Volume 51, Issue No. 7
August 2012
A Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Publication
Park Hill Airport Lawsuit Files Reach the Denver Public Library Archives So what was the Park Hill Airport Lawsuit? By Erin Vanderberg Editor On June 23, Peg Meagher delivered 14 boxes of paperwork related to the Park Hill Airport Lawsuit, some dating back to the 1960s, to the Denver Public Library’s Western History & Genealogy archival collections, where the materials will receive a catalog record. Meagher was one of five plantiffs of the Park Hill Airport Lawsuit, which was a driving force behind the relocation of Denver’s airport from Stapleton to the new site in Adams County. “I keep reminding myself that I started this work in my early 30s and I will be 72 this summer,” said Peg Meagher. She recently got the old gang back together for a photo opportunity to celebrate the archiving of their years of hard work. In attendance were: plaintiffs of the Park Hill Lawsuit – herself and Cecil Glenn; Attorneys Mark Davidson and Terry Kelly; Park Hill Airport Committee
members Marjorie Gilbert and Karen Salimen; and Skip Spensley, whose work as the Director of the New Airport Office directly overlapped with the GPHC’s. The group hopes that by making their papers available to everyone, that other neighborhood groups might learn from their efforts. Contributed Photo/Keith Meagher But, to fully underA Park Hill Airport Committee reunion took place July 15 at Cecil Glenn’s Park Hill home. From left: Mark Davidson, Terry stand the impact of what Kelly, Marjorie Gilbert, Karen Salimen, Skip Spensley, Cecil Glenn and Peg Meagher. they did, the whole story is in order. Park Hill as the flying hub of the metro area. HisA Brief History of Stapleton torian Phil Goodstein attributes this to what he calls The Park Hill neighborhood was well under- the geographical determinism of northeast Denver, way before Stapleton was even imagined by the with its low altitude and flat expanses. Humphrey’s City, however the period from 1910-1920s saw See Airport Commitee on pg. 7
Viva Streets returns to 23rd Avenue on August 12
By Erin Vanderberg Editor
2nd annual Viva Streets
Last August, Viva Streets transformed Park Hill into a massive, all-neighborhood block party by closing 23rd Avenue, from Colorado Boulevard to Syracuse Street, to automobile traffic. The first annual event, coordinated by LiveWell Colorado and BikeDenver, saw around 7,500 people turn out – on bikes, scooters, wagons, skateboards, roller blades and foot – to participate in the day’s organized activities and spontaneous fun. This August 12, Viva Streets returns to Park Hill with an additional two hours, more activities and the expectation of an even larger crowd. “Park Hill is just a great neighborhood for this event because people are proud of their neighborhood and want to make their streets healthy by using
WHEN: Sunday, August 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: 23rd Ave., from Colorado Blvd. to Syracuse St. WHAT: Bike parade, activity stations, food trucks, more. INFO: vivastreets.org
See Viva Streets Returns on pg. 3
E 26 TH AVE
VIVA STREETS ROUTE an event by:
event supporters:
A • Delta Dental Photo Booth • Yoga • Zumba • B-Cycles • Face Painting
B • Denver Water Station • Denver Urban Gardens
Activity Tent
Go You! Wellness Zone
SYRACUSE ST
D QUEBEC ST
C
ONEIDA ST
E MONTVIEW BLVD
B
KEARNEY ST
E 23 RD AVE
HUDSON ST
DEXTER ST
COLORADO BLVD
A
E
Parade Start 10am
FRED N. THOMAS PARK
ALONG THE ROUTE: FOOD TRUCKS, BIKE MECHANICS, HELPFUL VOLUNTEERS, RESTROOMS
C • Chipotle Activity Tent • Parade 10am • Kids Bike Rodeo • Weigh & Win • LiveWell Get Movin’ Mobile • Volunteer HQ
D • Cigna Wellness Zone • Nuggets and Avalanche Fun Zone • LiveWell Get Movin’ Mobile • Cooking Demos • Face Painting • LiveWell Moms
E • Family Bike and Fun Zone
DENVER’S ONLY CICLOVIA
23RD AVENUE, PARK HILL
Healthy Smiles Photo Booth
MONACO PKWY
N
CITY PARK
them for recreation and supporting local businesses,” said LiveWell Colorado’s Tracy Boyle. “This event shows people that streets are not just for cars.” Viva Streets was inspired by the ciclovía concept which began in Bogotá, Colombia over thirty years ago. In that country today, over a million people participate in weekly ciclovías that close miles of urban road to automobiles every Sunday and on holidays. The concept is gaining traction in the United States, which has seen a groundswell of support for ciclovías in a variety of metropolitan cities in the past few years.