Serving Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and beyond
WEEK OF MAY 18, 2023
VOLUME 39 | ISSUE 43
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Lakewood City Council honors a graduating local teen with a day of his own BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Lakewood City Council recently engaged in governing that’s going to cause traffic trouble, home repair debates and more friction in future council meetings, but one local teen will remember the night as the biggest surprise of his life. At the May 8 meeting, Mayor Adam Paul and the council passed a proclamation to declare May 8, 2023 Liam Hopkins Day. Hopkins, a graduating Lakewood High School senior, has been reeling since that night. “It was just kind of hard for me to believe,” he said. “I never thought that I’d received that sort of recognition.” The award recognizes Hopkins for his work in preserving Bear Creek Lake Park. The proclamation declares Hopkins as “instrumental in helping to organize the Save Bear Creek Lake Park Alliance and has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the community for his support of Bear Creek Lake Park.” The teen said that his work was just an extension of his passion for reptiles, and it was part of a school project. “I’ve always been really interested in wildlife,” Hopkins said. “So, I decided for my (Senior Capstone) project, I would do a reptile and amphibian survey at Bear Creek Lake Park.” He explained that the project was meant to help the city and the park officials get a better idea of the rattlesnake population in the park.
Projects get a push forward in Wheat Ridge City Council meeting BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
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Liam Hopkins says the honor of having his own day does not feel real just yet. He simply did his school project, which featured his favorite animal: snakes.
WESTMINSTER SEE HONOR, P2
VOICES: 14 | LIFE: 16 | CALENDAR: 19 | SPORTS: 26
Wheat Ridge residents could see movement on long-awaited public projects soon. Wheat Ridge City Council at a May 8 meeting presented resolutions to advance four projects that will improve and create bike paths, trails and public walkways in the community. This includes a new surface for the pool located at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center. The public lap pool needs a new surface — the expense for which was approved and placed in the budget for 2023. During the meeting, after a lengthy process, the council awarded the project to a company that will resurface the community pool. Mid-America Pool Renovation Inc. has locations throughout the Midwest and Colorado. According to its website, the company specializes in composite surface that is more durable than traditional surfaces. The Wheat Ridge City Council accepted Mid-America Pool Renovation Inc.’s bid to resurface the lap pool. Council also accepted and awarded the company’s bid of $300,000 for the entire project. According to the bid document, the work is scheduled to last a week with six additional days set aside for travel, prep and
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIAM HOPKINS
SEE PROJECTTS, P4
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