Leah Dozeman
Community

Meet the 2026 Carnation Festival Royal Court

For 57 years, the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival has celebrated more than the city’s rich agricultural heritage—it has celebrated the people who have helped shape our community. One of the Festival’s longest-standing traditions is recognizing individuals whose leadership, volunteerism, and commitment have made a lasting impact on Wheat Ridge. Each year, community members nominate outstanding

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Leah Dozeman August 1, 2026
Wheat Ridge

Last One, Best One

Nearly every two years, the Wheat Ridge City Council, Mayor, and staff gather for a strategic planning retreat. I’ve had the privilege of participating in several, consisting of a Friday evening discussion over dinner followed by an all-day Saturday work session. This year’s was especially cherished; it will be my last on Wheat Ridge City

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Leah Dozeman March 3, 2025
Community

Dr. John H. Dahl – A Lifetime of Selfless Service

It was an honor to sit in the living room of Dr. John (Jack) H. Dahl’s Wheat Ridge home, which he had built in 1966, and listen to some of his life stories. Dr. Dahl has spent more than nine decades on this earth and will undoubtedly be remembered for his dedication to service and

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Leah Dozeman June 5, 2024
Health

Dynamic Duo – Directors and Donors

Dr. Betsy Brew and her husband, Bob Van Wetter, moved to Wheat Ridge in 1996, settling into a home close to Lutheran Medical Center, where Betsy would devote most of her career. After completing her surgical residency at the University of Colorado, Dr. Brew joined Foothills Surgical Associates, which would later become Surgical Specialists of

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Leah Dozeman March 6, 2024
Community

Ritzman Family Gift Passes the Torch to Future Generations

Vernon Ritzman, MD, cared for the Wheat Ridge community for over 40 years through his family medicine practice. Starting his career in 1966 at Denver General Hospital, now Denver Health, Ritzman then served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam war.   He joined Lutheran Medical Center’s medical staff in 1970. In 2010, he retired

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Leah Dozeman January 3, 2024
Education

Embracing Challenges, Changes and Cheer at Peak Expeditionary School

On the evening of Dec. 6, I pulled onto Independence Street, heading to Peak Expeditionary School’s Festivus Celebration. Midway up the road, cars were lining the sidewalks, and as I turned into the school’s driveway, the parking lot was completely full.  Having gone to Pennington Elementary (now Peak) myself and having kiddos there since 2015,

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Leah Dozeman January 3, 2024
Community

Giving Where She Works to Make a Difference

Shelley Miller began her nursing career in 1980. This November marked 33 years of serving patients at Lutheran Medical Center, with more than two decades dedicated to hospice care. Shelley has watched the development and growth of hospice care over her career and has appreciated witnessing its advancing significance and presence in healthcare. She believes

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Leah Dozeman December 5, 2023
Community

Kristi Davis’ Legacy Contributes To Lutheran’s Legacy

Kristi Davis is a fifth-generation native of Wheat Ridge, having served the community in many capacities including two terms on the Wheat Ridge City Council. She follows a long family line of public servants who have dedicated their time, talents and treasures to our community.   The Davis family is certainly no strangers to Wheat Ridge.

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Leah Dozeman August 2, 2023
Wheat Ridge

The Ebb And Flow Of Our Neighborhoods

Being an adult and living in the same home you grew up in is quite surreal. As I recently walked home one evening from a friend’s house that also grew up and stayed in Wheat Ridge, I surveyed my surroundings and noted everything that had changed or remained the same since my childhood. Many homeowners

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Leah Dozeman May 9, 2022
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