Citizen Centennial 4/5/13
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 20
April 5, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
Son suspected in mom’s death Centennial woman’s body found in her condo By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputies have identified a man they believe is tied to the death of an elderly Centennial woman, according to a statement provided by Sheriff Grayson Robinson. David Wayne Kuroki, 53, was taken into custody April 2, hours after deputies were called to the 8600 block of Dry Creek Road to conduct a welfare check on an elderly resident of the Saddle Ridge condominium complex. In the condo, deputies found the body of his mother, 81-year-old Mae S. Kuroki. Information gathered by the sheriff’s of-
fice was shared with other law enforcement agencies regarding the suspect. Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for medical service in the 11000 block of East Lansing Circle, in the Meridian area of Douglas County, and advised the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office they had made contact with the suspect. David Kuroki was then transported to a local hospital for treatment of self-inflicted injuries. It is not clear whether David Kuroki resided with his mother at the time of her death. Arapahoe County Undersheriff David Walcher would not provide further comment on the victim, the suspect or the circumstances surrounding the case. “We will provide additional details regarding this ongoing investigation as they become available,” he said.
Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputies stand near the condominium where a Centennial woman was found dead. Officers making a routine welfare check on April 2 found the body of 81-year-old Mae S. Kuroki. Her son, David Wayne Kuroki, was found later suffering from an apparent self-inflicted injury in Douglas County. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Road plan approved
Decision means funding, project to move ahead Staff report
Thousands of plastic eggs, some filled with small prizes, were up for grabs at the South Suburban Parks and Recreation Easter-egg hunt, held at the Family Sports Dome in Centennial. The March 30 event attracted hundreds of local kids for a morning of fun and fitness activities. Photos by Deborah Grigsby
Rabbit, kids scramble for eggs Indoor hunt mixes Easter fun with fitness By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews. com
A
record number of kids armed with baskets, shopping bags and even backpacks squared off with the Easter Bunny for a morning egg hunt full of fun and fitness. Thousands of brightly colored plastic eggs, some filled with prizes, were up for grabs March 30 at the Family Sports Dome in Centennial, courtesy of the giant rabbit himself. “It was a record event, “said Jamie DeBartolomeis, spokeswoman for the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, event sponsor. “We had more than 450 kids and probably close to 1,000 parents and grandparents in atten-
At just 21 months old, Centennial resident Elaina Yilmaz is not sure what to make of the Easter Bunny. The giant rabbit was on hand at South Suburban’s Easter-egg hunt, where hundreds of kids were joined by an even larger number of parents and grandparents for the gathering devoted to holiday fun. dance.” A $1,000 sponsorship from the City of Centennial helped defray the cost of the eggs, candy and prizes. “This is such a fun event, and I am so glad it’s here at the indoor sports dome,” said Natalie
Meyers of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who came with her 3-year-old grandson. “We are here visiting for Easter and I was not so enthused about hunting eggs in the cold, but this is nice.” Keeping to its word of pairing physical activity with fun,
South Suburban rolled out the fitness fun van onto the field, complete with hula hoops, inflatables, music and interactive video games. Egg hunts were divided into age groups to afford younger kids the opportunity to enjoy the experience. Children then returned the plastic eggs to be traded for candy and small toys. Four large gift baskets were awarded to those who located a special golden egg. The March 30 indoor egg scramble was one of three egg hunts hosted by South Suburban across the entire district. DeBartolomeis said the event, now in its third year at the Family Sports Dome, is becoming a local tradition on the east side of the district. “This is really just a great little event that’s free and fun for not just the kids, but the whole family,” she said. “And combining the egg hunt with other fun activities keeps everyone engaged.”
The Federal Highway Administration and Colorado Department of Transportation recently approved a “Finding of No Significant Impact” for Interstate 25/ Arapahoe Road interchange improvements. The finding means no major environmental impacts are expected with planning for construction, so Centennial can move forward with planning the sizable project, and is now eligible for federal and state funding. “This major project milestone is the result of solid technical work by our project team, valuable public participation and continuous collaboration and support of the local agency partners,” Bryan Weimer, Transportation Division Manager at Arapahoe County, said in a press release. According to a statement by the city, improvements will include adding a new southbound-to-eastbound turn lane on the off-ramp from I-25 onto Arapahoe Road; Yosemite Street and Arapahoe Road will be widened; and a sound wall will be installed on the west side of Yosemite to shield the nearby community from noise. Proposed changes are meant to meet traffic demands, increase access for bicycles and buses, and increase safety. In September 2012, a 30-day environmental assessment was conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act to look at transportation improvement alternatives for the interchange. Final design of the full interchange improvements is anticipated to begin this summer and be finalized by the end of next year. Construction will commence when funding is identified and could begin at the end of 2014 or early 2015. Phased construction of useful improvements may be necessary if construction funding is not all available at one time. Local agency staff and elected officials are working together to develop a financial plan to fund the full recommended improvement. For more information on the project, visit www.I25ArapahoeRoadEA.com.
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.