If you have a hobby, a creative or business idea and need a place to make it happen in Wheat Ridge, the Clear Creek Makerspace is now open. Localworks, a nonprofit organization focused on the city’s economic development, launched what might be its most visible project yet with a March 30 grand opening of the
While national numbers show violent crimes decreased in 2022, public perception is that crime is on the upswing, primarily due to social media and the news media, said Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha. The city’s own crime numbers for 2023 are a mixed bag of declines and upswings in various categories typically found in
A pink desk and pink diary helped a then-Wheat Ridge child learn to write. Her exploration of Denver more than two decades ago resulted in Jill Carstens’ first book. “Getting Over Vivian: A Memoir” tells a story of “family, love and loss set against a backdrop of familiar Front Range settings,” wrote Kathryn White in
The next time heavy equipment and workers in yellow vests start moving dirt in a Wheat Ridge neighborhood, try looking online to find out what’s being built. The city’s projects and properties map offers residents and businesses a place to find updates on city and private developments. In an introductory video posted on the city’s
Family interest in magic led Gerald Robinson to achieve professional goals Like most Colorado natives, a young Gerald Robinson and his family enjoyed meals, cliff divers and magic shows at Casa Bonita. Now, the adult Robinson is part of the tradition at the recently reopened Lakewood restaurant. Robinson, 24, of Edgewater, now works as a
Concerns include the presence of low-income and homeless residents and lack of notice from the city A low-income and homeless apartment building in Wheat Ridge has stirred up nearby residents who said they were left out of the loop before construction began. On April 25, city and Jefferson County officials broke ground on The Ives
Wheat Ridge motorists are right: In recent months, there have been more road projects on more streets than usual. A combination of factors is behind the nine city projects that are producing congestion and delays and involve more than 50 streets. Added to those are three area highway projects. Altogether, the projects had an estimated
One of those little-known or discussed fees Wheat Ridge residents see on their phone bills will be smaller next year. By a 6-1 vote at its Sept. 25 meeting, the city council approved a city code revision that replaces a late-1990s ordinance. Councilmember Leah Dozeman voted against the measure and Councilmember Valerie Nosler Beck was
The marijuana industry in Colorado isn’t what it was a decade ago. The days of soaring sales and dispensaries opening every week after legalization took effect have ended. Instead, fears of business closures, mass layoffs and declining tax revenue are the norm. Various factors have been cited, led by an oversupply of products and a
The orderly and professional atmosphere of a courtroom is the opposite of the make-believe and sometimes off-the-wall approach on stage. But those two worlds intersected for a retired attorney who found a second career as an actor, thanks partly to the Wheat Ridge Theater Company. Jim Hayes began practicing law in California in 1975. His
In the year since the Wadsworth Improvement Project began in Wheat Ridge, surrounding neighborhood streets have not been crowded by vehicles avoiding construction delays, and the project is on schedule and budget. In an interview and emails, city spokeswoman Amanda Harrison said the $62 million project between 35th Avenue and Interstate 70 and the Clear
An effort to overturn Wheat Ridge City Council’s recent approval of accessory dwelling units was said to be on schedule, according to a resident leading a petition drive. The city defines an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) as a smaller, independent residential building on the same property as a detached single-unit home. ADUs are converted portions
Wheat Ridge City Council wants to see race-based covenants on private and public property – already illegal and unenforceable – restricted even further. Former council member Zachary Urban initially raised the question of these covenants and how the city council could address their removal. Incorporated in 1969, Wheat Ridge included subdivisions platted in Jefferson County
Victims and survivors of crimes, disasters and mass shootings usually do not know where to turn for help. So law enforcement agencies in Wheat Ridge and seven other Jefferson County communities ask Victim Outreach Inc., or VOI, to lend a hand. Cynthia “Cin” Chapman worked for the Porchlight Family Justice Center in Lakewood before accepting
There may not be another Wheat Ridge restaurant run like one on 38th Avenue. Mr. Biscuits Bakery, 7176 W. 38th Ave., is youth-owned and family-operated, serving from-scratch biscuits, muffins, cinnamon rolls and a rotating lineup of other baked goods daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Joshua, 18, Annika, 23, Elijah, 16, and Marilyn Pearson,
One Wheat Ridge business cut its hours and closed one day a week. Another reduced hours but had record sales volumes. The two extremes are part of the local business response to staffing shortages and supply chain delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Neighborhood Gazette reached out to a variety of Wheat Ridge business
The “Wheat Ridge-ness” in a 100-page Lutheran Medical Center Legacy Campus master plan was nearly unanimously endorsed at the Monday, Oct. 25, city council meeting. The council approved the plan — a 20-year vision for the site and amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan — by a 7-1 vote. Councilwoman Judy Hutchinson was opposed. It
For the first time in a decade, Wheat Ridge voters have just one choice on their general election ballots this fall. A dearth of candidates extends to other communities as well. Edgewater has one more candidate than open city council seats. Three incumbent Mountain View council members and a write-in candidate will vie for three
Pardon the pun, but when it comes to making guitars and other string instruments, Francois Vadeboncoeur plays it by ear. The Wheat Ridge man is a luthier, the term for someone who builds or repairs string instruments by hand. While some might not have heard the term, Vadeboncoeur said there is “quite a number” of
Don’t ask Tanner Steed if he’s recently — or ever — finished a painting. The Wheat Ridge artist does not consider any of the many oil paintings he’s crafted in his young life as done. Steed, 25 and a native Coloradoan, grew up in Highlands Ranch and graduated from Thunder Ridge High School, where he
Motor vehicle thefts in Wheat Ridge were down markedly through the first half of 2021 compared to the previous year, according to a statewide crime reporting program. Figures from the Colorado Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA), part of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, show Wheat Ridge reported 119 motor vehicle thefts through the end
Residents, business owners and others with specific interests have a good chance of finding a group of like-minded people in and around Wheat Ridge. However, some wonder if there may be a few too many citizen groups with the same or similar goals, and if they receive tax money to help them operate, is that
When it comes to art, Melinda Stewart doesn’t just create. Not only is she an artist herself, Stewart teaches art to children at her studio and in several Wheat Ridge schools. She has also volunteered her time and expertise toward several community art-related projects. Stewart has taught art for more than two decades. She has
Adversity can often result in something positive, and it can come out of nowhere. That’s what happened to Robin Cole, an Arvada artist. When the coronavirus pandemic happened in 2020, it adversely affected Cole’s work, but maybe not as much as other artists or professions. Cole was inspired to create what turned out to be
