Before I moved to the US I had always read and watched movies about small towns in America. I listened to John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen sing about life in small towns. Our family vacations were always spent up and down the east coast. Small towns like Wildwood NJ, Ocean City MD, Myrtle Beach SC
The calls and emails that come in to the Gazette range from all sides of the spectrum, bright to dark, and sometimes the dark gets real ugly. Sometimes self serving, misinformed to downright threatening and mean. But the bright messages that we get, filled with hope, passion and uplifting stories are why we do this.
The referendum petition is about one thing: zoning. Specifically, what will be allowed on the old Lutheran campus—no matter who owns it. It is not about developers or their plans. This new zoning includes sweeping concessions to developers. Some of these include: 70-foot buildings with no setbacks or landscape buffers. No Parkland Dedication. No Historic
July 4th is my favorite holiday of the year. It means the world to me to live in the USA. It’s something I had tried to accomplish since I was 16 years old. Going down every year to the US consulate in Montreal and then Toronto to get a chance to win the green card
Why Wheat Ridge Must Maintain the FSED Moratorium The debate over free-standing emergency departments (FSEDs) often centers on access. But in Wheat Ridge, we already benefit from exceptional emergency care through Lutheran Hospital – a full-service facility equipped to handle the most critical medical situations. A recent proposal to lift the moratorium on FSEDs in
They said that “print is dead” and that buying a newspaper was a terrible investment. But I remember feeling nothing but excitement at the opportunity to carry on a tradition—ensuring Wheat Ridge continued to have its own voice. It wasn’t just about continuing what Charlie and Tim had started. For me, it was about giving
This one is going to be fast and furious with just so much going on! Let’s start with my favorite topic, whatever you heard about the Wadsworth project and when it’ll be fully completed I want you to start adding to whatever number is in your head, more details in the next issue, read this
We are surrounded by passionate people that will persuade and try to convince you that today sucks and that tomorrow will be worse. Throughout history, and various forms of governments, people have tried to convince one another that their way was the right way. That it was the only way. What you said and how
As parents, we try to sugarcoat the bad news to our children. Not wanting to hurt their feelings. In the work place we find ways to prove, justify and cajole the facts and numbers to show our accomplishments. Our schools have been lowering the bar to make parents feel good about their kids and avoid
With so much being argued over and debated in our community, I thought I’d share with you an update on a different kind of squabbling. When we brought BE, our hen, home along with her nine feathered sisters, it was obvious that she was not in her “good place”. Chest thumping, hanging out on her
I’ve often reflected on how hard it was to move to and become a citizen of the United States. The paperwork, the attorneys, the testing, and, of course, the waiting—it was an arduous journey. It was never about a specific state or city; for me, it was about the idea of the country itself. Recently,
For whatever reason , I was expecting so much more from 24, but I am grateful for every year and what it brings. New businesses to our town, new families moving in on our streets. No doubt that this year’s elections was a relief to some, a gut punch to others and the rest just
With the constant stream of proposals and regulations up for debate in this election season, it can be challenging to keep track of what’s actually on the ballot—let alone decipher all the opinion pieces circulating online and at community meetings. Each side accuses the other of spreading misinformation, lying, or concealing key facts. This piece,
It was just past the Syracuse, New York exit on I-90 when Bruce made a terrible vibrating sound. I quickly pulled over the side of the highway. It was Saturday and so most places I called were closed. But I did google VW-EuroVan near Syracuse and got on the Eurovan FB to ask for help.
It’s been a year since the world witnessed the barbaric acts of the Hamas terrorists upon a music festival and families in a small town in Israel. Thousands murdered, raped and kidnapped and still more than 100 hostages kept and tortured in those tunnels. It was the largest number of jewish people killed in one
I am a self-confessed Olympics junkie. Having attended 2 Olympics in person, I follow them every 2 years and still not sure whether I prefer the summer or winter versions. This year’s Summer Olympics in France produced more world records and social media footage than ever. Yes, it’s easy to harp on the complaints of
For 67 years, Cub Scout Pack and Scouting Troop 240, chartered in 1957 by the Wheat Ridge Kiwanis Club, have embraced diversity to create a supportive and enriching environment. Troop 240 includes Scouts from varied backgrounds. One Scout found guidance after a parent’s incarceration, while another discovered family support following a parent’s passing. Scouts on
Losing friends or making friends based on their political beliefs is unfortunately quite common these days. In fact disagreeing with someone will almost certainly sever that relationship and have you labeled as a “negative” person. This was by far the most talked about topic at our Gazette booth at RidgeFest and The Edgewater Music Festival.
When I sat down to write this month’s editorial, I had this witty idea about how bands change overtime. The Dave Matthews band of the 1990s is not the same band you’ll see on tour today; That Journey needed to learn how to be a band without Steve Perry… I wanted to wax poetically about
As the City of Wheat Ridge moves to decommission its network of fifteen Emergency Notification sirens, I would like to provide a bit of context. Generally referred to as Civil Defense Sirens, for those of us who grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s, the wail of these sirens was a weekly reminder that dangerous
Being part of the Wheat Ridge team, presenting at the All America City Conference, was a huge honor. We were asked to each wear a “Wheat Ridge t-shirt”. The presentation described what and how the city had addressed the recent racism and anti-semitic attacks on our town and how we dealt with it. We had
Kids have a bad habit of asking for something over and over and over until parents break down and say “OK”. Some may experience these battles in shopping centers, restaurants and of course at home. The energy from both sides spent on a very predictable outcome, while funny sometimes, is an absolute drain on everyone
I walked out of the restaurant and held the door open for the person walking in… And he just kept walking. I said “you’re welcome” and got no reaction back. What happened to “thank you?” Letting someone into your lane during traffic, there used to be a wave of a hand, as if to say
I live on a street that has everything. Cats and dogs, squirrels and birds, kids, babies, families, young and not so young. We probably use three or four different waste pick up companies. We drive different cars and have different homes. Some days we cross the street and talk with our neighbors. Sometimes we cross
