Window 8.1.13
August 1, 2013
50 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 68, Issue 41
Fruits of Fields
Farmers markets provide fresh, organic produce By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com
B
uying fresh and local produce is becoming more and more popular in Colorado. For Westminster residents, three different farmers markets in the city are providing the community opportunities to not only buy organic fruits and vegetables, but also buy other products made and produced locally. Nathan Mudd runs the Arvada/Westminster farmers market at O’Toole’s Garden Center, 9400 Wadsworth Parkway in Westminster. The market is an extension of the Arvada Farmers Market and happens 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoons. Mudd said the location is great right off Wadsworth Boulevard and every week the number of people attending seems to be growing as well as the number of vendors. “What’s amazing about this market is it is a growing market. We have about 25 steady vendors each week but our goal is to have more than 40 this year,” he said. “Our passion is localism and we believe
growing the local economy is the key to happier, healthier people who have a sense of community and sense of a better environment.” To help out the farmers market vendors even more, Mudd is launching a website called LocalRadius.net, which gives merchants the opportunity to sell their items through an online outlet. He said people can go on the website and order their produce or other items and then pick up the items at either an upcoming farmers’ market or make arrangements with the merchant to pick up the items on a certain date. Mudd’s passion for helping out local farms isn’t just something he’s dedicated to during the summer and fall months. Beginning this winter he will provide farmers markets in Westminster and other metro Denver area giving farmers and other local vendors an opportunity to sell their goods during the cold months. “During the winter months the vendors and the buyers can continue to use Local Radius to purchase produce and other things,” he said. “It’s just such a great opportunity for farmers to grow their business and a great opportunity for people to continue to buy and enjoy local organic produce.” Cindy Goodall manager of the Westminster
Eggplants and green and red peppers are just a few items sold by Miller Farms at a variety of farmers markets in Westminster.
Farmers continues on Page 25
Jan Wilson from Edgewater, sells eco-friendly totes handcrafted from recycled plastic at the farmers market at 88th Avenue and Harlan Street in Westminster. Photos by Ashley Reimers
Miller Farms, out of Platteville, is a regular at three farmers markets in Westminster — the market at The Orchard Town Center, the market at O’Toole’s Garden Center and the market at 88th Avenue and Harlan Street — selling a variety of produce including potatoes, corn, carrots, garlic and tomatoes.
Xcel’s proposed substation denied Commissioners reject plans for 120th and Quebec site By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com After more than two hours of testimony, mostly against, the Adams County Board of Commissioners unanimously rejected Xcel’s Energy proposal to build an electronic distribution substation at of 120th Avenue and Quebec Street. The vote came about 1:15 a.m. after hearing more than 25 people speak on the POSTAL ADDRESS
issue during a public hearing that began the evening before on July 22. The decision came after the commissioners also denied Xcel’s request to continue the hearing, for a second time, to work with county staff on ways to appease the neighbors who were rejecting the plans. Both county staff and the planning commission recommended that the board reject the plans — saying Xcel didn’t provide sufficient evidence that another site would not be technically or financially feasible. A staff report pointed out that the area is designated as mixed use neighborhood, which is for housing, commercial, office, parks and open space and that a substation would be contradictory to this designation. “The proposed project is not compatible with the surround-
ing area, not harmonious with the character of the neighborhood …” the report said. Preston Gibson, an area manager with Xcel, said that the substation was needed to provide relief to three other substations that were either at capacity or nearing it and would help prevent power outages. “The substations that need relief serve nearly 72,000 businesses, residents and other facilities in areas that include Northglenn, Thornton, Commerce City, Westminster, Broomfield, and parts of unincorporated Adams County,” he said. He added that other potential sites for the substation were too far in distance to the help relieve all three substations. He pointed out that substations have to be located near a growing community and that while some of the homes in the area aren’t Xcel customers that shopping centers, hospitals, schools and businesses in their community are powered by the comPrinted on recycled pany. Many of the residents in the area of the newsprint. Please recycle this copy. proposed site spoke against the plan, citing concerns about property value loss and ruining the image of their neighborhood. “When there is a clear distinct fear or a distaste in the market for something that feeling or that public perception directly impacts market value, it impacts market
value just as short sells or foreclosures have, just as remediated meth labs have, substations and power lines are having the same affect in our market,” said Nichole Smith. A few members of the Metro North Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Adams County Economic Development did speak in favor of the proposed substation, saying it would benefit the businesses in the area and help economic growth. “Our day-to-day operations and the life providing equipment that we provide to our patients depends on having a reliable source of electricity,” said Jennifer Alderfer, CEO of North Suburban Medical Center. District 3 Commissioner Erik Hansen rejected the notion that to be pro-business or economic growth that the board would have to support the substation. “I don’t’ believe that on one hand we’re going to destroy economic development in Adams County if we say no to this project,” he said. “I also don’t believe the property values will be destroyed … I believe the truth is somewhere in-between.” Hansen said he would rather reject the proposal and work with Xcel to find another site that made more sense. District 1 Chair Eva Henry and District 2 Commissioner Charles “Chez” Tedesco agreed.