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November 6, 2014 VOLU M E 6 9 | I S S UE 52 | 5 0 ¢
WestminsterWindow.com
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 A publication of
Road detour proposals for project ASARCO site to get new life By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com
During an Oct. 6 Westminster study session, city council directed staff to pursue alternative road detour options for the 72nd Avenue and Raleigh Bridge replacement project. Initially the project, which will replace the current box culvert structure with an actual bridge, would have caused full closure of 72nd Avenue. But after council discussion the city is finding new ways to construct the new bridge without a complete closure, which takes place just east of Stuart Street and just west of Bradburn Boulevard. “A number of businesses have raised concerns of the total closure of 72nd Avenue,” said city manager Brent McFall. “So what we have done is found some alternatives that would not cause a complete closure, just intermittent and temporary closures required at times.” The project is to being June 2015, and would last up to a year. The cost of the project is about $5 million plus an estimated $1.7 million of water and sewer system replacement work. About $1.8 million will come from federal funding
By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@colorado communitymedia.com
Westminster city council is directing staff to pursue alternative road detours during the 72nd Avenue and Raleigh Bridge replacement project that would allow traffic to continue through the intersection during construction. Photo by Ashley Reimers
POSTAL ADDRESS
and what’s not funded by federal dollars will be funded by the city’s general capital improvement fund and the utility fund. Now that the city is pursuing an alternative road detour option, McFall said the cost of the project will go up about $500,000, which will be paid for by the city’s general fund contingency. “We have $1 million in the contingency which we try not to use,” McFall said. “We have not used any of it as of this year and I don’t anticipate anything else that would cause
us to go into that contingency so I think we would feel safe in saying those funds would be available for us to use for the added cost of the project.” During the study session councilor Alberto Garcia supported the idea of exploring other road detour options. “I’ve been hearing from a number of businesses and residents who are very fearful of how this would impact their businesses in that area,” he said. “I definitely think we need to reevaluate and go forward with other options.” The new bridge, along with
Students tackle puppetry for upcoming musical By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
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the Little Dry Creek trail, will be slightly raised to reduce flooding and allow for better water flow when the creek has higher flows. Water and sanitary sewer systems in the area are also being replaced. Hamilton Construction was awarded the construction bid. City staff is currently working on the new proposals, which city council will review decide on at a meeting later in the year. For more information on the project, contact Dave Loseman, assistant city engineer, at dloseman@cityofwestminster.us or 303-658-2125
The 77.53-acre former smelting and refining site northwest of East 51st Avenue and Washington Street is poised to become a new light industrial and office development. The Adams County Board of Commissioners approved plans for the development for approximately 62.4 acres that lies within the county borders at its Oct. 28 meeting. The rest of the site is in County of Denver. “I think this is a great development,” said board Chair Charles “Chaz” Tedesco. “I think it will bring up that area and add businesses and jobs.” The development, which will be called Crossroads Commerce Park at Globeville, will breathe new life into the property that many know as Asarco (American Smelting and Refining Co.). According to county documents, “Refining operations began on the property in 1886 as the Holden Smelter which produced gold and silver. Asarco (American Smelting and Refining Company) bought the facility in 1901 and converted the plant to lead smelting. As a result of more than a century of refining and smelting operations at the Globe Plant, soil and groundwater both on and off the site were contaminated with heavy metals.” The property has since been cleaned up and prepped for development. The plans call for light industrial, warehouse, distribution, office and retail — no residential development will be permitted. No less than 20 percent of the site will be open space.
When it comes to choosing a production for his students, Andre Rodriguez doesn’t take the easy route. As director of the CenterStage Theatre Company, Westminster High School’s drama department, he finds musicals and plays that challenge students on a personal level. So a production of The Sound of Music would never do. “There is something about picking edgy material and trusting my students with that kind of material,” he said. “If we chose something conservative like The Sound of Music, nobody would come audition.” That wasn’t the case for this year’s production of Avenue Q: School Edition. Over 500 students registered for theater classes or chose to audition or participate in the musical, which is a about a young man, Princeton, who just graduated college and is struggling to find his purpose in life. The musical tackles heavy issues such as sexual identity and racism. “I chose this musical as a resume-builder for my students who choose to pursue theater after high school,” Rodriguez said. “I also chose it because it touches one some big themes like how to
IF YOU GO Avenue Q: School Edition 7 p.m. Nov. 13-15 at Westminster High School Tickets: general admission$8, reserved $10, www.seatyourself.biz/cstc accept each other and how some people use humor to deal with serious issues like homophobia and racism.” In a unique twist, Avenue Q: School Edition, which runs Nov. 13-15 at Westminster High School, also utilizes the art of puppetry to assist coming-of-age storytelling. Working with puppets hasn’t been an easy feat for students. Rodriguez admits it’s been tough for students to get the hang of acting with puppets. But he also applauds their efforts saying they “have risen to the occasion.” There are human characters and puppet characters who interact with humans — Sesame Streetstyle. The puppets are animated and voiced by the puppeteer. For senior Jamie Rodriguez, playing the lead role of Princeton, taking on a puppet means more than just building up muscle to support his other half. It means taking his acting skills to another level. “I’m not just acting for myself, I’m also acting for my puppet,” he said. “So I have to give him a personality as much as I can. That
Jaime Rodriguez rehearses with his puppet as Princeton, the lead in the upcoming Westminster High School production of Avenue Q: School Edition. Photo by Ashley Reimers way people aren’t only paying attention to me, but also the puppet. It’s really hard.” Earning the role of Princeton is Jamie’s first lead, but he’s had several supporting roles to prepare him for the spotlight. And while he’s learning puppetry, Jamie’s also connecting to his character in a big way. “I can relate to Princeton be-
cause I have similar struggles about figuring out what to do next in life, especially because I’m a senior,” he said. “I’m looking for a purpose too. Some people tell me to go to one college and other people say a different one. It can be tough to know who to listen to and who has the right word to follow — which is what Princeton is dealing with.”