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July 24, 2014
SouthPlatteIndependent.net
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O A publication of
Council studies rent hike for seniors Geneva Village proposal pulled from council agenda By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com
The sounds of Taylor Kline get things rolling at the Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown in Littleton on July 19. Photo by Chris Rotar
Old MacDonald had a blast Staff report
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The hundreds of people who turned out for this year’s Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown got the thrill of a lifetime: meeting Old MacDonald and getting to hear him, live and in person, make the mistake that cost him the spelling bee in the Geico commercial that made him famous. “C-o-w-e-i-e-i-o.” The Mountaineers square dancers livened up the wacky event for the first time this year, held July 18 and July 19 in the Reinke Bros. parking lot near Main and Prince streets. Also new were the Gonuts hamster balls, which are giant plastic bubbles kids can climb into and float around in. Granny Ma’s catered up scrumptious corn on the cob and the requisite turkey legs, along with many other tasty vittles, which many enjoyed with a variety of wine and beer.
Littleton City Council was all set on July 15 to pass a rent increase for the seniors who live at Geneva Village, until Councilmember Peggy Cole pulled the item off the agenda and requested a study session on the issue. “There’s a whole series of things I think are not addressed,” she said. Councilmembers Jerry Valdes and Bruce Stahlman agreed, as did Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Beckman, so the resolution was set aside. It had been on the consent agenda, which meant it would not have been subject to public discussion. Longtime Geneva Village resident Jerry Hill said he didn’t hear about the proposal until late that afternoon, but he managed to round up about a dozen of his neighbors to appear at the council meeting in protest. He urged council to consider grandfathering in the 28 people who live there now, many of whom are in their 80s and 90s, and start charging new tenants more. Hill, 78, is a former member of the board of South Metro Housing Options, which manages Geneva Village. He was also on the front lines of the battle several years ago when there was talk of replacing the apartments with a new police building. As crafted, the resolution would have increased the rent by $50 a month each year Geneva continues on Page 8
Event organizer Greg Reinke, left, poses with actor Larrs Jackson, better known as Old MacDonald on the Geico TV commercial, at the Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown on July 19. Photo by Chris Rotar
Offers
Big changes at Chatfield
& More
Effects of project still being debated
Log on
By Jennifer Smith
jsmith @coloradocommunitymedia.com
today
The recent approval of the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project potentially means a partial solution to the state’s water woes, but it definitely means some changes at the state park surrounding the dam. According to a statement from the Army Corps of Engineers — which operates the dam — reallocating storage from a floodcontrol pool into a joint conservation/flood control pool will raise the water level by 12 feet. Because water will cover more of the park, there will be “significant modifications to relocate and replace existing recreation facilities, resources and project roads with new facilities and roads,” reads the statement. “Chatfield State Park, one of the premier parks in the state of Colorado, will offer users many new facilities and continue to provide high-quality recreation activity opportunities to devoted park enthusiasts with this
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The little ones had a blast in the Gonuts pool during the Turkey Leg and Wine Hoedown, held each year in Reinke Bros. parking lot at Prince and Main streets. Photo by Jennifer Smith
Chatfield continues on Page 14