May 7, 2015 VOLU M E 9 1 | I S SUE 38
LakewoodSentinel.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
A LUNCH DATE
During the first annual West Colfax Lately luncheon, Nina Rockley was recognized with the Legend Award. Mayor Bob Murphy presented Rockley with the award. Rockley said she hopes Colfax will “sparkle” once again. Photos by Clarke Reader
The West Colfax Lately Luncheon was held at the Lakewood Country Club on April 30, and was a chance for supporters of the district to celebrate the avenue’s past and look to the future.
WHAT WE HEARD AT THE WEST COLFAX LATELY LUNCHEON “Lakewood is one of the places where the American flag still waves, and I’m very proud to be here” -Naughty Pierre, performer and comedian “At the state of the city we celebrated my 21 years of public service, but that is in its infancy compared to the service of Rockley Music to the community.” -Mayor Bob Murphy, presenting the West Colfax Legend Award to Nina Rockley “I’ve had the opportunity of a lifetime on Colfax. It’s such a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful, wonderful city.” -Nina Rockley, West Colfax Legend Award recipient “Today’s celebration is about you — the people who stood up with West Colfax.’ -Bill Marino, 40 West Arts chair “We’ve put our energy and hearts into this area, and have been met with the same 10-fold.” -Kevin Yoshida of The Abo Group, winner of the West Colfax Momentum Award
The West Colfax Lately Luncheon was held at the Lakewood Country Club on April 30, and was a chance for supporters of the district to celebrate the avenue’s past and look to the future. At left, Kevin Yoshida, city manager Kathy Hodgson, and Ron Abo. Abo and Yoshida’s firm, The Abo Group, was recognized during the first West Colfax Lately luncheon with a Momentum Award.
World seemed ready ‘to tilt upside down’ Nepalese business owner in Golden tells family’s story after April 25 quake By Christy Steadman csteadman@colorado communitymedia.com
Lhakpa Sherpa spent two days and nights trying to reach his family in Nepal, but the devastating earthquake had knocked out power and telephone services. He knew his mother visited the Boudhanath Stupa near her Kathmandu home every day to walk or meditate. The Buddhist religious monument and UNESCO World Heritage site was damaged by the April 25 temblor that destroyed many other historical temples. So to get the call from his mother in the late afternoon of April 27 brought him joy. “It was one of the best phone calls I’ve ever received,” said Sherpa, 40, a Golden resident for about 16 years who runs a landscaping company and is the founding owner of the Sherpa House, a Himalayan restaurant and cultural center in downtown Golden. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook Nepal on April 25, leaving 11 districts of the small Asian country severely damaged and many others with a “significant loss of life and property,” the World Health Organization reported. An estimated 8 million people were affected, with a death toll of more than 5,000 people as of April 29. Video footage of the damage “almost creates a depression,” Sherpa said, making it difficult to sleep at night and find motivation during the day. Besides Kathmandu, where his parents live, Sherpa also has family in a small village called Lukla, which is the beginning point for all Mount Everest expeditions in
HOW TO HELP There are a couple of immediate ways people can help the Nepalese earthquake victims. Donate Donate medical supplies, clothing and shoes and blankets at the Golden City Brewery or the Sherpa House. The Saint Joseph Catholic Parish of Golden has an international aid group that is responsible to getting the donations to Nepal. Contact the brewery: 9201/2 12th St., Golden; www. gcbrewery.com; (303) 279-8092; Or on the GCB Facebook page Contact the Sherpa House: 1518 Washington Avenue, Golden; www.ussherpahouse.com; (303) 278-7939; Facebook page available Both establishments are also accepting monetary donations. Crowdfund The Sherpa House and Golden City Brewery have set up a crowdfunding page on the website Indiegogo Life. The tagline is HELP Nepal!, but Indiegogo Life has a number of crowdfunding options for Nepal, so to support the local efforts, visit the Sherpa House’s Facebook page or the Golden City Brewery’s website for a direct link. The goal is to raise $10,000 in 15 days. As of April 29, $5,815 has been raised, with 11 days left.
the Himalayas. Power returned to the city April 27, Sherpa said, but rural areas remained without communication. Sherpa’s mother told him the immediate family is fine. However, his cousin’s brother died in the avalanche on Mount Everest, leaving a wife and two young daughters. A few other people Sherpa knew lost their lives, he said, including a friend in Kathmandu who died after an electrical pole fell on the taxi he was in during the earthquake. Sherpa said his father told him he had never experienced anything like this in his
People have been rolling up dollar bills to place them on the shrine at the Sherpa House, which is located at 1518 Washington Avenue in Golden. The money and donations will go to earthquake victims in Nepal, which was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 25. The death toll rose to the thousands, and much of the small Asian country’s homes and businesses are left in ruins. Photo by Christy Steadman 60 years. “He said he thought the world was going to tilt upside down,” Sherpa said. Aftershocks — some measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey — caused even greater damaged. “People are terrified to live inside their homes … all the houses are cracked and damaged,” Sherpa said. “So they’re trying to live outside of the house in the open space in a tent … with very limited supplies.” Fundraising for relief efforts began shortly after the shock wore off, Sherpa said. Locally, people have approached him to ask how they can help. “The wonderful people in Golden have shown a lot of interest in the people of Nepal,” he said, and people all over the world
are reaching out to help the Nepalese people. “Nepal is such a beautiful country,” Sherpa said, but “one of the poorest in the world.” A politically unstable country, Nepal has few jobs, and education and infrastructure problems, Sherpa said. Because of that, he said, the country needs not only immediate relief for earthquake victims, but also longterm sustainable help. But despite the devastation and suffering, the Nepalese people, known for being caring and hospitable, have strength and endurance, Sherpa said. “At the end of the day, they have a smile on their face,” he said. “They will honor you with the best mattress they have, or (offer) you the best cup of tea they have.”