Sentinel Lakewood
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 89, Issue 11
FALL REFLECTIONS
October 18, 2012
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
Jeffco mayors take aim at gun law Officials part of coalition for better gun checks By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
Leaves turning color are reflected in Bear Creek near Stone House Park in Lakewood Monday. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Junk sale returns to help Action Center By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The Action Center has been proving this maxim true for more than 30 years with its Beautiful Junk Sale, and will be doing so again Friday and Saturday at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 15200 W. 6th Ave. in Golden. During the sale there will be 10,500 square feet of jewelry, collectibles, vintage and household items. Entrance to the sale is $3 per person, or $2 if shoppers bring two or more cans of food. “It’s a wonderful tradition the Action Center has,” said Mag Strittmatter, executive director for the center. “It raises awareness of the center while allowing people to find the most amazing stuff.” The Action Center is a nonprofit that serves Jefferson County’s homeless and low-income families, helping them with basic needs and finding a way to self-sufficiency. Strittmatter said that all the money raised at the biannual sale goes to the Action Center, which allows it to do all the help and outreach work it does. The two sales in 2011 raised more
IF YOU GO WHAT: Action Center’s Beautiful Junk Sale WHERE: Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall 15200 W. 6th Ave. in Golden WHEN: Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19 and 20 COST: $3 for visitors, 16 and older $2 with two or more canned goods INFORMATION: 303-237-7704 or www.theactioncenterco.org
A national campaign to reduce gun violence received a boost Oct. 11 when Golden became the first municipality to officially support efforts to close loopholes in gun background checks. Golden City Council voted 7-0 to pass a resolution supporting the national Fix Gun Checks Act after hearing public testimony from an Aurora theater shooting survivor, as well as local NRA members. “I’m very thankful to be here to share my story tonight,” shooting victim Stephen Barton told council. “I remember the tear gas canister flying across the theater,” Barton began, relating the story about how one night out at the movies during a cross-country trip became a horror show. Barton said after experiencing “the blinking light of his muzzle and the blinding pain of shotgun pellet” that tore into his face and chest, he received numerous condolences from state and federal lawmakers. “And while those (condolences) were appreciated, I was told that it was simply too soon to talk about guns, out of respect for me and the other survivors and victims. But in reality, it was too late,” he said. Barton became a spokesperson for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group that purports to seek gun law reforms that respect the Second Amendment while reducing gun violence. “I don’t think we should take guns Gun Law continues on Page 22
Crowds fill up the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall during last year’s Beautiful Junk Sale, hosted by the Action Center. All the money raised by items purchased goes back to the Action Center to help with funding for the work it does. Submitted by Jeffco Action Center than $80,000. Everything sold are items that people donate to the center throughout the year, which its clients may not have any use for. The center’s clients receive items free of charge, but they are essential things, and some of what people donate are not needed, so they become part of the sale. Chuck Carscallen and his wife have been volunteering at the sale since 1994, and have seen its enormous growth, from small beginnings to recent years, when 2,000 to 3,000 shoppers will stop by during the course of the weekend. “We do both preparation and days of sale help,” Carscallen said. “We help set up, bringing over stuff from the warehouse and helping with pricing. We’ve also done cashiering and been a floorwalker during the sale.”
Carscallen said the sale really offers some great deals, and has seen $100 toasters, sewing machines and other household items go for a mere $20. “My favorite part about volunteering is seeing people coming over, all excited, and saying, ‘Look what I found,’” he said. “Every year, we watch people find something they’ve been looking for years.” Strittmatter said part of the reason the sale has become so popular is not only are there great deals, but shoppers know they’re helping out those less fortunate. “It’s a great way for people to support the Action Center by having a good time,” she said. For more information, call 303-2377704 or visit www.theactioncenterco. org.
Aurora theater shooting victim Stephen Barton addresses Golden City Council Oct. 11 during public comment about the Fix Gun Checks Act and other measures to reduce gun violence. Photo by Andy Carpenean
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