July 15, 2010 • THE VILLAGER • PAGE 23

DEVELOPMENT

DIGS is a supplemental publication of The VillagerNewspaper. Produced twice a month, this new section will feature stories about home improvement and décor, lawn/garden care and landscaping.

DIGS will also focus on real estate – supplying real estate agents and brokers with a platform to highlight their properties, expertise and services. NEXT EDITION: JULY 29AD DEADLINE: JULY 22

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THE VILLAGER NEWSPAPER JULY 15, 2010

REAL ESTATEHOME & GARDEN

DEVELOPMENTdigs

HOME &GARDEN

REAL ESTATE

what’s inside

Collaborating for regional vitality, pg. 24 Littleton Economic News, pg. 27

Denver solicits project proposals, pg. 27 Village Club accepting new members, pg. 27

Landscape with a green thumb & mind, pg. 23 Planting a beautiful west Denver, pg. 25 Auto Review: Mercury falls, Lincoln rises, pg. 26

SUBMITTED BY R. MARK TURNER, ASPEN CREEK LANDSCAPING

The term “green” is being tossed around a lot these days, from everything to food to energy to architecture. The basic concept is to lower your carbon footprint in the world with sustainability — lower energy is better.

Water conservationWater has become the new

energy of the future, with less fresh water available each year for the growing populations. The conservation of this resource requires true xeric (low water) principles, as in traditional xeri-scapes.

Nozzles: Many sprayheads will shoot two-thirds of their water away from the head, with the water landing in a constant stream at the end of its arch. The irrigation heads do not act like rain does.

Use a rotator nozzle on a pop-up head, which acts like a foun-tain that mimics rain and actually uses fewer gallons per minute per head. Slower water applica-tion allows more natural, deeper absorption to occur and will en-courage deeper root growth.

Training your turfgrass: Bluegrass can be trained to be very water effi cient with a proper watering cycle. Watering deeply and infrequently promotes deep root growth, allowing water to soak deep into the soil and the roots to follow the water for nour-ishment. Watering infrequently, even to the point of stressing the grass a little bit, will force deeper root growth to where the water and moisture resides. Try water-ing your turf grass only two to three times per week if possible.

Rain sensors: A water sensor will automatically turn off the ir-

rigation clock when it is raining and activate the system to resume the preset cycles when the sensor is dry.

Programming your clock with percents. New clocks also have a nice feature that allows for percentage watering. You can initially set a determined amount of minutes for each zone and then have the ability to turn up or down the percentage time for the system as a whole with one small adjustment.

Sustainability Sustainability simply means

the ability to endure and remain diverse and productive through time.

Design your plant material for the proper location. Install plant material that has lower maintenance requirements for the climate. Install xeriscape plants on top of a berm. Plants requiring more water belong in a swale area that receives runoff from irrigated grass areas, roof gutters and natural rain.

Use humus-rich compost for proper sod and plant material preparation. Always augment the soil with a thick rate of aged compost before sod installation and rototill it 4-6 inches into the soil. We have found a rate of 5

cubic yards per thousand square feet is a good blend for proper soil preparation.

Mulching is organic. The use of mulch in limited amounts will contribute to the health of your landscape by conserving moisture, cooling the roots of your plant material and recycling nutrients through the soil. Install mulch at the surface over the root systems of the plant material.

Use our natural resources: Rainwater is best used to irri-gate your plant material — not the stormwater drain down the street. Wherever possible, direct the drainspout extensions to the turfgrass or wind a perforated pipe through a cobble swale to irrigate the plant material.

Green practicesThere are many standard eco-

logically friendly practices that landscapers and homeowners can do to conserve energy and help the environment.

Recycle: All reusable plant containers should be returned to a green nursery with a recycling program. The nurseries sterilize them and reuse them for new plants.

Cultural: You should aerate your lawn twice a year, in spring and fall. Be sure to water before

the aeration so good-size plugs come up from the soil, allowing water, oxygen and seasonal fer-tilizers to get to the root areas. Right after an aeration is the best time to apply a light, full-bodied blend of fertilizer.

Adapt to changes: Consum-ers waste lots of money and effort each year because they install plant material that is not sustainable in our climate.

Energy conservation: Water features are an excellent way to enjoy the beauty and sound of water while keeping high sus-tainability, because the water recycles, and the pumps usually take very little electricity to run.

R. Mark Turner is the owner of Aspen Creek Landscaping, which has served the metro Denver region for more than 20 years. Specializing in custom, residential design/builds, Aspen Creek is based in Lakewood. Mark holds a degree from Kansas State University and is a member of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado.

Landscapingwith a green vision

Homeowners, designers focus on water conservation and sustainability

BY JENNIFER SCHAUFELE, DRCOGWhile it may not have been

among the recent headlines you read, the federal government an-nounced the adoption of a set of “livability” principles that will directly affect you as a citizen. These principles are designed to align several federal agency ac-tivities into a collaborative effort that encourages sustainable devel-opment and creates livable com-munities.

Livable communities offer what you need at each stage of your life, allowing you to remain an active part of the community as you age. In a livable commu-nity, you have access to lots of transit and transportation options, energy-effi cient homes to lower your utility bills, jobs near your home and opportunities to enjoy the bounty of recreational ameni-ties we crave in Colorado, among other benefi ts.

What’s important about the timing of this effort is that it comes when our economy is suf-fering, utility and transportation costs for individual families are increasing and the Denver metro area needs to create jobs. Govern-ment, business and education are challenged to work together to create a vibrant, local economy that promotes stable employment and can succeed in a global mar-ketplace. The exciting news is the Denver metro area is being looked upon nationally as a leader in pro-moting livability.

In May, the Denver Regional Council of Governments adopted the six Federal Livability Prin-ciples (listed below), opening the door to new federal funds for the region. These funds will support partnership efforts between gov-ernment and the business commu-

nity by incentivizing development patterns that enhance the lives of our residents and ensure we have clean air and water for generations to come. This sustainable devel-opment approach focuses on the most critical building blocks for success, the community and the region. It emphasizes community-wide and regional collaboration for building prosperous and liv-able places. While each commu-nity and the entire region have unique challenges and opportuni-ties, the following common prin-ciples should guide an integrated and coordinated approach to pro-mote economic vitality within in-dividual communities and in part-nership with their neighbors in the larger region.

The Federal Livability Prin-ciples include the following.

Provide more transportation choices

Develop safe, reliable and eco-nomical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s depen-dence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.

Promote equitable, affordable housing

Expand location- and energy-ef-fi cient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnici-ties to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

Enhance economic competitiveness

Improve economic competi-tiveness through reliable and

timely access to employment cen-ters, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.

Support existing communities

Target federal funding toward existing communities – through strategies like transit oriented, mixed-use development, and land recycling – to increase community revitalization and the effi ciency of public works investments and safe-guard rural landscapes.

Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment

Align federal policies and fund-ing to remove barriers to collabora-tion, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy

Value communities and neighborhoods

Enhance the unique character-istics of all communities by in-vesting in healthy, safe and walk-able neighborhoods – rural, urban or suburban.

Over the next few weeks, I will spend some time discussing each of these livable community con-cepts and how the Federal Liv-ability Principles might impact you when it comes to regional collabo-ration. It is truly an exciting time for all of us to be working together to meet this chal-lenge and build an even more liv-able region that recognizes the economic value of natural and hu-man resources.

PAGE 24 • THE VILLAGER • July 15, 2010 digs

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Collaboration is the key to regional vitality

One example of collaboration is the easy access light rail that joins the south suburbs with downtown Denver.

Photos courtesy of DRCOG

Another example of collaboration in communities is “walkability” –

developments that enableresidents to walk aboutinstead of driving to all

destinations.

July 15, 2010 • THE VILLAGER • PAGE 25

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Students, volunteers build Kepner fruit tree orchard

BY JOSHUA COLE

In 10-20 years, Miguel Martinez dreams of coming back to the Kepner Middle School campus,

maybe with his children, and pick-ing fresh, juicy, bountiful fruit off tree branches or tasty tomatoes from the vine. On a hot day, like many have been this summer, he imagines he would sit in the fruit tree orchard for shade, climbing the tree trunks or watching his children, cousins, nieces and nephews frolic.

But right now, in 2010, Martinez is merely planting the seeds – liter-ally – for future sustainability, hap-piness, health and beauty. On July 1, Martinez was one of nearly 60 students and 50 other community members to plant 39 trees on a back corner of Kepner Middle School, near South Federal Boulevard and West Mississippi Avenue.

“It makes it look better so it won’t be all junky,” said Martinez, who recently fi nished eighth grade at Kepner.

The fruit tree project is sponsored by Revision International as part of its Re:farm Denver program. The international Fruit Tree Planting Foundation provided the trees, train-ing and education. Re:vision Inter-national will manage the garden and

orchard, helped by volun-teers from Livewell West-wood and Kepner Middle School.

Before putting the small trees in the dirt and digging irrigation ditches, Martinez and others picked up trash and dug up weeds on what had been an inhospitable section of the Kepner Mid-dle School campus. The Denver School of Science and Technology in north Denver received 36 trees for its neighborhood as part of the same program.

Food from the orchard – when it matures – and from the adjacent vegetable garden will be put in stu-dent meals and given to the community when school is out. Fruit from the tree would be various varieties of apricots, plums, peaches, cherries, apples and pears.

So the trees can mature fully and upright, diners will have to wait 3-4 years before snacking from the fruit trees, an arborist said. Each tree, which is either a semi-dwarf or regular, would grow fully to about 8-15 feet in diameter and height in 10-20 years.

“Pretty soon there’s going to be a lot of fruits and vegetables,” said Martinez, whose favorite fruit is

green apples.The adjacent vegetable

garden, which began last year and is also sponsored by Re:vision International, is already producing vari-ous types of vegetables.

Between the track and the baseball fi elds, at the far edge of the campus, next to power lines and behind houses separated fences of splitting wood, the place that would be-come the Kepner orchard was a wasteland for stu-dents and others.

Even with the new trees only a couple of inches wide at the trunk and about 5 feet tall, the orchard is already a symbol and icon for the neighborhood, volunteers proudly proclaimed.

Trees also make people feel better. They enrich the air by sucking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. And they’re nice to look at and be around.

“Studies have looked at the positive effects that trees have on people’s

psyche, how they make people feel better, more relaxed and better about themselves,” said Rico Montenegro, arborist with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.

The orchard is also a way to help the rest of the community, organiz-ers hope. When children become in-volved, they learn activities that will become habits when they’re older. At school, they can learn proper ways to care for the orchard and the nutritional value of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, especially compared with packaged food and fatty, junk food. Nutritionists recommend eat-ing 7-8 fruits and vegetables a day.

“Some of the apple trees can live for 200 years,” said Joseph Teipel, co-founder and president of Re:vision International. “It’s per-spective and foresight for these kids knowing that they can come back 30 years from now, and they’ll still be helping the community. They’re doing something that will have huge impacts even when they’re gone.”

Further, when children get in-volved, organizers say, they get their parents involved. Families that par-ticipate in Re:farm Denver plant a garden in their own yard. They must also share some of the food with other neighbors and recruit another household to start a garden.

Moreover, by working to plant the trees, by involving others in the community, neighbors are more willing to keep an area clean of weeds, graffi ti and trash.

“It’s cool to see the ownership they’re taking,” Teipel said. “Some of the kids said they can’t wait to eat this because they worked so hard on it.”

Planting for a

Paul Grossette and Miguel Martinez dig a little ditch in the dirt for irrigation to the fruit trvees they just planted.

Jordan Granados, Roberto Torres and Joaquin Espinoza paint the banner for the front of the Kepner garden and fruit tree orchard. Photos by Joshua Cole

Jesus Sanchez, 3, picks up a small green tomato while his sister Eunice Quinonez, 11, stands behind him at the Kepner Middle School garden. On July 1, 39 fruit trees were planted at the school.

digs

more beautiful

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PAGE 26 • THE VILLAGER • July 15, 2010 digs

Auto ReviewTHEV

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By H. THroTTle

Ford just keeps doing the right things, most recently announcing the end of the Mercury line of cars. Going back to high school days my best friend’s mother pur-chased a brand new 1955 Mercury V8 that would fly. While mom was working at the hospital, my friend Bill and I would run the wheels off that brand new blue Mercury sedan. They were well named af-ter that ancient Greek god.

Lincoln can more than sup-plant Mercury and the new MKX is an outstanding entry into the

luxury sedan marketplace with a list price of only $36,005. This includes a V6, 3.5L engine with a six-speed select-shift transmis-sion. Again, Ford has really nailed the smaller engines with the six speed transmission that render great fuel economy and plenty of muscle that can include turbo-charged engines.

The MKX is comfortable and has 10 way power seats for driver and passenger that are heated and cooled – all at no extra charge. Many other no charge extras in-clude heated mirrors, silver metal-

lic paint, halogen headlamps and side air bags.

The new Lincoln has five star safety ratings on front and side crash impacts and a complimen-tary maintenance program for 12 months or 15,000 miles.

The car handles well, the six –speed transmission is great for Colorado mountain driving and fuel economy on the highway is around 25 mpg. Ford-Lincoln has a strong entry in the luxury sedan marketplace with this American made product with a Michigan address.

Ford cancels Mercury, produces Lincoln MKX

The Lincoln MKX has a list price that comes with many standard features of only $36,005.Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

digs July 15, 2010 • THE VILLAGER • PAGE 27

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Cabinets shop gets new home

Neil Maday, owner of Green-wood Cabinets & Stone, held a grand opening and ribbon cut-ting party for clients and invited guests to celebrate the comple-tion of his new store at 5950 S. Broadway in the Key Bank build-ing. In the industry for some 18 years, Maday provides design and installation of kitchens and baths, and other areas where cabinetry or stone are used. The showroom has any number of vignettes that display the variety of ways materials can be used to fi t personal tastes and style. Call 303-798-5711 or visit www.greenwoodcabinetry.net.

Something old, something new, something blue and something in Littleton

Mother and daughter DeeDee and Holly Marsh just moved their shop, The Green Bride, from Cherry Creek to 2340 W. Main St. They are known for their ex-cellent customer service and for their quest to help each bride who walks through their doors to fi nd what she is looking for at an af-fordable price. Their new store is stocked with more than 200 bridal gowns at discounted prices as well as bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride and special occasion dresses. Dresses can also be or-dered online. Call 303-798-2222 or visit www.thegreenbrideden-ver.com.

Store for growing families grows across the street

Sweet Beginnings (5767 S. Rapp St.) retail boutique and wellness center for mothers-to-be and new moms, has outgrown its space. Rather than moving to a new location, owner Michelle Parks has opened a second loca-tion right across the street at 5788 S. Rapp St., next to Kimbra Stu-dios. The retail part of the shop and certain classes will stay put, and the new space will become a complete Wellness Center with a massage therapist and a medical esthetician, as well as the child-birth, Yoga, mommy & baby, and lactation classes that will move over there. Call 303-317-5795 or visit www.oursweetbeginnings.com.

Dance with Littleton’s starsHolly Collins announced that

her studio, Adventures in Dance, has been nominated for the Chan-nel 7 A-list. Her award-winning skills were recently featured on the Tom Martino Show where she did a series on wedding dancing. The studio is located in the Wood-lawn Shopping Center at 1500 W. Littleton Blvd. Call 720-276-0562 or visit www.adventuresin-dance.com.

Kick back while the kids kick it

Futo-Kan MMA (5950 South Platte Canyon Road) has been in business since the fi rst of the year and is already being recognized as “one of the most popular martial

arts training centers in Colorado.” Owner/instructor Mike Bidwell has built a community environ-ment where people of all ages can benefi t from martial arts. Besides class areas, he offers a huge wait-ing area with free Wi-Fi, coffee, and kids play area; a weight train-ing room; training fl oor; and more. Call 303-798-5711 or visit www.futo-kan.com

Norgren fi rst in FIRST competition

Norgren (5400 S. Delaware St.), a global supplier of pneu-matic motion and fl uid control solutions, has been recognized as a ‘Gold’ level contributor to the FIRST Robotics Organization for its donation of pneumatic valves and regulators at the FIRST Colo-rado Regional competition, which took place at the University of Denver Ritchie Center in March. Call 303-794-2611 or visit www.norgren.com.

Best vets help your best petsAlong with celebrating its

50th anniversary this year, Broad-way Estates Veterinary Clinic is celebrating the USCA Best of the Best 2010 award for local veteri-narians for the second time in a row. Located at 6574 S. Broad-way Ave. in the Broadway Estates Shopping Center, the clinic has six full-time doctors and provides services to the Denver Dumb Friends League and the Colorado Humane Society. Call 303-795-2584 or visit www.vetsonbroad-way.com.

Littleton Economic NewsTHEV

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The Village Club, a small family oriented club, conve-niently located on Belleview between I-25 and University, is a unique mix of equestrian, swimming and tennis activi-ties for children and adults. The Village Club became a private club in 1974, with six tennis courts, a pool and an outdoor year round riding are-na. The relaxed atmosphere and casual style of the Village Club allows parents and chil-dren to enjoy the tennis clin-ics and leagues, swimming pool (including a junior swim team) and varied riding pro-grams in 10 acres in the heart of the Denver Tech Center. Members, if they wish, may board and ride their own hors-es or ride the horses provided by the Village Club. As the greater metropolitan commu-nity has grown more urban, A signifi cant piece of Colorado history is at the Village Club, as the clubhouse was designed by Temple H. Buell in 1929 for the original owner and the same cobble stone design is carried into the pool barbeque area.

The Village Club is cur-rently accepting member-ships. The Village Club is located at 4601 E. Belleview Ave., Cherry Hills Village, 80121. Visit our web site at www.villageclubco.org or call Stephanie Skinner at 303-771-8131.

The Village Club is accepting new members

2011 notice of funding availability cycle due Aug. 20

The Denver Offi ce of Eco-nomic Development announced its issuance of three Notices of Funding Availability for projects to be funded in 2011. OED is soliciting proposals for housing development, housing services, neighborhood development, neighborhood services, and eco-nomic/business development and services.

OED is seeking exceptional projects and related services that make a positive impact on neigh-borhoods in a noticeable way. The NOFA makes available pub-lic funds that could be used by nonprofi t and for-profi t provid-ers to facilitate the development of viable urban neighborhoods by providing quality affordable housing, an enhanced living en-

vironment and expanded eco-nomic opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents. Pro-grams are funded by the U.S. De-partment of Housing and Urban Development Community De-velopment Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships and Housing Opportunities for Per-sons with AIDS programs.

Each application is available on the OED website, www.mile-high.com, and completed appli-cations are due by 4 p.m. on the due date.

Neighborhood development and services program applica-tions were released July 8 and are due Aug. 16.

Business development and services program applications were released July 13 and due Aug. 16.

Housing development and housing services program appli-cations are scheduled to be re-leased July 20 and due Aug. 20.

Denver solicits proposals for housing, neighborhood, business projects