Natalie Kerr

Arts

Born with Blindness and Musical Gifts

Vicki was born with blindness, but the minute her fingers first touched piano keys, the sound of the music became her favorite form of communicating with the world.  “I’ve loved being able to share music,” Vicki said. “I really don’t know strangers. People are always coming up to me and  talking to me or sometimes

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Community

New Adult Social Club Launches in Edgewater

Edgewater’s 55 and older crowd took over Edgewater Beer Garden on a sunny afternoon on April 11th, filling the restaurant with laughter, lively conversation and hearty welcomes to each newcomer.  Nearly 15 attendees showed up for the very first 55+ Social Club, proving it to be a popular idea. The club is a casual gathering

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Community

Community Youth Programs Support Children’s Unique Needs

Extracurricular activities, whether sports, the arts, faith-based activities or cultural clubs, can have profound effects on children, particularly as they transition from childhood to adolescence.  Children who participate in group activities tend to have higher self-esteem and connection to their peers, as well as lower levels of anxiety and depression.  Wheat Ridge hosts a plethora

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Community

Mountain Vista Builds Legacy of High Quality Care

Mountain Vista Senior Living Community sits 15 sprawling acres of land looking out towards the mountains. Inside, it is a veritable town, with its own beauty salon, chapel, dog park, aviary, general store, garden, theater and clubhouse.  “At Mountain Vista, we really strive to have a home-like environment,” said Director of Resource Development Annie Lazano.”This

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Community

Low Income Housing Faces Steep Water Fee

Colorado Workforce Housing Solutions, an affordable housing development company based in Colorado Springs, and Aquasan, a water and energy consulting firm In Wheat Ridge, are collectively refuting the $400,000 impact fee being charged by the Valley Water District and Denver Water for construction of the Tabor Lake Apartments on 44th Avenue and Tabor Street.  Impact

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Community

106-Year-Old Wheat Ridge Resident Shares Story, Reflections

When Frances Vendena graduated from high school in 1935, her classmates declared her “happy-go-lucky”, and the phrase even appeared below her smiling yearbook photo.  Born on January 1, 1918, she was the first baby of the year welcomed into Alma, Nebraska. Now, at 106-years-old, Frances still smiles and laughs her way through conversations, recounting fond

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Community

Green at 38th Prepares to Break Ground in June

The Green at 38th, the proposal for an outdoor gathering space outside Stevens Elementary School on 38th Avenue near Upham Street, will carry on a centuries-long tradition of community togetherness in Wheat Ridge.  Stevens Elementary is on the oldest continuous education site in Colorado, and since the 1800s, the land just outside the school has

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Community

Paige Piper Leads Localworks to Renewed Success

Paige Piper stood on the Applewood Golf Course on Sept. 21, watching the sun rise behind dozens of players gathered for Localworks’ first-ever golf tournament, and knew she had succeeded.  A year and a half since Piper had taken over as Localworks executive director, it was a huge victory to see so many people come

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Arts

Exploring The World Of Tattoo Artist Erik V

Gleaming plaques frame Erik V’s head as he leans over his client, eyes sharply focused on the needle.  Best Tattoo of Show, 2005. Best Back Tattoo, 2016. Best Overall Male, 2022.   But these accolades are not on Erik’s mind when he’s at work. For Erik, the art of tattooing lies not just in creating a

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Community

Carnation Festival Still Excites In Its 54th Year

The carnations may be gone, but the festival is as lively as ever.  Wheat Ridge residents and visitors gathered at Anderson Park from Aug. 11 through 13 to celebrate the City of Wheat Ridge in the annual Carnation Festival. The crowd enjoyed a parade on 38th Avenue, carnival rides, live music and a fireworks show. 

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Events

Blues And BBQ Festival Rocks Citizen’s Park

I’ll have a barbecue sandwich with a side of lively music and proceeds to a good cause, please.  The Blues and BBQ Festival drew a crowd of approximately 1,500 to Citizen’s Park in Edgewater for its 26th year of music on Saturday, July 15. The nonprofit event raised $30,000 for affordable housing initiatives in Denver,

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Arts

Wheat Ridge Native Welds Emotion Into Robots

Methodical. Intentional. Thoughtful.  It’s both how Chris Mora speaks and how he welds. He’d much sooner lapse into minutes-long silence than say something he doesn’t mean. And he’ll sure as hell never commit a weld that is messy, rushed or anything short of beautiful.  Mora is a metalworker and artist. He makes robots, primarily, along

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Community

Neighbors Confused, Frustrated Over Unrepaired Sinkhole

A sinkhole at 37th and Independence streets that formed on April 28 is likely caused by the storm system beneath the street and the higher-than-average rainfall in Denver this spring, said Maria D’Andrea, Director of Public Works for The City of Wheat Ridge. The city assessed the sinkhole with an underground camera and found debris built

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