Arvada press 1017

Page 1

October 17, 2013

A Colorado Community Media Publication

ourarvadanews.com

Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 9, Issue 21

Businesses honored at event Annual gathering highlights innovation By Crystal Anderson

canderson@ourcoloradonews.com Appreciation is the Arvada way. The 19th annual Business Appreciation Awards Breakfast was held the morning of Oct. 10 at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. The event, which was themed “Ground Breaking Fun,” highlighted five Arvada businesses that have ground breaking excellence in 2013. “We decided years ago to acknowledge our businesses here; what they’ve done for and throughout the community,” said Hazel Hartbarger, director of the Arvada Economic Development Association (AEDA). This year, more than 200 Arvada business owners filed into the Arvada Center to network, eat breakfast and celebrate the award recipients. AEDA gave five awards throughout the event, including the Retail Partner of the Year, Retailer of the Year and the Lloyd J. King Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. Much to Hartbarger’s and the audience’s surprise, an additional award honoring AEDA’s director was given to Hartbarger. “Hazel helped businesses feel like they belonged, and that they count,” said Speaker Tom Clark, “and that’s become the Arvada way.” The businesses honored were NewMark Merrill, for their work reinvigorating the Arvada Marketplace Shopping Center; Utility Control and Equipment Corporation for their exponential growth and maintaining their business in the Arvada Community; Sundyne for being an outstanding corporate citizen and their capital investment in the community; Malones Clubhouse Grill for their community involvement and complete remodel. “It’s pretty neat to be recognized to be a good and long-term employer in Arvada,” said Mark Inboden, president of Utility Control and Equipment Corporation and honoree at the event. The most prestigious of these awards, The Lloyd J. King Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, was also presented to Maro and Ed Dimmer, owners of Rheinlander Bakery. “It’s a great honor,” Maro said, “The city of Arvada is so appreciative of its businesses and we love that we get to live, work, and play in a city who loves its businesses.” The event began in 1996 as an acknowledgement of the Arvada businesses, to recognize what they’ve done throughout the community, and to have a little fun. “We wanted to make it fun and entertaining for our businesses because they work so hard throughout the year,” Hartbarger said.

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Dominic Danborn, Trevor Skrine and Logan Deison, left to right, race around the quarter mile track early Friday morning. Photos by Crystal Anderson

Club inspires students to be active A new grant helps to fund elementary school running club By Crystal Anderson

canderson@ourcoloradonews.com

T

he sun rises and students lace up their shoes, head out the door and begin to run, stride after stride along the dirt-laden path. Being active is a large part of a child’s life, and last spring, to help establish healthy habits, Maria Peters the physical education teacher at Fremont Elementary began a running club for her students. “Running is my passion, and I just want to instill in these kids a love to be active,” Peters said. Active they are. Starting in August of this year, 225 kindergarten through sixthgrade students, about 60 percent of the Kira Taormina, first grade; Trevor Skrine, sixth grade; Logan Deison and Dominic Danborn both in fifth grade, left to school, signed up for the 100-Mile Club. right, are the first students in the 100-Mile Club to reach the 25 and 50-mile marks. The program is designed to teach students the importance of being active and healthy by challenging them to run, walk or jog 100 miles over the course of the school year. The program, which meets around Fremont Elementary School’s outdoor track every Tuesday and Friday mornings at 7, has offered fun and a sense of purpose for the students. “They are proud of themselves, it’s an accomplishment,” Peters said, “For some kids, academics aren’t their thing, and they wake up Tuesday and Friday mornings so excited — it’s the reason they want to come to school.” For students like sixth-grader Trevor Skrine, Fremont’s first boy to reach the 25-mile mark, the club has helped him realize running is his passion. Students and sometimes parents race around the track, each attempting to best one another. “I like running, I’m faster than my other classmates,” Trevor said prior to Friday’s run, which marked his 50 mile. “On a typical day we get over 100 kids,” has helped fund the program by provid“I’m so excited, I’ll keep on going to 75,” she said, “The volunteers help take care ing materials, T-shirts, and funding to he said. of the kids, they punch their cards, note kick-start the program. Along with the students, around 10 who reaches the 25-50 mile marks — they For Kira Taormina, a first-grader and Fremont staff members, as well as 10 par- completely donate their time.” the first girl to run 25 miles, this program ents are active as volunteers or particiThe Active Schools Acceleration Pro- lets her do her thing. pants in the program. Without the help of gram Acceleration Grant (ASAP), which “I like it, it’s my stuff to do,” she said the volunteers, Peters said the program helps 1,000 schools nationwide fund pro- as she went to run her next mile around wouldn’t be as successful. grams, such as the 100-mile running club the track.


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