Lost snowmobiler found safe

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

'Face time' ordered in Wolf Creek case

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

What's love got to do with it? - #lakewoodnews

As the famous song lyric goes, "Love is a many-splendored thing."

Love, too, is a deep thread that winds through many religions and can be realized in different ways, even within the same faith.

As Valentine's Day approaches, we are exploring the various aspects of love in Judaism and different forms of Christianity, and what it means to love one another.

"Love is one of those natural emotions that has passion, relationship, joy," said Reg Cox, senior minister at Lakewood Church of Christ. "It affects all those things at the same time, and it's what makes life life."

Love --; whether it's friendly, familial or spiritual --; takes shape through actions. Those actions, such as having compassion for one another, being thankful, being rooted in Scripture and serving the community, our sources said, are representative of one's love for God.

At the Colorado Horeb Mar Thoma Church in Northglenn, a Christian church founded in India, the belief in love remains familiar.

"We teach to love one another, love your neighbor and love yourself," said Sara Vargrese, a church-goer and wife of the worship leader. Vargrese added that Horeb Mar Thoma members show that love through different mission activities.

"We believe in God's unconditional love for us, and we try, as a church, to embody that unconditional love of God," said Tezenlo Thong at Simpson United Methodist Church in Arvada. "For us, that means whatever we can do to show love, in whatever small ways we can ... Love is love at any time and anywhere."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://goldentranscript.net/stories/Whats-love-got-to-do-with-it,206306?branding=15

Five numbers add up to good advice - #lakewoodnews

There are many numbers to remember while grandparenting. Thankfully parents leave good notes, the schedule they want their children to follow, and recommended food. The Healthy Children's Organization and Harvard researchers have a few numbers to help every day. They are 65210.

Positive six-to-one

The "six" in the number stands for six compliments to every correction. Studies show that complimenting children for doing good deads and doing something well is very powerful. "You really made a tall tower. Good job setting the table! You picked up those Cheerios so well! Thank you for helping your brother!"

Overcorrection is very easy for adults to do. It's quick, it's easy, but it is not as effective as catching children being good or doing a good job. Compliments let children know they are being capable and kind. They will be better models for others, be more successful making friends, and feel better about themselves. Families are sometimes astounded how using this one technique changes the atmosphere in their homes.

Five for food

The number "five" stands for five fruits and vegetables per day. Some children may love fruits and vegetable from the very beginning. Usually though, families need to be stealthy and very creative. Fruits and vegetables can be freshly cut up and eaten raw with a dip, placed in smoothies, mixed in cereal, in pancakes, or served as snacks with some of their favorite food, The five fruits and vegetable number is important because fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals, filling, and help avoid obesity in our carbohydrate-rich culture.

Two hours maximum

"Two" is for the maximum hours of screen time every day. No matter what kind of screen --; TV/DVD, computer type, or phone, children are sitting rather than moving around. Encourage playing outside, playing a game inside the house, creating something, or reading.

One hour minimum

Number "one" in 65210 is for one hour minimum of physical activity per day. Playing outside is best. If that is not possible, play a sport inside with wads of paper. Bowling, playing basketball in a box, volleyball, tossing a ball, and having snowball fights are all possible with a wad of paper reinforced with tape.

Put a cork in it

"Zero" is for zero sugary beverages. Replace with water and milk. Check labels for sugar, artificial sweeteners, and carbohydrates. Energy drinks, sports drinks, and flavored water sweetened fruit juices sound so good, but check the labels. Sugar is added as fructose, corn syrup and many chemicals.

Diet drinks have higher amounts of acid that can harm teeth and often replace water, milk, and other healthy options. Sugary drinks do not have nutritional value, are expensive, and don't make us feel full.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Five-numbers-add-up-to-good-advice,206305?branding=15

Wildcats' Walton controls the paint - #lakewoodnews

Dallas Walton is easy to spot when the Arvada West boys basketball team takes the floor --; the seven-foot-tall senior towers over his teammates.

"I think I have always been blessed with height," Walton said after the Jan. 27 game against Bear Creek. "I think I started playing basketball when I was about 5 years old. I loved the game when I started playing the game and I have loved it every since."

His height gives him an advantage when he posts up near the basket. Teammates can lob the ball high enough to him that defenders usually can't block the pass.

Walton has shown that he can dunk the ball, put up a soft layup off the backboard and even shoot accurately from 10 to 20 feet.

He also is a factor crashing the boards. His height and long arms enable him to have a chance to sweep away the rebound before the other team's players can get to it.

"I was hurt last year and didn't get to play," Walton said. "But I did work on improving my game, particularly mentally."

He said he has gotten stronger physically, which has helped him to absorb more hits and give some hits back when he is battling with opponents in the lane.

"I love basketball," he said with a smile. "I love being a part of good team wins. I love dunking the ball or hitting a shot and I love when I can give a great assist to one of my teammates."

He said his personal goals for the season are to help his team win the league championship and do the best he can to help his team go as far as possible in the state playoffs.

Walton played at Ralston Valley as a freshman. In the spring of his sophomore year, he was playing in an Amateur Athletic Union tournament and suffered a knee injury. The injury required surgery and at least nine months of rehabilitation, so he saw no court action last year at Arvada West.

He is doing well this season. Currently he is second in the Jefferson County League in rebounding, averaging 11.1 rebounds a game, and he is fourth in scoring, averaging 16.3 points a game. He also leads the league in blocked shots, averaging 2.8 blocks a game.

The state uses the league statistics to rate all Class 5A players, and Walton is fourth in rebounding and in the top 20 in scoring.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Wildcats-Walton-controls-the-paint,206302?branding=15

Ridership on W Rail in Lakewood climbs with increasing development - #lakewoodnews

Lakewood resident Alisha Eversole and her husband recently moved from Denver, where they used the light rail for any trip that wasn't walking distance.

But although the transition from city to suburban life has been a bit bumpy, she said, one facet hasn't changed: She can still take the light rail for those longer trips.

"Having the W Rail readily available almost makes me forget that I'm no longer living in an urban area," Eversole said.

It will be three years in April since the W Rail carried its first riders up and down the corridor. Years of planning, construction and development finally brought the completion of the first of RTD's FasTracks projects. There are 11 stations along the line.

Now, with the East Line out to Denver International Airport and the Gold Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge nearing completion, the W Rail is a window into the future for many communities.

With a current W Rail ridership of about 12,500 weekday ridersRTD is still finding ways to fine-tune service for riders.

"It is not uncommon for us to re-evaluate service changes that we instituted around opening of rail lines at the request of our customers," wrote Tina Jaquez, RTD public relations manager, in an email interview. "Many times we receive feedback from our riders that indicates the changes we made with the new rail line do not work well for the community. So we take a look at that and make further adjustments after a line opens."

When the line first opened, many residents were concerned about changes in bus routes. RTD held several meetings to make the necessary adjustments.

"Initially, I think ridership was a little less than they (RTD) were expecting, but it was really starting to build going into 2014," said David Baskett, a traffic engineer with Lakewood. "The changes they made in the fare structure also helped increase ridership."

The fare changes went into effect Jan. 1, and now allow riders to purchase day passes that allow for unlimited rides, or one-way tickets for single use. There are also monthly and annual passes for frequent riders.

Jaquez said RTD is happy with the ridership numbers on the line.

Lakewood is still working on improving its own infrastructure, or connections to the stations, to encourage more people to use the line, Baskett said. Work is underway to add sidewalks to many neighborhoods, and the city also wants to improve bicycle paths to the stations.

Eversole and her husband, who live near the Oak Station, said there is a serious lack of sidewalks and functioning streetlights leading toward Colfax.

"Making it more continuous and easy --; all that helps everyone," Baskett said.

One of the clearest signs of the line's success is the increase in development along the line, according to Lakewood and RTD officials.

"There's no doubt that line has been a game-changer," said Robert Smith, Lakewood's economic development manager. "We're seeing a lot of apartments along the line, which is important because the need for housing is going up and we have more millennials coming in."

The Eversoles hope the line will bring in more pedestrian-friendly businesses.

"We hope that the line will motivate business owners to branch out to our neck of the woods," she said. "We could really use a coffee shop within walking distance."

Projects like Metro West's Lamar Station Crossing, Zephyr Line Apartments and West Line Flats are all transit-oriented developments that developers hope will bring more residents to the city.

However, because the line runs through many Lakewood neighborhoods, this kind of progress isn't necessarily welcomed by residents.

"Our neighborhood has been very involved in housing projects, because we knew this would be happening with the light rail," said Paul Ditson, president of the Eiber Neighborhood Association, during a recent public meeting about a senior housing project coming to the area. "We're one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city --; Eiber has been around before Lakewood was even a city."

But for people like the Eversoles, who are looking for a new place to put down roots, the line has been a significant boon.

My husband and I use the rail every day that we go to work and school," said Eversole. "We're extremely pleased to see that the city of Lakewood, and its citizens, are meeting the needs of the community by revamping Colfax and creating places that our family wants to go to."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Ridership-on-W-Rail-in-Lakewood-climbs-with-increasing-development,206290?branding=15

Locals join lineup for Puppy Bowl XII - #lakewoodnews

Three puppies from the Dumb Friends League were drafted to star in Puppy Bowl XII to complete Animal Planet's roster of adoptable players.

The Dumb Friends League is among 44 shelters and rescue groups representing 25 states across the U.S. and Puerto Rico participating in Puppy Bowl XII. All three of the Dumb Friends League's puppies were adopted following the event.

The Puppy Bowl is recorded each year and then is aired on Animal Planet on Super Bowl Sunday. Puppies play in a model stadium as commentators weigh in about their actions.

"The Puppy Bowl is more than entertainment," said Megan Rees, public relations manager for the Dumb Friends League. "It encourages adoption, a message that is ingrained in every aspect of the event. We are proud to partner with Animal Planet to help drive that message into millions of homes across the country that will be watching."

Meet the players

Moose

Weighing in at 2.54 pounds, Moose, a 3-month-old poodle mix, will be representing Team Fluff. He first entered the Dumb Friends League as part of a large neglect case from southeastern Colorado. The day that he returned from taping the bowl in New York, Moose's adoption contract was permanently signed with a loving new family in Parker.

"He's been wonderful," said Jenny Kuist, who adopted Moose, now renamed Rico. "He's really rambunctious but also a cuddler."

Moose continues his training at home by going for three-mile walks and playing with his brother, Bob the poodle.

"He's gonna kill it in the puppy bowl," Kuist said, adding that even though it was taped in October, it's going to be a surprise to her what happens in the game.

The pup will be wearing his Broncos sweatshirt for the Super Bowl Feb. 7 and the family plans to watch Moose's big debut following the football game.

Ollie

Curious Ollie had a rough start to life after being rescued from a neglect case in southeastern Colorado, but that turned around after he arrived at the Dumb Friends League. Eventually, his talents in playing and generally looking adorable were discovered by scouts at the Dumb Friends League, and he was drafted as a first-round pick for Puppy Bowl XII. Weighing in at 2.75 pound, he joins Moose on Team Fluff.

Upon returning from New York for his filming debut, Ollie was adopted by the Ives family in Centennial. There, he is known as Baxter.

Mike Ives admitted that they were a little annoyed when they first found out the puppy they wanted to adopt was drafted. It meant waiting until Oct. 20 --; after filming was complete --; to sign the official papers.

"Now, it's really cool showing friends and family," Ives said.

Ollie's football career was short-lived due to his preference for cuddling rather than running plays, but he gets plenty of play time in with his sister, Lucy, who was adopted from the same litter. The Ives children also help facilitate playtime.

The Ives family members are big Broncos fans --; Baxter even has a Manning jersey he wears on game day. The family plan is to dedicate one TV for the Puppy Bowl so Baxter can watch himself, while the rest of the family cheers on the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

Riley

Riley, a 7.2-pound dachshund, was drafted for Puppy Bowl XII as a last-minute substitution for Team Ruff. He was the first puppy to poop on the field this year, giving him a successful "number-two" point conversion and endearing him to fans nationwide. Riley went from shelter to chic when he was adopted by a smitten New Yorker, with whom he now lives on the Upper West Side.

He enjoys going for walks in Central Park. After Puppy Bowl XII, Riley hung up his cleats, trading football glory for Instagram fame --; you can follow this little dachshund and his big city adventures at @RileytheDoxie.

On the air

In addition to watching puppies compete for the famed title of Puppy Bowl MVP (Most Valuable Puppy), viewers can also enjoy the Kitty Half-Time show, adoption success stories and lots of fun animal antics during the two-hour program. Viewers are invited to vote online for this year's MVP on game day.

Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl XII premiers 1-3 p.m. MST Sunday, Feb. 7, and repeats all day and night until 1 a.m. Game-day coverage starts at 12:30 p.m. with the Puppy Bowl Pre-Game Show, featuring analysis and commentary from a team of sports correspondents.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Locals-join-lineup-for-Puppy-Bowl-XII,206264