Home Care In Layfayette, CO

As Erie residents prepare to welcome a new King Soopers at the Nine Mile location off Arapahoe Road, Lafayette residents will have to bid farewell to the King Soopers less than a mile south along U.S. 287 and Baseline Road.

Gabi Rae, Erie communications and community engagement director, said that there is no firm opening date for the Nine Mile King Soopers, but the town anticipates a late summer or early fall opening.

Lafayette Communications Director Debbie Wilmot said that the Lafayette King Soopers will close as soon as the other opens.

Wilmot said that King Soopers will maintain ownership of the Lafayette property and is looking for a tenant.

While King Soopers representatives are focused on leasing the space, Wilmot said the city is still talking about the future of the site, and Lafayette did approach King Soopers to pursue a potential public-private partnership for the property.

King Soopers is one of the largest tenants in Lafayette, but the city is not worried about a loss in sales tax revenue.

“The good news is that the city of Lafayette will receive joint sales tax revenue from the new King Soopers site in Erie,,” Wilmot said.

In 2019, Lafayette, Erie and the Erie Urban Renewal Authority approved an intergovernmental agreement, , which outlines that Lafayette and Erie will equally share tax revenues from King Soopers. Wilmot said that the future 100,000 square foot location is larger than the current King Soopers on Baseline, which will help with revenue.

Lafayette is working with the developer Kensington toward a future development across from the Erie King Soopers site. The developer is looking at placing a commercial retail location, and maybe even another grocery store, in the southwest corner of U.S. 287 and Arapahoe Road, also called Lafayette Marketplace.

Kensington developers are working on a new site plan and will submit a new application to Lafayette this year, after the developers asked to postpone their meeting with the Planning Commission in August 2023.

Wilmot said that the city will extend Ride Free Lafayette, a free bus service in Lafayette, to Lafayette Marketplace and Nine Mile so that residents can enjoy the retail locations.

“The Highway 287 corridor continues to grow and provides a great retail amenity for our residents to shop and dine in the center of our community,” Economic Development Director Brigid Keating said in an email.

King Soopers representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

A glimpse into Lafayette life in another era was recently revealed by renovations to the building that most recently housed the defunct Cannon Mine Coffee shop.

Building Manager Karen Van Dehy and Little Herbal Apothecary owner Faith Rodgers had no idea they would find the old Hi-Way Food Store stucco facade, harkening back to the early 1900s, when renovating the building’s exterior at 210 S. Public Road.

Van Dehy was amazed when she saw what came to light after the stucco came down, as the Hi-Way Food Store signage and old building siding was exposed to her, and to everyone passing by on South Public Road.

Rodgers, owner of Little Herbal Apothecary currently at 100 E. Cleveland St., saw the facade for the first time when she was walking home from work. She, too, was in awe.

“We had no idea what was going to be underneath there,” Rodgers said.

The Hi-Way Food Store front being revealed was purely incidental. Rodgers and Van Dehy said the previous facade contained asbestos, so it had to be removed before any other alterations to the structure could safely be made. Just before Thanksgiving, a tent went up over the building to remove the stucco.

When the tent came down, a glimpse into historical Lafayette was there for all to see.

Van Dehy plans to remove the Hi-Way Food Store signage and relocate it to either the north or south side of the building. Van Dehy wants it to be clear that the building will now house the Little Herbal Apothecary — but also intends to honor the history of the building. She also hopes a plaque or other signage is put on the building, explaining the history of the space.

Rodgers and Van Dehy said the wooden siding for the building is damaged, but the sign could be preserved and displayed on another side of the building.

The building has been through a handful of owners and has been known by many names.

The store and facade were originally owned by Ernest Johnson and was built in 1908 in Irvington, now the southeast corner of Flagg Drive and Baseline Road, according to Lafayette History Museum Director Chelsea Pennington Hahn. The building was then sold to John Gordon, who moved the building to its better-known location on South Public Road.

According to a June 5, 1959, The Louisville Times article, the Hi-Way Food Market and Lockers had “a hundred and one food articles of every description can be had for your eating enjoyment.” The market had frozen food lockers so that people could enjoy fruits and vegetables all year round.

Pennington Hahn is unsure how many people owned the building, but knows the market had at least six more owners before being converted into an electronics store by Charles Bransford in the early `70s. Most recently, the building held the Cannon Mine Coffee shop, which closed earlier this year.

Rodgers anticipates moving to the South Public Road location this spring. But she knows that historical buildings have their quirks and she is prepared for any delays.

Despite the Apothecary currently located a minute’s walk away from the Hi-Way Food Store building, Rodgers has outgrown that space. She currently has two buildings for the store, which sells a variety of herbs and essential oils, and also houses a space where people can create their own skincare products and herbal teas. Many classes are offered there, as well. She said the South Public Road location is the perfect place for her business to continue to grow.

She values operating in Old Town Lafayette — and being in a building with an interesting history.

“It’s really important to me to stay in Old Town,” Rodgers said, adding that she loves the idea of keeping the sign as a “nod back to the old historic look of the building.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the title of Chelsea Pennington Hahn.

The Lafayette City Council on Tuesday wasn’t comfortable with the language proposed for a memorial plaque at the Lafayette Cemetery to honor unmarked graves in the area.

While the Council agreed a sign is needed, members want to ensure the history on the sign is vetted and has a clear purpose. In the end, councilmembers asked staff and the Historical Society to change the language to include some historical context.

Monte Stevenson, parks, recreation and open space director, said the Council has been made aware that due to previous injustices dealt to Lafayette residents, there are a significant number of unmarked graves in the cemetery, 111 E. Baseline Road.

Chelsea Pennington Hahn, director at the Lafayette Historical Society, said most of those unknown graves are in the northern part of the cemetery or the “potter’s field,” which was mostly reserved for people who could not purchase a burial plot or remain unknown.

The northern part of the cemetery was operated by a local mortuary. Hahn said due to the Ku Klux Klan’s involvement in local government at the time, many marginalized groups may have preferred to buy plots from the mortuary rather than go to the city.

The mortuary never transferred the burial records to the city once the city took over cemetery operations. Recovered mortuary documents from Dave Samano, who’s grandfather Salvador Samano was buried in the cemetery in an unmarked grave, showed city records of the cemetery contradicted the mortuary records.

Hahn said those contradictions may suggest graves were moved or buried over.

“We may never know what happened to the records or what happened to the people in potter’s field, and it is crucial to acknowledge the systems and choices that led to this loss of information and commit to never repeating it,” Hahn said.

In other business, Tuesday was Councilmember Saul Tapia Vega’s first meeting. Vega was appointed to Council Nov. 13 to fill a vacancy after the death of Councilmember Tonya Briggs. He will serve out the remainder of Briggs’ term, which ends in November 2025.

Finding a good quality wine that caters to one’s personal preference does not have to break the bank or the ego when approaching an intimidating sommelier.

Genae Lako and Doug Wargo, co-owners of Public Wine at 100 South Public Road, opened their shop in February to make good wine accessible, affordable and fun.

Lako and Wargo were best friends in high school and had huge crushes on each other but never acted on it. They lost contact after high school but then reconnected and started dating two years ago. Wargo said they did long-distance dating for a year, and when Wargo would visit Lako in Lafayette, they would both joke how “someone should open a wine shop on Public Road.”

They kept joking about the concept, and so they decided to just go for it. Lako said everything fell into place, as the location was available to lease and Wargo has experience in the service and restaurant industry.

More than 50 wine labels at Public Wine are under $20 with the majority of wines under $80, though there are some high-end wines as well. The wines are divided by region including nationally made wine and international selections. Lako said even if people only choose a wine for the design on the label, they are bound to get a good wine.

“Colorado’s kind of known for a place you go to for beer and there’s a lot of beer culture around here. And sometimes wine can feel very intimidating to people because they think it’s snooty or they say ‘I don’t know anything about wine’ and so, we want to make it as approachable as possible,” Lako said.

Wargo said Public Wine is focused on European wines, but they offer a variety of selections from across the world at reasonable prices. He said they work directly with eight to 10 small wine distributors who work with small producers.

“A lot of the wines that we carry on our shelves, you won’t find at many other stores because there is just not that much that makes it into the state,” Wargo said.

Lako said because they work with smaller wine producers, they are sometimes fortunate to bring in limited edition, small batch wines to the shop. Wargo also mentioned that a positive of working with small producers is getting to know the person making the wine, getting the story of the bottle and knowing how cute their dog is.

Lako and Wargo sample every wine that enters into the shop, but they also host free wine tastings 4-6 p.m. every Thursday. Anyone over the age of 21 is welcome to join. There are no appointments necessary and three to four wines are sampled.

Public Wine also has a quarterly wine club. For $150, people can sign up to receive six bottles of wine every quarter, with details about the wine as well as food pairing suggestions. They wanted to start the club for people who may not have the time to come into the shop and find their perfect wine but still want good, affordable wine. Lako said the wine club is community focused and interactive, and all the bottles offered for the wine club are new offerings.

“We try to bring a more personal touch to the club and keep it really affordable,” Lako said.

He said it has been fun to see the regular shoppers come by the store and know their taste in wine and be able to find a wine for customers that truly caters to their specific taste. Lako said herself and Wargo are always happy to interact with customers and make wine suggestions.

Public Wine is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. More information is available at publicwine.co.

Today

Hanukkah in Old Town Lafayette: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Downtown Lafayette, 311 S. Public Road, Lafayette. The Boulder Center for Judaism’s annual Hanukkah in Lafayette will feature a live performance of Hanukkah music led by Micha’el Miller, a menorah lighting and graffiti artist Danielle Gyles creating a one-of-a-kind original graffiti art menorah. There will be fresh sufganiyot and hot apple cider will be served. Free, 303-494-1638, boulderjudaism.com.

Holiday Market at Kiln: 3 p.m. Thursday, Kiln, 2101 Pearl St., Boulder. Get into the festive spirit and discover a wide array of unique gifts, crafts and delicious treats. With a variety of local vendors, attendees will find one-of-a-kind treasures. Free, 720-601-0408, eventbrite.com.

Book Queeries meeting: 5 p.m. Thursday, Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. The group will meet to discuss “The Black Flamingo,” by Dean Atta. Teens across the gender and sexuality spectrum are welcome to attend and engage in fun dialogue and activities, snacks provided. calendar.boulderlibrary.org.

“Thirst” book signing: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. Lisa Fierer will speak about and sign her new book “Thirst”. $5, boulderbookstore.net.

Rock Steady Freddie at R Gallery: 7 p.m. Thursday, R Gallery + Wine Bar, 2027 Broadway, Boulder. Rock Steady Freddie and James Vaughn will perform a diverse variety of musical styles, ranging from country, reggae, ska, rock, pop and jazz. Free, 303-444-4146, rgallery.art.

Upcoming

Artist reception at pARTiculars Gallery: 4:30 p.m. Friday, pARTiculars Gallery, 401 S. Public Road, Lafayette. Ann Barnsley, long time owner/artist of pARTiculars Gallery, will have an artist reception featuring her whimsical pottery. Visitors can also enjoy a Holiday Faire with special arts and crafts from local artists. Free, 720-472-4990, particularsart.com.

Longmont Lights: 5 p.m. Friday, Roosevelt Community Park, 700 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Roosevelt Park sparkles with millions of holiday lights. Enjoy visits with Santa, ice skating at the Longmont Ice Pavilion (regular fees apply), free hot cocoa carts, balloon glow, fire pits and a new laser show at 7:45 p.m. Free, 303-651-8404, longmontcolorado.gov.

Facebagel at BOCO Cider: 6 p.m. Friday, BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Matthew White, aka Facebagel, is a singer-songwriter, didgeridoo player and percussionist based out of Golden. Free, 720-938-7285, bococider.com.

Barbara Paris & Friends at R Gallery: 7 p.m. Friday, R Gallery + Wine Bar, 2027 Broadway, Boulder. Born in Denver, Barbara Paris remembers hearing Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Mel Torme and Frank Sinatra from an early age. During a vacation in St. Thomas, she met Eddie Shu, a veteran multi-instrumentalist, who encouraged her and told her that all she needed was a band. She hasn’t stopped since. Free, 303-444-4146, rgallery.art.

Holiday Festival 2023: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. Be immersed in the comfort and joy of twinkling lights, seasonal greenery and beautiful music at CU Boulder’s Holiday Festival. The longstanding celebration brings together student choirs, bands and orchestras — along with world-class faculty performers — for a winter concert of holiday favorites and a few fresh delights. $23-$77, 303-492-8008, cupresents.org.

Dead Floyd at Boulder Theater: 8 p.m. Friday, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. $15-$18, z2ent.com.