Downtown throws its party of the year this Saturday, and you'll want to be in town for it. One quick note before we start: replies might be a little slower than usual this week, but I read every one. June's hitting full stride: the rate study that's loomed all spring finally goes before council, and the free summer concerts start up at Clement Park.

This is the week your sewer bill stops being hypothetical. The city's rate study, the one proposing 25% sewer and 60% stormwater increases for 2027 and 2028, is back before city council Tuesday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Littleton Center. The numbers behind it are not small. Littleton has flagged about 72.4 million in stormwater work and 261.5 million in sewer and wastewater work over the next decade. That's what's driving the hikes. If you'd rather weigh in than wonder, the city also has an in-person open house Wednesday, August 26, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Littleton Center, plus a virtual webinar coming this fall. Dates and registration live at letstalklittleton.org. A 60% line item on your 2027 bill is worth a question now.

And last week's big one has a verdict. Last Tuesday, June 9, city council voted on the 1st Street Farms incentive deal, the one where the city would put up to 5.5 million (a 2 million forgivable loan plus five years of rebated sales tax) toward the Manning-tied restaurant and event project at RiverPark. They approved it, 4 to 3, so Littleton is now in on its first public-private partnership of this kind. I'll dig into what the deal actually commits us to, and what changes down at the riverfront, in the next issue. If you made it to the meeting, hit reply and tell me how it went.

One quick roll-forward: the Shea Homes rezoning in TrailMark still hasn't been rescheduled, with July 21 floated as the tentative date. Nothing to do yet.

Downtown's big day is tomorrow. Saturday, June 13, the Downtown Littleton Block Party takes over Main Street from 5 to 10 p.m. with food, music, a circus theme, and a fireworks finale at 9. That same morning, the 40th annual Mile High Hook & Ladder Fire Muster runs its antique fire-truck parade down Littleton Boulevard at 9 a.m., then gathers at Arapahoe Community College until 1. If you do one thing downtown this month, make it this day.

Free concerts start up at Clement Park. The Foothills summer series runs Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Grant Family Amphitheater, and Thursday, June 18, it's Chili Powder, a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band. Bring a chair. It's free.

Coal Mine Spring Festival. Also Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 9729 W Coal Mine Ave. Free, with handmade vendors, bounce houses, and food, the mellower morning option if downtown feels like a lot.

A few standing ones. The Littleton Museum's free concert series runs Wednesdays at 6:30 on the lawn. The Downtown Farmers Market is Saturdays 8 to 1, skipping June 13 for the Block Party. And the Pokémon GO crew meets for Raid Hour Wednesdays at 5:50 p.m. at the Clement Park skate park.

Hearth Bakery & Cafe is the downtown spot worth building a morning around, open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day for handmade sourdough, pastries, and full breakfast and lunch menus. The coffee is the backstory. Hearth brought the team from Tablón Coffee Roasters down from Denver when Tablón closed its shop up there, so the same roasters and the same faces are now pulling shots in Littleton. Order a churro waffle and a cortado and find out what the fuss is about. They're at 5610 S Curtice St.

Over on the Ken Caryl side, Ken Caryl Kabob is a 2025 arrival worth a detour. Tucked into the shopping center at 12652 W Ken Caryl Ave, it's an Indian kitchen with a Mediterranean streak, doing kabobs, biryanis, curries, and tandoori, open daily from 11 to 9. The early word is all about the naan, which more than one reviewer swears is the best they have had anywhere, and the chicken tikka masala. There is plenty for vegetarians too, from saag paneer to dal to falafel. If you have been meaning to find something new out that way, start here.

Full summer rules apply now. The smart hike starts early, before the heat and the afternoon storms build, so aim to be heading back by late morning on the exposed stretches of South Valley Park and the Hogback. Carry more water than you think you need. Rattlesnakes are out on the warm rock, so watch your footing on the scrambles and keep dogs leashed and close. And with everything drying out, check Jeffco's current fire restrictions before any open flame. The wildflowers are still going at South Valley if you want a reason to go.

Need a ride across town this summer? Event and Airport Transportation is running $80 flat-rate Sprinter transfers between any two Littleton addresses all June, up to 11 passengers. Think a group dinner downtown, a birthday night out, or getting everyone to a Littleton event without a designated driver. They also handle airport runs and Red Rocks. Reserve at least an hour ahead at limolimo.limo. Local and licensed, Colorado PUC LL-03624.

If you drive Santa Fe, plan around the flyover. CDOT has the westbound C-470 off-ramp at Santa Fe Drive and the southbound Santa Fe-to-eastbound-C-470 flyover both closed through 6 a.m. Friday, June 19, while crews repair the Pier 7 column on the flyover bridge (yes, the same Pier 7 we've been tracking). The westbound detour is out to Wadsworth and back east on C-470 to the Santa Fe exit. CDOT says this should be the last extended closure out there.

City closures. Littleton offices and facilities are closed Friday, June 19 for Juneteenth, and again Friday, July 3 for the Independence Day holiday. Plan trash pickup, permits, and any city business around both.

Watering smart in the heat. We're into the stretch where lawns beg and water bills climb. The cheap move in a hot, dry week is timing, not volume: water in the early morning or the evening, never midday when half of it evaporates off the hot grass before the roots see it. Your HOA or water provider sets the actual rules, but the timing principle holds.

A quick market check. Heading into mid-June, the 80127 median is hovering in the high 600s to low 700s depending on which week you measure, and the shape of the market hasn't shifted much. Ken Caryl Valley keeps anchoring the top end, with multiple seven-figure sales a month, while entry-level condos and townhomes trade in the low-to-mid $400s. Every tier is changing hands, which is the healthy sign. The detailed list of recent closings is back next issue.

Good news for the Block Party: Saturday looks sunny and pleasant, a high near 79, with only a slim chance of a late-evening shower. The fireworks should be fine. Friday is the hot one, sunny and 92, so hydrate if you're out in it. Sunday cools to about 73 with a better shot at afternoon storms. Classic mid-June foothills pattern: get the outside stuff done in the morning and watch the western sky when the clouds start stacking.

A note on last week's garage-sale photo call. I asked you to send pictures from your tables and the Kidz Market, and I still want them, but I'm holding the feature for next issue so it gets real room instead of a rushed slot. Keep them coming. If your kid ran a stand and the secret shopper stopped by, tell me how they did. The best ones run next time.

That's the week. I read every single one of your replies. Tell me what to chase next.

Joey

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