GARDEN SCULPTURE SHINES in the June sun in Anne Brinkman’s backyard. Brinkman’s garden is the mid-way Lunch Stop for this year’s garden tour on Saturday June 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photo By Cyndy Beal

By Cyndy Beal

Spring has finally sprung. Fresh smells and vibrant colors are springing up all over town, pleasing garden enthusiasts and the winter weary.

One can enjoy the return of garden season at the third annual Wheat Ridge Garden Tour on Saturday June 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The self-guided home-garden tour starts at 9:00 a.m. at Wheat Ridge 5-8 School, 7101 W. 38th Ave.

The $15 ticket is available on the day of the tour on the green at Wheat Ridge 5-8 School. This year lunch is included in the ticket price. Tickets can be purchased on site on the day of the tour. All ticket proceeds benefit Wheat Ridge charities.

No exception to spring’s return is Jan Dent’s east Wheat Ridge garden and the beginnings of plant color and growth. Dent’s garden is one of nine on this year’s tour. A mature garden that is easy to maintain, it represents 18 years of creativity, experience and hard work.

“It’s always trial and error,” said Dent of the process of plant placement and creating an interesting and colorful garden. Dent has lived in Colorado for several decades, but is originally from Oregon. There’s a corner in the yard she calls the Oregon corner, with shade-loving Hostas and a water feature.

From the old horse-drawn carriage in the Dent’s front yard to the various rusted farm equipment out back, where Clematis vines climb around the equipment for support; and various other vines climb wooden fences and trellis, Dent has created a unique garden of small spaces with a little bit of everything to see at every angle, including upwards.

“The backyard is more lush with trees and shrubs,” said Dent. The trees and shrubs offer filtered shade for the various plantings so “…there is no place in my yard that gets blasted with sun,” she said.

“I’m always looking at ideas,” said Dent, who herself has gone on several local garden tours to fuel her creativity. New to the tour as a host, she attended the Wheat Ridge Garden Tours in 2011 and 2012. Most of the 10 gardens are new this year.

Returning from the 2012 Wheat Ridge Garden Tour is Anne Brinkman’s garden, best known and remembered for metal pieces and sculpture in the backyard. Located midway on the tour, her garden is the catered Lunch Stop.

The Lunch Stop provides a place for neighbors and fellow garden tour participants to gather and listen to live music provided by members of Wheat Ridge High School’s Marching Band and Orchestra, who are one of the three beneficiaries of ticket proceeds. The other two Wheat Ridge organizations are Feed the Future and the Public Art Fund.

Pietra’s Pizza is donating lunch. This menu will include an item or items from their original 1963 menu as part of the tour and in celebration of their 50-year anniversary.

Every garden will have a surprise or something additional to the gardens themselves, which vary in style from traditional, cottage, xeriscape, combined and in-between.

Join this event and help spread the word through a Like on Facebook or follow on Twitter.  Be the 50th to join the Garden Tour Event and win two free Garden Tour tickets; or to help generate more funds for the Wheat Ridge organizations go to: http://wheatridgegardentour.com/tickets.html

To volunteer at one of the gardens and receive a free ticket contact Milly Nadler, co-chair, call 303-319-0690 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For sponsorship inquiries contact Vicki Ottoson, co-chair, call 303-777-6144 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For comments, questions on this story or future story ideas contact cdbea22@gmail.

By J. Patrick O’Leary

After a few months of debating whether and how to accelerate the 38th Avenue Corridor Plan, as well as listening to sundry complaints about its implementation so far, Wheat Ridge City Council received some positive feedback and support at a recent regular business meeting.

Ted Heyd of the 38th Avenue Leadership Committee and Jerry Nealon of Cress Kitchen & Bath presented a “38th Avenue Retrofit Endorsement Letter” to council on April 8. They each took three minutes of public comment time to thank council for its efforts, and briefly explained how 38th Avenue would be promoted for the rest of the year.

The endorsement, signed by 18 local and regional businesses and organizations, stated: “As a committed partner on the corridor and in the Wheat Ridge community, I support the roadway redesign and the actions in the Corridor Plan to grow the economic sector on and adjacent to the corridor.”

Signatories included City of Wheat Ridge Office of the Mayor; Compass Construction; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment; Wheat Ridge Cyclery; Wheat Ridge 2020; 1stBank; Regional Institute for Health & Environmental Leadership; Cress Kitchen & Bath; LiveWell Colorado; PSD; Jefferson County Public Health; Aging Well In Jefferson County, Colorado; Kevin Robb; Options Healthcare Group; MIG; Vinylworks Signs & Graphics; and Wheat Ridge Professional Pharmacy.

The letter had been drafted and circulated in fall of 2012, according to Heyd, and was not a response to recent commentary at council meetings.

Heyd told The Gazette that the bulk of the less-than-positive feedback on the project arises from the claim that reduced vehicle volume on the roadway limits business on the corridor.

“We’re not belittling those concerns at all,” on the Leadership Committee, said Heyd. He went on to say, “There is a place for everyone’s voice at this table … the numbers demonstrate that the street is functioning just fine … but the voices (concerns) are there, and are welcome.”

Last month the city completed its final traffic count study to evaluate the impact of the project on traffic. Heyd says the promotional events planned for the balance of the year should demonstrate that 38th Avenue “is really becoming a destination” as a result.

The 38th Avenue Corridor Plan was adopted in October 2011, and sets the course for implementing economic development and land use strategies as well as street and right of way improvements. Wheat Ridge 2020 has engaged about 50 community stakeholders through a Leadership Committee to guide the process, and has contracted with the city carry out parts of the plan.

The plan calls for a 24-month evaluation period (July 2012-July 2014) to assess the success of the project, examining automobile traffic volume, pedestrian and bicycle counts, travel time, traffic speed, accidents, emergency vehicle access, vacancy rates, building permit and business license activity, and sales revenue. Wheat Ridge Community Development will also consider feedback from businesses, residents, and the 38th Avenue Leadership Committee, through tools such as the city’s Citizen Survey.

For more information on the 38th Avenue Corridor Plan, click on the 38th Avenue Quick Link on the City of Wheat Ridge web site,www.ci.wheatridge.co.us.

By Tim Berland

As some of you may or may not know, I have spent most of my career as a graphic artist to some of Denver’s finest community newspapers. As a more or less willing participant to the community newspaper process, I have become used to a kind of rhythm to seasonal events. I get a sense of comfort in knowing the Capitol Hill People’s Fair will always start the summer season, much in the same way Taste of Colorado ends it.

Wheat Ridge and Edgewater are home to several community enriching events, as well. From the Carnation Festival, celebrating 44 years in August, and the Fourth of July & Celtic celebrations in Edgewater, to newcomers like the upcoming Wheat Ridge Garden Tour (Sat., June 15), the inaugural Wheat Fest (Sat., July 20) and ongoing Live Local gatherings, these celebrations and events help to enrich the quality of our lives and give us an enhanced sense of place.

Interest and participation are what help these functions to thrive. I commend all the volunteers and community groups who dedicate countless hours to make these events happen. Without them, they just wouldn’t exist.

As a community news source, we will always do our best to promote community celebrations and events so that you as readers and community members are well informed. If you are planning an event or function let us know at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

But I call on our readers to do more. Volunteer. Donate. Participate. Our local events NEED your support. If you are interested in volunteering in any upcoming Wheat Ridge or Edgewater community event, send me an e-mail, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or give me a call 303-995-2806. I will do my best to put you in touch with right person.

Speaking of community participation, I would like to take a moment to congratulate my brother, Matt Berland, on his recent promotion to lieutenant in the Arvada Fire Protection District. Matt started as a volunteer in his twenties and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow it into a promising career. Way to go Matt, I’m so proud of you!

By Linda Fiske, RN

Did you know that May is Skin Cancer/Melanoma Awareness Month? The first Monday is known as National Skin Self-examination day, to both kick off the month and to remind us to check our own skin for skin cancer.

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, with more than one million people diagnosed annually, accounting for about 50 percent of all types of diagnosed cancers combined. Yet, it is also one of the most preventable types of cancer—more than 90 percent of skin cancers are caused by excessive sun exposure. As with many cancers, early detection is key. 

A thorough skin check means examining the body, front and back, in the mirror, under both arms, in between toes and soles of the feet, behind ears and scalp. Each month, examine your skin to become familiar with the location, size and color of moles, freckles and other marks. Report any abnormal areas to your physician.  Ask your physician to do a skin check as part of your annual physical.

Here are some of the things you can check for yourself: the ABCDEs of melanoma:

A: Asymmetry – The mole is not completely even in appearance.

B: Border – The margins should be even and smooth, without irregular or projecting edges.

C: Circumference – The mole should be round, without jagged or sharp edges

D: Diameter – The size should not be more than 6 millimeters across, the size of a pencil eraser.

E: Evolving – Any changes over time in size, shape, symptoms (itching, tenderness), surface (bleeding, scaling, inflammation), and shades of color should be observed.

Prevention tips to keep in mind and help limit your sun exposure include:

Generously apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more to all exposed skin. “Broad-spectrum” provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UBV) rays. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.

Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses when possible.

Seek shade when appropriate. Remember that the sun’s rays are strongest between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. If your shadow appears to be shorter than you are, seek shade.

Use extra caution near water, snow and sand because they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chances of sunburn.

Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don’t seek the sun.

Avoid tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. In the Skin Health Population Study, researchers found that persons using tanning beds often were three times more likely to develop melanoma than those who never tanned indoors.

If you want to look tan, consider using a self-tanning product or spray, but continue to use sunscreen when you are exposed to sunlight.

Linda Fiske, RN, MSN, OCN, is manager of Cancer Services at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center.

By Guy Nahmiach

Home stretch, fourth quarter, second half...last few weeks to a school year that seemed to fly by. I do not know that my kids feel the same excitement I had when I was their age: feeling like getting sprung from captivity into two solid months of morning-to-sundown playing outside. I can still hear my mom’s voice calling me in for dinner, echoing through the neighborhood.

Have summer vacations become shorter? Have they become so filled with activities that the time flies by or has the internet filled the void as to make time unnoticeable, with minutes turning into hours? Has it taken over TV’s role as the cheapest form of child care? What are your kids doing this summer? Are you sure?

Principal Collins at Prospect Valley Elementary is organizing reading and writing groups in their library over the summer. It is a great idea for parents who do not want their kids to start from scratch in August. Another new idea being adopted by PV is the Capital Campaign, replacing four fundraisers with simple donations from the families at the start of the year. If this means less solicitations in my son’s homework folder, I am all for it. In fact I have pledged $500 for next year if I can be on some kind of “do not disturb” list. If the info is not relevant to my son’s academic performance, you can keep it. Especially the 26,000 printed ads for Zumba nights.

Congratulations to Michele Sannes for receiving the Volunteer of the Year award at PV. You can usually find her directing traffic at school and helping out with the DI program, as well as getting involved in so many other committees. Congratulations Michele.

With Mother’s Day behind us now, we can finally get out there and plant our gardens without the fear of frost. I have been reading over the rules in the Consolidated Mutual letter I just received: lawn watering only on Mondays and Thursdays, no mist sprinklers, and only buckets for car washes, no hoses. The list goes on. Could this be a hoax? The plan is just too elaborate and convoluted. In fact, everyone I have spoken to about these new rules looked at me like I had just asked them to stop smoking in the parks.

Threatening to shut down water supplies to homeowners who do not follow the rules was a bit much—I find asking nicely always works better. Perhaps focusing on our need as a community to conserve water would have rallied everyone around this cause in a more positive and productive way.

What are you doing this summer? I would love to highlight one family’s plans and how they actually turn out: how they came up with the idea, who disagreed and how it was resolved. Write me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Enjoy your spring, and as always, thanks for reading.

New Column Answering Questions Posed to School Superintendent Stevenson

When we live in a world where perception becomes reality, it is really important to communicate your message many times, and be very precise in your language, so as to not be taken out context.

So many education-related issues are being discussed inside our learning institutions here in Jefferson County. The message comes from the district, to the schools, to the teachers and then the students and parents, the media and local politicians. Everyone hears what they want to hear. But how do we get the truth?

Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson contacted me a few weeks ago about my last column and some of my questions regarding the county’s budget. In a matter of minutes she had cleared up any confusion regarding the numbers and issues. We thought it would be an excellent idea if we could continue down this path and take one question a month from our community and have Cindy answer directly. Now I am not sure if she can help with your son’s B+ that you thought should have been an A, but she can clear up things like questions on T-CAP or curriculum, or perhaps even what the future looks like for our schools.

Please direct your questions for Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson to Guy@NostalgicHomes.

By Jerry DiTullio

Police Launch New Crime Mapping Program

Residents of Wheat Ridge have a new way to track crime in their neighborhoods. The Wheat Ridge Police Department recently unveiled a new partnership with Regional Analysis and Information Data Sharing (RAIDS) that allows for crime mapping, analysis of crime data, citizen alerts and community notifications. The product is provided free of charge to the Department and the community at www.raidsonline.com.

Citizens can view a map of the city showing most of the reported crimes in their area, sign up for neighborhood watch reports that automatically email a breakdown of recent crime activity, and submit an anonymous tip about a crime directly to their law enforcement agency. RAIDS Online automatically syncs with the WRPD’s records management system to keep crime information updated online and in the mobile application.

WRPD is committed to partnering with the community to make the community as safe as possible. Public crime information allows for citizens to become more involved in assisting with criminal apprehensions and crime prevention efforts. Citizens can take steps to reduce the likelihood of victimization by securing their property and being mindful of current criminal activity. Crime maps and crime alerts are a means for citizens to stay informed. RAIDS Online provides a tool for citizens to stay informed and a tool for the police officers to gain more information about what is occurring on their beat.

To access reported crime activity in your neighborhood, go to the City of Wheat Ridge website at www.ci.wheatridge.co.us and click on “Police Department” and then “Neighborhood Crime Statistics.”

District III Residents

You will be receiving a notice this from Council members Mike Stites and George Pond regarding participation in an “email list” to share the many exciting things happening throughout the city. They are looking for a way to stay connected, share information, and receive timely feedback regarding District issues. If you have questions or need further information please contact Pond at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Save the Dates!

• The Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival is set for Aug. 16 & 17, at 44th Avenue and Field Street.

• Zoppé Italian Family Circus takes place Aug. 17-26, also at 44th and Field.

Wheat Ridge Mayor Jerry DiTullio can be reached by calling city hall, 303-235-2800.

By Meredith Avery Thaler

Posey Girl Flower Boutique

Posey Girl Flower Boutique is fast becoming a destination for the Wheat Ridge and surrounding area’s flower needs. The flower shop opened two years ago as of April 1 and owner Susannah Burley is incredibly proud of the feats that her business has overcome thus far. With a unique touch and unusual organic flowers, textures and mediums, Posey Girl is not to be missed.

Upon visiting, one is greeted by Burley and her friendly and dedicated assistant Sonya Agnello, who joined Burley six months after first opening her doors. On occasion, the room is livened with the presence of Burley’s dogs, Jupiter and Milo.

Burley’s love for flowers surfaced in her life 15 years ago when she began working in a grocery store flower department. It has been 10 years since she moved to Colorado, and over those 10 years she found herself drawn to the name Posey Girl Flower Boutique. After much time passing through Wheat Ridge, she felt drawn to the for-lease building on 38th where her flower shop has made a home. No longer working for anyone but herself, Burley finds contentment running her own business. “I get to do what I love every day, so I can’t wish for anything better than that,” she explains.

The flower boutique offers wedding flowers, events as well as weekly accounts for business as well as domestic purposes, where one can get fresh flowers on a weekly basis for $25 each week.

More than just a flower boutique, Posey Girl offers “Devine Design” events where people can come and engage in a day of inventive floral arts. This event allows people to bring in their own vases or purchase one from Posey Girl, as they are guided through the art of making a personalized bouquet. All fresh-cut flowers and foliage are 25 percent off the standard pricing at the event, and tea, coffee and cookies are offered. When bringing one’s own vase, it is asked that it is watertight.

In addition to Devine Design events, Posey Girl flowers have joined forces with Tentiko.com and will be hosting a Build an Indoor Box Garden event. This helps attendees to create a portable garden for their homes and/or offices. The wood used to create these box gardens is taken from an old Wheat Ridge barn that has been torn down and the wood specially acquired for this event.

Posey Girl is located at 7210 W. 38th Avenue in Wheat Ridge. For more information, please visit their website at poseygirlflowers.com or call 303-847-0124.

Colorado+ Brewpub

Wheat Ridge welcomes Colorado+ Brewpub to the community as it officially opens its doors this weekend. Come try 56 different kinds of brews and enjoy food and fun with co-owner Eugene Kahn.

Colorado+ Brewpub is located at 6995 West 38th Avenue. For more information, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ColoradoPlusBrewpub.

Have news tips about business in Edgewater or Wheat Ridge? Contact columnist Meredith Avery Thaler with news of Wheat Ridge and Edgewater businesses at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

This summer Healing Waters Family Center will again host three produce and health fairs for low-income residents and seniors who may not otherwise have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Jefferson County Public Health Nutrition Services is organizing the Friday morning fairs, held June 14, July 12 and Aug. 9, all at 6475 W. 29th Ave. in Wheat Ridge.

Last year food and information was distributed to nearly 2,000 Jefferson County households during three fairs.

There is no income or residential requirement to participate, but participants are asked to respect and support the goal of providing nourishment and education to low-income residents.

The produce fairs are coordinated by the Produce and Health Fair County Collaborative: Food Bank of the Rockies, Operation Frontline Colorado, Adams County Food Distribution, Immaculate Heart of Mary Food Bank, Denver Public Health, Jefferson County Public Health and Tri-County Health Department.

For more information, contact JCPH Nutrition Services’ Nancy G. Obrien at 303-239-7126.