Neighborhood Gazette – April 2018 by Neighborhood Gazette

PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW Tattoo Artist Brings Her Fine-Art Skills To Skin Page 6

NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS New Shows, Steamroller Prints, and Spring Page 9

MEDICALLY SPEAKING What Is A ‘Baby-Friendly’ Birth Center? Page 11

******ECRWSSEDDM******* POSTAL CUSTOMER

PRSRT STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID EVERGREEN, CO PERMIT NO. 36

Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD

EDGEWATER

| SLOAN’S LAKE | WEST COLFAX | TWO CREEKS April 16 – May 14, 2018 • ngazette.com • FREE

Two Edgewater City Properties For Sale ■ By

“

Ken Lutes

hether it’s a scrape or rebuild, we just want the right development,” said Edgewater deputy city manager Dan Maples, on the sale and repurposing of the city’s present municipal building at W. 24th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. Maples hosted a half-dozen potential developers and architects at a March 26 open house and site visit inside the municipal building. Discussion at the meeting centered on the city’s planning process and physical design issues and emphasized a keen preference for a business that will generate strong sales tax revenues. “Edgewater is 100 percent sales tax driven,” Maples said, stressing the importance of retail business along the Sheridan corridor. “We don’t have property taxes here that would come back to the city.” The municipal building is zoned C-1, “and we anticipate it’ll stay that. We’re very protective of our commercial corridors.” On March 27, developers inspected the second property Continued on page 2

NEW CIVIC CENTER MEANS OLD CITY HALL FOR SALE: The City of Edgewater is searching for the right buyer to make the best use of its city hall, old city hall and old fire station, which will no longer be needed after the completion of the new civic center, currently under construction. PHOTO BY TIM BERLAND

To Call Or Not To Call, That Is The 911 Question ■ By

Nancy Hahn

he new Jefferson County 911 dispatch center, called Jeffcom 911, will provide shorter response times and better service for emergencies throughout Jeffco. Over 65,000 emergency calls are expected by the center each month. What to do in an emergency hasn’t changed – call 911. So, what is the advantage of this central dispatch center? Smaller, localized 911 centers can be overwhelmed with calls. The biggest problem had been people calling for non-emergencies. Many people don’t know the numbers to call for a non-emergency, but everyone remembers 911. The lines become tied up, so a person with a real emergency can’t get through and gets only a busy signal. A genuine emergency, also, results in a flood of calls. When every call taker is already on a call, the response to emergencies can be delayed. When the emergency is genuine, those busy lines can be a hazard to people in danger, also. How do you decide whether to call 911 or the non-emergency line? A 911 emergency is a situation that requires a firefighter, medical help, or a police officer right away. A fire breaks out – call 911! Someone has chest pain, is choking, threatening suicide, or has sudden severe pain – call 911! You see a burglary or an assault happening – call 911! You see a car crash – call 911! Do not call 911 if the neighbor’s dog is barking, if the power goes out, or to discuss paying a fine. If you are alone and hear someone break in your home – call 911. If you come home and someone has broken in your home, call the non-emergency number. If you aren’t sure, call 911 and let the 911 operator help you decide. Stay as calm as possible, give the call taker all the information, and answer all questions. Once you have done that, the operator will let you

know if it is an emergency. When you call 911, listen and follow the directions the operator gives you. Be ready to provide the address, cross streets, or another way to identify the location. This is very important if you are on a cell phone, because the operator can’t pinpoint your location. What if you realize you have dialed 911 by mistake? Stay on the line. Explain your mistake to the call taker. Why? This ensures that no time is wasted calling you back or even sending emergency vehicles. Who do you call with a problem if it isn’t an emergency? Police and ﬁre departments have non-emergency phone numbers. Your

town’s website probably provides the nonemergency police department number, as well as other commonly requested phone numbers. There are several ﬁre stations in most towns, so check for the non-emergency number of the one nearest to your home. Once you have the non-emergency numbers, make note of them or put them in your phone. Edgewater’s website (www.edgewaterco. com) provides a link to the City of Edgewater Police Department on its home page. The page for the police department provides Edgewater Police Department’s non-emergency number, 303-322-7273;

Jefferson County non-emergency dispatch, 303-277-0211; victim outreach, 303-2022196; rape assist and awareness, 303-3227273; and crime stoppers, 720-913-7867. Additional links to contact forms, safety tips, the school resource officer, traffic enforcement, and other topics of interest are listed. The Edgewater Police Department recommends Neighborhood Watch programs as a way to keep neighborhoods safe. More information on the program is available at volunteers@edgewater.com. Two Creeks and the West Colfax corridor are both served by the Lakewood Police Continued on page 2

IN MEMORIAM

Robert Autobee – Journalist and Historian ■ By

Michael Autobee

obert “Bob” Autobee, journalist and historian, age 56, of Lakewood died in Corpus Christi, Texas, March 18, following a short illness. At the time of his death, he was deployed with FEMA to support Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts as an historic preservationist. That he found the most obscure job in the federal government is not a surprise because my brother Bob was as unconventional as he was smart. His first love affair was with journalism and it started 1964. At age three, he read the newspaper out loud for family and friends, leaving them absolutely amazed. He pursued every topic that interested him. He could not casually read a book and move on rather he totally immersed himself. Bob was our answer-man. Now we have to use Google like everyone else. Bob always had a unique way of looking at things. He shunned the established and popular. While most kids were playing football, Continued on page 2

LAKEWOOD JOURNALIST AND HISTORIAN BOB AUTOBEE, 56, died in Corpus Christi, Texas, March 18, following a short illness. He and his wife Kris wrote two books on the history of Lakewood and one on the lost restaurants of Denver, articles for scholarly journals, local newspapers, and city and county historical societies. PHOTO COURTESY KRISTEN AUTOBEE

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

Gazette

Find Me!

303-995-2806 e-mail: editor@ngazette.com Publication is the 15th of each month.

This daft little ducky is hiding somewhere in this issue. Find him and

Publisher: Tim Berland Managing Editor: J. Patrick O’Leary

send an email to puzzle@ ngazette.com and tell us where

he is at. We will draw a winner out of the correct responses and send them a cool prize. Good luck!

Edgewater

NEIGHBORHOOD

ngazette.com

PROUD MEMBER

Continued from page 1

for sale at 5845 W. 25th Ave., the site of Edgewater’s old city hall, its former fire department and a Jefferson County library. It is also the city’s desire to retain the C-1 zoning for this property, to further establish the retail character of 25th Avenue. “We like retail, and we’d like something to contribute for the long term,” Maples said. The 25th and Gray property is mixed with residential, making it different from the municipal building property, which is on a high-density commercial corridor. “There’s a lot of neighborhood community we have to be aware of,” Maples said. “As far as what we want with [these properties], we really just want the right

911 Question Continued from page 1

thgir eht tceleS ruoy – redneL *robhgien Select the – ecivreright S taerLender G your neighbor!

r. Loan AdvisorM. Kevin

✔ Great Service ✔ Integrity geGreat tnI Rates Sr. Loan Advisor ytir✔

GreenSelect the right

Department, at 445 S. Allison Parkway. The non-emergency phone number is 303-987rosivdA na7111.Information oL .rS – neerabout G .M Lakewood’s niveK Police Department is found at www.lakewood.org/ gninnur sraey 6 enizagaM 0825 ni lanoisseforP ratS eriF dedrawA police/. A menu on the Police Department website includes links and phone numbers for animal control, 303-987-7173; code enforcement, 303-987-7566; crime prevention, community outreach, and more choices. Nearly every link includes additional information and links. Sloan’s Lake is served by the District

Robert Autobee

Lender – your neighbor*

Whether upgrading, downsizing, relocating, or just want to have some extra 80 Magazine 6 yearsyou’re running spending cash from a refinance. The quick and easy place to check out your options, give me a call, stop on by and see for yourself! I’m your neighborhood lending expert.

,gnizisnwod ,gnidargpu er’uoy rehtehW

Continued from page 1 artxe emos evah ot tnaw tsuj ro ,gnitacoler

setaR taerG

dna emoC .ecnanifer a morf hsac gnidneps

basketball and baseball, my brother would -303 llac a em evig ro ...rood ym no kconk be arranging the backyard as a rugby field, or .emityna 2593-568 Awarded Five Star Professional in 5280 Magazine 6 years running a cricket oval, or an Australian-rules football Great Service nwo yrev ruoy morF field. Usually our little sister Kristina and I CHECK ME OUT! loansbykevin.com were the opposing team. Don’t get me wrong, !ROBHGIEN very little in American sports escaped his notice. The family had little doubt that he would Integrity someday be a writer. His young imagination was active – he wrote and illustrated stories and he created his own comic books. He zing, wanted to be a sports broadcaster. For a ome extra Great Rates high school graduation gift, Bob received a Come and pots ,llac a em evig ,snoitpo rcomplete uoy tuo kcehstereo c ot ecalsystem p ysae dnfrom a kciuqhis ehTparents. He call 303. t r e p x e g n i d n e l d o o h r o b h g i e n r u o y m ’ I ! f l e s r u o y r o f e e s d n a y b no music, but started slowly with rock and pop YTREBIL NACIREMA Come see our newly remodeled eventually plunged himself into jazz, R&B EGAGTROM store. It is better, brighter, and Latin music. 2 5 9 3 . 5 6 8 . 3 0 3 From your very own m o c . n i v e k y b s n a o l While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in and fun to shop. Communications at Metro State, Bob worked NEIGHBOR! CUSTOM JEWELRY DESIGNERS on the Rocky Mountain News copy desk. 542 SLMN One of the perks was147writing articles for the PRECISION CAD DESIGNS paper. He started writing record reviews INSURANCE for the Friday arts section of the News. He APPRASIALS parlayed the record reviews into a job with Westword as a Jazz critic. For that job, Bob ESTATE JEWELRY interviewed the Latin Jazz great Tito Puente. If you’re left LOOSE DIAMONDS & GEMS The interview was before a concert and Tito holding the bag, was upset because his luggage was missing REMOUNTS Be glad it’s ours!™ and he always performed with tie on. Bob k out your options, give me a call, stop offered his necktie to Puente to wear onstage. ur neighborhood6789 lending W. expert. 44th Ave. •AMERICAN 303-424-1881 LIBERTY • visionsingold.com Tito took him up on his offer and played the MORTGAGE entire evening wearing Bob’s necktie. How 303.865.3952 many idols do you get to give your clothes to? MONDAY loansbykevin.com To continue his education, he attended All day Free Pool University of Northern Colorado to earn $3 Svedka flavors a master’s degree in History – thus the evolution of a historical preservationist. The TUESDAY Colorado Historical Society printed his thesis, 10am-2am Buy 2 get 1 Free wine, well, “If You Stick with Barnum: A History of a domestic draft and domestic bottles. $3 Jim Beam Denver Neighborhood,” in their monograph series WEDNESDAY Bob’s writing skills took him around the Whiskey Wednesday country. He worked for small newspapers, $5 Makers Mark & Breckenridge wrote federal government histories for dam $5 PBR/Fireball and irrigation projects, performed archival research for Indian communities attempting THURSDAY to obtain official tribal status, and lobbied 3-7pm & 9pm-12 am Thirsty Thursday Congress for water conservation programs. $1 domestic WWD, $2 domestic bottles, Karaoke Once back in Denver, he established w/music videos 4pm-close. $4 Jäger all day roots. He bought a house and packed it with all the books and records he could. He became SATURDAY quite domesticated and pursued gardening. Noon-7pm 2 for 1 wine, well, domestic drafts & bottles In 2002 Bob met his future wife Kris at a meeting of the Colorado Corral of the 10am-2am • 365 days SUNDAY Westerners, an international association theberkeleyinn.com $ Fireball, Svedka flavors, Jäger, Jim Beam of western historians. Mother and I had Come and knock on my door... or give me a call 303-865-3952 anytime.

TUO EM KCEHC MOC.NIVEKYBSNAOL

E OUT

.COM

SPECIALS

3834 Tennyson St. 303-495-3508

development that will fit with our long-term goals with sales tax and future retail, as well as a fit with the community.” Maples said the city would like to have a deal on both properties by the time they move to the city’s new Civic Center building in September. The Request for Qualifications and Proposals for developers may be found at www.edgewaterco.com; links to RFQPs for both sites are in the right-hand sidebar. The deadline for proposal submission is noon, April 30. In related news, the W. 20th Avenue and Depew Street property (former King Soopers site), which has been vacant since the city bought it in 2002, is currently under contract for redevelopment with Littleton Capital Partners. The city is further along with LPC than with the previous developer and is optimistic about plans for redevelopment, according to Maples. 1 Denver Police Department (www. denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/ police-department/police-stations/district1-station-nw-.html) at 1311 W. 46th Ave. The non-emergency number is 720-913-2000. The Resource Officer for Sloan’s Lake is Officer Robert Gibbs. The website has a list of phone numbers for specific purposes from reporting graffiti to reporting hate crimes. There is, also, a menu of “Most Requested” links, including the cadet program, animal complaints, and neighborhood watch information. 911 has made a huge difference and saved many lives in emergencies. Knowing the non-emergency numbers or how to find them can open a line for a person trying to call 911 in an emergency. lunch with him after that meeting and we both encouraged him to ask her for a date. With their intellect and their love of the unconventional, it was only a matter of time that they would be married. When it was time expand their family – they bought chickens. Writing for their jobs did not allow Bob or Kris to expand creatively. So they found ways to write what interested them. Many of you know the results - two books on the history of Lakewood and one on the lost restaurants of Denver, articles for scholarly journals, local newspapers, and city and county historical societies. He was not overly fond of technology, but learned to use tools like Dropbox so he and Kris could collaborate no matter where they were. He lamented Denver’s growth and waxed nostalgic for the great city of his childhood. I think his concern about the ever-expanding Denver led to his recent focus on Lakewood and specifically Colfax Avenue. He felt that he would affect change on a smaller scale. His interactions with the West Colfax Community, 40 West Arts District, City of Lakewood, and the neighborhoods’ residents were satisfying relationships. Bob had a terrific sense of humor, irony and sarcasm. His laughter was always honest and genuine. If I could get him to laugh then I knew he was unguarded and relaxed. All our lives, when we got together and our mother would come into the room, she would ask, “Why are you two giggling like a couple of little girls?” Wherever he was, he called his mother daily and reached out to me and our sisters once or twice a week. I’m sure he called Kris more often than just at tea time. He encouraged his nieces to make the most of their education, work hard, and follow their dreams. What do I take away from my big brothers life? Work hard, respect people, honor the past, and pursue dreams with laughter and love. In the daily grind of life it’s easy to take granted what we have, but as an observer I think he had a very rich life. Bob was preceded in death by his father. He is survived by his wife Kristen, mother Margaret, siblings Victoria (Doug Mass) Autobee, Michael (Robin) Autobee, and Kristina (Jed San Pietro) Autobee, nieces Amanda (Chris Sterling) Autobee, Samantha Autobee, friends from all walks of life, and two pet hens. Services were held at Our Lady of Fatima, Lakewood, on March 28. A Celebration of Life at Pure Colorado Events Center followed the services.

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

NOSTALGIC HOMES

LLC

3737 West 32nd Avenue at Newton, Historic Highland Square in Northwest Denver

Proudly Serving Edgewater For 33 Years! 303.455.5535

www.

NOSTALGICHOMES.com

3307 W. 34th Ave. 2056 E. 102nd Cir. 8100 W. Quincy Ave. #M6 3042 W. 24th Ave. 2195 Decatur St. #405 5 Bedrooms • 4 Baths 2403 Finished SF.

$645,000

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

2 Bedrooms • 3 Baths 1200 Finished SF.

$260,000

Rick Oliphant 303.888.5139

2 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1105 Finished SF.

$190,000

Ricky Schoonover 720.688.5110

3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1498 Finished SF.

$640,000

Jasen Koebler 608.438.7776

2 Bedrooms • 1 Bath 912 Finished SF.

$395,000

Courtney Anderson

303.808.6570

1886 Ford St.

3 Bedrooms • 4 Baths 2146 Finished SF.

$915,000

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

Thinking hinking About Selling in 2018?

Give Us A Call ... N OSTALGIC H OMES We’re Your Neighborhood Specialists 303.455.5535

2705 W. 35th Ave.

4460 Xavier St.

2 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1456 Finished SF.

3 Bedrooms • 1 Bath 1038 Finished SF.

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

Luis Serrano 303.455.2466

$529,000

$510,000

4955 Knox Ct.

5 Bedrooms • 4 Baths 2360 Finished SF.

$699,000

Guy Nahmiach 303.999.5789

3249 W. Fairview Pl. #106 2 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1753 Finished SF.

$525,000

Betty Luce 303.478.8618

3369 West Hayward Place

2818 Hazel Ct.

4 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1834 Finished SF.

$650,000

Jaclyn Hines 720.626.8775

12750 W. 84th Cir. 4 Bedrooms • 5 Baths 3570 Finished SF.

3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1548 Total SF.

Bart Rhein 720.837.5959

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

$628,000

1036 E. 24th Ave. 3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1139 Finished SF.

$698,500

$450,000

Michael Madsen 303.726.1543

3029 Zenobia St.

3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1924 Finished SF.

$625,000

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

Join Us For An Open House!

N OSTALGIC H OMES

1229 Eudora St.

685-687 Carr St.

3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1399 Finished SF.

4 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 2052 Finished SF.

Jean Oliphant 303.888.2361

Jodi Rogers 720.933.6676

$475,000

$450,000

2793 Chase St.

2 Bedrooms • 1 Bath 828 Finished SF.

$386,500

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

3736 Raleigh St.

5 Bedrooms • 5 Baths 3200 Finished SF.

$889,000

Elizabeth Clayton 303.506.3448

Invites you to join us this weekend! Follow us on Facebook for a complete list of homes available to tour, posted each Friday. www. N OSTALGIC H OMES.com

Curious about the value of your home? Invite Us Over... Nostalgic Homes tours homes to assess Market Value~

It’s a FREE Service

It’s the best way to get a collective opinion from The Neighbohood Specialists

Call now (303) 455-5535

9550 E. Florida Ave. #2024 2 Bedrooms • 3 Baths 1361 Finished SF.

$277,000

Brandi Baldschun 720.339.5887

Call Now For A Free Consultation & Loan Pre~Approval. 3134 W. Amherst Ave. 3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 1764 Finished SF.

Matthew Hibler

Mortgage Advisor ~ NMLS#287502

303.916.1666 MHibler@CCMCLending.com

$379,000

Elizabeth Clayton 303.506.3448

3325 W. 31st Ave.

44 Cook St. Suite 500, Denver, CO 80206

5185 Raleigh St.

3 Bedrooms • 4 Baths 3930 Finished SF.

3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths 2046 Finished SF.

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

Liz Luna 303.475.1170

Alesia Soreil 970.376.8401

$925,200

2777 Utica St.

5 Bedrooms • 4 Baths 2632 Finished SF.

$802,802

540 Madison St.

5 Bedrooms • 3 Baths 2258 Finished SF.

Corey Wadley 303.913.3743

Sizes are approximate. Prices & availability are subject to change.

$1,020,000

6197 Flower St.

6 Bedrooms • 3 Baths 2436 Finished SF.

$525,000

Jenny Apel 303.570.9690

$525,000

36 Pennsylvania St. #C 1Bedroom • 1 Bath 695 Finished SF.

$289,000

Leigh Gauger 720.934.9711

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

EDGEWATER COLLECTIVE Jefferson Booster Club Golf Tournament Coming May 21 Wanda Norge, XCO Mortgage Consultant LMB: 100018754, NMLS: 280102

3190 S Wadsworth Blvd, Ste 200 Lakewood, CO 80227 303-419-6568 loans@wandanorge.com www.wandanorge.com

YES!!! We Can Help! Auto Hail & Dent Repair

n By

Paintless Dent Repair Experts

Save up to 50%!

We can ﬁx dents, HAIL DAMAGE, door dings, large dents, creases without re-painting ( PAINTLESS DENT REMOVAL). 20 years experience We accept all insurance claims. $0 - Out of Pocket • $0 - Deductible

Dan’s Hail Solution Don’t Wait. Call us TODAY.

(720) 477-8503 4840 Van Gordon St. Unit 700 for a FREE Estimate.

Joel Newton

S Great people and great service keep me coming back. – Oliver

Carousel Cleaners 4040 W. 38th Ave. 303-477-1001

Family Owned for over 38 Years

Buying. Selling. Investing.

chool funding was all across the news last week as teachers in Arizona and Oklahoma were pushing for livable wages and funding for basic school supplies. In our own county school funding gaps exist and grow wider as PTAs and booster clubs in the more suburban areas raise funds to support schools and sports programs. For years our local high school, Jefferson Junior/Senior High School, has not had a sports booster club. The other area high schools, Wheat Ridge and Lakewood, both have booster clubs and most recently Lakewood’s baseball booster program raised almost $60,000. Jefferson parents have put in time and energy to support their child’s teams, but with over 90 percent of Jefferson parents struggling against the roadblocks of poverty they cannot compete with the programs at Lakewood and Wheat Ridge. With limited funds for sports, our Jefferson athletes have outdated sports equipment and this spring our baseball players don’t have baseball

AJ Steinke, REALTOR®

More information can be found at jeffersonsaints.org.

HEALTHY EDGEWATER

303.901.0454 AjSteinke2@gmail.com www.All4Sloans.com

Revitalizing Jefferson Community Garden n By

Local Knowledge. Total Commitment

cleats and other basic baseball equipment. Quality sports programming is important to us because it increases school attendance and student achievement. For this reason, we are offering support for the Jefferson Booster Club and its upcoming golf tournament on May 21 at the Lakewood Country Club. The Lakewood Country Club is one of the oldest golf courses in Colorado and was founded in 1908. The golf course just went through a Master Plan redesign by the famed Gil Hanse. Most recently Hanse designed the 2016 Olympic Course in Rio. The Jefferson Booster Club Tournament will be the first event on the newly redesigned course. Our goal is to raise $10,000 which will almost double the sports budget at Jefferson. Join us on May 21, enjoy some golf on a beautiful course and support the sports programs at Jefferson Junior/Senior High School! We are also looking for local businesses to be hole sponsors, which comes with a golf foursome.

Lilly Steirer

ive years ago, when we moved to Edgewater, our new house had an abandoned raised bed. We weeded it out, filled half of it with new soil and started a garden. That first year was full of lessons, but I found myself craving more than plants in the ground. I longed for a community of gardeners to work alongside. The following season, I discovered Jefferson High School had a community garden with open plots. Naturally, we signed up. Every year since, we have met more gardeners. However, just as cultivating the land is slow, building a community was steady yet unrushed. Last year, the garden struggled. There were major issues with the water being unavailable, including a large leak underground. The results were disillusioned gardeners, massive weeds towering over anyone’s efforts and a lot of us wanting to abandon the land. Instead, we rallied. A large team of community volunteers showed up in the fall, including teachers, students, the principal Michael James, and Volunteers for Mike Johnston for Governor all helped. We pulled up weeds and committed to starting over. Since then, a group of gardeners have been meeting monthly throughout the winter to plot and plan for a more successful 2018 season. The team’s efforts have included monthly gardening classes on the first Saturday of each month. Upcoming topics range from composting to cooking. Most

recently we received a donation of year-old fruit saplings and we planted them with dreams of a food forest. As we get closer to the start of the season, we are looking at a garden that is already ripe with baby weeds threatening to take over, but this year we are determined to not only grow plants, but to cultivate community. We are eager for this to be a garden where surrounding neighbors and citizens of Edgewater can come to learn, socialize and grow. Throughout the season, mark your calendar for our continuing gardening classes on the first Saturday morning of each month. The entire community is welcome to join these classes as well as the weekly evening potlucks where we will eat and chat about gardening. On April 21, join our Earth Day Work Day from 9 a.m. to noon as we come together to re-start a successful garden by digging in the earth. On May 5 from 10 to 11 a.m., join our hands-on class about composting led by Edgewater urban farmers Jason and Debra Bump. Following the composting class, we will continue to work in the garden preparing it for the season. We will provide a free lunch for all of the volunteers supporting us that day, too. If you want to stay up to date on all of our events that are open to the public, please email saintsgarden@gmail.com to get on our list. In addition, check out the edgewatercollective.org for more information and updates.

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

EDGEWATER MAYOR City Hall Buyers – Who We’re Looking For and Why Denver’s more open zoning and don’t see easy profits here. Staff has actively recruited developers to work within our structure for he City of Edgewater is currently all sites seeking redevelopment. We believe in an RFPQ (request for proposal/ we’ve attracted a few interested parties with qualification) process for sale of City Hall, a willingness to work within our land use 2401 Sheridan Blvd., and the Old City Hall/ structure and who have a strong history of Fire Station, at 25th and Gray. This follows quality developments and interesting mixes years of consideration of how to repurpose of tenants. these properties when we constructed the Edgewater has some control over this new Civic Center, now well under way, with process given that we own these an anticipated opening date properties. Other privately held in the fall of 2018. This RFPQ properties can be redeveloped process allows us to pick not the within these same guidelines, just highest, but the best bidder. but control of the actual tenant As part of the election mix is further removed and we approving the Civic Center, the have little or no voice in those community was assured that redevelopments. the existing buildings would be For 24th and Sheridan, sold for private development to and 25th and Gray, we hope to return these critically located have a choice of developments properties to the tax rolls. that will be shared publicly after Although Edgewater is one of Laura Keegan preliminary discussions are held the few communities in Colorado upon submission of proposals at without a local property tax, our the end of April. We hope council receives schools, fire district, library and county information by early June and can then government do and will benefit from these discuss pursuing those concepts. Actual sales and redevelopments. details of specific tenants and terms of any Council worked the past two to sale are held in confidence until such time five years adopting land use controls, an actual purchase and sale agreement is decreasing height allowance on Sheridan presented for public consideration, prior to 25 feet (approximately the height of to any vote to accept a contract on either the current building), limiting density, property. requiring stringent parking requirements It’s anticipated a sale may close this fall. and reviewing specific uses of properties Contract(s) will be scheduled for closing in C-1 zone districts – a direct reflection of approximately 30 days after the city and council’s interpretation of the “community library move their offices, ensuring we’re not will” expressed during the current real prematurely forced out of these facilities. estate cycle. This resulted in an RFPQ HJ Stalf is Edgewater City Manager. that’s severely limiting in the eyes of the Contact Edgewater Mayor Laura Keegan developers expressing interest. In fact, at lkeegan@edgewaterco.com or 303most indicated they wouldn’t pursue these 232-0745. properties given our limitations. Most development teams are accustomed to n By

HJ Stalf and Laura Keegan

EDGEWATER AT 25TH & SHERIDAN

EDGEWATER CITY COUNCIL The Spirit of Earth Day in Edgewater Plan, which articulates the overall vision of Edgewater. This model of a citizen-led effort to he days are getting longer, and people write a plan would not be possible without are rediscovering the outdoors. While the many passionate people advocating for warmer weather brings yard work, it also sustainability. Please reach out to me with gives us a chance to play, grill and get any thoughts you have about a Sustainability reacquainted with our neighbors. Also Committee or if you would like to serve on approaching is Earth Day it. 2018, happening this year on In the spirit of Earth Sunday, April 22. In the spirit Day, the following sustainability of protecting and enjoying our and outdoor service events natural environment, Edgewater are planned in Edgewater this is taking action at City Hall and month. I hope you will join us! events are taking place around Edgewater Sustainability town. Seminar: Food Waste will be At the next City Council presented April 24, 7 p.m., at meeting on May 3, council will the Edgewater Library. Recipe hear a resolution to establish developer and former personal a temporary Sustainability chef Lilly Steirer will examine Committee. This committee John Beltrone how 40 percent of food is wasted would be charged with writing in the United States and provide the first-ever sustainability plan for the City steps consumers can take to reduce waste. of Edgewater. In doing this, we would join Spring Day of Service: Senior Yard cities both next door to us and around the Cleanup is held April 28, 9 a.m., at the country that have already implemented Edgewater Recreation Center. Lend a hand sustainability plans. The process would to your senior neighbors by performing allow the city to define what sustainability some basic spring outdoor chores for them. means to its citizens, identify areas to study, A continental breakfast before and barbecue and recommend action. The committee lunch after will be provided. would be made up of volunteers from Edgewater Alley Cleanup Day will be Edgewater. It would meet publicly and seek April 29, 2 p.m., at Memorial Park. Help the input of the community throughout the clean up the city for the spring. Edgewater process. businesses will be providing snacks and Dedicating time to plan for sustainability beverages to volunteers. will benefit the community for years to For more information, contact Edgecome and has the potential to become a water City Council Member John Beltrone permanent component of city planning. If at jbeltrone@edgewaterco.com or 720adopted, the sustainability plan could be 643-6077. incorporated into the next Comprehensive n By

John Beltrone

Dr. Darren Bennett & Dr. Lisa Bennett

Spring Clean and Winter White

2045 Sheridan Blvd, Ste H, Edgewater, CO 80214 303-274-1100 • www.sloansidedental.com Se Habla Español

Our Patients Get Undivided Attention from a Team That Cares

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

TUNDRA by Chad Carpenter

1ST ANNUAL

Colorado Senior Connections / Stitch ‘n Chatter SPRING Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale Hosted by:

ANDEE AT WORK ON SHANE HABERLAND’S ‘Beetlejuice’ tattoo. PHOTO BY LAURIE

ATM On Site!

FREE Admission! American Legion Post 17

Get your SPRING on shopping for beautifully crafted items for you, your family and your friends - created by amazing, senior aged crafters from West Denver! Raffles held hourly, lovely prizes donated by our vendors along with some fabulous items from :

(winners do not need to be present)

American Legion ~ Post 17 1901 Harlan Street, Edgewater

(One block south of 20th Ave. on Harlan St.—PLENTY OF PARKING!)

1ST ANNUAL

We’re Going Green!

Colorado Senior Connections / Stitch ‘n Chatter SPRING Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale Hosted by:

Our ATM goal is to be Plastic On Site! Free by 4/22/2018 Bag (Earth Day). American Legion Post 17

FREE Admission!

Get your SPRING on shopping for beautifully crafted items for you, your family and your friends - created by amazing, senior aged crafters from West Denver!

Beginning 3/1/2018 each customer get Raffles held hourly, lovely prizes donated bywill our vendors along with some fabulous items from : one FREE reusable ‘green’ Wheat Ridge Poultry bag. (winners do not need to be present)

On 4/22/2018 we will start charging a 10¢ surcharge for every American Legion ~ Post 17 1901 Harlan Street, plastic bag used. Money raisedEdgewater (One block south of 20th Ave. on Harlan St.—PLENTY OF PARKING!) from this surcharge will be donated to local charities.

PROUD PART OF THE WHEAT RIDGE COMMUNITY SINCE 1942.

5650 W. 29th Ave.

wheatridgepoultry.com • 303-233-0757

DUNKLEE

Tattoo Artist Andee Liggett Brings Her Fine-Art Skills To Skin n By

Laurie Dunklee

ndrea Liggett’s tattoo studio is a bright feast for the eyes, with artwork of all kinds on the walls. Featured large are images of Marilyn Monroe and a corner shelf full of figures and buildings from “Nightmare Before Christmas,” a 1993 stopmotion animated musical by Tim Burton. “That movie is special to me because Jack [the main character] tries to be something he’s not, and he fails miserably,” says Liggett, co-owner of Illustrated Gypsy on West Colfax at Perry Street. Liggett, who goes by the nickname “Andee,” is all about authenticity in her art. Her tattoos express her individuality, as well as the individuality of the people who wear them. “When someone comes for a tattoo, I get them to open up about who they are and what they identify with. We break it down symbolically and I design a tattoo for them,” she says. Andee’s detailed, polished work reflects her interests in the art nouveau style, botanical illustration and fantasy art. Her fine-artist-caliber technique is even more impressive because she is mostly selftaught. “In elementary school it became clear that I could draw, and I kept at it,” says Andee. “I took a figure-drawing class at community college, which helped with tattooing since tattoos are all about bodies.” Though she created art in many media – watercolors, colored pencils, graphite and jewelry – Andee never thought tattooing would be her career. “I worked in a corporate setting for 10 years and I knew I wouldn’t stay in that purgatory. I was getting tattoos myself and friends asked me to design theirs. When anyone suggested that I do tattoos I said ‘Never,’ but then it hit me: I could make money and make art.” Owning the tattoo shop with five other artists since 2009 is a decent living, said Andee, who charges $150 per hour for her services. “I make enough money but I’m not all about money.” She said greater numbers of fine artists are finding their livelihood in tattoos these days. “Recent art school grads are jumping into it because it’s lucrative. It’s a craft that traditionally drew journeymen. The new technology makes it more attractive to real artists instead of just troublemakers who can draw.” Andee designs many of her tattoos on an iPad with a stylus. To apply the tattoo, she uses a coil tattoo machine, a hand-held device that uses electromagnetic coils to move a bar up and down. Connected to the bar is a group of needles that push ink into the skin. “It’s like a tiny sewing machine,” she said.

She chooses from about 60 colors, which she often blends or layers to get the desired effect. The color is deposited under the dermis, down about the width of a nickel. It can take a year or more to complete a large tattoo because it is done in stages, allowing time in between for the skin to heal. The line work defining the image comes first, then the colors. “I use lots of saturated color,” Andee said. One of Andee’s biggest influences is Alphonse Mucha, an early 1900s Czech art nouveau painter with an ornate and sensuous style. “His art is tattoo-friendly because everything is outlined,” she says. She is drawn to ancient architecture, including the pyramids, and she loves flowers. “Once you know how flowers are structured, like that a lily has six petals, then you can play with the form.” People want tattoos for a variety of reasons and their requests are sometimes surprising. “People memorialize their pets that have passed, or they want to cover spider veins,” Andee said. “Sometimes it’s weird, like the girl who got a grilled cheese sandwich tattoo. “I try to give good advice up front so that they’ll make good decisions and won’t end up getting sick of their tattoo. If they want something wordy, I get them to think about that. Do you really want people reading you in the grocery store line? And if you memorialize a pet, think about how many times you’ll have to explain it.” She said the pain of getting a tattoo can be a point of pride for people. “Tattoos give people confidence because they can show their friends and say, ‘Look what I endured.’ It’s like a badge of honor.” The pain of getting a tattoo varies with the placement and the individual. “Getting a tattoo hurts the most in areas with lots of nerve endings or near a joint,” said Andee, displaying a tattoo on her pinkie finger that she says was particularly painful. “I think it feels like cat scratches. People react differently to the process: some go to sleep, while others are nervous. I try not to go more than four hours on a person because they go into a mild shock. We both know when enough is enough.” Shane Haberland was in Andee’s tattoo chair getting the next phase of his “Beetlejuice” (a 1998 movie) collage, a large tattoo covering most of his lower leg. Andee has been working on the tattoo for about a year. “The tattooing can hurt,” Haberland said, “but you also get high from it because all your endorphins kick in.” In addition to completing his new tattoo, Andee is also concealing one of Haberland’s old ones, an homage to an ex-girlfriend featuring a bomb with the label “In Love.” “Never again,” said Haberland.

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

Ideas For Impatient Gardeners n By

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY

Nancy Hahn

Multi-Generational Home Sharing

ave sunny days made you impatient to work in your garden? It’s hard to know what to do, when the Rockies home opener reminds us that warm days are here one day and snow back the next. Experts from Young’s Market and Garden Center at 9400 W. 44th Ave., Southwest Gardens at 4114 Harlan St., and Abner’s Garden Center at 12280 W. 44th Ave., agreed that now is the best time for clean-up and soil preparation. But, we don’t even have to wait for planting. “If you can get a shovel into the ground, you can start preparing the ground for new plants or seeds,” said Tammy, the sister of Cary West, the owner of Southwest Gardens. Loosening the soil and adding compost are ways to get the garden ready for plants or seeds. Weeds are easy to pull from the wet ground. General cleanup, also, makes your garden look ready for spring. She also pointed out that outdoor cacti and succulents are fine blanketed in snow. “But, watch out after a big snow. Don’t plow heavy heaps of snow on them when you plow the driveway or the sidewalk. That is a death sentence.” Cary West has variety after variety of succulents and cacti in the outside garden that have poked through the snow. Even more will be arriving soon. Ed Becerra sat in a toasty warm Young’s Market with every entry covered with plastic curtains on a very cold day. He suggested that now is a good time for soil preparation. You can rototill in compost and bone meal. Now is a good time to clean up around perennials. Leaves and other debris can be cleaned out of garden beds and be composted. Dead branches of perennials can be removed. Ornamental grasses need to be cut as close to the ground as possible. “You can start planting on about St. Patrick’s Day, though,” said Becerra. “All your root vegetables – yams, beets, onions, turnips, rutabagas – can get started while

n By

Guy Nahmiach

S OUTDOOR CACTUS haven’t been bothered by the snow at all. PHOTO BY NANCY HAHN

the ground is still cold.” Many plants are fine if they get covered in snow. “Remember,” Ed says, “Snow is a blanket. Frost, though, can be dangerous, so cover young plants with lightweight fabric.” Reed Becerra at Abner’s Garden Center, surrounded by a wonderful assortment of houseplants and fun garden art, said loosening the soil and adding fertilizers or natural enrichment is a great beginning. Also, early spring is a great time to spread grass seed in any bare patches and overseed thin areas in your lawn. “You can even plant some hardy flowers, like pansies and violas,” he said. “Pansies are tough. You can plant them outside as soon as we get them. You can plant a bowl of lettuce that you can bring in if a freeze is coming.” Reed suggested kits for planting seeds inside, if you just can’t wait. Then, seedlings can be transplanted into the garden later in spring. Spring cleanup sounds a lot more interesting with pansies, a lettuce bowl, and some hardy vegetables decorating that clean garden.

ustainability comes in many forms, and while most of us think of it as a natural lifestyle with recycling goods and repurposing objects, it is also about helping a person adapt to their changing environment and living conditions. Maybe even repurposing an actual home. Almost 22 percent of our population in Wheat Ridge is older than 65; in fact just over 4 percent are 85 and older. Now think about that person that might have lost a spouse along the way and was used to walking or driving to the market for groceries and paying their bills and maybe even attending a few social events. Age and health tend to work against us the longer we live. We find ourselves living alone in a house that once was a home to many people. What do we do with the empty rooms and how did we continue to get our groceries and maybe even visit with a few friends? Now look at the other side of the cycle, the much younger generation that is struggling in finding a place in the community, a home to live in and work to sustain and maintain a livelihood. People who are physically and mentally capable, and just a lack of opportunity to settle down and begin the cycle of a family and integration into our community. Even college graduates and

those just starting out in a new career, facing the challenges of home affordability. Introducing Sunshine Home Share Colorado, a community driven nonprofit organization that connects seniors with empty spaces in their homes with those needing affordable housing. Our senior home providers have the option now of not only avoiding the expense in home care and challenges of maintaining that large home by bringing in a prescreened young person who will help with chores, grocery shopping and drive the senior homeowner to movies and social occasions. Rigorous interviews and background checks are done to make sure both are a perfect fit for one another. With Colorado having the third fastest growing (over 65) population and 90 percent of seniors wanting to remain in their homes, this can be the solution we need to help young people looking for a place to live. Sunshine Home Share is holding a fundraiser at Right Coast Pizza, 7100 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge, on May 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. Get a pint and a slice for $20; proceeds go to the program. For more information please visit SunshineHomeShare.org . I will definitely be there and look forward to seeing you all support this wonderful and very timely program.

Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD

REACH UP TO 25,000 READERS MONTHLY! Call Tim Berland 303-995-2806 tim@ngazette.com

Our Garden Community For information on advertising in this section, please call Tim Berland, 303-995-2806, tim@ngazette.com Providing a selection of locally grown perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs, from soil to harvest we’re here to help. When the season is right, shop our Farmers Market with fresh fruit and produce from around Colorado.

9400 W. 44th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO. 80033 303-422-8408 • youngsmarketandgardencenter.com

Aeration Fertilization and Power Raking Specials Sprinkler & Lawn Care

(303) 433-3398

Posey Girl

Floral Boutique 7210 West 38th Ave. 303.847.0124 poseygirlflowers.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

What’s Happening in the WRBA

Colorado Playwrights To Have Theater Space in SloHi n By

Ken Lutes

T Welcome Iselin Chiropractic. Ribbon cutting March 23 with Mayor Bud Starker at 7835 W. 38th Ave. Members of Wheat Ridge Business Association and Wheat Ridge Chamber were in attendance.

Thanks to Bardo Coffee House for hosting the March Biz Mix, Cibo Meals for providing delicious food, Inﬁnity’s Pie for the assortment of pizzas, Red Rocks Toffee Company for dessert and give aways.

May Membership Breakfast

Please register for this meeting before 5pm on Thursday, May 3

wheatridgebiz.com/ upcoming_events/

DATE: Tuesday, May 8, 2018 TIME: 7:00am-9:00am LOCATION: Wheat Ridge Recreation Center – 4005 Kipling St. COST: $15 for WRBA Members and their guests, $18 for Non-members SPEAKER: Christopher Peck TOPIC: “Unleash the Secret Formula to Speaking Success” MEETING SPONSOR: Esteem Journeys, LLC – Amber Betts MEMBER BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Larkin And Associates – Mike Larkin Five Rings Financial – Tinamarie Seyfer

Don Seyfer • 303-422-5261 4501 Harlan St. • seyferauto.com

Sue Ball • 303-421-7311 sueball.com

wazeepartners.com

Paul V. LoNigro • 303-423-0162 9195 W. 44th Ave. • e-gia.com

Ron Benson • 720-879-3927 ronbenson777@gmail.com

Challenge includes: • 16 Group, Sessions BSmall OATRIGHT RIPP • Simple Meal Plan & LUSK, LLC ATTORNEYS AT LAW • Yoga Workshop Thomas R. Ripp • Joseph H. Lusk • Coaching Calls 303-423-7131 • Party with CASH & PRIZES!

Feed Your Soul Fitness Fitness Martin• • Nutrition • Support Lisa Austin, DMD , MSD Brandy 303-947-5631 303-940-5659 • oasisbraces.com Go to FeedYourSoulFitness.com feedyoursoulﬁtness.com to learn more

heater 29, located at 5138 W. 29th Ave., is set to produce its first play May 17. Theater 29 is the brainchild of Lisa Wagner Erickson, local Denver playwright and West Highland resident. The primary purpose of this new theater will be to shine a spotlight on the works of Colorado playwrights. “People will have a chance to see new works by Colorado playwrights,” Erickson said.” At present, it’s typical for local playwrights to send their work to a contest or a venue in another city, where you might be competing with 500 people and not know much about the venue or what they’ll do with your work. At Theater 29, playwrights can have a seat at the table, if they want to, and see their vision come to light.” Erickson is excited to have “Burnt Offering,” by Denver playwright Dakota C. Hill, be the theater’s first offering, as it were, presented by theater collectives Feral Assembly/Chase & Be Still Stage. The play will run May 17 through 26 (except May 20). “Theater 29 won’t be a company, per se,” Erickson said. “It’ll be more of a space where companies or collectives like Pandemic, Rough Draft, Feral Assembly and Dirty Fish can use the space for their productions.” In addition to play productions, the space may be used for stage readings, improv shows, literary events, classes and workshops. “I wanted a theater that would 99 percent provide a space for Colorado playwrights. Other [Denver area] theaters and companies do produce shows by Colorado playwrights, but there are none I know of that do that exclusively. Theater 29 won’t be able to produce every single play locally, but it will at least promote that vision.” The theater building, the former site of a martial arts studio, now meets ADA requirements and will seat about 40. The basement contains an open space for set building, costumes and storage, and actors will have dressing rooms and their own restroom in the basement, with access directly to the stage area. Erickson estimates the entire space at 3,500 square feet. Erickson’s vision for a local theater had its roots early on. “In elementary school, I was in a show for the World Wildlife Fund. I was always interested in acting, so writing became sort of a sidebar. In fifth grade, I was in a play

Screening & Performances of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ On Tap

Cheryl Brungardt • 303-425-0230 thankem.com n By

T Christine Jensen • 303-456-4403 CJensen@FairwayMC.com

Mark Plummer • 303-422-2018 mplummer@lﬁns.com

Katie Carrera • Keifer Mansﬁeld 7190 W. 38th Ave. • 303-424-9273

se their year

Tim Berland • 303-995-2806 ngazette.com

446 Orchard St. • Golden 303-279-4220 • MahnkeAutoBody.com

Billy D. Downs • 720-378-8055 bfbcpa.com • billy@bfbcpa.com

Chris Graves • 720-485-3508 bardocoﬀee.com

Ella Cressman • 303-432-7546 6658 W. 38th Ave. • ellacress.com

Continued on page 15

NEIGHBORHOOD THEATER

Located at 44th & Chase • 303-947-5631

Cheryl Blum Garcia • 720-371-1736 my-idt.com

where I got to write my own part. I didn’t really write much until I got into an MFA program a few years ago at Leslie University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.” While at Leslie University, she developed an idea for a 10-minute play about a woman trying to give up her bathroom scale [portrayed by a male actor], because she has a new boyfriend, and she’s been over-relying on the scale for validation and approval. “She’s trying to meet less and less with the scale,” Erickson said. The title of the play is “Step on Me.” While working on her low-residency MFA program in playwriting, which she finished in 2013, Erickson discovered that “I really liked the camaraderie of hanging out with other playwrights and hearing work aloud.” Returning to Denver, she attended a workshop about self-production at the Denver Center [for Performing Arts] led by Gary Garrison, who at the time was the director of the Dramatists Guild. “I had the idea in the back of my head that it would be great to have a theater at some point.” Erickson then became interested in forming a development or production group and fell into a playwrights group that was starting one. “The group they formed that I got into ended up being Dirty Fish Theater. It’s a local playwrights collective. We did a show three years ago of 10-minute plays and got ‘Best of Westword.’ I had fun with that experience.” Erickson believes there’s a greater sense of community when attending a live performance, versus other forms of entertainment. “The experience of live theater is always different. There’s a shared experience you don’t necessarily get from, say, a movie. For theater to work, both actors and audience are needed. It’s exciting, it’s never the exact same performance. Each performance is a collaborative experience between the actors,

Elisabeth Monaghan

he Alamo Drafthouse Denver has a jampacked schedule of movies playing in theatres nationwide, combined with special screenings that are sure to delight a wide range of filmgoer tastes. In partnership with the Colorado Environmental Film Festival (CEFF), the Alamo Drafthouse Denver will commemorate Earth Day with three short films, “The Shaman,” “Rising Vines” and “How We Grow.” A Q&A session will follow (Sunday, April 22, 7 p.m.). On Wednesday, April 25, Greg Sestero returns to the Alamo Drafthouse to present his latest film, “Best F(r)iends: VOL 1” (8 p.m.) That weekend, the theater will host the Denver Silent Film Festival (April 27 through 29). The Alamo Drafthouse Denver will have a special screening of “Glengarry Glen Ross,” featuring a live performance from the Edge Theater Company. (Monday, April 23, 6:30 p.m.) Proceeds benefit the Denver Actor’s Fund. Movie parties taking place at the Sloan’s Lake location include screenings of “Mean Girls” (Thursday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.), “La

Bamba” (Wednesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.) and “Clue” (Friday, April 20, 7:45 p.m.) For details on these and other special screenings or films playing at the Alamo Drafthouse, visit drafthouse.com/denver/ theater/sloans-lake.

Edge Theater’s Production Of Glengarry Glen Ross Runs Through May 5 The Edge Theater opened its production of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Glengarry Glen Ross” on April 13. Running through May 5, this is one of the Edge’s two remaining shows scheduled for 2018. For information or tickets, visit www. theedgetheater.com.

Rodents Benefit Locally Based Dolls For Daughters On Saturday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m., the Rodents of Unusual Size will perform their Comedy for a Cause, which will benefit Denver-based Dolls for Daughters. The show, which takes place at the Grange in Wheat Ridge, is free, with a suggested donation of $5 or a total of $15 for families of three or more. For details, visit www.coloradoimprov. com.

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS

GALLERY SPOTLIGHT

New Shows, Steamroller Prints, And Spring In The Art District n By

Nancy Hahn

he 40 West Art District is celebrating spring’s appearance with fabulously creative and unique shows and activities. From Japanese calligraphy to block printing with a steamroller; there is something for everyone in the art district! Visit on May 1, First Friday when the district celebrates with evening hours and special activities. At the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, 1600 Pierce St., on Saturday, April 21, huge, carved wood blocks will be inked. RMCAD students and artists from the area created the blocks. Each block will be inked and then printed by a two-ton steamroller rolling over it. This all happens at RMCAD between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to watch the giant prints appear. 40 West Arts, 1560 Teller St., will have a May 1 opening for the RMCAD Steamroller Print exhibit. The First Friday Opening Reception will feature beer, wine, snacks and a first look at the steamroller wood block art. 40 West Arts will, also, offer two classes in Japanese calligraphy. Students in the May 5 or 12, 1 to 5 p.m., classes will learn the brushstrokes to create Japanese and Chinese calligraphy. They will practice the brushstrokes to create lovely black and white art. The $75 fee (with a discount for members) includes the sumi ink block, rice paper and the use of the brushes. For more information or to reserve a spot, go to info@40westarts.org. The Edge Gallery, 7001 W. Colfax, will host “On Edge2018,” a juried exhibition of Colorado artists, from April 27 to May 13. The contemporary art using any media in this show will challenge the margins

PHILIP RADER "Unique Play" at Edge Gallery, 7001 W. Colfax. of material, content, artist, process and technology. The Next Gallery, 6851 W. Colfax, will host an exhibit of Virginia T. Coleman’s work through April 22 called “An Accelerated Skyline.” Coleman described her work as “an examination of our built environment,” the human figure, and the fleeting moments of our lives. On April 27, a new show of Betsy Rudolph’s work will begin. Her work is bright, colorful, and three-dimensional, with both a sense of humor and an edgy touch. Lakewood Arts, 6731 W. Colfax, in Lamar Plaza by Casa Bonita, will host a new show from April 29 to May 25. The theme of the show is “For the Love of Nature.” The artwork can be of any media the artists wish to use to express the theme. Container Collective Yoga, 1492 Ammons St., has a fun class coming up. “Bring a Dude to Yoga” will be held from 7 to 8 p.m., on April 30. This flow class by Jackie Bissell is designed to help all participants feel strong, flexible and rejuvenated. Sounds like just what we need coming out of a long winter.

Making The Mundane Look Exotic: Woody Hirsh This month the Neighborhood Gazette spotlights photographer Woody Hirsh. His work will be featured through the month of April at the Gallery of Everything, co-located with Red Herring Art Supply at 6719 W. Colfax Ave., just west of Casa Bonita. You can meet him at the gallery, Saturday, April 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.

It happened a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I shot my first roll of Tri-X and I was hooked on photography. Learning with black and white film, and working in professional lab gave me a solid foundation. I came to understand how the camera records light and how the printer records color. Today, I re-combine elements such as color, highlights and shadows that come from different parts of an image. I use the principles of light refraction to lead the viewer’s eyes to a specific place in an image. If you remember playing with a prism on a sunny day, then you understand the process. I take a one- to two-inch source of color light and then by changing the position of a piece of rippled glass, or Fresnel (multi-faceted) lens, create new colors, shapes and patterns. It has been said that I take the mundane and make it look exotic. Look hard at my mandalas and you can see remnants of the original image. The mandala’s “pielegs” start with an image borrowed from a photograph. Usually these snapshots are uninteresting in and of themselves. I look for details that are dismissed as unimportant and from them a new image blooms. I invite custom work.

The Gallery of Everything is home to 48 artists and is co-located with Red Herring Art Supply, 6719 W. Colfax Ave., open Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 720-883-8132 for more information.

West Colfax Lately Luncheon, April 26, 2018, Lakewood CC westcolfax.org

Celebrate all things West Colfax at the 4th annual West Colfax Lately Luncheon! Join us to honor this year’s LEGEND Award recipient, the honorable Steve Burkholder. Also, ﬁnd out who will receive this year’s Momentum Awards. Mark your calendar to attend the luncheon on Thursday, April 26th from 11am-1pm at Lakewood Country Club. Buy your tickets now before they sell out!

Visit www.westcolfax.org/Luncheon

40westarts.org

Red Herring Art Supply

EDGE Gallery

7001 W. Colfax • 303-477-7173 www.edgeart.org

Mint & Serif Coﬀee House 11500 W Colfax Ave 720-509-9908 mintandserif.com

d orh o o b h g i e Th e N rc e ! u Ar t S o

1492 Ammons St. 720-437-0638 cc360denver.com

720-427-5339 www.RedHerringArt.com

6731 W. Colfax Ave • 303-980-0625 lakewoodarts.org

Gallery of 303-980-1111 • cpavalue.com

Everything

Lakewood’s Affordable Art Store

6719 W. Colfax Ave. • 720-883-8132 (next door to Casa Bonita) • Open Thu-Sun 11-7

6719 W. Colfax Avenue next to Casa Bonita, in the Gallery of Everything

Lakewood Arts Council

NEXT Gallery

6851 W.Colfax Ave, Unit B • 303-433-4933 nextartgallerydenver.com

40+ Artists, Art Supplies, Collectibles and more Handpainted & antique furniture Gift certiﬁcates & Lay-a-way

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

AUTO INJURY?

SENIOR FOCUS Vitamin D And Its Significance n By

Tawny Clary

In Pain? Call Us NOW and We Will See You TODAY! Muscle Pains • Sciatica Pain Relief Migraines & Headaches Back & Neck Pain Knee Pain Dizziness • Carpel Tunnel Acupuncture • Physical Therapy We now oﬀer Laser Lipo - Fat loss treatment!

WARNING!

Even minor accidents can cause “hidden” injuries that lead to disability down the road.

We can refer you to the best Attorneys in Denver!

our Wheat Ridge oﬃce

CALL US NOW FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION! WHEAT RIDGE 7200 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

AURORA 1350 Chamber Rd. Aurora, CO 80011

DENVER 50 S. Federal Blvd Denver, CO 80219

SLOAN’S LAKE/LAKEWOOD 2532 Sheridan Blvd. Denver, CO 80214

303-423-1925 303-577-2040 303-922-2977 303-458-0294

MyDenverChiropractor.com

Here in Colorado, we like our rocks red, our music rockin’ and our news from a Colorado journalist. April 16-22, 2018 #RealNewsCO

hen medical researchers are almost always bickering about their opposing findings, we often find ourselves filtering through the mess to find our own best answers or conclusions. One hot subject of debate in the past couple decades has been our ultraviolet friend, vitamin D – bearing issues of topic such as how much each person needs, what is the best source for it and whether its benefits live up to all the hype. Living in Colorado, it may be easy to assume that we get enough sunshine to cover our vitamin D needs. This may be true for some, but not as many people get outside on a regular basis as we may think. Seniors also need more than the average amount of vitamin D that an adult needs. According to VitaminDCouncil.org, “As you get older, your skin has a harder time producing vitamin D.” There has been some dispute about just how much vitamin D a person of average health needs per day. However, it is the maximum amount per day that is usually more a concern than the average. In an article by the Parkinson’s Foundation, it is recommended that seniors get at least 600 International Units (IU) per day for those who are 50 years old and up and 800 IU per day for those 70 and over. This is the minimum amount and pretty much in line with recommendations from other medical associations and studies. However, some people may need more if their body is not producing enough due to a disease or condition they may carry. This is where supplements or food-based vitamin D come into play. It is also where much of the debate begins. It is arguable that vitamin D can help with bone frailty and, apparently, even lung infections. In a small study conducted by colleagues of the University of Colorado Hospital, they found that “…among seniors of an average age of 81 who live in metro Denver longterm care facilities (LTCs), high doses of vitamin D reduced acute lung infections by an astonishing 40 percent over a 12-month period.” They also found there was a “higher

rate of fall without an increase in fractures.” Still, that was a small study and more research needs to be done. On the flip side, last year the New York Times posted an article entitled, “Why Are So Many People Popping Vitamin D?” The article pointed out that “Medical organizations, too, have repeatedly found that there is no reason to assess vitamin D levels in healthy adults, and recently two rigorous studies failed to find that high doses of the vitamin protect against heart disease or cancer.” There is still much conflict and ongoing studies about just what vitamin D is good for and how much of it is good for you. Debates aside, there are a few minimal recommendations that probably won’t hurt to follow. As long as your concern is not to exceed average amounts of vitamin D for one reason or another, then there are a few generic guidelines to help you navigate your way to a basic intake of vitamin D, daily. If you are looking for adequate amounts of vitamin D while basking in the sunlight, the Vitamin D Council, on its website, suggests timing can help make a difference: “The closer to midday you expose your skin, the better this angle and the more vitamin D is produced. A good rule of thumb is if your shadow is longer than you are tall, you’re not making much vitamin D.” Of course, variations such as genetic history, skin color, location and length of time can have an impact as well. Don’t find yourself in the sun as much as you used to? That’s OK. The Parkinson’s Foundation suggests, “For people who do not get outside enough in the summer, best things to eat are “fortified foods such as milk and milk substitutes, milk products, margarine and cereals; fatty fish, such as salmon and fish; liver oils; liver and eggs.” Finally, some medical associations suggest that wearing long sleeves and clothing can be better than sunscreen when you are in the sun for short periods of time. While there is still much research to be done about vitamin D, we at least understand that it holds a significant importance to humans much like the world around us.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Spring Into Sports, For Yourself Or The Kids n By

Meghan Godby

e all love springtime. With March behind us, April ushers in sunny skies and warmer weather. But April is also widely anticipated by baseball fans – it’s the start of the Rockies’ spring training season. Not only is it a great time to head to Coors Field, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to start thinking about spring sports for your children, grandchildren or even yourself. There’s something to be said for individual sports, but you can’t beat the friendly competitive spirit of playing with others. Luckily, a variety of programs are available to children and young adults in our community. So many, in fact, that the options can be overwhelming. Where should you start? Consider checking out the Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation Activity Guide. Available online (ci.wheatridge.co.us) and at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center (4005 Kipling), it is a great resource for all sorts of programming, including sports. Programs include tee-ball, soccer, basketball, track and even skateboarding. Dates vary by program, but they run spring through summer and can accomodate children as young as 3 years old (depending on the sport). Jim Spaulding, the Athletics Supervisor for the City of Wheat Ridge, is proud of the city’s commitment to quality programming. What makes Wheat Ridge so special? “I think the big attraction to our sports programs is our emphasis on fun,” Jim

shared. “If our participants aren’t having a good time, then we’ve missed the mark.” Clearly, the mark isn’t being missed – hundreds of residents participate in the programs every year. In fact, the youth soccer program alone brings in over 600 kids annually. “If folks are having fun, they’re going to keep coming back for more,” Jim explained. “[That] means healthier, happier and more socially engaged people. And all of that is really important, especially for kids!” Other youth sports clubs, such as Wheat RidgeAvalanche(wheatridgeavalanchesoccer. org), Wheat Ridge Girls Softball (wrgirlssoftball.com) and Wheat Ridge Youth Basketball (justplaysportscolorado.com) are also popular – each serving 150 to 400 kids each season. These programs are separate organizations but often utilize city parks and facilities. Looking for something for yourself? Consider joining the Senior Softball League (co-ed) which runs April 18 through Aug. 1 in Randall Park (advanced registration required). Different leagues are offered for all skill levels and age ranges (50+). For questions about this particular program, contact Jim Spaulding directly at 303-2311310. If you are interested in learning more about the other programs offered by the City of Wheat Ridge, contact the Recreation Center at 303-231-1300. The friendly staff can also put you in touch with other leagues offered in partnership with the city.

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

Services tail • •R Re es t

44 al

ra n

ts •

•

shop44th.com

• Sh

we’ve been able to make some incremental progress in compensation to attract and retain quality teachers and staff, we’re still at a comparative disadvantage when it comes to competing districts nearby. On ince I started as Superintendent for the facilities side, the reality is that we have Jeffco Public Schools last July, I’ve significant inequities and problems when it asked a bunch of questions comes to our buildings that have to try and better understand only gotten worse since 2016. the community, the context, I believe these two focus and the history of this place areas are tightly related. The and its schools. While I see a issues of organizational credibility major element of my role as an and trust play right into whether education leader to look to the or not the community will future and prepare our students support tax proposals. People and schools to meet that, I’ve do not voluntarily separate always found that the journey themselves from their own tax to that future place is informed dollars if they have low trust that and shaped by the community’s the receiving organization is on Jason E. Glass, Ed.D. stable footing and will do good history and culture. A major focus for me in this things with those resources. first year was to re-establish trust between So, I have two questions for our Jeffco Public Schools and the community. community. The district has been no stranger to First, are we doing the right work to controversy and political divisiveness over rebuild trust and credibility that Jeffco the past few years and I believed one of my Public Schools is headed in the right major goals was to move us past this, and direction, and what else could we be doing get our schools and community re-focused in order to further rebuild that trust and on the work of teaching and learning. credibility? A second major focus was considering Second, is 2018 the right time for the when and if it was the right time to go district to bring forward a tax proposal of back to our voters and ask for financial some form to improve our schools? Under supports for our schools. When I came what conditions would you support that into the community last summer, Jeffco and what specific elements do you think we Public Schools was still reeling from the should include? budget and facilities impacts of failing its Responses can be sent directly to me bond (for facilities improvements) and at Jason.Glass@jeffco.k12.co.us. I will read mill levy override (for ongoing expenses and respond to each one. Thanks in advance such as teacher compensation) requests in for engaging! November of 2016. The needs that drove If you have (other) questions for Dr. the district to place these questions on the Glass please send them to Guy Nahmiach ballot in 2016 have not gone away. While at guy@NostalgicHomes.com.

Every month the Superintendent Dr. Jason Glass answers questions from our readers. This month instead, he would like to ask you a couple of questions.

• al

nts ra au

The Super Wants To Ask You!

• Sh op Lo c

ASK THE SUPER

•R

e t a il

es • S er vic

•R

shop44th.com

9195 West 44th Ave. 303-423-0162, ext. 100 www.e-gia.com

SAVE THE DATE! Three big days 6815 W. 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge August 10-12, 2018

Anderson Park • 44th & Field thecarnationfestival.com

VEGETABLE PLANTS PERENNIALS ANNUALS CUSTOM JEWELRY DESIGNERS

If you’re left holding the bag, Be glad it’s ours!™

9045 W. 44th Ave 303-421-4100 Tues-Sat 11 am-10pm Sun 12-9 • Closed Mon

6789 W. 44th Ave. (Corner of 44th Ave. & Pierce St.) Wheat Ridge • 303-424-1881 visionsingold.com | gems@visionsingold.com 2015 Wheat Ridge Business of the Year

MEDICALLY SPEAKING What Is A ‘Baby-Friendly’ Birth Center? and is supported and treated with dignity and respect for her baby feeding decisions f there was a miracle treatment that because every baby born is unique. reduced serious illnesses in mothers and 2. Breastfeeding is the optimal way babies, promoted mother-baby bonding and for babies to be nurtured and nourished. saved billions of health care dollars annually, “Breastfeeding is the natural biological would your hospital offer this treatment? conclusion to pregnancy and an important If there were a program to implement this mechanism in the natural development of the infant,” according to Babymiracle treatment, would your Friendly USA. hospital support it? 3. The precious first Breastfeeding is just such days in the hospital should be a miracle treatment. Among protected as a time of bonding the many proven benefits of and support not to be influenced breastfeeding for babies are a by commercial interests. reduced risk of Sudden Infant “Before the BFHI Death Syndrome, childhood began, commercial interests cancers and diabetes. Mothers influenced baby feeding who breastfeed are healthier. practices in ways that Recent studies show that undermined breastfeeding,” women who breastfeed enjoy Jules Javernick according to Baby-Friendly decreased risks of breast and USA literature. “Now Baby-Friendly ovarian cancer. Both mother and baby enjoy the emotional benefits of the very special hospitals are centers of support in which and close relationship formed through evidence-based care is provided, education is free from commercial interests, all infant breastfeeding. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative feeding options are possible and individual (BFHI) is a global program that encourages preferences are respected.” and recognizes birth centers that provide As a Baby-Friendly designated hospital, optimal care for breastfeeding mothers Lutheran Medical Center offers prenatal and their babies. Based on the Ten Steps breastfeeding classes, in-hospital support to Successful Breastfeeding, this award from trained nurses and lactation consultants, recognizes birth facilities that offer one-to-one lactation follow-up appointments breastfeeding mothers the information, with postpartum mothers and their babies, confidence and skills needed to successfully and weekly breastfeeding support groups. Lutheran works with area Health Care start and continue breastfeeding. Providers and Women, Infants and Children The Baby-Friendly approach means: 1. Every mother is informed about the (WIC) through pregnancy, birth and mothers’ benefits of breastfeeding and respected to and babies’ first weeks together. make her own decision. Every mother has Jules Javernick is a Certified Nurse the right to decide how she feeds her child Midwife at Lutheran Medical Center. n By

Jules Javernick, CNM, DNP

REACH 25,000 HOMES! Call Tim Berland 303-995-2806

L&L COINS STAMPS

5500 W. 44th Avenue (303) 422-8500 COMPUTER CLINIC

7393 W. 44th Ave. • 303-456-9494 colocomputerclinic.com

wazeepartners.com

Challenge includes: • 16 Small Group Sessions • Simple Meal Plan • Yoga Workshop Berland •Calls 303-995-2806 •Tim Coaching ngazette.com • Party with CASH & PRIZES!

Feed Your Soul Fitness Fitness • Nutrition • Support 5500 W. 44th Ave. • 303-947-5631 feedyoursoulﬁtness.com Go to FeedYourSoulFitness.com to learn more Located at 44th & Chase • 303-947-5631

REACH 25,000 HOMES! Call Tim Berland 303-995-2806

shop44th.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

Friends for a decade, dentist duo plant roots in their neighborhood as a new general dental practice! “ 37 New Patient Special

includes exam and x-rays. Oﬀer not valid with insurance, discount, or fee plan. Exp. 5/15/18

n By

4433 W 29th Ave. Suite 206 Denver, CO 80212 cityrootsdental.com (720) 428-8916

NEW KITCHEN?

Come see your local kitchen remodeler. Call now for a free in home kitchen consultation & design session. Take the ﬁrst step to create your dream kitchen today. Come see our new showroom. We work within all budgets. A+ Rating with BBB

Celebrating 20 years! Tennyson Street Art Walk. May 4th 6-10pm

3971 Tennyson Street

Laurie Dunklee

As a community-minded practice, we welcome you to stop by and meet Dr. Garrison and Dr. Janda

Thinking about a

Grant Helps Jeffco Schools Teach The Straight Dope On Cannabis Use

303-480-5126

LapisArts.com

WHEAT RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

STEM Engineering Opportunities Open to good teammates and hard workers of all high school grade levels Learn mechanical engineering trade skills Learn Arduino programming and electrical skills Specialized instruction from school & industry leaders Student-led media & marketing division Large, open-ended projects for all skill levels

For more information, contact:

Joshua Cooley, Principal • 303-982-7695 VISIT 9505 W 32nd Avenue Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 WEB wheatridge.jeﬀcopublicschools.org CALL (303) 982-7695 heat Ridge WR W Community FOLLOW CF Foundation

Cultivating Excellence. Come Join Us.

e know that drug use among students is an issue in our state, especially where marijuana dispensaries are close to schools,” says Micah Munro, a student services coordinator with Jefferson County Public Schools. Munro was hired in 2017 under a grant from the Colorado State Board of Education aimed at drug abuse prevention efforts. The $9 million grant from state recreational marijuana revenues was divided among school districts and Jefferson County was awarded $825,164 per year for three years, beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. Jeffco schools used the money to hire nine new school health professionals: six elementary school social-emotional learning specialists and three full-time nurses to serve middle- and high schools. Fifteen schools in Wheat Ridge, Edgewater and Lakewood are implementing programs to help students and families make good decisions about marijuana use. “In the elementary schools we’re all about upstream prevention,” said Munro, a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree in education. “In middle schools and high schools, we add drug intervention services.” The individual schools were chosen based on their proximity and access to marijuana dispensaries, as well as their commitment to drug prevention programs. Edgewater Elementary School, at W. 24th Avenue and Depew Street, is the only elementary school to have its own dedicated social-emotional learning specialist (SEL). Edgewater has seven marijuana dispensaries within its 0.7-square-mile area, according to coloradopotshops.com. Nine other elementary schools in Wheat Ridge, Edgewater and Lakewood share one SEL per every two schools. SEL specialists work with teachers from once a week to three days per week, as well as working with students. Social-emotional learning is the process of learning how to understand and manage emotions, as well as set positive goals, show empathy for others, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. “It’s about self-awareness and selfmanagement, which is critical to upstream drug-use prevention. It’s about learning the skills necessary to have a productive life,” said Munro. The framework for SEL educators includes both classroom instruction and practical tools. Problem-solving is a big component. “Research shows that good decisions require good skills in advocating for yourself,” Munro said. “In the elementary schools it’s mostly classroom learning. Starting in middle school we include practicing scenarios because drugs are in their world. We’re not just providing a lesson but practicing how to use our skills throughout the day.” Denver Public Schools’ substance use prevention program (SUP) serves 28 schools including Lake Middle School in the Sloan’s Lake neighborhood. The social-emotional learning component teaches students protective life skills like coping, resilience, and dealing with stress and conflict. “We practice skills in relationships and stressful situations; then the kids report back on how it went,” says Michel Holien, LCSW, supervisor of the program. “‘Just say no’ does not work. So we are not preachy, we just educate about the impact of substances and teach skills. What works best are the protective factors and relationships with safe adults.” SUP also encourages alternatives to engaging in unhealthy behavior, like

exercise, talking to a friend or reading a book. A calendar of free activities is on the website, denverrap.org. “We increase their chances of making better choices, instead of self-medicating their stress,” said Holien. Five Jeffco middle- and high schools – Lakewood and Wheat Ridge high schools, Jefferson Junior High/High School and Everitt Middle School – share the services of three full-time nurses. Creighton Middle School, though not under the grant, has an SEL who has been trained in drug intervention and prevention services. The nurses offer SEL support as well as working on school culture and climate. “The nurses support after-school activities and facilitate academic support,” said Munro. “Problems can arise when kids sit around after school, so we help them get involved in something that makes them feel good about themselves and interacting with their peers.” The nurses also help with intervention if a student reports that she or he is struggling with substance abuse, or if a student is referred or caught possessing drugs. “The nurse can work with the student on setting goals and connecting with community resources,” Munro said. If a student is ticketed for possession of drugs, the court may require that they attend a treatment program. “The school nurse can help them, and their family, navigate the system. In some cases, if they take a class, the charge can come off their record, which is important to their future,” said Munro. One Jeffco schools nurse, who prefers her name not be used, shared her experience. “I had two students that were so nervous about going to court that they asked me to go with them for support. I was able to help them and their parents through the process and alleviate some anxiety. Just the fact that they wanted me there says a lot about the trust-building that is happening.” Munro, a mother of two, said legalized marijuana is a big challenge for drug deterrence programs. “My son asked me, ‘How can marijuana be bad if it’s legal?’ The answer for youths is marijuana’s effects on the developing brain. “People don’t know that the effects of marijuana on youths is different than with adults,” she continued. “Studies show that marijuana use in the developing brain can affect learning and memory and can cause mental illness and psychosis. Marijuana strains are stronger than in the past. The part of the brain that’s looking for pleasure develops before the part that makes good decisions. The more we get this information out to parents, the better chance of them teaming with us. “Also we help students and parents understand the law itself, like around driving. And we encourage students to think about the impacts on their future lives – about what happens to their chances for college, sports and employment. We help them build a skill set for responsible decision-making.” How will the schools know the program is working? “We’re collecting data on expulsions, academic achievement and other measures; our goal is use the data to drive future practices,” said Munro. Munro hopes to see the program expand. “There needs to be a comprehensive K-12 substance abuse program. I’d like to train all teachers to know what happens in a child’s brain, to recognize what a child might look like if they are using, and what they might be using. “If I had a magic wand, I’d see to it that no one falls through the cracks.”

REACH 25,000 HOMES MONTHLY! Contact Tim Berland 303-995-2806 • tim@ngazette.com

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

Wildlife in the City: Geese n By

Sally Griﬃn

raveling on a major, four-lane city street last week, just ahead of me, I saw cars stopped on both sides of the road. As I got closer I could see that it wasn’t an accident. It was three Canada geese waddling across the road from a pond on the other side. And, as if to prove their point, on my way back home on the same street and in the same spot, there were four geese slowly making their way across the road. And they did this while yelling as loudly as possible at the waiting drivers. Geese can certainly fly. Some have been reported flying over Mount Everest. They can reach speeds of almost 60 mph. So why are they walking at 1 or 2 mph across a very busy street? I know they can’t fly when they are molting. But that is usually from midJune to mid-July. This is early spring. The answer I found is that they are grazing. When they are grazing, they walk from their water site to their feeding site. And walking uses far less energy than flying. According to the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension, “Canadian geese prefer to walk or swim. They do not like to fly.” And, it seems, they don’t feel they need to fly in order to avoid cars weighing many tons more than they do. (By the way, most experts, but not all, say they are Canada geese, not Canadian geese.) A couple of days later, I stopped at a local bank to make a deposit. The bank is nowhere near water and is at the intersection of two very busy roadways. Greeting me outside the front door was a very loud and very large goose, who thought this was his territory. When I asked my banker, she confirmed my suspicions and told me that this guy does indeed believe this is his property and they are not exactly sure how to get rid of him. (Actually, I read that female geese have the lowest and loudest voice, so this may have been a “she.”) This is nesting time for geese, but I only

saw one goose and, certainly, no water, no grass, and no safe place for a nest. Hopefully, this silly goose will soon realize this and move on. Because they are so common in our parks, lakes, ponds or golf courses, we think we know geese. You may be surprised at some of the things I found out. Population: You may not believe this because you see them so often, but there was a time, not so long ago, that Canada geese were an endangered species. The U.S. and Canada have laws protecting these birds and their efforts have been widely successful. After decades of decline, the number of Canada geese in North America has grown from less than 500,000 in the 1980s to more than five million today. Travel: Most, but not all, do migrate each year. They will travel thousands of miles to return to their birthplace. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than flying solo. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into formation and another goose takes over as the lead. They keep from tiring because they have the advantage of the lifting power of the goose immediately ahead of them. The V formation also helps them keep track of each other, communicate about navigation, and honk to encourage each other to keep up the speed. They are constantly on the move. You may think the geese you saw yesterday are the same geese you are seeing today, but that, usually, is not the case. So even if they don’t make an annual journey to Canada and back each year, they often take to the sky to look for new lakes, ponds, parks or golf courses. Once they are in the air, a 300mile round trip is no big deal for them. Mating: These geese look for mates when they are around 2 years old. Geese, in the wild, typically live 20 to 25 years. (Some in captivity have lived to almost 80 years old.) When they find a mate, they mate for life. Interestingly, they seem to pick mates

that have their same body size. If one mate is killed, they may find another, or they may not. If they don’t find another mate, they remain celibate. No mate, no sex. However, they may babysit and help family members raise their goslings, aka baby geese. Habitat: It seems we have done the best we could to provide them with lovely parks, lakes and golf courses with water features. Canada geese are adaptable to many habitats and tend to thrive wherever grasses, grains or berries are available. They look for grass to eat, water to drink and unobstructed views to help them spot danger before it gets too close – in short, most of our parks or recreation areas. In Fort Collins, some of the parks have installed fake coyotes to ward off geese. It seems to be working, at least temporarily. However, geese are no dummies and eventually recognize that these coyotes are immobile and, therefore, no threat. In some areas, like airports, they can be a real hazard. If they are not afraid of cars, they are also not intimidated by planes. But being sucked into a jet engine is not good for either the goose or the plane. Health: In our parks and golf courses, they can provide another hazard. Just 50 geese can produce 2-1/2 tons of excrement in a year. They need to eat about 4 pounds of grasses or grains a day and will produce 3 pounds of poop. With the goose’s digestive system, food literally goes right through them. When geese poop gets in water, it creates a health risk for humans in the form of swimmer’s itch organisms. They also carry E. coli in their digestive tracts. The presence of E. coli can also mean there are other nasty parasites in goose poop. Gangs: Where there are a great many geese, they form what are called “gang broods,” groups of 20 to 100 goslings from different parents, that move around and feed together accompanied by a few adults.

This is good for the “gang” goslings since larger groups can control the best feeding spots. In addition to “gangs,” other groups of geese have specific names: on the wing, a group of geese is called a “skein;” in the water, a group of geese is called a “gaggle.” A friend of mine, a former Navy man, also sees the orderly swimming of geese as a “flotilla.” While we often treat geese as though they are outdoor pets, it is usually best not to mess with geese. During the nesting season, which is happening right now, we should stay clear of possible nesting sites. If there are eggs involved they will attack. Besides avoiding their nests, there are other steps we can take to avoid conflicts with these birds at other times. According to Sid Andrews of Canada’s Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, “Don’t make eye contact with the geese, keep your voice low and move slowly.” Good advice! Particularly, if you bank at the same place that I do.

Weekly Events Mondays Euchre Tuesdays Trivia Night Wednesdays Edgewater Run Club Taproom Hours Monday - Thursday 12pm - 10pm Friday - Saturday 11am - 11pm Sunday 11am - 10 pm Stay up to date! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @JoyrideBrewing 2501 Sheridan Blvd | 720-432-7560 | JoyrideBrewing.com

NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018– ngazette.com

FREE APPRAISALS!

ASK THE EXPERT

with this ad

GOLD SILVER PLATINUM COINS

10-24K, Scrap Gold, Bullion, Pieces

7 Secrets Of Health

Coins, Indian Jewelry, Flatware All Modern & Antique Jewelry

All US, Kruggerands, Mexican 50 Peso, numismatic collections, single pieces

Gold Buyer (all gold/silver, new or old) Estate & Antique Purchase • Jewelry Repair

7220 West 38th Ave • 303.463.5335 REACH 25,000 HOMES! Call Tim Berland 303-995-2806

Joseph P. O’Leary Attorney At LAw

Real Estate • Wills & Probate • Small Business (303) 567-0388, ext. 246 joseph.oleary.law@gmail.com

The Majestic Building • 1630 Miner Street, Suite 246 P.O. Box 725 • Idaho Springs, CO 80452-0725

SERVICES

Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD

to mention exercise. From toddlers to grandparents, we all need to move more. It only takes a few minutes a day to establish poiler alert: you already know, on some habits that can offset the dangers involved in level, most of what I am about to tell you. prolonged sitting. If you are a desk worker, When it comes to the “secrets of health,” make sure that you are taking mini breaks there aren’t many secrets anymore. In fact, throughout your workday to stretch your passing along health information is a multineck, shoulders and back. Also, billion-dollar enterprise that you do a few squats with coworkers can’t ignore even if you try. as you stand around the water So why should you read this cooler- your body will thank article? Because we all need you! reminders about the things we 5. Don’t forget your already know! In our fast-paced mental health. The chronic world, it is all too easy to forget stress we all deal with takes a the basics, so here they are: large toll on our bodies. Find 1. Drink plenty of water. a way to cope with it by doing Staying hydrated, especially in yoga, meditation, or whatever a dry climate like Colorado, is relaxes you. Learning what imperative. Getting sufficient eases your mental burden Conrad Bui water intake helps your energy is one step towards a happier, level, makes your skin look healthier life. Also, pursue additional younger, and even helps with your spinal learning – whether you take a class or read health! a book, keeping your mind active is just as 2. Eat the right foods. Load up on those important as keeping your body active. dark green veggies! Eating a healthy and 6. Get enough sleep. Most adults need at balanced diet that is rich in raw vegetables least eight hours of sleep per night, but get strengthens your immune system during less than seven. This creates a state of fatigue cold and flu season and has been shown and confusion that leads to problems, both to help prevent a large variety of different physically and mentally. illnesses and diseases. 7. See a chiropractor. Your nervous 3. Get outside. A dose of fresh air and system controls every function of your body, sunlight can do wonders for your mental treat it well! You only get one spine, and a state. Even a brisk walk around the block chiropractor can help you avoid discomfort, can help, especially in the winter months. Of pain, even nerve damage. course you want to take precautions against Dr. Conrad Bui is with Aim High Chirosun damage, but getting your daily dose of practic, 7200 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge; vitamin D has more benefits than I could call 303-423-1925 for a free consultation. possibly name. Aim now oﬀers Laser Lipo – Fat lose treat4. Since we’re talking about walking ment. around the block, this is a good time

n By

Conrad Bui

Professional Lawn Mowing

Sprinkler & Lawn Care

Aeration Fertilization Sprinkler Install & Repair Serving Denver Since 1993 Free Estimates • Senior Discounts

(303) 433-3398

WEST METRO FIRE Sprinkler & Lawn Care Aeration Fertilization and Power Raking Specials

(303) 433-3398

Crete Works

Over 30 years experience in all phases of concrete work RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Owner - Ty Janssen

303-507-1846

Serving Wheat Ridge and the surrounding areas

No Hard Sales, Just Friendly Service One of Denver’s oldest Rooﬁng Companies, we will be around to back our guarantee We have always guaranteed our customers a Quality Roof That Lasts. This policy remains unchanged... it is the foundation of our business.

MILLS ROOFING COMPANY 303.232.0324

“A Tradition of Excellence”

BANQUET ROOM AVAILABLE EDGEWATER INN 5302 W 25th Ave. (No charge with minimum purchase) Seats 20 to 75 people 303-237-3524 x4

New Rating to Save Homeowners, Businesses Millions n By

Ronda Scholting

est Metro Fire Rescue has been awarded a Class 1 ISO rating, the highest level recognized nationally by the Insurance Services Office. The rating is a gauge of a fire agency’s ability to serve its residents and business owners, and is awarded based on a number of key factors that relate to the overall effectiveness of fire protection services. For business or homeowners in West Metro’s district, the Class 1 rating is expected to result in millions of dollars in savings on property insurance. “Our new ISO rating was driven by West Metro’s commitment to our district – to always be looking for opportunities to improve our service,” said Don Lombardi, Fire Chief, West Metro Fire Rescue. “The new rating is validation for our firefighters and staff that what we’ve been doing is creating a safer community.” The ISO system ranks for a Class 1 (the best) to Class 10, which is no fire coverage at all. Generally, the higher the rating, the less costly the property insurance. In West Metro’s district, with the new Class 1 ISO rating, a typical homeowner, with a home valued at $300,000, could

see annual insurance savings of around $200. The new rating will save business owners approximately 3 to 5 percent on commercial insurance premiums depending on building construction. The Insurance Services Office evaluates fire-response agencies nationwide (around 46,000), about every 10 years. The ISO bases its independent rating on a number of factors, including staffing, apparatus, training, 911 communications, water supply and response times. “The ISO review is very detailed,” said Lombardi. “They look at dozens of areas, including items like the number and placement of fire hydrants and how far our fire stations are from the neighborhoods they serve. The ISO rating focuses specifically on fire response and does not rate any of our special teams.” Only 0.5 percent of approximately 46,000 fire agencies across the country earn a Class 1 rating. And, only 60 of the 239 internationally accredited fire agencies have a Class 1 rating. Insurance companies will be informed of West Metro’s new rating, beginning May 1. Homeowners and business owners should check with their carrier to see how the new rating will affect their property insurance.

REACH 25,000 HOMES! Call Tim Berland 303-995-2806 Evolition, a healthy lifestyle change practice

Tiffany Bucknam MSW, CPT, RYT-200 303-906-3696

REACH OVER 25,000 READERS MONTHLY Affordable rates starting at $50/issue Contact Tim 303-995-2806 tim@ngazette.com

SHOP LOCAL SHOP APPLEWOOD ABSOLUTELY!

absolutelyapplewood.com

ngazette.com – APRIL 16 — MAY 14, 2018 – NEIGHBORHOOD GAZETTE

WHAT’S HAPPENING Explore Tax Simplification at League of Women Voters’ Book Club, April 21 The Jeffco League of Women Voters Nonfiction Book Club will examine various options for simplifying our federal tax system for its April meetings. “A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System,” by well-known journalist and author T. R. Reid, is a comparison of taxation systems around globe. Using a similar style to his previous book on health care, “The Healing of America,” after visiting several European and Latin American countries and New Zealand, Reid explains in lay language, differences between how they deal with raising sufficient revenue to fund their government using methods that are seen as fair to their citizens. The nearest meeting takes place Saturday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m. at Brookdale Westland Meridian, 10695 W. 17th Ave., Lakewood. For more information, call Lynne at 303-985-5128.

Lakewood Electronics Recycling April 21 Get your old computers and TVs recycled during an upcoming event put on by the Rooney Road Recycling Foundation, Saturday, April 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the parking lot of the Irongate Office Complex at 777 S. Yarrow St., next door to Lakewood’s annual Earth Day Celebration. Details and fee schedule for electronic recycling can be found at Lakewood.org/ EarthDay.

Lakewood Drug Take-Back Day April 28 It’s spring, and time to clean out your medicine cabinet of expired and unused over-the-counter and prescription medications. The Lakewood Police Department will host a drop off site for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the upper parking lot at the Lakewood Police Department, 445 S. Allison Parkway. Police will be on hand to collect meds for proper destruction. Items that cannot be accepted include needles and sharps, mercury thermometers, oxygen containers, pressurized canisters, illicit drugs, and chemotherapy/radioactive substances. For details, visit Lakewood.org/news.

Edgewater Volunteers Needed for Day of Service, Alley Cleanup, April 28-29 Spring cleaning in Edgewater begins in earnest the weekend of April 28 and 29, as the city stages its Spring Day of Service and

Theater 29 Continued from page 8

director, and the lighting, sound and set designers. That happens in movies, too, but then it’s fixed on film and never changes.” Of her own works, which she says are usually slightly absurd, she’s considering producing “The Mrs. Greenland Pageant” next year. It’s about a bored woman who lives in a small town on the eastern plains of Colorado. Mrs. Greenland and her husband make up and roleplay different sitcoms. The wife is almost 30 years old and becomes convinced by friends and the local PTA that her eggs will soon dry up. She becomes fixated on the 1950s and believes she can

Alley Cleanup Day. On Saturday, April 28, volunteers are needed to provide qualified senior homeowners with basic outdoor chores like raking, window washing, sweeping and small outdoor projects, as part of the annual Spring Day of Service. Community alley cleanup day follows on Sunday, April 29. Volunteers are asked to meet at 2 p.m. in Memorial Park, on the corner of 25th Avenue and Chase Street, to be assigned alleys to cleanup within the city. The Monday after, Republic Services and the city will again be offering alleyway pick-up, with the dumpster drop off scheduled the following Saturday, May 5. See the city website for what can be picked up or dropped oﬀ, volunteer signup, and more details: www.edgewaterco. com.

40 West Wants You…In The Dinosaur Flash Mob Do you have a dinosaur costume, or are able to buy or make one, and want to join a dinosaur flash mob on First Friday, June 1? If so, you’re needed as part of the ArtLine outdoor block party and District Art Walk, which will also feature art-making, live music, food trucks. The 40 West ArtLine is a 4-mile, walkable and bikeable route in the heart of northeast Lakewood and 40 West Arts that will feature park art sculptures, ground murals, fence art and more. Email liz@40westarts.org for more information and to sign up.

League of Women Voters Hosts Transportation Expert, May 4 The League of Women Voters of Jefferson County will host a community meeting to address the impacts of changing population dynamics on transportation in the county, Friday, May 4, from 7 to 9 a.m. at the American Legion Post #161’s Round Table Breakfast, 6230 W. 60th Ave., Arvada. Guest speaker Steve Durian, Transportation and Engineering Director for Jefferson County, will discuss transportation funding challenges and alternative modes of transportation in the county. He oversees the county’s transportation planning, traffic engineering and major project budgeting and construction, and also serves on the Denver Regional Council of Governments Transportation Advisory Committee. Breakfast will be at 7 a.m. and is $8; coffee is $1. Speaker presentation is at 7:20 a.m. The meeting is the third in a series based on the results of a 2017 review of demographic changes in the county. Meetings on Health Care and Economics were held previously. The League of Women Voters of Jefferson County, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education become perfect; once she’s perfect, her husband will be, too. “As time goes on, I’ll have a better idea of what I may want to host personally – possibly something like ‘Theater 29 Presents,’” Erickson said. She is confident about regularly scheduling Theater 29 with theater companies, collectives and playwrights. “A lot of companies are looking for space.” The space at 29th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard was still getting some finishing touches, as of this writing. “It’s been a slow process, but it’s finally ready,” Erickson said. Get tickets for “Burnt Oﬀering” and more information about Theater 29 at theater29denver.com.

and advocacy.

play.

Visit www.lwvjeﬀco.org, call 303-2380032 or email info@lwvjeﬀco.org for more information.

Free Mulch For Lakewood Residents Starting May 5 Lakewood residents can pick up free mulch on three Saturday mornings – May 5, 12 and 19, 7 a.m. to noon – at the City Greenhouse, 9556 W. Yale Ave. Staff will be available with a loader to assist residents. Mulch is the byproduct of Lakewood’s tree-trimming operations and limb drop-off events. The city claims the reground mulch makes for excellent ground cover in shrub and tree beds, and helps landscaped areas retain water, reducing the need for watering. Other benefits are keeping soil temperatures consistent, which helps the establishment of root systems, creating a weed barrier, and helping beautify landscaping. For more information, please call 720963-5240.

American Legion Post 17’s Bingo Tournament is May 5 Join American Legion Post 17 on Saturday, May 5, for its Jackpot Bingo Tournament, a perfect opportunity to have fun and support local heroes – veterans. “All proceeds from the Jackpot Bingo Tournament go towards our mission to assist and help veterans and active military when they return home,” according to the Post’s Kim Davis. “It’s a fun event and everyone loves a chance to win a jackpot! The more that play, the bigger the pot!” Held at 1901 Harlan St., Edgewater, doors open at 11 a.m. and the tournament starts at noon. A series of five games will be played, with the first four paying $50 to the winners. The fifth is a “black out” in which the winner goes home with the jackpot. There will be a free raﬄe between games, and food and drinks will be available. Bingo cards are $1 or a sheet of six for $5. Participants must be 18 years of age to

Sunshine Home Share Seeks Sponsors for May 21 Fundraiser Mark your calendars – and consider a sponsorship – for Sunshine Home Share’s second fundraising event, set for May 21 at Right Coast Pizza in Wheat Ridge. “Sunrise is growing quickly as the need for affordable housing keeps growing,” said Executive Director Alison Joucovsky. “We need home seekers and home providers and have made seven matches.” Joucovsky said the new, small nonprofit needs community support to be sustainable, and is seeking sponsors and donors. For more information, call 303-9158264 or visit Sunshinehomeshare.org.

League of Women Voters Book Club Discusses ‘Independence Lost’ For those of us with the traditional concept of the Revolutionary War, that of Minutemen, Lexington, and Concord, “Independence Lost,” by Kathleen DuVal, will be an eye opener. The Jefferson County League of Women Voters Nonfiction Book Club’s May selection covers the mosaic of activity along the Gulf Coast around the time of the Revolution, outside the 13 rebelling colonies. DuVal uses composite characters to explain the role of the British loyalists, the French, Cajuns, Choctaws and other tribes, free blacks and slaves in the struggle, which resulted in major British defeats at Baton Rouge, Pensacola, and Mobile. Two meetings to discuss the book will be held: Wednesday, May 16, at 1 p.m., at the Lakewood Public Library, 10200 W. 20th Ave., Lakewood; and Saturday, May 19, at 9:30 a.m., at Brookdale Westland Meridian, 10695 W. 17th Ave., Lakewood. All are welcome at either meeting, which are the last of this season. Book club meetings will resume in September. For more information, call Lynne at 303-985-5128, email info@lwvjeﬀco.org, or visit www.lwvjeﬀco.org.

JEFFCO SCHOOLS COMMUNITY NIGHT vs

Sponsored by the Jeffco Schools Foundation

Colorado Rapids vs Orlando City FC Saturday, April 29th - 2:00 PM at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park Ticket Price: $20

Fees, taxes, and parking included

A portion of each ticket will be donated to the Jeffco Schools Foundation To purchase, please visit: https://rapids.teamkse.com/jeffco/ Please contact Travis Putnam at Travis.Putnam@TeamKSE.com or 303.727.3590 with questions and orders of 20 or more.

COLORADORAPIDS.COM

Have a news tip or story idea? Send it to editor@ngazette.com

May 12th , 2018 8:00am-2:00pm ANDERSON PARK 4355 FIELD ST. • WHEAT RIDGE Everyone is invited to bring your ride and show it off! No Entry Fee!

FEATURING 200+ HOT RODS • CLASSICS • MUSCLE CARS • TRUCKS • BIKES • CUSTOMS • FOOD • MUSIC • PRIZES & MORE!

EVENT SP fer Troy Sey 94 94 720-260-

wazeepartners.com

9195 West 44th Ave. 303-423-0162, ext. 100 www.e-gia.com

The McDonald Group

4th Ave 9491 W 4 03 Suite 1 699 720-364-6 il.com autodeta aultimate

4350 th Blvd. Wadswor 400 303-423-1 k.com stban www.eﬁr

44th Ave 9200 W. -1800 303-905 er.com denv c ro kauto

9701 W 44th Ave. (303) 484-9208

tbirdroadhouse.com

4501 Harlan St. 303-422-5261 seyferauto.com

Ron Benson ronbenson777@gmail.com 720.879.3927 cell Linda McDonald lindamcdonald1717@msn.com 720.244.7206 cell

303-421-4100 9045 W. 44th Ave pietraspizza.com

AUTOWEAVE UPHOLSTERY A City of Wheat Ridge sponsored event

Camaros P 303.489.1 lus 872 67 00 West 44th Ave . Wheat R camaros idge plus.com

NAPA Au to Parts Genuine Parts 10100 W Company 49th Wheat R Ave. id (303) 420 ge -5 napaonli 003 ne.com

7405 W. 44th Wheat R Ave. id 303-425-7 ge 623 aaaprop ane.com

COMPUT ER CLINIC 7393 W. 44th Ave . 303-4 colocom 56-9494 puterclin ic.com

ONSORED