WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13, 2025
VOLUME 104 | ISSUE 51
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Englewood residents speak on development proposal Council to vote on rezoning plan at Feb. 18 meeting BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Englewood residents expressed their opinions about a development project proposed for Englewood Plaza during a public hearing at the Feb. 3 Englewood City Council meeting. The public hearing covered Kimco Development’s proposed project for the 6.24-acre site at 401 Englewood Parkway. The project would include apartments, parking and possibly a hotel. Currently, the property is a shopping center that housed Hobby Lobby until 2023, and still hosts smaller businesses such as a daycare and a liquor store. The city council is expected to vote on whether to approve the planned unit development zoning for the project on Feb. 18. The property is bounded by West Floyd Avenue, South Elati Street, Englewood Parkway and South Cherokee Street. On Feb. 3, the main issues people voiced their concerns or support about were density, affordability and parking. Patricia McFarland, left, and Elena Villarreal Strawbridge pose together with the first Pirates Hall of Fame plaques. It is the first year Englewood High School has inducted alumni into the school’s athletics Hall of Fame. Patricia is the wife of the late Russell “Kay” McFarland, who played three sports at Englewood before playing college and pro football. Strawbridge was a standout cross country and track runner for the Pirates. PHOTO BY CASEY CHEATUM
Englewood High School honors alumni athletes in 1st Hall of Fame ceremony BY CASEY CHEATUM SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Recently, Englewood High School took a moment to reflect on its history and honor two sports legends. During an intermission period between the Pirates varsity girls and boys basketball games against the visiting Bennett Tigers, a ceremony was conducted to honor Russell “Kay” McFarland and Elena Villareal Strawbridge. McFarland and Strawbridge simultaneously became the first inductees in the Englewood Pirates Hall of Fame.
The honor was missing within the walls of the high school, according to Englewood Principal Nate Smith. He had an idea for this ceremony for a few years but had to execute it at the right time. “We first started discussing this right before COVID hit, and then COVID hit and we just decided it wasn’t the time,” Smith said. “If we couldn’t have fans at our basketball games, then it wasn’t time to try to launch the Hall of Fame.” There’s a wide gap in graduation class between the two inductees. McFarland graduated from Englewood in 1957, while Strawbridge graduated 40 years
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later in 1997. The thorough selection process was conducted by various EHS alumni, Smith said. “We have a group of people we put together that represent a broad range of Englewood history, you know, former staff members, former staff members, and other alum,” he said. While competing in baseball, basketball and track at Englewood, McFarland was most notably an All-American football player for the Pirates. He went on to SEE ALUMNI, P16
Density
The application submitted for the public hearing seeks consideration to rezone the property from MU-B-1, which is the central business district, to Englewood SEE PROPOSAL, P16
2025
VOTING STARTS
MARCH 1!
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