Thursday, December 18, 2008

Maybe It's Good I Left When I Did.

Joking around about the trolls Military service on Newshounds tonight got me thinking about Edgewater Colorado which is where I lived from July 1991 to June1995. I know that in the 4 years I lived there the town was starting to deteriorate a little even then and it was never "high end" to begin with. But I never thought it was that bad. hell I thought most of West Denver was worse. But atleast according to the Wikipedia article (which is probably somewhat exaggerated) It sounds as if Edgewater has really gone down hill. I do know that Jefferson High School was a fucking joke even back in the 90's. Maybe I knew something all those years ago when I used to play "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" by the Animals everynight.


The City of Edgewater is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city borders Denver to the east, Lakewood to the south and west, and the Wheat Ridge to the north. The population of Edgewater is about 85% Hispanic. The city lies to the north of Colfax Avenue, south of 26th avenue, west of Wadsworth Boulevard, and east of Wolff Street.
In the recent years, Edgewater has experienced serious urban decay with high levels of unemployment, crime, gang activity, and poverty. Though not a part of the city of Denver, it is often considered as showing "inner-city" characteristics because of its low economic stability and abandonded development projects, including a multi-acre site at 20th and Depew Street that was purchased with Jefferson County Open Space Funds and then never used. Lack of funding still hinders redevelopment of the abandoned site. The Edgewater Police Department is housed in a condemned building owned by the Sloans Lake Bar across the street.
In recent years, Edgewater has had a large increase in the number of public housing and apartment styled projects. Reported gangs in Edgewater are the Surenos and Bloods. Edgewater schools, such as Jefferson High School, Lumberg Elementary School, and Edgewater Elementary School, are considered to be the worst in Jefferson County and among the worst in the Denver metroplitan area.[neutrality disputed] The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,159 in 2006.[5]

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I empathize, Count. I attended the oldest - and thus most inner-city - high school in my hometown, and I remember in my senior year (late 70s) having SWAT teams on top of one of the buildings with tear gas at the ready because of gang activity, and that parking lot fights between gangs, involving chains and knives as well as fists, were a regular occurrence. There was a big frou-frou that year in which they put up a massive fence around the campus, to strident but impotent protests from the student body.

It doesn't seem to have made much difference, because I just checked up on things, and the same old shit is still happening. Just a couple of weeks ago one student was arrested for texting a gang-related death threat to another student.

THIS is one of the reasons we moved north of the border. Not only do I want my kid to have a decent, well-balanced, reasonably rigorous education...but I don't want her to have to walk through metal detectors at the school entrance (something they had in place at the elementary school down the street when we lived in San Jose) or worry about whether or not she'll come home alive at the end of the day.

I'm not suggesting that this happens in every U.S. school district...but there are a hell of a lot of children being left behind, in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

I must say this artical is done by a local RW conservative. I know this because of his use of the phrase "apartment styled projects" This whole metro area is mostly "apartment styled projects" They are every where. I guess those prodjects in edgewater are not the types he aproves of.

As for the crime rates and such that is mostly true but the guy is spinning this through the eyes of an uncaring boob.

Anonymous said...

There were no medal dectors or anything like that when I went. There was a truant officer in the parking lot though I seriously wonder what his purpose was since I walked by him and down to JCRS 3 or 4 times a week. One thing I did notice and this won't come as any surprise. I went for 2 years to a suburban High School in Omaha and the military recruiters were in the cafeteria and you had to go up to them. At Jefferson they were thick as thieves and they were everywhere.

I was miserable in Colorado ( I should write about this sometimes maybe it will clense my soul somewhat)But the older I have gotten the more I figured out that Colorado wasn't the reason. I was.

Anonymous said...

Hostile and Threatening Comment Archived per instruction of poster's internet provider - Windstream Communications

IP 174.130.134.203 North Carolina


Hussein OBOB | 12.18.08 - 2:00 pm | #


As the poor and lousy comidian Arsino might say

Things that make you go Hmmm???

Anonymous said...

Did he threaten to or say he hoped Obama get's assassinated again?

Anonymous said...

I have mixed feelings about living here in the Denver Metro area (only a block away from Cambodia BTW) Two kids born here lots of great friends but I grow tired of the long commutes to every where. I have to drive to go to any grocery store, bar or coffee place. The closest of any of these is two miles away. Not impossible when the weather is warm but there is no way to walk or bike with the kids that does not involve major and dangerous roads. And a bar at night with below O temps is not a good idea plus the closest bar is well over 5 miles away

Anonymous said...

On the Oboob thing that is all I have. Did not get to see the comment. I am betting he did do the whole KKK rant about killing again.

But if the mod's words are to believe it may be good idea for us to keep an eye out for this on the MSN. There has been little in the way of internet enforcement against death threats since former Atty Gen Gonzalez started the new rules that where made to combat these kinds of things. Though I bet the RWers made those harassment rules to stop so called Left-Wingers. Too bad the realty is that RWer nutters such as Oboob make up the majority of people who make these kinds of threats

I will be waiting for Chineskie to show up again. I enjoy poking these kinds of sticks at him. Last time he seemed worried. This may make him poop his pants.

Maybe it is just me but given the number of death threats directed towards me I might be a bit sesitive..

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