WEEK OF APRIL 3, 2025
VOLUME 105 | ISSUE 6
$2
Englewood wants voter input on mayoral elections BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Campers can partake in a variety of art classes this summer at Arapahoe Community College’s Summer Youth Camps. COURTESY OF ARAPAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ACC offers range of youth camp options Kids ages 6-14 can take part in programs BY ISABEL GUZMAN ISABEL@COTLN.ORG
Arapahoe Community College is gearing up for another season of fun with its annual Summer Youth Camps, designed for kids ages 6-14. “The ability to customize our teaching for individual campers sets us apart,” said Kathleen Wucherpfennig, an ACC sum-
mer youth camp art instructor. “Instructors are knowledgeable and experienced in the specific area they are teaching. Teachers are enthusiastic, and the kids seem to be having a great time.” The Summer Youth Camps offer a wide range of activities that aim to blend fun with education and partner with organizations like Black Rocket, Snapology, Science Matters, Sticky Fingers Cooking and JumpBunch to deliver camps that span science, technology, arts, sports and cooking. Some of the featured camps
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 18 | CALENDAR: 21
include Harry Potter Wizards, Minecraft Modders and Beats and Jams: Digital Music Creators, all led by expert faculty and partners. For $279 per camp, youth can learn while having fun on the Littleton campus in June and July. Fifteen years ago, Wucherpfennig received an ACC Youth Summer Camp advertisement mailer and applied for a teaching position. Since then, she has taught photography, painting and digital art camps. During one of her camp sessions, Wucherpfennig ap-
proached a camper who wasn’t interested in painting with the rest of the kids. “I was able to have some deep conversations with him and discovered he really liked cars,” she said. And when she saw a police officer in the campus building, Wucherpfennig asked the officer to show the young campers the patrol car. Once they headed back to the canvases, the disinterested camper began painting tires and striped roads. SEE CAMP, P6
Englewood City Council aims to ask voters how they want to conduct the city’s direct mayoral election this fall. In last year’s November election, Englewood voters overwhelmingly approved a charter change to allow for the direct election of the mayor, beginning with the 2025 regular election scheduled for Nov. 4. Until now, the mayor has been chosen by members of council from among their ranks. Following last year’s charter change, the council requested that city staff provide it with election structure options for consideration, including runoff elections, ranked choice voting and a primary election. Council elections have not required winning candidates to receive a majority of votes in races with three or more candidates, with a plurality being enough to win, but the three options proposed for council consideration all would result in a candidate needing to receive a majority of votes to take the mayoral seat. “The election last year for the mayor position passed by 83% of the public,” At-Large Councilmember Rita Russell said during the council’s March 24 study session. “It was a mandate to the city that the citizens want to elect the mayor. The constituents in this city are pretty sharp. They know what the laws are, what the rules are.” District 4 Councilmember Steve Ward added that the council is not considering or discussing the citizens’ right to vote for a mayor, but rather the method. SEE ELECTIONS, P16
2025
VOTE NOW March 1st - April 15th
ENGLEWOODHERALD.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA