An edition of the Littleton Independent
WEEK OF DECEMBER 5, 2024
VOLUME 24 | ISSUE 1
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Englewood voters approve $41.5 million parks bond Bond for changes, upgrades will go into effect next year BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
to take winter clothing and boots home. Families also had the opportunity to connect with local nonprofit organizations that provide healthcare, workforce training, food assistance and more. The nonprofit Sweet Dream in a Bag also offered new bedding, free of cost, to families who wanted it. Jose Cardenas, executive director of the East Community Center, said collaborating with the district and local organizations to serve families was a great part of the event. “Hopefully, they leave feeling that this is a safe place for them where they could get their needs met,” he said. Ana Ramos, whose son attends Euclid Middle School, said she appreciated the event. “It makes us very happy and it helps us a lot,” she said. Ramos and her family use the East Community Center often for food assistance, and they said they appreciated the meal at the event. Erin Wise, an English Language Development instructional coach, said she loves events where people can share an experience together, regardless of language and background.
Englewood voters have approved the 2024 parks bond question that appeared on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election. Results from the Arapahoe County clerk on Nov. 15, which is the latest update of unofficial results available as of press time, show 8,637 people voted yes and 8,365 people voted no. Christina Underhill, director of parks, recreation, library and golf, said the city is thrilled by the passage of the bond. “The passage of the Parks GO Bond represents a shared vision for vibrant parks and recreation spaces that will serve our residents for years to come,” Underhill said. “This is a monumental step forward for Englewood and we’re excited to get started.” The bond asked citizens if the city’s debt should be increased by about $41.5 million, “with a maximum repayment cost of up to $72 million, and shall city taxes be increased up to $4 million annually for the purpose of improving, repairing, equipping and upgrading the city’s parks and recreation facilities and areas to include, based on available funds.” City spokesperson Chris Harguth said the bond will go into effect in January or February. “The next steps involve detailed planning and ensuring community engagement at each stage,” Harguth said. “Beginning in spring 2025, you’ll see construction begin on various projects, with the majority of them expected to be completed by 2028.” Improvements will be made to the following parks: Barde Park, Belleview Park, Clarkson-Amherst Park, Cushing Park, Miller Field, Northwest Greenbelt, Rotolo Park, Emerson Park, Englewood Recreation Center and Pirates Cove, as well as new recreational facilities and irrigation updates to replace aging existing irrigation systems. On its website, the city states that the annual cost of the bond is about $27.70 per $100,000 of a home’s value. For example, for a $500,000 home, the cost would
SEE SCHOOLS, P8
SEE PARKS, P6
Students at the Littleton Public Schools Multilingual Family Night on Nov. 21 wrote their dreams on paper clouds and taped them to a paper on the wall. PHOTO BY NINA JOSS
Building relationships with newcomer families
Littleton Public Schools’ inaugural Multilingual Family Night a success BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Taped to a wall, dozens of cloudshaped pieces of paper were covered with words expressing dreams and goals. In green marker, one cloud read, “I want to be a teacher.” In Spanish, another one said, “Move forward and help my family.” Other clouds highlighted desires to become a doctor, have a car, go to Disney and, simply, to be happy. During a recent event at the East Community Center, the cloud-covered wall showcased the dreams of students and families who are new to Littleton from other countries. It was the first Multilingual Family Night, where Littleton Public Schools staff invited newcomer families from across the district to share food, gather resources and learn about programs available to them. “We have seen an increase in our pop-
ulation of multilingual families,” said Lindsay Marino, the district’s English Language Development coordinator. “They’re new to our school district, and they’re new to Colorado and many of them are new to the U.S. — and so it was just a way to gather and get to connect with families and have them connect with the resources available to them.” The district plans to have another Multilingual Family Night in April to continue building relationships and sharing resources with new families. The English Language Development department has 30 teachers who work throughout the district to support multilingual students as they learn English and academic content, Marino said. Across the district, students who participate in English Language Development programs speak 58 different languages, Marino said. The most common primary language for these students is Spanish, and the second most common is Vietnamese, she said. “We work with families very closely,” she said. “It’s a big lift to learn English and whatever grade-level curriculum they’re doing.” The event, organized by Marino’s team and the East Community Center, included dinner, crafts, dancing and the option
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17
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