All the News About Denver’s Best Residential Community Since 1961 Volume 53, Issue No. 2
A Greater Park Hill Community Hill, Inc. Publication
February 2014
City Council To Take Up Zoning Amendments Open Space Interpretation Deemed Essential When City Council considers a package of zoning code amendments later this month, there’s likely to be controversy over open space requirements in General Development Plans (GDPs). GDP’s are required of all new developments larger than 10 acres. Joel Noble, a regular participant in the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) Zoning and Planning Committee, termed the package a collection of ‘bug fixes’ gath-
“The proposed changes are significant (substantial) and can negatively impact existing neighborhoods/neighbors.” GPHC Co-Chair LeAnn Anderson
City Matters
Dave Felice
ered over the last couple of years. “The amendments provide flexibility and adaptability,” he said. The proposed text updates would make the code “more modern, clear and userfriendly,” according to Andrea Burns, public relations specialist for the city’s Community Planning and Development Department (CPD). “The Denver Zoning Code is not frozen in time,” she said. “By updating it, we’re able to address changes and trends in housing and other industries, and incorporate valucontinued on page 9
Keeping the Message Alive, and Meaningful Cara DeGette
The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s visit to Park Hill is being commemorated in several ways. Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church – where the civil rights leader drew a record crowd in 1964 – hosted an appearance by Vincent Harding to mark the event on Jan. 19. Harding, a colleague of King’s, and a theologian, historian and activist, kicked off what church leaders hope will grow into an ongoing dialogue on how the civil rights leader’s messages of 50 years ago can resonate today. “What could be the influence of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Park Hill in 2014, beyond nice words?” Harding asked a group of about 120 when speaking at the church. “I would like us to think about that.” Harding recalled King’s famous speech, in which he hopes his children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. “How do you judge the content of the character of the children of Park Hill?” Harding asked. “How do you get to the content of the character? Just by saying it? I would like to encourage us to push our-
Related coverage inside: A preview of Colorado History’s Denver Divinity Tour to coincide with Black History Month; Denver’s proclamation commemorating Martin Luther King’s 1964 visit to Park Hill; and a recap of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Marade. Page 10
Pucks Fly Across Homemade Backyard Ice Arena By Cara DeGette
to line it, but he found it worked better without it. Where the sun hit in the backyard The boys, reports Debbie Keenan, it melted off one corner, so he cut the rink have been skating and playing ice hockey in half. Now it is more of a square, and the throughout the holidays. This is thanks to sun doesn’t really hit it. The Saturday after her husband Jason, who combined some Christmas two inches of snow fell. With a ingenuity with a little patience, water and light mist from the hose it smoothed out. Jack Frost, to build an ice rink in their Park Now it’s just a little maintenance here and Hill backyard. there. Keenan explains: “We live on 18th be“Our young boys play hockey and skate in tween Dahlia and Elm. We are right by Park the DU Learn to Skate and Hockey Program. Hill School, where our first One of their schoolmates grader and kindergartner has been by to play goalie. go. This is our first time “It’s a regular circus/ We’ve also had some of the building a rink. We just other kids in the neighbormoved to Colorado six hockey extravaganza hood play on the ice, but months ago from Georgia. most of them don’t have back here.” We had a swimming pool their own skates. in our backyard in Atlanta “I’m an aerialist so we Debbie Keenan - it kept our boys occupied also have aerial silk fabric and helped to wear out hanging from our backsome of their energy. We didn’t know how yard tree. It’s a regular circus/hockey exwe were going to manage keeping them haptravaganza back here. py and outdoors during cold weather here. “My husband used to play hockey profesI guess that’s what inspired it. That and my sionally. Hockey is a big part of our lives husband’s upbringing in Canada. Skating ... we are a skating family. It’s taken about outside is a big deal. five or six weeks altogether to make it skate“My husband, Jason, built the rink in our worthy. We plan to keep it up until it melts; backyard during that cold snap a little more and apparently that could be a very long than a month ago. He read up on the Intertime.” net and talked to friends for info. His dad in Canada had some ideas, as this is a family tradition. Jason grew up skating a little piece of ice just like this. “Jason stayed up late and got up early to put a layer of water on every few hours. This went on for several days. He nearly gave up on it. It needed a layer or two of snow, and didn’t hold or smooth out right away. He piled snow up as borders, and evened it out. He decided to buy a huge sheet of plastic The Governor’s School of Colorado will prepare students for life
Page 16
Page 15
Inside This Issue
Rep. Beth McCann: 2014 Legislature focus on jobs, education, recovery
Page 5
February 2014
selves on this one. How do you develop a character that is worth having?”
Take Winter, Add Water, Then Smooth
Mr. Larry Holmes solves the case at Pauline Robinson for 20 years
Next GPHC Meeting Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. 2823 Fairfax St., Denver
This newspaper is made possible through the support of our advertisers and members. If you are not already a member, please consider joining the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.