Serving Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and beyond
WEEK OF APRIL 10, 2025
VOLUME 41 | ISSUE 36
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What’s next for Jefferson? Who gets to decide? ENERGY SECRETARY SPEAKS AT NREL, TALKS AI FIELDS
Jeffco pauses closure plans, but the fight for Jefferson’s future is far from over
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BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
CHURCHES TALK ABOUT THEIR CHANGES P10 POST-COVID
rado Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans day in 2021 to celebrate the sacrifices made by veterans and their families during the war. Retired U.S. Army Col. Jim Kiekhaefer gave the keynote address, acknowledging that veterans are at a high risk of experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and survivor’s guilt, and he encouraged them to reach out for help. “It will always be part of you, but it’s how you cope with it,” Kiekhaefer said. Kiekhaefer encouraged his fellow veterans to seek help if they need it, whether that is professional help, or reaching out to friends and family for support, he said.
Jefferson County Public Schools’ proposal to close Jefferson Jr./Sr. High for a year of planning and renovating it into either a career and technical school or a career-based academy school drew swift and sustained backlash, and now, the district is beginning to respond. At a recent community meeting, Superintendent Tracy Dorland announced the district would no longer recommend a full-year closure during the 2026-27 school year. “We heard loud and clear … that year of closure, that year of planning, was not something the community was interested in,” she said. “So, we are pausing this idea.” The announcement drew applause from a packed auditorium, where many saw the shift as proof their voices were finally being heard. Still, families remain wary. The district has yet to commit to keeping the school open long-term — only to slow the process and continue conversations with those impacted. In the meantime, community leaders presented their own plans for the school’s future. Edgewater Collective, a nonprofit that promotes programs and partnerships to improve education, economic opportunity, and civic engagement with Latino communities across Jefferson County, unveiled a proposal to keep Jefferson open as a bilingual, career-focused community school with specialized programming for seventh and eighth graders. The plan also calls for a community-led steering team and a five-year partnership agreement with the district to ensure local
SEE HONORED, P15
SEE WHAT’S NEXT, P31
WINDOW Vietnam veterans honored WESTMINSTER
Veterans of the Vietnam War were honored with a pinning ceremony during the Welcome Home Celebration at Lutheran Hospital on March 30. PHOTO BY NATALIE KERR
at ‘Welcome Home’ event Annual celebration at Lutheran Hospital recognizes U.S. Armed Forces withdrawal from war BY NATALIE KERR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
DAKOTA RIDGE LAX COMPLETES MISSION OVER P14 RIVAL
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MINSTER VOTE NOW
“Today, we say what should have been said long ago — thank you.” Amanda Shon, a senior nurse manager for Intermountain Health Hospice, welcomed Vietnam War Veterans to Lutheran Hospital’s second annual Welcome Home Celebration with gratitude she felt was long overdue. The event commemorates Vietnam Veterans Day, when, on March 29, 1973, United States Armed Forces withdrew all combat troops from Vietnam. Veter-
ans, family, friends and caregivers gathered to honor those who served in combat with speakers, a pinning ceremony and an honorable flyover. When all Vietnam veterans returned to the U.S., reception was less than kind, with negative treatment stemming from the war’s divisive nature and the perception that the U.S. had failed to complete its goals in Vietnam. The U.S. passed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act in 2017, which designated March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and Gov. Jared Polis designated March 30 as Colo-
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March 1st - April 15th
VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13 | SPORTS: 14
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