2015-02 Lydia's Style Magazine by Style Media & Design, Inc.

THE VOICE OF NORTHERN COLORADO FOR

31 YEARS.

s t y le me d ia a n d d e s i g n , i n c .

| 970.226.6400 |

w w w. s t y l e m a g a z i n e c o l o r a d o . c o m w w w. m e d i c a l a n d w e l l n e s s . c o m PUBLISHER Lydia Dody | lydia@stylemedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Angeline Grenz angie@stylemedia.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Scott Prosser SENIOR DESIGNER Lisa Gould DIGITAL DIRECTOR / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Austin Lamb | austin@stylemedia.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES Jon Ainslie (970) 219-9226 Debra Davis (917) 334-6912 Lydia Dody (970) 227-6400 David Knight (970) 619-9846 Elaine Ryan (970) 541-4915 OFFICE MANAGER/ABOUT TOWN EDITOR Ina Szwec | ina@stylemedia.com ACCOUNTING MANAGER Karla Vigil CIRCULATION MANAGER Trisha Milton COPY EDITOR Michelle Venus PHOTOGRAPHER Marcus Edwards Photography CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Malini Bartels, Kyle Eustice, Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer, Brad Shannon, Michelle Venus AFFILIATIONS Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce Loveland Chamber of Commerce 2015 STYLE MAGAZINES January-Northern Colorado Medical & Wellness February-Style March-Northern Colorado Medical & Wellness April-Style May-Style June-Style July-Northern Colorado Medical & Wellness August-Style September-Women’s Health & Breast Cancer Style October-Northern Colorado Medical & Wellness November-Holiday Style December-Best Of & Winter Activities Style Style Media and Design, Inc. magazines are free monthly publications direct-mailed to homes and businesses in Northern Colorado. Elsewhere, a one year subscription is $25/year and a two year subscription is $45/year. Free magazines are available at nearly 300 locations throughout Northern Colorado. For ad rates, subscription information, change of address, or correspondence, contact: Style Media and Design Inc., 211 W. Myrtle St., Suite 200, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521. Phone (970) 2266400, ext. 208. Fax (970) 226-6427. E-Mail: ina@StyleMedia.com ©2015 Style Media and Design Inc. All rights reserved. The entire contents of Style Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Style Media and Design Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material. All manuscripts, artwork, and photography must be accompanied by a SASE. The views and opinions of any contributing writers are not necessarily those of Style Media & Design Inc.

ENJOYING THE MAGAZINES

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your Style magazines and the Medical & Wellness ones too. I especially enjoy the articles about the people of our area, articles on horticulture and about dogs. And I always find several articles of interest to me or that I pass along to friends in the Medical issues. I always look for any issues you publish because I know there will be interesting information in them. And the magazine is stylishly designed and I enjoy looking at the ads. Thank you, Molly Higgins and my dog, Blue, Wiggins, Colorado THANK YOUS

I loved the article in the September issue of Style where you featured the custom home I built in Timnath’s WildWing. The article, the photos of the home and even the photo of the owner and me turned out great! I loved it. Thank you! Mike Schroetlin Schroetlin Custom Homes

Patrick and I wanted to let you know how happy we have been with the Business Profile article featuring our business, Vern’s Toffee House, in the December issue of Style. We are thrilled with the article and have had a lot of people mention that they read the piece in the magazine. People have called us and emailed us from all over Northern Colorado, including Greeley. Thank you! Stefanie and Patrick O’Neill Vern’s Toffee House We wanted to thank you for featuring Allura Skin Laser & Wellness Clinic as your “Best Of” spa in the December issue of Style Magazine. We have heard many positive comments from our current clients and have several new clients scheduling appointments due to the article in Style. We thank Style’s readership for selecting us as the winner in the spa category! Jackson Self, Manager Allura Skin, Laser & Wellness Clinic

PROJECT SMILE IMPROVING LIVES

Perusing the October 2014 issue of Northern Colorado Medical and Wellness, I asked myself why Project Smile, the organization that helps needy PSD students with dental and eye care, wasn’t included in the Annual Dental Section. Then I saw it: “One Smile at a Time,” all about Project Smile. Kyle Eustice explained succinctly what Project Smile is and how the organization’s work is improving lives for young people in Northern Colorado. I am especially happy that Ms. Eustice singled out the hard work of Drs. Evans and Engelhardt along with Jill Pfankuch. Each has been indispensible in helping the students of PSD. This is a good time to point out that, in addition to Drs. Evans and Engelhardt and their staffs, The Health District of Northern Colorado has jumped in with both feet to make this program work. And approximately 60 other private dentists in Fort Collins have assisted as well. Thank you, Ms. Eustice, for your well-written story. Sincerely, Neil McCaffrey, III Chairman, Project Smile Inc.

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

on the cover It is a sweet month as Rodelle shares with us their recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes and their secret to business success, as one of the largest suppliers of vanilla extract, spice blends and baking ingredients to supermarkets globally.

features

REAL ESTATE UPDATE . . . . . . . 20

STYLE FILES: WHAT STYLE IS RAVING ABOUT THIS MONTH . .14

BLUE OCEAN ENTERPRISES: UNLIMITED BOUNDARIES, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES . . . . . .26

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: LAYMAN LEWIS . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

BRINGING URBAN LIVING TO OLD TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 NORTHERN COLORADO’S SWEETHEART BEAN . . . . . . . . .34

departments

FROM OUR READERS . . . . . . . . 8

PUBLISHER’S LETTER . . . . . . .12

TRAVEL: DO DENVER IN STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 EAT: REVIEW OF THE CHOCOLATE CAFE . . . . . . . . . . 44 EAT: CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 STYLE BEST OF 2014 REVEAL PARTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

about town

A PHOTO TOUR OF NONPROFIT EVENTS . . . . . . . . 52 Crossroads Safehouse Gala Fur Ball Gala Talk & Taste

Fort Collins Sertoma Club Recognition Luncheon Respite Care Holiday Ball 2014 McKee Foundation Turkey Trot NCMC Turkey Trot 2014 NightLights Nature Goes Wild Jingle Bell Run/Walk

26 FEBRUARY 2015 :: STYLE

Bread ‘n’ Boards Gingerbread Home for the Holidays

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MORTGAGE LOANS FROM YOUR LOCAL LENDER.

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Northern Colorado is Thriving Again and again I am reminded of the many reasons our Northern Colorado region continues to be the best place to live, raise a family and start a business. I have lived in Fort Collins since 1966, and have seen a great many changes and I’m still in love with this area. One of the key reasons we have such a beautiful, healthy and thriving community is because of the many caring people who contribute their time, talent and treasure. Whether it is in leadership at the local government level, or entrepreneurial ventures or volunteerism, people step up and are willing to contribute to the well being of this community.

A perfect example of such a person is Nancy Richardson, who graciously hosted Style at the Edwards House for a lovely lunch and tour of the beautifully renovated bed and breakfast. Upon meeting Nancy, I liked her immediately. Her warmth and genuine kindness permeated the facility. In conversation, I shared my passion for helping women with breast cancer and she immediately offered to sponsor a table at our Hope Lives gala fundraising event, which ultimately turned into two tables. Thank you so very much, Nancy. I see the Otterbox name on so many sponsorships and involvements in our region; thank you, Curt and Nancy, for your passion in wanting to make our community a better place for everyone through investing in our real estate, people and important causes. When we interviewed Curt for an article in this issue, “Blue Ocean Enterprises: Unlimited Boundaries, Endless Possibilities,” he said, “Our entrepreneurial passions are growing businesses and growing jobs.” This is but one more forward-thinking way this dynamic couple helps to support start-up companies by providing them administration functions or real estate so they can focus on growing their entrepreneurial endeavors. Another reason this area is a wonderful place for business, is that it has weathered the ups and downs of economic swings without the extremes of other areas of the country. As you read the “Real Estate Update,” which is an annual topic in the February issue, you will get a good sense of the building and real estate resale and rental conditions of the area. In general, looking at the residential and commercial construction underway in Northern Colorado, that sector sure looks healthy. The inventory of residential real estate is down

making it a sellers’ market. But this also affects rental rates, which have increased substantially since 2013. Be sure to look at the graphs provided by Eric Thompson of Windermere Real Estate to get a good idea of average single-family sale prices and historic rental rates. The real estate sector of the economy is definitely on the upswing! A real estate trend in recent years has been a growing interest in living downtown. Loft living within walking distance of shopping, dining and entertainment is an attractive lifestyle for an increasing number of residents. In fact, be sure to read, “Bringing Urban Living to Old Town,” to learn about a very sophisticated upscale townhome project at Library Park with units, starting at $995,000, soon to break ground. We hope you enjoy the articles and the expanded About Town photo tours of area non-profit events in this issue. You asked us for more social coverage and we listened. And be sure to check out our website, www.stylemagazinecolorado. com, to see additional photos. Thank you for supporting Style publications for the past 30 years! We celebrated our anniversary and reveal of our new December “Best Of” issue recently. A big thanks to our readership for voting for their choices for Best Of. We appreciate your votes and promise to launch this year’s voting earlier this summer. Stay tuned for more details. It is with an enormous sense of gratitude I am able to live and work in such an amazing community. Thank you for supporting our publications these past 30 years. We have started our 31st year and look forward to many more. With deep gratitude, lydia@stylemedia.com

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Style 2015

Files D ON’ T MISS

The best shopping is enjoyed at a leisurely pace in a lovely setting. Downtown Loveland’s 4th Street offers just that. Spanning over two blocks, take an easy stroll, enjoy a variety of shops and stop for a snack or bite to eat along the way. We like: Cloz to Home (cloztohome.com), which offers home décor and women’s fashions. They carry an eclectic range of home items. We particularly loved their assortment of cowhide coasters with fun designs. Across the street is Kitchen Alley (970-593-0130), where you can peruse every manner of kitchen gadget and gourmet food items. Head down a block and into Vintage Willows (www. vintagewillows.com), a newer shop featuring fun women’s fashions, from sparkly dresses to cozy sweaters. Be sure to check out some of their handmade boutique jewelry lines. This afternoon of shopping conveniently puts you in range of Next Door (www.nextdoorloveland.com), whose happy hour makes a fantastic place to rest your feet and refuel. Sit, sip and relax some more.

ON THE WEB NOW Feeding Our Community Ourselves By Malini Bartels After years of fundraising, planning, permits and construction, the dream has finally come to fruition. The long awaited FoCo Cafe is now open at 225 Maple St. in Fort Collins for everyone to enjoy lunch, regardless of his or her ability to pay. How are things functioning at the fully operational cafe? The daily dish and future plans for Fort Collins' first community cafe are finally revealed. For the full story, visit our website at www.stylemagazinecolorado.com.

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

TRY SOMETHING NEW

With winter settled in for a few more months and our lives turned indoors, some new stimuli might be in order. Have you thought about joining, or starting, a book club? Local entities, such as Old Firehouse Books, have plenty to offer. Old Firehouse Books has an Open Book Club that meets on the first Sunday of every month in their store at 1 p.m. They also have book clubs for those who enjoy science fiction and fantasy books, mystery books and even graphic novel aficionados. For all the details, visit www.oldfirehousebooks.com. The Poudre River Public Library District hosts a book club at each of their locations: Old Town Library, Council Tree Library and Harmony Library. Visit www.poudrelibraries.org/bookclubs to take a look at the current book selection. Several local meetup groups also feature subject-specific book clubs. A simple online search can offer a wealth of options. Or, if you are the intrepid sort, why not start your own book club? You can open it up to friends, to the neighborhood or to the community. Visit www. barnesandnoble.com/bookclubs/runagroup.asp for some tips on how to get started and choose a book.

BE SW EET

Every year more than 130,000 people across the globe send their valentine cards through the city of Loveland as part of Loveland’s Sweetheart City Valentine Program. This year is no exception. The 2015 card and cache were released in January and readers still have time to participate in the re-mailing program. The instructions are simple: send preaddressed, pre-stamped valentine’s enclosed in a larger, 1st Class envelope to: Postmaster – Attention Valentines, 446 E. 29th St., Loveland, CO 80538-9998. The valentines will be removed from the larger envelope at the post office. U.S. destined mail must be received by February 6 and Colorado destined mail must be received by February 10. Please remember to affix the proper postage to your valentines. King Soopers stores in Loveland are a drop off site for the pre-addressed, pre-stamped valentines. The final day to drop off at a King Soopers is February 7. The official 2015 Loveland Valentine Card can also be purchased via www.loveland.org/ PurchaseOfficialLovelandValentineCards.

Style 2015

business profile

The Layman Lewis Financial Group team: Josh Lewis, Alicia Lewis and Chuck Layman

GO BIG OR GO HOME -

Layman Lewis On Top of Its Game

By Kyle Eustice

“Run your business, don’t let your business run you” was something Chuck Layman’s father used to tell him as a child. It stuck with him and has trickled into not only his business philosophy, but daughter Alicia Lewis’ as well. As the masterminds behind the successful financial group Layman Lewis, Chuck and Alicia are an unstoppable father-daughter duo, but that doesn’t mean they don’t make time for fun. Both outdoor enthusiasts, they’ve learned the delicate balance between work and play. The Loveland-based,

family owned and operated business thrives on this philosophy. It’s part of the reason it’s so successful. Alicia's husband, Josh, makes the trifecta complete. “I’ve had that philosophy since I’ve been in the business,” Chuck says. “You can really get consumed by your business, especially in the winter because there aren’t a lot of outdoor activities to participate in. So, I hike three mornings a week just to get outdoors. In the summertime, usually from May to September, we do not work on Fridays. That gives us free time. We do a lot of vacationing as well. I like to go places where my phone doesn't work and that’s the way I want it. It’s easy in this day and age to stay connected and you never get a chance to recharge your battery.” “We have a motto: ‘Work hard, play harder,’”

Alicia adds. “I’ve been taught my whole life to keep work, play and family in balance. Having that balance will allow you to have a life that’s not overly work-related. If you work too much, you get out of balance.” With their philosophy, they’re able to focus on their clients in a way that makes them feel like part of a family. As a premier retirement planning company serving Fort Collins, Greeley, Estes Park, Loveland and Windsor, Layman Lewis assists with insurance, retirement and IRAs. They are fiduciaries, which gives them the ability to really customize each client’s retirement plans. “When we got into this business together, we sat down and structured how our business model would be,” Alicia says. “We really focused in on our niche market, which is people who are in retirement or approaching retirement between the ages of 50 and 70.” “We’re now true fiduciaries,” Layman explains. “We don’t work for the large corporations where there’s a menu they have to propose to the client even if it’s not the best thing out there for them. We are totally independent and we work for the client, not a company or shareholders.” Initially called GrowSecure, Layman Lewis came together in 2005. Since then, it has seen massive growth. In fact, business has doubled every year for the past eight years. They attribute this growth Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

to adjusting to the clients’ specific needs. “We used to only focus on the safety aspect of retirement planning,” Alicia says. “Then we realized people were getting robbed by all of the fees. When you’re in retirement and have your nest egg built, your safety net if you will, you should be paying wholesale or institutional rates on your investments, not retail fees, which are escalated by broker associated markups. We were seeing clients with their safety net in place, but we weren’t sure what to do with their risk money (stock market money). We weren’t equipped to work with that side of investments and that’s when we brought Josh on board. He heads up the assets under management and handles all the accounts with risk money. That has been a huge business change for us. Ultimately, it’s allowed us to serve our clients better and give them what they deserve in retirement.” “I got into the financial services industry for a number of reasons,” Josh continues. “I guess the primary driving force would be that Chuck and Alicia saw a great opportunity to expand the services they could offer. As these opportunities began to unfold we all came to realization that these new services fit very well into my skill set. So collectively, they decided to expand the company and I, in turn, became a part of it.” Layman Lewis believes as soon as anyone starts working, a portion of the money earned should be saved. Far too often, they run across people who are five to 10 years away from retirement who, unfortunately, didn’t save or plan ahead enough. Consequently, they hold courses on financial planning at local community colleges and host a weekly radio show on KCOL (600 AM) on Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. They also host an educational program every five weeks at various restaurants around town known as dinner seminars. They have developed a healthy reputation for community outreach because of the many events they hold throughout the year. “When we look at how have we doubled our business so many times, year after year, part of it is referrals,” Alicia says. “Forty-three percent of our business comes from referrals, which is huge in this industry. It comes from giving our clients what fits their needs. Being a true fiduciary and working for our clients, not working for a corporation, allows us the freedom to say, ‘Hey you’re in a situation where you need this investment or this plan.’ It allows people to have that dream retirement where they aren’t worried about where their money is coming from.” “People always want to know what happens if I retire or pass away and who’s going to take care of their portfolio,” Layman says. “When they have worked with Alicia, Josh and me the whole time, they know it’s going to continue on. That part of it is a real plus point. At the end of the day, we’re a family.” Kyle Eustice relocated to Fort Collins from her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. After spending four years living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she was anxious to return to the mountain region. She is a regular contributor to Thrasher Skateboarding Magazine, Wax Poetics, Bandwagon Magazine, Ghettoblaster, and many others. Style 2015

THE GROUP | WWW.THEGROUPINC.COM

TOP PERFORMERS 2015 REAL ESTATE BROKER/AGENT

Keith Huntsman

Dave Trujillo After serving in the ARMY and returning from Desert Storm, my wife, Janet, and I moved to Northern Colorado and have never looked back. We have raised our two children here and are happy to say they have kept their Northern Colorado roots. I obtained my Real Estate license in 1999 and have been successfully selling Real Estate in Northern Colorado for 16 years now and owe it to my friends and customers for putting and keeping me on top. Carly Benz, my Licensed Personal Assistant, joined me in July of 2013 and together we have proven to make a great team! We strive to provide positivity in everyone’s lives we touch. I live, breathe, and love Real Estate and anybody that knows me knows that’s true. Besides my wife and children my passion is the Colorado outdoors… snowshoeing or hiking anyone?

Dave Trujillo

Keith has been involved in Real Estate for 18 years. All of that time has been with The Group, Inc. Real Estate. During that time he has had the opportunity of selling over 800 plus homes. He has contacts to serve all of your real estate needs in Northern Colorado– residential resale, new construction, exective home and custom build.

Keith Huntsman MBA

Broker Associate/Partner

5401 Stone Creek Circle Loveland, Colorado 80538 970-679-1550 (office) 970-222-0340 (cell) dtrujillo@thegroupinc.com

2803 E. Harmony Road Fort Collins, Colorado 970-377-4941 (office) 970-227-2779 (cell) khuntsman@thegroupinc.com

I have been in Real Estate here in Colorado since 1990 specializing in mountain properties, acreages, horse properties and ranches in Northern Colorado. (Of course I work in town, too.) I am a proud sponsor of Larimer County Fair and 4-H Sale and find working with the youth in our community very rewarding. Northern Colorado is a great place to work and play and I am fortunate to do both! I am so grateful for my family, friends, and my loyal customers that I have had the privilege of working with throughout the years.

Karla has been a top producing agent in Northern Colorado for the past 15 years, specializing in residential, new construction, and investment properties. Karla prides herself in providing “raving fan” customer service throughout the transaction with Experience, Persistence and Passion. Thank you to my customers for 15 AMAZING years!! I look forward to the opportunity to serve you in 2015!

Patti Phillips

Karla VanDenBerg

401 W. Mulberry St, Fort Collins 970-419-2334 (office), 970-222-1928 (cell) pphillips@thegroupinc.com

5401 Stone Creek Circle, Loveland 970-679-1644 (office), 970-405-8530 (cell) kvandenberg@thegroupinc.com

Broker Associate/Partner

Named in the top 100 Real Estate Agents in Colorado for 2014 by Real Trends. Thank you to my clients for providing me with this amazing honor. I love to teach the home selling and buying process, as well as investment planning. This will be my 15th year at The Group Real Estate. I support Liberty Common Schools, CSU and more! I am versed in ´ Joanne DeLeon military needs, and I am an Army Ranger Mom! This year Tim and I will celebrate 30 years Broker Associate/Partner of marriage. I raised my two sons, Justin and Jon, here in Fort Collins from kindergarten 2803 E. Harmony Rd, Fort Collins through CSU! Justin is married to Julie and is a Captain in the Army, currently serving at 970-229-0700 (office) Fort Hood, Texas. Julie is a teacher and coach with her Master’s Degree in Coaching and 970-691-2501 (cell) Athletic Administration. Jon is an author and just published his second book called "The jdeleon@thegroupinc.com Loop." Please call me with any real estate needs. www.joannedeleon.com

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

THE GROUP | WWW.THEGROUPINC.COM

TOP PERFORMERS 2015 REAL ESTATE BROKER/AGENT

What an incredible opportunity! I am so blessed to work in a field where my efforts truly make a difference in the lives of my customers. Whether buying or selling, I consistently provide the best information available and the attention to detail each transaction deserves. I am a Certified Negotiation Expert and a Certified Distressed Property Expert. “It’s about the people!”

Tracey Ryk

Chris C. Hau is a native to Northern Colorado, lived here his entire life, attending Fort Collins High School and CSU. Celebrating 10 years working with The Group, Inc. Real Estate! He specializes in residential, commercial sales and leasing, including investment properties. Thank you!

Chris C. Hau

Broker Associate/Partner

2803 East Harmony Road, Fort Collins 970-377-4934 (office), 970-217-3454 (cell) tryk@thegroupinc.com

375 E. Horsetooth Rd, Fort Collins 970-377-6017 (office), 970-217-3131 (cell) chrishau@thegroupinc.com

Melissa has over 15 years of experience working in the real estate industry. From marketing, to mortgages, to understanding the relationship dynamics between the builder and the home buyer, her expertise in these areas combined with her dedication to her profession make her the right real estate agent for you.

Melissa Doherty

Jim Hauan has a background in Real Estate that includes experience as a licensed appraiser, property management and real estate sales since 1999. He is a Fort Collins native and a graduate of Poudre High School and CSU in 1991 with Business degree in Finance/Real Estate. Jim is an expert when it comes to knowing the area and making sure every detail is met. Jim has been a top producer for The Group for over 14 years.

Jim Hauan

Broker Associate/Partner

5401 Stone Creek Circle, Loveland 970-679-1591 (office), (970)391-5800 (cell) mdoherty@thegroupinc.com

401 W. Mulberry St, Fort Collins 970-419-2303 (office), 970-481-9280 (cell) jhauan@thegroupinc.com

I’m extremely proud and grateful to be able to help people in Northern Colorado buy and sell real estate. Clients become friends and it gives me great joy to watch them experience dream-come-true moments.

Becky Vasos

Broker Associate/Partner 2803 E. Harmony Rd, Fort Collins 970-377-4969 (office), 970-217-9874 (cell) bvasos@thegroupinc.com

Persistence, Dedication, Honesty, Quality, & Value have defined my 16 years in real estate. I look forward to the opportunity to indulge my passion for people and real estate with sellers and buyers.

Matt Thompson

Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) 2803 E. Harmony Rd, Fort Collins 970-443-9910 (cell) mthompson@thegroupinc.com

Jeni makes buying or selling your home an incredible, memorable experience. She uses her years of experience to help you achieve your goals in the least amount of time and with the least amount of stress possible. Whether you are a first-time home-buyer or a seasoned seller, she will bring a welcomed energy and integrity to your next real estate adventure. Jeni represents sellers of all levels who are looking to list and sell their homes for top dollar using first class, technology through The Group Inc. customer served based marketing programs. She also assists buyers using a consultative home buyer program and guides buyers through the Jeni Jones marketplace helping them to make wise investment decisions. Since 1997 Jeni has Broker Associate/Partner specialized in helping relocating employees find housing, building homeownership 2803 E. Harmony Rd, Fort Collins dreams and familiarize themselves with all that the Fort Collins area has to offer. 970-377-4946 (office) Jeni also works directly as a preferred broker Century Communities, Standard 970-481-8900 (cell) Pacific Homes, DR Horton and G Bever Construction. jjones@thegroupinc.com

Style 2015

REAL ESTATE UPDATE By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer

We’ve all heard the abbreviated story. The real estate market is hot, hot, hot in Northern Colorado. We hear that homes are selling fast and we can see that developers are once again flocking to the region. Open fields around the area are now abuzz with big machines churning up the ground and getting the land prepared for building. That’s the news clip, but what’s the real story? How fast are homes really selling and what’s causing this current boom in our local real estate market? Like any story, there’s more to this tale than just low interest rates. There are many factors at play in Northern Colorado that make this a rather complex state of affairs. Inventory goes down & prices go up While the rest of the nation pulled out of the recent economic recession slowly, recovery happened relatively quickly in Northern Colorado and things really started to pick up in 2013. The narrative was much the same in 2014, with some extenuating factors that started to affect the market in a new way. This past year’s theme was “lack of inventory.” A look at listing numbers starts to reveal the scope of the issue. According to Susie Ewing, president of the The Group Inc., the total number of listings in the Northern Colorado market in 2012 were 4,788. In 2013 that number went down to 4,300, and as of the end of November

2014, there were a little over 3,800 listings year-to-date. While these numbers began to illuminate the current situation, this is only part of the tale. “We do have a very good market, but the market in terms of number of transactions isn’t very different from 2013,” says Gene Vaughan, owner of Re/Max Alliance in Fort Collins. “Transactions did not significantly increase or decrease over 2013, but there was more available inventory in 2013. There have been very few foreclosure properties available this year because we really digested that supply of inventory in 2013. The story is that we had an inventory problem in 2014. Builders are ramping up, but that doesn’t happen overnight,” he says. Vaughan went on to explain that volume in 2014 is up about 2 to 3 percent. Volume refers to sales and if volume is up that means the prices of homes has increased. In fact, that’s a big part of the story of 2014, housing prices have gone up 10 to 13 percent across Northern Colorado. Cash sales also went up in 2014, and

in fact, cash sales were up about 8 percent in 2014 over 2013. “I think we could see that phenomenon increase this year,” says Vaughan. The residential real estate market today is a lesson in supply and demand. Lots of people want to live in Northern Colorado, but there aren’t enough homes for everyone, so the price of available homes on the market goes up. It’s a simple Economy 101 equation. Both buyers and sellers need all their ducks in a row This type of market can be challenging for first-time home buyers. Ewing advises that first time home buyers need to be qualified and ready to go when their real estate agent calls them with a listing that fits their criteria. “They also need to have a real estate agent who helps them with their structured contract,” she says. “They need a real estate agent who is full time and who studies the market every day— that’s important now more than ever because

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

As Downtown Fort Collins remains one of the hottest areas for residential and commercial development, it has begun to stretch east towards the Poudre River. Encompass Technologies’ new headquarters, to open in the coming weeks, sits along the Poudre River and Linden Street. The building is mixed use, including dining, retail and 11 apartments.

if the property has hit IRES, a MLS service for Colorado real estate professionals, that’s often too late. That property is already gone.” While real estate professionals view Northern Colorado as one large market, there are slight differences between the communities. According to The Group’s research, the average days on market per house is around 77 days. They also track average days to an offer and that’s just 41 days. However, Gary Maggi, owner of Re/Max Town and Country in Berthoud, has seen homes in this small bedroom community go from a listing to contract in under a week. “We’re still just so tight on inventory here in Berthoud, and that’s every town’s story—just on different levels,” says Maggi. A telling statistic are the sales price to list price numbers. When a home seller advertises a property she advertises a list price, but the final sale price may end up being higher or lower than the list price depending on offers. “In the overall market, from January 2014 to December 12, 2014, the list price to sales price

Style 2015

was at 99.08 percent, and that’s amazing. It’s at nearly 100 percent and that’s unheard of. It usually hovers around 96 to 97 percent,” says Ewing. “What that tells me is that there are definitely houses going over asking price.” While Northern Colorado is currently in a “seller’s market,” this doesn’t mean that sellers don’t have to do their due diligence when it comes to putting their home on the market. “While multiple offers are the norm right now, sellers shouldn’t forget the old premise of price, condition and location,” says Vaughan. “Sellers still need to price their home in accordance with sold comparable listings. A home will always sell better when it’s in the right kind of condition and in this industry we’re always saying, ‘location, location, location.’” Most residential real estate brokers expect the 2015 real estate market to look similar to 2014. While there are housing developments underway across Northern Colorado, it still takes time to build these neighborhoods out. There will still be more demand than supply in 2015,

and maybe into 2016. The other challenge for buyers is that the cost of construction is much higher than it was 10 years ago, therefore most of the developments underway are high end. Very few are in the starter-home range of $200,000 to $250,000. Commercial real estate also a tight market The commercial real estate market, which includes industrial, retail and office space, is another interesting chapter in the current story of Northern Colorado’s real estate market. Industrial - basically full “Up until this point, oil and gas has been the game changer on the industrial real estate demand side and this year it has been compounded by the construction industry which has come back to build homes again,” says Steve Kawulok, managing director of Sperry Van Ness. The construction industry and the energy industry often look to rent or buy the same

“Up until this point, oil and gas has been the game changer on the industrial real estate demand side and this year it has been compounded by the construction industry, which has come back to build homes again.” - Steve Kawulok Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness

types of commercial real estate and have virtually sucked up everything available in the Northern Colorado market. Vacancy rates are at 3 percent, which Kawulok says is, “basically full.” At the beginning of the oil and gas boom, the industry filled up all the available space near Hwy 85 in Greeley, and when that space was all leased up they began moving west, and in some cases, they even moved west of I-25. “A lot of Windsor, Fort Collins and Loveland’s industrial space is close to I-25, and it’s all been taken,” says Kawulok. “The construction industry and small business folks are now finding space along Hwy 287 in Loveland and Fort Collins.” “There’s been a push from the east to the west so it really doesn’t matter what area of Weld or Larimer that we’re talking about—we’re just squeezed on industrial space,” he says. There is an international economic development that could have a major impact on the availability of industrial space in Northern Colorado and that's the price of oil. If the price of oil continues to plummet, the oil and gas industry in the region may began to slow. No one knows if oil prices will continue to go down or whether or not this will result in slowing the exploration in this area, but depending on what happens this could have a large impact on the industrial real estate market over the next few years, and even broader ramifications for Northern Colorado’s economy. “But oil and gas is not the only game we have

“In the overall market…the list price to sales price [in 2014] was at 99.08 percent, and that’s amazing. It’s at nearly 100 percent and that’s unheard of. What that tells me is that there are definitely houses going over asking price.”

“Transactions did not significantly increase or decrease over 2013, but there was more available inventory in 2013. The story is that we had an inventory problem in 2014. Builders are ramping up, but that doesn’t happen overnight,”

- Susie Ewing President of The Group, Inc.

- Gene Vaughan Owner of Re/Max Alliance in Fort Collins

in town,” says Kawulok. “We still have education, technology, tourism and agriculture, which is extremely strong in Weld County, but the energy industry is a huge player and if they shut down that will definitely change our outlook.”

Kawulok. “We’ll likely develop more neighborhood centers as the city continues to grow and build.” Recently a brewery and distillery that were originally looking for space in Fort Collins decided to locate in Loveland instead, but this isn’t necessarily reflecting a trend. Kawulok points out that the two communities are almost interchangeable when it comes to the spending patterns of their populations. “The answer is that Loveland by itself is a pretty strong market and is attractive to retailers,” says Kawulok. “And Windsor has been the same way.” The scenario that’s been playing out again and again is that businesses, specifically retailers, aren’t making the move from Fort Collins to one of the other Northern Colorado communities, they are making the decision to be in Loveland or Windsor because all three communities have desirable demographics.

Retail - increasingly difficult Downtown areas across Northern Colorado have been following a national trend; they have become popular places to play, work and live. This means that while overall retail vacancy rates are at 7 percent, retail space is difficult to find in places like Old Town Fort Collins. The popularity of Old Town is resulting in stretching the downtown to the east. A lot of recent retail activity has occurred and is occurring between the College Avenue corridor and Lemay Avenue. The traditional retail corridor in Fort Collins is College Avenue and a lot of renewal is occurring up and down this busy strip, including the remake of the Foothills Fashion Mall, slated to open in about a year, which Kawulok refers to as “a game changer for that area.” While College Avenue and Harmony Road are the primary commercial corridors in Fort Collins, there are neighborhood pockets such as Elizabeth Street near Colorado State University, Prospect and Lemay, and the Rigden Farm area off of Timberline Avenue that are all currently active. “As the city grows, we can have more than just two primary commercial corridors,” says

Office space - If you build it will they come? There are many businesses who want to move to Northern Colorado, but can’t find office space, so this sector of the commercial real estate market is only now experiencing shortages. “We routinely get requests from our economic development folks for 10,000 square foot of office or greater and that just doesn’t exist in the market,” says Kawulok. Vacancy rates for office space are at about

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

7 percent because there are small office spaces available throughout Northern Colorado, but there is a severe shortage of Class A office space; that’s the really nice, new space that a lot of incoming companies want. So why not just build new office buildings? According to Kawulok, financing still isn’t there for speculative building, so the buildings that are underway are preleasing space before building begins—a problem for companies that do not want to wait on construction. “I expect we’ll have more preleasing than we’ve historically had simply because there’s no alternative other than to wait for a new building to be bought,” says Kawulok. “I do expect we’ll see some speculative building in 2015, and we haven’t seen that for maybe a decade or so.” A look into the crystal ball Northern Colorado benefits from many different factors that support a healthy economy and an active real estate market. Eric Holsapple, Ph.D., CCIM and the former executive director for the Everitt Real Estate Center at Colorado State University, points to the universities. “A university is what we call a primary industry in that it brings a lot of things in from outside the area and creates economic growth in an area,” he says. “I think a university benefits the economy both directly from the students and faculty and more indirectly through innovation and ideas.” If interest rates continue to hold steady at record low numbers the consensus is that the residential real estate market will continue to be extremely active in 2015 and into 2016. Even with more housing developments under way, the market will continue to be energetic. Depending on what happens to the price of oil, the industrial real estate market may cool off in the upcoming year, but there’s a silver lining there as well. “Oil prices under $60 a barrel benefits most factors in the economy because consumers have a lot more spending money that they will spend on retail goods and housing,” says Holsapple. “But of course it could have an impact on the job situation in Northern Colorado if the oil and gas exploration is curtailed. So there’s both sides. Most elements of the economy will benefit, but it could have a net loss of jobs in the area, primarily in Weld County,” he continues. Even if there is a downturn in oil and gas exploration, Northern Colorado will continue to attract people of all ages, as well as businesses. The general feeling among real estate brokers is that today things are very good and the future is bright. There’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that Northern Colorado continues to be the place to be.

WINDERMERE, ONE OF NORTHERN COLORADO’S NEWEST REAL ESTATE BROKERS, HELD A REAL ESTATE MARKET FORECAST IN JANUARY. PRESIDENT ERIC THOMPSON HAD MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE MARKET AND ITS VIABILITY IN NORTHERN COLORADO. “We have incredibly strong fundamentals in our local economy that drive our real estate. The research shows that we continually outperform most other places around the country. This is one of the most proven places on the planet to own real estate.” But Northern Colorado real estate is not without its challenges. Guest speaker and Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry added that Fort Collins is growing at a rate of 2.5 percent per year. He outlined three challenges of this growth: traffic, affordability and poverty. It is projected that by 2020, we will need 18,000 new households in Larimer County and 24,000 new households in Weld County. Thompson shares the following graphs from his presentation, illustrating the tight rental market and rise in single family home prices. “The real estate transaction has become exponentially more complex in the last few years and we believe that trend will continue. We see that the Realtors today who add significant value are the ones who remove the unnecessary friction that typically occurs for the buyer and seller.”

Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer is a Colorado freelance writer. She is also the founder of HeidiTown. com, the place for Colorado festivals and travel stories.

Style 2015

Dated and Unusable to

LUXURIOUS AND UNIQUE

The homeowners of this 12-year-old home struggled with their small, grey concrete back patio that baked in the western sun and drove everyone indoors. They approached Lindgren with the challenge: create a space that would incorporate seamlessly into the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture and finishes while drawing everyone outdoors to enjoy Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful days and nights.

970.226.5677 | www.lindgrenlandscape.com

Lindgren’s unique design features include: 1. The outdoor living space is anchored with a massive 60” wide wood-burning fireplace. On one side of the fireplace is a wood burning pizza oven with prep counter, and, on the other, a 50” HD television complete with surround sound. Ceiling fans, infrared heaters and lights have been installed throughout the shade structure to provide comfort in just about any season, day and night. All the wires and piping have been routed inside the posts to keep them out of site.

2. Closer to the house, Lindgren designed a patio with gable roof for dining in any weather, with a fully functional outdoor kitchen just steps away. 3. The separate areas of the patio are tied together with a massive shade structure constructed with traditional woodworking joinery. Hand-hewn timbers are joined together using hardwood keys and mortise and tenon joinery in order to provide ample strength and have no visible hardware.

4 4. This space wouldn’t be the same without decorative concrete pavers as the flooring. Each outdoor room has a unique pattern, color or style of decorative concrete pavers, lending to the ultra customization of this outdoor living space. 5. Real stone was used as the veneer throughout the design, and the outdoor living space features some stones weighing up to 250 lbs. Lindgren hand-picked boulders from Idaho Springs to use in the retaining wall system that supports all the outdoor living spaces and matched them identically with the stone veneer used throughout the space.

Let us help you achieve the ultimate outdoor space! Our design team can create magic out of a ho-hum space and give you the year-round outdoor living you have been yearning for. Call us today!

A rendering of the redevelopment of 242 Linden Street, where high-tech incubator, Galvanize, will locate when they move to Fort Collins. Blue Ocean was instrumental in bringing them to the city.

Blue Ocean Enterprises:

UNLIMITED BOUNDARIES, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES By Michelle Venus

How the Fort Collins company floats cutting edge, entrepreneurial endeavors on its own rising tide.

The ocean. For some, it is a wild place, untamable. For others, it represents vast potential and unlimited boundaries. It’s the very definition of clarity and vibrancy and the opportunity to sail towards horizons that might seem unreachable. But those horizons are the stuff dreams are made of. The second approach is far more exciting and fulfilling; it’s a wonderful adventure. Curt and Nancy Richardson, founders of Blue Ocean Enterprises, definitely fall into Camp B. They founded the Fort Collins-based company in 2011 to support emerging businesses that they believe possess the ideas and leadership necessary to build successful companies. As these companies grow, they will create high paying jobs and make a positive and lasting impact on the communities where they’re docked. Kurt Hoeven, Blue Ocean Holding’s CEO, explains what the company does in his elevator pitch: “Blue Ocean is an entity created by Curt and Nancy to pursue the missions that are really important to them. Blue Ocean Enterprises

provides professional services to all of their affiliated businesses and investments. We have a staff of very qualified, talented individuals who lend their expertise in various areas. Blue Ocean Holdings, another arm of the entity, is an investment management company, that focuses mostly on emerging, high potential businesses and commercial real estate property, mostly in Fort Collins.” Jim Parke, President and CEO of Blue Ocean Enterprises, says, “Blue Ocean is an accelerator. We take a good business idea and add all the right services and ingredients to make it a successful, profitable business.” According to Parke, the right ingredients are not only the right idea, but also the right leadership to propel that idea, and the resources to hold it up. Those resources include the physical plant where each of these businesses reside (Blue Ocean is landlord to most of its investment businesses), construction and interior design, facilities, maintenance and cleaning services. Blue Ocean even has in-house real estate brokers to help facilitate the purchase of property when

the affiliate company is ready to take that step. It all goes back to Curt and Nancy Richardson. What is important to them? What makes this low-key, down to earth power couple tick? And what does their passion bring to Fort Collins? “Our entrepreneurial passions are growing businesses and growing jobs,” says Curt Richardson. Richardson founded Otterbox in 1998, adding more glitter to Northern Colorado’s innovation star. The company, best known for designing and manufacturing nearly indestructible protective cases for mobile phones and tablets, is one of Blue Ocean’s linchpin companies. “We help to create these healthy businesses that create jobs that then, in turn, create healthy communities. It makes our town stronger,” Richardson explains. “In addition, we invest in real estate, specifically Old Town. Now, people ask me why we spend so much money in Old Town and I tell them, ‘Because we don’t make any more Old Towns.’ Would we invest in other parts of Fort Collins? Sure. There are other parts of town where we do have buildings [Blue Ocean Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Left: Award-winning Canyon Place, Blue Ocean’s newest real estate holding, at 331 S. Meldrum. The Canyon Place project received a 2014 Crystal Award from the Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and a 2014 Merit Award from the International Interior Design Association, Rocky Mountain Chapter. The 55,000-square-foot building houses the Global Engineering department of Otter Products. Right: Curt and Nancy Richardson owns property on Mulberry, east of I-25], but Old Town is the sweet spot in our hearts.” As explained by Hoeven, two divisions comprise Blue Ocean Enterprises: business ventures and commercial real estate. The business ventures arm offers financial assistance through investment capital and provides business services to the companies in their portfolio. Those services include human resources, accounting, marketing and public relations, and legal services. Additionally, each company receives the services of a CRM, a Customer Relationship Manager, who acts as a business coach and mentor. Mary Merritt, founder of NerdyMind, a web design company and one of the businesses in Blue Ocean’s portfolio, says, “I look at Eric, my CRM, as a consultant. We meet regularly and he encourages me to work on the business for a few hours every week; to not get too wrapped up in the operational side of NerdyMind.” Merritt goes on to explain how Blue Ocean also sends their business owners to highly specialized business training though EMyth or Growth Curve, consultancies that specialize in helping small businesses become sustainable. In fact, Curt Richardson’s photo and testimonial are featured on the EMyth website’s home page. Ben Wilmhoff, President of Louisville-based BluFlux, has seen his company grow in ways that would not have happened without the support of Blue Ocean. BluFlux’s website states that the company “provides hardware developers with proven RF [radio frequency], antenna and electromagnetic design, engineering, testing and measurement services that reduce the time and cost of bringing the advanced wireless and connected devices to market.” In a nutshell, they help other companies do what they do faster, more efficiently and with greater profitability. “I consider myself to be the luckiest person in the world,” says Wilmhoff. “I’m the president of this company, but I don’t have to deal with the typical day to day functions that most presidents of a start-up have to deal with: payroll, finance and accounting, IT and legal services, commercial property and HR. While we pay Style 2015

for these services, Blue Ocean has it all figured out. I don’t have to take time away from the company to develop the systems they already have in place. I can focus on our core products and our core markets.” Wilmhoff is convinced that he would not have been able to grow as quickly and hire as many employees if he had to allocate brain cells to these functions. Keep an eye on the east end of Linden Street. That’s where Galvanize, a high-tech, digital incubator and co-working space, as well as the home of gSchool, will land later this year (the former Sunset Events Center building). Charisse Bowen, Launch Manager of the Fort Collins campus, credits Blue Ocean’s influence and willingness to renovate the building with bringing Galvanize to Fort Collins. Conversations with Galvanize started a few years ago, when Bowen was the Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship at Colorado State University. At that time, she was working with Blue Ocean to develop the Blue Ocean Enterprises Challenge, an annual business pitch competition open to collegiate entrepreneurs throughout Colorado, startups and existing companies seeking funding and business mentoring. The Challenge offers up one of the biggest grand prizes available: $250,000 for start-ups, with $20,000 going to the winning collegiate team. Bowen reached out to Galvanize to become a strategic partner for the event and soon the conversations took a windward tack. “Galvanize is one of Blue Ocean’s tenants,” explains Bowen. “But without their forward thinking and the vision to create a welcoming climate for cutting edge start-ups, as well as the willingness to dedicate a building to this effort, I’m not sure Galvanize would have made the move to Fort Collins. It really is all about Curt and Nancy’s love of this community and their desire to see it become the best it can be.” Another Linden Street project is still on the drawing board. Old Elk Distilleries is slated to break ground in the River District at 360 Linden Street. Currently, Kiefer Concrete occupies the site. The plan is to offer varieties of vodka, gin, bourbons, whiskey and maybe one day down

the road, liqueurs. Richardson is very excited about Old Elk. Originally, the building plans included a full-out restaurant, music venue and tasting room in a single facility. “Legally, that’s a nightmare,” says Richardson. “So we had to back up, take a look at it and make some changes.” When it’s completed, the building—which will be designed with a nod to the area’s history—will house the distillery, a large tasting room and will serve light food, paired to complement Old Elk spirits. The music and event venue concept has been scrapped, due to the strict regulations imposed by the state. Another project, also still on the drawing board, is the development of a private parking lot on the corner of Jefferson and Linden Streets. Blue Ocean has indicated that it will build a 39-space parking lot on the site, which is owned by Union Pacific and has been occupied by an increasing transient population for the past few years. After a December community meeting, Blue Ocean is still evaluating how to best use the property. Something will happen, but final plans have not been made public yet. The Blue Ocean mission is focused on the Fort Collins community growing, changing and transforming. “Community transformation is focused around jobs. I look at other companies, like Woodward for example, that are bringing jobs—good jobs—to the community. Something like that rejuvenates the community, which then enhances growth for all sorts of businesses, large and small,” Richardson states. Hoeven likens the Blue Ocean environment to an ecosystem—a symbiotic relationship between the community and the businesses Blue Ocean fosters. “It’s more than an eco-system, though,” he says. “It’s an econo-system. All of these relationships go hand in hand to create a stronger, more robust economy in Fort Collins.” The bow of the ship is pointed toward the horizon; toward the possibilities and the future. For Blue Ocean, it’s smooth sailing ahead. Michelle Venus is a freelance writer based in Fort Collins.

Lydiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s STYLE Magazine

Style 2015

Renderings of the interior of the Townhomes at Library Park show open, contemporary spaces.

Bringing Urban Living TO OLD TOWN By Brad Shannon

Sophisticated, well-heeled buyers seeking a walkable, low-maintenance lifestyle in Old Town Fort Collins—while still preserving their privacy—will be intrigued by the Townhomes at Library Park at the northwest corner of Olive and Matthews Streets.

This exciting, new high-end infill project, conceived by Brad Florin of NoCo Townhomes, Fort Equity and Florin Ltd., will break ground in April with expected occupancy in late December of this year. The developer’s aim has been to bring something new and unique to the downtown area, and, with the help of architecture and planning firm Kephart of Denver, his vision will soon become reality. Interest in the units has already been strong, and three of the 10 units are already reserved. Florin shared his excitement and relief at finally reaching this stage of what has been a long process. “When we first started, we had this half-acre lot at this amazing location. You

could be there at 7 p.m., and it has this lovely, quiet, peaceful neighborhood feel to it. You’d never know you’re just two blocks from Old Town Square and two blocks from College Avenue, and just steps from any amenity you might want.” After acquiring the site, Florin arranged for the aging single-story office building that stood there to be deconstructed, allowing as much of the old structure to be recycled as possible, with the aim of seeking LEED certification for his new project. The initial plan, before the great recession, had been to do condominiums. That project would have featured underground parking,

two-story units at ground level and loft/1.5 story units above. “As we started to move forward on that project, it quickly became clear that construction costs to excavate and build the parking structure, along with a steel-framed building, were beyond the scope of a condo project.” Once the recession hit, the project, like most, went into a holding pattern. “We also really did not want to compete with other similar local projects. There are options around town for condominium residences, and we wanted to do something unique.” The rebounding economy presented the opportunity to revisit Florin’s vision for the site. “We had a strong suspicion that people were Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

The Townhomes at Library Park, exterior view below, are made up of 10 units with private parking and interior elevators. The units start at $995,000.

looking for a more private living experience compared to a condo, so we started looking at what the options were for that type of project, and how we could make it work.” Florin connected with Kephart for land planning and architecture services because the firm has done a lot of infill-type projects, including work in Denver’s Lower Downtown. “They said we could put 12 units on that lot. We said, ‘No way,’ and they showed us how it would actually work as a multi-family medium-density project.” The resulting plan from this initial phase of collaboration allowed for two rows of six units, with an Old Town craftsman exterior finish. There was space for the four end units, the ones on each end of each row, to have elevators. The eight interior units, however, could not accommodate an elevator. “We did some research, and talked to a lot of people who we thought this project would appeal to, and they all wanted elevators.” Whether it was empty nesters, retirees, families with kids and all the stuff that comes with them, or sandwich-generation professionals who might share the space with older relatives for visits or permanent living arrangements, the demand for them was clear. “We went back to Kephart and had them Style 2015

revise the plan to have 10 units, averaging 2,500 square feet each, which gave us the space to include a private interior elevator as an option in all the residences.” Varying floor plans between units, as well as options to customize layouts, allow each buyer to create a unique space to fit their tastes. Other options for selected individual units include a rooftop bar, as well as an outdoor fire pit. Inside, buyers will get a European-concept “wet shower” design that puts a soaker tub and shower behind a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. They can also opt for a master bath steam shower. Interior details include energy-efficient windows and HVAC systems, along with high-end finishes including hardwood floors, granite countertops and solid wood cabinets. Kitchens feature gas ranges and Sub-Zero brand refrigerators. Interior finish options include Colorado Craftsman and Colorado Contemporary packages from Everitt and Schilling, who worked to create extra storage space and a good flow or “movement” to each level and each unit. The craftsman look references 1930s traditional Old Town architecture and natural products and surfaces, while the contemporary choice updates that craftsman approach to something more modern and complementary to urban Old Town living. Two rows of five units are separated by a private gated drive to access private two-car garages for each unit, accessed through the alley to the west. Add in rooftop decks for each unit, individual street-level entrances, no one above or below residents, and the Townhomes at Library Park literally break new ground in bringing a new option and a new style of living to Old Town. Florin notes that, with seven units of the original 10 left and the groundbreaking date approaching, he expects to see growing interest and demand for the project. Units vary from 2,095 to 2591 square feet, from two to five bedrooms, and from 2.5 to 3.5 baths. Preconstruction prices start at $995,000 and go to $1.35 million, plus add-on costs for options, custom finishes and other requests. Preconstruction timing allows buyers to customize a unit, picking and intermixing from the contemporary or craftsman packages, or working with the project’s designers to create a unique custom package for themselves. “It’s the oldest real estate cliché in the book, but it’s true—location, location, location. These residences have it all: quality of life, walkable and bike-able proximity to anything your heart desires, with a quiet, homey, neighborhood feel,” says Florin. That includes a grocery, seven coffee shops, 57 restaurants, 162 specialty retailers, 19 galleries and theaters, 11 microbreweries, the Poudre River Trail and MAX Rapid Transit, as well as signature Fort Collins events like the Farmer’s Market, NewWestFest, Brew Fest, and the Taste of Fort Collins. For more information on the Townhomes at Library Park, visit www.nocotownhomes.com. Brad Shannon is a freelance writer and marketing and public relations consultant based in downtown Loveland.

Individual, street level entrances give the units the feeling of privacy. Each unit also has a personal rooftop deck.

The team includes NoCo Townhomes developer Brad Florin, Everitt & Schilling Company designers Barbara Cutchin and Rebekah Williamson, and Everitt & Schilling Company owner Aaron Everitt. Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Aspen Homes at The Masters at Mariana Butte

Call Dennis Schick

Style 2015

970-567-3942

dschick001@outlook.com

Stunning homes by Aspen Homes at the Masters at Mariana Butte. Several lots and floor plans to choose from. Model home and completed homes available for immediate sale. Standard features include granites, hardwoods, SS appliances, double oven, A/C, fireplace, 3-car garage, covered back patio. Highly energy efficient homes - among the best in the business, save $$ on utility bills every month! Homes on the golf course priced $440's - $600's, across from course from $395K.

Northern Colorado’s

Sweetheart Bean

Fort Collins’ own vanilla extraction and bottling facility, Rodelle, Inc., has completed an extensive expansion to their facility, allowing more of the fragrant bean to enter our homes and hearts.

By Malini Bartels

Whether you are trying to make that perfect cake, delectable cookies for your family or the ultimate meringue to present to your love, fantastic ingredients are the key to fabulous homemade goods. This was apparent to the Rodelle family when they moved from the south of France to Denver in 1936, but they noticed a lack of quality vanilla extract to achieve baking perfection. When Rodelle Laboratories landed in Denver in 1936, they began producing vanilla on a wholesale level. It wasn’t until 1985, when Rodelle partnered with Custom Blending, Inc. and moved to Fort Collins, that the first bottles of retail-sized vanilla products and spice blends hit grocery store shelves. Custom Blending, Inc., a spice blending and food service company formerly owned by John Conway, operated alongside Rodelle during the upgrade to the facility at 3461 Precision Drive in 2009. The two entities combined and formed Rodelle, Inc. in 2012. Since then, Rodelle has become one of America’s largest brands of high quality baking

ingredients, extracts and spice blends, producing wholesale and retail sized products that are sold globally. Joe Basta, Daniel Berlin and Krishna Bala, Ph.D., the current owner-partners, purchased into the company at various times starting in 2002. All three men started affiliation with Rodelle around 2000 and believe wholeheartedly in the business’s unfailing commitment to produce the best vanilla in the world in a sustainable manner that supports and improves the lives of their vanilla growers. “The primary reason I sought out a career in the retail food industry stems from my Peace Corps experience in the Dominican Republic,” shares Joe Basta. “During that time, I lived amongst cocoa farmers who earned only about $2 a day in exchange for rigorous, hard labor. I also learned valuable behind-the-scenes lessons about the food commodity world that spurred my interest to find a career where I could make a true difference in famers’ lives within developing

countries. When the opportunity presented itself to become a partner within a company primarily focused in vanilla, my dream came true. Rodelle now supports over 10,000 farmers and their families in vanilla growing regions—it’s fulfilling work.” The vanilla manufactures have recently taken on a tremendous expansion journey in both product development and actual square footage. In the last year, this Colorado proud company added 32,000 square feet of state-of-the-art vanilla extraction capabilities to their world headquarters in Fort Collins, doubling the amount of space needed for growth and demand. Today, Rodelle is the largest retail vanilla manufacturer in North America, working with 70 percent of all North American grocery retailers. The newly expanded 65,000 square foot facility, complete with a high-tech analytical lab, combines innovative technology and efficient bottling into one location, helping their food scientists, chemists and biologists focus on

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getting the most flavor, color and richness out of their vanilla beans. The project broke ground in 2013 and finished during the summer of 2014. The expansion was necessary to help increase efficiencies. “Rodelle’s ability to produce premium vanilla extract and baking essentials, coupled with increasing demands, necessitated the expansion to accommodate future production demands,” Basta says. The company also specializes in premium quality Dutch processed cocoa powder, an organic line of extracts, flavorings, authentic gourmet spice blends and camp cuisine labeled under Harmony Valley Foods. Vanilla extract, however, is their largest product.

Two of Rodelle’s owners, Dr. Krishna Bala and Joe Basta, during a visit to Madagascar. Rodelle visits vanilla bean farms, like the one seen here, to provide agronomy support and inspect the quality of vanilla beans.

Rodelle owners are pictured from bottom to top: Joe Basta, Dan Berlin and Dr. Bala are photographed in the Rodelle, Inc. office space.

Rodelle's lineup of vanilla-based products available in grocery stores internationally.

Growth & Cultivation The entire lifecycle of the vanilla bean is a fascinating one. From pod to extract, the exotic vanilla is watched and cared for, making the whole process of bringing the fragrant spice to your kitchen a laborious task. It’s no wonder that vanilla products are some of the more pricy ingredients in our pantries. It may seem like the flavoring is commonplace, but that is far from the truth. Firstly, it’s important to know that the vanilla orchid is a vine-like plant that grows up trees only 20 degrees north or south of the equator. With this specific geographic and tropical climate requirement, the best growing regions for the vanilla orchid are Uganda, Tahiti, the northern tip of Madagascar and Central America. There are thousands of orchid varieties, but vanilla planifolia is the only one containing edible fruit. Luckily for us, this fruit is the aromatic vanilla bean pod. The orchid’s flowers bloom for only 24 hours; during that time, they need to be pollinated or the flower dies and falls off the vine and the plant cannot produce fruit. “Pollinating the vanilla orchid is all done by hand,” states Jenna Baker, Rodelle’s marketing project manager. “After each flower is pollinated, it takes six weeks for the pod to reach a length of 6 to 10 inches, then another eight or nine months for them to mature.” Baker is well versed in the labor-intensive process that is required in order to bring the flavorful pods to Fort Collins. “More hands-on work is involved with picking the mature green pods from the vines. Once green pods are harvested, they are flash boiled and cured in the direct sun. As the pods dry, they ferment, shrink in size and develop their signature aroma and dark brown color. Only then can the beans be shipped to Colorado for the extraction process to begin.” Rodelle sources its beans from farms in Africa, Central America and Tahiti. The best grades of beans contain the most vanillin crystals in them, thus more vanillin means better flavor. Rodelle sells the best vanilla beans whole, and the others are made into vanilla extract or other vanilla products. Once the beans reach Fort Collins, they are graded and processed with water and alcohol to obtain the extract. Rodelle also specializes in alcohol-free products for those needing that CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

Style 2015

10 servings Cupcakes Ingredients:

F rom

the

Rodelle K itchen :

Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

¾ teaspoon white vinegar ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 cups flour ½ cup Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup whole milk ½ cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 cup boiling water

Rodelle Vanilla Buttercream recipe:

1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold 1 tablespoon shortening 1 Rodelle Vanilla Bean, scraped 1 cup powdered sugar Cupcakes Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cup muffin tin with large-size baking cups and spray the inside of them with vegetable oil. In a small ramekin, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and Rodelle Vanilla Extract. Beat with a mixer for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Add the food coloring and vinegar mixture and mix until combined. Add the boiling water. Mix until blended. Fill the muffin cups half to just under three-quarters of the way to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the center of the cupcakes springs back with lightly touched. Let cool and then frost. Rodelle Vanilla Buttercream Directions: For icing: Combine the cream cheese, butter, and shortening in a bowl. Beat until smooth. Stir in the sugar and Rodelle Vanilla Bean and beat until combined and smooth and fluffy. For additional recipes featuring Rodelle’s vanilla and spice blends, visit www.RodelleKitchen.com

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

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requirement; however, it’s important to note that those products are flavorings and cannot be called extracts. Rodelle Cares The Rodelle Company believes in supporting the environment and giving back to the communities in the vanilla bean and cocoa growing regions. The owners are routinely visiting the harvesting fields they work with around the world to make sure the farmers are treated fairly. Rodelle Cares is the umbrella under which they categorize all of the company’s charitable efforts and initiatives, locally and internationally. By direct involvement with small-scale farmers in foreign countries, the middleman is eliminated and a quality product can be brought into our homes knowing that everyone involved is treated with dignity. With the additional space the company has built in Fort Collins, Rodelle can optimize the process needed to support a farm-to-table approach with vanilla extract manufacturing. One of Rodelle’s 2015 goals is to identify two farming villages in Africa and break ground for a school. This helps strengthen the community abroad and generates new jobs at a global level. Currently, Rodelle is supporting a microfinance program that impacts 20 farming villages, teaching basic business skills and giving access to loans with reasonable interest rates. In Uganda, Rodelle’s Stove Project is bringing energy efficient cook stoves to families who cannot afford electric or gas stoves. All of the principals of Rodelle feel strongly that investment in their company, Northern Colorado and areas abroad will help strengthen the community and generate new opportunities for everyone. The company also has a firm belief in responsibly preserving the environment, and not just abroad. At home, all of the energy they use in their Fort Collins world headquarters is derived from wind power or alternative sources. Although vanilla does not grow in Northern Colorado, it can have a tremendous impact on the local food movement. “Baking is such an integral part of people’s lives. Even during the recession, people were staying at home and baking. Consumers want the highest quality and consistency. At Rodelle, we are on our way to becoming one of the world’s largest producers of vanilla extract,” boasts Jenna Baker. Locally, Rodelle products can be found at Super Target, Costco, King Soopers, Whole Foods Market and Vitamin Cottage-Natural Grocers. They continually add new stores to their distribution nationally and globally. To learn more, obtain recipes and enter contests, visit www. rodellekitchen.com.

Style 2015

MELISSA MCDONALD

• Rotarian • Regis University - Cum Laude • Over 28 years in insurance • Northern Colorado resident • Habitat for Humanity Volunteer

• University of Northern Colorado Graduate • Colorado Native • Greeley’s only female State Farm agent • 12 yrs insurance industry experience

BRAD BISCHOFF

RONNY BUSH

• Chamber of Commerce Past President • Community Foundation Past President • Foothills Rotary Past President • Proudly serving State Farm customers for over 20 years

• 24/7 car insurance rate quotes • Colorado Native • State Farm agent since 1980 • Sertoma Club Member

DARYL ALEXANDER

DAVE LAWSER

• Toll Free Number: 1-888-548-2196 • Colorado State University, Technical Journalism • IIA General Insurance

• State Farm Agent since 1975 • Overland Sertoma Club of Fort Collins • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Legion of Honor/Bronze Tablet Qualifier

(970) 663-7880 www.sharonyounie.com

(970) 223-9400 www.bradbischoff.com

(970) 493-2196 www.agentdaryl.com

(970) 515-5678 www.melissajmcdonald.com

(970) 484-3993 www.ronnybush.com

(970) 226-1306 www.davelawser.com

DOUG BALDWIN CLU CHFC CASL

After the Storm – Recovery

• Retirement Planning & Financial Services • State Farm Agency Experience since 2005 • With a focus on Relocations with Auto and Home Insurance

The period following a natural disaster can be disorienting and dangerous. Below are a few tips that may help relieve some of the uncertainty and help you stay safe, secure your property, and begin the claims process in the aftermath of a major event.

(970) 663-3684 www.dougbaldwininsurance.com

• Use your emergency water or boil tap water before drinking until you are told the water supply is safe. Food that came in contact with water may be contaminated and should be discarded. • Visually inspect your home for structural damage and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. For example, board up holes with plywood and cover leaks with plastic sheeting. SCOTT HORVATH (970) 686-6161 www.scotthorvath.com

NAPOLEON GIBSON (970) 226-1200 www.agentnap.com

Malini Bartels is a freelance writer, chef, mother, radio host and actress living the good life in Fort Collins.

SHARON YOUNIE

DAVID DILLEY (970) 484-9700 www.dilleyinsurance.com

MARINDA SIMPSON (970) 223-7800 www.marindasimpson.com

• If a major disaster was declared for your area, federal housing assistance may be available. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers post-disaster housing programs. Otherwise, organizations such as the American Red Cross may offer help. • Your insurer will require you to document any damage to your property and provide receipts for recovery-related expenses. Be sure to save all receipts for home repairs, vehicle towing and repairs, temporary housing, meals, and other living expenses. Also, photograph and list all damaged, spoiled, or contaminated items, including quantity, description, and age.

CALL ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY AGENTS OR VISIT WWW.STATEFARM.COM

Lydiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s STYLE Magazine

Style 2015

travel

The newly remodeled Denver Union Station. Photo courtesy of Custom Creations Photography.

IN STYLE By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer

The winter blues got you down? Escape to the lights of the big city for a weekend of opulent delights such as oysters, pearls and diamonds.

Let’s face it, midwinter can be downright depressing. The days are cold and the nights are colder and it feels like spring is a long way off. What better way to stave off cabin fever than a trip to Denver to indulge in art and to stay at the city’s hottest new hotel? On a snowy weekend in January, we did just that. Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century is the special exhibition at the Denver Art Museum and my husband, Ryan, and I thought some sparkly jewels would surely brighten our postholiday hangover. Brilliant was even better than we expected. Yes, the exhibition is filled with sparkling jewels that wow and amaze, but it is also a delightful trek through 20th Century culture; a century peppered with periods of extreme opulence,

punctuated by two World Wars and followed by the rise of celebrity icons. Cartier was there through it all, influencing and responding to the attitude of popular culture. Visitors start out in a room featuring glittering diamond tiaras worn by wealthy Americans in the early 1900s, who had adopted the European royalty tradition of wearing jeweled headpieces. During this time, flaunting one’s wealth was acceptable behavior and Evelyn Walsh McLean, socialite and daughter of a Colorado gold miner, could have won an award for her ostentatious jewels. Look for some of her precious baubles in this area of the exhibition. Special exhibitions at the art museum always have an accompanying audio tour device. There are adult versions of the audio tour and family/ Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

kid-friendly versions indicated by signage. For instance, children can listen to the story of a tiny Cartier rabbit with a gemstone necklace and a pink pig with diamond eyes. I was fascinated to learn that Cartier made much more than just jewelry, and in fact invented the modern day wristwatch. There is a huge room dedicated to the “Masculine View” of Cartier, which fascinated my husband. On display here are some of the first men’s wristwatches from the Cartier Collection circa 1915, and a variety of elaborate pocket watches as well. My favorite piece in the entire exhibit was a 1920s gold lighter watch; a lighter that included a small watch face in the side panel. Today, we check our phones for the time, but back when nearly everyone smoked, people used their lighters throughout the day so this unlikely combination seems brilliant. Perhaps the name of this exhibit doesn’t only refer to the sparkle of the jewels, but to the cleverness of Cartier’s designers. Be sure to visit every section of this expansive exhibition, and book at least a full hour if not longer to explore. Brilliant is on exhibit through March 15, 2015. Reservations are a must, especially on weekends. With buckets of snow falling on our heads, we crossed the street to the North Building where we had reservations at Palette’s for lunch. We sat in a corner table near the window sipping wine and feeling as though we were inside a Denver themed snow globe. Palette’s is part of the Kevin Taylor Restaurant Group, and is located inside the Denver Art Museum’s north building. Kevin Taylor is a self-taught chef and Denver native who has won awards and national recognition for his successful Colorado restaurants. The food at Palette’s is as beautiful as the art in the museum, and the flavors reflect the high standards Taylor has set for his restaurants. A prix fixe menu inspired by French cuisine has been created just for Brilliant, and it looks divine, but I couldn’t pass up the soft egg ravioli with black truffle chive butter. It was just as rich and luxurious as the jewels on display in Brilliant. Palette’s hours reflect those of the museum, and dinner is only available on Fridays and some select Saturdays. Reservations are strongly recommended. Sated, we made our way to the newly remodeled Denver Union Station where we were booked for the night at The Crawford Hotel. This brand new hotel feels historic because of its location inside of the train station, but it has some of the most advanced technological features you’ll find in Denver such as in-room notepads where you do everything from read the paper to order room service from one of Union Stations many restaurants. This was our second stay at The Crawford and I believe this hotel has redefined classy. Guests may pick up the hotel’s Art Collection booklet that is in their room and tour the building’s meticulously curated paintings, photography and artwork. Style 2015

Bloom at Denver Union Station. Photo courtesy of Custom Creations Photography.

One of the luxury guestrooms at the new Crawford Hotel located in the Denver Union Station. Photo courtesy of Custom Creations Photography.

Two of the Cartier exhibits: the flamingo brooch worn by the Duchess of Windsor and the Santos wristwatch. The exhibit will remain at the Denver Art Museum through midMarch. Photos courtesy of the Denver Art Museum.

From Jake Weidmann’s “Invisible” zebras in the concierge area to the “Found Objects from the Bench” display on the second floor, the art at The Crawford tells its own story. That evening we utilized The Crawford’s courtesy car for a drop off and pick up at our dinner destination, Stout Street Social. This new restaurant across from the Denver Convention Center has embraced good food and living socially. When they aren’t showing an important game on one of their many big screens, they stream live social media that’s being generated by their fans. Hashtag your tweet or Facebook post #StoutStreetSocial and your comment or picture will be larger than life on their “Social Boards.” The NFL playoffs were in full-swing while we were visiting otherwise I would have tweeted about our amazing Massachusetts oysters and my tweet-worthy sushi. Stout Street Social’s other claim to fame is that they have a sommelier and a cicerone on staff and every server trained as an official “Level One Cicerone.” Most of us know that a sommelier is a wine expert, but cicerone is a newer term and refers to someone who is a beer expert. Satisfied by another delicious meal, we returned to Union Station. The place was alive

Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Stout Street Social, a new Denver eatery located across from the Denver Convention Center. Photo courtesy of Stout Street Station.

with activity. The recent remodel of the station has made it a destination for everyone from travelers to locals, and the Great Hall is now the place for hip downtown dwellers to see and be seen. We ordered drinks from Terminal Bar and managed to find two empty seats in the Great Hall where we could people watch. High above the hubbub of the station floor, folks who’d been smart enough to get a reservation were enjoying cocktails at the midcentury inspired bar, Cooper’s Lounge. We’d visited Cooper’s on our last visit and their fancy cocktails served on silver platters are the perfect accompaniment to a stylish Denver weekend. The Crawford Hotel has a special Brilliant package that includes a room, tickets to the exhibition, transportation to and from the museum and valet parking. Perhaps it’s time for you to embrace the Cartier lifestyle, if only for a weekend.

Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer is a freelance writer and longtime Colorado resident. She’s also the founder of HeidiTown.com, the place for entertaining stories about Colorado festivals and travel. Style 2015

eat: review

The Three Cheese Mac and Cheese and the Black and White Cheesecake

The Chocolate Café

102 W. Olive Street | Fort Collins, CO (970) 482-2725 | www.chocolatecafeftcollins.com

The Goods: The Chocolate Café features light lunch/dinner “meal offerings” and a separate dessert menu that celebrates all things chocolate, with a few other dessert staples thrown in (carrot cake, key lime pie) and a solid drink menu featuring dessert martinis, wines and after dinner drinks. Everything is homemade; you can taste the real cream, butter and chocolate in the decadent desserts on their menu. The Vibe: Sunny and quaint during the day, and romantically lit at night with big windows to see and be seen in Downtown. This is a great girlfriends destination to share gossip over martinis or a perfect date night for the end to a romantic evening. The Chocolate Café would also work great for a mommy-daughter date, complete with decadent hot chocolate and whipped cream. The Challenges: The restaurant is crowded on weekend evenings, so plan accordingly. Also, the “meal offerings” are definitely not where The Chocolate Café shines. The food is simple fare, not particularly exciting, and priced at around $8-9 per person. Portions are on the small-ish side if you are looking for something to fill you up.

Come Back For: The Black and White Cheesecake. It is a fantastic combination of dark, dense cookie crust and tangy cream cheese, with a sweet layer of white chocolate and chocolate ganache on top. If you love chocolate, you are guaranteed to come up with something to satisfy you. Gluten free options are also available. Desserts are large enough to share. Price: $, Meals range from $6.75 to $11; desserts range from $7 to $8. The Chocolate Café also offers whole desserts to go.

The French Silk Pie

The Details: On this particular trip, my co-worker and I made it a lunch date, with dessert of course. She ordered the Three Cheese Mac and Cheese ($8), served with their Tomato, Cucumber and Basil salad. The mac and cheese was delicious, a rich blend of Romano, white cheddar and asiago cheeses. She added bacon for an additional fee ($.75). While the mac and cheese was really delicious, with a nice little breadcrumb crunch on top, and made an adequate lunch portion, it would not have filled me up as a dinner entrée. The side salad was served undressed with olive oil on the side. I ordered the Chicken, Pesto and Bacon Panini ($9) on focaccia. The sandwich was served with potato chips and a pickle. The sandwich was just as advertised; okay but not particularly inspiring. I would have preferred it served with a salad or another side, rather than chips. After lunch, we had enough room to go ahead and dive into a couple desserts. I chose the French Silk Pie ($8), which was a little denser than I would have liked and is definitely rich and large enough to share. The real winner of our meal was my coworker’s Black and White Cheesecake ($8). Every aspect of this dessert was delicious without being overwhelming. And I am one of those people who claim to like neither white chocolate nor cheesecake overmuch. But they did this just right, creamy and tart cheesecake with a dark, rich cookie crust. It took a good bit of will power to not steal it right out from under my co-worker’s nose! – A.G. Style 2015

California Wine Country

California is well known for its agriculture, and within that sector, California is best known for its wines. There are many different regions to choose from and each creates wines with characteristics specific to their region. In this article, I will discuss a few of these regions, and how they influence the state’s wine. Just south of the Bay area is Paso Robles, which in 1790 had the first vines planted by the Franciscan Friars. In the 20th century, other varietals including Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were introduced. The close proximity to the Pacific Ocean creates a microclimate of hot days and cool nights and a rainy season that starts two weeks later than other regions. This is important because the soil in this region is calcareous, having a high acidity level ranging from a pH of 7.4 to 8.6. This gives the grapes the opportunity to fully mature on the vine, keeping the grapes’ acid chemistry in balance and gives the red varietals soft, seemingly nonexistent tannins with a velvety, dark

Style 2015

and fruity mouth feel and the aroma of dark chocolate. The white wines are characterized by their flavors of peach, apricot and citrus blossom, with a light minerality on the finish. Moving north of the Bay area into Sonoma County, we find multiple regions, each providing us with similar varietals but having characteristics unique to the specific regions. To the west, we have the Russian River Valley, known for its cool weather varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir winemakers utilize the trellising system for the vines, which allows them to prune more leaves from the vine and expose the grapes to more sunshine, increasing the color producing phenols as well as increasing the sugar content. As a result, the wine is fuller bodied with deep vibrant color, cherry and berry fruit flavors, and lively acidity to finish. The region’s moderate climate and Goldridge soil type allows for a higher acidity Chardonnay, rich in flavors of green apple and tropical fruits. Neighboring Alexander Valley produces a Chardonnay that is a fatter, creamier style with hints of pear and pineapple. Located on the east side of the Russian River, Alexander Valley has similar climate conditions of hot days and cool nights, conditions optimal for ripening the fruit. The difference between the two regions is the soil; the dominant soil of the Alexander Valley region is alluvial: highly fertile and rich in minerals and nutrients, creating a Cabernet Sauvignon known for its rich chocolate note. Moving on to the Napa Valley, we find two microclimate regions. To the south, you have

cooler temperatures paired with a soil made up of sediments left behind from earlier advances and retreats of the San Pablo Bay. To the north you have warmer temperatures and soils made rich in minerals from lava and volcanic ash. The classic Napa Valley Chardonnay is unique to this region and has aromas of citrus, grapefruit, honey melon and baked apple crisp that excite the senses. On the palate are flavors of crème fraiche, butterscotch and pear, with smooth, integrated flavors of toasted oak. This Chardonnay exhibits soft, creamy, balanced acidity and subtle notes of spice, clove and anise to complete the finish. The Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, deep color with flavors of blackberry, cassis, cedar and currant, and ripe fruit flavors up front. While we have discussed the influences that climate and soil have on the production of wine, remember there are many other ways during the production process that a vintner can influence the final outcome. Understanding the characteristics of the wines should help you decide which region produces the wines that will be most palatable for you.

Cheers! Tom Landi, RJ’s Wine & Spirits, 4321 Corbett Dr., Fort Collins (970) 204-6792, www.rjswineandspirits.com

Kathy Arents Mulberry | 222-1784

Georgena Arnett Loveland | 481-9801

Sheila Benshoof Harmony | 377-4957

Greg Bever Harmony | 377-4916

Cindy Blach Mulberry | 481-5821

Kathy Boeding Loveland | 231-9073

Brian Bogaard Harmony | 377-4954

Judy Bogaard Harmony | 377-4931

Steve Bricker Harmony | 229-5416

Jo Carney Mulberry | 310-1836

Kelli Couch Horsetooth | 310-8804

Joanne DĂŠLeon Harmony | 691-2501

Mary Doty Centerra | 396-3454

Brandi Garifi Harmony | 377-4917

Chris C. Hau Horsetooth | 377-6017

Jim Hauan Mulberry | 419-2303

Amy Hayden Centerra | 215-5950

Kelly Held Mulberry | 286-8511

Shelly Hill Mulberry | 419-2348

Chuck Hoburg Harmony | 377-4903

Michelle Hubbard Harmony | 377-6077

Keith Huntsman Harmony | 377-4941

Nicole Huntsman Harmony | 402-0221

Cindy Kurtz Centerra | 679-1545

Cindy Kutin Centerra | 391-4735

Ali Lofquist Centerra | 744-8490

Bob Loner Horsetooth | 231-2222

Diana Luthi Centerra| 481-2692

Alycia Martinez Centerra | 679-1657

Deanna McCrery Harmony | 377-4971

Chris McElroy Harmony | 377-4927

Tracie Milton Harmony | 227-8097

Elaine C. Minor Horsetooth | 215-9236

Anna DiTorrice-Mull Horsetooth| 631-2649

Jim Murray Horsetooth| 377-4909

Dave Muth Harmony | 481-5963

Rob Mygatt Harmony | 229-5411

John Peden Centerra | 679-1574

DR Phillips Loveland | 679-1595

Wendy Ralph Horsetooth | 679-1556

Miki Roth Centerra | 679-1568

Karen Rowan Horsetooth | 310-5797

Andrea Schaefer Mulberry | 290-3758

Adrienne Scharli Harmony | 217-7350

Linda Sioux Stenson Loveland | 215-9044

Todd Sledge Harmony | 377-4901

Tami Spaulding Horsetooth | 377-6003

Ryan Spencer Centerra | 214-0263

Faren Stroh Loveland | 222-6391

Don Svitak Harmony | 215-1571

Jack Taylor Mulberry | 420-9302

Laura Thomas Loveland | 290-7544

Matt Thompson Harmony | 443-9910

Dave Trujillo Centerra | 679-1550

Cathy Vance Centerra | 679-1554

Karla VanDenBerg Centerra | 405-8530

Becky Vasos Harmony | 377-4969

Robert Walkowicz Harmony | 377-4945

Wynn Washle Mulberry | 419-2329

Bill West Horsetooth | 690-0505

Style celebrated their 30-year partnership with the Northern Colorado community with an evening of fun and excitement as they revealed their newest magazine, the December Best Of Style. The event packed out the upstairs of The Mainline in downtown Fort Collins while cocktails flowed and the crowd eagerly awaited the magazine’s winners to be revealed. “We thank each and every one of our partners in this wonderful community as we celebrate the milestone of 30 years publishing Style Magazine,” said Publisher Lydia Dody. “We are looking forward to our next 30!”

Back Row: Scott Prosser, Lisa Gould, Jon Ainslie, David Knight Middle Row: Ina Szwec, Debra Davis, Trisha Milton, Elaine Ryan Front Row: Angeline Grenz, Lydia Dody, Austin Lamb

Raihna Kaylor, Brennen Kaylor, Janie Rocek

Mark Driscoll, Mary McCambridge Denise Martz, Sheila Iszler

Mark Driscoll, Lydia Dody

Alex Goodson

Lydia Dody, Miya Holley Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Zak George, Nancy Landi, Tom Landi

Yvonne Hampson, Rebecca de la Torre

Laura Gippert, Malini Bartels, Ann Schofield

Scott Prosser, Lisa Gould, Lydia Dody

Calida Troxell, Nate Gibson

Shawn Charpentier, Melissa & Dave Venable

Abby Charpentier, Scott Charpentier

Helen Gray, Tracie Milton, Trisha Milton, Jim Murray, Beth Murray

Style 2015

Chris Howe, Ali Dody

CROSSROADS SAFEHOUSE 10TH ANNUAL GALA November 8 :: Hilton :: Fort Collins Over 500 community members and business leaders gathered together for a celebratory evening of giving, laughter, good food and uplifting stories of healing, new beginnings and renewed hope for domestic violence survivors and their families. The special evening featured keynote speaker Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, a national advocate working to protect women against domestic violence and abuse, and a domestic violence survivor. Kazantsev spoke on domestic violence reaching epidemic proportions. The signature event grossed $200,000 and will help provide life-saving emergency shelter, resources and

Tammi Mackey, Miss America Kira Kazantsev, Dan Mackey

support to domestic violence victims and their children to help rebuild their lives. Crossroads Safehouse has served the community for 35 years and has helped thousands of victims of domestic violence and their children. Photos courtesy of zebrajellyfish.com.

Melanie Valente, Maxine Jenner, Ray Jenner, Trip Wynn

Suzanne McCarthy, Jane Serafin, Chris Serafin, Scott McCarthy

Julia Edelstein, Cory Palencia, Kaileah Coulter, Forrest King

Sarah Kyle, Pat Parker

Miss America Kira Kaznatsev, Joe Valente

Shawn Nettleton, Ron Young

Marty & Tess Heffernan

F U R B A L L G A L A - H O W L I N G AT T H E M O O N November 8 :: Embassy Suites :: Loveland The 2nd annual Fur Ball Gala boasted a silent auction, live jazz, a delectable dinner and a pet parade with Channel 9 News Anchor Kyle Clark emceeing the event. A comedic performance by Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, nationally known veterinarian and comedian who has appeared on Animal Planet’s “Emergency Vets,” culminated the evening providing much fun. The event raised $20,000 for Humane Society of Weld County and their mission of the promotion of the humane treatment of animals through care, advocacy and education.

Volunteer Delaney Damon holding Rarity

Christy & Tom Roth

Brittany Robinson-Mathis, Spenser Mathis

Merv & Deana Davies

Elaine Hicks, Bob Harris, Larry Selzle Bob Harris was honored with the Dennis White Humanitarian Award Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Style 2015

TA L K & TA S T E November 13 :: Weld County Garage :: Greeley United Way of Weld County Young Leaders Society (YLS) held their inaugural Talk & Taste, featuring local brewers from Windsor and Greeley. The event provided nearly 75 community members in attendance an opportunity to learn more about the brewing craft. Hors d’oeuvres, samples of brews and a raffle rounded out the evening fun. This educational YLS event helped to raise $1,200 for United Way of Weld County for their education focus areas.

Andy Sundet, Carolyn Gattis, Scott Gattis

Bo Langdon, Michelle Fried, Vanessa Mayland, Deidre Pearson, Carrie Strauch, Amber Harmon, Ryan Smith

Kayla Meyer, Carrie Strauch, Shayla Shepherd

FORT COLLINS SERTOMA CLUB RECOGNITION LUNCHEON November 14 :: Fort Collins Country Club :: Fort Collins Nearly 75 Sertomans, community members and guests showed their support as Fort Collins Sertoma Club presented checks totaling $42,500 to five local organizations serving youths. The proceeds were raised at the Chipping Fore Charities Golf Tournament presented by the Fort Collins Sertoma Club and the ROMEO Club in September. This year’s youth-serving nonprofit recipients included the Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County, Coats and Boots, Front Range Exceptional Equestrians, Namaqua Center and Partners Mentoring Youth. Photos courtesy of Larry Abrahamson.

Kathi Wright, Jim Bernecker, Jenna Riedi Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County received a check from Fort Collins Sertoma Club for $14,700.

Larry & Nancy Glass

Ken Borrett

Craig Callan, Jim Bernecker Namaqua Center received a check from Fort Collins Sertoma Club for $10,700.

Ron Lautzenheiser, Diane Shannon, Don Shannon

Jan Goldstien, Jim Bernecker Front Range Exceptional Equestrians received a check from Fort Collins Sertoma Club for $14,300.

Don Simecka

Don Butler, Chris Imsland Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Style 2015

R E S P I T E C A R E H O L I D AY B A L L 2 0 1 4 November 15 :: Embassy Suites :: Loveland Respite Care’s 32nd Annual Holiday Ball was a night to remember for the nearly 900 guests in attendance. From the champagne toast to the bidding for exquisite live auction items, the classic Monte Carlo-style casino tables and finale of latenight dancing, the evening was full of elegance, grandeur and excitement. Former Denver Bronco Reggie Rivers welcomed guests and introduced a special sponsor thank-you video made by the children of Respite Care. The evening also included live entertainment by the Blue DoGs Band and a raffle drawing for a 2015 Honda Fit EXL. The event netted a record $383,000 and will benefit Respite Care and their mission to provide care for children with developmental disabilities and respite to their families in Larimer County. Photos courtesy of Bob and Heidi Whitney.

Lou Ann Hoehne, Ann Marie Cole, Hank Schneider

Tara Palmer, Spiro Palmer

Jeffrey Martin, Terry McNeal

Reggie Rivers

Kate Baker, LeAnn Massey, Karen Mannlein, Russell Baker, Brian Mannlein

Roger Belisle, Cindy DeGroot, Adeila Tonn

Rory Schaar, Lindsay Roselle, Maegan Batson, Lauren Batson, Jessica Batson

Chuck McNeal, Phil McNeal

Kelly Radcliff, Mike Radcliff

M C K E E F O U N D AT I O N T U R K E Y T R O T November 27 :: McKee Medical Center :: Loveland More than 2,000 runners and walkers donned on their athletic shoes to participate in the 13th annual Loveland Turkey Trot sponsored by McKee Medical Center Foundation. The Thanksgiving Day event drew scores of families of all abilities, with some starting a new tradition of participation while others just came to have a good time dressed in special turkey or holiday costumes. The popular event helped to raise over $50,000 in support of Loveland community’s Heart Safe Community initiative and helped to work up a Thanksgiving dinner appetite for all.

Kurt Hucal, Holly Kozlowski

Eric Sigler, Jennifer Sigler

Shannon Voggesser, Chris Archie, Cari Archie

Erin Gunning

Fiona Jackson, Michelle Collins Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Style 2015

NCMC TURKEY TROT 2014 November 27 :: North Colorado Medical Center (NCMC) :: Greeley Thanksgiving Day is a day of family, food and football—and for nearly 3,600 runners and walkers, a morning to participate in one of the largest Turkey Trot’s in Northern Colorado. Sponsored by NCMC Foundation and the CardioVascular Institute of North Colorado at NCMC, this 17th annual 2K/5K Fun Run/Walk event helped net more than $50,000 to benefit the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Pulmonary program and the patients it serves and helped burn calories for those running/walking before their Thanksgiving feasts. Photos courtesy of Juan Leal.

Back: Chase & Kaela Yoder, Chandler Yoder, Julie & Warren Yoder. Front: Caymen Yoder with Santa

ErinStacy Ritsema, Asher Ritsema with Santa, David Ritsema

REALITIES FOR CHILDREN CHARITIES NIGHTLIGHTS December 1 :: First Presbyterian Church Front Lawn :: Fort Collins Bundled families, sponsors and business owners gathered to kick off the holiday festivities and help support a great cause of brightening the lives of abused and neglected local children. The 17th annual Realities For Children NightLights event filled the evening with live musical performances, photo opportunities with Santa and the original car from the holiday classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” along with hot cocoa, soup and tasty treats. The evening culminated with the lighting of the one-of-a-kind 50-foot tree adorned with over 30,000 LED blue lights synchronized to holiday music. More than $140,000 was raised for Realities for Children to help benefit abused, neglected and at-risk children in Larimer County through their Emergency Services and partnering agency support and youth activities.

Josh Wall, Delanie Wall, Tiffany Wall, Elsie Wall

Back: Melissa Schaefer, Ryan Schaefer, Brecken Schaefer. Front: Gunner Schaefer

Sean Haines, Avery DéAnso, Kalli DéAnso

Beth Charbo, Jaime Charbo, Mike Charbo

Chris Imsland, Mary Beth Green, Gordon Coombes

Regan Buckner Winner of 33 lb Chocolate Santa

Back: Trevin Wecks, Mason Wecks. Front: Linnea Rosman, Turner Wecks

Suzanne Phebus, Jeff Phebus, Taylor Phebus

Pat Hartman, Peyton Garcia, Wes Hartman

John Kinnaird, Herman Tearman Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

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N AT U R E G O E S W I L D December 4 :: Nature’s Own :: Fort Collins Twenty-six biodiversity conversation projects from around the world were at the forefront of an enlightening evening of fundraising. Projects ranged from the Mangrove Forests of Bangladesh to Botswana African Lions to Dolphins of the Amazon. The inspiring event raised more than $22,000 for purchase of field research equipment to assist these projects and to support IDEA WILD’s mission to help minimize the loss of biodiversity by empowering people on the front lines of conversation in developing countries around the world. Photos in part courtesy of Jason & Ann Marie Gage.

Lisa & Kirk Nordyke, Kassie Nordyke, Reg Rothwell, Judith Hosafros

Wally Van Sickle III

Cara Baldwin, Ryan Baldwin, Aaron Schneider, Roy Young, Rick Statz, Connie Schneider

Lara Gasser, Caroline Krumm

Nick Rodriquez, Alexandra Humphreys, Chloe Abbott-Phillips, Gracie Flowers

J I N G L E B E L L R U N / WA L K December 6 :: CSU Oval :: Fort Collins Runners and walkers, many in holiday themed costumes, took to the pavement with the sounds of jingling bells as this 7th annual run/walk got underway. The holiday kick off event included the presentation of the 2014 Youth and Medical Honorees, a Frosty the Snowman kids fun run and awards for top finishers. More than $44,000 was raised to benefit the Arthritis Foundation of Colorado, Great West region, and will help support critical funding for arthritis research and advocacy, camps for kids with arthritis and programs and services to ease arthritis pain.

2014 Overall Finishers Doug Bell- 3rd place (18:12), Raul Carrizalez-1st place (17:57), James Gregory -2nd place (17:59)

Brekka Nessler, Danielle Otsuka

Shannon Teslow with Santa

Back: Jennifer Neuwald, Everette Denney, Carl Hahn, Anna Hahn. Front: Elise Denney, Claire Denney, Julia Denney, Jenny Hahn TPAAK Ice Dragons team, winners of Best Team Costume.

Heather Just, Jody Just

Katie Pike is holding Marissa, Karen Stillahn is holding Emily Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

Ann Marie Gage, Nicole Patterson, Joni Triantis Van Sickle

Eric Meyer, Miriam Meyer, Kali Unger, Matt Unger

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Fort Collins, CO 80526 Julie Williford as Rudolph, Will Holmes as Donder, Lisa Holmes as Blitzen, Katie Heidsiek as Comet, Sarah Leslie as Cupid, Rob Bates as Prancer, Lydia Bates as Vixen, Kurt Smith as Dasher, Matt Thompson as Dancer, and Matthias Heidsiek as Santa. Style 2015

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Windsor, CO 80550

BREAD ‘N’ BOARDS December 6 :: Sears Trostel :: Fort Collins More than 1,100 breadboards of assorted sizes and shapes greeted excited shoppers getting a jump on their Christmas shopping, with some shoppers coming from as far away as Michigan to support this worthwhile cause. Special Signature Breadboards handcrafted from a variety of woods, some with intricate patterns, were featured in a silent auction in addition to the standard boards displayed. The event, created by Sears Trostel, raised more than $39,000 to benefit the Food Bank of Larimer County (FBLC) and, since its inception in 2005, has collectively raised more than $180,000 for FBLC.

Joe Murray, McKenzie Murray

Daniel Robinson, Natalie Davis

Pam Schwartz, Stephen Schwartz, Debbie Alman, Curt Viehmeyer

Nancy Magill

Harlan Mekelburg, co-created this event in 2005

Back-Keri Roark, Emily Falcone. MiddleAddison Roark, Reagan Roark, Micki Falcone. Front-Madisyn Moreno

G I N G E R B R E A D H O M E F O R T H E H O L I D AY S December 6 :: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish :: Fort Collins Gumdrops, candy canes, pretzels and peppermint candies were but a few of the many decorations used at the 3rd annual Gingerbread Home for the Holidays fundraiser. The two-hour timed event had 27 teams working quickly to decorate their masterpiece gingerbread houses for judging in three categories. The event raised nearly $19,000 for The Center of Family Outreach and their programs offering education, intervention and support for families who are challenged by the adolescent years. Photos courtesy of Sullivan Shots and Sue Wagner.

D. Schmidt, Connor Shane, Kayleigh Bauer Team Mountain Gymnastics Most Creative Winner

Kelly Rohs, Lore Sanchez, Shelly Sanchez Team Dellenbach Motors

Lorraine Llamas, Dustin Klith, Laurie Klith, Dan Klith, Jennifer Klith

Tricia Vincent, Katie Moore holding Piper Moore Team Ottercares Foundaton

Robin Weis, Baylie Weis, Linda Kirby Team Water Valley

Corrine Soukup, Lauren Soukup Team Northwestern Mutual Life

Cindy DeGroot, Carrie Baumgart, Hunter Baumgart Team Markley Motors Lydia’s STYLE Magazine

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