1-Color
May 15, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 125, Issue 42 A publication of
littletonindependent.net
For some, sidewalk ordinance a tough sell Certain merchants unhappy about change in downtown By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Berry, a retired minister, chose “Agape38” as his license plate. Agape refers to God’s unconditional love, he explains. “I loved the car just the way it was in the woods, and God loved me as a sinner,” he said. “But now I’m born again, I’m restored, just like the car.” Joe Unrein, too, feels a personal connection to his car, though for a more earthly reason. A paramedic who worked for his father’s ambulance company, he snagged a 1959 Cadillac ambulance that started out a hearse. “Sometimes back in the day, they did double duty,” he said. “The funeral homes sometimes had the only ambulance for miles.” Like a lot of guys, John Kurowski’s love affair with his car began when he was a teenager. He had a 1950 Mercury hotrod that he gave to his brother when he joined the Army in 1962. But his brother followed him into the military, and nobody is sure
A downtown merchant was escorted out of Littleton City Council’s May 6 meeting after she shouted at the councilmember who represents that district. “Have you listened to anything that we’ve said?” Charlotte Ryan, the owner of Charlotte’s Rustic Rose, yelled at Councilmember Randy Stein. “This is silly.” Stein had just moved to amend a controversial ordinance that regulates how and when the merchants can place their wares on the sidewalk in front of their stores. Ryan herself has quite a collection on permanent display in front of her store on Prince Street, usually including giant metal roosters and a sampling of furniture and ornamental items. The practice is currently forbidden under city law, but it’s rarely enforced. “We’re taking something that is not allowed at all and seeking to make it allowable under certain circumstances,” noted Stein. But then he offered amendments that sought to unwind some agreements staff and the merchants’ association had negotiated. The first, which passed, increased the amount of sidewalk to be left unimpeded to 6 feet from the curb, up from 5 feet, which is the requirement for restaurant patios. “The restaurants that have outdoor seating make money every day off of their portion of the sidewalk,” said Helen Rice, owner of Willow-An Artisan’s Market. “This ordinance, if approved, would erase Littleton’s personality. It would be like pulling in the welcome mat.” The second, which fell to a tie, would have decreased the number of days per month outdoor wares would be permitted from three to two. That had been one of the stickiest points of the negotiations, with merchants opposed to any limitations on number of days. Because they are generally small, independent businesses, they say displaying their wares outside is a staple in their marketing plans. “Color captures the shoppers’ eyes,” said Kathleen Kliebenstein, owner of Kaleidoscope Design Gallery and Studio. “It’s not a cookie-cutter small town. It’s a vibrant spot with character, and that’s why most of us are here.” But Stein’s preference was for them to coordinate on districtwide sidewalk sales, which they now do once a year. “I think there’s a great deal of synergy
Cruisers continues on Page 13
Sidewalk continues on Page 13
Dan Berry’s 1938 Chevy Deuce Coupe is purple velvet with a lime twist. Photos by Jennifer Smith
Cruisers flexing their muscles
Car club members share personal connections to their classic rides By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com When they talk about them, their eyes alternately gleam with pride and soften with affection. They carry photos in their wallets to show off to strangers, even have them printed on their Visas and calling cards. One woman keeps the whole baby book in the glove box to show people how much the love of her life has grown and changed over the years. Then, on the second Saturday of each month, they shine them up, take off their tops if the weather is nice, and parade them around downtown Littleton. Of course it’s not their kids — it’s their cars. “I’ve always had a love affair with trucks,” said Arlene Clawson. “I learned to drive in a 1950 truck.” Clawson, 79, and her dog Annie brought their 1950 Chevy pickup to Woodlawn Shopping Center to hang out with other car fanatics and get a little cruisin’ done before the rain set in on May 10. She got out the baby book, which chronicles her truck’s transformation from rust bucket to show stopper. She did much of the work herself, including finishing the white-oak panels in the bed. She bought the Chevy, nicknamed “Girlfriend,” in 1991 for $1,200. Now? “There’s not enough money in the world to buy this truck,” she laughs. Clawson and other members of the Chassis Lassies often join forces with the Littleton Cruisers for the second-Saturday rides. Founder Harold Schultes said he wanted an alternative to the Golden Super Cruise, which is elbow-to-elbow people and too far from home. POSTAL ADDRESS
Annie loves riding in her owner’s 1950 Chevy pickup. Her owner, Arlene Clawson, is a member of the car club Chassis Lassies. Schultes and his buddies call it “group therapy.” “We hang out with these guys so much, we can finish each other’s lies,” jokes David Smith. Schultes owns a ‘65 Chevy Malibu SS, which he restored to its original and distinctive color, Evening Orchid. When he was hot-rod shopping in 1986, he had it narrowed down to that one, which cost him $2,900, and a GTO. “Now I kick myself that I didn’t borrow the money and buy them both,” he said; the Malibu alone is insured for $30,000. Dave Berry also hit a home run with his 1938 Chevy business coupe, which originally came equipped with a mattress in the trunk for traveling salesmen. “It was literally a hulk in the woods,” said Berry, but he managed to get it restored, all by himself in his garage, in just nine months. Of course, his wife had relegated him to a cot in there with the car by the time he was done — he’d replaced the mattress with subwoofers and such.
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