May 2015 Search Parker Magazine

inside this issue

PARKER’S CREATIVE DISTRICT PAGE 7

PARKER ARTIST GUILD PAGE 17

ROVER RALLY PAGE 29

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19751 E. Mainstreet Suite R-18 Parker, CO 80138 303-805-9455

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MAY 2015

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The Barrington Group Brings PorchLight to Parker!

FOR YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS, BE SURE TO HAVE AN AWARD-WINNING AGENT ON YOUR SIDE

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Estate Group! PorchLight’s first-class, concierge-style service; cutting-edge technology; impeccable marketing; and fantastic office locations mean we can better serve you. Among the unique services PorchLight offers are designer staging, interactive floorplans, and magazine-quality photography for each and every listing. And now, with the addition of The Barrington Group, PorchLight is bringing that one-of-akind service to Parker! We look forward to working with you and your referrals in the coming months and years.

MAY 2015

porchlightgroup.com | 303.733.5335

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Anne Barrington 720.244.1308

Virginia Fierro 303.419.4162

CONTENTS SEARCH PARKER MAGAZINE

searchparker.com

This Issue

7 11

PARKER’S CREATIVE DISTRICT

May 2015 Volume 13 Issue 5 PUBLISHER MIKE WAID

mike.waid@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 700

AD SALES TIFFANY GRIZZLE

tiffany@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 702

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ADRIENNE ZEAK BRUST

adrienne@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 701

Unexpected Acts of Art are starting to pop up around downtown Parker.

BACK TO THE FUTURE AT THE SCHOOL HOUSE Most residents know this gem as the Mainstreet Center

17 23

PARKER ARTIST GUILD

Parker Artists Guild members have worked tirelessly to cover the walls of our town’s businesses and galleries

MEMORIAL DAY

Honor those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee your freedoms

7

19 29

DOWNTOWN PARKER

FREE Parking...So walk and enjoy Downtown Parker

ROVER RALLY

The competition is one-of-a-kind, is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and inspire the minds of kids aged 1 to 99.

Also in this issue...

Events Calendar.................................................................................................26 Bookends..............................................................................................................................31 Local Author Spotlight.......................................................................................................32 Parker Restaurants: Deals from local restaurants...................................35-37

WIN TICKETS TO RICK SPRINGFIELD! How would you like tickets to see Rick Springfield during the Parker Days Festival? It’s easy, just visit searchparker.com and click the CONTEST tab for details on how you can win.

MAY 2015

magazine Search Parker Magazine is published 12 times per year by Waid Publishing (www.

WaidPublishing.com), a division of Mike Waid & Associates, Inc. (www.MikeWaid.com), 19751 E. Mainstreet, Suite R-18, Parker, CO 80138, 303-805-9455. Search Parker Magazine is available online at www.SearchParker. com. Search Parker Magazines is a trademark of Waid Publishing. All rights reserved. The views, opinions and/or statements made or expressed by individuals and/or entities, are not necessarily reflective of the views and opinions of Waid Publishing. No part of this publication may be reproduced without explicit permission from Search Parker Magazine. Copyright 2015 Search Parker Magazine - All rights Reserved.

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H

ave you heard about them? Unexpected Acts of Art are starting to pop up around downtown Parker. With no warnings and no fanfare quirky or fun art will be coming and going for visitors to enjoy.

Some say they are part of the activities of a newly formed and appointed Town Committee, the Parker Creative District. But they are keeping it close to their chest if they know anything about these covert actions.

But just in case you have an idea or two the Committee meets at Deep Space on the third Thursdays of each month. Agendas are posted on the Town web site www.parkeronline.org the Monday before each meeting.

Come join us and lets GET CREATIVE!

MAY 2015

parker’s

creative district 7 SEARCH PARKER MAGAZINE

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MAY 2015

Back to the Future at the

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I

n the famous “Back to the Future” movies, Marty McFly (aka Michael J. Fox) traveled back in time 30 years to his parent’s old high school. That’s a fraction of the 100 years that Parker area families travel back when they attend a theater production, an art class, a fitness session or a community meeting at the historic Parker Consolidated Schoolhouse.

Wait…Parker Consolidated Schoolhouse? Where is that? Most residents know it as the Mainstreet Center, a Town-operated cultural center since 1995, offering theater productions, classes, and community meeting spaces. Some folks know it as the former Parker Methodist Church, which held services there from 1970 to 1995. Fewer know it as the Parker Consolidated Schoolhouse, which opened in 1915 and for decades served as the region’s only K-12 school.

Without a doubt, the schoolhouse has a long history of serving as downtown Parker’s educational and spiritual center. But this architectural jewel is showing her age, and the Town has embarked on a multi-year restoration project that will enhance current cultural uses and accommodate expanded creative uses such as a co-op art gallery, small artisan shops, a music store, and a bar or restaurant.

The first phase of construction, starting in July, will restore the Mainstreet-facing windows and entrance.

The former Principal’s Office, added in the 1950’s, will be removed and the original dark woodwork revealed. The second phase, starting by the end of the year, will replace the antiquated heating system and create an enlarged dance studio in the lower level. The Town has been awarded two grants from the Colorado State Historical Fund to support these phases. It will take over three years for the full restoration to be completed.

Parker residents love the many special events that take place in O’Brien Park and Old Town, and they can’t wait until the new Library and Park/Plaza join the PACE Center as cultural destinations on the east end. Once restored, “The Schoolhouse” will serve as a creative hub that ties downtown together and makes it a walkable and vibrant dining, shopping and entertainment destination.

MAY 2015

ART ENCOUNTERS Art Encounters is a year-long outdoor sculpture exhibit that showcases a number of artworks, in various media and styles, displayed in highly visible areas in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Parker. The project is designed to promote public interest in art, develop community pride and draw visitors to the retail or civic areas where they are displayed.

In May, Parker residents will see six new Art Encounters sculptures lining Mainstreet in downtown Parker. Be on the lookout for a colorful horse, a playful dolphin, a stately owl, a boy reading a book, three slender pedestrians and a huge rain cloud, and vote for your favorite!

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ARTIST GUILD MAY 2015

The Parker

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Community Outreach by the 501(c)3 nonprofit Art Guild includes several highly visible programs and projects in Parker. PAG artists paint requested designs on wine glasses at the upcoming Last Friday Wine Walks. Driving along Highway 83 (Parker Road) looking toward O’Brien Park one sees the beautiful historic wall mural near the sidewalk underpass connecting the park with the library. It took 15 artists a month to paint that for the town. PAG artists also donate a portion of their proceeds to the Arapahoe Community College Scholarship Fund for art majors.

Free Youth Art classes (Lessons & Lemonade and Teen Art Studio) have been held for four years taught by highly capable PAG member artists each second Saturday at Parker Hobby Lobby. Young artists in Grades 4-9 have 90-minute to 2-hour classes practicing the elements of art, painting, ceramics, fused glass, calligraphy, Chinese brush painting and more. This summer’s classes will focus on wire mask-making, tessellations, and charcoal drawing! An extension this year is the Parent-Child Art Classes (PCAC) which meet quarterly at Deep Space.

PAG meetings are held monthly on the third Wednesday from 6:15-8:00 PM at Deep Space with a brief business meeting followed by hands on activities or demonstrations. All levels of artists and art lovers are invited to join. The website www.parkerartistsguild.com is chockfull of news about individual members, events and outings such as the June 5 bus tour of the RINO Art District in north Denver.

Parker Artists Guild is dedicated to promoting and preserving the arts for Parker’s esidence and future.

MAY 2015

I

n recent years, many people have worked hard to bring alive culture and the arts in Parker. One outstanding example is the Parker Artists Guild, whose members have worked tirelessly to cover the walls of our town’s businesses and galleries with fine art and photography.

Stop in at Vines, the new Fred Astaire dance studio, the Arapahoe County Justice Center, Community Bank, Parker Senior Center, FIKA Coffee House, Stroh Ranch Creekside Recreation Center, Pinetree Jewelers, Mainstreet Center, Victoria Marie’s Jewelers and SE Christian Church to see the work of many PAG members, some of whom are nationally and internationally known. Tadashi Hayakawa is our Parker Artist in Residence and advisor!

PAG has about 150 artist members, mostly from Douglas County. August 15-16 is the hugely popular Art in the Park in O’Brien Park where local artists amaze art show visitors with a wide variety of quality fine art, sculpture, photography, handcrafted jewelry, fiber, wood, and mosaic art at reasonable prices. Barb Cohen brilliantly organizes this show which has brought families and art-lovers from the entire frontrange to Parker for many years. This year demonstrations

by PAG artists will occur on both days. Owning original art bought directly from the artist is an exciting and valuable way to support Parker’s cultural future.

The newly renovated Mainstreet Center, the Town of Parker and PAG have joined forces to create a new Venue-Gallery for the visual arts.

During 2015, six art shows will display the best of PAG. June’s show features the watercolor paintings of Pam Hostetler and Susan Merriman, two long-time and respected artists in Parker. All art at Mainstreet Gallery and all venues is for sale.

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Parker is certainly growing and downtown Parker is the place to visit!

The population of Parker has grown, the events and activities have grown and the parking opportunities are growing as well.

Down Parker is such a fun place to visit, day or night! There are many great shopping opportunities, dining choices, entertainment and events throughout the week and the year! The area is also becoming more interesting with Random Acts of Art popping up throughout and additional artistic improvements that the Parker Creative District is working on.

Visit www.parkercreativedistrict.org to find out what is happening in Downtown Parker.

Did you know that there are over 1,000 public parking places in and around downtown Parker? (See map attached). With all of the public parking opportunities, it is also important for everyone in Parker to know about the private parking lots. Parker Station has become a paid parking lot unless you are a tenant or a customer dining, shopping or doing business at Parker Station. Although 20 Mile Central is not a closed parking lot, it is a parking lot designated for tenants, customers and clients of all of the businesses on the north side of Mainstreet.

FREE PARKING MAY 2015

Available throughout Downtown Parker

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So, where do you park when visiting downtown Parker?

There are over 200 parking spots at O’Brien Park just a block West and North of Mainstreet. There is also parking behind the Tailgate in the St Matthews parking lot designated for public parking. The PACE Center is also an option for parking anytime with ample spaces available excluding events at the PACE Center and it located east of downtown and just a short walk to everything.

Downtown Parker is not only seeing more and more opportunities for dining, shopping, day to day business services and fun events, but, it is a great place to walk around and see what interesting and new artistic changes are happening! So, find a public parking spot and walk around downtown!

MAY 2015

*Sponsored by the Downtown Business Alliance – the DBA meets the second Wednesday of every month. Call 303-378-6864 for more information on getting involved in the DBA.

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Memorial Day in Parker H

onor those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee your freedoms at the 6th Annual Memorial Day Veterans’ Service of Remembrance. This year’s event will be held on Monday, May 25, 2015, 10 AM at the Parker Cemetery on Parker Road.

This event is a unique opportunity for our community to give honor and remembrance to those who have served our great nation. Representatives from local government and National Armed Services will be presenting their thoughts and inspiration on behalf of our fallen heroes. Families are welcome but come early as this free event fills up fast.

For more information on this powerful event, please contact Steve Travino, owner of Ponderosa Valley Funderal Services, via email at

MAY 2015

info@ponderosavalleyfunerals.com.

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CALENDAR

Search Parker

MAY 9

Household Chemical Roundup

Many common products found in your home, such as oil-based paint, mercury, gasoline, degreasers, cleaning compounds, and garden chemicals, may be hazardous to you, your family, and the environment if used or disposed of improperly. Tri-County Health Department organizes Household Chemical Roundups for Adams and Douglas Counties in the spring and summer. These community events help dispose of chemical waste properly, prevent pollution and protect the people handling your garbage.

9am - 3pm @ 17801 E Plaza Dr

MAY 9

Lessons & Lemondade

MAY 2015

Free monthly art classes for children in Grade Levels 4, 5, or 6. Parker Artists Guild members who are masters of their mediums and who love teaching children each take a month to teach at Parker Hobby Lobby. Class 1 meets from 9:30-11 AM and Class 2 meets from 11:30-1 PM. Registration is required as classes are limited to 20 students each due to room size.

25 SEARCH PARKER MAGAZINE

MAY 9

Cars and Coffee at Vehicle Vault

Stop by this very popular social gathering series which has become the best place to be for

car lovers in Parker.

9:00am @ Vehicle Vault 18301 Lincoln Meadows Parkway vehiclevaultco.com

MAY 13

Visions Ferom Cape Breton and Beyond: A Celtic Family Celebration

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy have created a new show to bring their fans the next chapter in their musical and personal journey.

For the first time on stage, they’ll feature their children alongside dancers and singers from the traditions of their hometowns of Cape Breton and Lakefield, Ontario. The evening will highlight the unique talents, influences, and stories of the first family of traditional fid-

dlers through dancing, singing, and, of course, world-class music-making.

7:30pm @ PACE Center Parkerarts.org

MAY 15

Parker Symphony Orchestra: Latin Spice

The Parker Symphony Orchestra is serving up Latin flavor for your earsí enjoyment with the spicy sounds of worldclass composers from Spain, France, and the United States. For this special performance, PSO is joined by Extasis a four-piece ensemble that was founded in 1998 by bandoneonista Evan Orman and violinist Erin Furbee.

Extasis has thrilled audiences around the world with Argentine tango music and their next stop is the PACE Center mainstage with PSO for an evening of Latin Spice.

7:30pm @ PACE Center parkerarts.org

MAY 17, 24, 31

Parker Farmer’s Market

The Parker Farmer’s Market takes place every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mainstreet in Old Town Parker. Itís the

JUNE 11

MAY 25

JUNE 13

Memorial Day Veterans’ Service of Remembrance

Join the Parker community in honoring Veterans at the annual Memorial Day Veterans’ Service of Remembrance.

10am @ Parker Cemetery 10375 S Parker Rd

JUNE 7, 14, 21, 28

Parker Farmer’s Market

The Parker Farmer’s Market takes place every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mainstreet in Old Town Parker. Itís the hottest place in Parker on a Sunday morning with more than 70 vendors! Local fruit and vegetable growers round out this vibrant market, already packed with flavorful food offerings, beautiful plants and flowers and on site cooking.

8am - 1pm @ Downtown Parker

Homeowner Building Class

Town of Parker Building Division staff will take you through the building permit process, explain fees and discuss required inspections.

6pm @ Town Hall

Cars and Coffee at Vehicle Vault

Stop by this very popular social gathering series which has become the best place to be for

car lovers in Parker.

9:00am @ Vehicle Vault 18301 Lincoln Meadows Parkway vehiclevaultco.com

JUNE 24

Bike to Work Day

It’s time to make a fun shift! Each year on the fourth Wednesday in June, the Town of Parker and the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) invite you to join thousands of commuters for Bike to Work Day! Join us

for breakfast on your ride into work on the Cherry Creek Trail under the E-470 overpass.

6:30am - 9:00am Cherry Creek Trail under E-470

JUNE 27

Lessons & Lemondade Free monthly art classes for children in Grade Levels 4, 5, or 6. Parker Artists Guild members who are masters of their mediums and who love teaching children each take a month to teach at Parker Hobby Lobby. Class 1 meets from 9:30-11 AM and Class 2 meets from 11:30-1 PM. Registration is required as classes are limited to 20 students each due to room size.

Do you have a community event you would like listed here? If so, email the complete event details to us at mike.waid@waidpublishing. com for consideration.

MAY 2015

hottest place in Parker on a Sunday morning with more than 70 vendors! Local fruit and vegetable growers round out this vibrant market, already packed with flavorful food offerings, beautiful plants and flowers and on site cooking.

8am - 1pm @ Downtown Parker

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MAY 2015 WWW.SEARCHPARKER.COM 28

ROVER P

RALLY

MAY 2015

arker is home to an exciting new type of community event, the Rover Rally.

It’s a wildly entertaining robotics competition and hands-on expo that is free and open to the public. It starts at 10am on May 16th in the Mainstreet Center parking lot in downtown Parker. Bring the whole family! Reserve tickets and get more info at www.

TheRoverRally.com.

THE COMPETITON The competition is one-of-a-kind that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and inspire the minds of kids aged 1 to 99. A “rover” is another word for an autonomous vehicle...a vehicle that drives itself with the help of sensors and a programmed controller. There are three events in the Rover Rally. The first two events, Barrel Race and Closest To The Pin, are autonomous events that will have robots competing for speed and accuracy. The final

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adrenaline-charged event is the Long Jump...a battle for distance off a 3 foot tall launch ramp.

Our top local skateboarders will compete in the Long Jump for an epic battle of Skater vs.

Robot.

As if robotic cars aren’t awesome enough, the Rover Rally places equal emphasis on creativity as it does on technical merit. On the surface of these brilliant bots will be a custom-designed shell that will be amazing, hilarious and totally irresistible. The local businesses are even getting involved by sponsoring teams to create wild designs that suit their business. If you bring pets or toddlers, you’ll need to keep them on a leash. :) THE HANDS-ON EXPO A wide array of exhibits will offer fun handson experiences for attendees, including LEGOs, robotic toys, 3D printing, robotics team demos, R/C cars and more!

THE PHILOSPHY The Rover Rally is the brainchild of Brian Dickman of Deep Space. After a long career in the software industry, he created Deep Space in downtown Parker to enrich the technical and creative environment in our community. The Rover Rally was designed to be accessible to beginners of all ages. He created classes offered at the PACE center and hosted months of classes and clubs where mentors helped to get more first-timers ready for the competition. The creative part of the event is designed to make technology fun and approachable for all ages.

This event will create that magic moment that inspires a bright and exciting future for some young engineers and inventors-to-be.

Brian Dickman brian@deepspace.me | 303-810-2318 www.deepspace.me | www.TheRoverRally.com

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BOOKENDS SEARCH PARKER

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion How does a socially-challenged genetics professor find the perfect wife? He launches the wife project, complete with an extensive questionnaire to weed out imperfect candidates. Don Tillman describes himself as simply having his brain wired differently and finds comfort in an extensive schedule, which he follows daily. As he works on his wife project, his friends Gene and Claudia try to give him guidance in his search.

When Don meets Rosie, however, his scheduled days turn upside down.

PAM: Becky, I have been looking at this book for some time and was excited to read it. It is a quirky story with unique characters, although it took me a little while to connect with them. Did you find the same or did you find connections right away?

BECKY: I like oddball characters and connected to Don right away. He reminds me of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory so he grabbed my attention from the beginning. Although, I can see how Don can be hard to connect with as he is very black and white while viewing people and situations. It could make him seem cold but I think that if you give this book a little time then you can’t help but see his huge heart. What did you think about his friend Gene?

PAM: I had warring feelings about Gene. I loved the way he and his wife accepted and included Don, regardless of his lack of social skills. However, his laissez-faire attitude about his marriage made me frustrated during the story. His patient and forgiving wife was so helpful with Don and his “project.” Did you enjoy their connection?

MAY 2015

BECKY: I did. She was very supportive and motherly towards Don. Claudia had great advice for him and genuine concern for his success in all facets of his life.

However, I feel that Don’s lack of social skills often caused her some grief. She had an “open” marriage with Gene, and Don would often share information with little tact. Yet, she had nothing but love for Don. What did you think about Don’s multiple page survey for potential dates? What would your response had been if Mike presented you with such a document?

PAM: What a great question! Don produced a long survey to try to streamline his search for a wife.

He hoped to eliminate “candidates” that were not

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a perfect match for him through this very detailed questionnaire. At first, before we get to know Don, I can honestly say that I was offended. I would certainly have put the questionnaire through the paper shredder if Mike had handed me one to complete. Of course, after getting to know him I would have filled it out, no matter how long! Gene decides to “help” Don by processing all of the surveys that are submitted. When Rosie enters his office, he assumes Gene sent her after approving a survey and he immediately makes a date with her. What was your first impression of Rosie?

BECKY: From the beginning she seems like a lady we would be friends with. She was quite the opposite of Don with her casual demeanor and spunky attitude. We meet Rosie within the first 40 pages of the book and the title already gives us the clue about who this book is about. Were you disappointed that the author made this fact so obvious early in the story?

PAM: It didn’t bother me that the author introduced Rosie early in the story because her character was so unique with many layers. She certainly kept Don on his toes! Don was used to everything being precise and consistent in his daily life. He even ate the same exact thing on the same day each week. Rosie shook his well laid plans right from the start. As the author takes us through their first date, it was certainly a comedy of errors. Did you enjoy reading about this through Don’s perspective?

BECKY: I find his perspective to everyday events to be amusing. The restaurant has a dress code and he is adamant that his Gore-Tex jacket is far superior to the dinner jacket that is required. Most men would simply comply with the rules and move on.

Don however, is ready to stand his ground and plead his case. It is during this event that we see a glimpse into a different side of Don. Previously in the day, he discovers that no reservations are available for the time he is to meet Rosie. This intelligent man quickly hacks into the restaurant’s software and makes a VIP reservation. Later in the story there are other situations for which he bends the rules to fulfil his own agenda. Why do you think that he feels justified to manipulate the system?

PAM: Don has a different way of looking at things.

He makes decisions based on the facts he has and in his mind the choice is logical, therefore acceptable. I bet if someone asked him he wouldn’t classify his decisions as right or wrong, but rather as necessary or not. This aspect of his character made him more likeable after

becoming acquainted with him throughout the story. During his first date with Rosie, Don decides she doesn’t meet the parameters he has set for his wife. However, he commits to helping her try to find her real father. This becomes a very complicated and challenging project, but Don is determined to see it through. This brings about many adventures for the pair. Did you love when Don worked as a bartender for a function to try to further their “investigation?”

BECKY: Although Rosie doesn’t fit his parameters he has a beautiful line early in the book. I have heard the word stunning used to describe women, but this was the first time I had actually been stunned by one. Clearly his heart felt differently! In an effort to collect, and then sample DNA, Rosie and Don become bartenders for an evening. This was the first time that we saw Don comfortable in a social setting.

He was attentive and funny, while in constant pursuit of his goal. It was fun to see him let go a little bit and fit into a social setting with such success. Do you think that the second book, The Rosie Effect would be as enjoyable as this one or did you get your fill of quirky Don? PAM: I think it would be interesting to see Don evolve as his experiences diversified during the story.

Perhaps we will follow him in his next adventure, but for now we must say goodbye to Don. Where will you take us next month, Becky?

BECKY: We are going to Afghanistan to learn about the lives of two women from different centuries. Join us as we read The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. See you next month!

LOCAL AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

A History of Parker by Sandra Jane Whelchel

T

MAY 2015

he town of Parker underwent several name changes before adopting its current title. First called Pine Grove for its setting in a copse of ponderosa pines at the northern edge of Colorado’s Black Forest, that name lasted through the final days of stagecoach travel. When the US Post Office officially began operations in the 1880s, officials requested that Pine Grove be renamed, as another town with that name existed on the Platte River, causing the mail to be mixed up. James Sample Parker requested that the town’s name be changed to Edithville, in honor of his young daughter.

Again, the US Post Office denied the request, renaming the town Parker to recognize James Sample Parker and his brother, George. From these early beginnings, Parker faced spurts of growth and recession, more recently becoming a significant Denver suburb.

Sandra Jane Whelchel is the award-winning author of seven nonfiction books, three of which are on Parker history, and four fiction books, including three thrillers and one historical saga. Her blogs on historical matters were finalists in the Colorado Authors’ League 2014 blog category. She is a lifelong Parker-area resident. A History of Parker is available for purchase online at arcadiapublishing.com

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Catering now available

BEST PLACE FOR MLB BASEBALL IN PARKER

Two 10 ft HDTV projection screens • Six Large HD TVs Happy Hour everyday from 3pm to 7pm The Best Place in Parker for Cold Beer, Pizza & Sports on T.V!

Daily Lunch Specials from only $6.99

$3 OFF Any Large Pizza

Expires 6-5-15 One pizza per coupon. Valid in Parker only

Buy One, Get Second

Half Off Expires 6-5-15 One pizza per coupon Valid in Parker only

303-220-7422

www.lilriccispizza.com

May 2015

16526 Keystone Blvd. Parker, CO 80134

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MAY 2015

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