New Schools for Englewood

Englewood Middle School is under construction as it is transformed into an Alternative High School for the area.  The students of Englewood are also getting a new high school that they can look forward to in 2014.  Check out the updates below and learn about these two great schools coming to the area.




Debris covers the floor of a section of Englewood Middle School as crews prepare to start renovation construction for what will be the campus for Colorado's Finest Alternative High School. Courtesy photo

Dust and construction sounds daily echo through Englewood Middle School as crews work on a major renovation of the building that will eventually be the campus of Colorado’s Finest Alternative High School.

“I take my hat off to the construction crews and to the students and staff at the middle school because all this work is being done while classes are in session,” said Brian Ewert, school superintendent. “All possible efforts are made to keep the dust and noise to a minimum, but there still is dust and noise. But the project is moving along and looking good.”

The project is a complete makeover of Englewood Middle School. At the end of 2014, the middle-school students will move to the new seventh- through 12th-grade campus at the Englewood High School site, and 2015 will begin with the middle-school building becoming the new campus of Colorado’s Finest Alternative High School.

Ewert said the project was made easier with the decision to keep sixth-graders at the elementary school. That decision meant there are only about 300 students in the middle school building.

A lot of planning was done before work started, but it still meant teachers and students were moved around as the construction progressed.

“The most frequently asked questions are about the safety of our students with a construction project going on in the school,” Ewert said. “First, there is a barrier between the construction area and the students. Students can’t get into the construction area and construction crews can’t get into the student area. We also make sure that no fire exits are blocked.”

He said while there is dust, there are constant tests taken to make sure the air quality is acceptable. If a room or area gets too dusty, there is a system to pressurize the area to remove the dust.

Another safety move involved checking all people coming onto the campus, the superintendent said.

“Extensive background checks were conducted on all the construction crew members in and around the building,” he said. “If an individual didn’t clear the background check, he or she is not allowed on our campus.”

Each worker has a logo on his or her hard hat, along with an employee identification number. That is so if a worker commits an infraction such as smoking on school property, the number can be turned for possible disciplinary action. Ewert said so far, no infraction has been committed by anyone working on the renovation of the middle school or construction of the new campus at the high school site. 

For more information see Colorado News.

Read more »

Arts Events Throughout Denver

Check out these great arts events in Denver in the next few months.  There are great exhibits at the museums involving History and Shakespeare through May. Keep reading to learn more about the events and how you can attend.

‘Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age’
Through May 27, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver. Life-size models of Ice Age behemoths, fossil tusks and skulls, touchable teeth, spear points, cave paintings, interactive displays, and videos bring this fascinating time in Earth history back to life.

‘Shakespeare and Me’
Feb. 22 – March 16, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Byers-Evans House Museum, 1310 Bannock St., Denver, 13th Avenue Entrance. Joey Wishnia shares his personal, dramatic, and often hilarious, experiences with Shakespeare. Throughout his long career, He has appeared in 19 of Shakespeare’s plays and directed five of them on three different continents.

For more information see Villager Publishing.

Read more »

A Delicious Alternative to the Typical Dessert

Check out this great recipe for a healthier alternative to that pie you crave.  This is a great recipe that everyone will enjoy at your next dinner party.  Check it out below and follow the easy steps to make your own apple pastry.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup ice water

For the apples:

• 4 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
• 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Directions

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. 

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. 

Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature. 

For more information see Food Network.

Read more »

Black Ice Driving Tips

Driving on black ice is something that no one wants to have to deal with.  However, with this rough winter we have had it is better to be prepared.  Check out these great tips for dealing with black ice on the roads.

1. Understand that black ice is like regular ice. It is a glaze that forms on surfaces (especially roads, sidewalks, and driveways) because of a light freezing rain or because of melting and re-freezing of snow, water, or ice on surfaces. It's called "black ice" because it tends to look like the rest of the pavement on the road, although in reality, it's actually clear. Black ice forms without creating bubbles, which allows it to blend in with any surface it forms over.^[1] Black ice is dangerous precisely because it's hard to detect in advance.

2. Know where to expect black ice. Black ice usually forms just about the freezing point. Sometimes in frigid weather conditions on highways, black ice will form due to the heat of tires on the road coupled with the freezing temperature. Keep an eye on the weather and highway reports.

• Black ice forms most commonly at night or in the early morning when the temperatures are at their lowest, or when the sun isn't around to warm the roads.^[2]
• Black ice tends to form on parts of the road without much sunshine, such as along a tree-lined route or a tunnel. It will also form more frequently on roads that are less traveled on.
• Black ice forms readily on bridges, overpasses and the road beneath overpasses.^[3] This is because the cold air is able to cool both the top and under the bridge or overpass, bringing about faster freezing.^[4]
  3. Know when to expect black ice. Black ice tends to form in the early morning and evening. During the daylight hours, the road is usually warmer and less likely to create black ice. But remember: less likely does not mean "never". Always be prepared for the possibility of encountering black ice.  See the signs of black ice. If you are driving and see cars suddenly swerve for no apparent reason, black ice is a likely cause.
  
  4. Know how to see black ice - sometimes. While black ice is transparent, it can sometimes be seen in the right lighting conditions - if you are looking for it. Black ice almost always forms in very smooth, very glossy sheets. This glossy surface is your indication of potential black ice. If the majority of the road you're driving on appears a dull black color, but the patch just ahead of you appears shiny, you may be about to drive onto black ice - don't panic, follow the instructions below.
  
  • This technique for helping to detect black ice won't work at night, but dawn, daylight and dusk all offer enough light to see.
  • If you are unfamiliar with this glossy appearance, think of a nice new car's black spray paint compared to an older, un-kept car's black paint job.
  • You won't always be able to see black ice, but looking for it can't hurt. It may also help you to stay focused in less than ideal driving conditions. Just be sure to keep your eyes on the rest of your environment as well. 
  
  5. Practice driving on slippery surfaces. If possible, (and with a seasoned winter driver) practice driving on ice in a safe surrounding. Find a nice, large, empty parking lot with ice on it. Drive on ice. Practice braking on ice. Understand how your car feels and handles in these conditions. Know what ABS braking feels like if you have it. Practicing this under controlled conditions can actually be a lot of fun!
  
  6. Deal with a black ice encounter. If you do hit black ice, your first reaction must be to remain calm and avoid overreacting. The general rule is to do as little as possible and allow the car to pass over the ice. Do not hit the brakes, and try to keep the steering wheel straight.^[5] If you feel the back end of your car sliding left or right, make a very gentle turn of the steering wheel in the same direction. If you try to struggle against it by steering in the opposite direction, you risk skidding or spinning out (see below for what to do if this happens).
  
  7. Slow down by de-accelerating. Lift your feet off the accelerator completely and keep your steering wheel fixed in the position it's in.^[6] Slowing down will give you more control and prevent needless damage. Do not touch the brakes. Doing so will likely cause you to skid. The idea is to slide over the ice in the direction the steering wheel is facing; usually black ice patches aren't longer than 20 feet (6 meters).
  
  8. If you can, shift into a low gear. Low gears will give you more control.
  9. Head for areas of traction. Black ice is virtually invisible, but you may be able to head towards areas of pavement that offer more traction. Such areas of traction may include textured ice, snow-covered areas, spots with sand, etc.
  
  10.  If you skid or lose traction, stay calm. Hopefully, you are now going slow and this will make it easier. Black ice is often (although not always) patchy, so hopefully your tires will soon find traction. Use the minimum amount of braking possible, although some braking will be necessary if skidding a lot, as follows:
• If you have anti-lock braking system (ABS), just put your foot on the brake, apply firm pressure and the car will pump the brakes for you as you skid.^[7]
• If you don't have ABS, pump the brakes gently as you skid.^[8]
• Always steer the car in the direction you want the car to go.

           11. If you end up going off the road, try to steer into things that will cause the minimum 
                amount of damage. Ideally, steer into an empty field, a yard, or a fluffy snowbank. Of 
                course, you may not have much choice in the matter, but you can at least try.

           12. After the black ice encounter, stay calm. You're likely to be a bit rattled, but panicking 
                 isn't going to help at any stage. If you must keep driving, do so very, very slowly. Alert 
                 other drivers that you're going slowly by flashing your lights at all times.

           13. Get off the road as soon as possible. It's better to wait a while at a rest stop, diner, or even
                 on the side of the road until the road crews can salt and/or sand the roads than to deal with 
                 an accident. This will also provide you with a chance to recover your senses and feel less 
                 panicked. Have a hot drink and relax a while.

• If there is a pile up: Very rarely ice and/or black ice can make extremely hazardous conditions that can cause multi-car accidents on a highway. You will have to evaluate quickly whether staying in your car (where you have some safety protection) or getting out (where you can flee further collisions but will have to walk on icy surfaces, in freezing temperatures, with other cars spinning out of control around you) is safer. Consider your location, the speed of travel, geographic location, your warmth, and your physical abilities.

            14.  Prevent or minimize future encounters with black ice. There are several things that 
                   you can do to reduce the chances of being surprised by black ice. While knowing how to 
                  drive on it remains a number one priority, here are some other things to do:

• Travel slowly. Don't try to speed during icy weather as this will take away any control you might have had on the black ice.
• Don't tailgate.
• Keep your windshield clear of ice, snow, dirt, and anything else that can prevent you from seeing out of it properly. To get snow and ice off the windshield of your car, you might be tempted to turn on your windshield wipers. It might seem like the wipers and the washer fluid will work, but they don't. In fact, if you use your windshield wipers to get ice off the windshield, you could ruin them. Use an ice scraper to scrape the ice from the windshield of your car before starting the vehicle.^[9]
• Turn your headlights on early in the afternoon to help you see any possible sheen from black ice.
• Check your tire tread. Worn tread causes accidents in any conditions, and will ensure you lack traction when needed on black ice. In addition, consider having snow tires fitted.
• An important thing to remember is to NEVER drive in potentially icy conditions with your cruise control active.

For more information see WikiHow.

Read more »