Week of March 9, 2023
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An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 16
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SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS In this week’s paper!
Cherry Creek Schools offers free gun locks Sen. Sullivan speaks out BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As conversations about gun violence came to the forefront March 3 in Colorado, Cherry Creek Schools
Superintendent Christopher Smith sent an email saying gun locks are available for families to pick up at the schools — no questions asked. Gun locks are devices that prevent a weapon from discharging. Smith said the Arapahoe County Sheriff ’s Office has provided gun locks for Cherry Creek Schools to hand out,
free of charge, to families. The gun locks are available in baskets in the entryways of schools, and there are also pamphlets that explain how to use the locks, he said. “Every year, we lose students and staff in the Cherry Creek School District to gun violence, including suicide by firearm,” Smith wrote.
“Suicides are on the rise across the country, according to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) data. “In CCSD, suicide threat assessments are also increasing. Firearms are now the leading cause of death SEE GUN LOCKS, P7
Playgrounds, dog park coming to Dove Valley Regional Park Construction underway BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
traffic controllers sit in to direct traffic in, out and around the airport’s airspace, said Chris Thompson, Centennial Airport’s manager of communications, via email. It is controlled by the FAA but the airport assists in general maintenance and upkeep, he said.
New playgrounds, a dog park and a bike skills park are among several additions coming to Dove Valley Regional Park as part of an $18 million expansion project that began March 1, according to a news release from Arapahoe County. The 52-acre park, located at 7900 S. Potomac St. near the Denver Broncos Training Camp, will nearly double in size as an additional 40 acres will be developed over the next year, per the release. The park was annexed into the City of Centennial in 2022, said Allison Wittern, the city’s communications director, via email. The $18 million project includes $3 million from the city, she said. The construction will occur in two
SEE AIRPORT, P8
SEE DOVE VALLEY, P3
The airport traffic control tower, which opened in 1985, at Centennial Airport.
COURTESY OF CENTENNIAL AIRPORT
Airport gets funding for traffic control tower $4M grant approved BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $4 million to Centennial Airport to design a new airport
traffic control tower, the administration announced. The Centennial Airport, located at 7565 S. Peoria St., is a general aviation airport. According to the FAA, it is one of the 25 busiest airports in the U.S. and averages 1,000 takeoffs and landings per day. The tower is the building that the air
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
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