Chronicle Parker
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 10, Issue 51
GOING OLD SCHOOL
October 19, 2012 A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourparkernews.com
Urban renewal plan gains approval Two commercial areas to get money for upgrades By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com
Fall festival attendees take a hay wagon ride around Schweiger Ranch Oct. 14. Activities for kids and adults during the free event included hay bale throwing, butter churning, scarecrow making, a pumpkin patch and petting zoo. Tours of the ranch highlighted its place in Douglas County’s history. The ranch is located east of Interstate 25, just south of RidgeGate Parkway. Photo by Courtney Kuhlen | ckuhlen@ourcoloradonews.com
Halloween events abound around Parker Various venues mark season for kids, adults By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com A look at the various Halloween happenings in Parker: • Parker’s Haunted Corn Mazes at Flat Acres Farm Dates/times: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-28 The haunted mazes at Flat Acres Farm near Twenty Mile Road and Dransfeldt Road have entire families running in fear. Trails to Nowhere, Ears of Fear and Reaper’s Hollow are combined with haunted hayrides and activities for kids. Ears of Fear ($10) and Reaper’s Hollow ($15) run from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 2628; the cost for a combo ticket for both events is $20. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity in honor of a Parker man who died suddenly of an aneurysm earlier this year. The man is the father of a Boy Scout from Troop 88, which organizes Ears of Fears. The Scouts help to scare those who dare enter the maze. Flat Acres Farm also has a hay bale maze for younger children and a pumpkin patch that’s open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week through Nov. 4. For more information, visit www.flatacresfarm.com. • Trick or Treat on Mainstreet in downtown Parker Dates/times: 4-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 More than 4,000 people
The Ears of Fear Corn Maze at Flat Acres Farm, across from SuperTarget, will both frighten and delight kids and adults through Halloween. The maze is open from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-28 and costs $10. Courtesy photo came to downtown Parker last year for the family-friendly event that comes complete with candy, costumes and plenty of spooky decorations. Businesses will give out candy and kids can jump around in bounce houses and check out well-known characters, like Big Bird and Sponge Bob Squarepants, that will roam Mainstreet and O’Brien Park. Mainstreet will be closed off for the event, which provides a safe environment for
children. The event, organized by the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club, is free to the public. • Fieldhouse Fright Night at the Parker Fieldhouse Dates/times: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 27 It’s time again for the fiendishly fun Fieldhouse Fright Night Halloween event for families, adults and kids. The annual Fieldhouse Fright Night will celebrate Halloween with the Spook Skate, Rock’n Halloween at the Climbing
Wall and the Adult Dodgeball Tournament and costume contest. New this year will be fun for little monsters ages 18 months to 6 years. Kids and adults can also participate in laser tag on the turf. The event will feature games, contests, trick or treating, vendors and more. Put on your costume, grab your skates and take to the inline rink for the Spook Skate. Skaters must provide their own skates. Costume contests will be broken down into age groups, and kids with the scariest, cutest or most original costumes will win prizes. • Trick or Treat Off the Street at The Wildlife Experience Dates/times: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 27-28 Creep, crawl or slither into Trick-or-Treat Off the Street, a Halloween celebration with ghoulish surprises for children of all ages. The event features a variety of activities including crafts, ghost stories and a haunted graveyard. In honor of the greatest Halloween tradition, more than 15 candy booths will line the museum’s hallways, allowing guests to fill up their bags with candy and spooky surprises in a safe, fun environment, regardless of weather conditions. Other activities include a bounce house and the opportunity to learn about favorite Halloween critters in the dark corners of the Globeology exhibit. Cost is included with the price of museum admission, which is $6 for kids ages 3-12 and $10 for adults. Kids under 3 and members are admitted at no charge.
Parker Town Council unanimously approved two urban renewal districts over strong objections from fire officials who say the plans will divert money away from public safety. Town leaders believe the Cottonwood commercial area and Parker Road urban renewal plans — approved during a meeting Oct. 15 — will promote investment and redevelopment in areas that were declared blighted during a condition study in December 2011 and January 2012. Of particular interest is the Cottonwood Plaza shopping center on the northwest corner of South Parker Road and Cottonwood Drive, where a building formerly occupied by King Soopers has remained vacant since closing in 2004. Creators of the plan say that using taxincrement financing, which collects new property tax revenues associated with new development or redevelopment, will enable property owners to overcome financial constraints for projects like building-facade improvements. However, a line of board members from the Parker Fire Protection District, South Metro Fire Rescue Authority and the Cottonwood Water and Wastewater District urged council to include them in crafting a plan that would not funnel millions of dollars away from public safety. South Metro Fire Chief Dan Qualman said an urban renewal district that encompasses the downtown Parker area and was approved in 2009 has so far taken $118,408 away from his department, which relies solely on property tax revenue to fund services. South Metro’s board president Pat Mulhern said the department received notice of the urban renewal district proposals a month ago and feels “totally excluded” from participating in a plan that has a significant financial impact on firefighters. “We feel that it’s a win-lose situation,” Mulhern said as he addressed five out of the six council members and mayor David Casiano. Council member Lisa Coe was absent. Proponents say the plans will revitalize areas that are in dire need of fixing up. Anne Ricker, who conducted the blight study, said she found seven out of 11 conditions that constitute blight in each district. They include inadequate road access, deteriorating buildings and unsafe road crossings. Some opponents said the urban renewal districts are too large and include Renewal continues on Page 21
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.