29-412-3
J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 3
June 16, 2016
A publication of
ArvadaPress.com
Water parks bring smiles to patrons of all ages on PAGE 14.
SUMMERSPLASH
Event expected to draw thousands of visitors to city
By Crystal [emailprotected]
For approximately 2,800 soccer players, next week is one thebiggest weeks of the summer.
Its the US Youth Soccer Presidents
Cup, held this year in Arvada.The Presidents Cup will take placeat
the Stenger-Lutz and Long Lake Ranch sports complexes June14-19, this years Region IV tournament will welcome soccer playersfrom 14 different Western states to play round two of three to getto this years national championships.
We really want to put on a prestigious
Stenger-Lutz to hold major soccer tourney
Tourney continues on Page 9
IF YOU GO
DATES: June 14-19
LOCATIONS: Stenger -Lutz Sports Complex 58th Avenue and QuailStreet
Long Lake Ranch Sports Complex 17850 West 64th Ave.
COST: Free and open to the public. A schedule of games isavailable www.usyouthsoccer.org/presidentscup/
Billy Scott guilty on 10 counts related to slaying of TroyPitmanStaff report
Billy Scott, 55, was sentenced to life in prison without parolefollowing his con-viction for killing an Arvada man, 44-year-oldTroy Pitman, in 2015.
According to the Jefferson County District Attorneys Of-fice,Scott was convicted of the following felonies after seven days oftrial: first-degree murder after deliberation,
first-degree murder, three counts of burglary, menacing with adeadly weapon and four violent crime counts.
He was also charged as a habitual criminal because he has aprior felony. He will return to court at 11 a.m. on June 13 forscheduling of that criminal trial. Following the outcome of thattrial he will be officially sen-tenced for all his convictions. Iffound to be a habitual criminal, the penalty will be four times themaximum sentence for each conviction.
Scott and accomplice Leslie Barrett went to Pitmans house onMarch 19, 2015. They saw Pitman in his garage, and Scott entereduninvited, attacking the man, ac-cording to the district attorneysoffice. Pitmans brother was in the garage as well and he attemptedto intervene and pull Scott away from his brother. Barrett pointeda gun at both men, and Scott ran to her, wrapping his arms aroundhers and placing his hands on the gun she was holding.
Together, they pulled the trigger, hitting Pitman once in theback, the districts attorneys office said. He later died of hisinjury.
Barret was sentenced June 15.
Barrett
Scott
Man gets convictedfor 2015murder
Some super talented folks, such as Arvadas Melberg family, aregearing up for a good time at the 2016 Denver Comic Con. Read moreon PAGES 12 and 13.
ARVADANS SWOOPING IN TO COMIC CON
Golden bluegrass festival attracts biggest crowd yetBy Christy[emailprotected]
Hundreds of people braved the week-end heat to enjoy some livebluegrass at the Golden Music Festival at Clear Creek History Parkin Golden.
In its 20th rendition, the June 10-12 turnout was probably thebiggest yet, said Nathan Richie, director of Golden HistoryMuseums.
The word is out that this is the best little bluegrass festivalin Colorado, he said.
And part of that is having it at Clear Creek History Park peopleenjoy hav-ing the unique venue.
Front Country performs on the stage at Clear Creek His-tory Parkin Golden on June 10 for the Golden Music Fes-tival. It was thebands first time in Golden. Photo by Christy Steadman
Music brings good vibes and happy people
Festival continues on Page 15
June 16, 20162 Arvada Press2
PEOPLE POWER EVIDENT ON TRAILS DAY Love was foundation thatteacher built on Editors note: This is the last of an occasionalseries about Judy Racine, who retired this month after 40 years ofteaching.
Judy Racine kneels on the rug, the gaggle of second- andthird-graders scattered around her. The learning target is printedneatly on the easel board: I can give kind, helpful and specificfeedback.
What does that mean? Judy asks.
Landon: Specific means not just You did good. You have to saymore than one word. You have to include because. You have to saywhy it was good.
What about helpful?Austin: Being kind to them,
giving some goal to help them improve their work.
And what about kind?Tim: You shouldnt say, `I really
dont like how you did that. You should say, `You did that prettywell, but maybe you should do
Judy nods. Acknowledging the hard work first.
Then she reinforces the impor-tance of the task.
Second-graders, youre taking on a big responsibility. Your jobis to be an audience and to help, to listen really hard to athird-grader share their Passage portfolio.
This is the last week of classes. Third-graders, along with fourother grade levels at Rocky Moun-tain School of ExpeditionaryLearning, are practicing for their presentation of their years workto community and teacher panels to demonstrate they are ready tomove forward.
They will talk about what they learned, how they grew as people,what wonderful ideas they have come upon as writers, readers,
scientists, mathemati-cians, artists.
Its this idea of pas-sage, Judy says, of mov-ing on.
Lifes journey, after all, could be defi ned as a series ofpas-sages: College graduation. First car. First job. Marriage.First child.
This year, like her students, Judy, too, will be moving on.After 40 years of teaching, she is retiring.
It is, she says, another part of my passage.
Principal Chad Burns tells this story to illustrate the essenceof Judys teaching.
Hes at school on a Saturday, working. Judy and her husband, Joe,pull into the parking lot with a pickup truck fi lled with bags ofmulch for the school garden, which Judys students have chosen astheir service project for the year. They heap the bags onto thesidewalk near the playground.
Where do you want me to take it? Burns asks.
Oh, no, Judy answers. The mulch stays here. Theyll fi gure itout.
The following Monday, before school starts, the second- andthird-graders are marching across the playground in assembly-lineforma-tion, carrying the bags and dropping them in the garden.
Ann Macari Healey
Healey continues on Page 6
About me...For me, education is a priority both for
myself and for others.Im 17, and for the past 10 years, Ivebeen
a girl scout. I joined the organization when I was in fi rstgrade as a way to make friends and connect with other scouts. Ialways saw them at King Soopers selling cookies and I thought thatwould be fun. Now I belong to troupe 1721 and its been a lot offun. Ive got to learn a lot of things and experience a variety ofopportuni-ties. As a freshman, I decided to earn my bronze andsilver awards, two of the top honors a girl scout can receive - andby the time I fi nished my sophom*ore year of high school, Iaccomplished both.
Now, Im working to obtain my gold award, the highest award ascout can receive and some-thing only 3 percent of scoutsachieve.
The project...Last summer I began mulling over different
ideas for my gold award project. I went through four ideas fromwanting to help save the orangutan habitat to ensuring studentslike me had fi nancial literacy before one of them stuck. Idecided, after going through my own struggles in fi nancing my first car, to pursue my award through the lens of fi nances. I wantto en-sure all students in my school, Jefferson County and Coloradotake a fi nancial literacy course before graduating highschool.
Over the past year Ive been studying how fi nancial literacylooks not only in my own life, but those of my friends, my siblingand other students my age, and have found that not only is a financial class not required for high schoolers, often its notoffered or has the right resources that are geared towards todaysstudents. So, after meeting with my principal and my Family andConsumer Science teacher, I decided to write a unit on online financial literacy. This class goes over the various ways of beingsafe
online, including power points, activities videos and tests ononline banking, password protec-tion and identity theft.
The class was taught last year and was suc-cessful. My teacher,Diana Coulter, has now committed to teaching it as part of her finan-cial literacy course as long as shes teaching at RalstonValley.
But I dont want to stop there.Recently, I spoke to the JeffcoBoard of Edu-
cation, proposing they make a fi nancial literacy course arequirement for graduation. It went well, and Ive already hadresponse from the dis-trict asking more about my research. I hopewe can start talking about curriculum this summer.
Many interestsOutside of my gold award, Im pretty active.
Im an honors student with a 3.8 GPA, I play violin in a few ofmy schools orchestras as well in a couple symphonies outside ofschool. I am National Honor Society and a National Art HonorSociety student. Ive also begun prepar-ing to audition for collegesI hope to attend for music education. I want to be an educator toshare my love for music with other students my age and adults.Currently, the University of Northern Colorado, Seattle Pacifi cand Wheaton in Illinois have made the list.
But my main goal, at least for my gold award, is to help makestudents feel ready and confi -dent when they go into college orwherever they go and that they know what to do with their money andhave healthy fi nances.
To learn more about my project, visitwww.facebook.com/downwithdough
If you have suggestions for My Name Is..., contact CrystalAnderson at [emailprotected].
HELLOMy Name Is..
.
A glimpseof the peoplein our community
EMMA ALBERTONI
FACES AMONG US
This fall, Ralston Valley High School Senior Emma Albertoni willapply for colleges and her gold award the highest award a GirlScout can earn. Courtesy photo
Arvada Press 3June 16, 20163
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As much as I like to think sellers benefit from listing theirhome with a Realtor, I understand their desire to try For Sale ByOwner (FSBO), and I respect those agents who edu-cate FSBO sellersabout the value of hiring a real estate professional. However, thisweek I was made aware of an apparent bait and switch by an agentwho secured a FSBO listing by making a promise he didnt put inwriting. Ive never heard of this before, but I thought it worthsharing so we can all learn from it. Overall, Ive found thatagents, and especially Realtors (members of a Realtor association),are diligent about law and ethics. I only know what the seller toldme, but I have no reason to question what he told me. He told methat he had posted his home on craigslist starting last fall. InMay an agent convinced him to sign a listing agreement, promisingthe seller he could still sell the home himself and not owe any feeor commission. Such an agent-seller relationship is referred to asExclusive Agency instead of Exclusive Right. Yes, its a littleconfusing. The relation-ship involves executing both the standardlisting agreement and an addendum which contains the following:...this Listing Contract does not apply to a Sale or Lease of theProperty to a buyer or tenant procured solely by Owner without theassistance of Broker.... The seller called me for advice after hetold his agent that he had secured a buyer through
his craigslist ad, and the listing agent said he would handlethe transaction and a commission would be charged per the signedcontract.
As I investigated further, I discov-ered that the agent hadpresented the standard listing agreement with-out that addendum.Did he do that on purpose? His actions suggest so. Sellers shouldnthave to know the ins and outs of the different contracts andaddenda use in the sale of resi-dential real estate. We licenseesmust know these contracts and uti-lize them responsibly, explainingtheir provisions to our clients. What this particular licenseeappears to have done was unconscionable, un-ethical and possiblyillegal.
Fortunately for the seller, the agent had in-cluded a provisionin the listing agreement that the seller could terminate thecontract for any reason if he was dissatisfied with the agentsperformance, so I advised the seller to send the agent an emailterminating the contract under that provision. The agent thenclaimed that the seller had violated the contract by not referringa buyer to him and by terminating the contract in order to avoidpaying a commission. Because the seller had signed the contractwithout the addendum, this was factually true, but I couldn'tbelieve that the agent was com-pounding his bad behavior bypressing that point. The agent said he would pursue legal actionagainst the seller, and file a complaint against
the seller with the Division of Real Estate, which makes nosense since the DRE only disciplines licensees, not consumers. Healso threatened to file ethics charges against me for my role inadvising the seller. It is regrettable that there are Realtors suchas this one who, if this story is true, brings dis-honor on ourindustry and on the Realtor associ-ation by such behavior. I sentthe seller who I still havent met, only spoke with him on the phoneand exchanged emails a link on the DRE website for filing an onlinecomplaint against the licensee, and the seller did file a veryarticulate complaint, which I hope results in the agent beingdisciplined if the investigator verifies the complaint. If you havebeen similarly victimized by the unethical and/or illegal behaviorof a real estate licensee, dont just accept that. Contact theDivision of Real Estate and/or the local Realtor
association. Please dont let such behavior by one real estateprofessional sour you on the benefits of employing an honest andethical agent, which most of us are. We really do offer value whenwe obey the rules.
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One of Goldens cherished traditions is the 4th of July raffle,with winners of over 200 donated prizes including a SuperbowlXXXIII football signed by John Elway announced on stage in LionsPark between per-formances by various bands. There is a $1,000 cashprize too! All prizes are donated, so that the proceeds of theraffle support the good works of the Golden Lions Club. You can buyyour tickets from any Lions
Club member and at the Golden Real Estate office, 17695 S.Golden Road. Tickets are $1
each, or six for $5. The Lions Club is also raffling aHarley-Davidson Road King motor-cycle, which is on display at theBuffalo Rose, 12th & Washington.
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Vendors dem-onstrate how to make a smoothie using ahuman-powered blender on the back of a bicycle dur-ing the June 4Arvada Trails Day Sustain-ability Festival at Ralston Central Park.Courtesy photo
PEOPLE POWER EVIDENT ON TRAILS DAYWHAT'S HAPPENING NEAR YOU?Want to know what news is happening in your area
and the areas around you?
Visit our website at ColoradoCommunityMedia.com.
June 16, 20164 Arvada Press4
HometownIMPRESSIONSM O M E N T S I N T I M E F R O M YO U R C OM M U N I T Y
By Crystal Anderson [emailprotected]
On a warm summer evening, 20 people gathered to take a look atOlde Town Arvada in a different way the runners perspective.
Its about community, said Kent McCurdy, owner of FAST Fitnessand organizer of the Olde Town Ar-vada Running Club.
The club, now in its second year, meets every Wednesday in OldeTown Arvada to socialize, support local businesses and run.
Its a fun way to get out in the town and meet new people,McCurdy said. We wanted to be out in the community, so why not getin a little exercise while were at it?
On June 8, the club met outside New Image Brew-ing Company, 5622Yukon St., to stretch, catch up and learn the runs route. Whilesome members did calf stretches alongside the restaurants whitewalls, oth-ers caught up with friends, shaking out some of theirmuscles to warm up for the run.
Im gonna keep running, Im gonna keep run-ning, said AddyMcCurdy, Kents young daughter, as she ran back and forth in frontof the group before the run.
OK, lets get started, Kent McCurdy said. Were going to do a 2.5mile run today just down 57th to Independence, hang a left and thentake another left down Grandview to meet back here.
And then they were off.With the sun setting slowly, the clubmembers took
to the streets of Olde Town, running, jogging or walk-ing attheir own pace. They passed by kids playing Frisbee in Wolff Park,fellow runners heading in the opposite direction with their dogs,neighbors cleaning out garages and working in their yards.
Over the next hour, the group passed home after
home, slowly breaking off into smaller sets of individ-uals andgroups based on pace, skill level and length of run. From a20-minute run or walk to a 40-minute jog, participants completedthe run on their own time.
How was it? McCurdy asked, high-fi ving partici-pants as theywalked into New Image Brewing for a break and a beer.
I like it because we were new here, were trans-plants and we getto try out new businesses and see
more of the community, said Stephanie Johnson, who moved toArvada a year ago from Illinois.
The group, taking over three of the brewerys com-munal tables,began to cool down, chatting about work, family and life.
Johnson and a few friends said they love the clubs localemphasis and supportive community.
I love local places, she said. Were supporting businesses andsupporting each other its great.
Just before they sprint away, the Olde Town Running Club gathersat this weeks meeting spot, New Image Brewing Co. 5622 Yukon St.,for a before-run photo. After their June 8 run, members of the clubsocialized in-side the brewery at communal tables discussing theirrun and their lives, all over a pint of Arvada-brewed beer. Photoby Crystal Anderson
Club goes on the run
Arvada Press 5June 16, 20165
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The graduating 2016 Leadership Arvada class teachescommunication, creativity and connection.
By Crystal Anderson [emailprotected]
Editors note: Arvada community editor Crystal Anderson is givingreaders an inside look at the Leadership Arvada civic educa-tioncourse this year, fi ling dispatches after each months class.
What is Leadership?Nine months ago, 25 of Arvadas busi-
nessmen and women, entrepreneurs, and future leaders, set out tofi nd the answer to that question, and in the meantime, learn alittle more about the city, and themselves.
Once a month, the Arvada Chamber of Commerces Leadership ArvadaClass of 2016, of which I took part in, took day trips around thecommunity, gaining insight into the inner workings of each spoke ofthe wheel that makes Arvada turn.
And on June 10, our graduation day, I refl ected upon just howmuch these little trips impacted each of us.
In just over nine months, this class experienced various aspectsof growth and change, both professionally and personally. I watchedas we stepped into leadership roles in new companies, took leadroles in our project, and embarked upon new careers in our dreamprofessions.
This class taught us what leadership looks in the workplace, inour civic en-gagement, in our social groups and how to lead inlife.
Leadership has really given me an in-sight to what makes andwhat is a leader, said Holli Arnett, owner of Your NeighborMagazine in Arvada and a graduate of the Leadership Arvada program.What helps the world turn are leaders who lead in dif-ferent waysIts a puzzle and all leaders have their place.
From day one, we set out to learn skills that inherently were`what driven. Seeking answers to questions like: What will I learnfrom this class? What will I take away from it in the end? What amI going to experi-ence?
But, we learned, just a few hours into
that fi rst class, we were starting with all the wrongquestions.
We needed to start with why?Why we joined Leadership Arvada;why
we decided to dedicate our lives to it for nine months; why weworked hard to make sure our class was successful now that, thatmakes for a better story.
Leadership Arvada is a journey, where everyones experience isdifferent, said Jaclyn Wilmot, a graduate and the new vol-unteerengagement director at Engineers Without Borders. By the end, thecollective group has a deeper understanding and commitment tocommunity.
Each class had a specifi c focus, teaching us about differentsectors such as public safety, parks, economic development,edu-cation and the arts in the community. While learning about thebusiness of each sector, expanding our technical knowledge of thecity, we began to connect con-necting how the pieces of this citywork together and to one another professionally and personally.
As an Arvada native, my goal was to learn more about the innerworkings of the city primarily driven by curiosity both personallyand professionally, said Jen Spettel, graduate and executivedirector of the Arvada YMCA. I thought I know a lot
about Arvada and but quickly discovered that there is so muchmore.
We learned how to communicate with different personalities, howto work to-gether despite different working styles and how ouractions in the workplace and the community can leave a deep impacton the community around us.
As a class, we value community, basic needs and culture threevalues we wanted to incorporate into our class projects: TheCookout Kitchen for Charity and the Ma-jestic View Natural Playyard.
In these projects we created a mobile kitchen to serve nonprofit and religious organizations, school and commu-nity groups events,and help them raise awareness and funds in a turnkeyfund-raiser.
The play yard features all natural ele-ments such as a Hanseland Gretel trail, tree cookie checkers, hopscotch made from rockcutouts, and a small garden. Located at Majestic View Nature Centerthe sustainable yard is the fi rst of its kind in Arvada and opento the public.
See AlsoInstalling abutments in New York CityPracticeLink hiring Dermatology Physician Job with Mount Sinai Health System in Queens, NY in Queens, New York, United States | LinkedIn18 Best Glendale, AZ Orthodontists | Expertise.comAge-Friendly Health Systems Recognized Health Care SitesWe dedicated seven months to this project, meeting once a monthas class and weekly as individual groups to make these two projectsa reality.
We started off as individuals and have
truly bonded as a team through shared ex-periences and workingon our Leadership Arvada projects, said Gillian McCarron, agraduate and vice president of Lakeside Insurance.
Seeing my fellow classmates being so passionate about comingtogether as a team to reach common goals was impres-sive Spettelsaid. The experience encour-aged me to step out of my comfortzone.
I learned is to delegate and trust, you dont have to doeverything and other people will have some really awesome ideas,said Megan Thompson, owner and principal designer with SparkInteriors and graduate of the class.
And after nine months of exploring those ideas andopportunities, we gath-ered together one last time to refl ect onour progress, and encourage one another to continue on in thisjourney to stay creative, to be engaged, and to connect with oneanother throughout the rest of our lives.
We started separated by design, and were brought together, saidChase Citrowski, graduate and selected valedic-torian of the class.I encourage you all to take this bloom beyond here and out into theworld remember, leaders lead and thats what well do.
On a warm summer day, the Leader-ship Arvada Class of 2016stands together outside the Arvada Center for the Arts andHumanities after completing the 9-month course as individuals, as ateam, and as community leaders. Courtesy photo
Learning how to lead by example
Colorado Community Media honored at convention Staff report
Colorado Community Media won more than 30 Colorado PressAssociation awards including General Excellence in Advertisingamong large-circulation weekly newspapers at the recent stateconvention in Lakewood.
Also in the large-circulation weekly category, Ann Macari Healeytook fi rst place in serious column writing and Mike DiFerdi-nandowas awarded fi rst for best education story for his project,
Taking care of our schools, about the state of Douglas CountySchool Districts capital needs.
Other awards in the large-circulation category went to:
Scott Andrews, six rst places and two second places inadver-tising categories
Brandon Eaker, rst place, Best Small Space Ad
Chris Michlewicz, second place, Best Health Enterprise Sto-ry,Alpaca ranch opens greener pastures
Christy Steadman and Jen-
nifer Smith, second place, Best Feature Story, Twilight of theWWII Generation
Jim Benton, second place, Best Sports Event Story, Jaguars claimfi rst baseball title, and second place, Best Sports Story,Trainers keep athletes moving
In smaller-circulation weekly categories, awards went to:
Jim Benton, rst place, Best Sports Event Story, Horschel winsBMW
Scott Gilbert, rst place, Best Headline Writing
Jim Benton, Chris Rotar, Ben Wiebesiek, fi rst place, BestEdito-rial Special Section, fall sports preview
Stephanie Dyke, rst place, Best News Page design, and secondplace, Best Feature Page design
Staff, rst place, Best Adver-tising Campaign
Scott Andrews, rst place, Best Small Space Ad and Medical andWellness Directory
Clarke Reader, second place, Best Health Enterprise/Feature
Story, Food deserts pose nutri-tion problem
Glenn Wallace, second place, Best Headline Writing
Brandon Eaker, second place, Best Real Estate Ad and BestAuto-motive Ad
Brandon Eaker and Tina Meltzer, second place, Best Adver-tisingCampaign
Scott Andrews, second place, Best Large Space Ad and Best MediumSpace Ad
Tina Meltzer, second place, Best Real Estate Ad
She gives the kids the right amount of support, Burns says. Buteven when youre 8 years old, its OK youll fi gure it out.
When she retired June 3, Judy was the oldest at 65 and the mostveteran staff member in terms of longevity at 20 years of thelow-slung school tucked in a south Denver residential neighborhood.She was a pio-neering member of the program, supported by fi veschool districts Littleton, Douglas County, Cherry Creek, Denverand Aurora and the nonprofi t Public Edu-cation and BusinessCoalition.
The curriculum is built on the principles of Outward Bound andteaches curriculum with multi-disciplinary learning expeditions orin-depth fi eld trips for areas of study. Students showcase whattheyve learned in unit-ending projects they present to thecom-munity.
Judy will tell you she has no patience for todays focus ontesting and evaluation metrics, of the loss of play as a daily partof learning, of the emphasis on singular standards rather than thewholeness of a child.
At the Expeditionary school, she found a place that let her doit her way, to instill a love for learn-ing by letting kids bekids.
Those around her watched and learned, too.
Judy fi nds the balance in everything the educational landscapehas demanded, Burns says, as he lists the alphabet of standardizedtesting over the years TCAP, CMAS, PARCC and more. She taughtstudents how to love learning fi rst. This love then manifestedinto a solid understanding of each content.
And her kids have excelled.Over the past fi ve years, Burns
says, more than 90 percent of her students have scored proficient or advanced in reading, for instance. The 2014 standardizedtest results put the statewide average for stu-dents who had met orexceeded grade-level expectations in read-ing at 72 percent.
A new high school math teacher painted one of Judys fa-voritesayings on a cabinet in his classroom: Play is the engine thatdrives learning.
But it all starts with a funda-mental understanding that hasnothing to do with academics.
What a child needs fi rst in their life, before they can doanything, is to know that some-one cares, Burns says. That is thefoundational fabric of Judys classroom Every student knows, everyday, no matter if its a bad day or a good day, that Judy loves andcares about them.
In the classroom, Judys crew as the classes are called has comeback to the rug from their groups. The students have shared theirfeedback, offered advice and are ready for a playground break.
I thought all of you did a great job of helping one another,listen-ing, supporting, Judy tells them as she looks around theenergetic circle.
Shes proud of her kids, of the community theyve builttogether.
The best advice she could give a new teacher? To createcommu-nity, a place where kids feel safe and where they belong witheach other.
With 7- and 8-year-olds, its an everyday piece that char-acterpiece, Judy says. If you didnt have that a strong crew theyre notlearning or theyre
always in confl ict or theres always something going on. Theactual teaching of content comes after youve established a safecom-munity.
The students know Judy wont be back next year. The reasons theygive for missing her refl ect in their simplicity unwittinginsights into good teaching.
Im sad, Tim says. She was like a RMSEL legend, and she takes uson really, really fun camping trips. She treats stu-dents likestudents, and doesnt just do it for them.
Shes really nice, Tesla says. And she teaches us really goodstuff.
Dawson: She made us be kind, then she would help us a lot inmath.
Ainsley: She teaches things that are actually important in-
stead of studying something that isnt that important and youcould learn without your teacher.
Shes smart, says Landon. She gets our energy out in the morningstretch, play a game, then ready to learn.
And then, from Tesla: Well miss her. But she deserves to retire.Shes been working hard for a while.
Judy isnt sure what shell do next.
She would love to stay in edu-cation in some way she feels likeshe still has so much more to give.
But something unexpected could surprise her.
I told myself to keep open eyes, open ears, make sure Im open toanything that comes along and feels good and right, Judy says.
She doesnt have a bucket list. She prefers to let things happenwhen they happen. She will just fi gure it out.
On the last day of classes, Judy sends her students off with asimple, cheerful directive: Have a fantastic summer!
That means no academics allowed.
Read a book, she suggests.Lie in the grass and watch the
clouds.Fly a kite.Make sure you fi nd someone
you can help.Find something youve never
done before challenge yourself.She doesnt worry, though.Likeher, she knows theyll
fi gure it out.
Ann Macari Healeys award-winning column about people, places andissues of everyday life appears every other week. She can bereached at [emailprotected] or 303-566-4100.
June 16, 20166 Arvada Press6
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Continued from Page 2
Healey
Judy Racine and her second- and third-graders ham it up duringtheir last week of school. Photo by Ann Macari Healey
Arvada Press 7June 16, 20167N1
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SUMMER CAMPS Camps & Classes for Children Ages 3 to 18 inCeramics, Dance, Drama, Music, Photography & Visual Arts! Hereare just a few of the camps: Guys and Dolls Musical Theatre CampAges 8-16ArtStart Ages 3-5 Exit, Pursued by a Bear Drama Camp Ages9-13 Art Around the World Ages 6-8Colorado Children's ChoraleWorkshop Ages 7-12
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ARVADA NEWS IN A HURRY
City notes Internet Safety MonthThe City of Arvada and theArvada
Police Department are recognizing ways to help keep residentssafe while perus-ing the internet as part of Internet SafetyMonth.
Some of the citys biggest safety concerns surround childexploitation, privacy and identity theft. To combat those, the twoentities have created a list of concerns, rules and resources tohelp keep citizens safe and to help minimize cybercrimes in thearea.
To view this list visitwww.arvada.org/residents/crime-prevention/internet-safety.
Arvada Chorale holds Boogie Woogie JumpIts time to boogie,woogie and jump
to the sounds of the Arvada Chorale and the Queen City Jazz Bandin their annual summer concert June 17 and 18.
Located at the Arvada United Method-ist Church, 6750 Carr St.,the show will feature early jazz, gospel, ragtime, swing
and blues music from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
Each show is held at a different time, starting with the one at7:30 p.m. June 17 and then 2 p.m. on June 18.
To purchase tickets visitwww.arvada-chorale.org/#!boogie-woogie-jup/c1rc9.
Saturday morning hike with your councilmember
On June 18, Arvada City Council-man Mark McGoff will be hikingaround Arvada, and hes opening up his trip to all residents.
Beginning at 9 a.m. at Memorial Com-munity Park, Allison Streetand West 59th Avenue, McGoff and hikers will go on a four-mile hikearound the city, learn-ing about the various trails, wildlife andnature around Arvada.
Hikes are two hours long and partici-pants are advised to dressfor the weather. Good shoes or hiking boots and bringing a bottleof water are recommended.
For more information about the hike
visithttp://visitarvada.org/events/satur-day-morning-community-hike-4/.
Bike to work day offers breakfast stations in city
Spinning your wheels on the way to work?
Then the City of Arvada has got the answer for you. On June 22,the city and state will recognize Bike to Work Day. All cyclistsenjoying this commute can stop by one of six Arvada breakfaststations from 6:30 9 a.m. to rest, hydrate and refuel on themorning ride.
Arvada locations are:AFC Dentistry, 9122 West 88th Ave.Air CareColorado, 5185 Marshall St.Creek Side Park on the Clear Creek
Trail, Marshall Street and 49th DriveGold Strike Park on theClear Creek
Trail, Ralston Road and 56th AvenueMemorial Park at City Hall,80001 W.
59th Ave.Olde Town Arvada Square, 5676 - 5738
Olde Wadsworth Blvd.
Village of Five Parks, 8565 Five Parks Drive
See http://biketoworkday.us/stations/arvada.
Sand in the City festival gains second daySand in the City,Arvadas beach-
themed summer festival, kicks off next week June 24-26, withgiant sand sculp-tures, live music, luaus and more.
With a second day devoted to the festival, located at RalstonPark Addition, 11200 Ralston Road, organizers decided to add a $5charge for kids 13 and older and adults. A portion of theseproceeds will benefi t the Jefferson County Schools Foundation.
Along with the sculptures, the festival will have a kids area, agiant sandbox, a variety of local craft and artisan vendors, food,Arvadas craft breweries, and more.
For more information visit www.sand-
inthecityarvada.org.
Arvada Press 9June 16, 20169
The Arvada West After Prom Committee would like to thank thefollowing sponsors.The Arvada West After Prom Committee The ArvadaWest After Prom Committee The Arvada West After Prom Committee TheArvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada West After PromCommittee The Arvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada WestAfter Prom Committee The Arvada West After Prom Committee TheArvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada West After PromCommittee The Arvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada WestAfter Prom Committee The Arvada West After Prom Committee TheArvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada West After PromCommittee The Arvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada WestAfter Prom Committee The Arvada West After Prom Committee TheArvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada West After PromCommittee The Arvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada WestAfter Prom Committee The Arvada West After Prom Committee TheArvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada West After PromCommittee The Arvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada WestAfter Prom Committee The Arvada West After Prom Committee TheArvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada West After PromCommittee The Arvada West After Prom Committee The Arvada WestAfter Prom Committee
would like to thank the following sponsors.would like to thankthe following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.would like to thank the followingsponsors.would like to thank the following sponsors.would like tothank the following sponsors.The Arvada West After PromCommittee
would like to thank the following sponsors.240 Union 3Margaritas (10160 W. 50th Ave)40 Weight Coffee A Better Car WashAceHardware (64th & McIntyre) AlphaGraphics (8290 W. 80th Ave.)AMCMovie Theaters Animal Urgent CareApex Center Applebees (52nd &Wadsworth Bypass)The Arvada Center Arvada Covenant ChurchArvadaDriving School Arvada Police Northey FoundationArvada West BoosterClub Arvada West PTSABandimere Speedway
Best Buy (1400 Denver West Blvd.)Black Jack Pizza (Simms &64th Ave.)Blitz PaintballBrunswick Zone (9751 W.49th Ave.)BuffaloWild Wings (15570 W. 64th Ave.)Boondocks Chapman OrthodonticsCityof Arvada College of International Esthetics Colorado SymphonyColorado Mesa University Costco (5191 Wadsworth Blvd.) Dairy Queen(11631 W. 64th Ave.) Das Meyer Dimension Tax ServicesDennys (9930W. 49th Ave.) Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Center for Performing Arts Denver Museum of Nature &ScienceDinos Italian Food Dominos (58th & Ward)Drake MiddleSchool Enstrom CandiesFantastic Sams (6488 Ward Rd) Front RangeCommunity CollegeGood Times Burgers Grease Monkey (11802 RalstonRd.)Hyland Hills Park & Recreation District Interstate BatteryCenter (12650 W. 64th Ave.)Jumpstreet KBco*keller Williams (LynnHodges) Kickn Wings (4990 Kipling St.)
King Soopers Kiwanas Club of Arvada Kwik Dry Clean Super CenterLakeside Amusem*nt Park Lets Frame It Massage Envy (15530 W. 64thAve.) Monty Nuss Photography Noodles (6408 Yank Way) OutlawsLacrosse Pepsi Prestige Fitness Randis Pizza Red Rocks CommunityCollege Remax Alliance (Lynn Zenger) Cindy Ritter, CPA St. Joan ofArc Catholic Church SCU Community Foundation Serenity Salon
Spectrum Audio Visual Sportline State Farm (Doris Stipech)Subway (12304 W. 64th Ave.) Sundyne Susan M Duncan YMCA Target(5071 Kipling St.) Texas Roadhouse The Copper Fox The Egg & IThe Melting Pot, Littleton The Melting Pot, Louisville The Wave CarWash Xtreme Hardwood Floors Western Bowl Woodys Pizza, Golden
Xtreme Hardwood Floors
Xtreme Hardwood Floors
Your donations made our event all the more fun; and weappreciate you helping keep our kids safe.Your donations made ourevent all the more fun; and we appreciate you helping keep our kidssafe.
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Village of Five Parks, 8565 Five Parks Drive
See http://biketoworkday.us/stations/arvada.
Sand in the City festival gains second daySand in the City,Arvadas beach-
themed summer festival, kicks off next week June 24-26, withgiant sand sculp-tures, live music, luaus and more.
With a second day devoted to the festival, located at RalstonPark Addition, 11200 Ralston Road, organizers decided to add a $5charge for kids 13 and older and adults. A portion of theseproceeds will benefi t the Jefferson County Schools Foundation.
Along with the sculptures, the festival will have a kids area, agiant sandbox, a variety of local craft and artisan vendors, food,Arvadas craft breweries, and more.
For more information visit www.sand-
inthecityarvada.org.
Continued from Page 1
Tourneyevent, said Randy Greenwood, the Region IV Chair for USYouth Soccer. For most of these players this is the highest levelof soccer theyll ever play so were making memories.
US Youth Soccer is a national nonprofi t branch of the UnitedStates Soccer Federation and supports players and clubs across thenation, emphasizing the fun of the game and that it truly doesntmatter who wins or loses.
This is a great opportunity for non-elite teams and kids to getto have recognition and be on the fi eld, said Todd Gette, generalmanager of Arvadas Edge Soccer Club. It gives them the opportunityto play in this high-level event and gives them
the opportunity to play at the next level.
Hosted by Arvadas EDGE Soccer Club, the tournament for ages12-17 will play three games each, with the possibil-ity of threemore if they make it to the fi nals on Sunday: the quarterfi nals,the semifi nals and the fi nal round, in which teams compete for achance to attend the US Youth Soccer Champion-ships in Tulsa,Oklahoma in July.
For many of these players, this is going to be the mostim-portant event in their US Youth Soccer careers, Greenwood
added.And its big news for the City
of Arvada too, not just the play-ers.
The tournament is expected to draw an additional 7,500in-dividuals, friends, families, staff and coaches to the city,bringing with them hungry appetites for travel, entertainment andfood.
The city is thrilled to play host to the 2016 Region IV US YouthSoccer Presidents Cup this year, said Ryan Stachelski, executivedirector of the Arvada Economic Development Asso-ciation. The eventis expected
to bring close to $7.5 million in revenue to the city, with anadditional $2 million in travel revenue alone.
This is a win-win for both the city and the participants theparticipants have their event at a fi rst-class facility, in the first-class setting of Arvada, and the city benefi ts by havingthou-sands of participants visiting and shopping in our communitywe are proud of having this APEX facility (Stenger-Lutz and LongLake Ranch sports com-plexes) in our community.
The games are open to the public throughout the week andweekend. While at the events, use the hashtag #PresidentsCup toshare photos and videos with US Youth Soccer fans.
A schedule of teams and games is available online atwww.usyouthsoccer.org/presi-dentscup/
PARTICIPATING STATES Alaska
Arizona
California (north and south
divisions)
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Oregon
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
This is a great opportunity for non-elite teams and kids to getto have recognition and be on the eld.
Todd Gette, general manager Arvadas Edge Soccer Club
June 16, 201610 Arvada Press10-Opinion
VOICESLOCAL
We welcome event listings andother submissions. Please visit ourwebsite, click on the Submit Your News tab and choose a categoryfrom the drop down menu.
Columnists & Guest Commentaries
The Arvada Press features a limited number of regularcolumnists, found on these pages and elsewhere in the paper,depending on the typical subject the columnist covers. Theiropinions are not necessarily those of the Arvada Press.
Want your own chance to bring an issue to our readers attention,to highlight something great in our community, or just to makepeople laugh? Why not write a letter of 300 words or fewer. Includeyour full name, address and the best number to reach you bytelephone.
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What is Sustainable Printing?
Its the paper: Biodegradable, renewable, recycled, reusable.
Its the ink: Soy based inks are used, reused then recycled.
Its the plate: Process-freeplates eliminate VOCs andreduce waterusage.
Its the press: Using cold-set presses reduces the amount of VOCsput into the air.
Its the location: Printed locally reducing shipping and postagecosts, while saving gas,emissions and time.
Public art is the great equalizer it brings creativity to theeveryday world. Liz Black, Lakewood
Community engagement. The community is experiencing art andsharing it with others. Bill Marino, Lakewood
Its powerful. You never know who youre going to meetexperiencing art. Joe Riedel, Lakewood
It makes art accessible to people who wouldnt normally get it.Melanie Stover, Denver
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What do you like best about public art? Summer is a great timeto explore public art, from its statues and murals to concerts inpublic places. We went to Lakewoods Wadsworth Station to fi nd outwhat people like best about public art.
Humanity might be a magic pill I was recently watching a moviefrom a
few years back called Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper. Thebasic premise is that an aspiring writer, Cooper, takes a wonderdrug which activates . . .
OK, let me back up a little. Cooper, the aspiring writer, isalso a Hemingway-esque alcoholic whose living quarters wouldembarrass a caveman, and whose moral compass points towardsBabylon. Just sayin understand that I use the word writer a bitliberally. Like with myself.
Anyway, Cooper takes a wonder drug which activates the 90percent of the human brain that nobody uses, and it sets off a flurry of accomplishment and activity which vault him into, well, therealm of humanity.
Now, I think a lot of people see this movie, and think tothemselves something along the lines of Oh, if only I couldactivate my brain like that. But, actually, the things that reallyset him apart were not particularly things that require a drug.
For instance, almost immediately, after he takes the drug the first time, he bumps into his landlord, a woman, and seduces her(yeah, I knowapparently the drug has little effect on the moralcompass thing). But, not by being particularly better looking orwit-tier; it happens after he notices a book that she is carryingthat only a law student would carry, which he turns into aconversation about law.
Thats not magic thats just good
humanity. How many of us go through life barely noticing themost obvious details about the people around us, much less theminutiae that make interesting con-versation?
Heck, Im pretty sure I could walk through the halls of any localhigh school in clowns makeup with a sign that says Ill give you $1if you notice me, and so few kids would extract
their eyes from their cell phones that I could walk out withmost of my lunch money.
And, how much better would everybodys lives be if we took and,believe me, NO-BODY is more guilty of this than me if we just madea point of fi nding one interesting thing about everybody we run into, and ask them about it. They would feel important, and we mightactually learn things.
The second thing the Cooper character does after taking the drugis clean his apart-ment. Now, I will admit to using cleaning as astall tactic (as in, Oh, I just cant write a word of this columnuntil I straighten up this desk), but thats not what was happen-inghere: This was a person recognizing that
raising the humanity level of his existence was important beforehe could get his real work done.
Again, not magic. In fact, to some degree, very ancientwisdom.
Im no Talmudic scholar, but it is my un-derstanding that the daybefore devout Jews observe Yom Kippur (the Day of Atone-ment) andask forgiveness from God, they observe Erev Yom Kippur, in whichthey ask forgiveness from the people around them. For thousands ofyears, the Jewish people have practiced cleaning up their humanitybefore getting the real work done of cleaning up their souls.Pretty cool, huh?
And then, after all that, Bradley Coopers character fi nallysits down to write. And, you know what? This was also not magic. Heworked he spent hours and hours, with-out alcohol, television orany other distrac-tion and he got his work done.
I think there is magic in the world, and Im hoping somedaysomebody comes up with something that will unlock the vast, un-usedcorners and crevices of my brain. But, even if they do, I reallybelieve that theres an awful lot more to be accomplished byobservation, straightening up and hard work than by some magicalpill.
Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada withhis wife and three chil-dren. His novels are available atMichaelJAl-corn.com
Michael Alcorn
HITTING HOME
I so wanted the fake to be real Last week, Brian Oxman fromPublish-
ers Clearinghouse called to tell me that I had won a $2.5million third-place prize. Would I be at my Colorado Springsresi-dence to receive my check? Hmmm I havent lived in ColoradoSprings for more than 10 years. I suppose the caller ID on my cellphone that said Kingston, Surrey County, Jamaica was also atip-off.
When I told Brian that, gee, that was great but I live in theDenver area now, he asked me how far that is, and could I be taketime off work to accept my winnings. I have to admit that scenes ofcheering people, balloons, cameras and that giant check made out inmy name were fl ashing through my mind. My heart was poundingdespite these disconnects, as well as my nagging surety that I havenever entered a Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.
But (thump, thump, thump) what
if? What if? What if I could pay off credit cards? What if Icould repay the many kindnesses of my friends and fam-ily? What ifI would never again have to worry about health insurance, hous-ingor car mainte-nance?
I tried hard to make it real.
What if, beyond my basic needs, I could go back
to school for my Ph.D.? What if I could locate the Mazda Miata Isold in 2009, the one with the fabric top that retracted and closedmanually, with headlights that fl ipped open like eyelashes? Whatif
I could fund causes I believe in, such as Writing for Peace,Canine Partners of the Rockies and Lighthouse WritersWork-shop?
Of course, Id need to stash a good chunk away in my retirementfund, which was seriously depleted during some pe-riods ofunemployment over the past six years. Plus, keep in mind, thispaltry $2.5 million sum was because I had only won a third-placeprize.
All I had to do to get my winnings was to go to Safeway andpurchase a $199 IRS registration receipt to hand over when theydelivered my check. Brian would stay on the line with me while Idid this.
You can understand why I am skepti-cal, I told him. By thistime, I had put the call on speaker and my offi cemates werelistening in. Im sure you get this reaction from all yourwinners.
No. He sounded frustrated. No,
all my winners are grateful for what the Good Lord gave them.Why cant you just accept that the Lord has taken care of you?
After keeping him on the phone for 18 minutes, I told him I hadto go back to work. I went on the internet for PCH scams and, sureenough, I had been a target. I called the PCH fraud hotline withthe details after the conversation, and they reported it to theFTC.
Yes, I knew it was a scam from the fi rst glace at the callerID. I knew it was a scam when he offered to escort me to Safeway topurchase my registration receipt. I knew it was a scam because theLord takes care of me in other ways.
And yet, and yet what if?
Andrea Doray is a writer who still plans to someday get herPh.D. and own another Miata. Contact her at[emailprotected].
Arvada Press 11June 16, 201611
Place an Obituary for Your Loved One.
Private [emailprotected]
Funeral HomesVisit: www.memoriams.com
OBITUARIES
In Loving Memory
Anna Joyce (Kenny) Halbach of Arvada, CO. died peacefully,surrounded by her family on June 3, 2016 at the age of 81. Anna wasborn on October 31, 1934 in Omaha to Christopher and Esther Kenny.She lived in Omaha and Chicago before spending the last 49 years inArvada. Anna met Jack while they were attending CreightonUniversity and were married in Omaha on
May 5, 1956.Anna is survived by her
sons Chris (Michelle) of Wheat Ridge, Karl (Noreen) of PonteVedra Beach, Florida, Pat (Susan) of Centennial and Joe (Jennifer)of Montrose; her daughters, Jennifer (Bob) Little of Broomfield andSheila Quintana of Palisade; her daughter-in-law, Beverly of WheatRidge; and her 17 grandchildren. She was preceded in
death by her husband, Jack, her oldest son Mike and herson-in-law, James Quintana, her sister Ellen Horton (New Mexico)and her birth mother Elenora Walker (Washington).
. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the JeffcoLibrary Foundation (http://jeffcolibraryfoundation.org/) to supporttheir summer reading program.
HALBACHAnna Halbach
Oct. 31, 1934 - June 3, 2016
Andrea Doray
ALCHEMY
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Who to blame for traf c troubles?How many times have you heardthis?
Elect me to the legislature and I wont raise taxes.
State gas taxes havent been raised in 24 years. So you cantblame the legisla-ture.
Have you heard this? Fix the high-ways by raising the sales taxinstead.
Sales tax in Northglenn is almost 10 percent. Fix the existinghighway prob-lems and you wouldnt afford to live in Northglenn.
Have you heard this? Raise the sales tax on everybody.
The elderly and others who dont
drive would still have to come up with the money to benefi tthose who do.
Fact: Colorado has the lowest gas tax in the nation and thehighest growth rate. Get it?
Kevin Sampson,Denver
A thank youI would like to thank the young
man, Evan, and the nurse, visiting from Maine, who stopped tohelp me when I tripped and fell in the middle of Ward Road on May24th.
I would also like to recognize the man who worked for the parkswho
provided the fi rst aid kit. Additionally, I would like to alsothank the fi reman Vic, who wanted to call an ambulance, eventhough I stubbornly insisted I did not need one. Vic stayed with meuntil my husband arrived and assisted me to
our car. I greatly appreciate everyones help. It goes to showthere are still good people in this world.
Myrna Audino,Arvada
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you would like to share your opinion, visit our websiteat
www.coloradocommunitymedia.com or write a letter to theeditor.
Include your name, full address and the best telephone numberto
contact you. Send letters to[emailprotected].
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
John Sabus remembered John Thomas (Tom) Sabus, son, broth-
er, friend, athlete, competitor, teacher, mentor, businessman... passed away peacefully at the age of 57 at his family home inArvada Sunday night, June 5, 2016, of extremely rare naturalcauses.
Tom was born on Oct. 4, 1958 in Wichita, Kansas to Francis Johnand Gertha L. Sabus where he went through elementary school as ahappy young guy. He then moved with his family to Arvada where hebecame involved with, and excelled in, organized sports fi rst atOberon Junior High School and then at Pomona High School, where hewas All-State in tennis, All-Conference in basketball and playedlegion baseball.
Tom then attended Mesa College in Grand Junction on a tennisscholarship where he competed and placed highly in several NationalCollegiate Cham-pionship tournaments.
Tom then coached the Wheat Ridge High School boys tennis teamfor many years. His teams always played hard and were successful.They notably won the Colorado State Championship in 1991 againstmuch larger schools and in 2000 they broke the famous Creek Streakof winning tennis team matches.
Tom also taught high school, coached
privately, consulted on tennis equip-ment, tennis-related issuesand tennis facility planning and ran a successful sports-relatedbusiness.
He spent most of the last decade fi ghting hard against amysterious disease from unknown causes, with no direct medicationor therapies, very little research and, currently, no hope for acure.
Tom never gave up and kept a positive atti-tude throughout hislong ordeal.
He was proud to have the new Wheat Ridge High School tennisfacility named after him and he was proud to be Luxembourgian.
Tom was very proud of his immediate and extended family. He wasespecially proud of
his nieces Malissa, Simone, Erin, Saya, Sophia, Santana andLauren and his nephew Quinn.
Tom had a good life. He wishes all the best to those whose lifehe touched and who touched his and he sends them all his love. Tomsspirit is now forever free and it will live with us intoeternity.
John Thomas Sabus is interned at, and will be buried at, MountOlivet Cem-etery, 12801 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge. Funeral serviceswill be at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 12735 W. 58th Ave.,Arvada, on Friday, June 17, at 11 a.m.
The Sabus family
John Thomas (Tom) Sabus
June 16, 201612 Arvada Press12-comic
OF THE
CON
Backstory: Theyve got QUIRK to do
Were putting on a show that wed want to attend, said ChristinaAngel, director of Denver Comic Con. Thats one of the beautifulthings about maintaining an indepen-dent con. Were unique in thelandscape of cons, refl ecting Denvers pop culture interests, butwere also different each year with new themes and focus.
Beginning Friday, June 17, local fans, artists, cosplayers, gamedesigners and authors will descend upon the fi fth annual DenverComic Con, a convention focused on the popular culture of comicbook, graphic novel, science fi c-tion, fantasy and anime worlds.Founded by Pop Culture Classroom, a charitable organization thatuses comic book media to promote student literacy, it also offersspecifi c programs, panels, vendors and artists, along withcelebrity photo ops and signings.
A big part of the fun is cosplaying, where fans dress up inelaborately designed, often handmade, costumes of their favoritecharacters.
Last year, more than 100,000 people attended the Den-verconvention, making it one of the fastest-growing in the country.This years convention runs through Sunday, June 19, at the ColoradoConvention Center.
But the cons not-so-secret mission is education.The coolestthing about this years con is the same
thing that is cool about it every year, Angel said. PCC (PopCulture Classroom) is in the Colorado community year-round,engaging kids in literacy and education through its programs thatuse comics and pop culture in the classroom.
Proceeds from the Comic Con pay for staffi ng, sup-plies andinfrastructure of the program, which is offered for free toschools.
For area educators, such as Elle Skelton, who teachesseventh-grade English at Pinnacle Charter School in FederalHeights, the con is an amusing and educational experience.
Most people dont realize the people who put on the Comic Conhave a big focus on education, she said. Im going there to fi ndways to incorporate pop culture and comic books into my classroomand using them for literature purposes.
The cons educational mission, said Arvada fan Robin Melberg, isone she accepts with her whole heart.
Its the only nonprofi t con and it all goes to kids lit-eracyand reading, she said. It makes you feel so good.
From video game design to meeting the godfather of MarvelComics, Stan Lee, and everything imaginable in between, fans willbe immersed in an overwhelming sea of
nerd, one many local con-goers say is the place to be.Comic Conis a way to embrace different personali-
ties, said Katie Hartkopp, a Wheat Ridge author and fan of nerdythings. Its a chance to say its OK to be whoever you want its agroup celebration of individuality.
Locals bring talent, excitement to fth annual Denver Comic ConBy Crystal Anderson and Clarke Reader
In the realm of nerd, one can always go a little deeper.And forarea self-proclaimed nerds and fans of the pop culture phenomenon,thats where the Denver Comic Con comes in. WHAT: Denver Comic Con,an annual
convention focused on the popular culture of comic book, graphicnovel, science ction, fantasy and anime worlds
WHEN: Friday, June 17, to Sunday, June 19June 17: Show Floor, 10a.m.-7 p.m.; Panels and Screenings, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.June 18: ShowFloor, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Panels and Screenings, 10:30 a.m.-11p.m.June 19: Show Floor, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Panels and Screenings,10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.For a detailed schedule of events, go tohttps://webmobile.experi-entengage.com/~DCC161/#/eventItem
WHERE: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver
TICKETS: Child per day, $8.25; Adult per day, $38.50 on June 17and $44 on June 18 and 19.
CHILDREN OF UUM Fourth Axis games has been working on Childrenof Uum for three years.The game is designed for Oculus Rift virtualreality system. It is a rst-person action adventure set on the moonGhar, which orbits the planet Uum. The story follows a Refractor(an inhabitant of Ghar) named Rowb, and his guide Pride, as heattempts to learn the mysteries of his ancestors and his ownfuture.The game will have eight levels when it is n-ished, and iscurrently still in development.At Comic Con, players will be ableto go on a brief mission and explore the world Fourth Axis hascreated.Were indie gamers, which means we get to make this game ourway, said Ricky Davis, level designer with Fourth Axis.The theme ofthe game is faith and wonder, and its been amazing to bring this tolife, added Ross Moreno, programmer and story lead.For moreinformation on the company and Children of Uum, visitfourthaxisgames.com.
Name: Ricky Davis
Age: 28
Superpower: Worldshaper, Level Designer
Guild info: Fourth Axis Games
Origin story: With parents who were artists, musicians andphotographers, Davis grew up with art all around him. He isparticularly inter-ested in science fi ction and fu-
turistic worlds and sees art as an important way to expressthese ideas.By working on video games and 3D art, he is able to dotechnological and artistic work at the same time.I love meetingeveryone at Comic Con, he said. These are my kind of people.
Name: Ross Moreno
Age: 27
Superpower: Programming (i.e., One with the Matrix), animationand storytelling
Guild info: Fourth Axis Games
Origin story: Moreno cant remember a time when he wasntinterested in drawing, and arts storytelling capabili-ties havebeen a lifelong area of interest. He calls it propel-
ling thought. Miller sees video games as the most dynamic newform of story-telling around.I think people underestimate whatstories do to all of us, he said. Its surreal to see a world youcreated come to life.
An image from the worlds created by Fourth Axis Games for theirvirtual reality game, Children of Uum. Attendees at Denver ComicCon will a chance to explore one level, meet the characters andcom-plete a mini-quest. Courtesy of Fourth Axis Games
MEET THE
DESIGN TEAM:
Arvada Press 13June 16, 201613-con
to do
ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGNS VIRTUAL COMIC BOOKTEAM
Name: Sean Brown
Age: 41
Super-power: Profes-sor X of
Rocky Mountain Col-lege of Art + Designs animation and game artdepartment
Guild info: RMCAD
Origin story: An instructor at the col-lege for three and a halfyears, Brown said he is a fan of the way technology, problemsolving and creativity come together in the art world.
For Denver Comic Con this year, he led a student project tocreate a virtual comic book called Rough Draftees. The group dubbeditself the Digital Art Forge, and will debut the comic at ComicCon.
Im drawn to the fact something thats never really been donebe-fore, he said.
Name: Dale Albrecht
Age: 28
Super-power: Video game
artistry
Guild info: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Designs Digital ArtForge
Origin Story: Albrecht has had a longtime penchant for creat-ingthings, and was a tattoo artist before starting at the RockyMountain College of Art + Design.
For Rough Draftees, Albrecht designed the lead female character.He said it was a fun challenge and some-thing hed never donebefore.
This has been an interesting collabora-tion with a lot of reallygood artists, he said.
Name: Megan Demming
Age: 21
Super-power: 2D ani-mation
Guild info: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Designs Digital ArtForge
Origin Story: Demming has known she wanted to be an artist sincehigh school, and has loved art her whole life. She said herdedication to art keeps her focused, and she is constantly inspiredby Disney and the latest developments in animations.
For Rough Draftees, she did coloring and animation.
I like all the costumes at comic cons, she said. Its just a goodatmosphere to meet people who like nerdy things.
Name: Travis Miller
Age: 26
Super-power: 2D ani-mation
Guild info: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Designs Digital ArtForge
Origin story: Despite not coming from an artistic background,Miller has always had story ideas, which led him to the artsworld.
For Rough Draft-ees, Miller worked on the environments thecharacters move through.
There is so much creative freedom to do whatever you want inart, he said.
Name: Dave Stacy
Age: 29
Super-power: Video game
artistry
Guild info: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Designs Digital ArtForge
Origin story: After serving five years in the Marines andholding several odd jobs, Stacy wanted to give making video games achance, especially since hes been a fan of the me-dium foryears.
As part of the Digital Art Forge group, he helped with the storyand char-acter concept work for Rough Draftees.
I like the Comic Con culture because its very open and free, hesaid. You can be exactly who you are.
Name: Harry Turton
Age: 18
Super-power: Charac-ter design
and 3D construction
Guild info: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Designs Digital ArtForge
Origin Story: Origi-nally from El Salvador, Turton followed hislove of art and video game design to the Rocky Mountain College ofArt+ Design.
For Rough Draftees, he worked on environ-mental construction andcreation.
Its so awesome to say you were able to work on a virtual realitypiece, he said.
Name: Diana Wagner
Age: 26
Super-power: 2D ani-mation
Guild info: Rocky Mountain College of Art + Designs Digital ArtForge
Origin story: Wagner discovered a passion for art at age 13, andthis led her to the Rocky Mountain Col-lege of Art + Design tocontinue her studies. She said she is moved by the stories artiststell, and the way it fos-ters connections. She would like to useher art to help children express themselves.
For the Rough Draft-ees, she worked on coloring the leadchar-acter, environment and shadows.
The fact that some-one has been through what I have and can tellit in story form through art is amaz-ing, she said.
Batman Day for
the 2014 Denver
Comic Con
Day of the Doctor for 2015 Denver Comic Con
2016 Denver Comic Con Star Wars day costumes - (From LEFT TORIGHT: Mitch, Zoe,
Robin and Leia)
Name: The Melberg Family, Mitch, Robin, Zoey and Leia
Ages: 34, 34, 11 and 7
Superpowers: Mitch Super strength, theres nothing that beatsthrowing cars at people.
Robin Oh Id be Rogue you can take other things, just borrowpowers.
Zoey The four elements. Its cool to have fire and water powersand also air. Just cool to control the elements.
Leia Id be invisible, so I can sneak up on my sister and scareher.
Guild info: House of Alter Egos
Origin story: We meet our hero family, The Melbergs, in a localbeverage establishment just three short years after they moved herefrom North Dakota where, well, nerd culture wasnt really a bigthing.
The patriarch hailed from the local town of Arvada, Colorado,where he now resides with his personal hero, Robin, and their twoheroes in training daughters Zoey and Leia. Just like theirparents, the two heroes-in-training now have a passion for sciencefiction, fantasy and comic book char-acters.
Each spring, the family dons a different set of costumes foreach of the three days of the Denver Comic Con. Once in disguisethe family ven-tures upon the convention to show the world theircreative mastery.
From Ghostbusters and Star Wars Hans Solo to Prin-cess Bubblegumand Honey Lemon from Disneys Big Hero 6, the family dashes into thecostumed culture around them, seeking out fel-low characters, andof course, heroes in disguise.
COMIC CON FAMILY
FOR MORE FACES OF THE CON To see and learn more about some ofthe amazing locals who are participating in this years Denver ComicCon, check out www.coloradocommunitymedia.com.
CON-GOERS OPEN UPName: Zac Skellington Conley
Age: 42
Superpower: Im Bat-man
Guild info: SkellOArt is my business, Sisters of MercyMonster
Carnival is my comic, and Im part of 5280Geek, a network ofartists, designers, professional and self-proclaimed geeks.
Origin Story: I do a little bit of everything, and this year,thats exactly what our booth, No. 615, will be too.
For the past 20 years Ive been a professional art-ist, sellingmy sketches, paintings, sculptures, photographs, illustra-tions,toys and tattoo designs. I also was the art director for severalna-tional campaigns, including Coyote Ugly. My most currentprojects are a 60-foot 3D mural at the Wizards Chest in Denver withtwo dragons, some baby dragons and a couple of knights guarding thestairwell and launching the childrens book, The
Night-time Monsters by Jason M. Adams, which I illustrated.
Im not a big convention goer, but I love the artistcollaboration and the exposure my work gets at cons like this. Iveshown at Denver all five years, and was at San Diego and LongBeachs cons before that. At this years Denver Comic Con, our boothwill feature 10 different people show-
casing their work. From elegant Japanese brush paintings andphotogra-phy, to illustrations, jew-elry and signing cosplay-ers upfor the Colorado Cosplay Registry, weve got it all and the bestpart is its a fundraiser.
Were raising money for Cap for Kids, a Colorado nonprofit thatsends superheroes to children in area hospitals.
If theres a cosplayer at the Con, I want them to
come to this booth. Theyll be able to register on the cosplayerregistry and support Cap for Kids, which is seek-ing cosplayers tojoin their ranks of visiting superheroes. Im trying to get all thecosplayers I can to come and donate the change in their pockets tothis charity.
Name: Kristian Yeager
Age: 25
Superpower: Poison Ivys, only because when it comes
down to it, she can make anything grow out of dead soil. So Iwould never go hungry and could survive anything that is thrown myway.
Guild info: Celebrity Huntress
Origin story: My entire life has revolved around comic books,really since I can remember.
I love Wonder Woman, Bat-man, Spider-Man and X-Men, so itsreally cool to go, see the art and the costumes. I love watchingcosplayers and see-ing all the intricacies of their costumes. A lotof time and artwork goes into those.
I also love the celebrities. Weve
been going to the con since it started and meeting all thecelebrities has been awesome. Weve met George Takei, the originalBatman voice actor, Kevin Conroy, and the original Darkwing Duckvoice actor, Jim Cummings, among many others.
While I dont dress up, I love taking pictures of and withco-splayers and celebrities. To me, its a great environment its agiant family.
Name: Nathan Trujillo
Age: 29
Superpower: Magnetos power
Guild info: Crafty ConGoer
Origin story: Ive been at-tending all sorts of SciFi, Fantasyand Comic Cons for years, its really cool. So five years ago, whenComic Con first came to Denver, there was no question, we had togo.
Originally I hail from Thorn-ton, but now claim Wheat Ridge asmy domain. For me its always an interesting and fun experience. Idesign and make props and costumes usually two a year for friendsand various cosplay-ers who attend the con. And at my first con, Iwas walking around with an Iron Man helmet and this guy, ColinFerguson, who played in Firefly, came up to me hopped up on energyand asked to see my helmet. He tried it on and began posing
with it in pictures.
Ever since then, Ive had several of my pieces sold or on displayat the Con. I even sold a Thor Hammer to Lou Ferrigno, aka TheHulk. Lat-er he came to the Con and we chatted for quite a longtime about it. It was awesome.
This year Im most looking forward to seeing Stan Lee. I havestuff signed by him, but nothing that I made, and it would be coolto have some-thing that I made signed by him.
Meet a few of Denver Comic Con fans and find out why they lovethe genre. For the non-initiated, Superpower re-fers to the poweryoud have if you could, Guild info means profession and OriginStory is a
persons bio.
June 16, 201614 Arvada Press12-life
LIFELOCALC U L T U R EF A I T HF A
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