One of the most frequent concerns I, and my Jeffco counterparts, hear from residents is the growth of persons experiencing homelessness in our community. Residents cite criminal activity, overall safety, debris and property devaluation as their primary complaints when asking their governments to “fix” this issue. As I have discussed in many different forums throughout
The cost of living in a big city has always been expensive, and Denver is no exception. The city has almost become famous for its soaring home prices, and this effect has rolled over into the surrounding communities. In the last decade, homes worth over half a million dollars have become increasingly commonplace, even in
Volunteers are busily preparing the Baugh House for the annual Heritage Day festivities on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., celebrating the colorful history of the storied farmhouse with an ice-cream social and antique quilt show. Originally a log cabin (still evident inside the structure), the house has been through its share
On July 11, Wheat Ridge City Council adopted an ordinance legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units, aka ADUs. After six years of community engagement and two lengthy study sessions discussing the best regulations for Wheat Ridge, I’m very familiar with what ADUs are and what they aren’t. However, many of my neighbors might not know the basics
Remember back in February of ‘21, when Wheat Ridge City Council adopted an ordinance allowing and but regulating short-term rentals, aka STRs? That went into effect the following May with licensing, and enforcement and lodging tax collection began that August. One year later, it’s time to ask what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next. In
The Wheat Ridge Police Department is proud to introduce its four newest officers: DeNoto, Bennett, Pochocki and Iyo. They all come from different parts of the country, bringing their unique life experience to the Wheat Ridge community. Officer DeNoto is a transplant from the East Coast who came to the Front Range as a child
On May 20 I attended the city’s virtual employee award ceremony, where Wheat Ridge employees were honored for work completed in 2021 that aligned with the city’s ACTION values. ACTION stands for Accountability, Change, Teamwork, Integrity, Opportunity and Now, and city employees are expected to uphold these values in their work and interactions. As I
If you traveled West 44th Avenue the afternoon of Saturday, May 25, you may have seen some sort of shindig at the Baugh House on the corner of 44th and Robb Street. It probably looked like a Historical Society event, common on Saturdays. WRHS hosted the event, but its purpose extended far beyond typical Baugh
Founded in 2013, the Wheat Ridge Active Transportation Advisory Team (“the mighty ATATs”) is a citizen-led organization that works with residents, city leadership, businesses and partner organizations to increase opportunities to walk, to ride a bike, and to connect with transit in Wheat Ridge. The ATATs work to promote and develop a physically and economically
For all the newcomers who may not know about the history of our wonderful city, the Carnation Festival, held every August, provides a little insight into what makes Wheat Ridge so special. When the gold mines began to play out in the 1800s, Wheat Ridge seemed a natural location for families to begin settling to
The Grand Opening of the re-staged Johnson Cabin in Wheat Ridge’s Historical Park was a huge success at the Second Saturday May Festival. Visitors got the first glimpse into a building with an unusual and interesting history. It’s staged to provide a peek into the daily existence of a family newly arrived from the East
RidgeFest, Wheat Ridge’s premier community event, will take over The Green on 38th on June 18, from 2 to 8 p.m., for the first time since 2019 with renewed enthusiasm and activities to engage the entire community. Anchoring this year’s event is the Wheat Ridge Maker Faire, where more than 20 local makers will showcase
It was in the summer of 1974 that Roman Halaba left Poland and moved to Colorado. He already knew Theresa, who had moved with her parents back in 1967. She was a student at North High School. In 1975 they had bought a duplex on 44th and Harlan so they could live on one side
Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha followed Officer Alan Hernandez and I to Lutheran Hospital on April 14. As we rounded the corner, we were met with a line of first responder vehicles with lights flashing that easily spanned the half mile to the hospital entrance. I was scheduled to meet with Murtha and interview
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
By all accounts, this Second Saturday May Festival at the Wheat Ridge Historical Park (4610 Robb St.), scheduled for May 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be one for the history books. Not only will we welcome well-loved standards like maypole dancing (at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m.), games, live music,
With warmer weather finally seeing some traction against colder temps and snow, many of our youngest residents start looking forward to getting outside to enjoy all our parks, trails, open space and wonderful playgrounds. This year, the City of Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation department has exciting improvement projects planned for Apel-Bacher, Creekside and Panorama
March came in like a lion with snow and very low temperatures; however, Mother Nature is also making herself known as crocuses and daffodils begin to brighten our flowerbeds. Yet another sign that spring is on the way, are all the events happening in Wheat Ridge. Partnering with the city, Resource Central’s beautiful, waterwise Gardens
All things considered, Wheat Ridge claims relatively little of 30-mile-long Wadsworth Boulevard; however, right now, those two miles are truly the bane of our existence. I try to make good use of Teller and Pierce to the east; I even cut over to Sheridan when I have to engage in some serious north-bound travel. I
Localworks’ next exciting Live Local event is coming up on March 19 at The Green, 7101 W. 38th Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come learn more about the Denver Gaels, check out demonstrations of Gaelic football and hurling, and try your hand at a few activities yourself! The schedule: • 10 a.m. to
As we celebrate Women in History during the month of March, as well as International Women’s Day on March 8, I wanted to write this month about some of the amazing women who contributed their time and talent to make Wheat Ridge the special place it is today, and some who today are leading to
As a retired schoolteacher, I’m continually fascinated by early public education. Mostly, it’s made me feel lucky to have taught in these modern times – no emptying the coal scuttle daily or whittling nibs for the next day’s lessons. Recently, I had occasion during one of the blizzards to curl up with a good book,
In 2005, Wheat Ridge City Council adopted the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (NRS) Report, Repositioning Wheat Ridge, and adopted its findings and recommendations as guiding principles for revitalizing the city. One of two primary recommendations from the 2019 NRS Update was to develop neighborhood engagement in order to better understand what issues and opportunities are most
As Valentine’s Day approaches and omicron infections continue to wane (we hope!), the Historical Society plans to hold its February Valentine Second Saturday Social on Feb. 12, two days ahead of the actual holiday. That should allow plenty of time to indulge in the tradition of crafting homemade Valentines instead of dashing to Walgreens for
