Sentinel Lakewood
Lakewood 3/21/13
March 21, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlakewoodnews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 89, Issue 32
Innovated ideas recognized W Rail Line named one of best construction projects By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com
Mayor Bob Murphy and other theater lovers gather to celebrate the opening of the new theater. Photos by Clarke Reader
New theater sharper than ever The Edge celebrates grand reopening By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews. com
I
t was a race to the finish line, but The Edge Theatre opened on time, and in exuberant fashion, on Friday, March 15, at its new location at 1560 Teller St. Mayor Bob Murphy, executive director of the LakewoodWest Colfax Business Improvement District Bill Marino, 40 West Arts and The Edge Theatre boards, and friends of theater all gathered to celebrate the grand reopening and regional premiere of David Mamet’s “Race.” “We got all the code approvals we needed at 1 p.m. today,” said Rick Yaconis, executive producer and artistic director of The Edge. “If we hadn’t gotten those approvals, we would have had to cancel this all until we did.” The business community was also on hand to lend its support to the new venture, and
Visitors and well-wishers sign the ribbon that was cut to celebrate the opening of The Edge Theatre at its new location at 1560 Teller St. Amira Watters, director of programs for The West Chamber, said the chamber fully supports the work 40 West and The Edge are doing. Yaconis addressed the crowd before the ribbon cutting and show started, thanking the Edge board for all its support during the transition, when it looked like the theater might not last.
“We’ve gone through some crazy times, thinking should we close, should we move,” Yaconis said. “In the end we decided that we’d rather say I can’t believe we did that, instead of we should have done that.” He also thanked the 40 West board, for its hospitality in sharing its space with the theater. Originally The Edge had
been looking at a space next door, but when it looked like it wouldn’t pan out, Marino and Carrie Mesch helped the theater move into 40 West’s new space. “We’re going to do a lot of really great things here together,” Yaconis said. “We’re really investing in the community, and this won’t just be a place for performing arts.” One of the new things that the theater will be doing is launching a program for teens called Teen Edge, which will offer playwriting classes to those who are interested. Yaconis pledged that the theater will maintain its commitment to producing new work, and pushing the performing arts envelope. “This is a thrilling moment for us in Lakewood. We’ve had a lot of milestones, but this is an incredibly significant one,” Murphy said before the ribbon was cut. “There’s an incredible synergy here in the arts district. And as for pushing the envelope, please, give them something to talk about.” For more information on The Edge, visit www.theeproject.com.
Jefferson County staff garners budget award Award called highest in the field By Glenn wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews. com Jefferson County’s budget department has been recognized with the “highest award in governmental budgeting,” for its 2012 report. The Board of County Commissioners officially recognized the accomplishment and presented the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Budget Department Director Christina Caputo and five of her budget and management anal-
ysis team at the March 12 board meeting. “Its attainment represents a significant achievement by our budget and analyst team,” District 2 Commissioner Casey Tighe said, calling it an example to other municipalities. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada judges submitted budget reports based on 27 “best practice” criteria, according to District 1 Commissioner Faye Griffin. The award is given to budget departments who rank proficient or outstanding across all 27 criteria. The county’s 2012 budget, which detailed
$476.2 million in expenditures, achieved that goal. “Thank you commissioners for acknowledging this award,” Caputo said, on behalf of her staff: Tim Nejedlo, Carl Tippin, Pat Heckmann, Chris Lindsey, Louise Milburn and Nancy Duncan. Also during the March 12 meeting, the commissioners reported on how their previous week’s trip to Washington, D.C., for the National Association of Counties (NACo) legislative conference went. “It’s amazing how, in Jefferson County we have our issues, we have our struggles, but we have it better than a lot of other counties,” Chair Donald Rosier,
District 3, said. Griffin noted that NACo had produced a video that made what she said was an important point. “Really, all of the services that people use come from the county,” Griffin said. Tighe said the Colorado delegation specifically asked federal officials to make some determinations regarding how the federal government will handle the state’s decriminalization of recreational marijuana, following the passage of Amendment 64. “I just hope someone will help resolve some of this confusion in a prompt manner,” Tighe said.
The W Rail Line is winning awards already, and the first train hasn’t even carried passengers down the line yet. The line was named as one of the most significant construction projects of 2012 by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) during its annual convention in Palm Springs, Calif., on March 7. The line, which opens on April 26, received the Alliant Build America Merit Award. The Denver Transit Construction Group (DTCG) — which is based out of Lakewood, and is the general contractor for the line — was also one of six firms to receive the Alliant Build America Merit Award. “RTD is fortunate to have had Denver Transit Construction Group as one of the major contractors on the West Rail Line project,” said RTD General Manager Phil Washington in a statement. “They demonstrated hard work, tremendous skill and determination to see this important project through to completion.” The Alliant Build America Merit Awards recognize the nation’s most significant construction projects. A panel of judges, in all areas of construction, examined this year’s submissions, looking at features like the project’s complexity, use of innovative construction techniques and client satisfaction. According to Kathy Berumen, public information manager for DTCG, there were many features of the construction process that helped the line be recognized. “We built some great relationships that help us to make sure everything was built on time,” she said. “Safety was also extremely important — we had a very low number of accidents and no claims during construction, which is almost unheard of.” The fact that the W Rail Line will be completed eight months ahead of schedule, through the cooperation of three cities, was another boon to the line. Berumen also said that the innovation used in construction — like building the 6th Avenue Bridge and then rolling it into place over the highway — was a crucial reason that the line received the award. “We also tried to be very sensitive to the environment, and contribute to the community,” she said. “We made monetary donations, donated fridges and freezers from apartments that had to be removed to Habitat for Humanity, and held several block parties for the neighborhoods. We also donated a lot of equipment to the Colorado Railroad Museum.”
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