Sentinel Lakewood
LAKEWOOD 1/24/13
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 89, Issue 24
January 24, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
Public art plan progresses Open house allows for community input By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com
Master gardener Ceci Droll stands next to her family’s 1940s era tractor at her home in Golden. Droll is 99 years old and will be celebrating her 100th birthday this April. Photo by Andy Carpenean
On the road to a century Resident will celebrate 100th birthday in April By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com If you meet Ceci Droll, you’re going to get a hug. “Most people need a hug,” she said. “And you get nervy when you get older, and don’t mind if you’ve just met the person.” Ceci will receive her fair share of hugs April 24 when she turns 100. “People are making this big fuss, but I’m going to let them,” she said with a laugh. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1903, Ceci has seen horse-and-buggies in the city and gas-lighters lighting lamps at nights. She served as a riveter during World War II, bought her current home near the Manning School in Golden when there wasn’t even a street to access her home, and raised five children. Her favorite restaurant is Jus Cookin’s in Lakewood, 840 Tabor St., where she has become quite well known with the owners, Steve and Char Modlich.
“Every time she’s come in, I’d ask her ‘how old are you again?’ and she’d say ‘99 and-a-half,’” Char said. “She asked if she came in on her 100th birthday if I’d buy her dinner, and I told her that I’d buy her dinner, a pie and a bottle of wine. So she promised to come in on her birthday.” Some of her favorite memories of growing up in New York involve a 17th birthday where her brother took her on a 15-minute plane ride around Long Island — in an open cockpit, trainer plane — and seeing the city grow. “When I was 15 I took a train to the city to the city to learn millinery (hatmaking), and I was able to see the Chrysler Building being built piece by piece,” she said. Ceci moved to her first home in Colorado, just off of Garrison Street in Lakewood, in 1947 after meeting her second husband, Edward Everett Droll, at the famous Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Her first husband served in the Navy, and was killed when the U.S.S. Langley was attacked and sunk by the Japanese in 1942. Edward and Ceci bought their two acres of land in Golden in 1950 and started building their home around their family. Their children — Barbara, Susan, Berna-
dette, June and Mark — were all raised in the home and Bernadette and June still frequent the house to help their mother out. “In a way she had more kids than just us,” Bernadette said. “She has taken so many people under her wing.” One of Ceci’s favorite hobbies is gardening — she joined the Jefferson County Master Gardeners program in 1976 and is still an emeritus member. “I applied and got in, and they couldn’t get rid of me for the next 32 years,” she said. Though she is not able to garden outside any more, she still does some potted plants gardening at home and then gives them away to people who can plant them outdoors, according to June. Her home is surrounded by enormous trees, including a large Spruce tree, all of which she planted and has watched grow and change. That is a fitting metaphor for Ceci, who has seen the land, country and her own family grow and change, with grandchildren and great grandchildren. “I’m luck to have these wonderful kids to help me out,” she said. “I don’t know what I would do without these girls.”
Lakewood’s Public Art Master Plan is nearing completion, but community input is still important to those working on it. On Tuesday, Jan. 15, an open house was held at the Lakewood Cultural Center for those who wanted to hear about the goals of the master plan, as well hear a presentation from artist Lawrence Argent on the important of public art. Argent is the artist who created the “blue bear” statue outside of the Denver Convention Center. “It’s really important to get a sense of the process of public art,” Argent told those in attendance. “It’s also extremely important to be part of the process — it’s so significant to have the power to change your landscape.” The goals discussed range from establishing a public art program, to securing and managing funding not only for the creation of public art, but maintenance of it as well. It is also important that there is public outreach about the art, which will allow for it to be used in educational ways. Barbara Neal, who has been working on the master plan since July 2012, said that the main goal of public art is to tell Lakewood’s story, and involve all areas of the community. “We want to provide places for people to come and visit,” she said. During the process of developing the master plan, its steering committee has been meeting with a wide variety of stakeholders, from residents to departments in the city of Lakewood like community resources, planning, traffic and economic development. They also met with groups like the Alameda Corridor Business Improvement District and the 40 West Arts District. “It’s extremely important that we form partnerships to make public art a possibility,” Neal explained. The next steps for the master plan will be to finish the details and incorporate any last minute concerns into the plan, and it will then go before the planning commission and then city council as an amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan. Pat Pendleton, a member of the steering committee and an artist at Block 7 in Belmar attended the meeting because she said the interaction between the community and art is important, and she’d like to see that reflected in the art. “I’d really like to see more public art that’s interactive in the city,” she said. For more information on the Public Art Master Plan, visit www.lakewood.org/publicartmasterplan.
Colorado economic forecast looking bright for 2013 Steady growing trend in job market, consumer spending to continue, economist says By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews.com Colorado has been on a slow and steady economic recovery over the past couple years, and that trend should improve this year. Patty Silverstein, president of Development Research Partners, presented an economic forecast for the Denver metro area for 2013 during the Arvada Chamber of Commerce’s Third Friday Legislative Breakfast Jan. 18.
She defines the Denver metro region as a seven-county region area from Boulder County to Douglas County. “We have been going forward, and we expect in 2013 that we will continue to grow and expand, but at a slow rate,” Silverstein said. Metro area unemployment tends to stay below the nation’s. In 2012, the average metro unemployment rate was 7.7 percent whereas the nation’s was 8.1 percent. “We expect the unemployment rate will continue to drift downward a little bit in 2013,” Silverstein said. Silverstein predicts the unemployment rate for the Denver metro area will be 7.5 percent this year with the nation’s at 7.9. In 2009-10, 64,000 jobs were lost in the Denver metro area. But by 2013, 74,000 new jobs are expect-
ed to be created in the metro area. Of the metro area’s 12 industrial clusters, which include aviation, aerospace, health care and information technology, five have experienced growth over the past years, Silverstein said. Colorado’s aerospace industry is now the second largest in the country behind California. Consumers are spending more money too, Silverstein said. Last year was the year of big-ticket purchases, such as appliances and cars, she said. “In 2013, we expect to see a bit of a pullback in that spending level,” she said. “Again, still growing, but growing at a slightly slower pace because a lot of those big ticket item purchases happened in 2012.” A consistent marketplace also helped increase the number of homes that were sold
last year and reduce the number of homes foreclosed. Both trends are expected to continue. Global economic challenges, unemployment rates and businesses still seeking clarity on healthcare, taxes and government spending can make the forecast look dim, Silverstein said. But there are economic opportunities for residents and businesses in 2013 with low interest rates, strong consumer spending and an improving real estate, she said.
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.