Citizen CENTENNIAL 1.11.13
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 8
January 11, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
Coyote awareness key to safety Steps can diminish danger of encounters By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com January is coyote breeding season, and that means the animals be more visible, more aggressive and more territorial, particularly in the open-space areas where they live. Coyotes have always been in the city, but reports of interactions between coyotes, humans and pets have increased over the years, and will most likely continue to occur, according to the City of Centennial. While coyotes help maintain a healthy ecosystem by keeping rodent, rabbit, raccoon and fox populations in balance, they also present a danger to humans and pets. The city recommends several ways to help reduce the chances of a coyote encounter. “The City of Centennial encourages resi-
IF A COYOTE APPROACHES • Do not run or turn your back. • Be as big and loud as possible. • Wave your arms and throw objects. • Face the coyote and back away slowly. • If attacked, fight back. Protect pets: • Keep pets on a short leash. • Use extra caution dusk through dawn. • Avoid known or potential den sites and thick vegetation. • Do not allow dogs to interact with coyotes. Be prepared: • Recreate during daylight hours only. • Walk with a walking stick. • Keep a deterrent spray handy. • Carry noisemakers or rocks to throw. Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife dents to be prepared and know what to do if they encounter a coyote,” said Allison Wittern, city spokeswoman. “Things that can be done like waving your arms, yelling in a loud voice, blowing a whistle or honking a Coyotes continues on Page 7
Coyote breeding season began this month and continues through February. During this time, the animals become more aggressive and territorial. Extra care should be taken to prevent encounters with people and pets. Courtesy photo
Talks on C-470 hit final stretch Coalition expects to make expansion decision soon By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com
Outgoing Arapahoe County Commissioner Susan Beckman addresses the crowd at her going-away party Jan. 3 at the county administration building. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Beckman bash brings bravos Commissioner served 12 years in Arapahoe By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com Susan Beckman’s going-away party was a veritable Who’s Who of the South Metro area, with everyone from mayors to ordinary citizens paying tribute to her 12 years as an Arapahoe County commissioner. Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon officially proclaimed it “Susan Beckman Day.” State Rep. Kathleen Conti read an official tribute from the Colorado House of Representatives. John Brackney, president of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, made her an honorary lifetime member. “When I first met her, I thought she was young and sexy and fun and smart,” Brackney said at the Jan. 3 gathering. “Now I’m old, and she’s young and sexy and fun and smart.” That got a good laugh, even from her very proud husband, Littleton City Councilor Bruce Beckman. Nearly everyone who spoke commend-
ed her work to preserve open space and the South Platte River corridor in particular, calling it a true legacy that will benefit generations to come. “You’re a rock star,” said Commissioner Nancy Jackson. Commissioner Nancy Sharpe lauded Beckman’s creation of the “working group” concept, which brings stakeholders together to collaborate on regional issues. The practice has been applied to the river corridor, the High Line Canal and the Cherry Creek Basin corridor. In 2008, the Denver Regional Council of Governments recognized the South Platte Working Group with its highest honor, the Metro Vision Award. “You don’t just focus on your community, you reach out to other communities too,” said Douglas County Commissioner Jill Repella. Several people spoke of Beckman’s work to protect children by spearheading REAL Colorado, which has led to a collaborative, strategic reform of Colorado’s human-services system; REAL stands for Responsive, Efficient, Accountable Services delivered through Local State Partnership. But perhaps the most interesting com-
pliment about Beckman came from former Englewood City Councilor Laurett Barrantine. “She brought one of my constituents back from the dead,” she said. The Social Security office had mistakenly declared an elderly woman dead instead of her husband, and she was in danger of losing her financial assistance. Barrantine contacted Beckman, who was able to straighten everything out. “That woman remembered that until the day she died,” said Barrantine. Beckman capped the event by displaying a jacket with numerous nametags pinned to it, each one representing a different organization she’s contributed to over the years. “This isn’t really about me,” she said. “This is about everyone in this room, because it’s about what we’ve accomplished.” A good public servant, she said, wants to serve and keep their reputation intact with support of their family and friends, and the lucky ones achieve those goals. “Leadership is dangerous,” she said. “And it’s controversial, and it’s stressful, and there are a lot of long nights that go along with it. … Right now, I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
After months of public outreach, town halls and community surveys, the C-470 Corridor Coalition expects to decide by March or April how to pursue expanding the busy freeway corridor from Interstate 25 to Kipling Street. “I think overall people are saying there is something that needs to be fixed when it comes to the congestion,” said Jack Hilbert, a Douglas County commissioner who serves as chair of the coalition’s policy committee. According to the coalition, eastbound travelers from Kipling to I-25 face delays of more than 11 minutes during the morning rush hour, and westbound travelers are delayed as much as 18 minutes in the evening. Growth along the corridor is expected to increase by more than 30 percent over the next 20 years. Beginning with a series of telephone town halls in July, the coalition has been busy presenting three options to citizens and area business leaders: tolling any additional lanes and keeping the existing lanes free; tolling all the lanes, old and new; and raising property or sales taxes to pay for additional new lanes. “The one thing that has come across clear,” Hilbert said, “is that there is just no way in the world you could go back and toll existing roadways. No matter what is decided, existing (lanes) will remain free.” Hilbert said the coalition is leaning toward a decision to toll any new or additional lanes to pay for construction and maintenance. He said this will be discussed heavily at the coalition’s January and February meetings, when they go over results from a recent telephone survey conducted by Hill Research Consultants. “If we go that route, construction could start in early 2014, if not sooner,” he said. “If we pick a financing option that requires a vote (raising taxes), that obviously pushes it out further. But I don’t think those two options are what I am hearing citizens say. I’m hearing citizens say ‘yeah, fix it, but we want someone else to pay the taxes.’” C-470 continues on Page 7
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