nearly a decade. Van Tassel stepped down from coaching basketball to spend more time with his family, including watching his daughter Kelli play for Colorado Mesa University’s women’s basketball team. “We are excited that Coach Puccio is coming back home to GM,” Green Mountain Principal Colleen Owens said. “The Green Mountain Community is a special place. As a GM Alum, I know the pull on the heart strings that many of us who return to our alma mater feel. GMHS is a hub of the community and we are proud of our schools.” Green Mountain had a 10-14 record last season. The Rams did qualify for the 4A state playoffs, losing to Falcon in the opening round. Green Mountain was a senior-laded squad, so Puccio will have his work cutout for him with the Rams play-

ing in the tough 4A Jeffco League that features defending 4A state champion Valor Christian, along Golden, D’Evelyn and Evergreen that all made at least the state quarterfinals. Puccio played at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling and finished his playing career in 2005 playing at Colorado State UniverPuccio sity-Pueblo. He started his coaching career in 2002 for the Colorado Chaos club basketball program. Puccio also served as an assistant coach under John Anderson at Golden High School and was the junior varsity coach at Green Mountain during the 2006-07 season when Rudy Martin was the varsity coach at Green Mountain. Puccio spent one year as an assistant coach for Standley Lake’s boys basketball program before taking over the head varsity job during the 2008-09 season. “The Green Mountain Athletic Department is very proud to have such a quality person and coach on our coaching staff,” Green Mountain Athletic Director Tommy Dodge said. “We support the message of education-based athletics here at GM and Mike shares the same mission as us. We are excited to see how he will grow our students into men and teach them the proper life skills that we can through sports.” Dennis Pleuss is a communications specialist for Jeffco Public Schools with a focus on athletics and activities. For more Jeffco coverage, go online at CHSAANow.com/Jeffco.

Answers

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

THANKS for

PLAYING!

36 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

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Rep

Nancy

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Comment

Pf 1

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Lakewood Sentinel 37

7April 27, 2017

Services A/C

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38 Lakewood Sentinel

April 27, 2017A

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Remodeling

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Sprinklers

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To advertise your business here, call Karen at 303-566-4091

Lakewood Sentinel 39

7April 27, 2017

BENTON

LACROSSE

FROM PAGE 33

FROM PAGE 34

April 27 at the Denver City Marriott, is sold out and Erwin’s family and friends have reserved three tables to honor the longtime coach. The three-sport letterman at Litteton was a Lions coach for 46 years. He coached baseball and football in addition to swimming. His boys swim teams won seven state titles and the girls squads captured five state crowns. Valor Christian quarterback Dylan McCaffrey will be honored as Boys High School Athlete of the Year.

your faceoff player wins most of the balls himself.” Good faceoff players are specialists and FOGO (faceoff and get off) has become a revered position. Valor Christian sophomore Eric Pacheco is one of the state’s top faceoff specialists. “At the high school level, everyone is really an elite faceoff guy,” said Eric Pacheco, whose

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.

senior brother Nick also takes faceoffs. “You are not really going to run into anyone with faster hands or quicker reaction time. It’s more about efficiency. Nick and I really work to be efficient on faceoffs. We work on not having wasted movements and being technical.” Chaparral junior Brett Boos is second in the state in winning faceoff percentage and leads in ground balls. But he also plays some as a defensive midfielder. In a recent game against Ponderosa, he won 15 of 19 faceoffs by

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te, References ani available r g r s you need r y fo mic * Bathrooms pan cera * Kitchens m d o * Backsplashes e c an * Entry Ways abl stone d r * Patios, Decks ffo rble, a * Other Services an ma as required

Tree Service

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pushing the ball downfield and picked up six ground balls. “Quickness and strength are the keys to winning faceoffs,” he said. “And ground balls help the team keep possession.” A winning faceoff percentage can usually be traced to winning teams. Once a team scores, wins a faceoff, keeps possession and has another chance to score, it often leads to scoring sprees. “If you don’t have the ball,” Valor coach John Grant Jr. said, “you can’t score.”

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