I am thrilled to invite you to join me, along with our city council members and staff, at this year’s Carnation Festival. I always look forward to marching in the parade and being part of this wonderful free community event. It’s a fantastic opportunity for all of us to come together and celebrate the vibrant spirit of Wheat Ridge. The Carnation Festival, now in its 55th year, will take place from August 9-11 at Anderson Park (44th Ave and Field Street).
The festival holds a special place in our hearts, commemorating the post-World War II era when Wheat Ridge was famously known as “Carnation City” due to its flourishing carnation flower industry. While the last carnation grower phased out their operations in 2008, our festival continues to honor this rich history.
As we celebrate our past, we’re also eagerly planning for the future of Wheat Ridge! Our City Plan is a comprehensive initiative that will guide our city’s development over the next 20 years. We want this plan to truly reflect the values of our community. During the first phase of public engagement, many of you shared your hopes and dreams for Wheat Ridge. Now, in this next phase, we invite you to roll up your sleeves and join the conversation about the tradeoffs, core values, planning principles, and priorities that will shape our city.
We have many important questions to consider: How can we support local businesses, especially in areas like Ward Road Station? How can we connect commercial areas with parks and open spaces? What are the best ways to encourage small, compatible commercial areas within neighborhoods? And what should we do with the closed elementary school sites like Kullerstrand and Wilmore-Davis?
You can share your thoughts and ideas by attending our project open house on Tuesday, September 17, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center (4005 Kipling Street). This will be an informal event where you can stop by anytime, share your input, win prizes, take home some great swag, and chat with your neighbors and friends.
If you can’t make it to the open house, don’t worry! You can still provide your feedback through an online survey at whatsupwheatridge.com/city-plan. Paper copies of the survey are also available upon request. To request a paper survey, please contact our City Plan project team by phone at 303-205-7520 or by email at lets-talk@ci.wheatridge.co.us.
For more information about the City Plan and to stay involved, visit whatsupwheatridge.com/city-plan.
I look forward to seeing you at the Carnation Festival and hearing your valuable insights for the future of Wheat Ridge.
Highlighting the Amazing Members of the City of Wheat Ridge Staff: Qatrina Botello
Explain your job: Strategic partner for the Police Department and Court Unit on Human Resources in all areas such as employee relations, recruitment, compensation, training, and development.
How long have you worked for the city? 1 year, 3 months
Favorite pastime: Spending time with my family
Favorite sandwich: Chicken sandwich
Favorite superhero: Ironman
If you had your own talk show, who would be your first guest?: Reese Witherspoon
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three albums would you want to have with you?: Morgan Wallen: Dangerous: The double album, Morgan Wallen: One thing at a time, Kane Brown: Experiment Extended
Why was Qatrina nominated for this highlight?: Qatrina was selected because of her dedication to the HR department. Over the last several months she has served as the department’s interim department head, leading many important initiatives including significant staff changes.
