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Glimpse Behind The Gate At 2012 Wheat Ridge Garden Tour BY TIM BERLAND
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iscover the hidden talents of Wheat Ridge’s finest urban horticulturists at the second annual Wheat Ridge Garden Tour, Sat., June 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting at Wheat Ridge 5-8 School, 7101 W. 38th Ave. Capitalizing on the success of its inaugural tour, this year’s picks offer an exclusive peek at some of Wheat Ridge’s most impressive yard scapes. Gardens range from urban vegetable patches to more elaborate plots and unique spaces with picnic tables, repurposed items and personal sculptures. “We feel this year’s gardens will really showcase the diversity of Wheat Ridge,” said tour chairman Milly Nadler. “We strived to pick different types of gardens from last year to offer participants a new experience. We hope to do this every year.” The nine gardens cover a fairly linear route encompassing areas between Wadsworth and Kipling, with a few offerings in the Applewood area. A map will be included with each ticket, as well as a detailed description of each yard. Attendees will be able to view the gardens in whatever order suits them, and are encouraged to interact with the owners and take photographs. Participants are also asked to start early and bring plenty of water and sunscreen (or rain gear, depending on the weather.) Tickets are $10 per person, free for children 11 and under, and are available at www. WheatRidge2020.org. Several locations will hold ticket sales during May and June, details will be available through the website as well. Tickets will also be available on the day of the tour at the starting location. Nadler said the event came about after her and fellow Cultural Commission member Chad Harr unexpectedly crossed paths on a nearby tour.
“We decided Wheat Ridge needed something like this, so we approached the Cultural Commission and they loved it. WR 2020 and LiveWell then came on board,” said Nadler. The tour is sponsored by Wheat Ridge 2020 with support from The Wheat Ridge Cultural Commission, LiveWell Wheat Ridge and various local volunteers and businesses. The tour also helps showcase and promote local agriculture in Wheat Ridge – city council approved changes to the municipal code last year, endorsing a more friendly approach to community gardening efforts. Wheat Ridge 2020 is hoping the tour will not only be interesting, but will give those attending ideas of what they can do to their own property. “Because of Wheat Ridge’s agricultural past, we feel highlighting what is possible to do with a Wheat Ridge property ties in nicely with this rich heritage,” said Kim Snetzinger of Wheat Ridge 2020. “Getting people talking and interacting with each other helps build a stronger sense of community and community pride.” Event sponsors include A-1 Rental, Abner’s Garden Center, Al’s Pine Garden, Amici’s, DragonFly Café, Heather Lee, K&D Landscape, Lake Ridge Ace Hardware, Neighborhood Gazette, Paul Hildebrandt,
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Pietra’s Pizza, Posey Girl, PostNet, RE/ MAX Professionals City Properties, Right Coast Pizza, Southwest Gardens, Swiss Flower, Tip Top Tree Company, Vincenza’s, VinylWorks, Young’s Market The tour committee needs volunteers to assist with the tour, stationed at each garden to direct visitors. Shifts are available from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and noon to 3:15
p.m. More volunteers are needed for the afternoon shift. Volunteers will receive a free admission to the tour. For additional information on the 2012 Wheat Ridge Garden Tour, visit www. WheatRidge2020.org; or contact Milly Nadler at millynadler@gmail.com, 303319-0690, or Kim Snetzinger at kim@ wheatridge2020.org, 720-259-1030.
Discovery’s Skatepark Nearly Completed
kateboard enthusiasts do not need to wait for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to ride Discovery Park’s new skatepark: construction should be complete and the facility will be open to the public by month’s end. At press, the bowls were complete, and work crews were creating the park’s “street course”, essentially a point-to-point obstacle course for skaters. As enticing as the partially complete
West 38th Starts its road Diet, Makeover This Month he 38th Ave. Corridor Plan is now reality: construction on 38th Ave. began on Sunday, May 20, and will continue through mid to late June, although some work will be done at night and the street will remain open during construction. From 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through May 24, the street will be re-striped and on-street parking and signage added. Starting in the first or second week of June, large planters and other amenities will be placed on the street, over the course of two weeks. As part of the changes, about three blocks near Teller and High Court (on the south side of W. 38th) will have angled parking. Drivers are asked to back-in to these spaces and then pull out head first. The maneuver hopes to provide better visibility, a quicker entry into traffic and is simpler than parallel parking. Drivers on 38th Ave. are also asked to yield to cars accessing these spots.
WHeat ridGe reSideNt aNNe briNKMaN proudly poses among some of the more than thirty varities of flowering trees and shrubs lining her property at 7420 W. 34th Ave. The Brinkman garden is one of nine to be featured at the second annual Wheat Ridge Garden Tour, slated for June 16 from 9a.m. to 3.p.m. PHOTO HEATHER LEE
To ease with the transition, the city will provide parking ambassadors on May 25 from noon to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. They will also be available Sat., May 26, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The 38th Ave. Corridor Plan was adopted by City Council in October 2011. One of the key revitalization recommendations for 38th Ave. was to re-stripe the street into a threelane section, referred to as a “Road Diet”. The project has been budgeted in the City’s 2012 Capital Improvement Program. Public Works is responsible for the design and implementation of the re-striping between Depew and Vance streets along this corridor. For questions specific to construction please, contact Field Supervisor Russ Higgins at 303-235-2869 or rhiggins@ci.wheatridge. co.us; or Engineering Tech Chad Endsley at 303-235-2858 or cendsley@ci.wheatridge. co.us.
playground appears, skaters are urged to observe the signage and fencing and stay out, for their own safety, according to Wheat Ridge Parks & Recreation Commission Chair Guy Nahmiach, a Realtor with Nostalgic Homes. “We are asking people not to go in for safety reasons,” he says. But the rest of the Discovery Park is open for play. “My family goes there every afternoon.” Nahmiach points out that funds for the project came from Jefferson County Open Space, not tax money—lotto ticket purchases, not taxes, made the park possible. The 10-12,000 square-foot skatepark was designed by and is being constructed by Team Pain, a national company specializing in custom skate parks. Public input on the design of the skate park was gathered in April 2011, and infrastructure work began in
the fall of 2011. A drawing of the final park master plan is available on the City’s website at www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/ProjectUpdates. By following a link to Team Pain’s website, readers can view current photos of construction. The facility is the final part of Discovery Park’s Phase III improvements to be completed. Other new features include a permanent restroom structure, climbing wall expansion, an additional shade shelter, gateways, trees and landscaping. Discovery Park, named by the students of Prospect Valley Elementary, provides citizens an attractive gathering space and a variety of features and activities for all ages. For information about reserving the Park’s pavilion, visit Recreation Center front desk at 303-231-1300 or visit www.ci.wheatridge. co.us/PavilionReservations.
CreWS are MaKiNG biG proGreSS on the final details of the new skatepark facility at Discovery Park, 7500 W. 29th Ave. The 10-12,000 square-foot park was designed by Team Pain, a company specializing in custom skate parks. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEAM PAIN