Three R’s of a Sustainable Holiday
Sidewalk Safety: Be a Good Neighbor
Challenges for Edgewater Area Schools
Page 3
Page 9
Page 12
******ECRWSSEDDM******* POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID EVERGREEN, CO PERMIT NO. 36
Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD
EDGEWATER
| SLOAN’S LAKE | WEST COLFAX | TWO CREEKS
November 15 – December 13, 2016 • ngazette.com • FREE
Public Will Have Say in Final Civic Center Design n
By J. Patrick O’Leary
F
our out of five Edgewater voters – 81 percent – said they’re OK with building a new civic center on a portion of Walker Branch Park and financing up to $9.9 million of its cost with a lease-purchase agreement. City of Edgewater Ballot Question 2B passed on Nov. 8, 1,764 votes to 394. It allows the city to go up to $9.9 million in debt to finance the new civic center, which may include a new library, fitness center, city offices and police station. But what the building will look like, and how “green” it will be, depends on who shows up to a series of public meetings this spring, and final construction costs. After council selects a design contractor early next year, a series of public meetings will take place to guide the look and feel of the building, according to Edgewater Mayor Kris Teegardin. “The whole design could actually change,” he said, as the concept presented in the August public meetings was “a very loose design.” Edgewater City Manager H.J. Stalff said that a fourto six-month-long design process will begin this spring, gathering public input as to what the library and fitness center should look like, and police opinions on their station design. Energy efficiency will be addressed after that. “How much effort are we going to put forth into renewable n
Continued on page 2
EDGEWATER’S NEW CIVIC CENTER MAY NOT LOOK LIKE THIS, as public comment this spring will influence the final design, which may be ready in mid-2017. CITY OF EDGEWATER
Holiday Events In And Around Our Town n
By Neighborhood Gazette Staff
T
he winter holidays are nearly upon us, and cities and community groups are gearing up and presenting myriad memorable events, ranging from art openings, craft workshops, holiday markets and more.
First Friday in 40 West Arts District, Dec. 2 Celebrate the holiday season with a 40 West Arts District First Friday celebration! On Dec. 2, 40 West Arts Gallery, C2 Gallery, Gallery of Everything, 40 West Studios and Lakewood Arts Gallery will all host art exhibition openings. Kick off the night at 40 West Arts Gallery’s “Attracted to Abstracts” Opening Reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at 1560 Teller St., and make your way to one or all of the other creative destinations. These events are free and open to the public and will include beer and wine, a light bite, creative activities and tons of art available for purchase. Don’t miss the chance to support local artists and nab a few one-of-a-kind gifts in time for the holiday season. Visit 40WestArts.org for details.
Lakewood Lights, Dec. 2 & 3 Lakewood residents have two opportunities to enjoy their own free municipal holiday celebration the first weekend of December at the Lakewood
Heritage Center, 801 S. Yarrow St. The official mayor’s tree lighting ceremony begins at 5:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, and will feature Green Mountain High School’s Shadows of the Mountains Choir, and continue till 8 p.m. The event repeats Saturday, Dec. 3 – sans mayor and singers – from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Center will be festively decorated with thousands of lights, and families can
enjoy museum tours, tractor pulled haywagon rides, photos with Santa and musical entertainment – all free. Donations will be accepted for hot cocoa and holiday cookies in the White Way Grill. Registration is required for holiday ornament making in the Country School. Holiday shopping can be done in the 20th Century Emporium. For more information call 303-9877850 or email HCA@Lakewood.org.
Free Holiday Ornament & Tag Workshop, Dec. 5 ‘Tis the season for gift giving! Come make your very own clay gift tag or tree ornament at this free and fun workshop, suitable for all ages. Bring the kids and Continued on page 11
E D G E WAT E R T H R O W B AC K
Historical Humans of Edgewater: Nell Brinkley n
By Joel Newton
N
ell Brinkley, who spent her early years in Edgewater, rose to fame as a cartoonish for Harper’s Magazine and Cosmopolitan. Nell was born in Denver in 1886 and moved to Edgewater with her family in 1893 and resided at 2425 Gray St. Her father, Robert Brinkley, would become the mayor of Edgewater. Nell began drawing at an early age and dropped out of high school to pursue her passion. She designed children’s book covers and worked as a cartoonist for The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. In 1907 her artwork was noticed by news mogul William Randolph Hearst and she moved to New York City to work for Hearst at the age of 22. Author and Brinkley expert Trina Robbins describes what happened next: “Within a year, she had become a household name. Flo Ziegfeld dressed his dancers as ‘Brinkley Girls,’ in the Ziegfeld Follies. Three popular songs were written about her. Women, aspiring to the masses of curly hair with which Nell adorned her creations, could buy Nell Brinkley Hair Curlers for ten cents a card. Young girls cut out and saved her drawings, copied them, colored them, and pasted them in scrapbooks.” If you stop by the Book Nook at 2530 Ingalls St. in Edgewater, you can see the paintings of Nell Brinkley displayed. Thanks to local historian and author Connie Fox for including Nell Brinkley’s story and many others in her book, “Edgewater Colorado: A Centennial Celebration.”