WEEK OF JULY 10, 2025
VOLUME 136 | ISSUE 49
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Littleton eyes Elati Street to plan for improvements
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
52 comments address which intersections feel unsafe for biking, driving, walking
ENGLEWOOD STYLE Ted’s Clothiers marks 50 years in business P2
BY ISABEL GUZMAN IGUZMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
shaped her life, making traditional schooling difficult. “After Columbine, I was pretty scared of school and didn’t do well with anything in person,” she said. “I did online stuff, but you can’t be an esthetician online. It doesn’t work like that.” Despite those obstacles, Erickson persevered. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Colorado Denver — in 2010 and 2013, respectively — through online and hybrid programs. However, after relocating to rural Julesburg in northeast Colorado with her husband, Craig, she realized her position at the public defenders’ office was no longer feasible. That opened the door to her long-deferred dream. So, with her husband’s encouragement, Erickson felt she could finally pursue her calling. “I had done a lot of years of therapy … and felt I was in a position where I could go to class in person,” Erickson said.
The City of Littleton is undertaking a comprehensive Elati Street Corridor Study throughout 2025 aimed at transforming Elati Street into a safer, more comfortable, and multimodal-friendly corridor. Elati Street is a key north-south route in Littleton, stretching around 2.5 miles from north of Littleton Boulevard to the High Line Canal. The corridor is primarily residential, providing access to three Littleton public schools, multiple parks, and trails. “The City of Littleton wants to make sure we are hearing from the community that uses Elati Street,” said Shane Roberts, project manager for the City of Littleton. “This area is essential to so many community members and provides access to three Littleton public schools. We want to make sure the proposed improvements reflect their needs for the corridor and ultimately improve their experience using Elati Street.” This study is part of Littleton’s broader Safer Streets program that prioritizes safety improvements and enhances multiple transportation options such as walking, biking, rolling and driving. Elati Street has been designated in the city’s Transportation Master Plan as a “neighborhood connector” and a pedestrian and bike priority street, a corridor that the city said is vital for local connectivity and non-motorized travel. A self-guided online meeting for residents to read about the study and provide their input was available until June 30. The website detailed areas along the corridor that had the most car crashes between December 2019 and December 2024. Some of these intersections were:
SEE ESTHETICS, P31
SEE IMPROVEMENTS, P7
HOMELESS COUNT Annual tally shows progress, challenges P4 Permanent makeup artist Marjorie Erickson tattoos permanent makeup on a client. Erickson offers her services in both Nebraska and Englewood, where recently rented a space at Image Studios. COURTESY OF MARJORIE ERICKSON
‘It’s not about vanity’
Columbine survivor’s esthetics business offers healing, empowerment BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
BRIDGE HICCUP Englewood construction plans delayed P6
MEDICAID REDUCTIONS Family joins D.C. trip to talk about P14 effects
When Marjorie Erickson sits down with a client, permanent makeup tools in hand, she’s not just crafting a symmetrical wing or perfectly arched brow on people — she’s rebuilding confidence, one meticulous stroke at a time. “It’s not about vanity,” Erickson said. “It’s usually people who struggle with some confidence issues and it helps them with it.” Erickson is the founder and owner of Decadent Beauty, a growing permanent makeup business she opened at Image Studios in Englewood. She splits her time between operating Decadent Beauty in Englewood and its other location in Nebraska. After years of working in a different career — an investigator for the Colorado Public Defender’s Office — Erickson took a leap of faith to pursue her lifelong passion for aesthetics and helping others feel comfortable in their skin. As a survivor of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, Erickson said the trauma
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