North Jeffco
Westsider
North Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 48
December 7, 2012
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
KRINGLE COPTER
The marquee for Chelsea Park in Westminster is covered and surrounded Oct. 21 by items left by community members in memory of Jessica Ridgeway, who was abducted while walking to the park and then murdered. The park is being renamed Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Park renamed in memory of Jessica Ridgeway By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews. com
People gathered at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield Sunday to greet Santa, who arrived by helicopter. Santa visited with children, heard their Christmas wishes and sang carols. Photos by Andy Carpenean
Susen C. Mesco, CEO of American Events, greets children and their families waiting for Santa Claus to arrive by helicopter Sunday.
Gavin Floreth of Johnstown trades an airplane toss with his cousin, Hunter Wilson of Arvada, while waiting for Santa.
During a time of sorrow and tragedy, Chelsea Park in Westminster was a place for comfort and peace, and now it will bear the name of the girl who was headed there before she was abducted and murdered. It was at the park, where 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway was to meet friends before school on the morning of Oct. 7, that community members gathered for prayer vigils and paid their respects to Jessica by bringing flowers and gifts to memorial sites. Now, with the approval of Westminster City Council, the park will serve as a permanent memorial through being renamed as the Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park. The council voted unanimously to rename the park during its Nov. 26 meeting. The quest to rename the park was led by Westminster resident Linda Mitchell and members of the Noon Rotary Club. Mitchell and Jon Johnston from the Rotary Club both sent letters of support to Don Tripp, director of the Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department, expressing their desire to make the name change. The Parks, Recreation and Libraries Advisory Board voted 6-0 in support of renaming of the park before the proposal was sent to council. The city will pay $2,500 to repaint the park signs, with the funds coming from the park’s
general capital improvement fund. According to a staff report, preliminary plans to improve the park are already in place and will cost between $250,000 and $350,000, with only $85,000 currently available from past capital improvement projects. Private fundraising is needed to complete the project, and the Ridgeway family has asked that community volunteers be included in making the improvements. “I just want to tell you all thank you for allowing the motion of the park to even come to this level,” Rebecca Ridgeway, a family member of Jessica’s, told the City Council. “And I want to thank all of our community for supporting us and Jessica in the manner in which they have. I know we’re all really thankful for living in Westminster, a great community.” City employees will begin painting the signs in Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park in the next week or two, and work is set to begin on the improvements of the park in 2013. During the council meeting, Mayor Nancy McNally thanked Rebecca Ridgeway for allowing City Council to get to know Jessica. “There is no way to say thank you enough,” she said. “You have been a role model to all of us in the community. Everything I have seen and watched, and going to Jessica’s memorial service really was a blessing to the rest of us. Thank you so very much.”
Hometown Christmas events in Westminster By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews. com It’s a holiday tradition that started in 1911 with a community gathering featuring lights, caroling and, of course, Santa Claus. Hometown Christmas, sponsored by the Westminster Historical Society, is a free annual event in historic Westminster to pro-
mote residents sharing the holiday spirit with each other. “The tradition kind of went silent after 1923, but a group of us in the community regenerated it in 1987, and we have been doing it ever since,” said Linda Cherrington with the historical society. “It’s a popular event. At one time we had over 300 people.” The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Fire Station 1,
3948 W. 73rd Ave. in Westminster. The pinnacle of the evening will be the Christmas tree lighting, which will be done this year by long-time Westminster resident Elizabeth Price. Just before the lighting, students from Ranum Middle School will sing carols. Cherrington said children can have their picture taken with Santa for $5 and local Boy Scout troops will be selling hot dogs and
pop corn. The Rodeo Market Community Arts Center will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., with staff serving hot chocolate and offering a free art activity for children of all ages. “We encourage people who are new to Westminster to come and enjoy this tradition,” she said. “As far as I can tell this is probably the very first tradition the city ever had, and it’s nice to continue this
fun, hometown event.” For more information on Hometown Christmas, contact Cherrington at 303-426-1858.
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