But with the City and County of Denver, it appears nothing is simple. That was the takeaway for dozens of neighbors who attended a July 8 meeting in the backyard of the
family whose house and property have been crashed into five times in 16 months by confused and careless drivers traveling at high rates of speed. Dozens of other crashes, some of them horrific, have also occurred at the intersection of 17th Avenue and
Monaco Parkway in recent years.
Speed enforcement is nonexistent. Directional signs and warnings that used to help navigate confused drivers have been knocked down. Inexplicably, the city stopped putting them back up.
Jammed Up On Colfax
By Charlotte Renner | For the GPHN
After years of planning and an unclear timeline that left many wondering whether it would ever actually happen, Denver’s East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit has arrived. And the realities of the enormous construction project that is tearing up Colfax Avenue from Broadway to the eastern edge of the city is already threatening the livelihoods of dozens of independentlyowned businesses along the stretch.
The design of the BRT, as it is called, is a center-running lane for buses, which will run up and down the middle of Colfax with fewer stops to allow higher speed operations. Vehicle traffic will be reduced to one lane running east and one lane running west. Much of the street parking on Colfax will be gone. The construction zone — which has already eliminated some parking and reduced vehicle traffic to one lane in each direction along some stretches — provides a hint of the challenges that lie ahead.
Crews began tearing up Colfax Avenue east of Colorado Boulevard this summer.
“ It’s changed the way that we operate, because we were such a really popular place for pulling off Colfax,” said Oliver Finkel, who owns Lula Rose General Store, a coffee shop at Colfax and Madison. “All these people who are traveling really early in the morning, it was really easy for them just to pull off and grab a sandwich and a coffee.”
Colfax, famously tagged by Playboy magazine as the longest, wickedest street in America, used to be part of the US 40 highway and was lined with motels for travelers to rest on
their way across the country. A few motels still operate, but they are now outnumbered by a wide variety of small independently-owned businesses, which helps to lend the street its unique character. Many fear that with those businesses at risk, so is the character of the randy old street itself.
Two years of construction ahead Talk of replacing the regular Colfax No. 15 bus line with a bus rapid transit system started almost two decades ago. City officials were stymied by a lack of money to proceed until last year, when they secured $150 million in federal
Some would call this situation an emergency — in fact, several people at the meeting called it exactly that.
Putting lives at risk
The crowd included neighbors living near the intersection, as well as city officials, including Councilman Darrell Watson, who represents District 9 west of Monaco Parkway. District 8 Councilwoman Shontel Lewis, who represents the area east of Monaco Parkway, was not there, citing a schedule conflict. Members of Lewis’s staff did attend, as did Maggie Thompson, a community designer with the city’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).
Tess Venetz, a neighbor who has helped spearhead efforts to to pressure the city for improvements to the intersection, presented a brief overview.
Monaco Parkway is a main north-tosouth artery through Park Hill. 17th Avenue runs east-to-west. At Monaco, eastbound 17th Avenue curves continued on page 7
Neighbors living near 17th Avenue and Monaco Parkway at the July 8 meeting.
Photo by Reid Neureiter
Clean-Up The ‘Hood On Aug. 23
The August Park Hill The Beautiful clean-up is Saturday, Aug. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon. Join the efforts to purge the neighborhood of trash and debris from the streets and alleys and open spaces. Bags, gloves, picker-uppers and vests are provided. Sign up and become a clean-up champion for your block at this link: tinyurl.com/ParkHillCleanup Extra Sprinkles? Yes, Please Messiah Community Church is holding its annual Summer Ice Cream Social on Saturday, Aug. 23. Neighbors of all ages are invited to come and partake of the festivities. The social is from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the playground area at the south end of the church, at 1750 Colorado Blvd. There will be ice cream (with sprinkles, of course) along with games and friendly conversation. Check out the church’s website at messiahdenver. org for more details
See Them Strut, Stretch & Snooze
Last year’s inaugural Park Hill Cat Tour was such a blowout that organizers are doing it again. On Sunday, Sept. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon, join your neighbors for a three-hour, three-mile “cat tour” around the neighborhood. The route this year is 23rd to 30th avenues between Ash and Holly streets. Info and sign up via Facebook at Park Hill Cat Tour 2025
School Board Forum Sept. 10
The HD 7 and 8 Democrats are holding a forum for candidates running for the Denver Public Schools Board of Education on Nov. 4. The forum is Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Denver District 5 police station at 12025 E. 45th Ave. At-large candidates include Amy Klein Molk and Alex Magaña. District 3 candidates (central-east Denver) include Caron Blanke, Scott Esserman and DJ Torres. District 4 candidates (northeast Denver) include Jeremy Harris, Timiya Jackson and Michelle Quattlebaum.
Get Rid Of Old Paint For Free
On Saturday, Sept. 20, volunteers from the organization Green Sheen will be driving around Park Hill to pick up your no-longer-wanted paint (five gallons or less). This is 100 percent free. To schedule a residential pick-up, call Green Sheen at 720-854-8722. They will take latex paint, oil paint, stains, shellacs, lacquers, sealers, varnishes, urethanes and textured coatings. They cannot take
WHO WE ARE
Editor: Cara De G ette
Manager: Brenda Morrison
Ad Sales: Melissa Davis and Denise Fisher
Art Director: Kathy Conarro
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, editor@greaterparkhill.org
ADVERTISING INFORMATION:
Melissa Davis: ads@greaterparkhill.org
Denise Fisher: sales_denise@greaterparkhill.org
Deadline for submissions is the 15th of every
aerosol paint, paint thinner, solvents, cleaning agents, drywall mud, roof tar or hazardous waste. Register 48 hours in advance. Questions? Text or call Jacqui Shumway at 303-725-7482
Free E-recycling On Sept. 21
This year’s neighborhood free e-recycling event Sunday, Sept. 21. Drop off your functioning and non-functioning electronics at Park Hill United Methodist Church, 5209 Montview Blvd. Computers and accessories, home entertainment equipment, service and data centers, mobile devices and office items will be accepted. Cans of old, unwanted paint will also be accepted. CRT TVs, household appliances, light bulbs and fixtures cannot be accepted. Also that day, bring your old aluminum cans, preferably crushed. These will be taken to a recycler for cash, with proceeds used to fund future green initiatives in Park Hill. Large styrofoam packing or packing bubbles will also be accepted that day
Home Tour & Street Fair Sept. 28
The 47th Annual Home Tour & Street Fair is set for Sunday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get ready for a day of gawking and admiring the five featured residences on this year’s tour — and getting inspired about what you might try in your own home. Tickets are available at parkhillhometour.org. Also on Sept. 28, stop by the daylong free Street Fair, which sets up on the Forest Street parkway between Montview Boulevard and 19th Avenue. Enjoy live music and other entertainment, dozens of vendors, multiple food trucks, a wine-and-beer garden, a sustainability zone, photo booth, activity area for kids and more. Fall Fest Back For Fun
Mark your calendars. Park Hill Fall Fest is Sunday Oct. 12 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at City of Axum Park, at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Birch Street. The festival is a party for the volunteer bundlers and blockworkers who deliver the Greater Park Hill News, and is also designed for neighbors to come together and connect. Everyone is invited and welcome to enjoy free food, games, bubble machines, face painting and plenty of camaraderie. (Contact GPHC board member Maria Flora at mjflora@msn.com if you are interested in helping to offset some of the costs of this year’s Fall Fest.) ✦
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.
August 2025 The Greater Park Hill News
Rocky Mountain High Jumper
Living on the plains, in the native grasslands, the male Lark Bunting performs a spectacular courtship flight. He leaps high from his perch, warbling and trilling a distinctive mating song. He ascends rapidly, reaching 20 to 30 feet above the ground, and then changes his tune as he slowly glides back down to earth. In 1931, the Lark Bunting was designated the official state bird of Colorado. On Aug. 1, Colorado itself celebrates its 149th birthday. This Lark Bunting was photographed at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge by Mark Silverstein.
7/23/25, 8:30 AM AW AD - Park Hill Al
MARCY EASTMAN
funds. Construction is occurring in five segments, beginning at Broadway downtown, and working eastward. The entire project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2027 — more than two years away.
This timeline has vexed business owners, and some say it is far longer than many expected. Some report they are already suffering significant declines in customers.
In the Park Hill section, BRT construction did not officially begin until this summer. However, Kate Hakala, co-owner of Park Hill Treasures at Colfax and Kearney, points out the street had already been torn up for months, as water lines were being moved in preparation for the BRT installation.
“ Denver Water was basing their construction from our corner, so they were actually using our parking lot and blocking the parking lot,” Hakala said. “And they were not pleasant about it… it definitely hurt us [last] December.”
Just more hoop-jumping
Denver is offering small grants of up to $15,000 to businesses that are “economically impacted by major city-funded construction projects.” Accord-
ing to the city’s website, 21 Colfax businesses, all west of Colorado Boulevard, have received grants so far, totaling $285,000. Businesses along the Park Hill stretch between Colorado and Quebec are not eligible to apply until this fall.
To receive a grant, one criterion requires that a business must demonstrate at least a 20 percent decline in revenue since construction began. Several business owners characterized the city’s requirements to show hardship as a frustrating exercise in hoop-jumping.
Finkel, for example, says the city’s response to his grant application was to request additional documentation and further proof of his business’ s decline in revenue. While it’s clear his business is being heavily impacted by the construction, he says he doesn’t expect to ever get the money. “ This is so typical,” he said. “ We do not rely on these people. They don’t help us.”
Getting creative
Karin Mosier, co-owner of Ed Moore Florist at Colfax and Kearney, says that even if the city grants are awarded, they likely won’t make up for the true
costs of their businesses losses.
“ [$15,000] is not a lot of money for the amount of work that’s going to be happening and the parking that’s being taken away,” she said.
Without significant help from the city, businesses have had to come up with ways to increase revenue on their own. Ed Moore Florist, open since 1948, will be rolling out new deals and promotions, Mosier said. Flower delivery rates have been reduced to $3.95 for Park Hill customers, and the owners plan to start offering more hands-on classes at the shop.
Many are partnering up with other nearby businesses in creative ways. The owner of Capitol Liquors at Colfax and Cherry, for example, has been letting customers from 7 Leguas Mexican Restaurant across the street park in his lot. Finkel said he’s increased his social media postings to draw attention to the ongoing hardships. Hakala, of Park Hill Treasures, says several similar nearby vintage and antique businesses have been talking about ways to join forces.
“ We have no intentions of moving,” she said. Cara DeGette contributed to this report.
The Bus Rapid Transit broke ground east of Colorado Boulevard this summer. When completed, buses will run up and down the middle of Colfax. Vehicle traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.
Colfax, continued from page 1
Photo by Reid
Neureiter
Distress Signal
A Walk Through The BRT Construction Zone Is A Sobering Jolt
By Gary Martyn | For the GPHN
I ’ve driven the length of the construction zone a few times. The heaviest right now is the section between Broadway and York Street, west of Park Hill. It is not a journey for the faint of heart. Barricades seemingly pop up before your eyes, the street gyrates from curb to curb, and turning off Colfax can be a challenge. The construction guys seem fond of parking in the turn lanes, or maybe those lanes will no longer allow turning. Who knows?
I walked several blocks and then crossed over to the other side to return. There were a lot of barricades zig-zagging out to the street and back. The entrance to one of the old buildings that’s been made into condos was a fenced path from the middle of Colfax. The sidewalk by that building was mostly gone. It must be frustrating for these residents to have such an awkward entrance to their homes.
There are banners on the fences that say businesses are open — but there certainly were no customers about. There were a lot of shops that had plywood over the windows, closed. This was the most disturbing part of my walk — the number of closed businesses.
The city and the Colfax Business Improvement District trumpet their support with a “We Back the Fax” campaign, and I’ m sure it is well-intentioned. They even have a Facebook page with 29 followers. Is it helping? Not by the looks of things.
Driving is one thing, but I wanted to walk the stretch. First I drove to the starting point. Turns out parking is a bit hard to come by. Some streets are littered with construction gear and no parking signs; others are resident-only permit parking. The contractors seem to scoop up a lot of spots. I finally found one a couple blocks away.
This was the
most
Once I got to Colfax I headed west about a half block before barricades directed me out to the middle of the street. I walked a path between six-foot-high chain link fencing on each side for about a quarter block, then was directed back to the sidewalk. This was a repeating pattern. Almost no other pedestrians were out. During the little over two hours I spent walking, I only saw eight or 10 other pedestrians. If you are looking to go into a specific shop, it can be very confusing how to get to its door.
disturbing part of my walk: the number of closed businesses.
BRT is a massive undertaking, and obviously construction of this big a project brings some chaos with it. It does seem, however, that the city downplayed how disruptive construction would be. It also seems that support for businesses along Colfax was not a priority.
One local merchant told
me that the property tax for his building has skyrocketed. He has a hefty bill from the Business Improvement District every year, and now access to his business will be severely impeded, limiting his ability to stay open. I can see this scenario repeating up and down Colfax. At some point, you can ’t continue to absorb these costs and remain in business.
The city offers tax breaks and incentives for many businesses, why not for those who are on the BRT route?
BRT construction has now arrived in Park Hill. I write this in hopes that people start showing our local merchants some love now, and keep showing it. The next two years are going to be hard on them.
Gary Martyn grew up in Park Hill and still lives in the neighborhood. He is a retired media specialist.
Gary Martyn, walking Colfax.
Photo by Cara
DeGette
The Mystery Of The Missing Box
By Matthew Fulford and Keegan Hoelscher | For the GPHN
In June, two weeks after the school year ended, students Keegan Hoelscher and Aidan Mills returned to East High School for an unusual project.
These leaders of the school ’s Museum Club met with administrators and custodians from Denver Public Schools to investigate the mystery of what was behind the dedication panel at the entrance of the building for nearly 100 years.
Hoelscher, Mills, and the staff hoped to uncover the school ’s cornerstone box — a time capsule that had been buried in the wall a century earlier when the school was built. Such time capsules often include artifacts for future generations to study.
Retrieving the box/time capsule would help to celebrate two major milestones for East High. During the upcoming school year, the school will recognize the 150-year anniversary of the institution itself, as well as the 100-year anniversary of its current building located next to City Park. East High has long been the destination school for generations of Park Hill residents.
From old to new
In 1875 — a year before Colorado gained statehood — Denver’s first school building was called the Arapahoe School. The third floor housed Denver’s first high school, and
it became known as East High. The school, however, quickly outgrew the space, prompting the move to a new building at 19th and Stout Street.
Fifty years later, in 1925, the city’ s rapidly expanding population once again required more space. And so the East High School that we know now was constructed. The state-ofthe-art “ New East,” as the school was called, was the most expensive building project in Denver at the time. It continues to serve students to this day.
Graduates who fondly remembered attending “Old East” and the Arapahoe School lamented the change. Luminaries such as Oscar winner Hattie MacDaniel and film star Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., for example, had spent their youth at the old buildings. When it came time to move to “ New East” in 1925, school officials reportedly salvaged the cornerstone boxes from both the Arapahoe School and “Old East” to preserve that history of early Denver.
But there was a problem: back then, the school officials apparently did not document the location of the artifacts for future generations to discover. As a result, the Arapahoe School box was later declared to have been lost. That was a hard blow, as it likely included objects dating from Denver’s earliest days, before Colo -
rado became a state.
The discovery of both boxes
In June, while conducting newspaper research, Hoelscher stumbled upon a 1955 article about the Arapahoe School time capsule. The headline declared: Valued Relics From Denver’s First School Are Missing!
The story explained that when the city razed the historic Arapahoe School in the mid-1950s, officials from the State Historical Society were stunned to realize that the cornerstone box/time capsule was nowhere to be found.
Based on that 1955 news report, Hoelscher and Mills never expected that they would be the ones who would ultimately solve the case of the missing box.
When the students returned to the school in June, they looked forward to retrieving the cornerstone box/ time capsule from 1925. They fully expected that it would be in the wall behind the dedication plaque at the entrance to the school.
Neither expected they would also find the box of relics from the original 1872 Arapahoe School. But when the panel was removed, two boxes were revealed. It turns out that school officials in 1925 had sealed both of the time capsules behind the plaque at the entrance of the new building. They were in pris-
tine condition, safely tucked away and clearly labeled. One is from the Arapahoe School era, and the other likely includes ephemera from “Old East” and “New East,” circa 1925.
Both of the boxes/time capsules will be opened at an event in August (as of press time that date had not yet been determined). The contents of both will be on display in September as part of a weeklong celebration of the school’s two major anniversaries. Hoelscher and Mills hope the box will contain well-preserved photographs from the era and maybe even some old building plans.
As for the Museum Club sleuths, they are not only excited to study the contents of the boxes, but also to help create a box of their own. The new time capsule — which will include materials reflecting school life in 2025 — will be returned to the wall for another 100 years.
Matthew Fulford teaches social studies at East High School. Keegan Hoelscher is a rising senior. For more about the history of East High School and its upcoming 100th and 150th anniversaries, check out a news story from the May issue at greaterparkhill.org/angels-in-the-house. Details about the school’s planned weeklong anniversary celebration in September is at this link: eastangelfoundation.org/support/ehs150th-anniversary.
At left, students Keegan Hoelscher and Aidan Mills, with school board member John Youngquist, East High Principal Terita Walker and unidentified custodians. Middle: An envelope of well-preserved photos and other documents accompanied two boxes/time capsules, which have not yet been opened.
Photos courtesy of Matthew Fulford
sharply to the left, and then jogs back to the right on the east side of the parkway. There are currently no warning signs about the road shift, plus in recent years the intersection has witnessed a marked increase in traffic, with people often driving at excessive speeds.
A December, 2024 traffic study showed that 85 percent of the vehicles on 17th are speeding, with 9 percent exceeding 40 miles per hour. The situation, Venetz noted, is unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists and residents — and is putting lives at risk.
“We need unity, we need leadership, we really, really, really need action, Venetz said. “We are demanding protection and accountability. We deserve to be safe.” “I’m getting hot”
Taking the floor, Watson responded: “My heart is broken by the broken response from the city, and the lack of execution of the ideas that seem quite simple and quite reasonable.”
The councilman then laid out a series of concepts involving the need for short- and long-term “visioning processes,” including an area plan that is scheduled to begin next January. He also noted the city is currently experiencing a $50 million budget deficit, and he pitched the city’s proposed $935 million bond issue on the November ballot. “I cant tell you how to vote, but we need you to vote on the bond,” Watson said.
Maggie Thompson, from the city’s transportation department, introduced herself as part of “the team that gets you-know-what done.” She told the group that, while she understands frustrations, “we have
a very long queue [of projects], and we are going into mandatory furloughs.”
“We have a very large city and a lot of very bad roads throughout our city and we have a lot of very bad intersections we hear about on a daily basis,” Thompson said. “If we had magic wands this would all be fixed today — we would not have speeding cars on Bruce Randolph Avenue, we wouldn’t allow cars to double park in front of schools, we wouldn’t allow people to blow through lights.”
As for 17th Avenue and Monaco Parkway — which the meeting was supposed to be focused on — Thompson estimated that any fixes to the dangerous intersection would take a year.
To which longtime Park Hill resident Marc Applebaum had a three-word response: “I’m getting hot.”
“We are not getting answers,” Applebaum continued. “You see what happens just at this house alone — it’s been hit five times. This is an emergency. You make a phone call to the sign department. You get them out here the next day and you set up some signs and some temporary lights, and you solve it.
“One year? Come on.”
Three months later, no signs
Other neighbors were equally incredulous. Several noted that some permanent solutions may take longer and cost more, but immediate fixes could, and should, be done. One neighbor estimated simple traffic bollards would cost $10,000 or less. He offered to personally dig the holes and install them with a friend the very next day.
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District 9 City Councilman Darrell Watson addressed the audience gathered to discuss the dangerous intersection. This was what he said he would do: “[I will be] providing ongoing dialogue to create an implementation action team and start working through these things, providing a clear communication protocol to make sure we’re executing, we check things off of the box that we can, and we come back and we offer a real plan to the neighbors. So that’s what I’m offering.”
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District 8 City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis’s aide, Bre Huizar-Arellano, also addressed the audience. This is was what she said:
“There are so many complicated timelines that go into implementation and making sure that we’re seeing policy changes and execution of these safety concerns that have been on the minds of many people. We’ve known for a long time that there are dangerous intersec tions and so I’m really happy to see a collaboration effort so we can see some change there.”
“I have a simple question,” said another audience member. “I can call a barrier company tomorrow and by noon have two jersey barriers out there [at a cost of] $200. Why can’t the city?”
Ultimately, Watson vowed that improvements would be made within six months — not a full year. He said he would follow up in a week with a clear timeline. “I’m telling you [this] as a city councilman who is very good at his job,” he said.
A week later, Watson notified Venetz, along with David Stoll and Laurel Adler, that the city traffic engineer has agreed to re-designate 17th Avenue from an “arterial” to a “collector” roadway. This change, Watson said, will “open up the opportunity for lowering the speed limit and adding additional safety infrastructure.”
Watson, along with Councilwoman Lewis, have scheduled another related public meeting on Aug. 19, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Mosaic Campus at 17th Avenue and Quebec Street.
At press time — three months after the last time a car crashed into Stoll and Adler’s house — the city has not installed any signage, barriers or other warnings at the intersection of 17th and Monaco. “If I had to summarize what happened [at that July meeting] it would be, ‘What happened? What happened?’ ” said Applebaum.
Last month’s news story detailing the multitude of traffic crashes at the intersection, including five in 16 months at David Stoll and Laurel Adler’s house, can be read here: greaterparkhill.org/5-crashes-in-16-months. Specializing
One of five times in a recent 16-month period when vehicles crashed into Stoll and Adler’s property.
These directional and warning signs are in place at 13th Avenue and Holly Street, a mile away from 17th and Monaco.
Looking east on 17th Avenue at Monaco Parkway, with David Stoll and Laurel Adler’s home in the background. The road jogs to the left and then to the right. Currently there are no barriers or signs warning drivers of the changing road pattern. Cruising at high speeds, some plow straight ahead, jump the median, cross four lanes of traffic and the parkway, and into homes on the other side.
Photo courtesy of David Stoll
Photo by Cara DeGette
Photo by Cara DeGette
Running On Chaos And Caffeine
Park Hill Food Pantry Serves Nearly 400 Families Every Month
Story
by Cara DeGette | GPHN Editor
Every Friday, and again on Sunday, cars line up for blocks along 26th Avenue in the heart of Park Hill. The destination is the East Denver Bible Baptist Church, between Hudson and Holly. There, an estimated 400 families a month receive weekly offerings of food.
Kathleen Richmond has coordinated food pantries for 11 years. She first operated from the YMCA downtown until the facility was repurposed into apartments. The pantry moved to Fillmore and 29th Avenue, but was displaced when the building was renovated into housing. The pantry moved again, to Downing and 30th Avenue — until that space became a “beer spa.”
For the past five years, Richmond has been operating the Park Hill Food Pantry from the church in Park Hill, where her husband is the pastor. “It’s what God called me to do,” she said.
The Park Hill Food Pantry — not to be confused with the Greater Park Hill Community’s Emergency Food Pantry two blocks away on Fairfax Street — is a drive-through food bank. It’s one of a multitude of pantries in and around the neighborhood where people can stop for free groceries, a free meal, or
both (see sidebar for additional close-by food banks and free meal programs).
Bill not so ‘beautiful’
for hungry families
Food Bank of the Rockies, which is the largest food largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region, estimates that one in eight Coloradans regularly experience food insecurity. For children, that figure is closer to one in seven.
Last month, Congress passed what President Donald Trump calls his “big, beautiful bill.” The package includes tax cuts that nonpartisan researchers have determined will primarily benefit the wealthy. To help pay for that, substantial cuts have been made to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.
According to the nonpartisan Urban Institute, 22.3 million families in the United States will have their monthly benefits cut. That includes working families and families with children. In Colorado an estimated 298,000 families are expected to lose between $49 to $88 each month in SNAP benefits. The demands on local food banks and pantries are likely to increase. Most report they have already
Sharing The Harvest: A Guide To Nearby Food Resources
Dozens of groups and organizations sponsor food programs in Park Hill and across the Denver metro area. Food Bank of the Rockies, the largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region, has a directory of free food programs throughout Colorado and Wyoming. Its website is foodbankrockies.org, Another helpful resource is 2-1-1 (or 211colorado.org). Call the number, and a navigator can help you find a nearby place that offers free food and/or groceries.
Epworth United Methodist
Food Bank of the Rockies:
Gathering Place — Betsy’s
Paradise Missionary Baptist Church
3715 Garfield St.
Park Hill Food Pantry
5500 E. 26th Ave.
Scott United Methodist Church
2880 Garfield St.
Sharing & Caring Ministries
3739 N. Downing St.
Summer Meals Program
Six locations in Park Hill: kidsfoodfinder.org.
Twin Parishes
3663 N. Humboldt St.
Vickers Boys & Girls Club
3333 Holly St.
We Don’t Waste — Focus Points Check wedontwaste.org/markets.
Zion Baptist Church
2368 Emerson St.
— Compiled by Cara DeGette
been stretched thin, beginning with the pandemic in 2020, along with a rise in homelessness and a spike in migrant populations.
Running on chaos and caffeine
Richmond says the number of families that receive food from the Park Hill Food Pantry has already doubled since the start of the pandemic five years ago. Running on grants and donations, as well as chaos and caffeine, Richmond says her weeks are filled with connecting all the moving parts for Friday and Sunday food distribution days. “I haven’t written down how many hours I do this,” she says. “It would probably scare me.”
Throughout the week, she coordinates appointments of families who register for Friday pickups. (Appointments are made via the food pantry’s website, at parkhillpantry.com.) In 2021, someone donated a brand new truck to the Park Hill Food Pantry — a godsend. Richmond, who turns 69 next month, uses that truck to make her rounds to various stores — King Soopers, Target, Trader Joe’s and WalMart — to pick up donations. Yes, she does a lot of lifting. Richmond also receives a hefty donation of food each week from Food Bank of the Rockies, whose distribution center is near Interstate 70 and Havana Street. The food itself is free, but the Park Hill Food Pantry pays Food Bank of the Rockies $600 each month for delivery, a fairly new expense. The church has ample storage space, as well as numerous freezers and refrigerators.
Richmond has a solid stable of about 12 volunteers — most of whom live near the church. (She can always, she says, use additional helping hands.)
100 pounds of food
Every Friday, the volunteers start setting up at 9 a.m. They assemble boxes for the distribution, which is open from 1-3 p.m.
The families, which drive past in single file, receive a box or bag of fresh fruits and vegetables, a second box of bread and pastry goods, and a third with meat and shelf-stable food. In all, each family receives around 100 pounds of food, enough for at least five meals. The pantry also supplies separate totes with multiple days worth of meals for kids.
“You never know exactly what it’s going to be,” Richmond said. “[In July] we gave away ice cream — our volunteers ran back and forth to and from the freezers to bring it out as families drove through.” Every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., volunteers gather again to repeat the exercise from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointments are needed on Sundays, but the schedule is generally less frenetic than on Fridays. The majority of the people come from Park Hill and the surrounding area, though some travel from further away — which Richmond admits is a bit of a stumper.
“There are lots and lots and lots of food banks in Denver,” she says. “The Park Hill Food Bank is one of many.” ✦
Kathleen Richmond, coordinator of the Park Hill Food Pantry.
Volunteers Candi Finger (in pink) and Andrea Chavez (in black).
Volunteers load up cars along 26th Avenue on a recent Friday.
Photos by Jonathan Phillips
Sifting Through The Lazy August Days Of Old
By Cara DeGette | GPHN Editor
Park Hill has no shortage of stories — from the outrageous to the wry, triumphant to the quirky. Many have been chronicled over the years in this newspaper, which has been publishing since 1960. Welcome to the first of a regular feature in which we dig back through the newsprint and dust off snippets of what was happening this month in history, in the neighborhood.
AUGUST, 1966
Light The Night Campaign Rollout
The chairman of the Park Hill Action Committee launched a campaign encouraging neighbors to leave their porch lights on all night long to help deter crime, as well as to help brighten the way for students walking to school in the early hours of the morning. Dubbed “Light The Night,” the program was estimated to add only 25 cents to residents’ monthly electric bills.
Park Hill Golf Course Nixed For Stadium
The Park Hill Golf Course was officially eliminated from consideration for the city’s new sports stadium. Mile High Stadium was eventually built northwest of downtown.
Hot topic: Airport Noise
Park Hill residents attending a meeting of the Park Hill Action Committee expressed the need for “further harassment” of the mayor’s office for relief from the loud jet noises that were inundating the neighborhood — the result of a new runway at nearby Stapleton Airport.
AUGUST, 1978
Block Party, 70s-Style
The fifth annual block party on the 2200 blocks of Clermont and Cherry was a huge success. Activities included a decorated Big Wheel parade, volleyball, croquet, badminton, bubble blowing, hopscotch, sack races, cardboard painting, home movies, and “lots of good old hanging around.” Frosty beverages were kept chilled in bathtubs, and a cocktail hour was marked by a synchronized lighting of the barbecues — followed by a gourmet potluck in the middle of the street. The kids had an egg-throwing “war,” followed by the elders pulling out garden hoses to hose everything down — including the children as well as each other. Can everyone say, partay?
Rent-A-Worker Program
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. announced a new program — a sort of clearinghouse — to connect reliable workers with people who need work done. Everything from yard work to babysitting, housecleaning, repairs, ironing and providing care to elderly people was up for consideration.
Have I Eaten Lunch Yet?
In a long essay, Arline Cantrell reminisced on her 25-year career teaching kindergarten and first grade at Stedman Elementary School. “Almost every day, Cantrell wrote, “I am challenged for answers to questions like these”:
• Is the sun God’s eye?
• Is God hiding in this school?
• Have I eaten lunch yet?
• What does the devil look like?
• You smell like my grandmother.
• What are you going to be when you grow up?
• Do you stay here at school all night?
• Is it tomorrow yet?
• Where is the bathroom in an igloo?
Grabby Advertisements
Shag carpeting was all the rage in the late 70s, and Alcove’s carpet experts on Colfax did not disappoint. In its ad announcing a major carpet sale, the store highlighted no fewer than three types of shag: Hi-Low Shag (“priced for you, great colors”), “Frosted Look” Shag (“you’ll have to see this beautiful shag in person to appreciate the true value”) and regular old Shag (“a real beauty, plush, luxurious, soft to the foot”).
The Park Hill Bookstore’s hippie influences were on full display with its ad inviting readers to “Explore the worlds of the past, present or future. Trips leaving Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
Stone and Bucket Real Estate company included this real estate offering: 3625 Locust St., Clean and Quiet, 3-bedroom brick home, $36,500.
AUGUST, 2000
Tributes To Bea Branscombe Pour In Bea Branscombe, along with her husband Art, were Park Hill legends. Along with a group of other dedicated activists, the Branscombes spent more than 40 years on the frontlines working to integrate the neighborhood. In early July, 2000, Bea died after a long battle with breast cancer. In August, the newspaper devoted a full page of testimonials to her memory from other neighborhood leaders, including this one:
“Bea Branscombe’s belief in civil rights and equality for all touched everything she did. The family she and Art raised reflects those values. Her loving care and concern for the community, which was an extension of her family, was also where she demonstrated her passion for those ideals.” — Penfield Tate III
22nd Annual Home Tour Set Preview
Organizers highlighted the homes in the upcoming Park Hill Home Tour. They included the “Green Home” at 2257 Ash, the “Campbell Home” at 2571 Birch, the “Maes Home” at 1611 Grape and the “Bombardiere Home” at 2385 Albion. A fifth “Mystery Home” was to be added. Ticket prices ranged from $4 to $8. “If you just love to see what others are doing, dream a little or gain inspiration for what others are doing, this is the place to be.”
AUGUST, 2015
Devastating Rains Wreak Havoc
Torrential rains flooded widespread areas all over Park Hill, flooding basements, washing cars off roads and sweeping gardens away. The damaging rains, which hit twice that summer, conjured memories of frequent past flooding in the area, “My next door neighbor has lived in his house since 1971 and said the streets have been flooding since then,” said one resident: “How has the city gotten away with not doing anything and letting all the homes and homeowners suffer through these storms?” ✦
[ TREASURE HUNT | THANE BENSON ]
At Montessori Children’s House of Denver, we nurture independence and inspire a lifelong love of learning through authentic Montessori education.
Don’t
Agonize, Organize
Big Ugly Bill Got You Down? Get Back Up And Get To Work
By Tracey MacDermott | For the GPHN
Last month, Congress passed Donald Trump’s self-declared “Beautiful Bill.” Contrary to the president’s boast, the legislation has been labeled by many as the most anti-environmental ever passed. It reverses electric vehicle tax credits, slashes wind and solar programs, and invites oil and gas companies to drill on federal lands — just to name of few.
Trump has called solar farms “ ugly as hell” (he previously, falsely, claimed that windmills cause cancer). Let’s look at ugly. The president’s bill strips away green energy tax credits, and it grants even more breaks to the already subsidized fossil fuel industry. The head of the American Petroleum Institute, Mike Sommers, praised it as meeting “almost all of our priorities.” Putting aside for a moment the destruction of habitat, air and water quality and the risks to public safety, can you imagine what opening up four million additional acres of federal land to drilling will look like? Hint: Not beautiful. The bill also weakens environmental protections. It cuts clean energy (a cheaper source of electricity), energy efficiency programs, rebates, incentives, and eliminates programs aimed at reducing pollution.
try. Arizona governor Katie Hobbs estimates nearly 69,000 jobs are at risk in her state.
These assaults on the environment, which were narrowly approved by a Republican-controlled Congress, are devastating and can make things seem hopeless.
This is not the time for us to check out.
These assaults on the environment are devastating and can make things seem hopeless.
Recently I was reminded of this call to action: “ Don’t agonize, organize!” Its origin is credited to Florynce Kennedy, the lawyer, radical feminist, civil rights advocate, lecturer, and activist in the turbulent 60s and 70s. Kennedy was a founding member of the National Organization for Women and the National Black Feminist Organization. She founded the Media Workshop to challenge racism and discrimination in media representation. Her life work encompassed heading into battle to fight injustices of all kinds.
You may find yourself agonizing over the passage of Trump’s bad bill. Now is not the time to give up. Follow Kennedy’s lead and get to organizing. Use your voice. Talk with your neighbors; run for office; get behind a candidate you believe in and help them win.
Glass Is A Blast
A Ton Of Resources Saved For Every Ton Recycled
By Mark Kuhl | For the GPHN
Glass is 100 percent recyclable, with no loss of quality when it’s processed and supplied to manufacturers of glass bottles. Glass containers tossed in recycling bins across the Front Range are recycled at Momentum Recycling in Broomfield. More than a ton of natural resources is conserved for every ton of glass recycled — including 1,300 pounds of sand, 410 pounds of soda ash, 380 pounds of limestone and 160 pounds of feldspar.
As we learn more about plastic food containers containing toxic PFAS chemicals and microplastics that end up in our food, switch to glass: it is a low impact, highly recyclable natural resource that’s not detrimental to your health.
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/.
Already ranked 6th in the nation for ozone pollution, Denver experiences high levels of particulate pollution and is no stranger to wildfire smoke. We can’t afford a reduction in air quality standards. Clean energy such as wind and solar can help reduce Denver’s brown cloud. Cutting these programs will surely lead to dirtier air as well as a spike in consumers’ electricity bills. Meanwhile, mass firings are continuing at the federal level, and Trump’s bill could lead to an additional hundreds of thousands of job losses in the clean energy sector. Some 8,000 of these jobs in Colorado are in the solar indus -
Many organizations — 350.org, the Climate Reality Project, Planned Parenthood, to name just a few — need your talents. Join them. They are not giving up and neither should you.
Tracey MacDermott is an at-large board member of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017. She chairs the Sustainability Committee for the Business and Professional Women of Colorado and the National Federation for Business and Professional Women. Email her at traceymacdermott@gmail.com
Paying Homage To Our Namesake
By Leslie Williams | Pauline Robinson Librarian
In 2023, Denver Public Art kicked off a new program at the Pauline Robinson Branch Library. The group has been working with two commissioned artists, Yazmin “Yazz” Atmore and Marcus Murray, to bring their concepts to life. The artwork was installed in May, and we now have two new beautiful pieces.
The first artwork, Mrs. Pauline Robinson, by Yasmin ‘Yazz” Atmore, uses a photograph of the library’s namesake as the centerpiece, greeting patrons as they enter. Different abstract and realistic elements surround Robinson, who was Denver’s first African American librarian, and they are meant to honor and tell her story of strength, resilience, love, joy and change.
The second, Ms. Pauline, by Marcus Murray, is a triptych illustration designed to pay homage to Robinson and honor her illustrious her role as a leader. The three panels include an image of Robinson standing proudly looking off into the future, of her reading to children and promoting literacy, and of kids who have been inspired to read, and Robinson’s role in it all.
We invite the community to upcoming free workshops with the artists in September. On Saturday, Sept. 6 and again on Saturday, Sept. 20, Murray will lead the workshops for elementary school kids. On Saturday, Sept. 13, Atmore will lead a floral art workshop for teens and adults. All three
workshops run from from 2 to 4 p.m.
Supplies will be provided for all workshops. Space is limited and registration is required. To register, visit our website, denverlibrary.org, or call
the library branch at 720-865-0290.
Also on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. we invite you to our library art dedication. Both Atmore and Murray will attend to discuss their concept for the
artwork and their collaboration. The Denver Public Art program was established in 1988 by then-Mayor Federico Peña. To learn more about the program visit DenverPublicArt.org.
Three-panel triptych illustration by artist Marcus Murray.
Conceptual rendering of Pauline Robinson by artist Yazmin “Yazz” Atmore.
August Library Programs
PAULINE ROBINSON BRANCH
Toddler Storytimes | Tuesdays, 10:30-11 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers.
Drop-In Tech Help | Wednesdays, 2-3 p.m.
Need help navigating the internet, email, or social networks like Facebook? Have questions about your phone or tablet? Want to know how to access eBooks on any device? Drop by to get your questions answered and learn how to use tech more effectively.
Pauline Robinson Book Club | Saturday, Aug. 23, noon-1:30 p.m We meet on the fourth Saturday of every month. This month we will discuss Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
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. No Storytime on Aug. 29 Life Transitions: Getting Out of the Muck | Saturday, Aug. 2, 2-3:30 p.m.
What are the elements of healthy transitions? What questions can you ask to help get unstuck? Gain insight as to how you or someone you care about might move forward. Expect helpful information and a good conversation.
Nature’s Educators: Native Wildlife | Tuesday, Aug. 5, 1:302:30 p.m.
The Rocky Mountain and prairie states have an incredibly diverse group of wildlife and ecosystems. Learn what makes habitats of various places such great places for some of our feathered, scaly, and slimy neighbors. Meet animal ambassadors that are true natives.
Qi Gong | Wednesday, Aug. 6, 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 at this memory-friendly event.
Advanced Directives Fundamentals | Saturday, Aug. 9, 2:30-4 p.m No matter what chapter in life you are currently in, having an Advance Directive can be used as a compass when faced with difficult life decisions. Jill Wisehart, Managing Partner for Exit
Elegantly, and Crispin Sargent, Education Coordinator for End of Life Options Colorado, discuss the value of documenting key information for all chapters of life.
Tween and Teen Game On | Aug. 13 & Aug. 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. Come for the games and stay for the community. We provide a safe and fun place for teens to play various tabletop and card games. Team up with friends or fly solo. All are welcome.
Park Hill Writers’ Workshop | Thursday, Aug. 14, 1:30-3 p.m.
Teaching artist Andrea Asali will lead a workshop in using insights from psychology and sociology to craft compelling characters and bring your stories to life. No registration required. All levels and styles of writers are welcome. Refreshments provided.
No Strings Attached Book Chat | Saturday, Aug. 16, 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.
Tween and Teen Advisory Boards (TAB) | Tuesday, Aug. 19, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Join the Tween & Teen Advisory Board to share ideas, shape library events, and help create a welcoming space for everyone. We meet monthly, every session is different.
Kids Book Celebration | Thursday, Aug. 21, 4-5 p.m.
We will explore a book or series on the third Thursday of every month and do activities and crafts related to what we read. Parents of young children need to attend with their child. This month, read fiction or nonfiction books about snakes at home, and make a felted snake as you share snake facts with us.
Advanced Directives Signing Party | Saturday, Aug. 23, 2:30-4 p.m.
Ask questions of Jill Wisehart and Crispin Sargent, sign your Advanced Directives forms, and get them notarized on the spot in a celebratory atmosphere that congratulates the community on completing this important task. Death Café | Monday, Aug. 25, 2-3:30 p.m.
Death Café is an international movement that invites people to gather and 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.
Greater Park Hill has two public libraries: The Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd. and the Pauline Robinson branch library at 5575 E. 33rd Ave.
Where Your Donations Go
Plus, Purchase “Fight Hunger” Bags; Help The GPHC Emergency Food Pantry
By Lori Midson | For the GPHN
When our generous community contributes financially to Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., it is important to acknowledge and share how your dollars are allocated. The incoming funds include membership dues, proceeds from our annual ticketed events and fundraisers like the Park Hill Garden Walk and Home Tour & Street Fair, as well as donations and grants earmarked for our general operating fund.
Below is a snapshot of the areas your financial contributions support:
• Salaries for our part-time staff of two: the executive director and office coordinator
• Utilities
• Fundraising activities, including event coordination, publicity and marketing materials and campaigns
• Subscriptions and memberships
• Office supplies
• Advocacy
• Insurance
• Legal fund
• Taxes
• Building expenses
• Sustainability initiatives
• Bank charges
• Custodial expenses
• IT expenses, including website maintenance
Financial contributions earmarked for our food programs are restricted, which means that every dollar contributed to our emergency food pantry and Thanksgiving giveaway, for example, must be spent directly on food, food supplies and related administrative costs.
If you have any questions about your financial contributions, please contact me at director@greaterparkhill. org or Shane Sutherland, our board chair, at chair@greaterparkhill.org.
Thank you so much for your continued support of our registered neighborhood organization.
Buy Reusable Bags, Help The Food Pantry
As part of its “Fight Hunger” program, the neighborhood King Soopers store at 1355 Krameria St. has selected the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. emergency food pantry as its beneficiary during the months of August and September. For every reusable “Fight Hunger” bag purchased during August and September, the store will donate $1 to the food pantry. Please consider purchasing a bag or two.
Our emergency food pantry visits continue to skyrocket, and our food pantry
budget has been significantly reduced. As a result, we made the difficult decision to scale our food pantry back to one day per week. We’re increasingly dependent on financial and in-kind contributions from our community. Please consider donating a few items from the grocery list below — or making a financial contribution to ensure our food pantry continues to thrive.
We accept unopened and unexpired (please be mindful of expiration dates) food donations at our office (2823 Fairfax St.) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Unexpired donations can also be dropped off in the bins inside Mayfair Liquors at 14th and Krameria, the Park Hill Library at Montview and Dexter
The following organizations and individuals donated to and volunteered with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. last month:
Groups, Businesses and Churches
Cure D’Ars Catholic
Church
Curtis Park Deli
Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens
Denver Food Rescue
Food Bank of the Rockies Greenway Garden
Living Younger Longer
Institute
Mayfair Liquors
Messiah Community
Church
Oneida Street Neighbors
Park Hill Branch Library
Park Hill Treasures
Park Hill United Methodist
Church
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Sustained Farms
Individuals and Families
David Addor
Kathy Aguirre
Carol Ahnen
Sylvia Aldena
Janey and Harmon Alpert
Federico Alvarez
Penny Ashley-Lawrence
Laura Avant
Teresa Barryman
Clayton Bartczak
Cathy Bauchwitz
William Beaver
Elizabeth Bennett
Ellen Brown and Terry Haussler
Jasmine Brubaker
Bruce and Brenda Campbell
Abby Burton
Jennifer Calderone
Inga Calvin
Edward Cannon
Anthony Caravella
Barbara and Alan Charnes
Christina and Dan Manzanares
Sebbie Coleman
Kristy Corcoran
Audrey Diamontopoulis
Bernice and Steve Donohoue
Saundra Dowling
Ruby Eichenour
Steve Farley
Elisabeth Fedde
Colin Fisher
Lee Fisher-Rosenberg
Anne & Joe Frank
Gehlert Family
Bobbi Gillis
Aaron Goldschmidt
Princess Gray
Gretchen Groth
Erica Gutierrez
Lisa H addox
Amy Harris
Nam Henderson
Adrienne Hill
Jane Hoback
Paula Hoffman
Ellen and John Hokanson
Barbara Holme
Barbara Homs
Romi Howell
Jody Igo
Margaret Ingram
Julie Ann Jenson
John and Kathy Krause
JP and Susan Young
Sony Kathlyn
Jane W Klever
Barbara Kozelka
Lana and James Cordes
Patrick Lavin
Leslie Levine
Karla Lewis
Lola and Arlen Hershberger
Mary Jo Lorenz
Natalie and Patrick Love
Madison and Nate Spangler
Douglas Mandic
Lori Midson
Matthew and Elizabeth
Spohn
Barry McDermott
Michele and Erik Stark
Miles Brennan and Yvonne
Bokelman
Brenda and Stefan
Mokrohisky
Norman Mueller and Christy Murphy
Harriet Mullaney
Nancy Connick and Diane Jankowski
Chris and Erin Nielsen
Catherine Paddock
Richard and Ilona Horwitz
Mary Salsich
Cara Schaarschmidt
Elaine Selsberg
Heather Selph
Michelle Shedro
Shelly and Stuart Scales
Eloise Smith
MK Smith
Cheryl K Solko
Sarah Speicher
Maddie Sprauge
Mary Jo Starmer
Ruth Steiner
Christopher Stewart
Michele Swenson
Jane Wainwright
Judy Wiesner
Sue Wofford
Jacob Wooden
Guy and Susan Wroble
Yeshe Nyingpo Denver
Karen Zollars
Food Pantry Volunteers
David Addor
Jasmine Brubaker
Bruce Campbell
Linda Davis
Audrey Diamontopoulis
Claudia Fields
Princess Gray
Andy Hartman
Barbara Homs
Paula Marinelli
Betsy Post
Kathy Reeves
Carole Robertson
Deb Rosenbaum
Heather Selph
Alison Shah
Itsy VanCamp
and DIRT Coffee Bar at 18th and Quebec on the Mosaic Campus. We also welcome food drives on our behalf. To set up a food drive, please contact Lori Midson: director@greaterparkhill.org. Financial contributions can be made here: greaterparkhill.org/donate/. Thank you so much for your support!
Greater
Park Hill Community Membership
GPHC is a membership-based organization, and the more members we have, the bolder and more persuasive our collective voice becomes. To renew your membership — or to become a member — sign up at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/becomea-member/ or drop off a check (and say hi!) at our office. 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. You are deeply appreciated.
Lori Midson is executive director of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. a registered neighborhood organization.
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.
GPHC world headquarters is 2823 Fairfax St. If you have an issue you’d like to discuss about the neighborhood, reach out to your board representative. Representatives can be contacted via the main office, at 303-388-0918 or info@greaterparkhill.org.
If you are interested in volunteering for a board position or serving on a committee, contact GPHC Board Chair Shane Sutherland at chair@greaterparkhill.org.
• Board Chair Shane Sutherland
• Treasurer Heather Shockey
• Secretary Bernadette Kelly
• District 1 Kevin Doyle
• District 2 Brenda Morrison
• District 3 Heather Shockey
• District 4 Currently Vacant
• District 5 Bernadette Kelly
• District 6 Currently Vacant
• District 7 Jon Bowman
• District 8 Nam Henderson
• District 9 Currently Vacant
• District 10 Colette Carey
• At Large Bruce Campbell
• At Large Mona Estrada
• At Large Maria Flora
• At Large Tracey MacDermott
• At Large Louis Plachowski lplachowski@gmail.com
• At Large Shane Sutherland
• Blessed Sacrament Betsy Boudreau
• Park Hill UMC Jacqui Shumway
A Truly Astonishing Insect
Is it a mantis? A lacewing? A fly? If you answered none of the above, you are correct. This oddball, about an inch long, is a mantidfly. With delicately veined wings in back and raptorial forelegs in front, some say this insect looks like a science experiment gone horribly wrong. But many bug lovers react with tremendous enthusiasm when they come across this rarely-spotted creature. As strange as they look, they are great to have around, as they eat all kinds of pests in the garden. This mantidfly was photographed by Mark Silverstein at Bluff Lake, just east of Park Hill.
[ GREATER PARK HILL RESOURCES ]
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 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 arts-based programs that inspire, empower and promote creative selfexpression 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 720-913-1000. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1.
Denver Public Schools
dpsk12.org
Check the website for resources and updates. Call the helpline at 720-423-3054 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, arriving with little to nothing. So many can use your help. Check out our online directory at greaterparkhill.org/spreading-the-love/ for organizations who accept donations — from clothes and furniture to bikes and baby essentials.
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.
GPHC community meetings are conducted on the first Thursday of the month, except for December and July. The next meeting is Thursday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at 2823 Fairfax St. The September meeting is Thursday, Sept. 4. Check greaterparkhill.org/join-us/community-meetings/ for info on how to participate.
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.
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, 303-595-3456.
Free Zoom Tai Chi
Free Beginner Tai Chi Zoom
Classes every Friday at 9 a.m. Longtime Park Hillers Jacqui and Joe lead the class. Call their clinic at 303744-766 or register online at TaiChiDenver.com. Walk2Connect www.walk2connect.com Park Hill Sunrise Walking Trips happen every
Something To Smile About
Confirmed:
Oral Care At Home Makes a Difference For Pets
By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ | For the GPHN
Don’t roll your eyes yet about another dental care column. This is worth the read.
You’re probably always reminded, when you visit your vet, about your pets’ need for oral care at home — especially toothbrushing. We know that the struggle to brush is real, and that at best, only about five to 10 percent of dogs and cats get regular oral care at home.
Veterinarians harp on it, because of what we know: the combination of regular home care and professional veterinary dental assessments under anesthesia, as needed, adds literally years to a pet’s life. It prevents painful periodontal disease, a condition that causes systemic negative effects on the heart, liver and kidneys.
But while there are a great number of products touted for home oral care, until recently there had never been a study of their efficacy when used at home. (Except perhaps studies done for marketing purposes.)
In a recent original study published in Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, doctors focused on six home oral care protocols and compared the impact on visible periodontal disease. A control group received no home oral care.
A total of 125 dogs participated in the study. The dogs started first with eight weeks without home or veterinary dental care. For the following eight weeks, they were then randomly assigned to one of the six assessment groups or to the control group. The methodology was very thorough but also realistic. On three separate occasions, researchers conducted two validated visual assessment scoring sets on awake dogs in a normal exam room setting. All the home oral care products were from a global, well-known product line. The ran-
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domly selected, healthy, client-owned dogs represented a variety of breeds, from Chihuahuas to Newfoundlands.
The six oral home care protocols were, in the order of their impact from most to least:
1. Brushing every other day with a pet toothpaste
2. Feeding a dental chew once daily
3. Brushing once weekly with a daily dental chew
4. Brushing once weekly with daily water additive
5. Daily chew and daily water additive
6. Adding additive to the water daily Not tested was the combination of brush ing + daily chew + daily water additive, but the writers surmised the trifecta might help further improve oral health. The biggest takeaway was that brushing every other day was “found to significantly retard plaque and calculus accumulation as well as gingivitis.” And brushing weekly in combination with dental chews also had a positive impact on periodontal disease. Daily water additive alone was the least impactful, but it still showed mild PD improvement over the untreated control group. In a perfect world, our cats and dogs would have thumbs and would be able to brush their own teeth every day. In real life, pet owners can more easily maintain their pet’s oral health. Oral care at home, in partnership with a veterinarian, is a key component of preventive care that add years to your pet’s good health.
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 720-4857207 or jpabz04@gmail.com Painting: Interior, exterior, small jobs welcome; sheetrock repairs and texture. 303-9079223/ 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
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
VOLUNTEER
Reading Volunteers needed to share reading with students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. One hour a
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit parkhillvet.com
week. No experience necessary. Contact: Pil 2011@partnersinliteracy.org. Be a Local Hero — Volunteer with Greater Park Hill News! We rely on volunteers to bundle and distribute the newspaper each month. Bundling requires just a 90-minute commitment one day at the end of each month — and it’s FUN! Distributing the paper means “adopting” a block and delivering the newspaper to each home. It’s a great activity for kids and families to do together. Interested? Contact us at newspaper@greaterparkhill.org or visit greaterparkhill.org/newspaper for more information.
WINDOWS
Complete wood window restoration. Custom wood storm windows and screens. General painting, restoration and handyman services for your charming old home. Contact Matt 479-871-8140
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
