August 7, 2014 VOLU M E 9 0 | I S S UE 51
LakewoodSentinel.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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New home, new avenues The Abo Group embraces West Colfax By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com West Colfax is filled with colorful signage, vibrant storefronts and shining neon lights. These designs not only give the avenue a unique sense of self, but serve as a gateway into a world of architecture and design that sets Colfax apart. The Abo Group, a sustainable architecture firm, has tapped into that energy with its recent move to 8025 W. Colfax Ave., by bringing its own take on the artistic world and opening it up for others to share in. “We’ve been in Lakewood for six years at a Golden Hill office but we got involved with the West Colfax Community Association (WCCA), Business Improvement District (BID) and 40 West Arts,”
said Ron Abo, president of the Abo Group. “We became pretty bullish about Colfax and started looking for ways to get more of a presence in the area.” The company’s new building looks right out at the center of West Colfax and was the former home of Lakewood Lanes bowling alley, which went out of business in 1996 and was retrofitted into an office. Kevin Yoshida, managing principal and director of design, said that everything feel into place with the move and it has allowed The Abo Group to do some interesting things with the arts community in its new home. “We have a 624 square foot and a 332 square foot space available in the back of our building that we’re going to be renting to artists for studio space who need a place to work,” he said. “Small business is in our DNA and the grassroots way of approaching things is a big part of what drew us here.” The working space has concrete floors, heated ventilation,
loading access, and utility sink. Parking and Wi-Fi are available. The building has a bit of storefront space that The Abo Group is deliberately keeping open to be used as display space, possibly for art or Lakewood tourism displays. “Part of our vision is to create a space that the community can use,” Abo said. “We have this storefront space and we’re working on a conference room that residents and organizations can use.” Both Abo and Yoshida spoke about the potential for growth and development and the huge resurgence Colfax is seeing and the excitement that energy brings. “We’re a right fit for the area because we know you have to take care of where you live,” Yoshida said. For more information about the company and to inquire about renting the space, call 303531-4990 or visit www.theabogroup.com.
Kevin Yoshida, left, and Ron Ado, right, brought The Abo Group architecture firm to West Colfax to harness the energy the district is seeing. Photo by Clarke Reader
VA overhaul garners support Move comes on heels of series of revelations Denver Intermountain Interurban Car No. 25 is the last remaining, completely intact electric railway car that saw service in the Denver area. It is listed on both the State Register of Historic Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Jim Sapp
Electric memory Lakewood charges up Car No. 25 By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com Some history can only be experience in the abstract — through photos, reminiscences or second-hand information. Every once and while, there are opportunities to experience history with the senses — to feel and listen to it. This kind of experience is the reason that the city of Lakewood fires up Denver Intermountain Interurban Car No. 25 every year — to let people get a sense of travel more than 100 years ago. The car will available to visit and ride at the Denver Federal Center Building No. 78, Gate 1 — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 9. The free event also features children’s activities, transit history information and refreshments. “The car has been fully restored by volunteers over a more than 20 year period,” said Michelle Nierling, Heritage, Culture and The Arts (HCA) manager. “It’s really difficult to describe the beauty of the car, even with photographs. It’s something you have to see.”
Car No. 25 was part of what was once an extensive electric rail transit system that covered more than 250 miles of city tracks and 40 miles of high-speed interurban railcars that linked Denver to Golden and Boulder. In a way, the rail served as the same function as the new W Rail — it took passengers to visit these cities, particularly Denver, for shopping and entertainment, to get to work and for fun. Car No. 25 was built by the Woeber Carriage Company in Denver and was put into service on Feb. 17, 1911. It was one of seven cars that rode the 13-mile Denver-Lakewood-Golden line from 1911 until 1950, when due to the rise in cars and buses, the rail system was shuttered. “The car was acquired by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club Historical Foundation in 1988 and was restored,” Nierling said. The car — which is owned by the city — is now the last remaining, completely intact electric railway car that saw service in the Denver area. It is listed on both the State Register of Historic Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. “The primary focus of the open house is to give people a chance to
IF YOU GO WHAT: Denver Intermountain Interurban Car No. 25 open house WHERE: Denver Federal Center, Building No. 78, Gate 1 W. 6th Ave. and Kipling St., Lakewood WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9. COST: Free INFORMATION: www.lakewood.org/transit ride this beautifully restored car,” said Greg Lovell, community events coordinator with the city’s Heritage, Culture and the Arts department. “We have train enthusiasts, hobbyists and even people who remember riding it when it was running all show up.” Nierling said the future aim for the car is to be moved to a permanent home in the Oak Street Transit Museum located at the Lakewood Oak Street RTD Light Rail Station, adjacent to the same rail corridor where the car once ran. “The car is really one of the most beautiful artifacts we have in our collection,” Lovell said. For more information, visit www. lakewood.org/transit.
By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Congress last week passed a bill aimed at reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, an agency that has been the subject of intense scrutiny over a number of departmental failures. The $16 billion legislation would provide money for new VA medical facilities and the hiring of more doctors and nurses. The bill would also allow veterans to see doctors outside the VA system if they are unsuccessful in obtaining an appointment. A congressional conference committee worked to merge efforts by the Senate and the House of Representatives and came up with a compromise bill that passed the Senate on July 31 with overwhelming bipartisan support. It passed the House the day before. “I think veterans are going to be better served now and the VA is going to be a better organization by veterans being able to vote with their feet if they’re not getting adequate care,” said Rep. Mike Coffman of Aurora, a Republican and veteran who serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. The bill is a response to several alarming departmental failures that came to light in recent months. A federal audit shows more than 57,000 veterans have waited at least three months to see a doctor, while others who asked for appointments never received one. Some veterans died while waiting months for an appointment. Other findings have shown that VA employees — whose bonuses are tied to wait time reductions — falsified reports to hide information about long wait times. The scandal led to the resignation of department director Eric Shinseki in May. The Senate on July 29 confirmed Robert McDonald as the department’s new secretary. The bill would require that the agency send veterans to private health providers when the department is unable to provide care within 14 days.
VA continues on Page 8