Evans Chamber Members Discover Houston Gardens
Kandee Nourse, West Greeley Conservation District (WGCD) Manager, along with John Leone, President of their Board of Supervisors, welcomed nearly 100 business men and women to the Evans Area Chamber of Commerce – Business After Hours at Houston Gardens on Thursday, July 19th. They shared an overview of the resources and services the conservation district offers both urban and rural landowners living within their boundaries.
Chris Craver, Operations Manager for six Colorado Short Stop convenience stores and Uncle Willy’s Great Food & Good Time Café, located on the corner of 37th Street and 23rd Avenue in Evans, provided an assortment of scrumptious food. Their wings and sauces were a huge hit along with their fried macaroni and cheese bites, but their fried chicken is truly the best in Weld County, and worth a stop to try!
Another Chris, The Music Man – Chris Haug, provided the sound system and shared some great tunes from multiple eras, fulfilling people’s requests and chatting with those who shared their opinions.
Jasen Kettle, Houston Gardens Manager, shared some interesting history about George M. Houston and his daughter, Phylabe, who donated and started the development of this 8-acre property that is now West Greeley Conservation District’s outdoor classroom. Kettle also provided a walking tour, so attendees could truly discover this beautiful oasis hidden in the heart of Greeley.
Conservation Technician, Liz Schneider, invited those taking the tours to observe the three rows of trees planted along 4th Street, which will be a perfect windbreak model as the trees grow. Liz has also planted several varieties of grasses as test plots growing along 23rd Avenue, both providing education opportunities to visitors. She also described additions to the District’s Cost Share menu of opportunities.
Kristi Helzer, Community Outreach and Education Coordinator thanked the Assistance League of Greeley and the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County for taking such good care of the Houston donation prior to it coming into West Greeley’s care. She shared the nearly daily different youth programs and activities hosted at Houston.
The staff invited attendees to return anytime during public hours to take a walk to enjoy the beauty and sounds of nature to help your stressful day melt away. Houston Gardens is FREE and open to visitors:
September-October and April-May from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
November-March by appointment only / June – August 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
No smoking, alcohol or pets allowed (except service dogs) at the Gardens.
