EDGEWATER MAYOR News And Updates From Edgewater
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FITNESS CORNER Restarting Your Exercise Routine Page 8
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS St. Anthony’s Chapel To Be Focal Point Of Public Plaza Page 12
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| SLOAN’S LAKE | WEST COLFAX | TWO CREEKS | WEST HIGHLAND December 17, 2019 – January 13, 2020 • ngazette.com • FREE
68-Year-Old Sloan’s Lake Church Moving, Selling Property n By
Laurie Dunklee
T
his building is like a loaded handgun,” says Lee Brown, lead pastor of Sloan’s Lake Church, referring to a whopping $750,000 needed in repairs. “If it goes off, we’ll need to start firing people.” The 22,000-square-foot church at 2796 Utica St., built in late 1951, has too many problems to fix, Brown told 25 nearby residents at a neighborhood meeting Nov. 13. He said an assessment of the building found multiple issues, including a clay sewer pipe 18 feet underground that is breaking down. “We replaced eight feet of it and the cost was $14,000. There are between 80 and 100 more feet that will need to be replaced, so the cost would be very high,” said Brown. Two boiler pumps have gone out, leaving offices and children’s areas without heat. The air conditioning has broken down and the basement fellowship hall has flooded, “
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THE NEWLY REMODELED SITE OF A FORMER KING SOOPERS at 20th Avenue and Depew Street is now the Edgewater Public Market, with many restaurants and several gift and clothing shops already open. PHOTO BY KEN LUTES
It’s Snowing: Do You Know Where Your Shovel Is? n By
T
Gazette Staff
he snow is here, and we all enjoy safe, clear sidewalks, right? But do you know what your duties are when it comes to keeping your property clear for others? In Denver, businesses and residents are required to clear snow from sidewalks and wheelchair ramps as soon as it stops snowing. Per the city’s website, inspectors begin enforcement immediately, checking business areas the same day and residential areas the following day. Inspectors check business areas proactively, and residential areas in response to complaints. The inspectors leave a time-stamped notice at properties with un-shoveled sidewalks. After receiving a notice, businesses have four hours and residences have 24 hours before the inspector’s re-check and a potential $150 fine. In Edgewater, homeowners and renters of property are required to remove all snow and ice on all sidewalks surrounding the property, including avenue corner lots. All residents and business owners have 24 hours from the last snowfall to clear their sidewalks. In Wheat Ridge, clearing snow and ice from sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent property owners. They are required to clear walkways within 24 hours of snowfall equaling 2 inches or more. In Lakewood, residents and businesses have 24 hours after the end of a storm to clear any sidewalks adjacent to their property, including front, sides and any pedestrian ramps leading to the street. The law also prohibits shoveling snow into the street; but if a sidewalk is cleared and Lakewood’s or the state’s plows cover it, the city will re-clear the walk at the end of the storm. After 24 hours have passed and a sidewalk has still not been cleared or if
a previously cleared sidewalk has been covered by plows, residents can report it. When snow isn’t shoveled, it gets packed down and becomes ice, making it not only treacherous but also harder to remove. So find that shovel, and be prepared to keep streets and sidewalks safe, for those walking, rolling, delivering mail, or pushing a stroller. Here are a few tips: • Use the shovel to push the snow; don’t lift it. • Shovel away from roadways and bike
lanes, so plows don’t push the snow back onto your sidewalks. • Be proactive and come up with a plan for addressing sidewalks now, before it snows.
Where To Go With All That Snow?
No one thinks it’s OK to dump trash in the street, but residents believe raking leaves or shoveling snow into city's streets is OK. It’s not, at least in Lakewood. Lakewood Code Enforcement and Public Works used the city’s e-newsletter to
remind residents to keep these items out of the streets. Why is it a problem? Leaves, grass clippings and yard waste can end up in waterways, creating harmful conditions for fish and other wildlife by causing excessive buildup of algae. When it comes to snow, according to the statement, it’s better to put it in yards because who wants more snow in the streets. That just creates icy buildup and hazardous conditions in the streets. Besides, your yard needs the moisture.
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
Goats And Christmas Trees – An Unlikely Match n By
Meghan Godby
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ow that Thanksgiving has come and gone, we all know what happens next. In the blink of an eye, Christmas trees stand tall in parking lots and grace the sidewalks of grocery stores. Families decorate them with glittering lights, ornaments and fancy, sparkly tree toppers. But what happens to those trees when Christmas is over? At the turn of a new year, most neighborhood trees make their way to local recycling programs (the City of Wheat Ridge recycles around 1,500 Christmas trees annually, for example). The trees are made into mulch, which is used throughout city parks and marketed to local residents for use in their own gardens and landscaping. This is in sharp contrast to artificial trees, which are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills. Not all Christmas trees make into these programs, however. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that dozens of them end up at local farms. Why? They’re a favorite treat for goats! The goats of Five Fridges Farm in Wheat Ridge are just one of many Continued on page 2
THE GOATS OF FIVE FRIDGES FARM IN WHEAT RIDGE are just one of many herds that “recycle” discarded Christmas trees. The “Christmas to Compost” program has been in practice for about five years, accepting as many as 50 trees each season. COURTESY FIVE FRIDGES FARM