Charles “Chuck” Sprague isn’t a teacher remembered for doling out worksheet assignments. During its December 9 meeting, several community members urged the Wheat Ridge City Council to continue its support of the Wheat Ridge High School’s STEM program, started by Sprague, after his retirement. Former students with degrees from high powered universities, parents who drove
Bob Dubois, or “Bob the Roofer,” took several calls to inspect a homeowner’s deteriorating roof and gutters. The roof, held together in some spots with screens and random objects to prevent wild animals from crawling in, wouldn’t earn contractors the quick insurance payout they were hoping to collect, which led companies to drop the job
“It’s all about people and positivity.” This mantra guided Robb Gneiser through 14 years as principal at Windy Peak Outdoor Lab, an outdoor education program for middle school students in Jefferson County. Founded in 1975 and located on 205 acres in Bailey, Colorado, Windy Peak provided an immersive educational experience to an estimated 60,000 students
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
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
“My paintings are about Colorado,” says Theresa Joyce, Denver-area artist. “Nearly every one of them is a painting of where I’ve been, where I hang out, or where I ski. The first thing Joyce does before starting a painting is to ask herself why she wants to paint that particular scene. “I try to remember
“Pet therapy is a way for dogs to interact with patients and help them to relieve tensions and forget their pains,” says Roxann Ritchie, a volunteer with Lutheran Medical Center’s pet therapy program. “There might be a person who’s never smiled and hadn’t been talking, but then the dog comes in, and the patient starts
Only a few weeks ago Paige Piper became, in her words, “…the biggest cheerleader of the Localworks organization. One of the reasons that I love non-profit work is because I get to do a little bit of everything.” She began her work at Localworks as the new Executive Director on June 6. Localworks is a
