Greater Park Hill News May 2024

Law & Order

Leora

Joseph And John Walsh

Duke It Out For Denver District Attorney

By Cara DeGette GPHN Editor

Denver’s next district attorney will have a full menu of challenges: gun violence, a continuing plague of car thefts and a fentanyl crisis that has wreaked havoc on already vulnerable populations in the Mile High City.

The new DA will enter office amid increasing calls for progressive reforms like equitable prosecution, reducing mass incarceration, expanded restorative justice and a renewed focus on police accountability.

The race for who will be Denver’s next top prosecutor has narrowed to two: Leora Joseph and John Walsh. A third candidate, Lisi Owen, learned last month she did not have enough valid signatures to make the June 25 Democratic primary ballot, effectively ending her campaign.

Whoever wins the primary will likely be the winner in the November general election. No Republican is in the running to succeed Beth McCann, who is retiring after serving two four-year terms as DA.

Joseph, a career prosecutor who is currently the director of the state’s Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health, has been running for DA since last summer. As of the most recent filing date, Jan. 16, she raised $201,867.

Her endorsements include numerous state legislators: Sens. James Coleman, Jeff Bridges, Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Chris Hansen. House Speaker Julie McCluskie has endorsed her, as have a variety of community leaders, including former Planned Parenthood CEO Vicki Cowart, former Denver Post Publisher Dean Singleton and Norm Brownstein of the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

In November, John Walsh threw his hat into the race — and his high-profile status immediately vaulted him to top-tier status. (Two other candidates who were running, Zach McCabe and Matt James, dropped their bids and thrown their support behind Walsh.) Walsh served as U.S. attorney for the District of Colorado from 2010 to 2016 and is currently a partner with WilmerHale, an international law firm.

Within two months Walsh raised $183,564. He has collected his own list of high-profile endorsements. Current DA McCann is supporting Walsh, as is former Denver DAs Mitch Morrissey and Bill Ritter (who is also the former governor). Denver Mayors John Hickenlooper (now US Senator), Wellington Webb and Federico Peña have all endorsed Walsh, as have numerous other former and current state and federal lawmakers, attorneys and DAs.

The Greater Park Hill News asked Joseph and Walsh to weigh in on why they believe they are better qualified to become Denver’s next DA — including their top priorities, the role of the DA in reducing mass incarceration and how they would hold police accountable.

The candidate Q&As are on page 6.

At A Standstill

SOS Denver Calls For Mayor Johnston To Take Action On The Park Hill Golf Course Land Story and photo by Cara DeGette GPHN Editor

It’s been more than a year since Denver voters overwhelmingly rejected a massive residential and commercial development plan for the Park Hill Golf Course.

In early April, Save Open Space Denver (SOS) marked the anniversary with a call for city leaders to act. The group asked Mayor Mike Johnston to fulfill his campaign vow last year to work toward converting the defunct golf course into a regional park.

“While we understand the city has experienced an unprecedented year with the influx of Venezuelan refugees and the challenge of trying to provide housing to the homeless, we find it somewhat vexing that no action has been taken,” said SOS Denver organizer Woody Garnsey in a press release. “Our Mayor’s campaign promise was to honor the will of the people and purchase the land back from the developer to build a regional park.”

But making that actually happen is clearly not a simple transaction. The 155-acre parcel, which encompasses the northwest corner of Park Hill, is protected by a city-owned conservation easement. But the property itself is owned by Glendale-based Westside Investment Partners, which bought the property for $24 million in 2019.

Last year the developer spent $1 million trying to continued on page 2

Westside Investment Partners has closed off public access to the Park Hill Golf Course. The property, which is protected from development by a city-owned conservation easement, is now completely surrounded by a 6-foot high chain link fence and has fallen into disrepair.

East High School sophomore libero Jack Flint makes a dig for the boys volleyball varsity team in a winning match against West High School on April 4. As of the end of April, the volleyball team sported an overall record of 13-7. East sports teams have have had a busy spring, with varying levels of success. Check out pages 12-13 for photos and additional updates, including girls’ soccer and lacrosse, and boys’ rugby, baseball and lacrosse. Photo by Reid Neureiter

Park Hill Golf Course, continued from page 1

convince Denver voters to approve its plan to develop the property — a gambit they lost in a blowout. They initially said they planned to revert the property back to a regulationsize golf course.

But since the election, Westside hasn’t been the friendliest neighbor. Kenneth Ho, the Westside principal in charge of the project, has not responded to media inquiries, including from this newspaper.

Nor has the company publicly announced any timeline for moving forward. The developer closed off public access to the huge property with a 6-foot chain link fence, installing “no trespassing” signs that threaten arrest.

Mike Johnston’s “8-point pledge”

Much of the property has fallen into disrepair. Formerly green areas are brown and weedy, and chunks of trash have pushed up against the fence in areas. SOS Denver and others have expressed concern about the health of the hundreds of mature trees on the former golf course, which closed in 2018.

Proponents of open space have long promoted the idea that Denver should buy the land for a regional park, using available money in the 2019 taxpayer-approved Parks Legacy Fund. Two previous citywide votes also indicated Denver residents overwhelmingly support preserving the conservation easement.

“We’re disappointed that we haven’t seen more visible signs of progress — and it’s not just SOS,” said Penfield Tate, a former state lawmaker representing Park Hill and a key spokesman for the open space group. “I know we’ve been at the forefront, but a lot of people in the community have said, ‘we’ve won the election; how does it take a year to do this? Why has nothing happened?’ ”

“I think a number of people are vexed and confused.”

Last May, in the midst of the runoff election — and after Westside’s development plan had failed by a near 2-1 margin — Johnston submitted to SOS Denver an “8-point pledge” supporting a regional park, using Parks Legacy Fund money to acquire the property. (Johnston’s complete position paper is posted on

whO we Are

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SOS Denver’s website, at SOSdenver. net.)

A regional park, the then-candidate noted, “would be a better outcome than it reverting to the land being used primarily for golf.”

“Denver voters have twice made clear that the easement represents an important commitment to open space, greenery, and recreation in a rapidly growing city where we need more of all three,” Johnston wrote. “As Mayor, I will push hard for a solution that delivers a world-class park and open space that is open to the public.”

Last month, the mayor’s spokeswoman was asked for a status update. The response was notably more vague:

“The city is evaluating appropriate next steps for the [Park Hill Golf Course], with a focus on how best to secure the most effective outcomes for Denverites. Mayor Johnston looks forward to working closely with the community to get feedback and innovative ideas for this project.”

All paths lead to the Mayor’s office

Further efforts to nail down specifics have been fruitless. In April, Jolon Clark, director of the Denver Parks and Recreation Department, was invited to speak at a meeting hosted by the group City Park Friends and Neighbors. The topic quickly turned to the Park Hill Golf Course, and Clark was peppered with questions about the status of the property.

“Listen, I’m a parks guy,” said Clark, a former city councilman who was appointed to head Parks and Rec after Johnston became mayor. “This is what I love, this is what I do. If there is an opportunity to bring on a once-in-a-lifetime regional park I would love that opportunity.”

But, he continued, “it’s complicated. In a million different ways. And those conversations are going to need to happen at the mayor’s office. I think the city is looking at all of the options of what that would look like, but [the golf course] is privately owned.”

Tate, of SOS Denver, has a different take. “We want them to stop evaluating and start acting, and the next step is to acquire the site.”

The Greater Park Hill News is published by Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. (GPHC) on the 1st of each month. Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily the opinions of GPHC. GPHC does not necessarily endorse the companies, products or services advertised in The Greater Park Hill News unless specifically stated. GPHC reserves the right to run any advertisement.

Circulation is 13,000 and is distributed in the Park Hill Area by neighborhood volunteers.

The Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., is a volunteerbased registered neighborhood organization that: promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill; provides resources, information and advocacy; and preserves quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation.

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Tiny But Mighty

The Green-winged Teal is the smallest dabbling duck in North America. They are fast, agile, buoyant flyers, and can take off straight from the water without having to first run across the surface. The males, like the one pictured here, have light gray bodies and cinnamon-colored heads with wide green swoops from their eyes to the back of their necks. (Females, by contrast, are brown and don’t have the green eye swoop.) This Green-winged Teal was photographed in Westerly Creek just east of Park Hill by Mark Silverstein.

MARCY EASTMAN

rates such features, which add personality and charm to gardens.

what’s In Your Garden?

Fountains, Firepits, Sculptures Add Texture And Depth

By Kate Blanas

Park Hill Garden Walk Organizer

Mary, Mary, how does your garden grow? Silver bells, cockle shells, pretty sculptures all in a row . . .

Next month’s Park Hill Garden Walk highlights seven gardens with water-saving grasses, and also a variety of garden features. Fountains, firepits, birdbaths, birdhouses, pergolas, sculptures, murals, decorative pots — all provide interest, texture and depth in gardens already gorgeous in their own right.

These additional elements enliven the grounds in winter when the flowers, bushes and zucchinis are a distant memory. This year’s garden-

hidden Gardens

Does your neighbor — or do you — have an amazing garden? It’s time to consider sharing the beauty. The Park Hill Garden Walk Committee is seeking gardens to feature for next year’s event. The Garden Walk is a fundraising event for the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. and raises almost $20,000 every year to help the registered neighborhood organization in its many programs, including its food and sustainability programs. Anonymous tips are welcome. Contact Patty Mead at prmead416. gmail.com or Carla Finch at carla.j.finch@gmail.com.

ers have scavenged, bought, and created incredible features.

Nurseries, art fairs, antique shows, salvage, art galleries and online garden centers are all sources for unusual additions to your garden. So are treasures handed down through generations. For example, the metal light fixtures over the patio at Beth and Chris Tittiger’s garden came from a grandparents’ farm in Georgia. The Tittigers, whose garden is one of seven featured this year, also salvaged a pergola from a closing lumber store.

Garden features vie with the usual flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees for starring roles and have their time to shine depending on the season. This beautiful interplay between the vegetables and minerals in a garden is part of a gardener’s planning to ensure something is always going on in the garden. Paths interspersed with unexpected elements — an original sculpture or a bubbling fountain — add elements of surprise and delight.

Garden features can be whimsical: think pinwheels, mirrors, and stone frogs. A variety of textures and heights with raised beds, trellises, and cascading water features creates visual interest and depth. They can also be serious and functional components of a garden design: a pergola creates shade but also serves as a trellis for wisteria, grapes and climbing roses. Interesting and eyecatching plant containers are functional but also provide additional color and form to a garden.

Balancing garden features with

vegetation requires an eye for artful design and planning. Incorporating interesting garden features adds personality and charm — think benches, tables, chairs, a hammock, a hanging swing — and are important for the quiet enjoyment of gardens. By thoughtfully integrating these features, a garden becomes not just a collection of plants but a harmonious sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation.

This year’s featured gardens incorporate a variety of water features, including a waterfall, ponds, fountains, and mobile water bubblers. There are

“The

Early month:

• Plant outdoors cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage.

• Prune roses.

• Seed or sod new buffalo grass or blue grama lawns.

• Weed garden beds.

even some giant ancient koi in one of the ponds. Birdhouses, birdbaths, and birdfeeders add additional points of interest and movement.

The Garden Walk is set for Sunday, June 9. Visitors are sure to be inspired to think beyond flowers, vegetables, bushes and trees. See the ad on page 20 for additional information on where, how and when to get tickets. See you next to the pond, and under the pergola.

If you would like to volunteer for this year’s Garden Walk, contact Kate Blanas at klblanas@gmiail.com.

• Prune overgrown spring-flowering shrubs such as lilac right after they have finished flowering.

• Harvest lettuce, spinach, radishes a nd green onions.

Mid-month (after Mother’s Day):

• Plant outdoors: beans, basil, summer squash, sage, melons, peppers, dill, cilantro, corn, celery, eggplant, tomatillo and oregano.

Pawel Czerwinski / Unsplash

• Do not plant tomatoes until daytime and nighttime temps are consistently above 55 degrees. Protect new plants when temperatures fall below 55.

• Cut spent flowers from springblooming bulbs. Keep the leaves on to provide food for next year’s bulbs. Pull only after they yellow and come out easily.

• Apply the first application of organic fertilizer.

• Plant perennials, annuals and containers.

• Plant summer bulbs, such as g ladiolus, dahlias and canna.

• Add new mulch to help control weeds and moisture while keeping the roots cooler.

Ponds and fountains, sculptures and garden art all provide interest, texture and depth. These are a few examples from past Park Hill Garden Walks. This year’s event incorpo-

File photos by Cara DeGette

glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.” — Alfred Austin

hot And Bothered

2023 Shattered All Kinds Of Records. We Must Push Back Against Those Who Are Still In Climate Change Denial

By Tracey MacDermott For the GPHN

Last year Mother Earth reminded us just how out of control our climate has become.

Records were shattered. It was the hottest year recorded. Ocean surface temperatures soared. Wildfires in Canada were horrific. The European Union experienced its largest wildfire ever. Maui’s deadly wildfire killed scores of people and destroyed historic Lahaina. Flooding in China and Pakistan was massive and widespread.

The list goes on. Last month the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have climbed to uncharted levels. It has been at least 4.3 million years since Earth has experienced levels this high.

The devastating climate disasters are not a coincidence when atmospheric CO2 is now more than 50 percent higher than pre-industrial levels. This is the twelfth straight year that CO2 has increased by more than two parts-per-million.

Our planet is careening toward a disaster of our own making. What will it take for us to change?

First, we must push back against those who are in denial. Nearly 15 percent of Americans still do not accept that climate change is real. Although this number may seem small, climate denial obstructs climate action. Like the COVID 19 pandemic, this can lead to a purposeful action to subvert policy.

In a report titled “Understanding and Overcoming Climate Obstruction” in the journal Nature Climate Change, the authors note that a combination of obstruction, vested interests and the encouragement to live life as always has led to the same outcome — the “lack of taking urgently needed steps.”

When we look at the vested interests in denial and delaying action on climate change, we can make a correlation right back to the almighty dollar. The wealth of a few is impacting the entire planet and global population. Fossil fuel companies have taken to “greenwashing”

— spreading misinformation, which prevents action to address the crisis. Here’s but one example: This year in Colorado state Sens. Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Kevin Priola introduced legislation that would ban new gas wells starting in 2030 as well as any permitting to redrill existing wells. Dan Haley, head of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, was quick with a tired old response. That plan, he claimed, would “crush the economy.”

If we continue to succumb to these fear-based tactics, what will really sink our economy and way of life will be the expanding climate crisis.

Just as we push back on climate deniers, we simply cannot give up and resign ourselves to the thought that the crisis can’t be fixed. The climate needs our sustained attention so we can bring Earth back into balance.

We cannot allow our legislators to take their eyes off the globe. It is critical that we continue to push them to sponsor and support stringent climate legislation — and no longer accept fear-based reactions from industries like oil and gas as an excuse. Nor should we accept corporations and companies doing the bare minimum to meet new state requirements. Pay attention to our major employers in Colorado. Are they doing more than is required? Let them know you expect them to set higher standards.

We can all do something. In addition to pushing for more legislation and pushing back on climate denial, act in your everyday activities. Reducing your car travel, lowering your energy use and planting a garden are all acts of hope.

We need more than a little of that right now.

Tracey MacDermott is an at-large member of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017, and is currently the Statewide Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project for the 100% Committed Campaign. Email her at traceymacdermott@gmail.com.

Eye See You

By Mark Kuhl For the GPHN

Costco partners with the nonprofit organization Assist International to collect and distribute used eyeglasses to people in need.

You don’t need a Costco membership to access the optical department. There, a donation box is waiting for your old glasses. Make it worth your trip and gather unused prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses and readers from your friends and

family. Head over to any Costco and drop them all off at once. Volunteers with Assist International sort and distribute eyeglasses locally and across the globe. Mark Kuhl is an environmental advocate who lives in Park Hill with his family. His handy tips and news about recycling household items appear every month in these pages. A directory of his past columns for recycling everything from paint to Styrofoam to shoes is at greaterparkhill.org/ sustainability/recycling-directory/.

The race For DA

Q&As With Candidates

Leora Joseph And John Walsh

Compiled by Cara DeGette Editor, GPHN

The Greater Park Hill News asked Joseph and Walsh to weigh in on why they believe they are better qualified to become Denver’s next District Attorney. Here’s what they had to say.

Meet the Candidates

Upcoming Public Forums

The following public forums are scheduled during May and early June featuring Denver District Attorney candidates Leora Joseph and John Walsh: LoDoNA and UpDoNA Forum

(Downtown registered neighborhood organizations)

April 30 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Buell Public Media Center

2101 Arapahoe St. RSVP required: tinyurl.com/DenverDADebate

Curtis Park/Whittier RNO DA Forum

May 2 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

818 25th St.

Note: There will not be a live Q&A from the audience at this forum, however attendees will be able to submit written questions. Note cards will be available at the entrance. Denver Justice Project & the Denver Taskforce to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety Forum

May 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center

2836 Welton St.

Hilltop RNO DA Forum

May 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Graland Field House

55 Clermont St.

Better Together DA Forum

June 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Two Moons Music Hall

2944 Larimer St.

Leora Joseph

leorafordistrictattorney.com

Greater Park Hill News: What experience do you have to be DA?   Leora Joseph: I love Denver, and we are at a pivotal moment. I have spent 25 years working in district attorney’s offices, in court and handling the most serious cases that affect public safety in the communities I have served. I have brought change to those offices as a manager, including starting one of the country’s first human trafficking units and creating programs that focus on victims, because I believe victims should receive specialized attention. Currently, in my role in Gov. Jared Polis’ administration, I oversee the state’s largest behavioral health office with 1,800 employees and a $300 million budget, focused on changing how the criminal justice system handles severe mental illness and drug addiction.

Leora Joseph

GPHN: What differentiates you from your opponent?

LJ: It’s an honor to be considered by Denver’s voters alongside other attorneys. I am the only candidate who has worked in district attorney’s offices, and I’m the only candidate who has professional behavioral health experience. Additionally, I am the only candidate with extensive management experience, both in district attorney’s offices and in other parts of the legal and criminal justice systems. I am running for office on change, not on the status quo — and this is the first and will be the only public office that I ever seek.

GPHN: What are your top three priorities as DA?

LJ: My first priority is that we must start holding people accountable for crimes they commit. This includes gun violence, fentanyl distribution, and auto theft. We must stop ignoring crime.

I plan to create real pathways for people suffering from severe mental illness and addiction, to get people off of our streets, out of our jails, into treatment, and out of the cycle of recidivism.

I will implement the community prosecution model and create a robust community engagement office, aligning prosecutors with the six police districts in Denver, our schools, nonprofits and community organizations that work on important issues like gun and gang violence prevention.

GPHN: You, as well as others in the race, cite the spike in car thefts, gun violence and the fentanyl crisis in Denver in your literature. The current DA has dedicated programs and units that are designed to address all of these, including treatment and diversion programs. What specifically will you do differently as DA to address these?

LJ: The DA’s office runs many great programs, but often they don’t go far enough or have lacked the continued, determined focus I would bring to addressing chronic issues in our community like auto theft,

fentanyl distribution, and gun violence.

As district attorney, I would assign a team of highly trained prosecutors to tackle the core group of violent offenders. Prosecutors are often bogged down with caseloads that don’t allow focus on the most serious crimes, hence delaying accountability. For example, we could quickly prosecute convicted felons who are found with weapons, and rapidly move their cases through the criminal justice system.

We must also acknowledge that we have a youth violence problem, and under my community prosecution model, I will bring schools, social workers, nonprofit organizations, and many more to the table to solve this rise in youth violence.

I believe we are in a public health crisis that is manifesting as a public safety crisis. We need more than diversion. We need to work with law enforcement, and community behavioral health centers as well as hospitals to create real pathways to treatment.

GPHN: Between 2017 and 2023 the City and County of Denver has been found liable for nearly $39.5 million in legal judgments for the actions of police officers, including violating citizens’ constitutional rights. What will you do as DA to address police accountability in Denver?

LJ: I plan to hire the nation’s first Director of Police Accountability to serve as liaison from the DA’s office to the community on issues of police accountability as they arise. A citizen’s review board will add an additional mechanism of transparency for police, prosecutors and community.

GPHN: Do you think the DA has a role in reducing mass incarceration? If so, describe that role and what policies you would adopt.

LJ: We’re all better than the worst thing we’ve ever done, and there’s a wider breadth of outcomes from charging to sentencing to incarceration and release that can treat offenders as whole people who can be better. I believe we need to look at things like alternative policing, co-responder programs, and restorative justice to  guarantee public safety, and strive for meaningful rehabilitation.

John walsh

www.walshfordenver.com

Greater Park Hill News: What experience do you have to be DA?

John Walsh: President Obama asked me to serve as Colorado’s U.S. Attorney – chief federal prosecutor – and I led that large prosecution office for six years. I previously served as an assistant U.S. Attorney and Major Frauds section chief in LA, before returning to Denver, my hometown, in 1995.

GPHN: What differentiates you from your opponent?

JW: Denver’s DA leads a large prosecution office. As Colorado’s U.S. Attorney, I did just that: From 2010 to 2016, I successfully led the U.S. Attorney’s office. Attorneys General Holder and Lynch recognized my efforts by asking me to chair their national advisory committee of U.S. Attorneys.

My wife and I have lived in Park Hill for nearly 30 years, raising three kids, proud DPS graduates. I have spent decades working in Denver’s diverse communities both professionally and personally. I coach the Constitutional Law program at East. I helped found an early childhood nonprofit, Invest in Kids, served on the executive committee of the Colorado Lawyers Committee, and have held leadership roles in the Democratic Party, including district co-captain, State Platform chair, and treasurer of AG Phil Weiser’s 2018 campaign. I speak Spanish fluently and have worked extensively with our Span-

ish-speaking community, including as board chair of Escuela de Guadalupe.

GPHN: What are your top three priorities as DA?

JW: Community safety depends on earning the trust of the community. I will combine firm, energetic enforcement of the law with aggressive efforts working with the community to prevent crime and improve our criminal justice system. My top priority is gun and youth violence and protecting our kids, alongside addressing the fentanyl epidemic, reducing car theft and hearing and supporting victims of crime.

GPHN: You, as well as others in the race, cite the spike in car thefts, gun violence and the fentanyl crisis in Denver in your literature. The current DA has dedicated programs and units that are designed to address all of these, including treatment and diversion programs.

What  specifically will you do differently as DA to address these?

JW: Gun violence is personal to me; I responded to the scene of the Aurora Theater shooting. I will advocate for strengthening our gun laws, as I have done over decades, testifying in favor of Obama’s gun violence package and Colorado’s “red flag” ERPO law. I will create a violent crime task force to enforce existing gun laws, and team with federal authorities. And I will work to foster and find funding for youth development programs to keep kids away from guns and violence.

On car theft, I will establish a car theft task force to work directly with city and state task forces, and will focus on organized crime.

On the fentanyl crisis, I will vigorously prosecute the cartels bringing drugs into our community, also work to address root causes by expanding drug court, the competency court, and probation department programs to get people caught up in the criminal justice the help they need, including active mental health treatment options.

GPHN: Between 2017 and 2023 the City and County of Denver has been found liable for nearly $39.5 million in legal judgments for the actions of police officers, including violating citizens’ constitutional rights. What will you do as DA to address police accountability in Denver?

JW: This is an issue I care deeply about and have worked on for decades, having served on Denver’s Public Safety Review Commission, represented cities working to reform their police departments, and worked with US DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. As DA, I will designate specific prosecutors to handle police misconduct cases to ensure neutrality and independence. In addition, the DA’s office should play a direct role with the police department on policy development and training so as to build a culture in both the department and the DA’s office that will earn the community’s trust.

GPHN: Do you think the DA has a role in reducing mass incarceration? If so, describe that role and what policies you would adopt.

JW: Yes. As U.S. Attorney, I worked with President Obama to reform federal sentencing laws to reduce mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses and prevent use of sentencing enhancements to force guilty pleas. I took an active role in Obama’s clemency project, which resulted in the President reducing sentences in nearly 2,000 cases.

As DA, I will expand restorative justice and diversion programs, and review charging and sentencing decision to ensure they protect community safety, and don’t result in unnecessarily harsh sentences. I strongly support the DA’s office Conviction Review Unit, which reviews cases to ensure the integrity of convictions and sentencing.

a n nouncemen T s

Park Hill Yard Sale Is May 25

The 12th annual Park Hill Yard Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up to participate in the coordinated neighborhood-wide yard sale at bit.ly/3UKBztE. Sell your trinkets and treasures, housewares and more — or plan to hop, skip and jump around the neighborhood for some great deals. Yard sale participants must be within the Greater Park Hill boundaries. Make sure to register and include general descriptions of what you’ll be selling — and share the online map of all the garage sales happening that day. Bargain hunters should make sure to bring cash (or Venmo) and bags to haul away your newfound loot. Deadline to register is Friday, May 17.

Free Ice Cream In City Park

Come celebrate Denver’s crown jewel park on Friday, May 31 at Denver’s annual City Park Day. The event is free, and everyone is welcome. There will be ice cream (courtesy of Sweet Cooie’s) and live music by the Denver Municipal Band. Plus, this year’s event includes face painting, caricatures and museum and zoo exhibits. In keeping with tradition, Victorian dress is encouraged, but not required. Sponsors include Council District 9, Museum of Nature & Science, Denver Zoo, City Park Friends and Neighbors, Greater Park Hill Community and the Victorian Society of Colorado.

4th Of July Parade Is Sizzling In May

In just the first few weeks after opening registration, the organizers of the 14th annual Park Hill Parade have signed up more than 20 groups and more than 500 participants to march on July 4. Returning entries include the Denver Fire Department, the Platinum Diva Princesses, the Model A Ford Club of Colorado and the Westernaires, who will bring 20 members of their Royal Rangers Crew. Join the fun. Sign your group up for free today on the event’s new website at ParkHillParade.com.

Check back in these pages next month for more updates about Denver’s largest and most boisterous 4th of July Parade.

Call For Vendors: Home Tour And Street Fair Is Sept. 29

Vendor registrations are open for the 46th annual Park Hill Home Tour and Street Fair, scheduled this year for Sunday, Sept. 29.

Multiple homes will be open for tours, and a daylong Street Fair happens at Forest Parkway at Montview Boulevard. Applications are open now for food trucks, crafters, artisans, nonprofits, florists, jewelry makers, designers, health and wellness, stationery designers, bath-andbeauty, plant retailers and more. Sign up at parkhillhometour.org/ street-fair/vendor-registration.

l e T T e rs To The e d I T o r

Food For Thought

Re: Last month’s Climate Crisis column headlined “A Pox On Plastic”: What are Whole Foods, Sprouts and Natural Grocers doing to reduce plastic consumption? Nobody expects King Soopers to do much, but we expect more from companies who give the impression they are concerned about the environment. Thank you.

Jim Warland, Park Hill

Walking To Cure Arthritis

Do you know someone who has arthritis? Given that one in four American adults has it, hundreds of thousands of kids in the U.S. have it, and one-third of U.S. veterans have it, it’s likely that you do. Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases keep people of all ages and walks of life from doing the things they love. Here in Park Hill, we have painters, gardeners, caregivers, sporty kids, and so many others whose quality of life and mental health are affected by arthritis.

In my case, my kiddo was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at just two years old. I remember sitting in the doctor’s office with my head in my hands wondering how we were going to keep our baby safe and happy in the midst of a chronic disease that is costly to treat, and for which many medicines are ineffective. Luckily, the doctor handed us a pamphlet and a care package from the Arthritis Foundation that changed our whole outlook. In the

eight years since then, we’ve been so grateful to benefit from the medical research and community support that AF funds and organizes. Thanks in part to the AF, my kiddo has a community of kids and grownups who understand how lonely and debilitating this disease can be, as well as access to doctors and medicines that are making a tangible difference in their quality of life.

May is Arthritis Awareness Month, and it’s my goal to raise awareness not just through letters like this, but also through events like the Walk to Cure Arthritis, which is happening in Washington Park on May 19. Please consider this a personal invitation from your neighbor: If you’ve been affected in any way by arthritis, please come join this community that wants to welcome and support you in your journey. It’s a carnival theme this year, so bring the whole family. Walk, roll, crawl, or sit. We just care that you’ll be there to share in community and raise much needed funds for research and treatment for a cure. WalkToCureArthritis.org/Denver.

Cynthia Pesantez, Park Hill resident and Arthritis Mom

We love your letters, and give preference to those that address an issue that has been covered in the newspaper, or a topic that is Park Hill or Denver-specific. Send letters to editor@greaterparkhill.org, and include your full name, and the neighborhood in which you live. Deadlines are the 15th of each month, for the following month’s issue.

Government By text

New State Law Leaves Public In The Dark

By Steve Zansberg and Jeffrey A. Roberts Colorado Freedom Of Information Coalition

Irony is the juxtaposition of one conceptual proposition with a directly contrary reality, like a “vegetarian butcher” or something that’s “seriously funny.”

Or the swift enactment — during Sunshine Week — of a new state law that lets members of the Colorado General Assembly discuss and formulate public policy outside of public view.

You heard that right. This legislative session lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis chose the very week in March in which journalists and transparency advocates annually celebrate federal and state open-government laws to essentially exempt the state Legislature from much of the Colorado Open Meetings Law.

The open meetings law, approved by voters in 1972, declares it is “the policy of this state that the formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret.”

The law is meant to provide “the public access to a broad range of meetings at which public business is considered; to give citizens an expanded opportunity to become fully informed on issues of public importance, and to allow citizens to participate in the legislative decision-making process that affects their personal interests.”

We acknowledge that some provisions in the 52-year-old law require updates as they pertain to the business of the state Legislature. But Senate Bill 24-157, approved on March 11, was rushed. Some organizations, including the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, were excluded from the sponsors’ stakeholder process. Our suggested amendments were ignored.

The bill, signed into law by the governor just a day later, goes too far and will undermine public confidence in the Legislature’s actions.

The new law legalizes legislators engaging in discussions of pending bills — via emails, text messages, phone calls or in-person meetings — not have to provide notice to the public or keep any minutes of such policy-making conversations. In other words, the public will be left in the dark about legislation that affects them directly.

Don’t worry, elected officials tell

us, because those emails, text messages, etc., between lawmakers are accessible, after the fact, “pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act.” (CORA) That’s what the newly passed law says. But here’s the catch: CORA declares that all communications by, or “assembled for” any state legislator that “relates to” the drafting of bills or amendments are not public records at all.

So, there’s no need for legislators to hold onto — much less to make public — those electronic written communications, because they are not public records. It is safe to assume that more than 90 percent of all future discussions of potential bills, amendments, appointments, resolutions, rules, etc., in our state Legislature will occur outside of public view. Not only will such policies be far more likely to be the product of backroom wheeling and dealing, but even ordinary nontainted policies will rightfully be subject to suspicion and skepticism by the general public.

Forty-one years ago, Colorado’s Supreme Court held that legislative caucus meetings must abide by the open meetings law, stating that the act was “designed precisely to prevent the abuse of secret or star chamber sessions of public bodies.” By exempting the General Assembly from a transparency law applicable to every other public body in the state, legislators have greatly reduced the level of public trust in that institution and cast a veil of secrecy over whatever legislation is  produced.

Ironic for sure that this happened during Sunshine Week. And a sad day, of any week, for the people of this state.

Steve Zansberg is president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. Park Hill resident Jeffrey A. Roberts is the executive director of the organization, a nonpartisan alliance that promotes freedom of the press, open courts and open access to government records and meetings.

Editor’s note: State Sen. James Coleman and Reps. Jennifer Bacon and Leslie Herod — all of whom represent portions of Park Hill — sponsored and supported the bill. Last month Jon Caldara of the libertarian Independence Institute announced plans to pursue a November statewide initiative to repeal the new law.

Steve ZansbergJeffrey A. Roberts

Balls

East Sports Teams Have a Busy Spring

The high school athletes at East High School have had a busy spring, fighting hard, but with varied levels of success.

Boys volleyball has been a Colorado High School Sports Association-sanctioned varsity sport for only two years. As of April 25, the East team sported an impressive 13-7 overall record, with a 7-2 record in the Denver Prep League (DPL). East

had a strong 3-1 victory over Denver West on April 4, and knocked off Westminster 3-2 on April 9, and Rangeview 3-0 on April 11. But East fell in straight sets 3-0 to League-leading Vista PEAK Prep on April 15 and by 3 sets to 2 to Hinkley on April 23. That left the Angels in fourth place in the league, and ranking 26th in the state.

The East girls soccer team is having a very strong season, with an overall record of 9-0-2 as of April 24, registering consecutive 10-0 wins against Westminster, Hinckley and Far Northeast Warriors. That was followed by 6-0 and 7-0 wins against Liberty Common and Vista Peak. As of mid-season, the Angels’ only blemishes came from a 1-1 season-opening tie against Legend and a 2-2 tie against Fairview on March 19. Because of East’s relatively easy league schedule, despite being undefeated the Angels are only ranked 15th in the Colorado 5A division. Look for them to be an upset favorite in the playoffs.

As of April 25, the East boys rugby team is undefeated in state competition and leading the league, ahead of Valor Christian and Regis Jesuit. The boys squad had a successful Spring Break tour to Utah, and gained important experience while dropping close matches to the Salt Lake City East and Brighton. On April 23, East retained the famous “Boot Bowl” rivalry trophy with a 38-18 demolition of Regis Jesuit. The top four teams in the Colorado boys rugby league will play in the state semi-finals on May 4 at Highlands Ranch High School. The Angels hope to advance to the final on May 11 at Infinity Park Stadium in Glendale.

East girls lacrosse has a late-April record of only 5-6, but two heartbreaking one-goal losses could have easily been wins for the Lady Angels. On April 10 East fell 11-10 against the Poudre School District squad, after a dominating 8-4 lead at halftime. That was followed by another

wrenching one-goal defeat, 12-11 to Rock Canyon on April 12. The Angels bounced back with a 7-6 overtime win over Heritage on April 22 and a resounding 16-8 victory over Arapahoe on April 24. Despite the mixed results, the season so far has been highlighted by all-star forward Vivien

Story and photos by Reid Neureiter

For the GPHN

East senior starting pitcher Stevie Anthony energizes his teammates after a successful shutout inning against Northfield.

East senior midfielder Lucy Hackley advances the ball against Poudre School District on April 10.

East junior attackman Ryder Petersen prepares to shoot against Kent Denver on April 4. East won the match 8-7 in overtime, with Peterson scoring five goals on nine shots.

Leuthold registering her 100th career high school goal in a 14-5 victory on April 8 over South, with goalkeeper Chloe Silverstein registering her 300th career save. The Lady Laxers finish their regular season with a home league match against Grandview on May 3.

The East boys lacrosse squad is having an up and down season, with a 6-6 record as of late-April. East’s wins includes a thrilling 8-7 sudden death

overtime victory over rival Kent Denver on April 4. East did drop two consecutive games, against No. 2-ranked Cherry Creek by 16-3 on April 12, and No. 1-ranked Arapahoe by 13-7 on April 16.

As of April 25, East is ranked 13th in the 5A Division and concludes their season with a home game on May 1 against Mountain Vista.

The East baseball team is having a successful season, sporting a 7-6 overall record and 4-3

record in league play as of mid-April. Highlights include a thrilling pitchers’ duel 2-1 victory over rival Northfield High played at the Colorado Rockies Coors Field on March 22, and a return 2016 away victory over Northfield on April 16. East finishes its regular league baseball season with a home game against Kennedy on May 7, Eaglecrest away on May 9, and at home against Rangeview on May 11.

East sophomore wing midfielder Liza Cathey (#13) dribbles past a Hinkley defender during East’s 10-0 home victory on April 8.

Senior center Cole Conforti gets ready for contact against the Colorado Springs Falcons on March 2.

Expiration And Inspiration

There is Nothing To Fear At Monthly Death Cafés

By Tara Bannon Williamson Park Hill Branch Librarian

My heart is pounding. My vision is sharp. I’ve never felt so alive. What’s happening, you ask?

We just finished talking about DEATH at the library!

While nearly everyone plans for retirement, and no one is guaranteed it, not many of us plan for death — while all of us are guaranteed it. Death’s audience is everyone, not just those that are considered older. Death is a universal experience no matter your age.

The Death Café movement (deathcafe.com) has spread through libraries since it began in Columbus, Ohio, in July 2012. We are grateful to our friends and colleagues at the Ford-Warren branch in the Whittier neighborhood, who paved the way for this by hosting Death Café previously.

Our first three Death Café events at the Park Hill branch have reached 53 attendees so far. We have been delighted by the community’s response.

Quotes from events:

• “I’m not scared of death, I’m scared of dying.”

• “I’m here because I’m curious.”

• “I want to find a group of people who don’t find the word ‘death’ intimidating.”

Our moderator, Cierra McNamara, is skilled, gentle and guides conversation with ease. We have had a wide range of participation with an age range of those 20 to 80. Some attendees are working as nurses and hospice volunteers, and others are students. Some people have experienced recent losses, while others seek to accept their own mortality.

The most thrilling parts of the conversations have centered on shifting cultural norms around death to our benefit. Examples from other cultures that have a more profound relationship with death have been shared and continues to arise as an important topic of contemplation.

In addition to the Death Cafés, the library is hosting a two-part event in May on “Advanced Directives.”

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment defines

Advanced Directives as a “legal document(s) that tells your health care team your wishes about what you do or don’t want for your medical care when you are not able to make these decisions for yourself.”

On Tuesday, May 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Jill Wisehart, managing partner for the Paper Catalyst, will cover:

• Who needs to have an executed Advanced Directive and why?

• How to fill out an Advance Directive.

• Where should you keep an Advance Directive?

• How often should you update an Advance Directive?

Come back again on May 11 at 2 p.m. for our signing party to get any completed paperwork notarized for free.

Our desired outcome is that people have a conversation with a friend or family member about how they wish to live their lives and make more considered and comfortable decisions about their final days.

Our next Death Café is Monday, May 20 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Death Cafés are scheduled once a month for the remainder of this year.

May Library Events

Park Hill Branch

Baby Storytimes | Thursdays, 10:15-10:45 a.m.

Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their parents or caregivers.

Toddler Storytimes | Fridays, 10:15-10:45 a.m.

Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers.

Writing Circle 2.0 | Thursdays, May 9 and May 23, 1:30-3 p.m.

Join our supportive community of writers to hone your skills, feel inspired, and motivate yourself and others. All levels and styles of writers are welcome at this informal workshop. Refreshments will be provided. No registration is required.

Kids Game Club Game-Making Workshop | Wednesday, May 1, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Local artist Thane Benson will share with us how he created his colorful and creative game Monster Rummy. Participants will have the opportunity to create their own original monster cards and play Monster Rummy with Thane.

Advance Directives Fundamentals | Tuesday, May 7, 2-4 p.m.

Advance Directives help your loved ones and health providers un-

derstand your health-related wishes when you cannot speak for yourself.

Advanced Directives Signing Party | Saturday, May 11, 2-3:30 p.m.

Ask questions of Jill Wisehart, sign your Advanced Directives forms, and get them notarized on the spot in a celebratory atmosphere.

Kids Book Celebration | Thursday, May 16, 4-5 p.m.

A monthly book celebration for kids in kindergarten* though 5th grade. Meets the third Thursday of every month. We will explore a book, series or theme every month and do activities and crafts related to what we read.

*Parents of young children need to attend with their child.

Lost Downtown Denver with Author Mark A. Barnhouse | Saturday, May 18, 2-3:15 p.m.

Mark A. Barnhouse delves into the history of Denver’s past, exploring waves of change that have transformed downtown.

Death Café | Monday, May 20, 2-3:30 p.m.

Death Café is an international movement that invites people to gather, normalize conversations around death, and make the most of LIFE. This is not a grief support group or counseling session. Respect for all views is a priority.

Tea Time Travel Tales | Wednesday, May 22, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Bring back the days of sharing vacation pictures on the big screen. Listen to neighbors’ travel tales while sipping tea and having a nosh. Sign up to share by emailing sgelwickknight@denverlibrary.org or just stop by.

No Strings Attached Book Chat | Saturday, May 25, 11a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Read whatever you want, attend whenever you can.

Qi Gong | Wednesday, May 29, 11 a.m.12:15 p.m.

Qi Gong is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. Sometimes called “meditation in motion,” it includes slow, dance-like movements to improve breathing, reduce stress, and gently move the body.

Pauline Robinson Branch

The Pauline Robinson Branch library is closed for renovations. While construction is underway, limited library services are being offered at Hiawatha Davis, Jr. Recreation Center at 3334 Holly St. Services are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Chromebooks are available for public use, as well as printing and copying.

• A cart of free fiction books for all ages and DVDs is available for browsing.

• Digital Navigator appointments are available Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Bookmobile is on Wednesdays f rom 1 to 2:30 p.m.

• Community Resource Navigators a re available Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. (720-335-28470

Park Hill has two public libraries: The Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd. For hours of operation and additional upcoming programs, visit denverlibrary. org/events/upcoming. The Pauline Robinson branch library is at 5575 E. 33rd Ave. See listings above for current location and library services.

Quantrille Day McClung was the first librarian at the Park Hill branch library. She is buried in Denver’s Fairmount Cemetery. Photo by Tara Bannon Williamson

The Finer Things

100 Artists In The Park Hill Art Festival On June 1-2

By Cara DeGette GPHN Editor

Eleven years ago Park Hill Art Festival founder Darren Skanson launched his first juried fine arts and fine craft show on the grounds of the Masonic Lodge at 4819 E Montview Blvd.

That first year, 60 artists from Colorado and points beyond flocked to the neighborhood. Their work represented the full range of mediums — oil, acrylic, watercolor pastel, charcoal, and mixed media paintings, as well as bronze, stone, metal, mixed media and glass sculptures. Others specialized in functional stoneware, raku ceramics, inlaid wood turned bowl, one-of-a-kind jewelry, textiles, silk fabrics, and color and black & white photography.

Prices for the various works range anywhere from $50 to $20,000.

“I love to be able to invite these artists to be a part of the show in my own neighborhood, where people are so supportive of the arts,” said Skanson at the time. “I wanted to make sure we have artists who can appeal to all range of buyers. That said, this is a fine art show, it’s not a craft show.”

The Art Festival flourished, then weathered two years of pandemic before the momentum resumed two years ago. In the midst of the uncertainty, Skanson sent a note to rally his fellow artist friends.

“Fight this chaos with hope and

beauty,” he wrote. “It is our calling to be hopeful. We are the reminders of what mankind can be. We are the reminders that the world has beauty.”

This year’s Art Festival features the work of more than 100 professional artists. It’s scheduled for Saturday and Sunday June 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. There is no charge for entry.

Skanson sat down recently for a brief Q&A about the festival, and what to expect at the June show. Here’s what he had to say:

Greater Park Hill News: How did the festival start? Why did you decide to have it in Park Hill?

Darren Skanson: Well, that’s an easy question. I lived in Park Hill for 12 years. Having put together art festivals for years, I knew that my neighbors would love a great art event.

GPHN: You have an extensive background in putting together festivals all over Colorado. Are you currently doing any other festivals?

DS: Yes, we have The Highlands Art Festival the very next weekend after the Park Hill event — on June 8 and 9, plus shows in the Broadmoor neighborhood of Colorado Springs, up in the foothills in Evergreen, as well as the mountains in Dillon and Avon. All shows are at ColoradoArtWeekend.com. We love bringing artists and art lovers together.

GPHN: How many artists will be participating this spring? Who will

be traveling the furthest?

DS: There will be over 100 artists. Our great friends Wendy Schaefer and Kevin Miles, the husband and wife “paint on the same canvas” duo will be coming from Wisconsin. They were here last year and are featured on our poster and ad. Other artists are coming from California, Florida and Arizona.

GPHN: Have any artists returned all 11 years?

DS: Local jeweler Deb Fine has been with us every year.

GPHN: Are there any Park Hill artists in the show?

DS: Yes, in fact local celebrity Jonathon Stalls will be with us again. Jonathon walked — yes walked — across the whole United States. Also, local photographer Michael Stipek and his jeweler wife Peg CloverStipek. Yay!

GPHN: Are you still holding the

festivals twice/yearly? Are the artists different in the fall than in spring, or do they overlap?

DS: We have had so many artists apply to our spring show that we needed to add the second show. This year we will have the second show on August 17 and 18.

GPHN: You always have a drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree. How does that work? Can anyone enter?

DS: All you need is a ticket. Check your front door or come to the show and simply ask an artist for one. You must be 18 years or older to win and be present at the drawing on Sunday June 2 at noon. That’s it.

GPHN: What have past winners gotten with their $1,000 certificate?

DS: It varies. One family bought a beautiful water fountain sculpture. Another patron spread the winnings across 10 different artists. I love doing this at all our shows.

Images from past Park Hill Art Festivals. The shows feature the works of sculptors, jewelers, visual artists, and other professionals creating in a variety of other mediums. File photos by Cara DeGette

No Us without You

We Can Do This! Seeking 25 New Members In May

By Lori Midson Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.

Now that spring has stirred up our tulips and the summer sun is just a tank top away, I’ve been spending more time outdoors chatting with our neighbors.

Often, someone will ask what I do career-wise, and when I tell them I’m the executive director of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. the response is typically met with genuine enthusiasm. “I love GPHC!” or “Your Home Tour and Street Fair event is so much fun!”

have, the bolder and more persuasive our collective voice becomes.

Our mission for the month of May is to recruit 25 new members. Once we reach that mark, everyone who joined will be entered into a drawing to receive a $75 gift card to a Park Hill restaurant, shop, café or coffee house of their choice. And to sweeten the pot, three of those 25 new members will get a gift card.

Why become a GPHC member? Just look at what we do.

Current Food Pantry Needs

We accept food and toiletry donations on Mondays and Wednesdays between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and on Tuesdays between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. We also accept donations on Saturday by appointment.

Non-expired donations can also be dropped off in the bins inside Mayfair Liquors (at 13th and Krameria) and the Park Hill Library (at Montview and Dahlia) during their normal business hours.

apple, mandarin oranges and mixed fruit)

• Canned tuna and salmon

• Spam, canned corned beef hash

• Hearty soups and stews

• Shelf-stable pasta and rice packaged meals

• Instant coffee packets

• Jarred spices and condiments

• Bread, butter, eggs

• Bags of grated cheese

Nine times out of 10, I’m told: “You do so, so much for our community. Thank you.” And my reply is usually, “Well, we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community.” That’s absolutely, unequivocally true. Without all of you, there would be no us.

We receive generosity and support from our community in a dozen different ways: volunteerism, food donations and food drives. financial and in-kind contributions, event participation, attending monthly community meetings and perhaps most important, memberships.

We are a membership-based registered neighborhood organization, and we truly are only as strong as the voices we represent — that means you. The more members we

To become a GPHC member, scan the QR code below, sign up at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/becomea-member/ or drop off a check (and introduce yourself) at our office, at 2823 Fairfax St. We look forward to serving you as a valued member, listening to your ideas and input and working collaboratively on projects, programs and issues.

Thank you, as always, to our current members, donors and volunteers for your kindness, in-kind and financial contributions, involvement and dedication to GPHC. You are so appreciated.

Our food pantry needs are updated weekly on our website: greaterparkhill.org/food-programs/ emergency-food-pantry/. In the meantime, if you’re at the grocery store, please consider picking up and donating a few items from the list below:

• Cereal and oatmeal

• Bags of white rice

• Canned refried, kidney and white beans

• Canned ravioli, tomato sauce, tomato paste

• Jarred pasta sauce

• Canned fruit (peaches, pine-

• Frozen proteins (chicken, family packs of fish, ground beef and pork)

• Small can openers

• Hygiene products/toiletries

If you’d like to schedule a donation outside of our office hours, please send an email to director@ greaterparkhill.org, or call 303388-0918. While we’re always grateful for your donations, please, please be mindful of food expiration dates. For safety reasons, we will not accept expired food items. And please do not leave donations outside our office door. Thank you for abiding by these guidelines.

The following organizations and individuals donated to and volunteered with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. in March:

Churches,

Groups and Businesses

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

City and County of Denver

Clair Family Dentistry

Cure D’Ars Catholic Church

Curtis Park Deli

Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens

Delwest Development Corp.

Denver Public Library

Denver Zoological Foundation, Inc.

Food Bank of the Rockies

Future Pathways LLC

Messiah Community Church

Park Hill United Church of Christ

Park Hill United Methodist Church

Pinnacol Assurance

Nestman Orthodontics

Mayfair Liquors

Starbucks

Twinkle Together

Individuals and Families

Anonymous Donors

Sylvia Aldena Federico C Alvarez

Alice and Marc Applebaum

Penny AshleyLawrence Heavan Asivida

Simon Blamires

Jennifer Calderone Inga Calvin Bruce Campbell

Anthony Caravella

Sandra Caron

Barbara and Alan Charnes

Mary Ellen Cochran

Sebbie and Terry Coleman Todd Cooper Kristy Corcoran

Diane Dash Abigail Dice

Martha and Bruce

Douglas

Elisabeth and Raymond Fedde

Ellen Reath and Craig Maginness

Jay Epperson

Denise Fisher

Carol Flank

Anne & Joe Frank

Gidon and Sarah Felson

Bobbi Gillis

Gretchen Groth

Lisa Haddox

Amy Harris

Adrienne Hill

Meryl Icove

Bill Juraschek

Kevin Wiegand and Karen Sercey

Robb Kolstad

Lana and James Cordes

Mary Jo Lorenz

Lori Midson

Natalie and Patrick Love

Mark and Debra Lovell

Elizabeth Mara

Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn

Margaret McCormick

Frank Mclaughlin

Solomon Mejia

Brenda Morrison

Mr & Mrs. Fred Bender

Harriet Mullaney

Mutchler Chris and Erin Nielsen Joe Raycroft

Salsich Julie Sawaya Heather Selph Daniel Snare Sarah Speicher Shannon Spezialy

and Chris Wineman

Sue Wofford

Karen Zallars

Vanessa Zimmerman

Pantry

Flank

Pressey

Rosenbaum

Heather Selph

Piper Stevens

Long Live The Monarch

Monarchs are one of the most beloved butterflies on the planet. Yet a combination of pesticides, climate change and suburban sprawl have taken a toll. Monarchs now teeter between listed as “vulnerable” and “endangered.” Every fall, Monarchs migrate 3,000 miles to central Mexico for winter. In the spring they return to Colorado. The females lay eggs on their host plant — the milkweed — and the cycle of life begins again. The lesson here? Plant more milkweed. This Monarch was photographed at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal by Mark Silverstein.

A Must or A Bust?

Preventing Mosquitoes And Heartworm Is An Easy Call

By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ

For the GPHN

Summer’s just around the corner. If you are a dog owner, this means you’ve surely received a notification from your veterinarian about getting an annual screening test and making sure you are continuing year-round heartworm preventative.

Is this a must or a bust? A must in that it is a good idea and protects your pet — or a bust in that it is an unneeded product?

First, what is heartworm? In the heartworm life cycle, a microscopic larval stage can be easily picked up and transmitted by mosquitos as they go from animal to animal to feed on blood. It is only when there are adult worms that our heartworm tests become positive – about 7-8 months from when bitten by an infected mosquito.

Once in a dog, the heartworm continues its life cycle and ultimately finds its adult home in the heart and pulmonary vessels, creating inflammation that can ultimately lead to heart failure and/or thromboembolic disease. Additionally, research is showing that heartworm infection in dogs can lead to other life-shortening systemic problems in the kidneys and other organ systems.

No one can make you do anything, but heartworm preventative is a must for a caring Colorado dog owner and here’s why:

• Colorado mosquito species do carry and spread heartworm disease. Each year the incidence of heartworm spreads a little more and while we still have a low incidence rate, it increased during the pandemic years with the influx of heartworm positive dogs for adoption from southern states.

• The treatment for heartworm disease is expensive, takes three separate injections along with

other drugs and carries risks for complications.

• Colorado dogs are active dogs hiking, visiting dog parks and often traveling out of state Heartworm preventative makes sense as it also offers monthly protection against intestinal parasites that can easily be transmitted from all the popular dog sites as well as just around the neighborhood.

• Many Colorado canines live in households with children under the age of 10. Many other veterinary and human medical associations recommend that pets in homes with children be regularly dewormed. This protects against zoonotic infection in children from intestinal parasites such as roundworms and hookworms that can be carried by dogs and cats. If you have small children or live with someone with a compromised immune system from illness and/ or treatment, it is a really good idea to have all cats and dogs in the household on year-round heartworm preventative.

So follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. Rather than being a bust, heartworm testing and prevention is a must to keep your dog and your family healthy. Make sure to purchase heartworm preventative through your veterinarian to avoid any product issues.

For more detailed information on heartworms in dogs and cats, visit:

• The Companion Animal Parasite Council, capcvet.org/

• The American Heartworm Society, heartwormsociety.org/

Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit www.parkhillvet.com.

who we Are, what we Do

The Board of Directors of GPHC, Inc.

Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., is a volunteer-based registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill, provides resources, information and advocacy, and preserves quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation.

If you have an issue you’d like to discuss about the neighborhood, reach out to your board representative (listed at right). Unless indicated, representatives can be contacted via the main office, at 303-388-0918 or info@greaterparkhill.org.

GPHC world headquarters is 2823 Fairfax St.

If you are interested in volunteering or serving on a committee, contact current GPHC Board Chair Shane Sutherland at chair@greaterparkhill.org.

• Board Chair Shane Sutherland

• Secretary Bernadette Kelly

• Treasurer Heather Shockey

• District 1 Amy Harris

• District 2 Brenda Morrison

• District 3 Heather Shockey

• District 4 Currently vacant

• District 5 Sophie Milam

• District 6 Phebe Lassiter

• District 7 Jon Bowman

• District 8 Nam Henderson

• District 9 Doug Schuler

• District 10 Colette Carey

• At Large Maria Flora

• At Large Shanta Harrison

• At Large Tracey MacDermott

• At Large Laurel Mohr

• At Large Louis Plachowski: lplachowski@gmail.com

• At-Large Leslie Twarogowski

• Youth Chair Rick Medrick

• Blessed Sacrament James Groves

• Park Hill UMC Jacqui Shumway

The challenges facing today’s retirees are unique. Higher inflation, skyrocketing healthcare costs, longer life expectancies, and complex Social Security rules all make much of the conventional retirement wisdom of the past obsolete. In this new era, it’s crucial that you take a fresh look at the challenges ahead and create a comprehensive plan to address them.

For 30 years, we’ve been working with people like you to address the challenges of the transition from accumulating their nest egg to using it to support their retirement lifestyle. Get in touch today to schedule a complimentary consultation.

By Anya Nitczynski

I left a dreary, slushy, and cold Denver behind for spring break on a plane bound for New York City. Six years of anticipation in the making, the flight began the annual pilgrimage that junior Denver School of the Arts theatre majors take to The Big Apple.

I had been looking forward to the trip since middle school, and up until the moment we boarded the flight it didn’t feel real. Every time I’d thought about it, it seemed millennia away. But it did finally happen and it was an absolute blast. These days, the distant future haze seems to be lifting and the things I’ve imagined as decades away seem to come to fruition more and more frequently. I came home to a bright, sunny, and blooming Denver. Spring has arrived, a bittersweet reminder that the school year is soon ending. My senior year looms large and I am forced to confront the reality of my friends who are currently seniors who will soon move away for college. It’s a Pandora’s box of emotions, from pride to loss to borderline resentment. Two days after coming home, I turned 17. The next age I will turn is 18 – an age so far in the hazy future that it actually sounds like a joke to me.

The naked eye may not see how all of these landmarks — my trip, the changing seasons, my birthday — are connected or how they managed to sneak up on me. In my clothed eyes, though, each of these arrive all too quickly and joins the others, a sort of humming tune about growing up that is difficult to push to the back of my mind. The song isn’t necessarily bad or scary or sad, though. In fact, it’s a little catchy. I just didn’t expect to hear it so soon and so often.

I doubt anyone ever feels truly right being the age they are, and I imagine anyone 10 years older than me would tell me I don’t know the half of it about growing up, just as I would tell someone 10 years younger than me.

It’s turning out that whenever something from what I thought would be in the distant future happens the following week is, excitement. Even with the hardest landmarks to face (i.e. my friends moving away) I find myself stressing the final syllable in the word “bittersweet” a whole lot more than the first two.

Anya Nitczynski is a junior at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears monthly in these pages.

g r ea T e r p a r K hI ll r e sources

Active Minds

Check out free lectures on topics ranging from music to history, current events to foreign affairs. A complete schedule of upcoming events is at activeminds.com

Art Garage

6100 E. 23rd Ave., artgaragedenver. com, 303-377-2353. The Art Garage is a nonprofit visual art community center. Check out ArtGarageDenver. com for details.

Faith Community greaterparkhill.org/faith

The GPHN maintains a list of Park Hill’s places of worship at the website above. Contact individual places of worship for information about their current state of operations.

One World Singers

Denver Police District 2 3921 Holly St., 2.Dist@denvergov. org, non-emergency number is 720913-1000. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1.

Denver Public Schools

dpsk12.org

Check the website for resources and updates. Call the helpline at 720-4233054 for support in many languages.

Donations Resources

Check out our list of organizations who accept donations — everything from clothes to bikes: greaterparkhill. org/spreading-the-love/

A community choral group. Rehearsals every Thursday at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Church, 22nd and Dexter. Email Sandy at  owsmanager@yahoo. com  or go to OneWorldSingers.org for more information.

Park Hill Community Bookstore

Denver’s oldest nonprofit bookstore. Used and new books. 4620 E. 23rd Avenue. 303-355-8508.  Check parkhillbookstore.org for hours of operation.

Park Hill Peloton

A recreational group of road cyclists. Check the current status of their rides on the Park Hill Peloton Facebook page.

Sie Filmcenter

2510 E. Colfax, denverfilm.org, 303595-3456.

gphn c l ass I f I eds

CONCRETE

Concrete work and repair. Driveway, patios, and sidewalks. Small jobs are welcome. 25 years experience. Free estimates. 303-429-0380

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

LICENSED GENERAL CONTRACTOR IN PARK HILL! Also CERTIFIED for Lead Paint Safety and Compliance; Small Jobs are Great. Kitchen (backsplashes, floors), Bath, Home Offices, all phases of remodeling. Energy Star Windows, Doors, Insulation. Custom Wood Fences. Mold and Mildew Remediation. Call Mark-303-921-3161;pikerprojects@ gmail.com - Remodeling;usabatement@ yahoo.com – Lead-Based Paint GUTTERS

Gutter Cleaning, repairs, and replacement. Gutter Cleaning prices start at $150 – House, Garage, Porches, and walks. 303-907-9223/skmehaffey@ gmail.com

HOUSE CLEANING

ExceptionalHouseCleaning # 1, Inc. Since 1997 Licensed-Insured-Bonded. Weekly, Bi-Weekly, 3Weeks, Monthly, Move-In, Move-Out. Free estimates. Tom Nguyen: Office & Cell: 303-3493153. Email: exceptionalhousecleaning@ gmail.com. Website: https://exceptionalhousecln.wixsite.com/home. CreditCard. PayPal. Venmo. Zelle MASONRY SERVICES

Masonry Services- Brick, Stone, Concrete repairs, restoration, tuckpointing, chimneys, retaining walls, city sidewalks; planter boxes. 303-907-9223/ skmehaffey@gmail.com

PAINTING

Interior and exterior painting. Prep, power washing, professional. Owned

and operated by Park Hill resident with over 20 years of experience. Free estimate. JR Painting 720-485-7207 or jpabz04@gmail.com

Painting: Interior, exterior, small jobs welcome; sheetrock repairs and texture. 303-907-9223/ skmehaffey@gmail.com

ROOFING

Roofing: Repairs, Inspections, Flashings, Hail Damage, and reroofing licensed, bonded, and insured. Gutter replacement and cleaning. 303-9079223/ skmehaffey@gmail.com

SKI & SNOWBOARD CARE

www.centralparkskiboardtuning.com

Ski and snowboard waxing and tuning. Free pickup and delivery to residence. Visit website or text Brett 303-929-7294

TREE TRIMMING

Tree trimming and trash removal. General yard work and clean up. Gutter cleaning. Please call 303-429-0380

TUCKPOINTING

Over 25 years of experience. Fully insured. Mortar color and brick matching, broken brick replacement, cement chimney crown replacement. 12 years Chicago union experience. Mr. Chimney and Home Masonry Repair. Call Chuck Bahnsen 303-948-7999

WINDOWS

Window and Gutter Cleaning. First Floor Only. Call Bob at Twin Pines Window Cleaning, 303 329 8205

Double-hung window RESTORATION includes replacing sash cords (ropes) and removal of excess paint on wood and metal plus lubrication for smooth opening and closing. 40-year resident of PH. Contact David - 720-550-2786

To advertise in the Classifieds contact newspaper@greaterparkhill.org 720-287-0442 (voicemail). the deadline for submission is the 15th of every month