Jim Whitfield

So the Apex Board Election is just around the corner.   Have you received your mail in ballot ?   Have you voted ?  Have you mailed your completed ballot back in ?    Just want to make sure.   We have three candidates for just two positions and each has a good story to tell about their passion and accomplishments for the district.

Jeff Glenn has just come away with being a critical player in the recent Apex Field house Simms St. and bathrooms at LLR.  The SDA acknowledged this effort with our SDA collaboration 2011 award.  The field house, simms street,  and LLR bathrooms project wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without the front-end work by Jeff.   Carolyn Jacobs was a vital player in the development and delivery of the Apex Center and the prep work for the successful mil levy increase in 2006.    And Lee Humrich has been a passionate supporter of the district as well.

Please vote !

Have you completed your request for a mail in Ballot yet ?   You can obtain them at the Apex Center or online at http://www.apexprd.org.

Here is the re-election flyer for Jeff Glenn

Apex Field House had a festive, active grand opening celebration

On Saturday, December 10, several hundred visitors stopped by to see the new Apex Field House, a year-round turf sports facility with two fields for soccer, lacrosse, arena football and other sports. Operated by Apex Park and Recreation District, it is located at 5724 Oak Street, near the Harold D. Lutz Sports Complex in Arvada.

At the ribbon cutting, APRD Board President Jim Whitfield, Arvada Mayor Marc Williams and Arvada Mayor Pro Tem Rachel Zenzinger praised the collaborative nature of the project. It began in 2010 with the need to relocate the Garrison Street Sports Center, which previously housed the district’s turf sports arena, due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ralston Creek floodplain mitigation project. Apex PRD and the City of Arvada got together to figure out a solution that would be most beneficial and cost effective for the community.

“The Apex Field House project became a reality through cooperation and wise use of resources,” said Whitfield. “No bonds were issued for construction and no additional taxes were incurred.” Whitfield also noted that the Field House provides more and better programs in an improved facility. “This is what should be expected from government at all levels,” he added.

The funds to build the Apex Field House were a combination of proceeds from the sale of North Jeffco Park, where the Garrison Street Center currently sits; Apex PRD budget funds accrued by the district for construction of the facility; and a Certificate of Participation (COP), a type of secured loan routinely used by government agencies. Facility revenues and funds set aside for capital improvement will be used to repay the COP.

About 150 people convened for a flag-raising ceremony by Boy Scout troop (number from Mike) and the ribbon cutting by the Apex PRD board, Mayor Williams and the Arvada City Council. Then everyone made their way inside to check out the amenities, watch activities on the fields and enjoy refreshments and giveaways. Throughout the Grand Opening, both arenas were filled with youth and adults enjoying their sports, while spectators looked on.

The Apex Field House is now open for business as the new hub for Apex PRD youth and adult sports programs. For more information and rental rates, visit http://apexprd.org/facilities/apex-field-house or call 303-431-9600.

Mark your calendars for 11 a.m. on December 10th for the grand opening ceremony of the Apex Field House at 5724 Oak St. in Arvada, Colorado.  The Apex Field House features two full size indoor turf fields that will offer indoor recreational sporting and community events.   A facility of this size and nature is the first of its kind in Colorado and will offer the ability for events to be recorded and reviewed immediately from many different camera positions.  Free wireless internet will be offered from frugal, yet state of the art access points from Cisco systems.

This event is a can’t miss event.

Apex PRD wins Colorado Special District Association’s annual Collaboration Award

The Apex Park and Recreation District was recently honored for its efforts to improve the community through its extensive efforts to collaborate and share resources with other local agencies.

The district received the prestigious Collaboration Award at the statewide Special District Association (SDA) annual conference, held in Breckenridge in mid-September.

As a special district, Apex PRD was created in 1956 by a group of citizens interested in safe, quality recreation facilities for the area. Special districts are created by state statute to serve specific areas of the community, such as recreation, education, water, sanitation, fire and others. Since they usually exist within or around other cities, counties and municipalities, special districts often have the opportunity to work together with other agencies, cities and counties for the community benefit as a whole.

The 2011 Collaboration Award recognizes the efforts of Apex PRD and the City of Arvada to offer affordable, accessible and excellent recreation to citizens. The SDA notes that “…the collaboration between Apex PRD and the City of Arvada  is a long-standing partnership….the two have effectively managed resources, demand, and land use  through expense sharing and cooperative master planning involving projects such as the Ralston Central Park, K-8 Neighborhood Park, the Apex Field House and the Apex Simms Street Center.”

Although none of these projects could have happened without collaboration, the most visible current example is the Apex Field House, a new sports complex housing two year-round turf facilities. This facility is currently under construction at 5724 Oak Street and slated for completion in late 2011.  It replaces the Garrison Street Sports Center, 9101 Ralston Road. The new facility emerged from the need to relocate activities and programs at Garrison, which is scheduled for demolition due to the Army Corps of Engineers floodplain project.

APRD and the City of Arvada initiated discussions in 2009 to develop a plan to share resources to further the community’s best recreational and economic interests. Through extensive public input, creative and entrepreneurial use of resources, energy and hard work, they delivered significant results: the Ralston-Central Park master plan, the Apex Field House and the Apex Simms Street Center.

“We are eagerly looking forward to the completion of these projects, and we look forward to many more collaborative efforts in the future,” said Jim Whitfield, Apex Park & Recreation District Board President. Whitfield accepted the Collaboration Award on behalf of APRD at the SDA conference. “I was honored and overwhelmed to see how many otheroutstanding collaborative efforts took place around the state at other special districts,” Whitfield said. “It’s inspiring to be part of this work, done in a cooperative and entrepreneurial spirit for community recreation.”

More about the Apex Park and Recreation District and the Special District Association can be found at www.apexprd.org and www.sdaco.org.

Dear Residents,

There’s a lot to look forward to in the upcoming fall and winter seasons at Apex PRD. The new Apex Field House and the renovated Apex Simms Street Center will be open soon, and the Community Recreation Center is preparing to celebrate its 30^th anniversary.

These events all have something in common: collaboration and teamwork to achieve a result that benefits everyone in the community.  The fact is, we’re nationally known for our ability to do that.

I recently spoke about this outstanding sense of community at an event to recognize and celebrate the efforts of the Leadership Arvada class of 2011. Each Leadership Arvada class consists of business representatives, educators, public officials, representatives of non-profit organizations, members of service clubs, community leaders, community volunteers and future leaders who spend nine months learning what makes our community unique and powerful. They plan and design events and activities to improve the community, and the 2011 class raised nearly $12,000 for improvements at the Community Recreation Center.

This generous donation is very much in keeping with the 30-year history of the Community Recreation Center, which first opened its doors in January 1982. Since then, nearly 700 volunteers have donated more than 300,000 hours to support CRC activities and programs. Even before the 1982 opening, participants at the Center “made it their own” by supporting its inception and becoming involved in the building design and its programming. Thanks to all of them, the CRC is growing and thriving after 30 years and we look forward to many more! The 30^th anniversary celebration is planned for 2-4 pm Sunday, January 22 — watch for details on the party at apexprd.org.

We’re also happy to announce that the Apex Field House, 5724 Oak Street, is expected to open in late 2011. This facility is also a direct outcome of collaborative efforts to meet growing recreational needs in the face of challenges. Apex PRD and the City of Arvada spent two years working toward the best outcome for programs and facilities on the site of the flood control project at the Garrison Street Sports Center. The result: the local and regional sports community will reap the benefits of a second turf arena and a more comprehensive sports program, all in one convenient, accessible spot. Watch for details on the opening at apexprd.org, and plan for a smooth transition if you’re involved in Garrison Street Sports Center activities.

The district’s gymnastics, dance cheerleading and pottery programs, currently meeting at the Garrison Street Sports Complex and the Leisure Arts Building will move to improved new digs at the Apex Simms Street Center, 8151 Simms Street, in late 2011. Apex PRD and the City of Arvada also undertook collaborative efforts at this site, to ensure the continuation and improvement of these existing programs at Garrison. Remodeling is in progress, with the district completing about 40% of the renovation work with its in-house staff, saving taxpayer dollars and setting the stage for these popular programs to have a great new home.

I’m proud of Apex PRD’s role of supporting a successful, vibrant and thriving community through collaboration and hard work. Beyond that, I’m grateful to all the citizens for their part in creating a community that’s attracting national attention for innovative, entrepreneurial strategies to reach high standards. Thank you and enjoy the season ahead!

Sincerely,

Jim Whitfield

Apex PRD Board President