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Jeffco schools officials back Columbine victims families' effort to raise $3.1 million by June 30
By Holly KurtzDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Families of Columbine victims will launch a drive today to raise $3.1 million to replace the school library. The effort comes after the Jefferson County School Board agreed by a vote of 4-1 Thursday night to build a new library with the private funds. The donated money also will pay for a two-story glass atrium to replace the old library, scene of much of the carnage nine months ago. "Building this library is going to be healing for all of us," said Ann Kechter, who lost her son Mathew in the April 20 shootings. "It's going to say that there is hope." As soon as the board approved it, chairman Jon DeStefano donated a $2,000 honorarium he had received for speaking about the Columbine tragedy to members of the West Virginia school board association. Michael Wade, the only board member to vote against the proposal, said he worries there isn't widespread support for a new library. "I don't think there was an appropriate level of input into the decision," he said. "It was a select group. It did not involve students." While board member Tori Merritts voted for the proposal, she said there should have been more input. But she added that the fund-raising campaign will be the ultimate test. "The group's ability or inability to raise money will determine whether the project has support," she said. Dawn Anna, the mother of slain student Lauren Townsend, responded to the criticism. "We have made ourselves visible in the hallways of Columbine despite pain," she said. "We have talked to those children. They have come to our homes. It is not an exclusive group. We considered it for months and months. This has not been a flippant decision." Members of Healing of People Everywhere, the group of 54 families, believe a new library will help students reclaim their school. HOPE members said they're pleased with the initial financial support. They've already raised $122,000 and hope to raise the remainder by June 30. Meeting the $3.1 million goal by then will make it possible to open the new library and atrium in the fall of 2001. "We live in an enormously generous community," said Rita Kahn, director of public finance for Merrill Lynch and HOPE's co-chair. "I don't have to twist any arms." Donations of 25 cents to $25 have come in from around the nation. One man sent a $1 bill, saying he's on public assistance and wished he could send more. Ann Kechter and David Steepleton, the father of injured student Dan Steepleton, recently walked into the office of Wayne Brunetti, president of New Century Energies, parent company of their employer, Public Service Company of Colorado, and left with a $31,000 check in hand. An industry group representing window-glazing companies -- some of whom replaced Columbine windows for free -- gave $34,000. "Our confidence is in the public," Steepleton said. "They've got ownership in this pain." The new library, with a pricetag of about $2 million, will be nearly twice as big as the old one. It will be connected to the west side of the school. Knocking down the old library and replacing it with a two-story glass atrium will cost $780,000. Design work will cost $350,000. Not everyone agrees with HOPE's strategy of replacing the old library. Columbine parent Lyle Welsh, whose son escaped from the library April 20, thinks the library's fate should have been left in the hands of the entire community, not just the victims' families. Last summer, victims' families criticized school officials for failing to consult them before unveiling a plan to redecorate the current library and reopen it. School officials promised to ask Columbine students, parents and teachers what should be done. But the surveys never went out, school district spokeswoman Marilyn Saltzman said. "We were working with the families of the murdered children and it became clear reopening the library was not a viable option for them," Saltzman said. January 21, 2000
Families of Columbine victims will launch a drive today to raise $3.1 million to replace the school library.
The effort comes after the Jefferson County School Board agreed by a vote of 4-1 Thursday night to build a new library with the private funds.
The donated money also will pay for a two-story glass atrium to replace the old library, scene of much of the carnage nine months ago.
"Building this library is going to be healing for all of us," said Ann Kechter, who lost her son Mathew in the April 20 shootings. "It's going to say that there is hope."
As soon as the board approved it, chairman Jon DeStefano donated a $2,000 honorarium he had received for speaking about the Columbine tragedy to members of the West Virginia school board association.
Michael Wade, the only board member to vote against the proposal, said he worries there isn't widespread support for a new library.
"I don't think there was an appropriate level of input into the decision," he said. "It was a select group. It did not involve students."
While board member Tori Merritts voted for the proposal, she said there should have been more input. But she added that the fund-raising campaign will be the ultimate test.
"The group's ability or inability to raise money will determine whether the project has support," she said.
Dawn Anna, the mother of slain student Lauren Townsend, responded to the criticism.
"We have made ourselves visible in the hallways of Columbine despite pain," she said. "We have talked to those children. They have come to our homes. It is not an exclusive group. We considered it for months and months. This has not been a flippant decision."
Members of Healing of People Everywhere, the group of 54 families, believe a new library will help students reclaim their school.
HOPE members said they're pleased with the initial financial support. They've already raised $122,000 and hope to raise the remainder by June 30. Meeting the $3.1 million goal by then will make it possible to open the new library and atrium in the fall of 2001.
"We live in an enormously generous community," said Rita Kahn, director of public finance for Merrill Lynch and HOPE's co-chair. "I don't have to twist any arms."
Donations of 25 cents to $25 have come in from around the nation. One man sent a $1 bill, saying he's on public assistance and wished he could send more.
Ann Kechter and David Steepleton, the father of injured student Dan Steepleton, recently walked into the office of Wayne Brunetti, president of New Century Energies, parent company of their employer, Public Service Company of Colorado, and left with a $31,000 check in hand.
An industry group representing window-glazing companies -- some of whom replaced Columbine windows for free -- gave $34,000.
"Our confidence is in the public," Steepleton said. "They've got ownership in this pain."
The new library, with a pricetag of about $2 million, will be nearly twice as big as the old one. It will be connected to the west side of the school.
Knocking down the old library and replacing it with a two-story glass atrium will cost $780,000.
Design work will cost $350,000.
Not everyone agrees with HOPE's strategy of replacing the old library.
Columbine parent Lyle Welsh, whose son escaped from the library April 20, thinks the library's fate should have been left in the hands of the entire community, not just the victims' families.
Last summer, victims' families criticized school officials for failing to consult them before unveiling a plan to redecorate the current library and reopen it.
School officials promised to ask Columbine students, parents and teachers what should be done.
But the surveys never went out, school district spokeswoman Marilyn Saltzman said.
"We were working with the families of the murdered children and it became clear reopening the library was not a viable option for them," Saltzman said.
January 21, 2000