Community Views

Voices from around the Lakewood community.

By Lakewood Edge • October 19th, 2011

SUBMITTED BY: Linda Sasenick
There’s no question some students are doing very well in Jeffco schools, and that’s great.
The problem is too many kids aren’t.  No matter how you might want to deflect that fact by cherry-picking data to “debunk myths” and “lies,” what’s undeniable is that more than 1,000 students from Jeffco aren’t graduating, every [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Donna Jack, Evergreen
A robo call today tried to fool you by saying that Republicans support the ladies running for School Board.  Don’t be confused – the Jefferson County Republican Party has endorsed Preston Branaugh and Jim Powers for Jeffco School Board.
While all candidates have members of both parties supporting them, and the party [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Edie Bryan, Former Lakewood City Council member
Ever since I was on City Council years ago, I have regularly attended ward meetings. In 2007 there was a large increase of graffiti in the area near South Sheridan Boulevard. A number of property owners and citizens complained about this problem at the ward meetings.
The graffiti [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Dan Rodriguez, Lakewood
The primary function of government is to protect its citizens. Thus public safety is my primary concern for Lakewood city government. In recent years we have seen some movement of gangs into Lakewood from Denver. This has been accompanied by an increase in graffiti. Lakewood has done a great deal of work combating these trends, [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Donna Jack, Evergreen
Great things happen every day in Jeffco public schools because of students, parents and teachers.  Jeffco School Board candidates Preston Branaugh and Jim Powers will work with others to address areas that need to be better.
Approximately three of four Jeffco public students graduate from high school. Lesley Dahlkemper likes to say Jeffco is fifth in [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Pete Roybal, Candidate for Lakewood City Council Ward 3
Dear Editor:
I recently attended a meeting organized by a developer who is seeking to re-zone the Green Gables Golf Course into a multi-use development.  The proposal is being considered by Jefferson County rather than the City of Lakewood because it is in unincorporated Jeffco.  Although the site is in the heart of Lakewood [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Donna Jack, Evergreen, Colo.
Isn’t it surprising that on Aug 18, 2011, when the Jefferson County Public School Board was considering how to have fewer students referred to law enforcement, they called the Sheriff’s Office to take care of a citizen attending their meeting?
They had just spent time talking about their code of conduct [...]

SUBMITTED BY: C. Jones
The U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) states they want to “increase conservation awareness, save natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
I challenge GSA to live up to their words by setting aside natural habitat on the Denver Federal Center as identified on their final master site plan. Conservation awareness is not possible without including natural habitat and [...]

SUBMITTED BY: D. Carson
Chris Jones’ letter (”Wildlife Perishes at the Federal Center”) voices the same concerns and constant frustration I have experienced with GSA when, prior to the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement, it started killing numerous species of wildlife as an “improvement” to the DFC grounds.
GSA has constantly ignored public comments and concerns about keeping open space undisturbed for wildlife. GSA, along [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Chris Jones
LAKEWOOD – The wildlife struggling to survive along the McIntyre Gulch at the Federal Center shall perish as the result of the General Services Administration (GSA) upgrades. Planting 700 trees will not make up for the many animals that have suffered and been destroyed by GSA because of development.
GSA claims to be [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Adam Paul, Lakewood City  Council – Ward 4
RE:       Lakewood Edge publication – 9/27/1 Article titled: “OPED: Lax oversight of grant funds increases taxpayers’ costs”, submitted by Bill Marion
Dear Editor:
After reviewing the article in the September 27, 2010 edition of the Lakewood Edge publication, Lakewood City Council felt it was important to comment on [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Bill Marion
Recipients of grant funding from state and county agencies are not subject to adequate controls to ensure that recipients comply with their own proposals and obligations.
For example, the city of Lakewood built a baseball field in Coyote Gulch Park where the proposed funding was to include a $200,000 grant from Greater Outdoors Colorado (GOCO); a [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Chris Jones
The General Service Administration (GSA) has removed public information concerning the Denver Federal Center (DFC) Final Master Site Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement from its website. Instead of providing easy access to these documents via their website, GSA prefers to present a fifteen minute video of self-promotion telling tax payers exactly [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Jaimes Brown, Libertarian Candidate for Colorado Governor
As a candidate qualified for the ballot, it’s frustrating and discouraging to learn about the first gubernatorial debate in a newspaper article after it has taken place. I’ve requested other debate invitations and one chamber of commerce told me I have to provide a poll that shows [...]

Open Space at DFC Belongs to Taxpayers

 SUBMITTED BY: C. Jones
Tax-paying citizens are the rightful owners of the 62-acre open space located on the southeast corner of the Denver Federal Center (DFC). The United States General Services Administration (GSA) and The City of Lakewood do not own the land. GSA and The City of Lakewood need [...]

 SUBMITTED BY: Cathy Kentner
The Lakewood City Council is currently taking public comment on two proposed charter changes that would affect referendum and initiative petitions. One of these changes would require referenda and initiative elections to coincide with either a regular municipal election or a county special election, thus eliminating stand-alone special elections.
Stand-alone elections are the [...]

Submitted By: Melissa Morris
 State Park Officials: Are You Listening?
Off-leash users are not opposed to change at Chatfield State Park’s off-leash dog area, but we are opposed to change that does not benefit all users equally creating a win-win for all parties.
Sport Dog Trainers need and deserve a great state of the art facility for both [...]

SUBMITTED BY: Sherry D. Collins
Colorado Democrats in our Legislature have misplaced $3.6 billion!  They can’t find it and when asked, they don’t know what they did with it.  “It’s okay, never mind” seems to be their response.
We have the RIGHT to know! Where’s our money?
In 2005 Colorado voters were told a “goodly portion” of Referendum [...]