1
February 5, 2015 VOLU M E 70 | I S S UE 1 3 | 5 0 ¢
A D A M S C O U N T Y A N D J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
WestminsterWindow.com
A publication of
MAYOR PRO TEM TAKES OATH
Art studio offers more than the typical class By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradocommunitymedia.com
City Councilman Bob Briggs is sworn in by Westminster Municipal Judge John Stipech as the new Westminster mayor pro tem during the Jan. 26 city council meeting. Briggs is taking the place of Faith Winter, the former mayor pro tem, who is now serving as state representative for House District 35. Photo by Ashley Reimers
POSTAL ADDRESS
Maria De Cambra is sworn in by Westminster Municipal Judge John Stipech Jan. 26, as the new Westminster city councilor filling the vacancy left by Faith Winter, who is now a state representative for House District 35. Photo by Ashley Reimers
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
(ISSN 1072-1576) (USPS 455-250) OFFICE: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the Westminster Window is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210, Westminster, CO 80031. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SO CIAL WITH US
P L EA S E R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Westminster council appoints new member By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradocommunitymedia.com Westminster city council welcomed a new member during the Jan. 26 meeting. Maria De Cambra was appointed after a majority vote to fill the seat created be Faith Winter’s departure to serve in the Colorado House of Representatives. De Cambra was one out of 11 residents who applied for the position. She will serve the remainder of Winter’s term that ends this November. She grew up in Venezuela before moving to the United States and earning her bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio State University. De Cambra applied for the council position simply to become more involved in Westminster, she said. She chose to live in the city in 2013 because she says she instantly fell in love with the city. “There are great open spaces and the recreation programs and centers are wonderful,” De Cambra said. “The city is beautiful.” After moving to Westminster, De Cambra quickly felt a sense of community from the residents. She said she met all of her neighbors even before moving into her home. De Cambra also
graduated from the Westminster Police Academy to gain an even better understanding of how the public safety organization works. “I realized what an exceptional community Westminster is,” she said. “During the academy, I learned why our city is so safe and well-kept, and I wanted to help.” De Cambra is the campaign director for Campaign for a Strong Colorado, a partnership of organizations aligned to provide a voice for issues that matter to Coloradans. She does a lot of work in communication, essentially helping nonprofits to elevate the work they are doing, she said. She also co-owns Mercatus Trading with her husband, which is an importing and exporting company. “I believe my background in engaging with different communities will be an asset to the city council,” she said. “I’m also a small business owner, so I understand the struggles that go into developing a business.” De Cambra admits she has a lot of learning to do, but is excited to gain more knowledge about the city from staff, fellow councilors and residents. She plans on going door-to-door to speak with community members on what’s important
Michelle Fox has very few photos of herself. Instead, she has paintings that illustrate the places she’s been, her memories, and even her growth as a person. But more importantly, her paintings display the map of her feelings during her journey through life. “Growing up we didn’t talk about feelings, so I learned to use art to express how I felt,” Fox said. “What’s beautiful is that I can look back at my life, and no matter where I’ve been, I can look at a painting and know how I felt. The paintings are threads that tie all of these disparate parts of me together.” Fox didn’t always have the tools to reflect on her paintings the way she does now. She learned those skills while earning her degree in art therapy at Naropa University in Boulder. After graduating in 2012, Fox split her time between a private art therapy practice and teaching art classes at Tinker Art Studio in Boulder. Finally, she decided to wear both hats under one roof, so she recently opened MBodied Art Studio in Westminster. “My therapist self would show up in the way I taught art classes at Tinker because I was always finding ways to support and help people feel successful in the classes,” Fox said. “And now I get to be Michelle, the therapist, and Michelle, the teacher, all in one place.” MBodied Art Studio is a one-room studio with a warm, welcoming energy that Fox hopes will make people of all ages feel safe. Her goal is to share her heart with others and provide the support children and adults need to open up and share as well. Fox offers individual or group therapy sessions that she says can foster opportunities to learn problem-solving and risk-taking skills. “Art is such a good reflection of yourself because when you make art, naturally yourself comes out,” she said. “You can’t do art wrong. Everyone deserves to express art the way they want to express it. And through that process, art is empowering and supports self-esteem because there are so many decisions to make when creating art.” Fox also offers a variety of art classes for all ages including Little Picassos classes, which pairs a toddler with an adult, and Painting Together classes, which brings two canvases together to create one finished painting. “The Painting Together classes reflect the unique style of each artist and shows how two people fit together,” Fox said. “And the fundamental goal of the toddler classes is to make art with your child. It’s also a great opportunity for parents to learn from their child and watch how free their child is
Michelle Fox, owner of MBodied Art Studio, works on a painting in her recently opened Westminster studio. Fox offers art therapy classes and other art classes to all ages. Photo by Ashley Reimers