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July 31, 2014 VOLU M E 6 9 | I S S UE 38 | 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
New name, more activities By Ashley Reimers
WESTY FEST SCHEDULES
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com The Westminster Faire is no more. Westy Fest has taken its place, bringing a fresh feel to a longtime annual event. With new activities and more entertainment, the City of Westminster is hoping Westy Fest will surpass the community’s expectations and bring in a new crowd. “This would have been the 24th year of the Westminster Faire and the city just felt like it was always being compared to Broomfield and Thornton’s events and people love those events,” said Heather Hammarstrom, recreation specialist for the city. “So we are now trying to find new ways of making our event bigger and more community-oriented with the new Westy Fest.” This year’s Westy Fest is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, at City Park, 10475 Sheridan Blvd. The day will feature tons of activities for little ones, like the Home Depot workshop tent, bouncy castles, climbing wall and giant slides. Youngsters can also play free carnival games to win prizes and have the opportunity to climb on fire trucks and dump trucks, which is new this year. For the pets in the family, Yappy Hour will be 1 to 4 p.m. and will offer free professional pet photos, free treats, ice water pools and low-cost vaccinations, licensing and micro-
Community stage 10-10:30 a.m. ABC Music Academy 10:30-11 a.m. Lao Art & Performers of Colorado 11-11:30 p.m. 27 After 11:45- 12 p.m. Olivia Yballa 12- 12:45 p.m. Dahlia’s Fantasia Dancers and Cairo Moon 12:45- 1 p.m. Throwback Thurzdays 1-1:30 p.m. Rocky Mountain Polynesians 1:30-1:45 p.m. Indigo Rain 2-2:30 p.m. Bella Danze Arts 2:30- 3 p.m. Blue Nova Round Dance 3-3:30 p.m. Ronald McDonald Magic Show Main stage 10 a.m. -12 p.m. City of Westminster dance recital and drama performance 12:30- 2 p.m. Phat Daddy 2:30- 4 p.m. FACE
Children play at the Home Depot workshop tent during last year’s Westminster Faire. The tent will also be at this year’s event, now called the Westy Fest, on Aug. 9 at City Park. File photo chipping. There will also be two entertainment stages and plenty of vendors selling a variety of items and foods. “We are focusing on our mission of nature, wellness and literacy so we are adding outdoor adventure type activities like bringing in a water tank where people can try out kayaking,” Hammarstrom said. “We are also adding a new slack line park so people have the opportuni-
ty to try that out too. We just want to keep an adventure aspect to the vent.” The city is also hoping to attract a new crowd with the addition of the Westy Craft Brew Fest, happening 5-8 p.m. at Christopher Fields Softball Complex, 5875 W. 104th Ave. For a $20 wristband, people 21 and over get unlimited samples from local breweries while enjoying music during a free concert. Those
who don’t want to partake in the brew fest, can still attend and enjoy the music. “The city really wanted to reach a different crowd, people who may not particularly enjoy the activities at Westy Fest,” Hammarstrom said. “We’re hoping it will be a success and take off for future years.” Hammarstrom said with Westy Fest, the city is keeping what was good about the Westminster Faire,
but is also adding some new and fun activities. She said with the name Westminster Faire, many times people thought of it as a country western fair or a renaissance fair. By changing the name, the city is trying to set the event apart from those connotations, she added. “Westy Fest is way to celebrate a great city and an opportunity for people to try new things like kayaking and get excited about being outdoors,” Hammarstrom said. For more information on the Westminster Faire, visit www. ci.westminster.co.us.
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WESTMINSTER WINDOW
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P L EA S E R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
By the end of the year, Longmont-based DigitalGlobe will be moving into the current Avaya building at 120th Avenue and Huron Street in Westminster. Photo by Ashley Reimers
DigitalGlobe headed to Westminster By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradocommunitymedia.com Longmont-based DigitalGlobe is moving to Westminster. As a provider of commercial high-resolution earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions, DigitalGlobe will take up residence at 1300 W. 120th Ave., currently home to Avaya Inc. By the end of the year, Avaya will hand over the keys to DigitalGlobe and move east to new location in Thornton. Initially, DigitalGlobe was planning on moving their headquarters to Broomfield, but after an unsolicited offer to lease the Avaya building, the location shifted. Now DigitalGlobe will take on a 15-year lease in the 480,000-squarefoot building. By summer of next year, about 1,700 employees will move from Longmont to the new Westminster location. “Although this was an unexpected series of events, once we determined the potential of this opportunity we moved diligently and
quickly to finalize a lease that secures the best interests of our company, team members, customers and shareowners,” said Jeffrey Tarr, president and chief executive officer of DigitalGlobe. “DigitalGlobe believes this decision is a win for the state of Colorado, allowing for flexible business growth for the company and future high-tech jobs for the northern Denver corridor.” Tarr said the building in Westminster will allow for less disruption during the move to employees and operations. The building also already has the infrastructure and physical security required by the company and will require less capital investment to be fully adapted to the company’s current and long-term business needs, he added. “We regret any disappointment to the cities and partners associated with our previous announcement,” Tarr said. “We could not have anticipated this change in our relocation plans but are pleased with the benefits the Westminster facility offers.”
City of Westminster economic development director, Susan Grafton said DigitalGlobe’s future presence in the city is another step in the city’s overall goal of maintaining a strong and vital economy. She said DigitalGlobe also brings a new industry sector to Westminster, one that continues to grow. “As economic developers our role is grow a very strong and vital economy for the longterm,” Grafton said. “So by having DigitalGlobe in our city, we are making a major step forward in that.” Grafton is also pleased the city isn’t losing Avaya to a city further away. “Avaya is moving to Thornton, but they are still part of Westminster’s economy because Thornton, Broomfield and Westminster share an economy here,” she said. “People in our community that work there will be staying in our community and continuing to support the telecommunications industry in the north metro area.”