Englewood Herald 033122

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Week of March 31, 2022

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

EnglewoodHerald.net

VOLUME 102 | ISSUE 7

Schools to focus on mental health

O’Toole’s Garden Center was ‘lifeblood’ for many

Kaiser Permanente awards $24,000 in grant funding BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

O’Toole, had been eyeing the neighboring site at Columbine Square for a new mixed-use development for years. O’Toole said the store had been on “borrowed time.” “That will leave a hole,” said Rick Townsend, who helped found the Columbine Memorial in Clement Park following the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School. “I believe those are the places that become kind of the lifeblood of the community,” Townsend said. “O’Toole’s has really been invaluable to us … we always knew they were there to help us when some-

The Englewood School District will invest $24,000 in grant funding that will go towards mental health initiatives as part of Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Schools program. “We’re very grateful to be receiving this grant, I think that mental health and emotional wellbeing is something that we all as school leaders are extremely concerned about and are committed to ensuring that our students and our staff and our communities get as much support as possible,” said Englewood Schools Superintendent Wendy Rubin. The money is part of $300,000 in grants from the health provider gave to several Front Range districts as schools continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our school districts are the heartbeat of our communities and now, more than ever, are in great need of additional resources to help their students, staff, and teachers thrive,” Mike Ramseier, president of Kaiser

SEE LIFEBLOOD, P8

SEE FUNDING, P9

Jonas Harberger says hello to unofficial Littleton O’Toole’s store mascot Pickles the cat, held by manager Chris Ibsen.

Plans to close longtime business in Littleton send shockwaves for patrons, partners BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

There is much that patrons and community members love about O’Toole’s Garden Center in Littleton beyond just the rows of eye-popping, verdant vegetation. There’s Pickles the cat, the store’s unofficial mascot, who can be seen

lounging in plastic growing trays atop wooden, soil-dusted shelves. There’s the fact that it’s a familyowned business with more than 30 years of stories and legacy. But maybe most importantly, it’s a place where people gather, where you’re treated as a friend and where community thrives. It’s why when store owner Adele O’Toole announced March 22 that the business would be closing Aug. 31 after selling its property to a developer, shockwaves could be felt throughout the Littleton community and beyond. North Carolina-based developer Lennar Multifamily Communities, which bought the property from

PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 16

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