Your Guide to Community, Politics, Arts and Culture in North Denver DenverNor thStar.com
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Volume 1, Issue 10
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July 15 -August 14, 2020
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ALWAYS FREE!
Sandoval Sponsors Effort to Rename Columbus Park “La Raza Park”
By David Sabados
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ARTS & CULTURE Mask-O-Drama PAGE 2
PHOTOS BY DAVID SABADOS
The plaque declaring the area “La Raza Plaza” is affixed to the structure built during the Peña administration.
T COMMUNITY Compassionate Colorado PAGE 6
POLITICS Berkeley Mortuary Land Designation PAGE 13
POLITICS Police Reform Bill PAGE 13
HEALTH & WELLNESS Neighbors Support Each Other PAGE 15
City, DPS Consider Name Changes
By David Sabados he park bordered by 38th and 39th Avenues and Osage and Navajo streets isn’t North Denver’s largest, but it’s the subject of one of the largest discussions in North Denver right now. The park, officially called Columbus Park by the city, has also unofficially been known by some as La Raza park, and could be officially if an effort by Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval is successful in a new effort to change the name. The fight over the Sunnyside park name isn’t new, but it’s been given new life in the wake of the civil unrest across the city and nation as protests have targeted monuments associated with historical figures who are now viewed negatively. One of those is Christopher Columbus. Protestors pulled down a statue of Columbus from Civic Center Park downtown, along with a Civil War monument. Others have been graffitied. The city has since removed another statue of Kit Carson, the Columbus Park sign, and has looked at removing others proactively before protestors do. The potential name change has also touched on still raw nerves for both the Latino and Italian communities, who have historically had conflict in North Denver, though that conflict hasn’t been as prevalent in recent years. At the same time, the city has also formed a committee
to analyze what other parks and buildings may have names that are now considered offensive, though the Columbus Park proposal is separate from the overall city effort. EARLY HISTORY OF COLUMBUS PARK Documents show that the city acquired the land in 1906 and it was originally named North Side Playground Park. A deed provided by the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s office shows the city purchased the land from an out of state owner for $7,500. That amount is roughly the equivalent of $128,000 today. While original records are spotty, multiple people interviewed for this story said the Italian American community raised funds for the park and a 1998 Denver Post article refers to a $7,500 donation from the Italian American community in 1931, the same amount the city apparently purchased the land for. Councilwoman Sandoval also references a $7,500 donation in a letter to the city to begin the rena m i ng process but was unsure of any historical documentation. In October of 1931, former Councilmember
Eugene Veraldi proposed changing the name to Columbus Park; the renaming passed council unanimously. Whether the $7,500 donation actually occurred and if the amount is a coincidence or tied in some way to the sale or naming is still a point of contention today. Interviewing residents of North Denver from the mid20th century presents distinct stories that at some points align and at other points differ. Older Italians talk about conflict with newly arriving Latino residents at the pool that once took up much of the park, saying the new arrivals tried to displace them and their culture. Latinos talk about how the Italians were hostile and the new residents were barred from public spaces. The stories shared by interviewees shared the same locations and times, but other details were vastly different. Suzanne Goeddel Anderson, now 80, grew up in the See PARK, Page 11
hile the potential renaming of Columbus Park has so far garnered the most attention, several other efforts are also being discussed. Mayor Hancock has formed a committee to look at parks and buildings across the city who may be named after individuals who are now viewed negatively. Rowena Alegria, Chief Storyteller for the City and Council of Denver, said they are working with the State Historian’s Council to conduct research. “Community will be engaged both in the recommendation of properties up for renaming and in the renaming of those that warrant it, which will require yet another round of research before new names are granted,” said Alegria. That committee is headed up by Derek Okubo, Director of the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships who said the committee is “Diverse and representative of the community.” Okubo said there is no end date planned for the committee and that it will be an ongoing process. At the same time, Denver Public Schools is looking at a number of school names and mascots. North High School Principal Scott Wolf said his school is looking into changing mascots. “Vikings have a violent history and we are at a time in our current history where we need to step back and look critically at everything,” said Wolf. “I have begun talking with the North Alumni Association president, Isaac Solano, about our current mascot. As we return to school in the fall, it is definitely something that the North community will need to discuss and collectively See CHANGES, Page 9