Denver Headlines Blog: 2016

Friday, December 30, 2016

Birthday tops 2016 news in Valley

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Editorial cartoon December 29 - #lakewoodnews

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Editorial-cartoon-December-29,240898

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Lucero dies in La Veta Pass crash

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Manassa man injured in Pueblo crash

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Lakewood wrestling pins down dual win over Jefferson - #lakewoodnews

LAKEWOOD -- If you were late to the wrestling dual between Jefferson and Lakewood on Dec. 21 you were likely out of luck. The dual between the two Jeffco programs lasted about 30 minutes from start to finish. Six forfeited matches, seven pins

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Lakewood-wrestling-pins-down-dual-win-over-Jefferson,240865

Mustangs win against Cheyenne Central - #lakewoodnews

ARVADA -- There was a little bit of overtime to deal with before Ralston Valley's boys basketball team could focus on winter break. The Mustangs (5-3 record) battled to win 70-66 in double overtime Dec. 20 against Cheyenne Central from Wyoming

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Mustangs-win-against-Cheyenne-Central,240866

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Lakewood mayor looks back on 2016, forward to 2017 - #lakewoodnews

How time flies! It's hard to believe that 2016 is coming to an end. Over the past year I have enjoyed working with City Council and our dedicated City staff and, most of all, I have been honored to work for you! The hallmark of local government

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Lakewood-mayor-looks-back-on-2016-forward-to-2017,240859

Finding steady footing on shifting ground - #lakewoodnews

Wheat Ridge continued to take steps into the future in 2016, with a focus on development and investments in community. As the year comes to an end, we looked back at our coverage to find the five biggest stories of the year. Our selections ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Finding-steady-footing-on-shifting-ground,240853

From growth to a new police chief, Lakewood saw plenty in 2016 - #lakewoodnews

Lakewood was as busy as ever in 2016, with residents and community leaders focusing on what the city's future will look like. This came in the form of passionate discussion about development in Rooney Valley, growth in the Belmar area, and new

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/From-growth-to-a-new-police-chief-Lakewood-saw-plenty-in-2016,240855

A last-minute Christmas tree lot stop - #lakewoodnews

With just three days left until Christmas, one of the few places to still find a quality Christmas tree wasn't in front of a grocery store or in a parking lot. Instead, it was just off West Alameda Avenue at Everitt Farms, where for the fourth

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/A-last-minute-Christmas-tree-lot-stop,240856

Pettersen and Kerr ready to lead Dems in new session - #lakewoodnews

One thing is certain, most observers agree: No one knows what the federal government will look like after Inauguration Day in January. But Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, is ready in her new leadership roles to keep Colorado moving

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Pettersen-and-Kerr-ready-to-lead-Dems-in-new-session,240857

Getting help for Lakewood's small businesses - #lakewoodnews

There's nothing like shop talk and gelato in the morning to get the first day of winter going. Betsy Markey, Region VIII administrator for the U.S. Small Business Association, gathered Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul, representatives from the city's

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Getting-help-for-Lakewoods-small-businesses,240854

Prospect District purchases Applewood Golf Course - #lakewoodnews

After a nearly two year public campaign that included the passage of two ballot measures, Applewood Golf Course is now in the hands of the Prospect Recreation and Park District, a special district that serves unincorporated Jefferson County, ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Prospect-District-purchases-Applewood-Golf-Course,240727

BLM reconsiders solar energy zone

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

End of the year and talking to my (younger) self once again - #lakewoodnews

An open letter to my younger self: Dear ... me- Hi. It's me. Er, it's you. Er, it's ... um, it's us at different places in our lives. Never mind how, just listen, I don't have much time. There

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/End-of-the-year-and-talking-to-my-younger-self-once-again,240772

Sharing the language of love with children - #lakewoodnews

One of the greatest pleasures of reading to children is reassuring them that we love them by speaking the words of love out loud. According to Dr. Gary Chapman, counselor and author of the series

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Sharing-the-language-of-love-with-children,240771

Christmas dinner serves hundreds in Alamosa

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Tattoo shop trying to break the mold

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Here are some hopes for 2017 in prep sports - #lakewoodnews

Another year is about to begin, and each new year brings a chance for change. Here are my wishes for the new year, when it comes to area high school sports: For the Pomona football team, just ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Here-are-some-hopes-for-2017-in-prep-sports,240769

Don't let your family dog become a pup-sicle - #lakewoodnews

While your playful pup may enjoy romping in the snow, the cold weather is not the place your pet should stay for long periods of time. Coloradans are infamous for their love of dogs. Bill Bellerdine, sergeant in charge of animal services for the

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Dont-let-your-family-dog-become-a-pup-sicle,240762

Jeffco's state legislators look forward to 2017 session - #lakewoodnews

Jefferson County's senators and representatives are looking forward to working hard in the Legislature and in their assigned committees this upcoming legislative year. Opening day of the 2017 session is Jan. 11. Rep. Jessie

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Jeffcos-state-legislators-look-forward-to-2017-session,240759

New Year's Eve events, travel and clean-up tips - #lakewoodnews

With 2016 just days away from ending, people are thinking about all kinds of activities -- both fun and necessary. Go to a party, throw one, or just stay off the roads altogether? And if one does decide to go out, what are the best ways to get

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/New-Years-Eve-events-travel-and-clean-up-tips,240761

Friday, December 23, 2016

Hickenlooper appoints ASU trustees

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

City, ASU celebrate partnership

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Versatility is the name of the game - #lakewoodnews

George Mikan started a trend in the 1950s that is rarely seen today at any level of basketball, including boys and girls high school action. Mikan, a 6-foot-10 center who dominated with his scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking skills, paved the ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Versatility-is-the-name-of-the-game,240737

Nellie Sparks - #lakewoodnews

About me I grew up in Oklahoma, but left the state at 18 to come out to Colorado for college, and I've been here ever since. I recently retired from a career in civil engineering, where I worked at the National Park Service. Since retiring,

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Nellie-Sparks,240739

All-league football selections 2016 - #lakewoodnews

The following are first-team all-league selections of players from area schools that were reported from the various conferences: Mount Antero (Class 5A) Bear Creek: Barry Westley, OL; Andre ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/All-league-football-selections-2016,240736

Ralston Valley shuts out Standley Lake - #lakewoodnews

ARVADA -- Thirteen was an impressive number for Ralston Valley's hockey team Dec. 14. That's the number of players that found the scoresheet at the end of a dominating 10-0 victory for the Mustangs over area-rival Standley Lake at Apex Ice

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Ralston-Valley-shuts-out-Standley-Lake,240729

Nellie Sparks - #lakewoodnews

Esquibel fills commissioner vacancy

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Nellie Sparks - #lakewoodnews

Jeffco school board may be looking for new leadership - #lakewoodnews

As the Jefferson County Board of Education looks to the future, they are questioning if Jeffco Schools Superintendent Dan McMinimee should be part of it. "I believe that Dan McMinimee has ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Jeffco-school-board-may-be-looking-for-new-leadership,240721?branding=15

My Name Is: Nellie Sparks - #lakewoodnews

About me I grew up in Oklahoma, but left the state at 18 to come out to Colorado for college, and I’ve been here ever since. I recently retired from a career in civil engineering, where I

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/My-Name-Is-Nellie-Sparks,240720

Songs for those not-so-cheery holiday moments - #lakewoodnews

It's the most wonderful time of the year, right? That all depends on who you ask. Sure, driving down the street at night around Christmas is going to offer the opportunity to see some ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Songs-for-those-not-so-cheery-holiday-moments,240718

Man receives 371 years in prison for crime spree - #lakewoodnews

One of the three men known as the Scream Mask Bandits was sentenced Dec. 13 for his role in a November 2015 crime spree that included armed bank robbery, car theft and the shooting of an innocent bystander. Miguel David Sanders, 29, will spend

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Man-receives-371-years-in-prison-for-crime-spree,240716

Nellie Sparks - #lakewoodnews

Teaching for the future at Tech Center Gold Crown - #lakewoodnews

When Zach McKie was in high school, he had a hard time figuring out what he wanted to study in college. But after participating in the Gold Crown Foundation tech center, he had some ideas: "Here I learned about photography and how to do graphic

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Teaching-for-the-future-at-Tech-Center-Gold-Crown,240704

Costilla undersheriff charged

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Murder conspiracy case progresses

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

This holiday season ask yourself: How do I feed my soul? - #lakewoodnews

I don't know how many of you spend a lot of time on social media - those of you that don't are probably much saner people than those of us who do. I, for one, spend way too much time on social media.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/This-holiday-season-ask-yourself-How-do-I-feed-my-soul,240691

Historic school building finds new life as apartments - #lakewoodnews

Janice Thompson choked up for a moment. "As many of you know, Fruitdale holds a special place in my heart," Thompson said, pausing to compose herself while addressing a crowd at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center. "... I started there in

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Historic-school-building-finds-new-life-as-apartments,240694

An open Christmas letter to friends of all stripes ... - #lakewoodnews

Except for the past five or so years, I have written, printed, stamped and mailed - via the United States Postal Service - an annual Christmas letter. As a writer, I took great joy in crafting each

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/An-open-Christmas-letter-to-friends-of-all-stripes,240690

Letter: Writers getting grinchy - #lakewoodnews

We recently read letters in our local paper from a few Grinchy folks celebrating that our kids will now suffer the consequences of recent failure of the mill/bond, 3A and 3B. It's a little

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Letter-Writers-getting-grinchy,240689

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Jeffco school board decides not to renew superintendent's contract - #lakewoodnews

The Jefferson County School Board has decided not to renew the contract of Superintendent Dan McMinimee, whose three-year contract expires June 30, according to a school district news release. The ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Jeffco-superintendent-shown-the-exit,240575

BREAKING: I-70 to be shut down at Garrison for repairs tonight - #lakewoodnews

DENVER- Tonight, Dec. 20, the Colorado Department of Transportation will need to perform another round of safety critical work on eastbound Interstate 70 at mile marker 267.5 on the Garrison ...

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://wheatridgetranscript.com/stories/BREAKING-I-70-to-be-shut-down-at-Garrison-for-repairs,240576?branding=15

Lutheran looking for new ways to innovate health care - #lakewoodnews

More often than not, when hearing about new advancement in health care, it's a breakthrough in medical technology, or a new drug. But very rarely do we hear anything about new ways to provide health care. Lutheran Medical Center wants to change

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Lutheran-looking-for-new-ways-to-innovate-health-care,240566

New Year's Eve sparks celebrations in Denver - #lakewoodnews

On New Year's Eve, south-metro residents will be joining locally to greet 2017 at each other's homes and at local food and beverage spots. Some will seek out a high place to observe fireworks along the Front Range. Others will head into Denver

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/New-Years-Eve-sparks-celebrations-in-Denver,240568

Murder case moves forward

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Boutique's business is booming

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Alamosa County certifies mill levies

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Editorial cartoon December 23 - #lakewoodnews

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Editorial-cartoon-December-23,240555

New Year, new lifestyle - #lakewoodnews

Nathan Lemon always made resolutions to get healthy, but in 2009 he decided to take it seriously: He lost 100 pounds in six months and now owns F.I.T. Gyms in Lone Tree, Thornton, Littleton and Loveland.

"I had the time to go to the gym two times a day and stopped eating (unhealthy) food," Lemon said. "When I saw the results, it was easy to keep going. That was exciting."

The key is consistency, he said. "Until you really commit yourself to it, a resolution is only as good as the words you say."

Studies show living a healthier life has long been the most popular New Year's resolution.

Whether the resolution is working out more, losing weight, eating better or drinking more water, a research conducted by University of Scranton in October found that 38 percent of Americans want to lose weight and live healthier in 2017.

The difficult part is following through.

Lemon noted that people who participate in early morning fitness tend to stick with it more. His 5 a.m. classes are the most popular and the participants come to the gym more times a week on average.

During the evening, it's easier for someone to skip a workout if he gets out of work late, she wants to spend time with family or anything else gets in the way.

In the morning, "you get in the door, get your workout done and feel so much better throughout the day," Lemon said. "The morning people can't make excuses about a happy hour or a Bronco game --; they just have to get out of bed."

Lemon laughs at the excuses he hears now that he owns his own CrossFit gyms, whose members include individuals who are obese, pregnant or missing limbs.

"I think people can get intimidated, thinking they can't make it through the workout," Lemon said. "The workouts can be scaled or modified for anybody in any CrossFit gym. Anyone can do it --; they just have to want to do it."

According to the University of Scranton study, 75 percent of people maintain their resolutions through the first week of making them. The number of people working to achieve their resolutions continues to decrease as the year goes on.

"I think a big part of backing away from a resolution is that it really is hard to stick to a routine and dedicate the time," said Kelsey Whisler, fitness manager at South Suburban Parks and Recreation. "They may get disappointed that they may not be able to accomplish what they set out to do, so they give up altogether."

Whisler encourages people to set realistic goals. If someone's goal is to run a marathon, he or she should start training for a 5k race first.

Whisler said her resolutions have always been small. For 2016, she vowed to drink more water.

"It is always easier said than done," Whisler said. "Go back to taking the small steps. Don't think too big to start. Small changes will lead to a big difference."

Taking advantage of trainers, being led through group fitness and learning how to use equipment are great starting points for healthy goal achievement, Whisler noted.

The most popular classes at South Suburban recreation centers are Zumba, BodyPump and yoga, Whisler said.

Lemon is a fan of all fitness. Getting out and moving in a way that interests an individual will make a huge difference in how likely he or she is to achieve their goals.

"Any fitness is good fitness," Lemon said. "There are classes like Pilates, yoga and Zumba, but you won't find me there because they don't interest me. Also, I have no rhythm. But people should try new things to get the momentum going."

It is important to remember that improved fitness is a gradual process.

"Most people who come to the gyms aren't looking to be fitness models or John Elway," Lemon said. "They are trying to be the best versions of themselves. We should support those kinds of people."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/New-Year-new-lifestyle,240539

Friday, December 16, 2016

Improving school 'culture' begins us - #lakewoodnews

The nature of my job puts me in a very interesting position. Being in four buildings a day, nine buildings a week, 23 different schools in my career ... I've seen a lot of different approaches to education. And I'm fascinated by it, as is my teaching partner, who has done quite a bit of study in the area of sociology, and one of the other people we work with has her undergraduate degree in Sociology. Between us, we spend more than our share of time and thought considering the sociology of our schools. And one of the more interesting aspects of that is the element of culture.

For those of you a little unsure of what I mean by "culture," let me bring you up to speed. This is one of those major buzzwords that informed how we work in the public schools about 15 years ago, and it still drives a lot of decisions today. The culture of a building is nothing more than the prevailing attitudes and values, as expressed in how students, staff and community approach both the process of educating students and building social norms within the building. And, while "culture" is certainly influenced by "ethnicity," you should never conflate the two --; they are very different beasts.

Consider it this way: The Denver Broncos have had more trips to the Super Bowl in the last 30 years than they've had losing seasons; the Colorado Rockies have had fewer winning seasons in their history than the Broncos have had trips to the Super Bowl. Do you think that's just luck? The Broncos have done this while getting very few high draft picks, and actually being very wrong about a number of free agents (remember Vernon Davis?). So, how do they keep winning? Because the culture of that organization is one of accountability, teamwork, and accomplishment. The Rockies? I once heard that they really value good guys in the locker room.

Not quite the same thing.

How does that relate to the schools? Well, I have schools that are a lot like the Rockies --; good kids, caring and supportive staff, but not achievement-oriented. Other schools are more like the Broncos --; focused on accomplishments, rather impatient with excuses. There's even one school in the area that's a little like Enron, back in the day --; SO focused on the bottom line (test scores, rankings), that it is a little dismissive of students that aren't similarly focused. And, by the way, test scores are NOT the only way to measure achievement: look at the football team, or the spring musical, or the PTSA Reflections contest --; large-scale efforts that provide opportunities for students to excel often tell you more about a school than the dry numbers on a test summary, at least at the high school level.

The reason this matters is that Jeffco Schools are going to be going through an interesting period, going forward. The new year is going to bring conversations --; some of which have already started through the district's web presence --; about budgets, staffing, program offerings and school boundaries that effect everybody. But I am convinced that none of those elements have as much effect on what sort of students we turn out as how we approach the culture of the schools. And that is the sort of thing that the community has not only a vested interest in, but some influence upon.

Take a moment, next time you drop your kids off at school, or listen to a community presentation, and think about what you can learn about the school by watching the activity around it. And then, if you are so inclined, get involved in the conversations about the future. The Broncos are still winning this year without Peyton Manning because that's the expectation --; Jeffco will be working hard to pull off a similar "season." You can help us out --; don't just be a spectator. Get involved.

Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. His novels are available at MichaelJAlcorn.com

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Improving-school-culture-begins-us,240479?branding=15

Accomplish more by going sideways - #lakewoodnews

Having a vision is important for a satisfying and fulfilling life. With a vision you have purpose, energy and something to focus on when you have a down day. You're moving toward it because you want to. A great vision is something you think about many times throughout the day. You can feel and taste it.

As a project manager in my first professional job, I was taught new skills to help me become even more adept. Thanks to my upbringing and work in the construction business, we constantly solved problems by creatively implementing new solutions. When you're in the field with limited resources, your creativity soars. In corporate America I further honed my abilities to do this.

One soon learns the best laid plans by the "experts" is good for a day or two. Life begins to happen. Decisions are changed or postponed, parts show up late, and designs are modified. Rather than get all worked up over these events, I had absolute confidence we would succeed. I viewed them as a challenge and flowed with the new information. To me it was like solving a dynamic jigsaw puzzle -- the fun was in seeing how all the necessary pieces could be put together to meet the original goal.

I quickly learned the benefits of asking powerful-versus-disempowering questions.

Empowering questions are:

• How can this help me?

• How can we use this to our advantage in achieving the goal?

• What is the lesson? How can this make me better?

Disempowering questions are:

• Why is this happening to me?

• What else can go wrong?

• What am I going to do now?

You see that disempowering questions quickly put you into a tail-spin and do not help in finding a solution. It's amazing how many people continue to behave this way even though they have years of experience. They develop a victim attitude. When this happens, they're basically whipped and have little if any chance of success. Stress levels rise, tempers flare, and blame is thrown about.

Empowering questions put you into a positive frame of mind. Your mind-set is one of "I've got this" or "we can make it work."

During our lunch break in Corporate America, we created a solutions game. We would see how many different solutions we could come up with based upon the current fixed knowns. Nothing was off limits -- any idea was valid no matter how crazy it seemed. We discovered that someone's goofy idea would oftentimes trigger a great idea by someone else. All of this is part of the solution process.

At the time I didn't realize the importance or benefit in this way of thinking. I viewed it as a fun game to stretch our imagination. It wasn't until later that I understood we were building our lateral thinking muscles and teaching ourselves to connect the dots in different ways. This "game" is one I still play.

I recently read in "The Obstacle" by Ryan Holliday that in a study of 208 old/new military campaigns, only 2 percent of the successful battles were accomplished via attacking the enemy at its strong point. The overwhelming majority of successful battles occurred by finding new solutions and connecting the dots in different and unexpected ways.

When you find yourself at wits end, when you feel stuck and are out of ideas, when your stress level is sky-high, this is the time to take a breather and connect the dots in a different way. The answer is staring you in the face, but you're stuck in rigid views of the world. Now is the time to seek new ways to connect the dots and deliver a new solution.

Glenn Bott of Arvada is enthusiastic about life and everything he does. He speaks and consults on Business Aikido which is the art of turning any event you encounter to your advantage. He shares what he learned by successfully reinventing himself after recovering from a severe brain injury.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Accomplish-more-by-going-sideways,240478?branding=15

Standout performers West Metro - #lakewoodnews

Marina Luna, swimming, sophomore, Wheat Ridge: She was the first place finisher in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Jeffco Mini Invite on Dec. 9. Her time was 1:14.32.

Bailey Marvel, basketball, junior, D'Evelyn: Jaguars captured the Northglenn tournament championship with a 77-29 conquest of Thompson Valley on Dec. 10. Marvel missed only one shot going 9-for-10, scored 19 points, had 12 rebounds and five steals in the title game.

Savannah Martin, basketball, junior, Standley Lake: Martin played a key role in the 57-37 win over Pomona on Dec. 10 as she recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Jake Haetl, basketball, senior, Green Mountain: He scored 21 points with eight rebounds and three steals as the Rams won the Paul Davis Classic on Dec. 10 with a 58-56 win over Evergreen.

Ella McShane, swimming, sophomore, Arvada West: She won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:05.58 at the Angel Invite on Dec. 10.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Standout-performers-West-Metro,240473

Solar not such a bright spot for ag energy savings

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Airport board chairman recognized, board to disband

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Cyclist dies in Dec. 14 crash

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rebirth for historic Wheat Ridge school - #lakewoodnews

Janice Thompson choked up for a moment."As many of you know, Fruitdale holds a special place in my heart," Thompson said, pausing to compose herself while addressing a crowd at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center. "...I started there in 1955 as a first grader."A few dozen city officials, former students and business partners for a new housing development gathered at the recreation center Thursday, Dec. 15, for the announcement that the former school building at 44th Avenue and Oak Street, next to Anderson Preschool, had officially cleared all the hurdles and red tape, allowing for construction on apartments to begin there, this month."This is a groundbreaking as well as a revitalization for the city," Mayor Joyce Jay said.Construction work will begin before the end of the year on 16 apartment units currently scheduled for opening by Oct. 2017, according to the investment firm.Thanks to a slew of grants and tax credits, the units promise to be affordable and environmentally friendly.

A legacy

The Fruitdale School, 10801 W. 44th Ave., was built in 1926-27 on designs by prominent Denver architect Temple H. Buell to replace the 1883 school building that burned down in 1926, according to the city of Wheat Ridge.Fruitdale is the oldest remaining school structure designed by Buell, according to city officials.When Buell laid out the plans for Fruitdale, he was just getting warmed up in his career. The Chicago-born man designed at least two other schools before Fruitdale, according to a biographical sketch by the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation found on historycolorado.org.Buell's other works can be seen in the Cherry Creek mall and the Paramount Theatre in Denver.John Hartman of Boulder-based Hartman Ely Investments LLC helped draw up the initial plans. Hartman met Buell a few years before he died in 1990. Hartman was just 25 years old and a budding architect when they met."Temple Buell was one of the best architects this side of the Mississippi ... and he turned into a philanthropist ... to be able to preserve his oldest school building is just an incredible honor," Hartman said.Thompson also sent her oldest daughter to start school at Fruitdale before it closed and helped keep it from demolition in the late 1970s when elementary school education ceased there and other times when there was talk of tearing it down. It was used for adult education until 1991 then a preschool language development center until 2006, according to Historically Jeffco magazine.

Resurrection

"It's seen better days ... but now we get to see it revitalized and reused," Thompson said. "It's going from a destroyed school into a 16-unit, mixed income, loft-style housing units that are the very first of its kind here in Wheat Ridge."Many in attendance at the recreation center Thursday for the celebration announcement then went a few blocks down the road to Fruitdale for a group photo opportunity and a tour of the first floor. Vandals had broken in throughout the years, covering many walls in graffiti with everything from phrases unsuitable for publication to graphics like a snail.Getting to the point of rebirth has been years in the making.The Wheat Ridge Housing Authority bought the property in 2011.The building was added to National Register of Historic Places in 2013, according to Historically Jeffco magazine.In 2014, the housing authority issued a Request for Interest in the property that includes the 13,564-square-foot school building and 1,200-square-foot caretaker's house.The housing authority began talking to Hartman Ely Investments LLC in Feb. 2015, according to meeting minutes from the housing authority board meetings."The Fruitdale ... is really a living story," Hartman suggested. "It's been a building that has been inhabited by many, many, many people over the years ... the living story continues today. This is just yet one other milestone event in that story."There will be 15 apartments in the main building plus an apartment in the adjacent caretaker's house."Fruitdale has been saved for a time just like this," Thompson said.There will be two one-bedroom apartments, 12 two-bedroom apartments and two three-bedroom apartments ranging from 550 to 1,100 square feet, according to Hartman. While they will be renovated as modern loft-style apartments, some parts will be refurbished for historical significance. The gymnasium will be cut into two apartments, retaining the basketball goals in each. Chalkboards will be reused when and where they can."We take the best features that are there, like the windows and the basketball goals and the volume of the spaces is key," Hartman said about designing space to make modern meet historic.

Giving back

The building will also feature sustainability features, including several rows of ground-mounted solar panels on the north side of the property, made possible through credits with Xcel Energy."It's green for the environment and it's affordable in an energy use sense for the people who will live there," Hartman said.There will be no natural gas to the property -- everything will be electric."The solar power system will produce an estimated 80 percent of the total energy use," Hartman said.In honor of the namesake, there will also be a fruit orchard. And in honor of the building's original purpose, education will be incorporated."As a way to continue the educational legacy of the building, in a new way -- for the 21st Century -- we're going to have a bunch of exhibits both on the outside on the site and on the inside that will help instruct folks what sustainability means, what preserving old buildings means and the importance of all of that to the community," Hartman explained.Jay said the project is coming full circle."Later, when we go to take a picture, we'll all gather in front of the building, I'm sure," Jay told attendees at the recreation center. "For me, I'll be thinking about the fact that some 90 years ago a group of people had done just that. And perhaps Temple Buell was there."Jay said Fruitdale will be a catalyst for economic growth in the northwest quadrant of the city."This will be one of the best places to live in Wheat Ridge," Hartman said.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://wheatridgetranscript.com/stories/Rebirth-for-historic-Wheat-Ridge-school,240469?branding=15

Farm energy costs addressed

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Salazar barn officially an event center

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

County adopts 2017 budget

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Letter: Unsurprised by school board reaction - #lakewoodnews

Reading about the potential school closings due to the school tax going down in flames, I was not surprised that the school board voted in November to make teacher pay their top priority. It's not surprising because as reported in The Arvada Press in January, that the organization behind the recall and the funding of it was funded by the teachers union. Ninety-nine percent of the money, which they did not want to disclose, was given by national, state and local teachers unions. It was not funded by T-shirt and bake sales as they told us. So let me ask, are the board members, who wanted our taxes to go through the roof, looking out for our interests or the interests of the teachers and their unions? By their own admission, they are looking out for the unions interest and not ours. They may say its "for the children" but their actions say otherwise. As noted on the next page of the Arvada Press, school attendance in Jeffco is flat. I'm glad the levy failed, I'm sick of my hard earned money going to politicians whose special interests help them get elected and they in turn give money back to them. To me, and others, this is just corruption. Who is looking out for the hard working person? Not the Jeffco school board, they have the union mouths to feed.

David Albertsen,

Arvada

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Letter-Unsurprised-by-school-board-reaction,240451

Letter: Comeuppance for teachers union - #lakewoodnews

Perhaps the Jeffco School District should contact the National Teacher's Unions for funding to keep those schools open.

The Unions didn't hesitate to poor money into the district when the recall effort sent conservative school board members home. The recall effort cost Jeffco at least a quarter of a million dollars.

I don't recall any suggestion of closing schools when Ken Witt was in charge. What I do remember is Witt running off a very poor Superintendent Stevenson and having a methodical approach to finances and making our precious tax dollars stretch for the children.

Today we have a dysfunctional school board that can't honor their promises to the teachers, can't afford to keep schools open and have no real path to solve the problems.

Perhaps the school board can get the students to protest some AP courses to get people's minds off the school boards failure?

James Harris,

Arvada

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Letter-Comeuppance-for-teachers-union,240450

In the New Year, I must trust - #lakewoodnews

I was envisioning a visioning session when my word for 2017 became clear.

You may know that I eschew New Year's resolutions, favoring instead a word I choose (or, as I keep finding out, it chooses me) as a focus for the coming year. This is the second time my word and I found each other on a short trip out of town, and it's also the earliest my word has announced itself. Often the choosing happens between Christmas and New Year's, and once it happened well into January.

In any case, as I was preparing for a vision discussion about the coming year, I trusted that my word would soon be revealed ... and it was: Trust.

My word for 2017 is "trust," both as a noun and a verb. I will have trust and I will earn trust. "Breathe," my word for 2016, was the first verb in the five years I've been doing this, so it seems fitting that 2017's word should be both.

I trust that my endeavors in the coming year will happen in the most optimal way.

I trust that I will be worthy of the trust of others - people I love and people who love me, people I admire, people of integrity and decency.

I trust that I will be gladdened, saddened, angered, touched and moved throughout the year, and that I will handle all of these with aplomb.

I trust that I will make other people happy and that, when I inevitably anger or sadden them, I will have carefully considered the outcomes.

I trust that I'll be doing purposeful work that both affords me financial stability and does good for other people.

I trust that I will make a difference in at least one person's life, and that I will be aware of and grateful for the presence of others in mine.

I trust that new people will come into my life, and that I will meet the loss of any others with peace.

I trust that peace will come to more people and to more places on the earth in 2017.

Let me say here, as an adjunct to this last one, that you may know I am disappointed at the man the Electoral College will put into the most powerful office in the world later this month, and I'm disappointed that the overwhelming popular vote will not prevent this. The original 1700s-era rationales for the Electoral College (such as slavery) are no longer valid, but it is what it is. As a predominantly Republican voter, I nevertheless didn't like it in 2000 and I don't like it now. And yet ... I trust it will work out.

I trust that the checks and balances in our system of government will function as they are meant to, that the business of being a billionaire will not take precedence over the import of being the president, and that someone takes away his Twitter account before "Saturday Night Live" does another skit.

I recognize this is a lot of trusting, which could be a challenge because trust doesn't come all that easily to me. The New Year will have its trials, no doubt, but everything will turn out in the most optimal way.

Trust me.

Andrea Doray is a writer who is perhaps a little too trusting, after all. Contact her at a.doray@andreadoray.com.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/In-the-New-Year-I-must-trust,240449

Improving school 'culture' begins with all of us getting involved - #lakewoodnews

Not quite the same thing.

How does that relate to the schools? Well, I have schools that are a lot like the Rockies - good kids, caring and supportive staff, but not achievement-oriented. Other schools are more like the Broncos - focused on accomplishments, rather impatient with excuses. There's even one school in the area that's a little like Enron, back in the day - SO focused on the bottom line (test scores, rankings), that it is a little dismissive of students that aren't similarly focused. And, by the way, test scores are NOT the only way to measure achievement: look at the football team, or the spring musical, or the PTSA Reflections contest - large-scale efforts that provide opportunities for students to excel often tell you more about a school than the dry numbers on a test summary, at least at the high school level.

The reason this matters is that Jeffco Schools are going to be going through an interesting period, going forward. The new year is going to bring conversations - some of which have already started through the district's web presence - about budgets, staffing, program offerings and school boundaries that effect everybody. But I am convinced that none of those elements have as much effect on what sort of students we turn out as how we approach the culture of the schools. And that is the sort of thing that the community has not only a vested interest in, but some influence upon.

Take a moment, next time you drop your kids off at school, or listen to a community presentation, and think about what you can learn about the school by watching the activity around it. And then, if you are so inclined, get involved in the conversations about the future. The Broncos are still winning this year without Peyton Manning because that's the expectation - Jeffco will be working hard to pull off a similar "season." You can help us out - don't just be a spectator. Get involved.

Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. His novels are available at MichaelJAlcorn.com

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Improving-school-culture-begins-with-all-of-us-getting-involved,240448

Letter: Developer doesn't deserve help - #lakewoodnews

I attended the Dec. 6 meeting of the Littleton City Council along with over 200 of my neighbors concerning the status of LIFT funds for several projects, including Columbine Square.

The property owner has several developments in the Denver metro area. His company makes millions each year. They have owned the property for 27 years and have never maintained it. So why do they need tax dollars to fix the blight his company created?

While it is true that Columbine Square is the only truly blighted area that was under consideration for urban renewal funds, it is also true that the property owner created the blight before trying to get money from the taxpayers for this ill-advised project.

This represents betrayal of taxpayers on two levels: First, the property owner does not need the money, and second, because it creates questionable defiance of the will of the voters to use urban renewal as a financing instrument for developers.

Carol Pinigis

Littleton

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Letter-Developer-doesnt-deserve-help,240445

Editorial cartoon December 15 - #lakewoodnews

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Editorial-cartoon-December-15,240438

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Donors support annual dinner in Alamosa

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Lakewood, Belmar partner to showcase arts scene - #lakewoodnews

Lakewood's art scene is a secret the city doesn't want kept anymore, so this holiday season it's partnering with Belmar to spread the word about some of the classes and offerings available every day.

"Belmar has always been a very arts-forward area, especially in its role as Lakewood's downtown," said Meghan Ruble, marketing and promotions coordinator with the city's community resources department. "We're always looking for any opportunity to connect with Belmar, and this is the first time we've tried something like this."

Residents and shoppers can enter to win a Lakewood Arts and Culture Holiday package by visiting Belmar Colorado on Facebook and look for the Experience Lakewood Arts and Culture Gift Package link. Then, all they have to do is sign up for the email blast that provides information on events and news at Belmar.

The package includes a gift certificate for a free art class at Washington Heights Arts Center, a gift certificate from Valkarie Gallery in Belmar, two tickets to the Las Cafeteras concert at the Lakewood Cultural Center on May 5, a Kit-Kat Clock from the Heritage Center's 20th Century Emporium, as well as art supplies like a sketch book, watercolor set and watercolor pencils.

Participants have until Dec. 22 to enter, and the winner will be announced on Dec. 23.

"Art is a defining characteristic for Belmar and has been a part of the property's identity since its founding," said Leslie Horna, Belmar's director of marketing. "You see this in the public art within Belmar's 22 blocks, the community programming and events throughout the year and, of course, through the collection of great artist spaces along Saulsbury Street between Virginia and Alaska streets, which is known as Block 7 Arts."

Block 7 provides local artists with working studio space that also doubles as a retail or gallery setting to exhibit their work.

"Belmar has visitors that come here for a specific store or restaurant and may not know all the wonderful events and resources in the surrounding community," Horna wrote in an email. "Through our community partnerships, we can introduce new people to community organizations, events, programs and issues."

For Lakewood, it's another opportunity to promote the city's developing art scene.

"Lakewood is an incredible place for the arts, and we want people to know we're an arts destination," Ruble said. "We've been a well-kept secret for a while, and now we want to shout about it."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Lakewood-Belmar-partner-to-showcase-arts-scene,240427

Celebrating theater -- and family -- at The Edge - #lakewoodnews

The Edge Theatre's sixth annual Edgy Awards on Dec. 12 gave the Lakewood-based theater company a chance to celebrate a year of artistic achievements and the new season to come.

"We started this theater with 30 people in the audience, and now you're all here with us," said Rick Yaconis, executive and artistic director of The Edge. "This is the one time a year we all get together to celebrate what we've done and why we do this."

Here's a list of the 2016 winners, and some of the best comments heard at the evening's celebrations.

1. Outstanding supporting actor --; Warren Sherrill for his performance as Albert/Bessie in "Casa Valentina": " 'Casa' was an amazing show. It's only once in a while do you get to do a show where you say, 'This is what it's all about.' Plus, I learned how to walk in high heels."

2. Outstanding supporting actress --; Kelly Uhlenhopp for her performance as Ruby in "Getting Out": "It was such a joy to do this show. I got to play a fierce, southern white trash woman, and I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

3. Technical awards: Jason Ducat for sound design work on "Medea;" Tom Quinn for sound management work on "Murder Ballad;" and Kenny Storms for sound and project work on "Marie Antoinette."

4. Rick's Picks: Justin Lane for set design work.

Jason Tyler Vaughn, the first musical director at The Edge on "Murder Ballad:" "Thank you to the Edge for putting on a rock musical in this space, and pulling it off," Vaughn said.

Emma Messenger, the first actor to do a one-woman show at the theater. "This is such a family here, and it was such a gift to be given this show. It was a pure pleasure to discover this incredible woman every night."

5. Outstanding ensemble --; "Casa Valentina"

6. Outstanding lead actor --; Kent Randell for his performance as Arturo in "By the Waters of Babylon": "We're very lucky to do what we love to do here at The Edge."

7. Outstanding lead actress --; Missy Moore for her performance as Arlene in "Getting Out": "This year has been a great one creatively for me. I've been with The Edge for all six seasons now, and I've grown as an individual and actor, and forged some amazing friendships."

8. Outstanding director --; Josh Hartwell for "Casa Valentina": "This show was not work at all. It was just fun the entire time, and The Edge has become another artistic home for me."

9. Outstanding production --; "Murder Ballad": "We've never done anything like this in a space like this before," said actress Shannan Steele. "This is a family at The Edge, and we felt like a welcome guest in your home."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Celebrating-theater-and-family-at-The-Edge,240429

Finding something special at the resource center - #lakewoodnews

The best holiday gifts come from the heart, and for the past 15 years the Developmental Disabilities Resource Center has shown this applies to both the gift maker and giver.

The resource center hosted its annual holiday market on Dec. 1, which brought together clients, local artisans and other developmental disability organizations to sell handmade gifts and foster community connection.

"Attendees look forward to seeing each other every year at this event," said April Richey, volunteer coordinator with the resource center, located at 11177 W. Eighth Ave. in Lakewood. "Everyone loves this day, especially when Santa comes by."

Throughout the day, Christmas carols played from the speakers, there was a smell of cinnamon and sugar in the air, and holiday colors sparkled as far as the eye could see.

"We've been doing the bake sale table every year," said Candy Markley, a volunteer with the Resource Center who was largely responsible for the delicious odors. "Every year is different when it comes to what our best seller is. Sometimes chocolate flies off the shelf, other years it's the cookies."

Representatives from Stepping Stone Support Center were on hand to provide information about its unique cooperative program, which supports adults with developmental disabilities in starting their own businesses and finding employment.

"We're selling products from our teams of clients at the market," said Lauren Apple, community outreach director with Stepping Stone. "We love events like this, because it gives our participants the ability to involve their business in the community, and bring their products to the people."

For many of the resource center's client's, the annual market is the first chance to sell their wares, learn about selling products and interacting with customers.

One of the entrepreneurial clients of the center is Barbara, who was selling handmade Christmas ornaments and glitter snow globes for the first time. The snow globe was particularly popular, since she included a "how to" guide with them.

"My favorite part was putting together that package," she said. "I'm having fun with everyone today."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Finding-something-special-at-the-resource-center,240428

Two Arvada homes receive miraculous makeovers - #lakewoodnews

Christmas miracles can seem few and far between, especially for families that have suffered through tragedy. But last week, Arvada was lucky enough to experience, two miracles, which happened to be just around the corner from one-another.

Two houses, with two families who have both suffered terrible loss, will be a lot more comfortable this holiday season thanks to a small army of volunteers, KBPI and Peace Jam.

The first household, located on VanGordon Street, belongs to Linda Zimmerman. A stay-at-home-mom to two daughters, she lost her husband to a motorcycle accident in October. The father, Jason Zimmerman, had been the breadwinner for an extended household that included his two daughters, his mother, stepfather, sister and nephew.

The second house belongs to Mary Hart, who lives with her daughter and grandchildren. Hart lost her son Joshua Mitchell a few years ago.

On Dec. 9 Willie B and a gathering of volunteers and friends for both households gathered on the front lawns, to greet the families as they returned home from a week's stay at a nearby hotel.

When Hart first saw her house, with the crowd out front she began to cry.

"Are we happy?" Willie B asked as he steered her towards the refurbished interior.

"I'm overly happy!" she shouted. "How do I say 'thank you' enough to everyone here?"

For the past four years, Willie B of KBPI radio has reached out to listeners during the holiday season to nominate families and friends in need of substantial home repairs. And each year, contractors, small businesses and artists have answered the call, doing extensive work in only a week. This year's work included roof work, new furnaces, new flooring, bathrooms, painting, landscaping and this year even a chainsaw sculpture of a hammer with angel wings to serve as a memorial for Jason Zimmerman.

"It just shows how one person can create that Christmas miracle for someone else," said Arvada City Councilman David Jones, who attended the event.

Marc Shutto with Above All Restoration, one of the main partners in the annual Hammers N' Angels, said the group gets as many as 2,000 requests a year, but was happy to tackle not one, but two projects this year, since they were so close together.

As many as 100 local Colorado companies and craftsmen and women joined the cause giving their time and skills day and night for the past week so both homes will be finished this afternoon.

"If it's anything we can offer, it's our talent, our skill," said Brett Mickelsen, the owner of CQL-200 Constructors, who serves as the general contractor for the two projects.

Shutto estimated the market rate for just the work on the Zimmerman home would equal more than $100,000.

"To see all the effort and all the volunteerism, it really highlights what goes on here in Arvada," said Arvada Mayor Marc Williams, who also attended the home unveiling.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Two-Arvada-homes-receive-miraculous-makeovers,240421

Drake Middle teacher awarded for art education - #lakewoodnews

Rachel Dunn, 45, has taught art to the seventh- and eighth-grade students at Drake Middle School in Arvada since 2003. The Colorado Art Education Association recently named Dunn --; a Lakewood resident --; as the Middle School Art Educator of the Year. Here's what she has to say about the award and the importance of art education.

A: I feel very humbled and motivated by the award my colleagues chose to bestow upon me. I hope to live up to the recognition. So many of the teachers I know deserve acknowledgement for their hard work and commitment. I feel as though I share this award with them, the wonderful students I get to work with every day, and the supportive community of Arvada I am fortunate enough to serve.

A: I grew up in Virginia, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The proximity of the Smithsonian Museums allowed me to access incredible art and art opportunities. I always enjoyed creating art and seeing art work from around the world and throughout time helped me make connections in my own learning. My parents were very supportive, providing opportunities for me to grow my interests and get experience doing what I loved.

A: I truly feel as though art is an essential class for all students. Beyond developing visual abilities and offering opportunities to work with tools and techniques, art creates the opportunity for students to build skills that will help them in so many aspects of their lives, no matter what their ultimate career path. Creative thinking and problem solving are at the core of all we do in art class. Developing flexible thinking, fueling self-discovery, building perseverance, communicating new ideas and solutions, seeing other ways of thinking, and learning to respect and communicate with those who think differently, are among just a few of the experiences art offers to students daily.

A: Middle school is a great time for students to explore the variety within art. The projects we do in class reflect the Jefferson County Art Standards, connect with grade level content in other subject areas and offer an opportunity to work with different mediums of art. Students at Drake develop ideas within sketchbooks, explore art concepts through clay; hand building and sculpting, painting, fused glass, mixed media, print making, photography, drawing, and more.

A: In high school, the art classroom became my second home. It was a place in the school where I felt I could truly be myself. I want students to feel comfortable and safe in my art room, so I try to make the class as much theirs as mine. I'm asking them to take risks, share their ideas, and push their abilities, so they need to feel safe being themselves. I hope they will walk away with a greater ability to express their ideas, and solve problems. I hope they will learn more about their view of themselves, the world, and each other.

A: Explore every opportunity to work with art you can find. Take classes at community centers and with local artists, join art clubs and volunteer to help with community arts projects. Go to the museum, to galleries and art markets. Make art a regular part of your life. If you want to improve yourself as an artist, make art. Options for careers within the arts are far more varied and wide reaching than most realize. It pays to do some research to discover all you can do. Choosing a career in the arts can be a path to success, and provide a rewarding life at work.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Drake-Middle-teacher-awarded-for-art-education,240422

Back for more: Edge Theater hosts first returning play - #lakewoodnews

Arthur Miller is responsible for some of American theater's most important works, and he's also responsible for Lakewood's The Edge Theater's first repeat production.

"A View From the Bridge" returns to The Edge, 1560 Teller St. in Lakewood, through Dec. 31. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

"We first did this show five years ago, and it's one of my absolute favorite plays," said Rick Yaconis, The Edge's executive director. "There's a reason it is revived every couple years on Broadway."

Yaconis is reprising his role as Eddie Carbone, an Italian-American longshoreman who lives in Brooklyn in 1955. Eddie lives with his wife, Beatrice (Abby Apple Boes), and his nice, Catherine (Amelia Corrada). But things get messy for everyone when Beatrice's cousins arrive illegally from Italy.

"The play is a very rewarding and fun experience," said director John Ashton. "It's a profound and moving play we're telling in a moving way."

We spoke to both Ashton and Yaconis about the resonance of "A View From the Bridge," and why The Edge decided to bring the show back.

Point 1: Staying relevant --; One of the main topics the play examines in immigration into the United States, and 60 years after Miller wrote it, his exploration remains as vital as ever.

"For the past year or more, we've heard so much about immigration from politicians," Yaconis explained. "The genius of Arthur Miller is the way he writes plays that are centered on social change."

At the time of its writing, the House Un-American Activities Committee was in the throes of its communist obsession, and that sense of paranoia made its way into the play.

"People were forced to name names and betray people," Ashton said. "We're dealing with a lot of that suspicion still today."

Point 2: What's new --; When The Edge first tackled "A View From the Bridge," it was in its first home farther east on Colfax, which had a smaller space to work with.

"Aside from me, it's a completely different cast, a different director and a different space, which means a new approach to set and lighting," Yaconis said. "I didn't want to do the same show again."

Ashton brought a new passion and perspective to the play, and purposefully avoided anything done the first go-round.

"The great thing about working with these actors, is they all known how to react to each other," he said. "Everyone has been raising their own level."

Point 3: What stays the same --; Miller's language and searing social gaze remain the driving forces of the play in the new approach to the show.

"There are some incredibly powerful moments," Ashton said. "So much humanity comes out of these characters."

The play's core message about the beauty and ugliness of family remains the focal point in the new production.

"Hopefully people will look at these characters and think, that's my family around the dinner table," Yaconis said. "It definitely sticks with you for a long time."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Back-for-more-Edge-Theater-hosts-first-returning-play,240420

These siblings are a real team - #lakewoodnews

Christian Elliss, a standout football player for Valor Christian, comes from a big family.

The senior is never lonely and has learned a lot about teamwork.

Being an only child, it's hard not to envy Elliss, but having 11 brothers and sisters might have taken a little adjustment.

Elliss, son of Luther and Rebecca Elliss, comes from a family with a dozen children - and eight of them were adopted. The youngest, Colsen, is 4 years old and the oldest, Kaden, is a junior in college.

"It's always fun," Elliss said. "God blessed me. I love my brothers and sisters. I would do anything for them."

He is quick to recall the fun of growing up.

"I can remember when we were kids we would be able to set up whole teams," he said. "We would go out in the backyard and play baseball. We grew up in Michigan. We could set up a whole baseball field in our backyard and we would play baseball. That is probably one of my favorite memories. Or we would be able to split our family up and do six-on-six for football or five-on-five for football.

"It was even better when we would get to play basketball because we would actually have a full team on both sides. Colsen and Mia are younger and don't really play. All the rest of us played basketball. We were used to the sport and we loved playing basketball."

His parents have extensive sports backgrounds. Elliss' dad, Luther, was a standout football player for the University of Utah and in the pros. He played nine years for the Detroit Lions and one for the Denver Broncos, and is now the Broncos' team chaplain. Rebecca Elliss was a collegiate swimmer.

Christian didn't hesitate when ask to name his brothers and sisters: Kaden, Olivia, Noah, Isaiah, Isabelle, Sophia, Jonah, Micah, Elijah, Mia and Colsen.

Volleyball coach honored

Volleyball coach Teresa (T.R.) Ellis will be one of the inductees in the 2017 Colorado High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame class.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for March 25, 2017 at the Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast.

Ellis coached for 36 seasons, starting in Texas, and compiled a Colorado record of 467-288 while coaching varsity volleyball at Olathe for eight seasons, Douglas County for seven years and 18 campaigns at Chaparral.

She helped build a dynasty at Chaparral. Her teams went 278-148 and won state championships in 2010 and 2011. The Wolverines were state runners-up in 2005.

Ellis and Chaparral had a remarkable four-season run between 2009-12 when the Wolverines went 108-13. That included a 56-match winning streak than ended in September 2012.

She retired after the 2014 season.

The other 2017 inductees are girls basketball coach Greg Fruhwirth of Fowler, North Park volleyball/basketball coach Randy Hodgson, Overland football coach Tony Manfredi and Alan Versaw, who is now the cross country coach at The Classical Academy.

All-girl wrestling tournaments

Girls interested in wrestling will have a chance to make an impression this season.

CHSAANow.com reports that two girls-only tourneys will be held next year so the wrestling subcommittee can judge whether there is enough interest to possibly add girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport.

The first girls tournament will be at Fredrick High School on Jan. 14, 2017 as part of the Warrior Invitational. Northglenn High School will host the second tournament Feb. 2-3, along with the junior varsity state meet.

Girls must be a current member of their high school team and there will be seven weight classes (101, 111, 121, 131, 143, 160 and 189).

State spirit championships

Those young women and men who are always cheering during games no matter if the score is close or lopsided and those who entertain at halftime had their chance to be recognized during the State Spirit championshipsDec. 9-10 at the Denver Coliseum.

The area state champions were Valor Christian in the 4A cheer and Wheat Ridge in the poms. Castle View won its third straight 4A/5A coed title.

Rock Canyon rallied on the final day to win the 5A cheer championship for the third time in four years and Cherry Creek defended its 5A poms title.

Ponderosa captured the jazz title by edging defending champion Mountain Vista.

Team Colorado plays for title

Team Colorado, made up of 36 eighth-grade players selected from the Arapahoe Youth League and Jeffco Midget Football Association, will be one of eight teams that will play for the FBU National Championship on Dec. 17-20 in Naples, Florida.

The team advanced to the three-game national tournament by winning the FBU West Region by dominating three teams and outscoring the opposition 100-12.

McCaffrey headed to NFL

Stanford junior running back Christian McCaffrey, one of the nation's most versatile and explosive players and a former Valor Christian standout, will play his last college football game Dec. 30 against North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. He plans to enter the 2017 National Football League draft.

Some draft pundits project the 6-foot, 200-pound McCaffrey, son of former Denver Bronco Ed McCaffrey, as a first-round pick in April.

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/These-siblings-are-a-real-team,240416

Big Western skies explored in show - #lakewoodnews

Pastel artist Sue Shehan of Castle Rock not only creates her pastel paintings, but completes the presentation with custom frames around each piece. Paintings are floated, with the deckle edge of the paper visible. She begins with black paper and works with soft, richly colored pastels produced by artist Terry Ludwig of Littleton, whose square pastel sticks are favorites with local artists.Shehan is exhibiting her paintings through December, in a collection called "Colorado Skies," at the Outnumbered Gallery in Downtown Littleton.She writes that she grew up in Kansas City and graduated with a degree in illustration in 1980. A move to Omaha was followed by another move to Denver in 1997.She is influenced by artists such as Wyeth and Hopper and loves being from the Midwest, where storms would come in over the plains and create drama overhead, a continual source of inspiration.Shehan has enjoyed classes at the Denver Art Students League and presently teaches art at Sky Cliff Adult Day Care Center in Castle Rock. She is a member of the Pastel Society of Colorado."Through pastels, I seek to explore the drama of color and light. I pursue subject matter that is simple, yet expressive. While I am inspired by all of nature, it is the cloudscapes that captivate me. My desire is to capture the viewer's imagination and to invite them to open the door into the world of pastels," Shehan said. She has also created a line of bird cards.If you goSue Shehan's pastel paintings will be exhibited through December at Outnumbered Gallery, 5654 S. Prince St. in downtown Littleton. The gallery exhibits paintings, pottery, jewelry, art-to-wear and other objects in the 3,000-square-foot space, with featured artists each month, introduced in a First Friday opening. Gallery hours: noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays (until 8 on First Fridays); 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. 720-389-9085.Ludwig Pastels of LittletonNationally known pastel artist/teacher Richard McKinley has compared a visit to Terry Ludwig's pastel shop and studio to a visit to Willy Wonka's candy factory. A look at Ludwig's website would explain why. One finds not just a blue pastel stick, but a box filled with a huge range of blues, from pale to deeply colored. It's the same story for reds, violets, greens, yellows and less showy, but necessary, browns and grays.One can understand how an artist like Sue Shehan is able to create the expanse of Western skies and the landscapes beneath them with the availability of colors to match any given weather condition or time of day.A profile of Ludwig online says that he was an oil painter for 35 years, until he was out painting one day with Lorenzo Chavez of Parker and observed the colors Chavez was laying down with pastels. He bought some and tried them and was not satisfied, so he determined to make his own and embarked on a number of years of trial and error until he reached his present formula. He credits his wife Marie with supporting the family while he worked out how to manufacture a usable product, now in demand worldwide.Hundreds of hues are available at the shop/manufacturing facility at 8113 W. Brandon Drive. Drive south on Santa Fe Drive two miles beyond the C-470 exit, turn right on Brandon Drive. Ludwig shares the building, third on the right, with Southwest Heating and Cooling. Usually open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. He suggests that one call before coming, to be certain it's open, 303-795-1232. At times, artists teach at Ludwig's -- inquire if interested.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Big-Western-skies-explored-in-show,240398

Biggest Colorado Gives Day yet benefits many Jeffco groups - #lakewoodnews

The state's largest charity event, including many based in Jefferson County, brought in $33.8 million in donations this year.

Called Colorado Gives Day, the annual charity event, helped generate donations to 2,111 nonprofits across the state, by offering a $1 million matching fund donated by the Community First Foundation and FirstBank. The money raised on Dec. 6 totaled $5.3 million more than last year.

Some local recipients...

Arvada Food Bank: $56,098

Arvada Center: $23,576

CASA of Jeffco and Gilpin: $61,020

Foothills Animal Shelter: $57,000

Green Mountain High School: $23,943

Jeffco Outdoor Lab: $36,990

Seniors Resource Center: $44,750

Colorado Gives Day organizers say 145,763 donations were made. Donation amounts range from $10 to $1.48 million. The largest gift was given to the Schlessman Family YMCA. Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Inc. received the greatest number of donations.

"We are moved by this outpouring of generosity and thank each and every donor for supporting Colorado nonprofits and the great work they do to make our lives better," said Marla J. Williams, president and CEO, Community First Foundation. "These numbers show that Coloradans value the many ways nonprofits enrich our lives."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Biggest-Colorado-Gives-Day-yet-benefits-many-Jeffco-groups,240393

Arvada Lagniappe celebrates 25 years with new events - #lakewoodnews

Olde Town Arvada's annual holiday had a quintessential backdrop. With the Arvada Chorale slated to sing at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, light snow started falling shortly after 5 p.m. as temperatures stayed in the 20s.

"Hey! Welcome!" Arvada Marc Williams greeted the crowd after the chorale's performance. "Is this weather perfect for a tree lighting or what?"

The crowd cheered.

Arvada celebrated its 25th annual Lagniappe.

"Lagniappe is an old tradition where merchants give their customers a little something extra with their purchase," explained Karen Miller, owner of Paws N Play and president of the Business Improvement District. "And that is what our merchants like to do today. This is a special day for us all."

New this year was an eggnog and cider competition with 15 businesses participating, from eggnog ice cream at Scrumptious to eggnog whoopie pies at Global Goods & Coffee, and alcoholic drinks at School House Kitchen & Libations that included a cider with the restaurant's speciality bourbon.

Homegrown Tap & Dough took first place for its eggnog, and Kline's Beer Hall won the cider competition.

Firefighters held a chili cookoff at Kline's Beer Hall to raise money for the 9/11 fund.

Other events included visits with Santa in the library, horse-drawn carriage rides around Olde Town and a decorated plate contest at the Fire pottery studio.

"The most important part of Lagniappe to me is the merchants stay open late to welcome you," Miller said.

Before the tree lighting, Williams took a moment to boast about Olde Town.

"This is such a special night," Williams said. "It's so heartwarming to see you all here tonight. ... There's so many great places for you to go to here in Olde Town, so many incredible restaurants, great spots, great shops -- this place is unique in all of the Denver metropolitan area. We're so proud of Olde Town Arvada."

He asked any children in the audience who wanted to help with the tree lighting countdown to join him in front of the tree. They counted down from 10 and when the tree lit up, the crowd cheered.

"Merry Christmas, everyone, happy holidays," Williams said after the lights came on.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Arvada-Lagniappe-celebrates-25-years-with-new-events,240394

Arvada High's resource center 'was a lifesaver for us' - #lakewoodnews

Lisa Vegas-Fields stood in a room formerly used for storage at Arvada High School. As she helped students sort through a stock of food and clothes, she noted the amount had decreased since Thanksgiving.

Vegas-Fields transformed the storage room into an on-campus resource center for students and their families this fall. During Thanksgiving, the new Arvada High School resource center gave out 30 boxes of food to families in need.

One of those families was Juanita Becraft, a single-parent of three, two of whom attend Arvada High.

A fire in her Arvada home in January left Becraft and her children in a vulnerable situation. She is on disability, she said, unable to work, and was forced to move with her children to Aurora.

"I don't have that much income and it's helped where I needed help for what I couldn't provide or afford at that time," Becraft said of the resource center.

In addition to the Thanksgiving basket, Becraft and other families also have received winter clothes, toiletries and school supplies. They also were referred to other resources that can help with food and clothing.

"We have a great support system with all of our schools, and recently finding out that there's the resource center was a life saver for us," Becraft said.

More students, families struggling

Arvada High School has a high percentage of families living in vulnerable environments, Vegas-Fields said. The school has just over 50 students homeless or in transition and 66 percent of the school's population is on free or reduced lunch.

Overall, Jefferson County Schools' free and reduced lunch rate is 31 percent. Jeffco has 1,932 homeless students districtwide. Only two high schools in the district have a higher free and reduced lunch rate than Arvada High --; Alameda International Junior/Senior High School, which comes in at 84 percent; and Jefferson Junior/Senior High School at 87 percent.

The difference, though, is that Alameda and Jefferson meet the district's Title 1 requirements. Middle and high schools must report 75 percent or more of their students receiving free or reduced lunch to receive Title 1 federal funding, which provindes grants to schools tosupplement existing programs and provide extra teachers, intervention programs, supplemental materials, technology and professional development. Arvada falls short of that requirement.

At the elementary level, the threshold is 65 percent. Of the 10 schools that feed into Arvada High School, six of them are classified as Title 1.

Other high schools in Arvada have much smaller percentages of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch: Pomona High, 36 percent; Arvada West, 26 percent; and Ralston Valley, 8 percent.

"Arvada is an interesting community and a unique set of demographics," said Rebecca Dunn, community and family connections coordinator for Jeffco Schools. "Arvada has a stronger blend of demographics. But I think that there's a lot more community support and people who want to help their community."

Lower-income housing and a mobile home park four miles from the school are reflected in the student demographics.

But Dunn said the type of need seen at Arvada High is something that is being seen more districtwide.

"It is trending up," Dunn said, citing the most recent point-in-time count, a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night, which listed Boulder, Jefferson and Douglas counties with the newest growth of homelessness.

"I think it's such a reflection on housing in our county and how less accessible and less affordable housing is," Dunn said. "We have many families with working parents living in a car. The perception that homeless are living on the streets is not the case here. It's quite different."

Engaging students and families

At Arvada High, which is more than 100 years old, Principal Gina Rivas wants to make sure students are engaged in the classroom as well as athletics and after-school activities. But Rivas recognized that not all students are getting their basic needs of food and warm clothing met.

That's why the school hired Vegas-Fields, Arvada's family engagement liaison, this year. Title 1 schools are automatically assigned a liaison, but since Arvada doesn't receive that funding, it is paying for Vegas-Fields' position out of the school budget.

"The hope is to get families in our building and get them more involved in what's going on in school," Rivas said.

Hiring a family engagement liaison and starting the resource center is one way to do that.

"Arvada's vision is to create an environment that fosters academic success as well as social success," Vegas-Fields said. "My job as a liaison is to bridge that gap between family and home and find what it is that our students need so that we can assist them in achieving their success."

The resource center is open to students during and after school hours for food, clothing and hygiene essentials. The center is now also open to Arvada High feeder school students and families.

Eight students regularly volunteer to help sort through community donations.

"It's a lot and we have to sort what's fit to give back to the community," senior Jessie Masias said.

Masias likes knowing that the items will go to someone who needs them more.

"The overall generosity of the community is overwhelming," Rivas said. "There are so many alumni that want to support Arvada and everyone has come together and donated items and anything we needed."

The resource center is now prepping for a large distribution to families on Dec. 20, but the center is running low on food and clothing items and is asking the community for donations. The December Holiday Food box distribution will include fresh ham, turkey or a voucher. Necessities such as hand cream, chapstick, gloves and tissues also will be handed out.

After the winter break, the resource center has plans to enhance its services to include enrichment seminars, free tax assistance and a prom boutique.

"Families have been very receptive and thankful," Vegas-Fields said. "Our vision is to create an environment in which our families feel valued, welcomed and engaged."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Arvada-Highs-resource-center-was-a-lifesaver-for-us,240391

Senior living center hosts indoor zoo day - #lakewoodnews

Coloradans are pretty lucky to live in a place where they can easily scope out amazing wildlife right from their windows.

But on the first truly frigid day as the winter of 2016-17 approaches, the residents at Atria Park of Applewood senior living had the opportunity to go on a backyard safari right in their building.

"It's too cold to go to the zoo, so we're bringing the zoo to you," said Liz Tessi, engage life director at Atria Park, as she introduced James Garcia, Denver Zoo outreach specialist.

In addition to the pelts, bones and photos of some of Colorado's most recognizable species (think bears, pronghorns and skunks), Garcia also brought some of his friends from the zoo.

"We're going to learn about some animals that may not be as charismatic as ones like giraffes, but they're still very important," he told the residents. "There used to be millions of one such animal, but there's only around 1 percent left --; and that's the black-tailed prairie dog."

Garcia then introduced everyone to Roxy, a prairie dog from the zoo, as he explained the ways 125 different species depend on the animal.

Prairie dogs provide a vital food source to eagles, snakes and other predators, they till the soil with their digging, which ensures grasses grow for deer, bison and other animals to eat, and small animals use empty prairie dog holes to stay warm during the winter.

One of the Denver Zoo's main focuses is conservation, so as Garcia brought out Yertle the Box Turtle, a tiger salamander and Onyx, a black rat snake, he highlighted the interconnectivity of humans and the natural world, and how important it is to protect animals and their habitats.

"There used to be so many bison that it could take upward of three hours for a herd to walk in front of a person, but they were killed to starve the Native Americans," he said. "The bison is the first animal we helped save from extinction at the Denver Zoo."

Some of Atria's residents were brave enough to pet Onyx, and came away with a new appreciation of not just snakes, but all animals.

"I've never been that close to a snake before," said resident Sara Salmon. "I feel better about snakes now, and love the experience."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Senior-living-center-hosts-indoor-zoo-day,240389

Welcome to the Cloud, a new listening experience - #lakewoodnews

Imagine a radio station that caters to the feel of Colorado --; relaxed, vibrant and varietal.

That was Chuck Lontine's goal when he developed the Cloud, a new radio station that delivers soft modern rock from then and now.

"I wanted to create an environment on the radio that is consistent with the Colorado lifestyle --; fresh and out-of-bounds," Lontine said.

The Cloud, or KKCL Radio, is aired in Golden and Boulder on 96.9 FM. It is available throughout the Denver-metro area on 1550 AM. Or it can be streamed online at www.thecloud.fm.

The FM radio station transmits from Lookout Mountain in Golden and Hoover Hill in Boulder. The AM broadcasts from two towers just north of Golden on Highway 93. The FM station launched on Nov. 10 and the AM station in July.

Lontine, 56, a Colorado native who lives in Littleton, is also hoping to open a storefront studio on Washington Avenue in Golden to host local musicians in 2017.

Music content on the Cloud is a unique blend of soft alternative and contemporary rock music, singer songwriters and classic pop hits spanning several decades.

Listeners may hear a classic Bobby Darin tune, such as "Mack the Knife," followed by recent music by Adele, Jason Mrazz or the Plain White Tees, Lontine said. The Cloud plays everything from Lyle Lovett to Tony Bennett to the Cure.

"It's an algorithm I developed ... to blend music to match real-time listening habits to services like Pandora not found on the radio locally," Lontine said.

Lontine works from a database of 5,000 songs, and the format is designed so people can listen to the Cloud for a long period of time, he said.

"In no 24-hour period will the same song be repeated twice," Lontine said.

The station mostly sells 10-second commercials similar to public radio, he said, which allows the Cloud to play more music per hour than most radio stations. Nonprofit organizations are also welcome to reach out for free promotion, Lontine said.

"I'd like a strong cloud community among the nonprofits in Golden and Boulder," he added.

George Emmett of Louisville has a background in broadcast engineering and discovered the Cloud when he was doing some research into various radio stations.

Emmett has what he described as an eclectic taste in music, and one of the reasons the Cloud is so good is because of its format, he said.

"Sometimes you want something bright and upbeat," he said, "and sometimes you want something calmer."

The Cloud is not a hits station, Emmett said --; it may be a good way for people to discover new music or hear a song they may have forgotten about.

"They're songs you've probably heard before," he said, "but not what you hear on the radio all the time."

People seem to like the mix, Lontine said.

"Response has been so heartwarming," Lontine said. "I received an email from a new listener on Thanksgiving morning. She had the Cloud on at her family home in Golden while cooking. She discovered the radio station in her car ... and has been listening ever since."

Lontine is inspired by movies --; children's movies in particular --; and love stories for the music selection. He reads a column in the New York Times called Modern Romance, from which he gets a lot of ideas for music to air on the Cloud.

"Behind every great love story, there's a song," Lontine said. "I seek it out and share it with my listeners."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Welcome-to-the-Cloud-a-new-listening-experience,240390

Celebrating the season with brews - #lakewoodnews

The holidays offer a lot of fun experiences -- the sight of extravagant light displays, smells of roasts and freshly baked pies and the warm feeling of joy when surrounded by friends and family.However, along with that, comes some stress -- long lines, crowds of people shopping for the perfect gift, the hustle-and-bustle of attending and planning holiday parties.But across the Denver-metro area, breweries and brew shops are offering an opportunity to slow down and enjoy a locally-crafted wintertime brew.Colorado Native WinterfestGlenn Knippenberg, president and cofounder of AC Golden Brewing Company, starts receiving emails and phone calls in September about the availability of Colorado Native Winterfest."It's got a unique style," said Jeff Nickel, AC Golden's head brewer. "Winterfest is an all-around good food-pairing beer. It stands up particularly well to hearty meat dishes and also pairs well with chocolate."Winterfest is a traditional Bock-style beer. It is made with Moravian two-row pale and chocolate malts, which create a sweet, toasted malt and biscuit flavor, Nickel said. "As a lager, it's smooth and balanced."Colorado Native Winterfest can be purchased in liquor stores or enjoyed at some bars, restaurants and other establishments across the state.But once it's gone, it's gone, Nickel said.Winterfest is not brewed in mass quantity. It is usually released in October, and AC Golden tries to make enough to last through December.Coors broke ground as a big brewery when it started Winterfest in 1984, Knippenberg said. However, Coors discontinued it in 2008. But AC Golden Brewing Company -- a subsidiary of the now MillerCoors company -- wanted to keep the tradition going, and took the brand that same year, Knippenberg said. Then, in 2015, AC Golden started sourcing all the ingredients for Winterfest from Colorado."That made it eligible to be Colorado Native," Knippenberg said. "We decided things are better if they're local."Nothing from out-of-state goes into any of the Colorado Native beers, he said, and Colorado Native is not available in any other state."It's Colorado's beer," Knippenberg said.Salted Caramel Baltic PorterThe Salted Caramel Baltic Porter of Parker's Elk Mountain Brewing will give people a "nice, warm feeling when it's cold outside," brewer Shannon Madruga said.And it will even appeal to those who don't prefer dark beer, she added.Baltic porters are lagers. Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine describes them as typically including "a lot of roasted character, chocolaty notes and hints of coffee and creaminess."The Salted Caramel Baltic Porter will have those big, robust flavors, Madruga said, but also a little bit of sweetness. The recipe uses kosher salt and caramel.It was brewed on Nov. 16 at Elk Mountain Brewing and has been fermenting since. Beer is on its own schedule, Madruga said, so the release date is unset, but people should expect it sometime before Christmas.The idea behind the Salted Caramel Baltic Porter originated through a contest. Five employees came up with festive, cold-weather beer recipes, which were then posted on Facebook for people to vote on. The Salted Caramel Baltic Porter was the winner.It will be the first time the brewery has made Salted Caramel Baltic Porter, but not the first time that the brewery, which has been open for 6 1/2 years, has tried something new."We like to make it interesting," Madruga said. "It's always really fun to do something new."Snowball Express Winter AleKokopelli Beer Company's head brewer Rick Holt has a passion for trains, snow and a winter's night storm. Thus, the Westminster brew pub's Snowball Express Winter Ale was developed.It captures "the serenity of the holiday season, all in one pint pour," Holt said.This is the second year Kokopelli has brewed the ale. It was released on Dec. 5 to celebrate Christine Wares' birthday -- she's Kokopelli's owner. The winter ale will be available until March 1, unless it runs out beforehand.People will most enjoy the aroma and its warming sensation, Holt said.The Snowball Express is dark, poured with a nice, creamy head, similar to hot cocoa, Holt said. The recipe includes Belgian Monastery yeast, which accents the aroma with a semi-sweet fruity nose and just a hint of banana bread."The full body mouthfeel provides a smooth texture, finishing with a nice winter warming that helps the chills on a long, dark winter's eve," Holt said.Tom's Brew ShopHomebrewing is a popular hobby all year round, said Tom Schurmann, owner of Tom's Brew Shop in Lakewood.But people especially love to brew in the winter, he said. "It's truly a cold-weather hobby."The most obvious reason, Schurmann said, could be because people don't want to spend hours over a hot stove in the hot summer months. He notes that his sales decrease slightly in the peak of summer.But other than that, people probably enjoy brewing in the winter because it's an extremely social hobby, Schurmann said."It's something that pulls people together," he said.Stouts are popular this time of the year, and so are spiced holiday ales, Schurmann said.The shop in Lakewood caters to craft brewers from beginner to experienced, and carries everything a person would need -- starter kits; equipment for the entire process, from brewing to kegging and bottling to cleaning; and all the ingredients, such as extracts, hops, yeast and several hundred styles of grain, for example."Brew shops helped get a lot of the big-name brewers going," Schurmann said.Employees at the shops answered their questions, taught and trained them and helped them develop their first recipes, he added.But it's a hobby for all."The whole thing about craft brewing is the craft," Schurmann said. "It's an ancient craft that people are enjoying once again."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Celebrating-the-season-with-brews,240395

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Costilla Commissioner Gallegos dies

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

School board approves mill levy

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

City considers mobile home moratorium

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Carpenter in court on murder

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Friday, December 9, 2016

Police recognized for service

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Thursday, December 8, 2016

'I'll Be Home for Christmas' premieres at Arvada Center - #lakewoodnews

The Arvada Center has entered a new era.

The current production, "I'll Be Home for Christmas," is an original musical that features music and lyrics by David Nehls, who has been the Arvada Center's music director for many, many years. The book (story/dialogue) was written by Kenn McLaughlin. Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck created the inventive choreography. This is the first time a production has been conceived and produced by the talented personnel at the Arvada Center. This is a very ambitious undertaking ... and it paid off. Kudos to Arvada Center Artistic Producer (Musicals) Rod A. Lansberry for supporting this venture.

The story takes us back to 1969, and the Bright family is preparing for their annual Christmas show, a highly anticipated national television event. When the show began, I thought, "This is going to be completely formulaic. It will be easy to predict and the tunes will sound like every other holiday song." I am delighted to say I was completely wrong. As the story unfolded, it turned out to be fresh and unexpected. I couldn't predict what would happen next. And the music was unexpectedly refreshing and creative.

The parents Noah Racey (dad/Dana) and Megan Van De Hey (mom/Louise), along with Kim McClay (daughter/Maggie), are greatly missing their son/brother Jake Mendes (Simon). Now here's where I began to think, "I've seen this before ... Simon arrives to surprise the family for Christmas." But from then on, the story takes unexpected twists and turns and I found myself completely engrossed in a brand new experience.

The talented cast is directed by Gavin Mayer (whom I first met when he was the drama coach at Pomona High School). The clever set by Brian Mallgrave created the tone of a live radio broadcast. The costumes by Samantha R. De La Fuente-Menche were quintessential 1969.

This is must-see theater. "I'll Be Home for Christmas," runs through Dec. 23. The show is wonderful for the whole family. For tickets and info, call 720-898-7200 or visit www.arvadacenter.org.

Apex show was charmer

"A Disney Christmas" was presented last week by the Apex Therapeutic Recreation Department

It's too late for you to enjoy this delightful holiday tradition this year. It took place at the Apex Community Center on Dec. 1, but it's an annual event so watch for it next year.

This inspiring adventure is directed and choreographed by Chris Duncan, a personal trainer and fitness instructor at the Apex Rec Center. Chris volunteers her time from September to December to give these special people an opportunity to perform for their families and friends. While the participants have a wide range of abilities, the things that remain constant are their joy, enthusiasm and excitement at being on stage and in costume.

Watching the pure delight on their faces as they executed their routines and sang along to the recorded tracks was something I'll remember for a very long time. Thanks, Chris, for the love and dedication you give to this wonderful concept.

Columnist Harriet Hunter Ford may be reached at hhunterford@gmail.com.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Ill-Be-Home-for-Christmas-premieres-at-Arvada-Center,240203