WHEAT RIDGE MAYOR Stay in the Know and Have a Cup of Joe Page 4
NEIGHBORHOOD FEATURE Jefferson Center Fills Void Left By Arapahoe House Page 9
WEST METRO FIRE West Metro Recruits Burn Down the House(s) Page 10
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WHEAT RIDGE | APPLEWOOD | MOUNTAIN VIEW | LAKESIDE March 13 – April 15, 2018 • ngazette.com • FREE
Medical Mud Fight at the Clear Creek Crossing Corral? n By
Mike McKibbin
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recent turf battle between two metro Denver health care providers – Lutheran Medical Center and UCHealth – included claims of paid lobbyists, spreading rumors and throwing mud at the Clear Creek Crossing project in Wheat Ridge. The issue became public at the Feb. 12 Wheat Ridge City Council meeting, where a public hearing for a rezoning request from Evergreen Development was postponed until Monday, March 26. While the council agreed to allow a large crowd – mostly Lutheran staff – to testify, most of the approximately 25 people signed up chose to wait until the March 26 hearing. Evergreen is seeking a zoning change for the 109-acre site on the west side of I-70 and south of Clear Creek from planned commercial development to planned mixed-use development. They want to develop it for commercial, entertainment, residential and a major employer. The zoning Continued on page 2
A WHEAT RIDGE FAMILY CHECKS OUT “HIDDEN TREASURES” at Wheat Ridge Parks and Rec’s 2017 Easter Egg Hunt. This year’s event takes place Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m., at Panorama Park. PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE.
Egg-ceptional Easter Events For Kids and Canines n By
Jennifer LeDuc
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hile this winter has been mild, save for a bit of wild wind, the arrival of spring on the calendar is itself enough reason to rejoice. Easter celebrations and egg hunts in the community give an all-faith opportunity to connect with neighbors and create some adorable photo opps – and even the pups can get in on the fun. Edgewater and Wheat Ridge are staging events, but Lakewood is not.
Citizens Park Youth Egg/ Dog Treat Hunt Edgewater doesn’t mess around – they offer something for both children and dogs. The Saturday, March 31, Citizens Park Youth Egg/Dog Treat Hunt starts 10 a.m. at Citizens Park, 5440 W. 24th Ave. (24th and Chase) and includes something for the whole family (unless you’re a cat person, of course). The kids collect in different waves based
on their age, and the pups get in on the fun shortly after the kiddos, gobbling up treats donated from area businesses. Children ages 0 to 3 years will be allowed to collect first with their parents. Children in age groups 4 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 11 will collect on their own. Adding to the fever-pitch excitement will be a golden egg hidden for each age group. The finder of the golden egg will be the recipient of a special basket. Of course there will be obligatory photo opps with bunny. While last year’s youth
choir will not be performing, there will be music. Patrick Martinez, City of Edgewater recreation manager, recalled only postponing the event once in his sevenyear tenure, but should snow or rain arrive, Martinez will update the Playedgwater.com website and post a sign at the park. The Edgewater Rec Center is also offering an Easter Floral Arrangement class on Thursday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. To register for the $10 class, visit playedgewater.com.
Panorama Park Egg Hunt Wheat Ridge Park and Rec hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 24, at Panorama Park, W. 35th Avenue and Fenton Street. This year it’s bigger than ever, with more than 5,000 eggs to find. Not only will there be a bunny on hand for photos and music, but Wheat Ridge Mayor Bud Starker will be there to count the hunt down and get the crowd going. The Wheat Ridge Kiwanis volunteers helped scatter the eggs throughout the search area. The hunt begins at 10 a.m. and there will be four different age zones for children to search in, so everyone can begin together. The city has been hosting this event for decades and Stephen Clyde, recreation supervisor of general programs and marketing, said this year’s event will be it’s biggest yet. “It’s a simple and lighthearted event,” said Clyde, “And it brings more and more people out each year.” Rain date, if necessary, will be the following Saturday, March 31.
N E I G H B O R H O O D F E AT U R E
Giving Back By Giving Rides – In A HomeBuilt Airplane n By
J. Patrick O’Leary
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WHEAT RIDGE RESIDENT FRED HOLLENDORFER has given more than 100 young people a free demonstration ride in his home-built airplane as part of the “Young Eagles” program. PHOTO BY J. PATRICK O’LEARY
heat Ridge resident Fred Hollendorfer has given more than 100 young people a free demonstration ride in his home-built airplane as part of the “Young Eagles” program. The retired airline pilot built his metal, two-seat RV-8 in his garage over a dozen years, and has volunteered his time, airplane and gas in the program since January of 2016. The Young Eagles Program was unveiled by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in July 1992 and has now flown more than 2 million young people, primarily between the ages of 8 and 17. Its goal is to allow young people to experience positive activities and discover the possibilities available to them within the world of aviation, according to the EAA. The worldwide organization has 190,000 members who enjoy Continued on page 12