December 25, 2014 VOLU M E 1 49 | I S S UE 3 | 5 0 ¢
GoldenTranscript.net J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Rocky Mountain water
ON THE MARCH
New partnership donates funds to protect forests By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com One of the key ingredients in MillerCoors beers is the famous clear mountain water. On Dec. 16 the company joined with PepsiCo and the Wells Fargo Foundation to ensure that water will be protected for millions of Colorado residents. The three organizations announced they will donate $1 million to The Nature Conservancy to protect the Front Range forests, which in turn protect a clean water source for the state. “The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect that land and waters that all life depends on,” said Heidi Sherk, The Nature Conservancy interim state director of Colorado. “The Conservancy works with partners to find solutions that benefit both people and nature.” On hand for the announcement were representatives from the three organizations, who highlighted the importance of protecting the state’s water supply. “This is not just a place where we do business — the Front Range forests are part of our heritage,” said Tom Long, MillerCoors CEO. “The forests catch the winter snowpack and supply water for more than two-thirds of Colorado’s population. We need to ensure we have safe, clean drinking
The 24th St. Stringers from Golden High School start their walk up Washington Ave., while singing Christmas Carols. Photo by Amy Woodward Pete Coors spoke about the importance of protecting Colorado’s water sources at the announcement that MillersCoors, PepsiCo and Wells Fargo will donate $1 million to The Nature Conservancy. Photo by Clarke Reader water.” Megan Smith, PepsiCo North America Beverages director of sustainability, said simple acts often lead to big changes and this corporate partnership will have a huge positive effect for Colorado. Previous year’s droughts and forest fires have left more than 6 million acres of the state’s forest at risk for large wildfires, and 1.5. million of those acres are in the Front Range area, according to information provided by MillerCoors. Water continues on Page 16
Nearly 200 cyclists raced through Golden, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge as part of Stage 7 at the USA Pro Challenge on Sunday, Aug. 24. The racers benefited from full road closures, but both Golden and Lakewood were recently recognized for improving the everyday “bike-ability” of area communities. Photo by Amy Woodward
West Jeffco welcomes cyclists POSTAL ADDRESS
League of American Bicyclists recognizes friendly communities By Clarke Reader creader@colorado communitymedia.com
Travel journalist, Janna Garber, stands on a bridge during a trip to Florence, Italy. Courtesy photo
GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT (ISSN 0746-6382)
OFFICE: 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Golden Transcript is published weekly on Thursday by Mile High Newspapers, 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210, Golden, CO 80401. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT GOLDEN, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. GE T SOCIAL WITH US
P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Journalist pens travel anthology series By Crystal Anderson
canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com For Arvada resident and travel journalist Janna Graber traveling offers fortuitous opportunities for those who are willing to take the leap. While on a break from her adventures for the holidays, Graber sat down with The Arvada Press to talk about her worldly experiences, international career and her newest book, “Chance Encounters.” How did you get started in the travel writing industry? I went and got a book from the library, “How to become a journalist,” learned how to write a query letter and sent the Littleton Independent my first pitch. I started pitching, working freelance for a long time … Then Columbine happened, and suddenly I was writing a lot, covering a lot of really sad stories. Then, when 9/11 happened, I got called again to do a lot of Travel continues on Page 16
Cycling is one of the most popular sports in Colorado, and cities and businesses all over the state have been welcoming and encouraging cycling as an alternative mean of transportation for years. The League of American Bicyclists has recognized many communities and businesses in the state as “bicycle friendly,” including several west Jeffco areas. The “Bicycle Friendly Community” provides guidance to make communities’ distinct vision for a bikeable community a reality and the “Bicycle Friendly Business” program recognizes employers for their efforts to encourage a more bicycle friendly atmosphere. Golden earned a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Community designation and the Hottman Law Office received a Gold level Bicycle Friendly Business designation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) also received a Bronze level in the business category. “Golden is a very cycling-centric city, especially with events like the Pro Challenge” said Dan Dwyer, founder of the Foothills Running and Cycling Club. “We’ve definitely become a destination spot for a lot of front range cyclists.” Lakewood earned bronze level recognition in the community category, and Arvada earned silver. Wheat Ridge Cyclery took gold in the business category. “The application process involved
looking at what we’ve done as a city in regards to cycling and what we already have in place,” said Lakewood traffic engineering manager John Padon. “It’s not just a city effort — the cycling community is active in Lakewood and we have groups like West Metro Fire hosting a biking rodeo, RTD showing the proper way to cross light rail tracks and the Lakewood Police has cycle agents.” Padon said the League of American Bicyclists focuses on the “5 E’s” when examining communities and businesses. The 5 E’s are: Engineering — creating safe and convenient places to ride and park; Education — giving people of all ages and abilities the skills and confidence to ride; Encouragement — creating a strong bike culture that welcomes and celebrates bicycling; Enforcement — ensuring safe roads for all users; and Evaluation and Planning — planning for bicycling as a safe and viable transportation option. According to information provided by the league, Colorado now has 20 Bicycle Friendly Communities, 51 Bicycle Friendly Businesses and 4 Bicycle Friendly Universities. The state is ranked No. 6 in the country. Both Dwyer and Padon said they have seen biking become a larger part of their communities, and that is in large part thanks to cities making a greater effort to make the communities safe to travel. Many cities — like Golden and Lakewood — have bicycle master plans they are working on implementing. “The community is really working together on this,” Padon said. “It’s all about mobility and health.” “Bicycling continues to get bigger, and cycling is quickly becoming a legacy of Golden,” Dwyer added. “Just go sit on Washington Avenue year round and watch how many people ride by.” For more information visit www.bikeleague.org.