Sentinel
NORTHGLENN/ADCO SENTINEL 2.14.13
Northglenn -Thornton
50 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ournorthglennnews.com, ourthorntonnews.com
Adams County, Colorado • Volume 49, Issue 27
GETTING OVER
February 14, 2013
Residents, officials on for transit By Darin Moriki
dmoriki@ourcoloradonews.com
Cory Yarbrough does a trick after going up a five-foot ramp on his bike during a BMX Ramp Team Show inside the Skyview Al Hower Gymnasium Thursday, Feb. 7, in Thornton. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Woman turns passion into business Owner dedicated to her jewelry By Darin Moriki
dmoriki@ourcoloradonews.com Thornton resident Linda Smith knew she had stumbled across a good idea two years ago after a co-worker showed her a loose gemstone bracelet that she had bought from a store. Smith, who worked as an office manager at a spiritual teacher’s Denver Tech Center office at the time, soon made her own version of that same bracelet a few days later and began making more bracelets and necklaces to complement her outfits. “I’ve always been crafty,” Smith said. “Over the years, I’ve always been making something.” Then, in June 2011, Smith took a leap of faith and quit her full-time job to dedicate all of her time to making jewelry and set up an online shop from her craft room for all her creations — a company now called LKS Originals. “I had a vision, I knew what I wanted to do and I have that entrepreneurial spirit,” Smith said. “I’m not the type of person who likes to check in at the office everyday and do the 9 to 5 thing, so I just thought, ‘Yes, this has potential. Yes, I can do this and I’m going for it.’” Since then, Smith said she has never looked back. “I’m so happy,” Smith said as she took a cursory glance around her craft room in her home. “I really haven’t worked a day in the last year. I sometimes spend 16-hour POSTAL ADDRESS
days in my little girl cave here doing this and doing that and I never feel like I’m working. I feel really blessed to do what I do and I really love it.” On most days, Smith can be found in her craft room experimenting with new jewelry making techniques or making a few of her classic Orogone Energy Jewelry pieces designed to bring positive vibes to those who wear it. Smith said most of her resin-sealed Orogone Energy Jewelry pieces, which contain copper coil pieces wrapped into intricately designed shapes, quartz crystal, metal bits and natural gemstones, typically take about 48 hours to make from scratch.
“For me, it has all been a process of learning by doing and learning what works and what doesn’t,” Smith said. “I got a special little stone from a very special friend once and I wanted to learn how to wrap it and wear it as jewelry, so I wrapped and unwrapped that stone 20 times — that is how I learned how to wire wrap. I’ll just kind of see something or get an idea and just figure out how to do it.” Smith’s jewelry, which ranges in price from about $20 for smaller pairs of earrings or friendship bracelets to $80 for larger, custom made necklaces can be found on her company’s website at: http://www.etsy. com/shop/LKSoriginals.
Lisa Smith of LKS Originals handcrafted artisan jewelry uses a small cup to pour resin into various jewelry projects shes working on at her home business in Thornton Thursday, Feb. 7. Photo by Andy Carpenean NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL
(ISSN 1044-4254) (USPS 854-980)
OFFICE: 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the NorthglennThornton Sentinel is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: P.O. Box 350070, Westminster, CO 80035-0070. DEADLINES: Display advertising: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal advertising: Fri. 11 a.m. Classified advertising: Tues. 12 p.m.
Adams County residents and local officials remain skeptical of RTD’s continued promises to finally kick off construction on the North Metro Line. A project update provided by Regional Transportation District officials during a Feb. 9 town hall meeting at the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center was met with circumspection from about 40 county residents who say they are still waiting to see the fruits of their tax dollars. “I’m sure you guys really aren’t too interested in what’s happening elsewhere — you care about the line that is coming here — and I know you feel like you’re the last ones to get what you voted for a while ago,” said RTD’s North Metro Rail Line Project Manager Jane Donovan as audience members shouted, “yes” in agreement. “We have been making huge investments in the North Metro region to get it here. There is a lot of stuff that has to go on behind the scenes in order for us to come out here and build the rail.” Donovan said $119 million of the $473 million committed to the North Metro Line was used to purchase rights-of-way for parts of the line that would take commuters as far as State Highway 7 and East 167th Avenue. Donovan also highlighted RTD’s recent efforts to begin allocating about $277 million to fund unfinished short-term FasTracks projects by 2017, including the U.S. 36 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project and the North Metro Line up to 72nd Avenue. She said RTD is then planning to apply for federal funds to help complete last leg of the line, which is estimated to cost about $40 million per mile to build. The first segment of the North Metro Line from Denver Union Station to 72nd Avenue is estimated to cost about $60 million per mile to build. “I make personal bets at night when I’m out with my friends that I’m betting them $100 that we’ll have this line here by 2020,” Donovan said. “That’s just me and I’m certainly committed to getting that done, because I want to see it and I know the regional directors want to see it.” RTD District K Director Paul Solano said the North Metro Line is important because many Adams County citizens either do not own a car or rely heavily on public transportation. “We all have needs, but they’re all tied to transportation — how we get our children to school and how we go to and come back home from work,” Solano said. “There’s a lot of issues and we’re trying to move ahead.” Thornton Ward 3 City Councilwoman Lynne Fox said she wants RTD to ensure that no other funds allocated for the North Metro Line are diverted to other FasTrack projects. “I know that you will find more money over the years and we don’t want to see the Southeast Rail Line extension built before we get real rail here in Thornton,” Fox said. “Quite frankly, we feel like there’s enough rail in the south part of Denver to serve everyone there.”
GET SOCIAL WITH US The NorthglennThornton Sentinel wants to share the news. Check out and like our page on facebook. Search for NorthglennThornton Sentinel.
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.