p a rk hI ll c h arac T e r
Great Ball Of Fire
Up Next: Kyle Clark’s Quest For The Truth
By Cara DeGette GPHN Editor
If you watched Kyle Clark’s May 30 debate starring Lauren Boebert, Mike Lynch, Richard Holtorf and the rest of the GOP gang running for Congress on Colorado’s Eastern Plains, it was a feast.
The forum featured a hearty menu of options: guns, a DUI, a high-speed chase with a state trooper, Beetlejuice, vaping, heavy petting, flipping the bird, fashion-policing women in Congress …
A few days later late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel had a field day dissecting the madcap event: “Colorado is gaining some serious ground on Florida here.”
Kimmel gave a hearty two thumbs ups to the 9News anchor’s moderating skills. “Like a drill sergeant,” was the term the comedian applied to Clark’s style and precision.
the moderator! Oh this guy, Kyle — his name’s Kyle Clark — he shot out of a cannon . . . That’s how you run a debate right there! Give that man a raise!”
The Jimmy Kimmel segment went viral, as did highlights from the debate itself. The actor George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in Star Trek and is a prolific tweeter, weighed in: “More of this, please.” A Reddit thread rated Clark’s performance as “masterclass.” Clark, many begged, should be tapped to moderate a presidential debate.
“I’m bothered by the idea that TV journalism is, by necessity, shallow, or is not involved in doing real accountability journalism.”
“Did Kyle just win the debate? He’s
Clark’s show, Next with Kyle Clark, is Denver’s most-watched news show and has been for over five years, according to 9News.
After the debate, Clark, a Park Hill resident for a decade, sat down with the Greater Park Hill News to talk about holding politicians’ feet to the fire, accountability journalism, his wildly successful Word of Thanks project, and why he
continued on page 4
Down Under
Australian Artist And Poet Kirli Saunders Crosses Oceans, Forges Connections To Create Newest Denver Zoo Exhibit
By Mollie Barnes GPHN Intern
Down Wallaby Way lives a pair of endangered Huon tree kangaroos named Tristan and Pearl and an albino wallaby named Marshmallow. A pair of Southern cassowaries and an assortment of red-necked wallabies and red kangaroos are also part of the Denver Zoo’s new twoacre Down Under exhibit, which opened in May. The zoo’s horticulture team curated native Colorado species of plants, with water conservation in mind, while still maintaining the “look and feel” of Australia’s fauna.
Zoo officials cite Australian artist and poet Kirli Saunders for critical guidance, art and connections in making the exhibit a reality. In 2022, Saunders received an invitation to collaborate with the zoo on the project. Relationships and collaborations with many others developed.
“We ended up working with multiple First Nations from Dijiru country and Yuin country,” said Saunders in an interview with the Greater Park Hill News. “It was a real treat to be able to expand this project to be not only an art engagement but a meaningful relationship and press collaboration between multiple First
Nations people from Australia and the zoo.”
Saunders’s mural work utilizes pallets that mimic the land of Australia, consisting of a series of digital collages. The collages use watercolor, pencil, eucalyptus plant dye and digital painting. Saunders worked closely from Australia with the zoo’s digital design team in Denver while completing the work.
The digital team installed the artwork on vinyl at the zoo. Saunders attended the exhibit’s grand opening in person on May 24.
“The reception was really beautiful, we had so many people come out for both of the openings – the opening for the members and the public opening,” she said. “It’s been really special to walk through and see kids hopping along and observing the wallabies, and looking and commenting on all the colors, or try-
continued on page 6
Kirli Saunders, above. At left, one of her murals at the Down Under exhibit. Photos courtesy of the Denver Zoo
Kyle Clark checks out the equipment at City Park. Photo by Reid Neureiter
these four and sometimes more,
the Most Important Job
By Cara DeGette GPHN Editor
It’s quite the ingenious delivery system we’ve got over here.
The Greater Park Hill News began publishing in 1960. Every month, we produce a new issue of the newspaper, filled with news and features and ads and resources unique to the most interesting neighborhood in Denver. The issue goes to print, and the next day, the printer drops off stacks of the finished product to our office.
A small group of dedicated volunteers then breaks the newspapers into smaller bundles. Our delivery driver, Sheldon Sidney Mikesall, delivers those bundles to hundreds of businesses and homes in and around Park Hill.
That’s where our volunteer blockworkers — currently 275 of them! — step in to finish the job, getting those newspaper into your hands. These community-minded blockworkers walk or ride or roll around their block, leaving the free newspaper on their neighbors’ doorsteps. It takes maybe 20 minutes. (At businesses, the newspaper is distributed in racks, which are generally located next to the entrance/exit.)
whO we are
Editor: Cara DeGette
Manager: Brenda Morrison
Ad Sales: Melissa Davis and Denise Fisher
Art Director: Tommy Kubitsky
how to fIND US
Voicemail: 720-287-0442
Email: newspaper@greaterparkhill.org
Address: 2823 Fairfax St. Denver, 80207
Website: greaterparkhill.org
Facebook: facebook.com/greaterparkhillnews
Twitter: @parkhillnews
cOntact Us
Story Tips and Letters to the Editor: Cara DeGette: 720-979-4385,
Advertising
Currently 13,000 newspapers are distributed this way. Every month. It’s how the system has worked for decades. And it works pretty well, as long as there is a volunteer on every block who is willing to do what is arguably the most important job at the newspaper – make sure readers get the paper so they can read it. Some Park Hill blockworkers have been at it for years — even generations. However, we are always looking for people willing to pitch in. Our newspaper manager, Brenda Morrison, recently rolled out a very handy online map that shows which blocks in the neighborhood need regular volunteers. Check it out at gphndelivery.greaterparkhill.org. At that link, you can sign up to be a blockworker — hint: if you already get the paper you can sign up to deliver on another block that needs one. The highest needs are currently in the far-east area of Park Hill from Monaco to Quebec, and also several areas north of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Questions? Reach out to Brenda at newspaper@greaterparkhill.org. And, if you’d like to nominate your blockworker for special recognition, email editor@greaterparkhill.org.
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.
Bundlers at a recent bundling party. From left, Mike Quigley, Mary Salsich, Laurel Mohr and Martha Douglas. Every month volunteers, including
gather at the Greater Park Hill Community office to get 13,000 issues of the Greater Park Hill News ready for delivery.
Photo by Cara DeGette
Open Wide
Male and female Barn Swallow couples work together to build their nests, often under bridges and other structures, out of mud and dried grass and lined with soft white feathers. When the chicks hatch they are blind and featherless, and must be fed every 20 minutes from dawn to dusk. Both parents pitch in to feed the babies, inserting insects and water into their little gaping beaks, until they are ready to leave the nest. This Barn Swallow and nestling were photographed at Belmar Park in Lakewood by Mark Silverstein.
MARCY EASTMAN
Kyle Clark, continued from page 1
dukes it out daily with the trolls on social media.
The interview took place in Clark’s well-tended garden, his “happy place,” where he assured all the good quotes would happen.
‘Have a great night!’
This is Clark’s 19th year as a TV journalist. He spent his first two years out of college at a station in Rochester, New York. It was the city closest to the rural area where he grew up — a deep red upstate county that picked Trump over Hillary Clinton by a 2-1 margin.
Clark is the product of public school teacher parents. When he was younger he thought he would travel the country, in the style of a Charles Kuralt or a Steve Hartman, interviewing interesting characters in interesting places. He was also interested in working with the most talented photojournalists in the country. He’d never been to Denver, but 9News had that talent.
news?” Clark asks. “I’m bothered by the idea that TV journalism is by necessity, shallow, or is not involved in doing real accountability journalism.”
He is also bothered by the harm that TV journalists can inflict. The worst of local television, especially crime reporting, creates irrational fears and turns neighbors against neighbors.
“ ‘Spineless virtue signaling cheerleader for Satan’ is too wordy. Please give me a shorter nickname.”
And so, Next With Kyle Clark was born — “Smart. Funny. Honest” is the tagline, with a heavy dose of analysis, commentary and holding public officials accountable. It’s designed for people who are already at least vaguely aware of what’s happening in the world. Agree, or disagree, the idea is to reinforce shared community values, and start conversations.
— Kyle Clark, feeding the trolls
Clark started at the Denver station as a reporter, then became an anchor. Eight years ago he and his colleagues decided to do something radical. They decided to just say no to the fear-mongering model that is synonymous with much of what is local TV news: ‘Let me show you the 10 worst things that happened today: murder, murder, car crash, fire, weather and sports … Have a great night!’
“Why does that have to be local
The equal opportunity critic Like many journalists, Clark grapples with the best approach to covering politicians with extreme views — many of whom have built their brands on outrageous behavior and nonsensical beliefs.
“How do you cover someone like a Congresswoman Lauren Boebert that is both fair to her and fair to every other elected official who does not behave like her?” he says. “We can’t give her a pass [just] because she makes it a part of her daily schtick, right?
“But we know, because we saw this with Donald Trump, that politicians
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who say false things get a bulk discount. Joe Biden says something that is false — [snap] — national story! Donald Trump says 50 things that are false — that’s just Monday.
“It is a tremendously unfair standard.”
Viewers with right-leaning political views often hammer Clark for being too hard on Republicans. Boebert aside, who can forget 2022 gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl and her obsession with furries? Last month, Clark devoted plenty of airtime covering Dave Williams, the chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado. Williams kicked off Pride Month with a not-subtle dog-whistle about “godless groomers” and a press release claiming “God Hates Flags.”
But Clark is an equal opportunity critic. Just when lefties think Clark’s in their corner, he’ll take a dig at a worthy Democrat. Mayor Michael Hancock and Sen. John Hickenlooper have gotten the Clark treatment. He’s tussled with former DPS school board member Auon’tai Anderson. He’s zinged Gov. Jared Polis for publicly crowing about refunding Coloradans’ tax credits after first trying to kill the refund plan.
In late June, Next reported that between last July and the end of this year, Mayor Mike Johnston will have spent a staggering $155 million on his plan to solve the homeless crisis in Denver. That is $65 million more than the mayor said it would cost. Next journalists were responsible for obtaining the famous Boebert tapes from her Beetlejuice performance. This spring Next also aired video from inside a migrant shelter in Denver in which a city official tells newcomers to move on to other cities — warning of a bleak future if they stay in the Mile High City.
“One of the highest purposes of journalism is to hold power to account,” Clark says. “I think we can do that in a variety of ways, but one way is to ask difficult questions of people who want to assume power.
“Every journalist should be doing accountability journalism, with very few exceptions. There aren’t enough journalists to spare at this point.”
Bringing in the brass band
To say Clark “actively engages” on social media is like saying he “occasionally” wears plaid jackets. He’s been called the enemy of the people, and a national treasure. On Twitter, he collects his share of nastygrams, countered with a cavalcade of praise, like this recent post: “America! Protect Kyle Clark at all costs! This man is doing the lord’s work, one interview at a time!”
Clark holds his own. One troll recently criticized the anchor’s coverage of Pride Month and smeared LGBTQ+ people as degenerates (and worse).
Troll: “Kyle Clark is just another spineless virtue signaling cheerleader for Satan.”
To which Clark responded: “Spineless virtue signaling cheerleader for Satan” is too wordy. Please give me a shorter nickname.” The anchor then urged people to join him and kick in a few bucks to benefit the Center on Colfax, “for free mental health care for LGBTQ+ Coloradans dealing with this hate all the time.”
Under the ownership of Elon Musk, Twitter (now X) is notably more toxic. So why, exactly, is Clark still there? Hard sigh. “Part of it is genuinely useful to my job — staying up on things,” he says. “And part of it is an addiction to the call-andresponse thing, It is a shame what’s happened to Twitter, some of the hate speech.”
Clark’s also on Threads, a lefty platform where he gets his share of liberal grief when he is critical of something some Democrat did. “I am like, do you not understand how journalism works? Ohhhh, you saw me light up a Republican so you think that’s what I do all day. Well, welcome to the show.
“I love to defend our work and why we do it,” he says. “The kids call it receipts — I love to give people receipts.”
Clark’s favorite critics are people who seem decent enough for some banter — like the guy “Jeff in Brighton” who recently provided his feedback with this gem: “If bulls#!t was music you’d be a brass band.” Clark responded by bringing Denver’s
Kyle Clark, in his garden.
Photo by Cara DeGette
Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band into the studio to close out a Next segment with a lively rendition of When The Saints Go Marching In Clark won’t engage with the worst of them, the ones who post seriously vile and threatening messages. He takes those threats seriously and so does his employer. But then he considers the journalists who are covering the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. And none of the hate directed his way, he says, compares to the ugly stuff that women in journalism routinely get hit with.
Strangers doing for strangers
Four years ago, several months into the pandemic lockdown, Clark was anchoring Next from his basement in Park Hill.
Viewers will recall that familiar backdrop: the circular log storage cubby next to a fireplace. It was there he cooked up Word of Thanks, an ongoing micro-giving campaign — people giving as little as five bucks at a time — to raise money for small nonprofits.
The idea, Clark says, is to inten-
tionally build community every week, with “total strangers doing for total strangers.”
“The first week we asked folks to give to the Civic Center Conservancy [in Denver] to help clean up after some of the protests,” Clark says. They figured they needed in the ballpark of $75,000 to $100,000 to clean up all the damage.
“Next viewers in a week raised $90,000. At that point we were like, ‘Oh, this has some legs.”
Every week Clark personally matches the first $250 given. “I‘ll never ask anyone to support a cause unless I do, too.”
As of the end of June, Next viewers have funded 210 campaigns, raising nearly $13 million. They’ve raised tens of thousands for Greater Park Hill Community’s food programs, payed off a school lunch debt in Greeley and built a football field in a small town in southern Colorado.
They’ve provided energy assistance to people in the San Luis Valley, bought holiday gifts for every child living in public housing in Denver for two years, raised a quarter million for resettling refugees from Afghanistan, funded airlifted medical supplies to Ukraine, helped victims from the Marshall Fire rebuild, funded a foundation that works with young Black men to help them get college-ready. And on, and on.
with the people. Moving to Park Hill was a cinch; the neighborhood’s tree canopy was the closer.
“The trees remind me of where I grew up,” Clark says. “It’s a wonderful neighborhood and people said great things about it, but it truly was a matter of, when we drove through it was looking like home.”
His wife Vanessa, a former journalist, works in the nonprofit sector and stays out of the spotlight. Her influence, though, is durable. “The best advice she usually gives me is, ‘don’t say it like that, there is a better way to say it, be more tactful, be more careful,’ ” Clark says. The couple has two daughters, 6 and 3, and a network of neighbors who are also close friends.
Like Word of Thanks, Clark’s backyard garden was another product of the pandemic. This spring a Say’s Phoebe showed up — the first time he’s ever seen that bird. At first he was excited when he enticed it back several times with the birdsong that he pulled up on his phone. But now Clark’s bothered he may have ruined the bird’s plans for a summer ro-
mance. The encounter made Clark, at 40, realize he’s now old enough to be a serious birder.
“I [had] never lived in the city before, but feel like we have a smalltown feel in Park Hill. People know each other, they take care of each others’ kids, everyone watches out for one another, everyone is very invested in the community.”
Another true story: “I was in Safeway shortly after I moved here,” he says, “and was walking down the aisles. People kept saying hello — like three people said hello. And I am thinking, ‘I’ve been on 9News for like three weeks and there’s no way that people are recognizing me.’ And then I realized, ‘Oh! Coloradans are just nice and friendly and if you pass them and make eye contact people say hello.’ ”
That politeness is not as common as maybe it should be. The pace of Colorado — not frantic, but not slow — reminds Clark of the place he grew up.
“It would crush us to leave. It would crush us to leave.”
“It’s just people giving from all over the place … a real force for good.”
Old enough to be a birder
When he and his wife moved to Denver, it was practically sight unseen. Clark says he figured he would stay a couple of years and learn from the pros. But then, he fell in love with the place and
Another Clark with his cannon. Kyle’s grandfather, Harry Clark, was in the US Navy in World War II.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Clark
Last month Clark brought his daughters, who don’t really know what their dad does, to the 9News studio to watch an episode of Next. Posting this photo on Twitter (now X), Clark noted he may not always be a journalist. “But they’ll have this photo, and I’ll tell them that we tried to do work that mattered and that we tried to make Colorado a better place. And I’ll tell them what my parents told me: whatever you do, do work that matters.”
ing to spot the tree kangaroo in their beautiful new exhibit.”
Beyond the visual symbolism of the artwork and the Australian land, Saunders said her artwork emphasizes a connection to Country, a reference to where we come from and who we are. Country is an inseparable part of identity for First Nations people on what is now known as the Australian Continent.
“When we talk about Country we’re talking about the land, the sea, the sky, all of the living things within those spaces, and the relationships between all of those elements, and spirits too,” Saunders said. “We come from Country.”
During her time in Denver, Saunders said she also had the opportunity to lead professional development for zoo staff members.
“It became a teaching exchange,” she said. “I got to work on [the project] with some of the knowledge holders, the [Native American] people, that the zoo has a relationship with. So then it became a cultural exchange as well.”
Saunders describes herself as a proud Gunai woman with ties to the Biripi, Gundungurra, Yuin and Dharawal peoples of the east coast of Australia. “[This has] been one of the most powerful projects I’ve ever worked on, and I feel really lucky as an artist to have this project across the oceans in Denver.”
She said she hopes that her work at the exhibit encourages broader engagement in Colorado, including with the Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Ute peoples.
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Foster a caring, collaborative environment that optimizes the experience of our members and staff.
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• Temple Micah is a warm, vibrant, contemporary Jewish synagogue located in Park Hill.
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Dazzling Displays
The Park Hill Parade: From Humble Beginnings To Talk Of The Town Staff report For the GPHN
It’s July in Park Hill, and that can only mean one thing: Parade Time!
The 14th annual Park Hill Parade happens on Thursday, July 4, starting at 1:30 pm. It runs along 23rd Ave. from Dexter to Krameria streets. It’s a traditional parade with a smalltown feel that’s become one of the neighborhood’s favorite events.
The first year on Eudora
In 2008 a group of neighbors on the 2300 block of Eudora looked around for a local parade to attend. They couldn’t find one close, so they created their own. That first year, a group of kids decorated their bikes to ride up and down the block. A few neighbors came out to watch. Then a few more. Then all of them. One of the families (the Breslers) then took it upon themselves to research how to put on a proper, sanctioned-byDenver parade. And so in 2010, the Park Hill Parade was born.
50-plus groups signed up
More than 50 groups (and more than 800 people) are expected to participate this year, Parade-goers can expect a wide variety of entertainment — from dance troupes and cheer squads to a couple dozen classic cars. The fan-favorite Westernaires equestrian team returns, plus dozens of others.
Bring water, maybe a picnic
Everyone is welcome. Parade-goers can line up anywhere along 23rd Avenue with blankets or chairs. In recent years some neighbors have started staking out prime shady spots early in the morning – or even the night before. But there are plenty of great viewing areas along the route. Pack out a picnic, invite some friends over and be sure to bring plenty of water.
More information, including registration and sponsorship, is at ParkHillParade.com. Follow the parade on Instagram @parkhillparade.
See you on the 4th!
The first Park Hill Parade, circa 2008. Photo courtesy of Justin Bresler
My, how it’s grown. Last year’s 4th of July parade, the biggest in Denver, drew thousands of people and included 50-plus groups who marched, danced, rode, drove and floated down 23rd Avenue from Dexter to Kearney streets. Photo by Brent Andeck
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the No. 2 Problem
Those Plastic Bags Sure Were Handy For Pets. What Now?
By Tracey MacDermott For the GPHN
In January, the plastic bag ban went into effect in Colorado. Stores and retail food establishments are now prohibited from providing single-use plastic bags to customers. While the ban helps reduce litter, harmful impact to wildlife and pollution, pet owners are left wondering what to do with the poop.
Park Hill loves their dogs, as does the rest of the United States — to the tune of 84 million dogs. That’s a lot of poop. (And that’s not even adding our felines into the equation.)
Our dogs provide companionship and immense amounts of love and joy, but poop is poop. If it’s not picked up, it is unsightly, smelly and can end up on shoes. It also has the potential to flow to the nearest storm drain, flushing pathogens into our
water systems.
Most dog walkers have long used plastic bags from stores to pick up after Fido. Most people at home also use plastic bags to pick up the poop in the backyard and from cat boxes. How many plastic poop-filled bags do you figure you’ve sent to the landfill?
And now that those plastic bags are no longer readily available, what to do?
In fact, it was really never a great idea to send organic matter inside plastic bags to the landfill, where it can’t decompose. Would putting the poop in compostable bags be better? The short answer? Possibly not. For compostable bags to break down as intended, they need lots of heat. Purchasing biodegradable or biobased bags is a bit of greenwashing if you can’t get them composted.
Companies such as PoopShark and Pooch Paper make pickup bags, though some of these paper products don’t hold together very well. Another option would be to purchase
Owls Of ash street
Park Hill Yoga proprietor Deborah Baker was captivated this spring when she discovered a family of Eastern Screech Owls had moved into a large crabapple tree near her front porch at Montview and Ash Street. She spent several weeks, from a safe distance, watching them grow and learning to fly. There were five babies, though one seemed a bit older. Four others — as they are pictured here — often huddled together on the branches of the old tree. In early June, Baker reported the young owls had gone. “Their departure from ‘their’ tree was a staunch reminder that everything in nature is temporary,” she wrote.
Photo by Mark Silverstein
an in-ground composter, such as a Doogie Dooley.
There may be some better solutions on the horizon. The City of Boulder is participating in a dog-waste composting program at some trailheads. A similar pilot program in Denver may happen at dog parks. In the meantime, Park Hill, get creative.
Yes, I know all this talk about pet poop is pretty gross. However, the thought of all the pet waste in plastic buried in a landfill belching out methane is even worse. So there you have it.
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 Chair of the Denver Metro Chapter and Chairs the Sustainability Committee for the Business and Professional Women of Colorado. Email her at traceymacdermott@gmail.com
Sun Spotting
Planning Ahead For Solar Panel Recycling
By Mark Kuhl For the GPHN
Photo voltaic solar panels produce electricity for 25-30 years before performance drops and they need to be replaced. The panels on top of your roof are probably nowhere near the end of their life so no need to worry about how to dispose of them now.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency is planning for this coming challenge and partnering with recyclers to develop ways to divert solar panels from landfills. Panels are made with an aluminum frame, glass, and copper — all of which are easily recyclable. The solar panel recycling industry is develop-
ing techniques to recapture the specialty metals found in silicone cells and is confident profitable recovery methods will be perfected when the influx of retired panels begins.
There is also a possibility that legislative policies will be enacted to hold the producers responsible for recycling solar panels.
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 Park Hill Garden Walk would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our gardeners, volunteers and event attendees. We’d also
to thank our generous
in-kind
advertisers, ticket retailers, Ed Demafiles Photography, Denver Urban Gardens, the Park Hill Library and Park Hill Arts Festival. ALL of you made this event possible and we look forward to seeing you again next year!
a n nouncemen T s
Phil Goodstein’s Denver
Historian, author and Park Hill native Phil Goodstein isn’t afraid to show you the closets where Denver’s skeletons hang out — and share the stories about how they got there.
Goodstein is hosting a number of Denver walking tours in July — including an intimate tour of Park Hill. He can be reached at philgoodstein@ gmail.com, 303-333-1095. Check back next month for what’s on tap for August and September.
Ghost Walk
Saturday, July 6, 7–9 p.m.
Discover tales about the haunting of the Capitol and vintage neighborhood mansions. The walk gathers at the statue of the Indian on the east lawn of the Capitol along Grant Street between Colfax and 14th avenues. Cost is $20.
North Denver
Thursday, July 18 6:30–7:30 p.m.
In the heart of an old ethnic section close to Irish, Italian, and Latino enclaves. Meet at Pecos Plaza, the pocket park at the northeast corner of West 33rd Avenue and Pecos Street. This is a free walk. Participants may tip the guide as they wish.
South of the Country Club
Wednesday, July 24, 6–7:30 p.m.
Both a middle-class and an elite section is in the area south of the Denver Country Club. The walk gathers in front of Steele School on the east side of the South Marion Street Parkway between Alameda and Dakota avenues. Cost is $20 per person.
Park Hill
Wednesday, July 31, 6–7:30 p.m.
Park Hill once styled itself as Denver’s elite neighborhood. Find out if it deserves it. The event meets at Turtle Park at the southeast corner of Dexter Street and 23rd Avenue. Cost is $20 per person.
KRISLENE LORENZ
Proud Of Our Newspaper
Re: Last month’s announcement of Greater Park Hill News winning nine journalism awards: Congratulations to Editor Cara DeGette and the rest of the newspaper team for the well-deserved awards. We are proud of our Greater Park Hill News!
Marcia and Will Johnson, Park Hill
Journey Through The Mosaic
Thank you to Gary Martyn for his piece on the Mosaic campus in last month’s edition. I truly enjoyed discovering a piece of Park Hill that I had only glanced from my car going up and down Montview. I had no idea there was such history and beauty behind the facade. To truly honor Gary’s piece, I decided to take my dogs, Ceiba and Sicily, through the campus on a walk. Leaving from Ash and 26th, the lack of sidewalks in sections of the neighborhood makes the journey a bit hazardous. But it was so worth it. The quad is green, spacious and serene. Thanks to Gary, I knew a little but about the history and architecture of the buildings, which I took the time to admire. The dogs were grateful for an especially long walk, though for Ceiba nothing compared to the bunny we encountered along the way.
Lynn Kalinauskas, Park Hill
Growing Our Community
The 24th Annual GPHC Garden Walk on June 9 showcased what makes Park Hill an amazing neighborhood. On display in seven lovely gardens were the creativity, hard work and generous spirit of dozens of volunteers, gardeners, artists and local businesses and organizations. Nearly 800 attendees, some coming from as far as Breckenridge and Cheyenne, enjoyed a temperate, sunny day to tour.
The gardens were a source of inspiration and education for many. Gardeners conversed with visitors about choices of plants for gardening for color, micro-environments and sustainability. Master gardeners and members of Denver Urban Gardens also shared expertise at the community garden of Park Hill Elementary School. The gardens brimmed with creative elements, from the art chosen or created by gardeners themselves, and by artists whose works infused the spaces with paintings, fiber art and textiles, glass, pottery, prints, woodworking and music.
Gardener Virginia Leavitt said “it was a magical day. The ways that it all came together created a tapestry of the garden, the visitors, the artist and the music.”
First-time volunteer Erin Lichtenwalter said she loved the opportunity to be a part of the garden community, Her efforts, along with all the gardeners, volunteers, attendees, and retailers who provided critical support, resulted in the event grossing over $18,000 that help support Greater Park Hill Community’s food programs, resourcesharing and other projects. See page 9 for retailers who provided services, goods and financial sponsorship.
A huge thank you to all for an abundance of support for the greater good of our neighborhood.
Micki Amick, Park Hill Garden Walk organizer
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.
Phil Goodstein, at last year’s Park Hill Street Fair. Photo by Cara DeGette
The author’s dogs, Ceiba and Sicily, meet the Wildcat on Mosaic Community Campus in southeast Park Hill.
remembering Pam farrar
Community Builder, Alley Artist, Teacher, Moon Howler
By Julie Farrar and Joan Wallach
For the GPHN
Pamela Ann Martens Farrar, Park Hill resident of 50 years, passed away on May 20 surrounded by family, howling at the moon. She was the beloved wife of Jack Farrar, mother to Julie and Aaron, mother-in-law of her caregiver extraordinaire Amy, Bestamor to Jessa, Alex, Elizabeth, Ethan and Jade, and best sister to Gerry (William) Gieseler, Christine (Greg) Gilbert and Ed (Judy) Martens.
Pam was born in Waterloo, Iowa on April 29, 1947. She was the eldest of four children born to Gerald and Maxine Martens. Her parents were both teachers, settling in Casper, Wyoming. Gerry was the YMCA director and Maxine taught junior high. Pam cultivated a love of water at the Y that kept her buoyant all her life.
Pam moved to the big city, attending the University of Denver, where she met Jack. Their love story and partnership remained strong as they grew up and older together for 56 years. Their daughter Julie was born in 1968 with a disability that thrust both young parents into the role of advocates for issues like equal access to education and community inclusion.
The Farrar family moved from Five Points to Park Hill when they were expecting son Aaron. Here they lived in their “non-curated museum” house and yard for the past 50 years.
To say Pam was an amazing teacher was an understatement; her career in Adams County, District 12, spanned 40 years. Her positive view of life and ability to see the good in everyone brightened the lives of countless students and co-workers.
Pam was a stubborn, stoic, strong, smart survivor with a big dose of silly. She was a community builder. Jack and Pam were instrumental in the evolution of the Park Hill Cooperative Bookstore, and active with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. For well over two decades Pam and Jack hosted a New Year’s Day gathering at City Park where attendees were encouraged to pen a resolution or prediction.
Pam had an artistic side and saw beauty in
everything around her. Somehow her husband caught on with a frenzy, and “alley art” was born. Repurposing found objects and planting flowers in open spaces in alleys became a passionate hobby for both of them, culminating in a yearly neighborhood wide Alley Art Contest and classes at the Art Garage.
How to describe the essence of a woman who was what Amy Farrar called the Queen of the family? Julie describes an incredible mom and a luminary in the lives of those lucky enough to experience the light Pam shared with everyone she encountered.
The family invites fellow Park Hillians to join the remaining Farrars at a block party in the fall. People are encouraged to bring something to commemorate Pam’s life, to be installed in the alley behind the house, in the neighborhood she so loved.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, 1385 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 610-A, Denver, 80222. (ccdconline.org, phone 303-839-1775)
Feel free to greet each dawn like Pam, standing naked on her back patio singing It’s a Beautiful Morning (off key) and howl at the moon at 8 p.m. every evening in gratitude for essential workers like her son, Aaron.
The Farrars at a past City Park Jazz show. Back row, left to right: Jack Farrar, Dorian Siegal, Julie Farrar, Elizabeth Kuhn, Pam Farrar. Front row, left to right: Jessa Farrar, Jade Farrar, Aaron Farrar, Ethan Farrar, Alex Farrar and Amy Farrar. Photo courtesy of the Farrars
Pam and Jack Farrar, volunteering at the Park Hill Garden Walk in 2018. File photo by Cara DeGette
Into the Clouds
Drive Mount Blue Sky Byway Now, Or Wait Until 2026
Story and photos by Reid Neureiter For the GPHN
The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway 46 miles west of Denver in the Colorado Rockies, is the highest paved road in North America. It rises over 14 miles, from Echo Lake to 14,130 feet above sea level.
The road to the summit of the newly-renamed Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) is a magnet for tourists visiting the Denver area who want to experience “real” mountains, and where patches of snow remain late into July.
Truth be told, more than one flatlander has turned around as the road climbs to the clouds, frightened by the lack of guardrails and steep cliffs. But if you stay the course, you can admire the 1,000-year-old Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines at the Mount Goliath Research Natural Area three miles up the Byway. It’s also one of the best places to get up close and personal with bighorn sheep and mountain goats — herds of which lick salt and minerals from
the road surface. Marmots and pika are also plentiful.
If visiting Mount Blue Sky is on your near-term itinerary — whether by car, by bicycle or by foot — you should go this summer. The road from the Summit Lake overflow
parking area to the first switchback above the lake is heavily damaged, uneven, and pot-holed. Beginning in September, the day after Labor Day, the road to the summit will be closed for repairs until 2026. That includes all uses — cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.
Reservations to drive the Byway can be obtained at the Recreation. gov website.
summit of Mount Blue Sky rises over
o pen Book | op I n I on can we talk?
Connecting In Person Beats Texting Any Day
By Anya Nitczynski
For the GPHN
This year, my best friend and I rediscovered a set of email exchanges from elementary school. With a plethora of emojis and zero punctuation marks, I wished her happy birthday. That was in October, 2015. She didn’t respond until April 2017. And while I intend to hold her late reply against her forever (did my emojis mean nothing to you, Cammie?) the truth is her delay wasn’t out of the ordinary. It was how all of our peers emailed — the first access we had to any sort of direct messaging.
The pandemic … taught us to never take connecting in person for granted.
As I received plenty of timely responses from Cammie over text this summer, I thought about how modes of communication change and impact the relationships between my peers.
Summer break is perhaps the most revealing time of year to evaluate how and what adolescents communicate about. Students aren’t guaranteed to see each other for months — there are no hallways to wave at each other or projects to work on together. Students aren’t bound by any sort of obligation to their peers beyond desire.
This plagued me in early middle school. Summer break meant the
chore of staying in touch with my friends primarily via text and social media. It meant going to the mall together took weeks of planning. It meant Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok felt less like apps and more like a watering hole. I wasn’t alone. A Pew Research Center study found the most common places teens see friends are school (where 83 percent of teens reported regular interaction), someone’s house (58 percent) and online (55 percent). The small margin between the latter two is what I experienced. Connection in person back then was almost interchangeable with digital connection.
Now, summer is a blessing. Seeing only the people I want puts me into an immediate state of zen. My friends and I text less than we used to, and long exchanges or extensive time on the phone is rare, but we see each other essentially every day. Weeks of texting to make plans have been swapped for a five-word message: “Are you free right now?”
Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok feel more “media” than they do “social.” I deleted TikTok last summer and I have yet to feel any social impact from it. I think a large part of the reason why we made the shift away from online interaction is the pandemic, which taught us
to never take connecting in person for granted. I think it’s also a natural effect of being my age, with the Anya Research Center finding that my mom saw her friends roughly the same amount during her summer breaks as a teenager.
My mom’s experience and mine differ in that I make a conscious choice every day to put digital interactions on the back burner. (She didn’t have that option.) I still text
certain people a lot, but it isn’t the foundation of our relationships because we choose it not to be. For me, the overall trend toward real-life and real-world connections is encouraging.
Anya Nitczynski is a rising senior at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears regularly in these pages.
no time For Boredom
Hula Hoops, Book Clubs And More Make A Summer Of Adventure
By Rachel Reddick Park Hill Branch Librarian
July has been recognized as the National Month for some fundamentally great things like picnics, ice cream, grilling, peaches, and blueberries. But this month the library has leaned into one specific celebration: National Anti-Boredom Month. It’s easy to get bored in the summer. It’s too hot for some plans and too expensive for others. Schedules can be radically different from other times of the year. But worry not: the library offers solutions.
Kiddos 0-18 have the chance to register and participate in our Summer of Adventure series. (More information is at summerofadventure.org/.) July’s programs at Park Hill include a Teen No-Strings-Attached Book Chat, which is an open “book” club for teens. No assigned reading, and the material discussed isn’t limited to books. Got a movie, podcast, web comic you’re into? All can be discussed at the July 3 meeting. Younger ones have two different drumming programs, a book celebration and a chance to learn hula hooping. We continue to offer our weekly baby and toddler storytimes, as well as an art exploration event geared specifically for ages 5 and unders. (Check out the listings for details on these programs.)
Adults aren’t forgotten. We have an informative session everyone is encouraged to attend called “Talking About Death Won’t Kill You.” It helps outline steps to ensure the end of your life is less about chaotic paperwork and much more about how to honor the person you are. It
might sound heavy to get through, but our feedback has been that this ongoing series is friendly, helpful, and surprisingly upbeat.
Most importantly, the Park Hill branch offers all our regular services. Do you need a cool place to hang out when the temperature is off the charts? We’ve got (usually) reliable AC. We have movies you can take home or stream, books you can check out or download, and a whole host of resources to help make life less boring.
And we have you, our community. Every person who visits us or uses our services helps make the library function as intended. A library without a community to use it is no proper library at all. Stopping by and seeing us may allow you to run into someone you haven’t seen in a while and catch up. You can learn about new ideas taking hold and new spaces you want to explore. You can bond with a stranger over a title you just returned.
Are there topics you think aren’t well understood or maybe one that you’re just excited to learn more about? Tell a librarian. We can’t promise to offer everything, but it’s easier to try if we know what people want.
Boredom always happens sometimes, but we hope to help you maintain a more consistent level of engagement. We are not here to give you assignments. There are no “right” books to read or movies to watch. There is what material you find helpful, interesting or fun. .
Hope to see you soon.
July Library Programs
Park Hill Branch
Baby Storytimes | Thursdays 10:15-10:45
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their parents or caregivers.
Toddler Storytimes | Fridays 10:15-10:45
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers.
TAB | Tuesdays, July 9 & July 23, 4:30-5:30
Anyone 6th-12th grade are welcome to join and help with library programming and resources geared towards teens.
Writing Circle 2.0 | Thursdays, July 11 & 25
1:30-3 p.m.
Join our supportive community of writers to hone your skills and feel inspired. All levels and styles of writers are welcome.
Teen No Strings Attached Book Club I Wednesday, July 3, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Get in the mood for Spring Cleaning with archaeologist and author Chip Colwell who delves into humanity moving from gathering to gluttony through the ages and the consequences to today’s world.
Art Exploration I Tuesday, July 9, 10:3011:30 a.m.
Get in the mood for Spring Cleaning with archaeologist and author Chip Colwell, who delves into humanity moving from gathering to gluttony through the ages and the consequences to today’s world.
Taiko with Toni (Japanese Drumming) | Wednesday, July 10, 3-3:45 p.m.
Thrill to the thunderous sounds of the taiko (Japanese drum). Toni Yagami brings an exciting “Matsuri” (Japanese festival) to Park Hill.
Talking About Death Won’t Kill You I Saturday, July 13, 2-3:30 p.m.
Do you have a Death Plan? How do you let your loved ones know your wishes? Consider what you can do while you are healthy and what you want done after you’ve gone. Bringing questions and items of comfort is encouraged. Moderated by Cierra McNamara.
Cancer Café | Monday, July 15, 2-3:30 p.m.
This peer group is for anyone postdiagnosis, whether in treatment or in remission. Family members and caregivers are welcome since uncertainty and anxiety around cancer affect everyone involved.
Itsari World Percussion | Wednesday, July 17, 3-3:45 p.m.
Together, percussionists Chadzilla & Ed Contreras show the roots of modern American music. From Africa to the Middle East, to South America and the Caribbean. Audiences will enjoy the great drumming, dance, education and humor that is Istari.
Kids Book Celebration | Thursday, July 18, 4-5 p.m.
We will explore a book or series every month and do activities and crafts related to what we read. Parents of young children need to attend with their child. This month we are exploring sports.
No Strings Attached Book Chat | Saturday, July 20, 11 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Read whatever you want and attend whenever you can. Share a recent read, an old favorite, or anything in between.
Death Café | Monday, July 22, 2-3:30 p.m.
Death Café is an international movement that invites people to gather, normalize conversations around death to make the most of LIFE. This is not a grief support group or counseling session. Respect for all views is a priority.
Learn to Hula Hoop with Mad About Hoops | Wednesday, July 24, 3-4 p.m. Have you always wanted to learn how to master the hula hoop? Come learn from the experts.
Qi Gong | Wednesday, July 31, 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. All levels and abilities are welcome.
You Are the Curator | Wednesday, July 31, 3-4:30 p.m.
Join Shawn Bowman of Two Bee Industries to create tiny museum exhibits while talking about who gets to call something “art.” We’ll have multiple activities making small sculptures, paintings, even tiny “art cars” while looking at the Ramen Museum, Ice Cream Museum and other exhibits around the world.
Pauline Robinson Branch
The Pauline Robinson Branch library is currently closed for renovations. While construction is underway, limited library services are being offered across the street 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 a re 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.
Women and a man (performing a headstand) picnicking in Colorado circa 19101920. Photo by Harry Mellon Rhoades, Denver Public Library Special Collections and Archive
This mama Merganser duck and her brood of 10 ducklings created quite a sensation among bird-lovers at City Park this spring. Photo by Mark Silverstein
Little Maestro: Broadwinged Katydids are found all over Colorado. This baby Katydid was born on a rosebush in the spring in Park Hill. By the late summer he will be full grown, and will join a symphony of other Katydids as they make their music — composed of loud lisps and clicks — from trees and shrubs all over the neighborhood. Photograph by Mark Silverstein
Don’t Be A Dope
Marijuana, CBD And Your Pet
By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ
For the GPHN
It’s still the Wild West for marijuana (THC-containing) and CBD products for pets and people.
Cannabinoid (CBD) products contain less than 0.3 percent THC, marijuana’s psychoactive component. Research for appropriate use of both types of products for pets is growing, but the results lag behind the overwhelming volume of products available for sale at this time.
The biggest concerns are for risks for toxicity from improper ingestion and lack of safety and efficacy of a product. The plethora of products on the market will significantly increase if the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) changes marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule III controlled drug as currently proposed.
A Colorado-based study of veterinary emergency hospitals noted a 200 percent increase in calls related to marijuana intoxication between 2005 and 2010, after marijuana was legalized for medical use in humans. Marijuana is considered a drug with a wide margin of safety, but that does not mean it is safe for pets.
Ingestion of marijuana via edibles, joint remains or vape cartridges is not the only route of toxicity. It can come from smoke inhalation, ingesting the dried plant and from products made with hashish. Colleagues at Denver area veterinary urgent and emergency care facilities regularly see five to 10 cases a week.
The most common effects of marijuana intoxication in pets are depression, listlessness, loss of coordination and balance, vomiting and low body temperature. Less common side effects can include markedly increased or decreased heart rate, agitation, vocalization, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, urinary incontinence, seizures, and, in extreme
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
cases, coma or death.
The effects of marijuana ingestion begin to show within 30 minutes to two hours and usually last about 12 to 24 hours. However, in obese pets the clinical signs can last for several days as the active ingredients are stored in fat and take longer for the body to process out. Overdoses of CBD products are less reported and much more mild – primarily lethargy and digestive upset.
If your pet has been exposed to marijuana, do not wait for clinical signs to develop. Get them to the veterinarian as soon as possible. And be honest about what happened. Veterinarians need the information to care for your pet properly and have no obligation to report it to a legal entity.
Keep all marijuana (buds, joints, edibles, tinctures, etc.) and CBD products safely up and away from pets and children (poisoning is an issue for the little ones too).
The primary concern for CBDcontaining products for pets (and people) is quality control and efficacy. Research at the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University has shown that commercially available products are not consistently quality control tested and may vary widely in amounts of active ingredients, or can contain heavy metal contaminants such as lead or pesticide residue.
Look or ask for information on a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from a third party as an evaluation of a safe product that screens of contaminants and product level.
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit www.parkhillvet.com.
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.
Bounty Of the season
A Guide To Local Farmers Markets & Food Stands
Compiled by Mollie Barnes
GPHN Intern
It’s summer, so get ready for a bounty of fresh veggies, fruits and homemade delicacies. The following is a guide to local farmers markets.
MONDAyS
GPHC Free Food Stand
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. holds a free farm stand at 2823 Fairfax St. on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the end of October. Pop by and pick up some fresh
Weekly classes: yoga, meditation, dance. Donation-based, accessible.
Weekend space rental for workshops, pop-ups, gatherings, events.
produce and herbs from weekly donations from Denver Food Rescue, the Community Garden at Denver Urban Farm and Park Hill gardeners. The goal is to ensure fresh delicious food is used by neighbors, rather than ending up as waste. If you’d like to donate your own garden produce, but are unable to deliver it in person, consider signing up for Denver Food Rescue‘s Fresh Food Connect at freshfood connect. org. They’ll pick up your veggies at your door.
WEDNESDAyS
Green Valley Ranch
Now through Aug. 28 from 5 to 8 p.m.
More than 50 local businesses and food trucks.
On the south edge of Town Center Park, 4890 Argonne St.; gvrfarmersmarket.com.
SATuRDAyS
Cherry Creek
Now through Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free parking; get your ticket validated at the market. Pop-up boutiques and fashion trucks, local produce and food trucks. On the east side of Cherry Creek Shopping Center, along South Steele Street near Macy’s; coloradofreshmarkets. com.
City Park/East High
Now through Oct. 26 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Plenty of parking available in the East High School parking lot. Fresh produce, food trucks, donationbased yoga, run club and chef demos throughout the season. The market is in the promenade between East High and City Park, at 2551 East Colfax Ave. between Columbine Street and East 17th Avenue; cityparkfarmersmarket.com.
Glendale
Now through Aug. 31 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Run by the Hispanic Association, expect local produce, goods, chef demos and special booths run by aspiring entrepreneurs from CSU Spur’s culinary training program at the HRA Academy.
4601 E. Kentucky Ave., near Infinity Park, Glendale; glendalefarmersmarket.com
Rebel Marketplace
Now through Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Entirely neighborhood-run, a true community market.
Del Mar Park, at Peoria Street and East Sixth Avenue, Aurora; rebelmarketplace.com
University Hills
Now through Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Plenty of free parking available. University Hills Plaza, 2500 S. Colorado Blvd.; uhplaza.com.
SuNDAyS
Central Park
Now through Oct. 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Live music and a variety of vendors, dog friendly as grassy areas protect their paws from hot street temperatures.
Founders Green at Central Park, on Syracuse Street and 29th Avenue; centralparkfarmersmarket.com.
Highlands Square
On Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 13.
Live music and a variety of vendors. At 32nd Avenue between Julian and Mead streets; highlandssquarefarmersmarket.com.
South Pearl
Now through Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Live music and a large list of food vendors and merchants for this season.
South Pearl Street between East Iowa and East Arkansas avenues; southpearlstreet.com/farmers-market.
Stanley Marketplace
Happening now through Sept. 8 on the second Sunday of every month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Features lots of activities for kids, with jumpy castles and splash pads. Stanley’s consumption rules allow 21+ to grab a drink inside before walking around.
2501 Dallas St., Aurora; stanleymarketplace.com/events.
SATuRDAyS AND SuNDAyS Urban Market at Union Station July 6 & 7, Aug. 10 & 11 and Aug. 17 & 18 from noon to 6 p.m.
Special event: the Mile High Global Bazaar on June 29 and 30. Union Station, at 17th Avenue and Wynkoop Street, Downtown Denver; unionstationfarmersmarket.com.
The Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.’s fresh farm stand is open every Monday to anyone who wants to come by and pick up some free produce. Pictured in this photo from last year’s farm stand, from left: Clementine, 10, Jose, Vivienne, 10, and Jennifer Bolton. Volunteer Deb Rosenbaum is at right. File photo by Cara DeGette
Summer In full Swing
Events That Sustain Us; Become A Member Today
By Lori Midson Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
Despite the boiling temperatures of late, this year’s Garden Walk provided a respite, with shade and cooler temperatures for the approximately 800 participants who meandered through canopies of trees and blooms while marveling at koi ponds, waterfalls and stunning glass sculptures.
A massive thanks to our Garden Walk committee, who spent months planning this annual fundraiser for Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. (GPHC). I’d also like to extend a heap of gratitude to the sponsors, volunteers, artists, attendees and, especially, the homeowners who graciously shared their magnificent gardens for all of us to admire. Hot off the heels of the Garden Walk is our Fourth of July Parade, which marches down 23rd Avenue on July 4. The parade — the largest in Denver — begins at 1:30 p.m. and stretches from Dexter Street to Krameria Street. There are viewing areas along the route, and you’re encouraged to bring blankets, a picnic basket and lawn chairs. Check out page 6 for more details.
The 46th Annual Home Tour & Street Fair — GPHC’s largest fundraiser and community event of the year — is slated for Sunday, Sept. 29. It’s shaping up to be the best Home Tour and Street Fair yet. We have five stunning featured homes on tap so far — check back in these pages over the next couple of months for more. The street fair, held on the same day, features 80 vendors from all walks of talent, plus eight food trucks, a wine-and-beer garden, a
sustainability zone, a wonderful slate of entertainers, an activity area for kids and so much more. Admission to the street fair is free, and online tickets to the Home Tour will go on sale Thursday, Aug. 1.
Now through the end of October, neighbors can swing by our free Farm Stand (at 2823 Fairfax St.). The Farm Stand is open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and features produce generously donated by Denver Farm Rescue, The Urban Farm and various Park Hill gardeners. Have a surplus of produce overtaking your own home garden? We’d love to have it! Our objective is to encourage sharing among neighbors and reduce food waste in the process.
Become a card-carrying member
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. is a membership-based organization, and we truly are only as strong as the voices we represent. The more members we have, the bolder and more persuasive our collective voice becomes. To renew your GPHC membership — or to become a member — sign up at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/become-a-member/ or drop off a check (and say hi) at our office, at 2823 Fairfax Street. We look forward to serving you as a valued member of GPHC, 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 deeply appreciated.
The following organizations and individuals donated to and volunteered with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. last month:
Businesses, Churches and Groups
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
CJV Real
food Pantry Needs
We accept non-expired food and toiletry donations at our office at 2823 Fairfax St. between 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. We also accept donations on Saturday by appointment. Non-expired donations can be dropped off as well in the bins inside Mayfair Liquors at 13th and Krameria Street and the Park Hill Library at Montview and Dexter Street during their normal business hours. Our food pantry needs are updated monthly at greaterparkhill.org/ food-programs/emergency-foodpantry/.
In the meantime, if you’re at the grocery store, please consider donating a few items from the list below:
• Cereal and oatmeal
• Bags of white rice
• Bags/boxes of mashed potatoes
• Pasta and rice mixes
• Canned refried, kidney, pinto, baked and white beans
• Bags of dried beans
• Macaroni and cheese
• Dried pasta (all kinds)
• Pasta sauce
• Canned ravioli
• Canned fruit
• Canned fish
• Canned chili, soups and stews, Spam
• Instant coffee packets
• Jarred spices
• Small can openers
• Hygiene products/toiletries
• Reusable bags
While we’re always grateful for your donations, kindly be mindful of food expiration dates. We do not accept expired food items. And please do not leave donations outside our office door.
— Lori Midson
g a rdens a n d Verses
July tips
“The only thing worse than weeding is not weeding.” – Unknown
• Check your plants regularly for insect damage and blight.
• Water trees deeply.
• Harvest ripe vegetables.
• Pinch/harvest herbs to encourage bushy growth.
• By July 4, finish pruning the top 25 percent of all mum plants. This encourages more compact growth and flowers in the fall.
• By mid-July, start sowing fallseason crops such as lettuce, beets, Swiss chard and spinach, and continue planting annual herbs such as basil and cilantro.
• Divide iris rhizomes. Discard diseased, woody or insect-infested sections. Cut the sections and expose them to the air for several hours before replanting. Cover roots with soil, but leave some of the rhizome exposed.
• Continue to deadhead flowering a nnuals and perennials for continued bloom.
• Remove seed pods of self-sowing plants you wish to control.
• Remove old annuals and add bright, new ones to bring color back to your garden.
• Remove tomato suckers and fertilize regularly to help produce fruit.
Monthly Garden Tips are compiled by Park Hill Garden Walk committee member Kate Blanas. Contact Patty Mead at prmead416@gmail.com or Carla Finch at carla.j.finch@gmail. com to learn more about the annual June event or to volunteer.
After serving the eyecare needs of the Park Hill community for many years, the Mayfair Vision Clinic will be closing our doors and joining another practice, Eye Envy Vision, in Aurora.
We will be available at our current location through July and will keep our current phone number active through the end of the year. We will be contacting current patients with more details. Thank you for making us a valued part of the Park Hill community, and we wish you all the best. With Gratitude, Janice I Jarrett,OD
Active Minds
The organization’s mission is to expand lives and minds by providing outstanding educational programs. Check out free lectures on topics ranging from music to history, current events to foreign affairs, including in and near Park Hill. 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 whose mission is to offer artsbased programs that inspire, empower and promote creative self-expression by people of all ages, backgrounds, and ability levels. Check out ArtGarageDenver.com for details.
Blunders and Beers
Blunders and Beers is a Park Hill Chess Club that meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at Longtable Brewhouse, 2895 Fairfax St., beginning at 6 p.m. All skill levels are welcome. Bring a board if you have one.
Daughters of the American Revolution
Are you interested in genealogy? Your family history? American history? The Frances Wisebart Jacobs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution meets regularly in the area. Contact Kathy Kelly at kkellyfwj76@gmail.com for details.
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
Thousands of our neighbors have been living unsheltered and are struggling for basic services. Thousands more are newcomers to Colorado and the United States, arriving with little to nothing. So many can use your help. Check out our online list of organizations who accept donations — everything from clothes and furniture to bikes and baby essentials. greaterparkhill.org/spreading-thelove/
Faith Community
greaterparkhill.org/faith
Greater Park Hill’s faith community, home to over 30 places of worship in just four square miles, is as diverse and robust as the neighborhood itself. 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.
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. 2823 Fairfax St., greaterparkhill.org, 303-388-0918
GPHC community meetings are conducted on the first Thursday of the month, except for December and July. The next meeting is Thursday, Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at 2823 Fairfax St. Check greaterparkhill.org/join-us/ community-meetings/ for info on how to participate.
Libraries denverlibrary.org
See the “At the Library” feature on page 14 for updates and resources offered by the Park Hill and Pauline Robinson branch libraries.
Northeast Park Hill Coalition
The Northeast Park Hill Coalition hosts its monthly meeting the second Thursdays of the month. Location varies. Check the group’s Facebook page @ Northeast Park Hill Coalition for updates.
One World Singers
A choral group that performs music from diverse cultures and traditions, nurturing the musical abilities of all who wish to sing. Rehearsals every Thursday, September through May, 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
Established in 1971. Denver’s oldest nonprofit bookstore. Used and new books. 4620 E. 23rd Avenue. 303-355-8508. Members and volunteers get discounts and book credits. Check parkhillbookstore.org for current hours of operation.
Park Hill Peloton
A recreational group of road cyclists that roll from Park Hill once or twice a week. Check the current status of their rides on the Park Hill Peloton Facebook page.
Sie Filmcenter
2510 E. Colfax, denverfilm.org, 303595-3456.
Free Zoom Tai Chi
Free morning beginner Tai Chi classes on Zoom every Friday at 10 a.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m. Register at taichidenver.com/beginner-tai-chizoom-class/. Longtime Park Hillians Jacqui and Joe, who teach the class, will send you the link to join.
Walk2Connect
www.walk2connect.com
Park Hill Sunrise Walking Trips happen every Tuesday from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Meet in front of Honey Hill Cafe at 23rd & Dexter Street for a casual, conversational-paced community walk. Everyone is welcome.
Submit your neighborhood events and resources to editor@greaterparkhill.org Deadlines are the 15th of the month, for the following month’s issue.
Red Onion and Cucumber by Micki Amick
gphn c l ass IF 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 RemediationCall Mark-303921-3161;pikerprojects@gmail.comRemodeling;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
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 303-9487999
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 - 720550-2786
To advertise in the Classifieds contact newspaper@greaterparkhill.org 720-287-0442 (voicemail). the deadline for submission is the 15th of every month
