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Pickleball club opening in Aurora this year

A fast-growing pickleball franchise is expanding into Colorado, starting with Aurora.

Ace Pickleball Club announced last week it would open a new membership-based location at 6626 S. Parker Road in the Arapahoe Crossings Shopping Center.

The franchise said it’s opening in Aurora to cater to the growing demand of pickleball players, the number of which has been booming since the pandemic as the sport has been seen as an easier and cheaper alternative to tennis.

The rapid rise has led to many who can be frustrated with waiting in long lines or having to reserve courts to play.

Ace Pickleball Club said it will have open play all day for members and doesn’t require reservations in advance.

The new pickleball club is set to open in the third quarter of this year.

The franchise owners Liz Tanji and Michael Tanji said in the announcement they saw an opportunity to fill a need in Aurora as there’s limited access to public pickleball courts, especially during the winter months.

The husband-and-wife team also hope to make beginners classes their key selling point to get new players comfortable with the game.

“Pickleball truly is a sport for everyone, and we’re thrilled to introduce even more people to the game with our new location,” said Liz Tanji said in a press release.

Ace Pickleball Club has 11 locations open nationwide and plans to open between 25 to 30 more locations in 2025.

Keep it Colorado names new executive director

Keep It Colorado, the statewide coalition of land trusts and conservation organizations, has a new leader at the helm.

The organization’s board of directors announced Monday that Robyn Paulekas, a program director at Summit County-based Meridian Institute, was selected to become the new executive director.

She’ll begin June 2.

Paulekas has worked on projects involving land and water management, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.

The board recognized her ability to work with farmers, ranchers, conservationists, agency leaders, tribal representatives and community stakeholders.

“Her background, passion for conservation and deep understanding of Colorado make her the right person to drive forward the organization’s statewide vision to double the amount of private land conservation in the state over the next 10 years,” said Jim Petterson, Keep It Colorado’s board chair, in a news release.

Her work includes leading the Western Rangeland Data Initiative to improve sustainability on ranches and on a collaborative project for river restoration in the West. Paulekas also partnered with the state’s Department of Natural Resources to help create the Keep Colorado Wild pass for residents to get with their vehicle registration and get access to state parks.

“I’m honored to join Keep It Colorado and build on its strong foundation,” Paulekas said in the release. “Colorado’s private lands are essential to the health of our ecosystems, economy, and communities. I look forward to working with the coalition to ensure conservation remains and unifying force in our state.”

Plum Creek Garden Market returns with glowing petunias

With the arrival of spring, Plum Creek Garden Market has returned with five locations in Castle Rock, Erie, Greenwood Village, Littleton and Golden.

The markets are set to stay open until early fall.

This year, the Front Range market of flowers, vegetables, herbs and other plants has some notable differences from years past. Plum Creek Garden Market said it has its largest selection of native Colorado plants in its history, according to a press release.

Native plants are tougher, more drought-resistant and require less upkeep as they’re acclimated to Colorado’s climate.

But the market also is debuting a new flower for sale, one that glows in the dark.

The market said it has begun selling Firefly Petunias, a bioluminescent petunia flower that has white petals during the day and green glow at night.

The petunias developed by startup Light Bio were named one of the best inventions of 2024 by Time Magazine.

“Every year, our customers want to see more varieties they can incorporate into their garden,” Plum Creek Garden Market owner Jeremy Friedman said in a press release. “It’s our job to deliver bold, beautiful flowers that help make their gardens stand out.”

Addresses are as follows:

• CASTLE ROCK, 441 S. Perry St., (720) 630-1461
• ERIE, 130 Wells St., (720) 693-0544
• GOLDEN, 911 12th St., (720) 692-8153
• GREENWOOD VILLAGE, at Aspen Academy, 2342 E. Orchard Road, (303) 945-9308
•  LITTLETON, at Aspen Grove Shopping Center, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, (720) 693-1161

BERNADETTE BERDYCHOWSKI/THE DENVER GAZETTE