Sentinel
Lakewood 4/11/13
Lakewood
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 89, Issue 35
April 11, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
Girls bring home Boys & Girls youth award Lakewood students take home annual prize By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com The Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver announced its 2013 Youth of the Year award winners, and two Lakewood students are among them. Regina Martinez, 16, a sophomore at Alameda High School, and Kimberly Dominguez, 13, a seventh-grader at O’Connell Middle School, took home the prize for the Jefferson County Branch of the club. “I was really surprised to hear I won,” Martinez said. “I competed against some great people, and I really think all of us should have won.” Winners for Youth of the Year were named in all 14 citywide clubs, and there were three categories members competed in — 10 to 12 year olds, juniors (13-15), and seniors (16-18). All winners will be recognized at a gala in May. Club members were either selected by staff for the award, or could enter the running on their own. Nominees had three months to prepare by writing essays, preparing and practicing speeches, collecting letters of recommendations and presenting their academic and
community achievements. Topics for the essays include what does the Boys & Girls Club mean to you and describing community outreach. Martinez ran for the award last year, but came up just shy of winning. This year she worked even harder to win, she said, and is already planning to run again next year. Dominguez was selected by staff, but she still had to write an essay, provide grades and received a letter of recommendation from the O’Connell principle. Both are members of groups in the Club that promote community service through projects and outreach. “I’m part of the Torch Club and we worked with a local animal shelter,” Dominguez said. “We worked with them to help raise food for the animals.” Martinez is president of the Keystone Club, which she said focuses on education, career and spirit. “We helped Urban Peak — which is a homeless shelter for teens — and received community services hours for the work we did,” she said. “We also do things like sell food at the dances we hold.” Both Martinez and Dominguez said that the club has become a second home for them. “I come over here and feel like I really belong,” Dominguez said. “We can be ourselves here and no one judges us,” Martinez added. “The staff and
Regina Martinez, left, and Kimberly Dominguez are the Jeffco Branch winners of the Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year Award. Both attend the club at O’Connell Middle School. Photo by Clarke Reader kids here are like my family, and really helped me grow emotionally.” The Club meets year-round at O’Connell, after school during the school year, and
during the day in the summer. For more information on the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver, visit www.bgcmd.org.
Jeffco nixes ‘nature place’ at Crown Hill Public outcry leads to Jeffco Open Space’s decision not to build play area By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews.com
Sharon Garcia speaks with John Paliga, landscape architect with Lakewood, about the changes proposed to Two Creeks Park at a meeting on April 2. Photo by Clarke Reader
Two Creeks Park gets one vision Master plan previewed at public meeting By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com Residents near Two Creeks Park had a chance to see the newly designed master plan for the park during a meeting on Tuesday, April 2. Two Creeks Park is a 3.6-acre park with a creek running through it, east of Wadsworth Boulevard between West 10th and West 12th avenues. The new master plan includes a bridge that goes over the creek, natural playground areas for children to use and a small field to play catch in. There will also be a path that runs
through the park, and a water play area. John Paliga, landscape architect with the city, said the park features and design were directly influenced by ideas and preferences gathered from the community over the course of two previous planning meetings. “We had design constraints with the flood plains and grades as well as the fact that CDOT will be adding a water retention pond,” he said. “The flood plains really limit the kind of structures we can build, but we want it to have a very natural look.” Meeting attendees were able to speak with staff members about the plans, what would go where and how the design process will work. Paliga said until the retention pond is completed, design can’t move forward. He also noted that funds still need to be raised for the project, so there is not yet a
timetable for when work will begin or finish. Despite still being in the early stages, visitors seemed impressed with the proposed changes. “I live close by and am interested in what their concept is, and offer a few ideas,” said resident Sharon Garcia. “I’m liking what I see so far — the area isn’t really usuable now, so if they can make it more accessible, that’d be great.” Ward 2 council members Cindy Baroway and Scott Koop were also on hand, speaking with residents. “I always like to know what citizen’s concerns are,” Baroway said. “Northwest Lakewood has limited parkland, so it would be great to have another amenity like this.” For more information, or to make comments on the park, contact Paliga at 303987-7815 or at johnpal@lakewood.org.
Jefferson County Open Space decided to forgo the concept of a “Nature Place” from its plans for Crown Hill Park. Crown Hill is an open space park nestled between Lakewood and Wheat Ridge at 9307 W. 26th Ave. Some residents even call the park the community’s “crown jewel.” After hearing the public’s input through comments sent to Jeffco Open Space by residents, information collected at a March 11 community meeting and the results of an independent survey, the environmental learning and nature play features called Nature Place will not be built, according to a statement from Jeffco Open Space. The proposed Nature Place would have built three nature-focused play areas that would allow for digging, climbing boulders and a climbing structure to give guests of various ages an “elevated perspective” of the park. Many citizens have voiced opposition to development of the park, wanting to keep its natural serenity intact and protect wildlife from development that could hinder their habitats. Jeffco Open Space also asked residents about whether the current fitness equipment at Crown Hill that was installed in the 1980s should be replaced and the possibility of building a seasonal pergola near the restrooms and parking lot. After collecting community comments and surveying residents, Jeffco Open Space found residents’ opinions Crown Hill continues on Page 20
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