Scholarship Recipients Recognized
A New Streetscape for 38th Avenue
Doing Battle with Dandelions
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Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD
WHEAT RIDGE | EDGEWATER | APPLEWOOD | MOUNTAIN VIEW | LAKESIDE
MAY 17 – JUNE 20, 2016
Begin Summer at the Ridge At 38 Criterium By Carolyn Doran
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ome out and celebrate summer! Watch over 400 bicycle racers at the Annual Ridge at 38 Criterium and enjoy a day of family fun, live entertainment, and a Brewfest. The Ridge at 38 Criterium takes place on Sunday, June 12, on a 1.5 mile route in downtown Wheat Ridge. Begun three years ago to celebrate 30 years of cycling in Wheat Ridge; the Ridge at 38 Criterium is a USA sanctioned race, a gold-level Rocky Mountain Cup race, and a Colorado State Championship Race. Racers in a Criterium race multiple laps on a short route. The Ridge at 38 Criterium 1.5 mile course begins at Wheat Ridge Cyclery, a sponsor of the event. Ron Kiefel, owner and manager of Wheat Ridge Cyclery has a long history with bike racing. He is a former Olympic medalist, Tour de France competitor, U.S.National Road Champion, and so many more bike racing events. He was especially active in bringing the Ridge at 38 Criterium to Wheat Ridge, because Criterium races are fun and fast to race in and to watch. Racers in the Ridge at 38 Criterium travel from High Court to 35th Avenue, to Pierce Avenue, to 38th Avenue, to Reed Street, to 39th Avenue, and to High Court again. Seven categories of riders, both elite and amateurs, will race with staggered race start times from 9am to 3:30pm. Each race takes about 40 to 55 minutes. Prizes range from $100 dollars to $800 with equal purses for male and female riders. If you are interested in registering for the race,
online registration is available at https:// usacycling.org/register/2016-763. A festival for all ages and all interests will take place just west of the starting line on the grounds of Stevens Elementary School from 9am to 7pm. There will be extra parking in several locations along 38th Ave. If you choose to bike to the event there will be bike corrals by the festival entrance. There will be amazing live entertainment from Isaac Points’ Jakarta Band, playing old school funk and R&B. At least twelve microbreweries will have their special brews at the Brewfest. An Expo area will feature top area cycling companies. Tasty festival food, vendors, the Farmers and Artisan Market, and a Kid’s Zone will round out the fun. At 11:40 am, there will be a Vitruvian Fitness Community Fun Ride. Localworks is looking for sponsors for the event, which is expected to have 5,000 spectators. A variety of sponsorship packages are available, including a title sponsorship. This includes 30 VIP tickets, interviews during the race with the announcer, and mentions in advertising and banners hanging over 38th two weeks before the event. In-kind donations ranging from food for festival volunteers to beer for the Brewfest are welcomed. Celebrate a vibrant Wheat Ridge and the beginning of summer at the Annual Ridge at 38 Criterium. But watch out for those cyclists, because they are FAST! To find out more about donating, volunteering, or sponsorships contact Carolyn Doran at cdoran@wearelocalworks.org
104 Years Later, Norman’s Memorials Lives On By Elisabeth Monaghan
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or more than a century, Norman’s Memorials at 7805 W. 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge has maintained a tradition of working closely with families looking for the best way to pay homage to loved ones who have died already, are at the end of their lives, or who want to handle details before death occurs. Founded in 1912, by former quarry worker John Norman, Norman’s Memorials has been in business longer than any other establishment in Wheat Ridge. Originally located across from Riverside Cemetery in Denver, Norman’s has remained a family business since the company’s inception. When John Norman died at a relatively early age, his only child, Bob, was taken in by their neighbors, the Loxen Family. The Loxens raised Bob with their son Art and daughter Helen. Because Bob Norman was still quite young when his father died, Noah Loxen ran Norman’s Memorials. Both Bob Norman and Art Loxen grew up working at Norman’s part-time, and after Bob Norman’s death in 1962, Art purchased the company. After Art Loxen retired in 1980, his son-in-law, Warren Cobb, who had spent
several years working with Art managing the sales office, took over running Norman’s Memorials. Growing up, Warren’s sons Michael and Ron worked at Norman’s part-time. While attending college at Fort Lewis, Ron Cobb took a job with a memorial company in Durango. After graduation, Ron returned to Norman’s as a full-time employee. Then in 2004, he purchased the business from his parents. Today, Ron manages the business from Norman’s Greeley-based manufacturing plant and office. Warren Cobb, who now is semi-retired, spends about two days a week working out of the Wheat Ridge office. Over the years, not only have new companies cropped up that offer statues, marble carvings, mausoleums and other memorials, but funeral homes and cemeteries also have begun offering them. “You’ve got everybody and their brother selling memorials now,” said Warren Cobb. “The one thing we give our families is knowledge and a really personal touch, so I think we’re different from that standpoint.” As Cobb explains, the decades of experience each generation has gained working with Norman’s customers, has provided Continued on page 16
TAKING A BREAK FROM BUILDING PICNIC TABLES are WRHS students (L-R) Emily Loveland, Elicio Banuelos and Steven Ortega, with an unidentified trainer from the Colorado Construction Institute. Students worked to construct fifteen tables that were eventually decorated by local art programs. They will be auctioned off at this year’s Carnation Festival, August 12-14. PHOTO: JANE JOHNSON
Life’s a Picnic at the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival by Meghan Godby
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ow that May is half over, it’s time to look ahead to the sunny days of summer. For many Coloradoans, that means more hiking, cycling, and weekend lunches on breezy restaurant patios. In Wheat Ridge, however, there’s something else to look forward to: the Carnation Festival. A beloved family tradition since 1969, the festival brings together thousands of people from our local community (over 25,000 on average). Attendees can look forward to delicious food, live music, and unique vendors. There’s entertainment for the entire family, whether you prefer daring circus feats or antique cars glittering in the mid-day sun. In the hubbub of the day’s festivities, it’s easy to forget the impact the event has at a community level. This year, you’ll see evidence of that impact in an unexpected place: a picnic table. Over the past several weeks, students from Wheat Ridge area schools have been busy building and decorating picnic tables (15, to be exact). Although the project is on a smaller scale, it’s no less real than any other construction job. There are hard hats, goggles, and hammers (don’t worry, they all went through a safety education course), complete with intent gazes and steady hands. What may surprise you, however, is that the tables, which will be auctioned off at the Carnation Festival, are not being built in shop class, but outside the classroom, during the students’ free time. The project is in partnership with the Colorado Construction Institute (CCI), an effort made possible by Chad Meyers of Jeffco Public Schools. Chad is a program specialist for the School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP), a statewide initiative that helps make employment possible and maintainable for youth throughout Colorado. Participants are anywhere from 15 to 24 years old, and many have already left the educational system. By
working with students from Wheat Ridge, Pomona, Ralston Valley, and Golden High schools, our local chapter hopes not only to break down barriers to employment, but also to help these individuals find a purposeful place within our community through education and meaningful experience. Chad is also a board member of the Wheat Ridge Community Foundation, which has a major focus on trade education. As part of his position, Chad recently attended the Think Big conference, where he met Michael Smith, co-founder of the CCI. During a discussion panel, Michael passionately discussed the significance of pre-apprenticeships and their potential ties to our modern school systems. There’s no doubt that education is important – it has the power to awaken young minds, spark creativity, and inspire new ideas. However, a curriculum is most effective when it extends beyond the classroom, helping students build real-life skills and foster relationships with professionals in our community. Impressed and inspired, Chad brought up the possibility of a partnership between CCI and area schools. Thanks to his efforts and initiative, local students will be able to broaden their horizons, gain real world experience, and explore careers in construction. Both parties were ready to hit the ground running. Spearheaded by Chad Meyers, Jane Johnson, Griff Wirth and Shelley Brunjak, the picnic table project was born out of this partnership. Jordan’s Building Center of Wheat Ridge generously donated the majority of the materials, and students have been hard at work since mid-April. The first build day, April 16, took place during a major snowstorm, but the students didn’t let that hinder their progress. Ten tables were built in the Wheat Ridge High school cafeteria that day, while the remaining five Continued on page 8