Does absence make the heart grow fonder? It has been over a year since writing about my new duty with Colorado Main Street, and a lot has happened in 2018, just not so much blog writing! I am sorry for such a lengthy break. The move to Colorado was a challenging transition for my family, and spending time acclimating and adventuring together has taken priority.
Moving is like uprooting a plant and putting it somewhere new. Our life-connections (the people and places in our daily lives) are radically altered, and we have to adjust and figure out our place again. We know we need to find a dentist, map out this silly grocery store, navigate downtown (to avoid parking tickets), remember people’s names, make new friends, see new things, and then finally allow our hearts to mellow and feel at home in a new place.
Moving is a big adventure for anyone, and even more so for a family. Clinging to each other and embracing the adventure together has strengthened mine.
South side of Green Mountain in Lakewood, from the top of Mt. Carbon in Bear Creek Lake Park. We live in this foothills neighborhood. Photo courtesy photos-public-domain.com
Home
We love living in Lakewood (which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary). Although it was established as a suburb with no historic downtown, we live close to the historic Main Streets of Morrison (home of Red Rocks Park, a National Historic Landmark) and Golden (home of Coors beer). We identify these places as our downtowns. We first fell in love with this area during our Golden Summer Trip in 2017, and we decided we were ready to move.
Now, after 14 months, our support network is coming together. Since our arrival, my wife has found meaningful work, our kids are into their second semester of preschool, and we are starting to feel some tangible connection to the Centennial State. We have gotten to know most of the people on our block and have become members of the Lakewood Vineyard church.
A bonus of living here is that Denver is an easy place for others to visit. Many of our friends and family have already come to stay with us. Our home is a bi-level design, and the first project we completed was renovating the basement guest quarters to add a shower. We love having a full house! In fact, we have seen more old friends during the past year than in all 8 years we have been married.
We have also loved being so close to beautiful places. Within easy biking distance from home, we have shopping, parks, community rec centers, trails, and a community garden. We have been camping in Rocky Mountain National Park, attending the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival, ice skating on a frozen lake, and taking lots of hikes. There is a lifetime more to explore here, and we are glad to be home!
Lake Isabelle in the Indian Peaks Wilderness
Exploring in Clear Creek Canyon
Work
The unique history and cultural heritage of Colorado Main Street communities is my business to understand. Based on my previous six years of experience with Oklahoma Main Street, the transition to operations in the Colorado program has been a fun challenge. Although my desk is located at the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), one block south of the State Capitol in Denver, I am not in the office very often. My work involves frequent travel, assisting Main Street programs across the state with professional architectural and historic preservation technical assistance, education, and advocacy. Within the first six months of 2018, I visited all of our designated programs (currently 20) along with many Affiliate communities, logging over 3,000 miles on the road.
This initial tour helped me find the pulse on each Main Street program, learn about their resources, and connect with the local program Manager, public officials, and volunteers. Because of the wide-ranging influences that bore the state’s many historic Main Street districts, every community has been a treat to explore and research. From Spanish colonization and traditional agriculture to silver and gold mining, to western expansion and railroads, to modern outdoor recreation, and more, Colorado has a pretty eclectic range of key influences that shaped it.
Even though the history that brought Main Streets to life in Colorado differs significantly from Oklahoma, the people that love these places are the very same. They are the wonderful sort that cares about the places they live and want to leave it better for the next generation. As I was in Oklahoma, I am blessed to serve this body of people. I already count them as family and think of them when I picture the inner place I think of as Green Heart Town. To me, Green Heart Town is a personal name for the welcoming community I carry with me in my mind and heart, made up of all the people who are passionate about caring for and improving their hometowns. Being part of any Main Street organization connects you to a greater family. I look forward to sharing more about them with you!
2018 Colorado Main Street Managers’ Summit in Montrose
“Green Heart Town is about renewing your home, neighborhood, and downtown from the inside out.
I hope to empower you to build greener places that foster health, community, and legacy. Together we can all live fuller lives today and leave a better world to our children. ”
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