The question I’ve heard more than any other over the past few months has been, “Is Rolling Smoke BBQ open?” The second most common comment? “The food is amazing.” It was time to find out for myself. Located at 7100 W. 38th Ave., in the heart of Wheat Ridge, Rolling Smoke BBQ occupies the former
Each year, the Neighborhood Gazette proudly awards the Lou Olivera Citizenship Scholarship, honoring the life and legacy of Louis ‘Lou’ Olivera -U.S. Army Ranger, devoted community member, and proud American. Lou believed that citizenship is not just a status, but a responsibility- lived through service, integrity, and compassion. This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a
Walk into Little Brazil and one thing immediately stands out: optimism. Located at 7333 W. 38th Ave., owner Kellen Marques greets guests with the same enthusiasm she had on opening day. The difference today is experience. After navigating the challenges of restaurant ownership, she’s emerged wiser, more confident, and determined to trust her instincts. Kellen
Becoming an American citizen remains one of the proudest moments of my life. It wasn’t just a certificate or a ceremony. It was the freedom to build a life. The freedom to start a business. The freedom to publish this newspaper without fear. The freedom to celebrate the people, businesses, artists, volunteers, and organizations that
Parents, teachers, taxpayers and students across Colorado are watching a level of school district drama that feels less like educational leadership and more like a political survival show. In district after district, superintendents are resigning, administrators are being suspended, school board members are stepping down, investigations are being launched, and confidence in leadership is being
There is always something happening in our neighborhood. Businesses opening, others changing direction, owners taking risks, and residents debating what they want their community to become. That constant movement is part of what makes Wheat Ridge and the surrounding area interesting. Sometimes the news is exciting, sometimes disappointing, and often it is a little bit
In what world did we collectively decide that it’s acceptable to sit next to someone at a restaurant or bar and blast cat videos, sports highlights, or TikTok clips on speakerphone for everyone else to hear? Somewhere along the way, public space started feeling a little too public. Recently, United Airlines announced that passengers who
Neighborhood Gazette: Do we know what the total amount that the city is considering asking voters for? I hear 130 million dollars for various projects. How close is that? Councilwoman Hultin: On April 11, City Council and staff participated in a full day workshop to prioritize investments for a 10 Year Capital Program and to
Attention voters: surveys are on the way. The question is straightforward—how much more are you willing to contribute, and for what? Three fire entities—West Metro, Arvada Fire, and Jeffco Fire—are each preparing funding requests. All provide critical services, and their work is valued. At the same time, overlapping roles in staffing, equipment, and administration raise
There’s a film called New York Stories, one of my favorites. The third segment opens with a washed-out artist, Nick Nolte, standing in the middle of his all-white SoHo loft. Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum plays loudly as he tries to reboot his career, splashing paint onto a blank canvas. In my next
Eugene is one of those rare personalities in our town who refuses to let fear, risk, or rising costs stand in the way of a vision. At a time when opening a restaurant feels harder than ever, he took on an aging, struggling building and brought it back to life—transforming it into Colorado Plus, a
8,000 people came through Wheat Ridge this weekend. They drank 7,000 pints of Guinness, 2,500 green Coors Lights, and 2,000 shots of Jameson. They ate hundreds of plates of corned beef and cabbage, packed the sidewalks, filled the tents, and turned 38th Avenue into something you don’t see every day. And somehow, it all worked.
Every time I have a client thinking about moving to Wheat Ridge, I ask them straight up: “Are you moving here because of how we are… or because of how you want us to be?” That question never lands softly. The City and Council are constantly trying to balance both sides. Improvements with no change.
As the city works to accommodate a growing demand for housing, a range of creative solutions is being explored and implemented. Sometimes these efforts yield positive results. Other times, not so much. The removal of occupancy limits, short-term rentals, home sharing, ADUs, and the rezoning of single-family properties into multi-unit housing has created a little
John Mellencamp asked “Will you teach your children to tell the truth?”. Earlier this month (January 20), Jefferson County Board of Education President Michele Applegate wrote to the community stating, “Since 2010, our district has lost more than $930 million due to state underfunding.” What she left out of that message, however, is just as
I recently reached out to Chris Elliott, principal at E5X and the developer behind the Lutheran Legacy Campus, to get an update on progress and next steps for the roughly 100-acre site where Lutheran Hospital once stood. According to Elliott, the project is currently deep in the engineering phase, including demolition planning. The first structure
Supporting local businesses, schools, families, and neighborhoods should come naturally. It’s what we do when a new shop opens on the corner, when we enroll our kids in the school down the block, or when a business owner becomes more than a name on a storefront—they become a neighbor. We celebrate their wins, and when
When most people think of the dentist, they imagine bright lights, uncomfortable procedures, and the faint hum of a handpiece. But for Dr. Kevin Schwandt of Reclaim Integrative Dentistry & Implant Center, dentistry is about something much more—it’s about helping people understand and support the connection between their oral health and systemic health. Dr. Kevin
There was a time when you could attend a city council meeting and witness transparency in action. Actual debates on issues that affected this town and every resident. Emotions ran high, logical explanations were offered, and options were weighed by councilors and city staff. You heard your district representative express opinions and voice concerns. Financial
Every once in a while we meet someone who reminds us what quiet, everyday heroism looks like. For us in Wheat Ridge, that person was Louis Olivera. Lou was a longtime neighbor, a devoted husband, and the proud father of a Wheat Ridge High School graduate. He carried himself with a mix of humility, humor,
Some cities get to vote for sheriffs and coroners. This November, Wheat Ridge voters were asked something far more basic: should two long-standing elected positions — the city treasurer and city clerk — remain in the hands of voters, or become appointed, professional staff roles? That was the essence of Ballot Measure 2B. And the
“Tell me something you know today that you didn’t know yesterday.” That was the nightly ritual at our dinner table — our version of a debrief mixed with a pop quiz. You could always tell which teacher had impressed my kids by how animated they got. But the moment I’d ask them to review lunches
I started believing in miracles again the night a Lutheran Hospital ICU nurse from Wheat Ridge pulled over along Route 6 in Clear Creek Canyon. It was dark, and she had spotted what looked like a body lying in the middle of the road. No pulse. No breathing. Half his face gone. The man had
The Neighborhood Gazette has lost not just a contributor, but a friend. Laurie Dunklee, whose words, music, and art touched so many in our community, leaves behind a legacy of creativity and kindness that will not be forgotten. Laurie had a rare gift for storytelling. Through her articles in the Gazette, she captured the heartbeat
