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Week of January 5, 2023
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15
VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 29
Year in review: Arvada
Jeffco sheriff’s investigators raising money to help families of fallen police officers BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Onlookers watch the procession of police cars at Officer Dillon Vakoff’s Funeral.
Community’s giving spirit shines through up-anddown year BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Coming on the heels of one of the most difficult years in Arvada’s history, 2022 brought a degree of normalcy back to the tragedy-stricken community. Even in hard times, the community rallied for one another time and time again, evoking Mr. Rogers’ timeless sentiment; “Look for the helpers.” Here are some of the most notable events in Arvada from the past year: Arvadans support Marshall Fire victims
In the wake of the most devastating wildfire in Colorado’s history — one that almost spread to Northwest Arvada — Arvadans came together to provide support for victims. City Councilmembers Lisa Smith and Lauren Simpson led the charge on a gift card drive that raised over $70,000 for families impacted by the fire. Folks from around the city donated gift cards that helped families rebuild their lives after the disaster struck. The Arvada Elks Lodge hosted a
‘Concert for Our Neighbors’ headlined by acclaimed soul singer Hazel Miller. The benefit show was attended by over 300 people and raised $25,000 for fire victims. Community shows solidarity with Ukraine
Arvadans didn’t just help their neighbors directly to the north. When war broke out in Ukraine earlier this year, the community did what it does best; found ways to help. The clinicians at Arvada West Family Medicine — led by Nurse Practitioner Ellie Titarenko, who is originally from Ukraine — worked together to send medical supplies en masse to their war-torn homeland. For Nurse Halyna Kandyuk, also from Ukraine, the conflict hit close to home. “My nephew is an officer in the war right now,” Kandyuk said. “I call him every day. His mom is my sister; it’s very hard. My mom’s still in Ukraine, my sister’s still in Ukraine. My younger sister is a nurse.” Their efforts paid off ; thanks in part to donations from other Arvadans, Titarenko and her staff successfully sent dozens of boxes of medical supplies to the warzone. Clinician Svetlana Sinsheimer said it represented America’s giving spirit.
PHOTO BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY-SMITH
“It’s why we love America. Because people just donate and support. They don’t care what country — Ukrainian, Honduras, South Africa — American people every time support for difficult time. And right now, we’re (thinking of ) Ukraine,” Sinsheimer said. In a similar vein, City Councilmember Lisa Smith traveled to Poland after the war broke out to deliver medical supplies to Ukraine. Smith worked with Operation White stork, organized by Team Rubicon; an international non-governmental organization specializing in disaster response that Smith has worked with in the past. While she was abroad, Smith felt Arvada’s support through messages of support and the image of the Olde Town Water Tower lit in blue and yellow; the national colors of Ukraine. “When I landed in Krakow, I was picked up by another volunteer and we got on the highway. I saw a tower; it was lit up with Ukrainian flag colors and I immediately thought of Arvada and had this moment of feeling like there’s a bit of Arvada here. It was really cool to see how even in Arvada, we still support,” Smith said. SEE YEAR IN REVIEW, P2
Two Jeffco sheriff ’s investigators “be walkin’!” “We be walkin’!” is the slogan of Dee Patterson — known as Deputy Dee in the foothills — and Wendy Fehringer as they prepare to walk 25 miles in two days in February to support the C.O.P.S. Foundation. C.O.P.S. stands for Concerns of Police Survivors, and the organization provides support for families, friends and colleagues who have lost an officer in the line of duty. According to the organization’s website, “C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today, C.O.P.S. membership is over 65,000 survivors. Survivors include spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others and coworkers of officers who have died in the line of duty.” Patterson and Fehringer will be walking in COPSWalk Southwest Feb. 24-26, deciding this year to walk in honor of Dillon Vakoff, a 27-year-old Arvada police officer who was shot and killed responding to a disturbance on Sept. 11, 2022. Vakoff ’s motto was “That others may live,” and Patterson said that stuck with her. “I didn’t know Dillon, but I have kids slightly older than he was,” she said. “My kids have a future, while Dillon doesn’t. That hit hard for me.” While Patterson participated in the COPSWalk Southwest last year, she asked Fehringer, her friend and partner in the investigations unit for the Jeffco Sheriff ’s Office, to join her this year. “We live in a community that is so very supportive of law enforcement, and we have immediate resources,” Fehringer said. “Then there are the little agencies who don’t have as much support.” SEE HELPING, P4