WHEAT RIDGE MAYOR It’s Time to Celebrate Our Deep Roots Page 4
LOCAL NEWS Wheat Ridge Is Full Of Art, Both Fine And Fun Page 7
CARNATION FESTIVAL Special pull-out section with information, schedule Pages 9-16
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Gazette NEIGHBORHOOD
WHEAT RIDGE | APPLEWOOD | MOUNTAIN VIEW | LAKESIDE | BERKELEY July 16 – August 13, 2018 • ngazette.com • FREE
Festivals Fill Out The Summer Season n By
Elisabeth Monaghan
W
ith festival season in full swing, the Neighborhood Gazette wants to remind you there is a wide selection of activities to check out.
Carnation Festival The 49th annual Carnation Festival returns Aug. 10 through 12 to spotlight the people and community culture that has helped put Wheat Ridge on the map. Check out the insert, pages 9-16, for details.
Colorado Dragon Boat Festival Celebrating the Asian and Asian American Communities in Colorado, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival (CDBF) will take place at Sloan’s Lake on July 28 and 29. The 18-year-old festival is the largest pan-Asia dragon boat festival in the U.S. In addition to the Dragon Boat race, the event will include Japanese dance, a scavenger hunt, an Anime Fest, the CDBF Marketplace. Food Continued on page 2
THE 49TH ANNUAL CARNATION FESTIVAL FEATURES A CARNIVAL, parade and fun to spotlight the people and community culture that has helped put Wheat Ridge on the map. See the insert, pages 9-16, for details. PHOTO COURTESY CARNATION FESTIVAL.
‘Investing 4 The Future’ – Are We There Yet? n By
Mike McKibbin
I
n November 2016, Wheat Ridge voters approved ballot measure 2E, called “Investing 4 the Future,” a half-cent city sales tax increase to pay for projects to improve transportation infrastructure, create economic development opportunities and help attract more residents. The tax hike went into effect Jan. 1, 2017, and is to end in 2029. The city earmarked $33 million of that revenue for four projects: Anderson Park ($4 million); transportation infrastructure for the Clear Creek Crossing project ($10 million); widening of a section of Wadsworth Boulevard ($7 million city match for a $45 million to $60 million project); and public infrastructure and amenities at the G Line Wheat Ridge-Ward light rail station ($12 million). City Manager Patrick Goff provided an update on the four projects in his recent unofficial State of the City presentation and an interview.
Anderson Park Plans call for outdoor pool locker room renovations; building renovations to replace a leaking roof, reconfigure space for more fitness and wellness classes; replace the baseball field with a multi-purpose sports field that will also host festivals; reconstruct and improve the soccer field; upgrade the park pavilion and small shelter. Additional needs are parking lot repaving and waterline replacement. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall with completion by May 2019 for the buildings and July 2019 for the park.
Clear Creek Crossing 2E funds will finance construction of westbound I-70 hook ramps for the Clear Creek Crossing project, removal of the 32nd Avenue off-ramp and a new street connection to 32nd Avenue. Goff said first phase contracts have been signed and work was to begin in early or mid-July.
A project subdivision plat has been approved and a public financing proposal to help the project proceed was to be presented to City Council on July 9, he added. That would include a $15 million bond issue through the Longs Peak Metropolitan District, a share of the city’s lodging, admissions and other tax revenue, and a $5 million bank loan through the Wheat Ridge
Urban Renewal Authority with property tax increment financing. “We think it will be a good investment because the city will get a significant amount of money when the project opens,” Goff stated. The mixed-use project between 32nd Continued on page 18
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Joe DeMott: Serving The Community, In Every Sense Of The Word n By
Elisabeth Monaghan
I
t is a safe bet to suggest that Wheat Ridge residents who have lived in the area for any length of time know Joe DeMott. At the very least, they’ve heard of his family’s restaurant, Pietra’s Pizzeria, which DeMott’s father opened in 1964 and which Joe DeMott now owns and manages. DeMott will tell you he lives in Wheat Ridge because this is where he fits. He grew up in Wheat Ridge, attended Wheat Ridge High School and married a fellow Wheat Ridge native. His sister and her family live across the street from DeMott, and his parents live nearby. One reason he fits so well in the community might be that since he was a teenager, DeMott has served his community in every sense of the word. Working for his father, DeMott literally has served food to his fellow Wheat Ridge residents and visitors to the area. As a former member of city council, he has been a public servant. In 2011, DeMott served as a member of the Carnation Festival board. Today, DeMott serves as chair of WORKING FOR HIS FATHER AT PIETRA’S PIZZERIA the Carnation Festival, a role he assumed in 2013. SINCE HIS TEEN YEARS, public servant and commuAs many of his fellow Wheat Ridge residents know, DeMott is a nity volunteer Joe DeMott now owns and manages the
establishment, which his father opened in 1964. Continued on page 2 COURTESY DEMOTT FAMILY.
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