JANUARY 4, 2018
FREE
GET YOUR OUTDOORS ON: It’s Sportsmen’s Expo Time P16
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
A look back at Arvada in 2017 BY SHANNA FORTIER SFORTIER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Hope House breaks ground Hope House of Colorado is metroDenver’s only resource providing free self-sufficiency programs to teen moms, including residential, GED and college and career support services. Additional supportive services include parenting and life skills classes, healthy relationship classes, financial literacy workshops and certified counseling, all designed to prepare them for long-term independence. The organization outgrew its resource center space in Westminster and is at capacity at its current rental space in Arvada. But thanks to community support and a partnership with HomeAid Colorado and Meritage Homes, Hope House broke ground on a new 15,000 square foot resource center in Arvada Jan. 28. The new center is expected to triple the number of teen moms and children that can be assisted each year. The new resource center is just Phase 1 of the project. An early learning center will be built during Phase 2 to provide quality childcare and early learning lessons to the children of the teen moms who are in class at Hope House. Transit hub opens, but G Line delayed On Feb. 2, the Transit Hub parking structure in Olde Town Arvada officially opened for public use. While the primary catalyst to build the Olde Town Hub was the yet-to-be-opened G Line — part of RTD’s FasTracks system scheduled to open in 2017 — parking for Olde Town Arvada visitors and employees was also a motivating factor. SEE ARVADA, P20
Talon Lloyd, 3, shovels some dirt at the Hope House resource center groundbreaking in January, 2017, with his mom, Kendra Crispin, who is a Hope House graduate. SHANNA FORTIER
INSIDE
SHELTERED: Arvada churches and organizers have cold weather shelter up and running P4
FACING THE PROBLEM: Colorado fighting against the opioid epidemic P10
VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 24
ArvadaPress.com
VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 32