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July 11, 2014 VOLU M E 9 4 | I S S UE 20 | 7 5 ¢
EnglewoodHerald.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Depot project moving slowly Plans call for work to begin soon on lower level By Tom Munds
tmunds@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Mallory Gore, 3, hooks a “fish” to earn a prize at the Grant Street Playground set up at Cornerstone Park as part of the July 4 Family Fun and Fireworks festivities. April McNorton and her family volunteer to set up the games and activities so children can have free things to do until the fireworks are set off after dark. Photos by Tom Munds
Rain can’t stop July 4 fun Annual Family Fun and Fireworks event is a real blast By Tom Munds POSTAL ADDRESS
ENGLEWOOD HERALD
(ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 176-680) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Englewood Herald is published weekly on Friday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT Littleton, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SOCIAL WITH US
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tmunds@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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place to park and a spot to spread a blanket became hard to find in Cornerstone and Belleview parks, as is traditionally the case, when people gathered for the Family Fun and Fireworks event July 4. The event resembled past years with a variety of activities during the day, a live band on stage in the early evening, and a finishing fireworks display after dark. While a couple rainstorms swept through the area in the late afternoon, the skies eventually cleared. Volleyball games resumed, the attractions were blown up again and activities went on as scheduled. Because so many people park in adjacent areas to watch the fireworks, crowd estimates are difficult. However, during the event, Police Cmdr. Gary Condreay said the crowd in the park looked a bit smaller this year, probably because of the rains. This is the 19th year agencies and communities have joined together to put on a July 4 celebration which culminates with about a 20-minute fireworks display. For 2014, contributors and sponsors including Englewood, Littleton, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, Sheridan, Centennial and Arapahoe County. This year, the Colorado Credit Union, Herbaly Exploration and Land Rover of Denver stepped up as private sponsors to help put on the event. There was an array of paid inflatable attractions located in one area and April McNorton and her family set up the free Grant Street Playground in a nearby area. “I have been volunteering with this event almost since it began. Since we live on Grant Street, my family and I decided to set up these free games and activities and call them the Grant Street Playground,” the Englewood resident said. “Maybe the inflatables are more fun for some kids but we wanted to have games like we used to do and that kids could do free.” She works with other volunteer to set up wading pool as a “fishing tank” and an-
Monica Patton hums and plays her guitar as she takes a break from the other activities at the July 4 Family Fun and Fireworks event. She said she likes to be outside and just play her guitar for her own enjoyment and even occasionally writes a song or two. other wading pool where kid tried to pick up marbles with their toes. Every child who took part in these or other Grant Street activities get a one of the small prizes donated by local merchants. “Setting this up is a lot of work but it also is a lot of fun,” McNorton said. “We usually get here about noon to set up so we can open at 4 p.m. Like I said, it is a lot of work but I love it and I plan to keep on doing it as long as I am physically able to do it.” A lot of people left the park when the rains came. Ryan Franklin rolled down the sides of his tent so he and the family could stay dry. “We brought the tent for shade and to have an area where we could eat. It was a good thing today because it kept us out of the rain,” the Highlands Ranch man said. “We came because the kids really want to see the fireworks, I am sure the rain will blow over so we are staying put so we have a good place to watch the fireworks.” Volunteers are important to the success of
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The project transforming the Englewood Train Depot into a letterpress museum has moved more slowly than owner Tom Parson expected. “I though completing the things that had to be done so we could start work on the building would go faster but I was wrong,” Parson said. “For example, we had to obtain the historic easement on the property before doing any work on the building. The easement process took a lot more time than I expected because we had to go back a couple times and make sure all the right words in the historic documents were included in the application. But we have successful completed the application, it has been accepted by the process is being filed so we can begin planning to move forward.” He said some necessary roof repairs were recently completed and he is working with a company to repair the roof’s gutters. “Our next project is constructing a permanent wall on the east side of the lower level,” he said. “Right now, that is a plywood wall with an opening at the top so the area isn’t secure enough to use. We also have to build a ramp leading into that lower level. We hope to get bids and have a contractor working on the wall and ramp later this summer.” Parson also has been busy organizing the non-profit depot organization and raising money for the project. “We got help from a number of printers who created a collection of 20 letter press posters,” he said. “We had an event last month in at the Book Bar in North Denver and sold the prints. It went very well. We will also have the posters for sale at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and next month at the Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair. The money raised will help us make the lower level usable so we can begin holding letter press classes there.”
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Owner Tom Parson said most of the administrative details have been accomplished so he can begin work on making the lower level of the Englewood Depot secure, the first step to setting up his letter press museum. He said he hopes work on the lower level will start later this summer. Photo by Tom Munds