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Rural girl gets a yard and closets in Wheat Ridge

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Contributed by: Amy Dressel-Martin on 2/14/2008

Editor's note: Visit our Faces of Arvada and Wheat Ridge page, where YourHub.com staff and readers can introduce you to more people who make this part of the metro area what it is.

Britta Fisher has to laugh when her fellow Wheat Ridge residents refer to our town as "rural."

"I grew up on a 1,200-acre farm with my nearest neighbor a mile down the road," Fisher says. "By comparison, Wheat Ridge is far from rural."

Yes, we love our rural roots in Wheat Ridge and can't quite let go of them, even though asphalt covers more of our land now than do amber waves of grain. It's an important part of our cultural history and is embraced as such by many citizens.

Nonetheless, something about Wheat Ridge, perhaps its small-town feel, mature trees, unique neighborhoods and occasional wheat fields, attracted this active citizen to our fair city.

Fisher and her husband Ryan moved to Wheat Ridge three years ago from Denver, where they'd lived for five years.

"Here, we could get a house with closets, a garage and a yard in our price range; and it's close to downtown and mountains," she said. Ah, the secrets of Wheat Ridge are out. More for the money - big yards, houses with character, tree-lined streets.

But in Wheat Ridge, Fisher found more than just a home. She also found an opportunity to help improve her new neighborhood and local businesses. As the Director of Community and Small Business Development for Wheat Ridge 2020, she is investing her professional expertise back into her community, ensuring a happy home for her and her family for years to come.

"I am privileged to have the job I have. I get to interact with neighbors, make an investment in a community I care about," Fisher said. "I get to help make it a better place to live, and that's pretty fun."

It must be pretty fun because Fisher's endless energy has her serving on numerous boards, volunteering for countless events and speaking in favor of Wheat Ridge 2020 every chance she gets. And she doesn't even drink coffee. It must be the chocolates from Lewis Fine Candies that keep her going.

"I believe people can make a difference in the world, and that's what I'm trying to do," Fisher said.

And she is indeed. Fisher and her fellow staff members at Wheat Ridge 2020, a private nonprofit corporation, are working to achieve a vibrant and sustainable city through housing, neighborhoods and business programs. The organization offers low-interest loans to businesses and residents looking to improve their sites or relocate to Wheat Ridge. It also helps neighbors engage with each other through block parties, clean-up days, tree-a-thons and landscape grants in an effort to build strong neighborhoods and committed residents.

While Fisher and her husband are happily ensconced in their home near Randall Park, they enjoy all the city has to offer: walks in the park, bicycling on the greenbelt, dinners at local restaurants like Red Tango, trips to the best liquor store in the metro area, Applejack, and getting to know their neighbors.

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Edward E. Hale, author. Words to live by. And Britta does.

Get to know her and Wheat Ridge 2020. Check out www.wheatridge2020.org.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Amy Dressel-Martin

Wheat Ridge , CO

Amy Dressel-Martin has posted 1 story and 0 comments since joining on 2/14/2008. Amy Dressel-Martin 's average story rating is 5.

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