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Week of December 29, 2022
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15
VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 28
Hope Connection and Community’s Santa’s Workshop distributes 2,000 gifts
Ed Brady sworn in as Arvada police chief BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
’Tis the season! Over a hundred volunteers helped out with HCC’s Christmas toy drive.
PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN
Free program supports kids aged 0 to 18 in Arvada and Wheat Ridge BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
It’s giving season in Arvada, with scores of local nonprofits organizing holiday gift drives. Hope Connection and Community hosted its Santa’s Workshop at the Early College of Arvada on Dec. 17, handing out 2,044 toys to 1,022 children from 837 households. This is the second year HCC has hosted a gift drive, following the ‘Tree of Hope’ last year, which served over 500 kids and was also hosted at the Early College of Arvada. HCC Founder and President Julia Walker the nonprofit wanted a more personal approach and developed the idea for Santa’s Workshop. What transpired was 110 volunteers working tirelessly to organize and display thousands of donated SEE GIFTS, P6
Volunteers wrap presents at Hope Connection and Community’s Santa’s Workshop gift drive.
Arvada City Hall was packed on Dec. 19 for the swearing-in ceremony of recently named Arvada Police Chief Ed Brady. A 29-year veteran of the Arvada Police Department, Brady was selected to succeed retiring Chief Link Strate by City Manager Lori Gillis through an internal hiring process. Brady became available for the position after this year’s election, where he ran for Jefferson County Sheriff and eventually lost to Regina Marinelli in a close race. As Strate recently told the Arvada Press, he was feeling the strain of guiding the department through a grueling four years, which have included the COVID-19 pandemic and the murders of two Arvada Police Officers; Gordon Beesley and Dillon Vakoff. Unsure of his next step, when Brady became available to take the reins at APD, Strate knew what to do. “When you have that person in your department and you just know it,” Strate said of Brady. “And Arvada has that luxury to where you have that guy — he’s the guy.” Arvada Mayor Marc Williams echoed Strate’s sentiment regarding Brady. “When God closes one door, He opens a window,” Williams said. “That’s what we’ve seen happen here in the City of Arvada. We had an excellent police chief in Link Strate; he is moving into a welldeserved retirement. “We knew we had the right internal candidate for that position,” Williams continued. “It was a city manager selection, and we were all thrilled with her decision to elevate Ed Brady to that position.” Brady thanked the Arvada city team, police department and those who came before him in his speech following the swearing-in. “Thank you so much for this SEE SWORN IN, P7