Classic Homeworks' Spring 2006 Newsletter. Text Only

Meet Our Staff

A lot has changed since our last issue, so we wanted to re-introduce ourselves. For more detailed information about our staff, visit
www.ClassicHomeworks.com

Kelli Ortegren, President

Jim Wilkinson, Production Manager

Paul Fread, Architectural Designer

Heather Leeds, Marketing Manager

Terry Dugan, Project Supervisor

Colin Morrison, Project Supervisor

Juan Garcia, Carpenter Apprentice

Please feel free to contact any of us to discuss your remodeling needs.

Referral Rewards

Don’t forget, you can earn really cool stuff by referring your friends and family to Classic Homeworks to complete their remodeling projects!

Enjoy an evening for two at the movies on us when the friends you referred hire us to complete their design work!

Receive $100 to a popular home store when the friends you referred hire us to build their new space!

Spring Cleaning Tips for your Home!!

Clean your Gutters - If you didn’t get this done after the leaves fell in the fall, it’s not to late. Take care of it now and protect your home from water damage. Call us today for a recommendation.
Clean your Windows - Do this on a cloudy, but not rainy day. Working in the sunlight can cause streaks. Use cool clear water (add 2 tablespoons of vinegar per gallon if windows are really dirty). Use newspapers (instead of paper towels) for drying.
Clean your Walls - Mix 1/2 c. ammonia, 1/4 c. white vinegar & 1/4 c. baking soda with one gallon of warm water. Clean from the bottom up to avoid streaking.
Clean your Wood Floors - Place a piece of waxed paper under your dust mop. The dust mop will pick up dust and the waxed paper will shine your floors.

Kitchen & Living room remodel: 2006 CARE Award Winner

The kitchen, dinning room and entryway in this Wash Park home used to be dark and cramped. By opening up the kitchen to the front rooms, Classic Homeworks was able to give these homeowners a space that was open, bright and completely updated.

2nd-Place Interior Remodel - 2006 Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence

Classic Homeworkers design/build in their spare time

George Crenshaw, a retired carpenter and Barbara Crenshaw, a retired nurse have enjoyed their home in North Park Hill for the past forty-two years. They truly love the neighborhood, but recently the small set of stairs at the front door have become a huge hurdle in their ability to get out and enjoy it.
When we at Classic Homeworks heard of the Crenshaw’s dilemma, the entire staff decided to pull together on a weekend and help out by building a very simple wheelchair ramp to provide some not-so-simple changes in the lives of this very special couple.
Special Thanks to Boulder Lumber for their donation 303-443-0582

Cheesman Park haunted by grave secret!

Right in the heart of Denver, and close to downtown, lies Cheesman Park. What most people don’t know about this park, however, is that graves used to dominate its landscape.
Two miles from city center, Cheesman Park was near enough for burials and far enough for comfort to make the perfect cemetery. So in 1859, William Larimer founded Mount Prospect Cemetery on the land. The scandal was that Larimer didn't own the land; a man named John J. Walley believed that he owned it and in fact sold parts of it to others. When yet another man, “Graveyard Johnny” Voight, filed a homestead claim in 1870, the US Land Office denied all claims, declaring the land federal property.
Cheesman Park was never the graceful 19th century rural cemetery that its founders had hoped, so in 1890 the cemetery became a park. When Mayor Speer put the naming rights up for sale, William Cheesman’s widow secured the prize with a $100,000 donation.
In the early years, the most prestigious Denver neighborhood was downtown. By the 1880s, Capitol Hill held sway. But by the end of the century, prestige was conferred by the area around Cheesman Park. Well known residents including both of the founders of The Denver Post lived in Humboldt Island.
Wealth and controversy aside, Cheeseman Park became a hub of social activity. In 1934, Denver Post owner Helen Bonfils began sponsoring free operas in the park, starting a tradition that would last more than three decades. The park itself has offered a treasured respite for many Denverites - so much so that in the 1960’s the Cheesman Park Mountain View Ordinance was enacted to preserve the park’s spectacular vista. Today, Cheesman Park remains one of Denver’s truly pivotal neighborhoods.

Neighborhood histories by Historical Insights. Contact the company at 303-818-3263 for a fascinating trip through your home’s own history! www.historicalinsights.com

Classic Homeworks honored for the third year in a row

On February 25th, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) held their 2006 Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards. Classic Homeworks was honored with two awards. This is the third year that Classic Homeworks was recognized by NARI for excellence in remodeling.

3rd-Place Residential over $100K
3rd-Place Residential under $30K

Thank you to the homeowners for opening your homes to us!

Classic Homeworks’ Founder says goodbye

It is with a bittersweet longing in my heart that I share these last few words with you. As many of you know by now, I have sold Classic Homeworks and am embarking on a new future. The past 20 years founding, building, growing, and running one of Denver’s premier design/build remodeling firms has been a wondrous adventure. I have learned and grown more than I would ever have imagined when I started.
I personally believe that I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve and to have been served and am grateful to so many wonderful people in my life. Each one of you, no matter your role in my life, shared from your true essence in such a way that you served me in my continued search to grow as a man and as a business owner. Whether you are or were an employee, a client, a subcontractor, a vendor, a friend or just someone I met along the way, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time, service and the abundance you shared.
Though no longer in charge, my services are still available to you. Please do not hesitate to call the office and ask for me.

Sincerely,
Rick

Employee Spotlight: Colin Morrison

Colin Morrison began working for Classic Homeworks nearly eight years ago. As the youngest member of the Classic Homeworks team at the time, he started as a Carpenter Apprentice and has worked his way up to Project Supervisor.
When not working hard on projects, Colin enjoys Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, boxing, working out and spending time with friends and family. He also enjoys sitting down with a good book. Some authors he has read recently include Steinbeck and Dan Brown.
Whether working or at home Colin likes music of all genres. “I love everything. Neil Young is good and I love the Wu-Tang Clan, too.”
Colin has proved himself an asset to the Classic Homeworks team. Always good for a laugh, customers also often comment on how much they enjoyed working with him.
Thank you for your hard work and attention to detail on the job.

Need new Windows? We Can help

As many of you know the windows in older homes can cause numerous problems for homeowners. Often they will not close or open properly and sometimes they do not lock, potentially causing a security problem.
However, there is a solution. Call Classic Homeworks and we can help you choose from a wide variety of the latest styles of windows that will fit the classic look of your home, and then we will have them installed for you. From start to finish we make the process easy so that you can feel safe and comfortable in your home.

Project Spotlight

After living in their home for two years, Martin & Sandy Goldhaber were ready for a change. The master bathroom was just too small and the complete lack of personal style made the space very boring.
In order to create the Owner’s Suite that the Goldhaber’s envisioned, a large closet that separated the small bathroom from the laundry room was moved to a new location. The laundry was relocated to the space the old bathroom once occupied leaving the space where the laundry and closet once stood for a large, luxury Master Suite. The space features a deep soaking tub, a luxurious steam shower and plenty of open space. Fossils set in sandstone decorate the shower walls, giving the suite a unique, personal flare. By throwing typical solutions out the window, the Goldhaber’s acquired an elegant custom Owners Suite that truly makes a personal statement.

Classic Homeworks office former home to popular Denver Tattoo Artist

It’s hard to imagine a world where tattoo parlors were not common place. However, back in the 1950s a Mr. William F. Neely was the only tattoo artist in the Denver area. While he had tattooed all over the country he settled in Denver in the 1940’s, eventually moving his tattoo business into a small Victorian house at 281 S. Pearl St.; the current office of Classic Homeworks.
Mr. Neely, who also went by the name Frenchie, purchased the home with his wife in 1960 for $2270. Even for the times it was truly a bargain.
When the current owner, Richard Pratt, founder of Classic Homeworks, purchased the home in 1991 the neighbors were anxious to tell him about the interesting clientele that used to visit Frenchie’s Tattoo Studio, including a group of motorcycle toughs who would ride their bikes in for a new tattoo. Loose-leaf papers with original tattoo art were later discovered in the home serving as proof to these stories.
In a 1956 interview with the Denver Post-Empire Frenchie discussed the details of his business. He disclosed that tattoos ranged in price from $1 to $300 and while most people choose from one of Frenchie’s 5000 plus designs he said that he did not mind when about 10 percent of his customers brought in their own art work. When discussing why he had remained in Denver for so long he said, “you meet a nice type of customer in Denver. They appreciate art and bring their friends around.”
Sadly, in March 1974 Frenchie passed away leaving the house to his wife, Mary Neely. In 1982, when her second husband passed away Mary left the home to her heirs; this is when the home fell into the poorly cared for state it was in when purchased by Pratt.
Since 1991 the house on 281 S. Pearl St. has been the home of Classic Homeworks, but its very colorful roots have not been forgotten.

History provided by Historical Insights
www.historicalinsights.com

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