What did you do last Monday night? I was at city hall with seven of my peers and the mayor representing you, conducting the business of your city and discussing issues that impact the quality of life in Wheat Ridge. We made decisions about how to improve your parks, spend your tax dollars, keep your
A literature professor I had in college once asked the class if anyone knew why Edgar Allen Poe was so enamored of beautiful dead women. His thoughts on the matter were chilling. Poe’s mother was a young single parent who suffered from tuberculosis. As the disease overtook Eliza Poe, she could no longer work as
By a 5-3 vote on Sept. 27, Wheat Ridge City Council passed an ordinance regulating large, permanent backyard recreation equipment, setting up a showdown between neighbors and the owner of a backyard skateboard park. Wheat Ridge has few regulations related to outdoor recreational equipment, but resident complaints about what a city memo called a “homemade
At an Aug. 9 special study session, Wheat Ridge City Council debated the details of a proposed ordinance to rein in recreational annoyances like super-sized skateparks and noisome ninja obstacle courses in residential neighborhoods. Who will enforce that?, asked one city council member. A SWAT team? Police Chief Chris Murtha? An angry mob of neighbors
The air has cleared and the skies are blue again – at least at press time – and Wheat Ridge is a prime location to enjoy September bicycle fun and the return of the Ridge at 38 Criterium. The second weekend of September is essentially an unofficial city celebration of that two-wheeled apparatus, the bicycle.
Here comes fall and Localworks is ready with events and programs to connect our community and promote our local businesses! The Ridge at 38 Criterium Bike Race is our big news for September. The race will take place on Sunday, Sept. 12 at The Green from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and it will be
As we wrap up a busy summer and start an equally exciting fall, I wanted to make sure everyone in our community knows the best ways to stay on top of all that is happening in our city. At the beginning of every month, we send an e-newsletter called Mayor’s Matters to a group of
While building codes and standards have structured our built environment for thousands of years, the concept of a “building permit” can be traced back to the year 1189 when Henry Fitz-Elwyne, the first Mayor of London wrote “Assize of Buildings.” This document outlined the roles and responsibilities of an elected body of aldermen (city council
Once upon a time back in the 1900s, folks could support local community hospitals and really get behind efforts to expand and improve services. Those were halcyon days when the Blue House tea room flourished. It was the last major repurposing of the lovely old farm house…so far. Had it not been for Lutheran Hospital
After a record-setting wildfire season in Colorado in 2020, this year is proving to be just as challenging for many western states. California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana have seen more than 100 fires since the beginning of summer. More than 2.2 million acres have burned, and more than 1,200 structures have been lost. According
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
Employees tend to want to stay in their position when you encourage them and reassure them that they are needed and that the environment and mission as promised are intact. This goes back to over a year ago when Dr. Glass (Jeffco Superintendent) and Jeena Templeton (Manning principal) planned to reinvent Everitt Middle and provide
Have you ever wanted a place where you can find the tools you need and maybe a group of people that know how to do interesting stuff and have amazing mad skills that you can collaborate with to create new and wonderful things? Yeah…us too! We want to put together a place like that in
The Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival has been a beloved summer tradition for more than 50 years. It was canceled last year due to COVID-19, but we are happy to see it back with all the usual fun and more this year, running from Friday, Aug. 13, to Sunday, Aug. 15. The Carnation Festival is a
Ask many adults who grew up in the Wheat Ridge area about the Blue House, and they will regale you with joyful memories of meals with their elders in the charming “Blue House Tea Room and Consignment Shoppe” in the large farm house located west of the main entrance to the SCL Lutheran campus on
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
Following two public meetings to inform and gather input from the public, the City of Wheat Ridge and SCL Health are set to present their preliminary recommendations for the redevelopment master plan of the Lutheran Medical Center campus. The public meeting is set for Aug. 3, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Wheat Ridge City Hall,
I don’t know about you, but I got downright creaky during the last year or so, both physically and mentally. From what I read, I’m not alone. Similar changes afflicted millions of Americans in varying degrees. How to get rid of those five to 10 extra pounds and recurring brain fog are much-discussed issues these
Congratulations to the City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge community for being named a National League of Cities All-America City. What an incredible honor! The National Civic League’s All-America City Award recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues. Wheat Ridge submitted a strong application that
Over the past year, traffic safety statistics for the city of Wheat Ridge have shown an increase in crashes involving pedestrians that resulted in serious injuries. Tragically, along roadways with a higher volume of cars or that have higher speed limits like Kipling and Wadsworth, people have died as a result of being in the
Every summer the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival chooses a royal court of three – Countess, Count and Grand Marshall – to honor those in the community who have made a positive contribution through their participation or service in the city. The 2021 Carnation Festival will take place Aug. 13-15 at Anderson Park, 4355 Field St.,
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
Ask Wheat Ridge City Manager Patrick Goff about the challenges facing the city in summer 2021 and you will be treated to an explanation of the issues (multi-faceted and complex) and how the city is confronting them. You will not hear excuses or complaints about how difficult it is managing a post-pandemic suburban Denver city.
Cambria Rollo and her family of four moved to Wheat Ridge from Salt Lake City in June 2020. Right in the middle of a pandemic, the Rollo family had moved to a new state and a new city. In May of 2021 they had been living in their new home for nearly a year, but
