ARVADA 1/3/13
January 10, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 8, Issue 33
Republican keeping watch from the middle
ourarvadanews.com
ON THE MOVE
By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com House District 25 Rep. Cheri Gerou won re-election in November, only to find that several of her fellow Republicans did not. Now in a Democrat-controlled House, Gerou said the 2013 legislative session would be very interesting how the Democrats handle being in control of both sides of the Legislature and the governor’s office. “I’ll be watching to see how they manage themselves,” Gerou said. But unlike several of her fellow Republicans, Gerou has a history of bipartisan cooperation, and has offered to vote against her party’s wishes on big issues like education funding and civil unions. “My predecessor, Rob Witwer, said, ‘The best advice I can give you is Gerou to vote your conscience, vote your district, and vote your party.’ And by the time I’ve voted my conscience, and my district, I don’t often worry about voting my party,” Gerou said. Her district — covering much of south Jefferson County and its mountain communities — is comprises roughly in thirds by Republicans, Democrats and Independents, and that has meant that she has found herself on middle ground on several occasions. As the chair of the Joint Budget Committee, Gerou once received 64 votes out of the 65-seat House. “And the one vote against was from someone from my own party,” Gerou said. Now in the minority on the Joint Budget Committee, Gerou said 2013 would be a delicate time for the Colorado economy. She said one of her focuses would be on health care, particularly lowering Medicaid costs. She said she intends to author two bills, one to increase proactive and preventative health care to young and expecting mothers, and one to address endof-life issues for the elderly. Gerou said reducing costs now would help improve what she sees as an unsustainable program, which might get a lot bigger if Gov. John Hickenlooper agrees to the federal government’s offer to increase Medicaid eligibility in the state. “The federal government pays (most of the additional cost) through 2019, but what happens after this? There’s no free ride on this — the state is going to end up paying most of it,” Gerou said. On education, Gerou said she foresees major budget fights over K-12 funding, and says she personally would like to see more funding for higher education, which she sees as a form of economic development. Democrats are likely to revive the bill in favor of civil unions, which Gerou says will have her support. Democrats are also likely to propose some form of gun control legislation as well, which Gerou is more skeptical about. “I really applaud the governor’s efforts for his mental health funding. That’s the real problem right there,” she said.
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
City of Arvada District 2 councilman Mark McGoff, right, followed by Bob Fifer, councilmember-at-large, lead a group of walkers northward during a winter hike Saturday at Majestic View Park. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Sisters bring sugar, sprinkles Former teachers open cupcake shop with more than 50 choices By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews.com
S
isters Jessica Forster and Candice WirthKleinbub have come a long way since their first foray into baking as young girls with their Holly Hobbie oven in their parents’ New York home. “We got it for Christmas one year, and you could make one cake and one pie,” Forster said. “We were using it in the basement because that’s where we played and Candice used the little spatula to take a cake out and it smashed to the floor.” “That’s when I said, ‘Twenty years of baking? No way,’” Wirth-Klienbub said. But baking is just what these two sisters, who now live in Arvada with their families, plan to do for the next 20 years. After about a year of planning and hard work, Forster and Wirth-Kleinbub opened the first cupcake shop in the area, Once Upon a Cupcake, 5680 W. 88th Ave. in Westminster, on Dec. 18. The sisters have created more than 50 different types of cupcakes, from traditional flavors to ones customers can’t find anywhere else, as well as chocolate whoopie pies with marshmallow filling. While the bakery offers dozens of different flavors, the flavors are rotated on a daily basis, with about eight to 10 available each day. Classic cupcakes offered include ones such as “Birthday Bash,” double chocolate, peanut butter cup and “Red Queen,” a red velvet cake cupcake. “The cupcakes are really delicious and really creative,” said Linda Le, an employee at Once Upon a Cupcake. “They always try to create new ones, which I think will help them with future success.” The shop’s custom cupcakes set it apart from other shops with flavors such as peanut butter and jelly, Mambo Italiano, a tri-colored almond cake with apricot filling, topped with chocolate ganache and slivered almonds is the sisters’ version of the Italian rainbow cookie. While each cupcake is different, they all have three ingredients in common. “Sugar, sprinkles and love are put into every cupcake,” said Forster. Once Upon a Cupcake has also introduced
Sisters Jessica Forster, left, and Candice Wirth-Kleinbub opened their family-operated business Once Upon a Cupcake at 5680 W. 88th Ave. in Westminster. Photo by Andy Carpenean “Tipsy Cupcakes,” with flavors akin to Captain Morgan and Coca-Cola, Jagermeister and Red Bull, a White Russian and a Bloody Mary. Tipsy cupcakes are available Fridays and Saturdays. Two other specialty cupcakes do more than just satisfy a customer’s sweet tooth. Ten percent of proceeds from the “Pink Elephant,” a strawberry and cherry flavored cupcake with a strawberry jam filling, and “Hey Jude,” an Earl Grey lemon and lavender cupcake, are donated to charity. The “Pink Elephant” supports the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn., while the “Hey Jude” supports St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. “We want to give back, so we’re supporting animals, because we love animals, and humans,” Wirth-Kleinbub said. Cupcakes not sold by the end of the day are also donated to local food banks. While the shop is new and has been a learning experience, the sisters are not new to the baking business. Before opening the shop, they owned their own cupcake catering busi-
ness while they were teachers at Parr Elementary School. To continue to support their fellow teachers, all Jefferson County Public Schools staff and faculty receive 10 percent off when they show their badge. Forster and Wirth-Kleinbub have found their years of experience in the classroom as a benefit when it comes to running a business too. “You learn to keep order,” Wirth-Kleinbub, a former art teacher for the elementary school. “I had over 300 kids so I learned to keep things going but still kind of fun.” And fun is just what the shop tries to bring with its bright pink walls, cartoon cupcake characters on the wall and coloring books on the table for to entertain children when they visit. Once Upon a Cupcake even hosts events such as birthday parties or showers for up to 15 guests. Once Upon a Cupcake, 5680 W. 88th Ave., Westminster, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The shop is closed Sundays.