All the News About Denver’s Best Residential Community Since 1960 • Volume 61, Issue No. 4 • April 2022
Angels On Ice
Sidewalks At Last City Announces Plan For Walkways Along Quebec and 17th Avenue. Some Are Excited, Others Criticize 5 To 8-Foot Wide Concrete Paths As ‘Overkill’
East High Hockey Wins First State Championship Title Story and photos by Reid Neureiter
By Cara DeGette
For the GPHN
The East High ice hockey team was crowned Colorado State 5A champions after a hard-fought 6-3 victory on March 8 at Ball Arena over two-time defending champs Valor Christian. The Angels squad not only dominated its in-state competition but also finished the high school season as the MaxPreps No. 1 ranked high school team in the country. The team, which plays its home games at the Big Bear facility in Lowry, has been in existence for just eight years and is the only hockey program in Denver Public Schools. So, while officially playing under the East banner, in reality it is a combined DPS program that includes players from other DPS schools, as well as out-of-district schools that don’t have hockey programs. The team includes six students from East, three from South High, two each from Northfield, George Washington, Brighton, plus players from North High, Strasburg, and Colorado Connections Academy. Head
Editor, GPHN
continued on page 6
This is where the fortunes turned. The main focus of Messiah’s ministry and vision is a deep shade of green — that is, a commitment to the environment and being good stewards of the earth. The new boiler Path Of Destruction Leads To Climate Win At Messiah Church system reduces the church’s carbon footprint by a whopping 90 percent. Story and photo by Cara DeGette ing, smelled the gas and saw the vandalism. ”The old boiler was put in in 1949, which It was a miracle the gas hadn’t caused an by the way is the same year I was born,” said Editor, GPHN explosion. But the thieves, who were never Edwards. “The new boiler is significantly Here is a story about how Messiah Comcaught, left a path of devastation that cost more efficient — Hallelujah! munity Church turned a tragedy into a at least $300,000 — not an insignificant “It’s serendipitous in a way, to take what green victory. sum for a small congregation. was truly a horrible situaLate last August, on a Sunday night, With winter approaching, the tion and at least make some thieves broke into the church, at 18th and church had to bring in an out“The new boiler good stuff from it. Without Colorado Boulevard. They broke through side source of heat until a new the robbery, who knows how is significantly an outside door, and then broke through system could be installed — long it would have been bemore efficient — an office door. which was also a big expense. fore we got a new boiler? “Our hypothesis is this particular group They’ve also spent money for We’ve been able to take this Hallelujah! of folks felt breaking in on a Sunday eventbetter security. “It was just a step to live out our mission, — Sue Edwards ing would be the best time, as they might mess,” said Sherrill Morris, a and that’s a gift to all of us.” find offerings from earlier in the day,” said member of the church council. Sue Edwards, the president of the church council. Failing to find any cash, the thieves instead grabbed a laptop. They rummaged through cabinets and stole a sound system belonging to a group that uses space in the church. They found a big old safe that had not been used for so long no one in the church remembered its combination. They lugged the safe into the sanctuary, hauled it up onto a chair, and somehow got it open. They might have found a few old coins, but nothing even close to worth the trouble. “That was one of the few things that made me laugh,” Edwards said. Then the thieves got busy in the basement. Using tools they brought, they started sawing through pipes to steal the copper that feeds the boiler. In the process they cut through a water pipe, flooding the basement. Then they cut into a natural gas pipe. “They were smart enough to leave at that point,” Edwards said. The next morning, a parents group that Sue Edwards, left, and Sherrill Morris, with the new boiler. meets at the church came into the build-
Inside This Issue
Coach John Kopperud says the entire DPS community came together to support the team at the championship game — a turnout that broke the attendance record. “I can’t say just how spectacular the fans were,” he said.
A Green Victory
Margaret Bingham Caught Her Words, And Won An Essay Writing Contest At McAuliffe
PAGE 4
continued on page 5
Goalie Noel Friedman displays the state championship banner at the Ball Arena after East defeated Valor Christian on March 8. Friedman, a sophomore who lives in Park Hill, saved 32 shots over the course of the game.
PAGE 2
Of the players in the championship game, none shone brighter than 16-year-old East sophomore goaltender Noel Friedman, a Park Hill resident who lives with his fam-
In March, Denver officials rolled out a $2 million project to build 2.1 miles of concrete sidewalks in an area that has long challenged anyone trying to walk or roll through southeast Park Hill. The project involves building the sidewalks on both sides of Quebec Street between 12th Avenue and Montview Boulevard. Additional sidewalks would stretch along 17th Avenue between Monaco and Rosemary streets. Like much of the rest of Park Hill, both areas have stretches of inconsistent and nonexistent sidewalks, making pedestrian and wheelchair access difficult and, at times dangerous. Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) officials presented the details of the project and its timeline during a March 8 Zoom meeting designed for residents living nearby.
Welcome To Helen Wolcott’s Spring Art Extravaganza
PAGE 8
Letters To The Editor: Why Are We Letting Our Neighborhood Get Scraped?
PAGE 10
April 22 Is Earth Day. Here’s A Place We Can Turn To For Inspiration
PAGE 12
Remembering Joe Blake And Ron Miles. Their Roots Ran Deep In Park Hill. They Will Be Missed.
Upcoming GPHC Meetings Community meetings are conducted virtually on the first Thursday of each month. The next meetings are April 7 and May 5 at 6:30 p.m. Link to attend at greaterparkhill.org/ join-us/community-meetings/
Essay
How I Caught My Words By Margaret Bingham
McAuliffe International School Student
trent nestman, d.d.S., m.S. park hill'S full-time
OrthOdOntic SpecialiSt 2206 Kearney St., 720-735-9800 www.nestmanortho.com
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5700 Montview Blvd SOLD! $1,494,750 Gorgeous Tudor Steve LaPorta
2552 Albion St SOLD! Rep Buyer Charming Craftsman Nina Kuhl
2340 W Harvard Ave SOLD! $538,800 Englewood 5 Bd|2 Ba Roberta Locke
My world shrunk when the pandemic started. Everything seemed smaller, including my house and my imagination. I moved halfway across the country just before the pandemic started. I lost touch with some of the most important friends I’ve ever had. Finding new friends in lockdown was a strenuous task. I became closed off and quiet. An opaque and somber fog blanketed my life. It dimmed the outgoing spark inside me until it was a dying ember. Without that light, I didn’t know how to see the truest parts of myself. Fog is made of water. Some cultures figured out how to get water from fog with fog catchers. They put pots under trees and plants. When the fog rolls over them, it leaves droplets of water. The water would drip from the leaves to the pots. During a long period of despondency, I realized I had to learn what I could collect from the fog so that I could grow. I had to put out a couple different kinds of fog catchers to figure it out. But eventually, I learned to collect the true power of words. That discovery affected the rest of my life, even after the lockdown. Words aren’t just consonants and vowels strung together, like dew on a spiderweb, to convey information. They are immeasurably more. Words are the way we understand our perceptions of the world. The way we formulate our most meaningful and our most groundbreaking ideas. They are strong enough to hold our most powerful convictions, our deepest beliefs, and even our darkest fears. They fan the fire of our burning curiosity. Words are how we evoke feelings. How we express our surging creativity. My first fog catchers were books. Before I could collect my own words, I had to collect other people’s words. Those words gave me the light and warmth I’d been missing since that spark went out. I learned there are lots of ways to get the light I need to see myself
who we are Editor: Cara Degette Manager: Melissa Davis Art Director: Tommy Kubitsky
how to find Us Voicemail: 720-287-0442 Email: newspaper@greaterparkhill.org Address: 2823 Fairfax St. Denver, 80207 Website: www.greaterparkhill.org Facebook: facebook.com/greaterparkhillnews Twitter: @parkhillnews Story Tips and Letters to the Editor: Cara DeGette; 720-979-4385, editor@greaterparkhill.org
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Steve LaPorta
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Roberta Locke
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Ann Torgerson
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Editor’s Note: The Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club has sponsored an essay contest for six years at McAuliffe International Middle School. This year students were asked to write to their 18-year-old selves on the topic of what a year of COVID-19 has been like. A record 51 essays were submitted. Those were narrowed to five finalists, whose authors read them aloud during a Feb. 28 school event. Margaret Bingham’s essay won first place in the contest.
Margaret Bingham with her family. From left, sister Viola, 10, Margaret, 14, Mom Meg Conley, Dad Wiley Bingham, sister Brontë, 4, with BunBun.
contact us
Nina Kuhl
and others. The first part of the pandemic left me with immense amounts of unfilled time. I couldn’t fill it all with reading. So I filled it with thought. Extensive pondering is another fog catcher. Pondering collected so many words, I swam through a deep and vast sea of ideas. Some thoughts were wavy and tumultuous, others glorious and shimmering. In that fog, I not only collected my voice, I also caught my words. With those words, I formed my values, how I see the world, the way I think about things, and the way I want to express myself. I formed my perspective and those words held it. With new sources of light. I saw the world for how it was and how it can be. The shrinking spaces seemed to grow as I nourished them with the words that captured my ideas. Words are fog catchers. They help me write fantastical stories that push at the limits of all aspects of reality. I have never been so prolific in my creativity. I know now if I ever need my imagination to grow, I just need to go out and catch more words.
Advertising information: Melissa Davis ads@greaterparkhill.org 720-287-0442 (VM)
Deadline for submissions is the 15th of every month
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 14,000 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. 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.
The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
Birdland | Mark Silverstein WANT TO SELL BUT CONCERNED WHAT YOUR CHOICES ARE? We Have Some Options... Give Me a Call to Discuss.
MARCY EASTMAN Your Guide To Denver’s Finest Homes 720.436.5494 • Marcy.Eastman@compass.com
Lucky Toucan
Fiery Billed Aracaris breed only in Costa Rica and western Panama. Like other toucans, aracaris are brightly marked and have large bills, which they use to grab insects in flight and sip water from leaves during rainstorms. Fiery Billed Aracaris cannot live in areas that are heavily deforested, so it’s a good thing that Costa Rica, where this bird was photographed, has taken drastic steps to reverse past destruction. See page 10 for more photos of Costa Rican creatures that are protected, thanks to forward-acting policies. Photo by Mark Silverstein
Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.
With every home I sell in Park Hill in 2022, I’ll make a contribution to the Greater Park Hill Community
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7220 E. 12th Avenue • $679,000 4 Beds | 3 Baths | 2,037 SqFt Beautifully Renovated Ranch
Anastasia’s Park Hill SOLDS Speak For Themselves! 2339 Monaco Pkwy 2621 Grape St 2308 Glencoe St 2601 Elm St 1649 Bellaire St 1648 Bellaire St 4512 E. 17th Ave 1775 Leyden St 3075 Clermont St 4114 E. 19th Ave 1612 Bellaire St 1607 Bellaire St 2595 Fairfax St 1558 Clermont St 1647 Clermont St 2816 Dahlia St 2383 Hudson St 2821 Dahlia St 2686 Dexter St 2248 Holly St 1901 Cherry St 2556 Elm St 2615 Elm St 2611 Birch St 2630 Glencoe St 2052 Krameria St
April 2022
2884 Albion St 2967 Clermont 2886 Cherry 2646 Birch St 1638 Clermont St 2810 Bellaire St 2605 Fairfax St 2677 Ash St 2560 Birch St 2681 Cherry St 2809 Birch St 2514 Glencoe St 2652 Fairfax St 2609 Eudora St 2800 Birch St 3060 Ash St 2810 Olive St 1623 Bellaire St 2037 Krameria St 2084 Forest St 1536 Clermont St 2224 Grape St 2345 Clermont St 2070 Birch St 2865 Albion St 2530 Bellaire St
2820 Birch St 2614 Glencoe St 2840 Clermont St 1929 Bellaire St 1915 Monaco Pkwy 1544 Leyden St 2920 Cherry St 2621 Grape St 2576 Fairfax St 2581 Dahlia St 2389 Cherry St 2829 Clermont St 2960 Ash St 2556 Clermont St 2681 Cherry St 4545 E. 29th Ave 2530 Glencoe St 2895 Birch St 2955 Ivy St 1610 Locust St 2575 Clermont St 4345 E. 16th Ave 2680 Ash St 2861 Birch St 2854 Cherry St 2091 Hudson St
The Greater Park Hill News
2645 Ash St 2570 Bellaire St 2616 Fairfax St 4326 Batavia Pl 2845 Cherry St 2947 Clermont St 3035 Bellaire St 2670 Grape St 2655 Elm St 1418 Grape St 2680 Ash St 2271 Clermont St 2817 Albion St 2684 Fairfax St 2894 Dexter St 2855 Ash St 3010 Clermont St 2295 Eudora St 3025 Albion St 2668 Elm St 2936 Albion St 2389 Cherry St 2654 Elm St 2514 Glencoe St 2065 Hudson St 2845 Cherry St
1623 Bellaire St 2855 Dahlia St 2825 Bellaire St 2900 Ash St 2681 Clermont St 2829 Ash St 2251 Ash St 2877 Cherry St 2341 Ivy St 2847 Clermont St 3010 Cherry St 2665 Forest St 2517 Elm St 1669 Newport St 3045 Fairfax St 4660 E 16th Ave 2877 Cherry St 2971 Bellaire St 2531 Clermont St 2894 Birch St 2801 Dexter St 3593 Monaco St 2668 Birch St 2664 Cherry St 2032 Holly St 2819 Ivanhoe St
1637 Elm St 2679 Albion St 3610 Magnolia St 1775 Monaco Pkwy 2582 Bellaire St 2233 Holly St 2229 Birch St 2862 Ash St 1855 Cherry St 2637 Eudora St 2542 Ash St 2045 Krameria St 2500 Dahlia St 2943 Birch St 2875 Albion St 2511 Birch St 2349 Forest St 2990 Cherry St 2379 Elm St 2870 Eudora St 2632 Cherry St 1450 Albion St #303 1925 Monaco Pkwy 3050 Bellaire St 2849 Kearney St
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Announcements
A few of the artists in Helen Wolcott’s spring art show, from left: Anne Heine, Robin Wilton, Wolcott, Patrica Foster and Carmen Curtis Basham. Photo courtesy of Cristina dePalma-Vega
streets, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no entry charge.
Welcome To Helen Wolcott’s Spring Art Extravaganza
Helen Wolcott’s twice-yearly extravaganza — a half-century tradition of artisans and craftsman who gather at her Park Hill home — is set to happen Saturday and Sunday April 30 and May 1. Wolcott’s twice yearly art shows began in the 1970s during the thick of the court battle over school integration, in which Park Hill was at the heart of the struggle. “During all those hours in court, we realized that we were all artists of a different kind,” she says. The artists/social justice warriors thus banded together for another purpose: promoting art and beauty. The shows have been held every spring and fall for 45 years at Wolcott’s house, at 2309 Clermont St., save for being temporarily sidelined during the pandemic, when everything got cancelled. The April 30 and May 1 shows will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days The show includes the work of artists and artisans who display and sell their creations. Wolcott specializes in costume and silver jewelry. Other participating artists include Pamela Bliss (hand-made soaps), Robin Wilton (weaving), Anne Heineken (knitting), Anita Kienker (quilted creations), Darrell Wunderlich (homemade salsa and jams), Carmen Curtis Basham (pottery), Patricia Foster (fine art printings and cards), Cristina dePalma-Vega (fabric and paper art), Kathleen Casteel and Marilyn Wells (artistic needle works). Everybody is welcome. Bring a friend, stop by, and greet spring with a glass of sangria or a cup of herbal tea.
Park Hill Art Fest Grows Up
Save the date! The 9th Annual Park Hill Art Festival is set for Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5. Founder Darren Skanson estimates that this spring’s juried fine art and fine craft show will showcase close to 100 professional artists from Colorado and beyond. The artists’ work range from paintings to fine jewelry, woodwork to sculptures, textiles to photography. The Fest will be on the grounds of the Park Hill Masonic Lodge, on Montview Boulevard between Dahlia and Eudora
Parade Fans, Rejoice!
It’s time to sign up! The neighborhood’s favorite summer tradition, the Park Hill Parade, will be hitting its stride this year. The event drew more than 7,500 spectators last year after being sidelined by the pandemic in 2020. This year, hundreds of your favorite cartoon characters, floats, horses, dancers, marching bands and political types will proudly march down 23rd Avenue on Monday, July 4 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Registration is now open and participation is free. The sign-up form is on the parade website, ParkHillParade.com. Participation is encouraged from block groups, neighborhood clubs, religious organizations, local businesses and anyone who wants to have fun and show their patriotic spirit. The organizers are also looking for sponsors, as the parade is supported 100 percent by the generous donations of local businesses. This year’s title sponsors so far include Nestman Orthodontics and the Urban Cookie. Premier sponsors include Tables Restaurant, Grape Expectations Wine & Spirits, Dardano’s School of Gymnastics and Clair Family Dentistry. Sponsors include Dee Ciancio Realty, Park Hill Treasures, Ciji’s Natural Pet Supply and the Denver Zoo. For questions about sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, contact Justin Bresler at parkhillparade@gmail.com. Make sure to check for updates in upcoming issues of your favorite neighborhood newspaper, the Greater Park Hill News. See you on the 4th!
Looking For Flower Power
City Park’s Adopt-a-Flowerbed volunteer program is headed into its second year, and is seeking volunteers to help maintain the beds. From May through October, volunteers weed, prune, fertilize and mulch the various garden beds in City Park, just west of Park Hill. The campaign kicks off in April with a City Park Greenhouse Tour for volunteers
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led by Greenhouse Manager and Horticulturist Julie Lehman. The week of June 6, horticulturalists and Adam Smith, park superintendent for the East District, will lead an orientation. Volunteers can work as individuals or as part of a team. The horticulturalists also organize large group projects on an as-needed basis. A weekly calendar of gardening events will be circulated, so volunteers can set their own schedules and work around travel and other commitments. Last year 50 volunteers put in 1,200 hours working in the park’s flowerbeds. This year, the horticulturalists will be back to 100 percent flowerbed planting, and rely on the volunteers to keep the beds looking their best. Volunteering is an opportunity to learn gardening techniques and tips by working shoulder-to-shoulder with professionals. It is also a good way to meet people in our City Park community and make new friends. Contact Georgia Garnsey (ggarnsey@ecentral.com) or Maria Flora (mjflora@msn.com) for details and to sign up.
Mom And Daughter: Facing Life Together
The Lowry Speaker Series will host a presentation on Thursday, April 28 to discuss the emotional journey of a mother and daughter as they talk about aging, dying and what matters most in the later chapters of life. Libby Bortz, LCSW, BCD, and Patty Bortz, J.C., CSA (mother and daughter) will share the reasons why this conversation is so important and provide approaches to start the conversation where family members are reluctant or avoidant. They will also provide additional resources to help families learn, plan, and communicate with each other about aging and dying. The discussion is appropriate for any loving family member – sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and partners. The presentation, Mother-Daughter Conversation: Facing Life’s Last Chapters Together, is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Eisenhower Chapel, 293 Roslyn St., in Lowry, south of Park Hill. The event is free, but reservations are suggested (at lowryfoundation.org/events/). For more information, please call The Lowry Foundation at 303344-0481.
Carrie Olson On Schools
Denver Public Schools District 3 board member Carrie Olson is the featured guest for the monthly EdEquity Corner on Wednesday, April 13. The virtual forum runs from from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EdEquity Corner is sponsored by Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, a group of parents and community members who are working to ensure students attending all Park Hill elementary schools get a quality education. Check out their website at phnee. org. Here is the link to attend: tinyurl.com/EdEquityApril22 Correction: Last month’s Greater Park Hill News incorrectly listed the speaker for the March EdEquity Corner. DPS board member Scott Esserman was the featured guest.
son event, beginning at 7:30 a.m., will take place along a two-mile loop in Washington Park, followed by an afternoon of family fun, including a Flealess Market. Those who choose to attend virtually will have until May 31 to scurry remotely on parks, trails, paths, and even treadmills. The Furry Scurry is designed to raise money to provide medical and foster care to sick and injured animals, behavior training, and investigations of animal neglect and mistreatment. Early registration is $50 for adults and $25 for children now through April 30. Visit furryscurry.org to sign up, and visit ddfl.org to learn more about the Denver Dumb Friends League.
You’ve Got Talent
The deadline for the 2022 Congressional Art Competition is Friday, April 22, and Denver Rep. Diana DeGette is seeking high school artists to submit their work for consideration. Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide visual art competition for high school students across the country. One artwork is selected from each congressional district. The winning pieces are then sent to Washington, D.C. to be hung on display in the U.S. Capitol Building, along with other artwork chosen from around the country. Artwork that can be submitted include paintings, drawings, prints, mixed media, computer-generated and photographs. • The competition is open to current high school students only. • Original artwork must be two-dimensional. However, due to the coronavirus, students should submit a photograph or digital copy of their artwork. • If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington, D.C., framed. It can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. The framed pieces should weigh no more than 15 pounds. There is no entry fee. Each must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student cannot be accepted. Artwork will hang in the Cannon House Office Building Tunnel for the duration of the exhibition. To make arrangements on submitting artwork, and for additional questions, contact Joe Wood at Joe.Wood@mail.house.gov or call 303844-4988.
Scurry For The Furries
The 29th annual Dumb Friends League Furry Scurry is scheduled for Saturday, May 7. The fundraiser includes thousands of pet owners and animal advocates who walk, run or scurry in support of homeless pets and horses in need across Colorado. This year’s Furry Scurry includes both a virtual and in-person option. The in-per-
Last year’s winning art submission in Colorado’s Congressional District 1: You’re in America, Speak English by Rohanna Hasselkus.
The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
A record-breaking crowd cheers the East team to victory at Ball Arena on March 8.
“We go into every game knowing our goalie is going to be better than their goalie.” — Head Coach John Kopperud
East Goalie Noel Friedman between the pipes.
Angels, continued from page 1 ily on Krameria Street. Friedman, who also attended McAuliffe International School before heading off to East, saved 32 shots over the course of the game, withstanding intense Valor Christian pressure in the first period by saving all 10 shots to keep the slow-starting Angels from falling behind. “It was unreal and such an amazing feeling with how good the ice was and the atmosphere of the arena,” Friedman said. “With all the fans it just made it that much better.” Freidman began playing competitive hockey at age nine and for the first year was an on-ice player. But, he says, the goalie spot “looked like it would be fun” and he decided to give the high pressure position a try. Friedman explains the difficult part being the shot-stopper: “It is for sure the mental part of the game, as a goalie if you aren’t strong mentally you will never be able to compete in close games. Mentally you need to always leave any mistakes in the past and can’t dwell on those mistakes. Learn from them and do better and improve.” As an underclassman and the last line of defense, Freidman had great support from his teammates: “The seniors and upperclassman have been extremely supportive ever since I came on the team as a freshman last year. As an underclass starting goalie I have quite a bit of pressure on me and I just try and play my game and I know the team has it in front of me.” Coach Kopperud was effusive in his praise for Friedman: “[He]handles the pressure with ease, and the more pressure there is, the better he plays.” Friedman’s mental toughness and support from his team has paid off handsomely. Not only was he the starting goalie for the state champs, he was also named First Team
All-State by the Colorado High School Ice Hockey Coaches Association, along with fellow Angel senior forward Connor Hasse and junior defender Joseph Capra. Capra, who is also the starting quarterback for the South High football team, was also named as the Colorado 5A Player of the Year. The Angels coaching staff also received postseason honors, with Kopperrud being named Coach of the Year, and assistant coaches Ben Robinson and Jeremiah Buckley being named Assistant Staff of the Year. This year East will lose seven seniors from its title winning squad, but with Friedman just a sophomore, he has two more years to help take East to another title. Friedman gives the Angels a unique advantage. “We go into every game knowing our goalie is going to be better than their goalie,” Kopperud says. That will likely to be the case for the foreseeable future.
East Captains Connor Hasse (left) and Kaden Dunham were presented with the State Championship trophy.
April 2022
The Greater Park Hill News
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Sidewalks, continued from page 1 In addition to the sidewalks, DOTI also ing the number of trees, bushes and foliage plans to install ADA-compliant ramps, imthat will be removed, and concerns over the prove five transit stops along Quebec Street, likelihood of increased trash and graffiti. and upgrade the traffic signal at Quebec “We are all engaged, aware and responsible and 17th Avenue. professional people and we’re all outraged.” The announcement has been met with Another source of discord is the way some initial community support, but for neighbors were notified — or not notified several property owners who live along the — about the upcoming project. DOTI ofroute, the devil is emerging in the details ficials initially reached out to several orgaof the project. nizations identified as “key stakeholders,” To wit: Several property owners are none including schools, churches and business too pleased at the sheer breadth of the deentities. However, property owners and sign plans — the term they use is “overkill.” residents who actually live along the route Along Quebec, the new sidewalks are question why those “key stakeholders” have currently planned to be eight feet wide, in this special status. addition to another five feet the city will More trees, please take for a hell strip between the street and the sidewalk. Dana Hoffman, a community designer Design Manager Dave with DOTI, noted the project is Duszak said the sidewalks in its initial roll-out, and officials along both sides of 17th Avenue plan to have regular interactions We’ve been will be five feet wide, with an with impacted property owners additional five feet taken for a asking for throughout the process. hell strip. (Five-foot wide side“We are in the concept design sidewalks for walks are the current city stan[phase],” Hoffman told neighdard; it is unclear why DOTI literally decades.” bors on March 8. “One of the officials have opted to pursue reasons is to listen and hear your — Leslie eight-foot wide sidewalks on concerns; there is the ability to Twarogowski Quebec Street.) have some small changes.” “We’re doing our very best to Hoffman said that DOTI has design around and [not impact] allocated $2 million to the projtrees,” Duszak said during the Zoom preect and expects to have a final cost estimate sentation. “We want to minimize impacts this spring. Any additional funds would to trees and landscaping.” need city council approval. Construction is scheduled to begin late this year or in ‘I go across the street and I’m in mud’ early 2023. The city will work directly with Nancy Steinfurth, who lives on the west property owners throughout the process, side of Quebec between 16th and 17th aveHoffman said. nues, says she supports installing sidewalks Two residents participating in the city’s to make them wheelchair accessible, but March 8 presentation spoke up in support she questions the inconsistencies. of the project, including Leslie Twarogows“I put little flags out that measured five ki, who lives nearby. feet for a [hell] strip and then eight feet deep “I’m very excited and thankful these sidefor a sidewalk in front of my house, and it walks are coming through, because we’ve comes pretty far into my yard — it is the been asking for these for literally decades,” right-of-way but it’s shocking,” she said. said Twarogowski, an at-large representaTwo blocks away from Steinfurth’s tive for Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. house, the sidewalk in front of the Burger Twarogowski included three “asks” of the King on Colfax is six feet wide — two feet city during her comments: less than what she’ll have running through • That DOTI officials actively involve a city her residential front yard. The two streets forester in the project and educate neighthat run east-to-west nearest to her house bors about the city’s free tree program will still have no sidewalks, That is the case — “especially for people who will have for much of the surrounding area, where to have their trees removed.” sidewalks are narrow, nonexistent or plain • That the city provide sheltered bus stops dirt pathways. with trash cans — not just the concrete “The sidewalk in front of my house will be pads currently outlined in the plan. wider than the sidewalk in front of Burger the city work to eventually install • That King — how crazy is that?” Steinfurth said. left turn lanes and signals on 17th Avenue “I fully support people in wheelchairs heading east and west at Quebec Street. getting to the bus station, however this makes no sense,” she said. “Why are we doing this if we are only doing a tiny portion? If I am in a wheelchair and I’m riding along 17th or Quebec, I cross to the next street and I’m in mud, so what’s the point?” In addition, Steinfurth said she and many of her neighbors are concerned about the impacts on their landscaping, includ-
Resources And Links • Learn more about the project details, and sign up to receive regular updates at bit.ly/quebec17thsidewalks • The Sidewalk Gap Construction Hotline is 720-460-9055. • Questions and comments email: quebec17thsidewalks@denvergov.org
Quebec Street and East 17th Avenue Sidewalks and Pedestrian Safety Improvements
Source: City and County of Denver, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure
DOTI officials plan to present the sidewalk plan and answer questions during the Thursday, April 7 Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. neighborhood monthly meeting. The meeting, held via Zoom, can be accessed at this link: greaterparkhill.org/ join-us/community-meetings/. It is free and open to the public.
Squeezing The Traffic Through A Brief History Of The Quebec Street Bottleneck The eight-block stretch of Quebec Street from 12th Avenue to Montview Boulevard has long been a source of intrigue, inspiration and inaction. In the mid-1990s, Lowry began to be developed as a residential neighborhood south of Park Hill. Construction of the Stapleton neighborhood (now Central Park) began in 2001. As these two massive neighborhoods took shape, Quebec Street — the western corridor that connects the two new infill projects — was widened to four lanes. With one notable exception. The eight-block stretch between 12th Avenue and Montview Boulevard remains a two-lane road, snarling traffic and creating a bottleneck. Most of the stretch lacks sidewalks on each side. City officials have long tried to lasso a solution. One long-simmering idea was that the city would purchase the residential properties on the east side of Quebec to make room to widen the roadway. Several mayors later, the city decided the cost to do that was prohibitive. Over the years other possibilities have been batted around — one was to make Quebec a one-way street, and Syracuse Street just east of Quebec a one-way street flowing the other direction. Adding turn lanes on Quebec to help with traffic has also been considered. Ultimately all these ideas were rejected. And, while all were being considered, the upshot was, still no sidewalks. That brings us to 2022, and the plan now being rolled out. — Cara DeGette Page 6
Nancy Steinfurth demonstrates how wide the city’s planned 8-foot wide sidewalk would look in front of her house. In addition to the wide sidewalk (which Steinfurth marked with pink flags), the city plans to take 5 additional feet (commonly called a hell strip) from the street to the sidewalk in front of residential properties along the west side of Quebec from 12th Avenue to Montview Boulevard. The other part of the project, along 17th Avenue, includes 5-foot-wide sidewalks — which are the city’s current standard size. Photo by Cara DeGette
“The sidewalk in front of my house will be wider than the sidewalk in front of Burger King — how crazy is that?” — Nancy Steinfurth The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
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ing the sad state of the policy-driven rules against cars. This war on the downtown merchants is so sad to watch. The consequences of this hollowing out of downtown reminds me of the downtown emptiness I saw when I first moved here 40 years ago. The “City Fathers” have lost their way in the last five years.
In Praise Of Gary Martyn
Amen to the sentiments expressed in Gary Martyn’s page 2 opinion piece in the March issue, headlined O Denver, Where Art Thou? — particularly regarding the airport and other “monuments of greatness.” The fanciful project underway—already for years — at DIA leaves this native DenJohn Eckstein, Park Hill verite and frequent flyer scratching his head. DIA has “updated” passenger check-in for the United area (maybe the other airlines’ areas by 2028?) such that each small counter stands perhaps 20 feet apart, and individual kiosks perhaps 12 feet, virtually shouting LOOK AT THE WASTE! Sensible, impressive, indigenous and beautiful native rock flooring (oops . . . remember traction?) has given way to slick, polished, monotonous white (fake) quartz slabs, in a town and state that clearly gravitate to the natuA fence of doom surrounds this house on the corner of 23rd ral and real. We witness expansion of and Ash, meaning it will soon be torn down and hauled to “shopping areas,” which will be the landfill. Photo by Cara DeGette finished just as we complete 15 years of ever-increasing online shopping Why Are We Letting This emergence, already nearing dominance. Happen To Our Park Hill? Ferragamo loafers? Sure. There just won’t be many customers to buy them. For the Dear Neighbors, most part, the City’s planning attitude has The Park Hill Cottage is becoming an focused on the grandiose, while from the endangered species. In my travels through billions to be spent, we cannot have the esour neighborhood I’m saddened to see more calator chases from train level to terminal and more of what I call “starter homes” beLevel 5 installed (after half were deleted in ing scraped and replaced by McMansions ‘92 due to . . . uh . . . cost overruns). So the three times their size. bottlenecks in pedestrian movement will Where do first-time home buyers go— continue, and if usage projections are corsingles, young couples, older folks downrect, they will get a lot worse. sizing? Where there might have been some As for the small stuff, no one thinks of chance for a working class couple to afford installing a handy shelf above the bank $600,000 for the cottage, they surely will of urinals throughout the facility’s connot be able to afford the $1.5 million moncourse rest rooms, where one can place a ster that replaces that cottage. bag or parcel while taking care of nature’s I’m watching what used to be an economcall. This, despite that these are standard ically, and hence racially and ethnically in many bigger and smaller city airports, diverse neighborhood, become a ghetto of such that the feature is a structural, floor nice privileged white folks with white collar planned inclusion. jobs. This is not the kind of neighborhood But we do have a south end “outdoor I want to live in and it’s not why I moved to plaza” with a massively costly arched roof, Park Hill over 40 years ago. used by no one other than some hotel guests I wonder why this is happening and walking to or from the terminal, or a few imagine the answer lies with sociologists smokers seeking a place to light up near the and market economists. But I also wonterminal doors. der why we are letting this happen to our neighborhood? Where are the Registered Peter Ehrlich, Park Hill Neighborhood Organizations, city councilpersons, we, who live here? This question Editor’s note: Gary Martyn’s guest column, needs to be answered not by economists which appeared in the March issue, can be and sociologists, but by us from our heart read at this link: tinyurl.com/GaryMartyn space. What’s right when it comes to living not the words, but the actions of diversity in all its dimensions — economic, racial, Gary Martyn Is Spot-On ethnic? Wow! What a GREAT column by Gary And if that question pushes on our sense Martyn. Mr. Martyn is spot on in his obserof social justice and community, how do vations. Sadly, we’ve noted the same things we deal with questions about stewardship as we return to work and leisure in downof our planet? How can we justify taking town and travel post-COVID-19. all of those bricks, concrete, plaster, roofMr. Martyn’s letter should be sent to City ing, sinks and toilets from a livable space Hall, Mayor Hancock, Chris Herndon and and putting it into a landfill and replacing each of our City Council members to let it with a space that will use twice the water, them know of our disappointment and degas and electricity? sire for positive action. I’m very sad and sorry for us. Thanks, Mr. Martyn, for having the courage to tell it like it is, I stand with you. Elaine Granata, Park Hill Karen Spinelli, Park Hill
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.
Gary Martyn Is The Man
Mr. Martyn’s March column appealed to me. I can work remotely but choose to work downtown. I stick close to my building office to avoid the broken-down 16th Street Mall and I drive at odd hours to avoid see-
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The Medley
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April 2022
RAW POLITICS | opinion
Hurry Up And Wait
The City Will ‘Eventually’ Connect People To Services. That Means We Have No Idea When. By Penfield W. Tate III For the GPHN
Spring has arrived and the variety that Colorado weather presents is in full “bloom.” Snow one day, 70 degrees the next. It is why we love Colorado and why it frustrates us so. Just as the weather varies, let’s cover a variety of topics this month.
Horrors In Ukraine We continue to be forced to confront one of the issues of our time — How do you deter a rogue nuclear equipped nation? The stability of the world remains imperiled by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. It has caused NATO to implement a series of economic sanctions against the country. The sanctions are on a scale unprecedented in history, and are reportedly having some impact. The sanctions, coupled with American and other companies divesting from Russia, has left Russia threatening to seize the assets of foreign companies and to default on its international debt for the second time since 1917, when the communists took over from the czars. Hopes that the Russian people will oust their own government and leaders are slim. This economic war has become the new battlefield in an effort to avoid any direct armed conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia. As a child, I grew up on military bases around the world and like many of us, came of age in a Cold War world. For many not used to this tension, it will be an anxious time and rightfully so. This is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Who thinks this is a good idea? As if the conflict in Ukraine was not
lesson enough, the current session of the Colorado General Assembly shows that as a society we are still fixated with firepower. I acknowledge and understand the Second Amendment, and the right to bear arms. But I think the annual flood of some gun bills on the national and local level cannot truly be justified. House Bill 22-1086 is moving through the legislature and would prohibit the open carrying of firearms within 100 feet of a ballot box, voting center or vote processing site. People need to wave firearms around at a polling place. Seriously? Recently defeated House Bill 22-1033 would have allowed for the concealed carry of firearms without a permit. Anywhere. Really? Experiencing similar fates, House Bill 22-1105 would have allowed the use of deadly force to protect a business. House Bill 22-1106 attempted to enact a measure, that has been defeated in 10 prior legislative sessions, to allow the concealed carry of firearms in K-12 public schools. Kindergartners and guns — who thinks this is ever a good idea? We have seen school shooting after shooting – remember Columbine? – and yet some push for more firearms in public. I understand the desire to maintain firearms in homes, but in public? Many of us need more convincing.
the result of people being displaced from housing. It reflects a lack of care and attention to little things that are so vital to a great community. Denver’s newly announced fee-based trash collection program is not the answer. Policies are interconnected. Failure to rein in gentrification and displacement or to aggressively promote affordable housing policies will simply magnify our current problems. Residents of the Ruby Hill neighborhood southwest of downtown have lately complained about the increase of people living in RVs and cars in the area. The spread of trash and waste has neighbors concerned for the vehicular residents, and also angry about the impact on their community. Frustration with the city’s slow response is exceeded by the concern that it has even developed in the first place. “It’s a bad look for Denver,” one resident recently told Channel 7. City officials have proposed a new “safe parking program” where people can live in their vehicles in identified locations and have access to bathrooms and showers. The city will “eventually” — that means we have no idea when — connect them to services to get off the streets.
Chasing a symptom At the same time the city acknowledges that these are places “unfit for human habitation.” Cars and RVs were never intended to be homes on a long-term basis. This is just one illustration of an ongoing issue. A recent report revealed that Colorado’s chronically sheltered homeless population grew by 266 percent between 2007 and 2021
— more than any other state. Denver was reported as one of the country’s top three cities with the highest number of homeless veterans, trailing behind only Los Angeles and New York City. Denver International Airport recently disclosed an ongoing issue with those experiencing homelessness taking shelter in bathrooms and other places. The rate of police contacts with the unhoused at DIA have tripled since 2018. Denver has, belatedly (some might say begrudgingly), begun to invest in resources for the unhoused and affordable housing. However, the ongoing homeless sweeps continue, designed to crack down on illegal encampments. There is a need to respect and protect private property. However, these measures are chasing a symptom, not solving the problem. Until this city commits to and significantly funds a full scale, multi-faceted set of policies and programs to develop a broad array of housing options in cooperation with the private sector and non-profit providers, these problems will persist. If we want change, we will need to force the issue. We must make our voices heard. Have a great spring. Penfield W. Tate III is an attorney in Denver. He represented Park Hill in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 to 2000, and in the State Senate from 2001 to February 2003. He lives in Park Hill.
‘A bad look for Denver’
If the human infrastructure of a city is not continually tended to or is broken, the city will fall into a downward spiral. I talk to many who bemoan the state of our city, particularly the way it just looks. The proliferation of trash and disrepair around Denver has many concerned, frustrated and demoralized. It is significantly
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Earth In Crisis | opinion
Planting Trees Is Sexy The Climate News Is Grim, But We Can Do More. We Must Do More By Tracey MacDermott For the GPHN
At the end of February, the International Panel on Climate Change released its second of three reports on the impacts and risks of climate change. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The news is grim, and we are hurtling to a point of no return. One of the key findings in the latest report is that if we are to avoid the worst, we must act now. Central to this report is the issue of inequality. Specifically, those who have contributed the least amount of damage to the carbon footprint will be impacted the most. This is age-old problem evident not only globally but here in the U.S., and right here in Denver. “Inequality is at the heart of today’s climate crisis,” noted Nafkote Dabi, the policy lead of Oxfam, an international confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations that is focused on fighting global poverty. “In the little over 100 days since COP26, the richest 1 percent of the world’s population have emitted much more carbon than the population of Africa does in an entire year. Clearly the time has come to claw back the outsized wealth, power and consumption [of the super-rich] through wealth taxes or bans on carbon-hungry luxury goods like private jets and mega yachts. People living in the most affected countries do not need this report to tell them that the climate has changed.”
Warning Bells Are Clanging
Our inability to act more than 50 years ago when Earth Day began and the warning bells first started ringing has meant decades of missed opportunity. Since then, we have come to the point of no return as there are changes for the climate which are inevitable. These changes include extreme weather, heat waves, heavy and more frequent rainfall, droughts, fire, changing seasons and sea-level rise. We already know our coral reefs are critically harmed with little hope on the horizon for saving them. Left unchecked, the impacts of climate change means humans will be facing food and water insecurities, vector-borne diseases and worsening physical and mental health. The report notes that our current adaptation measures are not effective, and any future adaptation methods won’t be able to prevent future damage. An important aspect of the just-released report is that researchers consciously made an effort to consult with indigenous leaders and social scientists in order to understand vulnerability and climate justice. This is a critical step and must be part of the overall solutions to climate change.
what we already know are challenges, such as air pollution. Adopting changes, including taking immediate steps to adopt widespread use of electric buses and electrified homes and buildings can be part of the solution. Replacing gas with electric leads to cleaner air, healthier homes, a reduction of energy bills. But this means policy changes and bold action from our local elected officials. Any major infrastructure plan must be reviewed and critically evaluated to assess whether it truly is solving climate change — or whether it really constitutes an elected official’s idea of a vanity project. Some simple solutions for cities on coasts include physical barriers to stop floods, including such as planting trees upstream to slow excess river flows. One solution — which can be applied right here in Denver — is to stop reducing our permeable land. When we allow developers to build from property line to property line, rainwater cannot absorb into the ground, which leads to devastating flooding. Here’s another: As heat island effects continue to heat up our cities, natural cooling is critical. Planting trees should be at the top of every single planning effort. These simple policies can actually be challenging, as some leaders don’t see planting trees as politically sexy as, say, pushing to build a new arena that might one day be named for them. Meanwhile, our window of opportunity is rapidly closing. We are on target to exceed the crucial 1.5 degree Celsius global warming marker within a decade. Climate change is inevitable. However, we still have the opportunity — indeed the moral obligation — to act. We must be fast. April 22 is Earth Day, and here in Greater Park Hill we make a month of it. Please join our Registered Neighborhood Organization to help our neighborhood become a sustainable leader and partner. We will continue our work to help educate with an upcoming lectureship series. We are working to make our world headquarters, at 2823 Fairfax St., sustainable and 100 electric-powered. We will continue to provide our neighbors with change, and hope.
The roar of the black howler monkey can be heard up to three miles away.
Pura Vida
We Live On A Damaged Planet. Let Us Turn To Costa Rica For Inspiration On What Can Be Done Story by Cara DeGette Photos by Mark Silverstein Costa Rican people are reported to be among the happiest on earth. They live amid a landscape comprised of a half-million plant and animal species — accounting for nearly 4 percent of all the species in the world. This is thanks to their own handiwork. In the 1970s and 1980s, Costa Rica, which is bordered by Nicaragua and Panama,
had one of the highest rates of deforestation in Latin America. By 1987, as the environmental news platform earth.org has detailed, nearly half of its forest cover had been destroyed. The country’s government intervened, making Costa Rica the foremost tropical country in the world to tackle deforestation. Cutting down trees without approval was criminalized. A unique program was installed to pay farmers to protect watersheds, conserve biodiversity and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions.
“There is still so much in the world worth fighting for.” — Jane Goodall Tracey MacDermott is an at-large member of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., and immediate past chair. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017, and is currently the Statewide Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project for the 100% Committed Campaign.
Leaders must step up their game
Cities present key challenges as well as opportunities. Rising temperatures worsen
You Look Marvelous What To Wear While Saving The Planet By Mark Kuhl
So, other than avoiding fast fashion, how can we change our fashion habits to lighten our impact on Mother Earth? Buy Earth Day is April 22 and as you think of high quality items that will last. Choose how to be nicer to the environment, con- garments made from natural fibers like sider your fashion choices. cotton. Shop at thrift stores. Repair damEarthday.org recently highlighted how aged clothing to get another few years our fashion habits impact the enof wear before repurposing them K U S H vironment. For example, land T’ as rags. is cleared to graze animals for wool and leather and this leads Mark Kuhl is an environmental to desertification, soil degradaadvocate who lives in Park Hill tion and biodiversity loss. It takes with his family. His handy tips O L RECYC a surprising 3,781 liters of water and news about recycling houseto make one pair of jeans from the hold items appear every month in production of cotton to delivery to stores. these pages. A directory of his past columns An estimated two million tons of synthetic for recycling everything from paint to Stymicro-fibers are washed into the ocean rofoam to shoes is at greaterparkhill.org/ each year from the laundering of our fleece sustainability/recycling-directory/. jackets (and other synthetic garments). L
T
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I
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For the GPHN
Coatis are intelligent, much like their fellow procyonid, the raccoon.
The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
Three-toed sloths spend nearly all of their time in trees.
Today — barely 50 years later — close to 60 percent of Costa Rica is forested once again. Fully a quarter of the landmass is protected. More than 98 percent of the country’s energy is renewable. Its government, and its people, have vowed to become carbon neutral by 2050. To be sure, there is still much work to be done in Costa Rica, population 5 million. For example, in its capitol, San José, the streets are typically jammed with traffic, and the public transport is often unreliable. But the country has been globally celebrated for its decades-long commitment to ambitious policies to combat climate change and protect the planet’s natural resources. For good reason. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, this month we’re highlighting the fruits of effective green policy leadership — beautiful, exotic creatures that are able to thrive in their natural habitats.
Scarlet macaws spend their time in tall, deciduous trees, usually in large, noisy groups. The red-eyed tree frog has become a symbol for the movement to protect rainforests.
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April 2022
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Page 11
In Memoriam
Will Joe Blake Take A Break?
20 Busy People Could Not Have Accomplished So Much By Joseph M. Fanganello
What a concept. He worked at it, for 86 years. Always in motion. Loco Motion. For the GPHN Statics were rare; dynamics always. Kine“Let us be Friends” said Joe, quoting siology. He was a Park Hill guy, a fair sturdy Abraham Lincoln. Not enemies, friends! Republican, with a full heart and a competent knowing mind. Former Denver Post columnist Dick Kreck said “he was the most upbeat energetic guy I ever met.” Mayor Mike Hancock said Joe was the “nicest human being he ever knew.” I know no one who would disagree. He was perpetual motion. To the end. Joe texted me on Feb. 9. “I had some unwelcome ‘visitors’ last week, stage four pancreatic cancer.” It moved so fast he didn’t have time for palliative hospice care. There was not time for him to receive the affection and gratitude of his zillion pals. He was helped in these last few days by his daughter Annie and a few good friends, and those “visitors” shut down his life systems six days later, on Feb. 15. Fast; in motion. Always. I was most fortunate to be within that big circle of friends for more than four decades. I would call and ask his late wife Elizabeth, Joe Blake, left, and Joe Fanganello, in Joe Blake’s backyard in is Joe there? “No.” He was Park Hill.
in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, New CSU, FBI, CU, CU Law, RTD, Regis UniYork, washing the patio, downtown at the versity, Highlands Ranch, Mission Viejo, CSU office, in Fort Collins, at The Avenue Chamber of Commerce, and much more. If on 17th with his pals solving the Denver (and Colorado, and Amerworld’s problems, on Civil War ica) had a few more Joe Blakes, we battlefields, planning a trip, with would have many fewer problems. his grandkids, in Russia/Mongolia What a full, More friends, less enemies. with his son Joe, mowing the lawn When Annie called to say he wonderful, (by hand, every Wednesday.) Cerpassed, we brought some Virginia competent, whiskey for a visit and a sip in tainly, he spent time at his home, but he was busy. friendly life his bedroom. Quiet. With good I would see him walk west on friends. His life here was, finally, he lived. 17th Avenue Parkway to City Park; quiet. No motion. His soul moved then a little later he would be huson, to the next mystery; like a hetling east, full head of white hair lium balloon drifting to the blue. bent forward, with those blue eyes always Free. No Dante’s Inferno. focused ahead, most likely with his brain Is there motion, dynamics, kinesiology, working on the next 20 problems of the friends in the next mystery? Joe’s legacy day/hour. At his house, he made the marand spirit is active and still moves. We can tinis, set out the appetizers, cooked the all ask: “may he rest in peace?“ That he can salmon, and listened to you. He listened to take a break. Finally. What a full, wonderyou. Always. ful, competent, friendly life he lived. His basement was full of awards, meInactive in that next realm? Doubtful. mentos, baseballs, citations, photos. TwenJoseph M. Fanganello has been a lawyer ty busy people could not have accomplished for 54 years; his family has been in Denver so much: Boy Scouts, East High, Denver since 1894. He lives in Park Hill. Zoo, Stock Show, Rockies, Coors Field,
‘A Model Of Grace’
Services For Joe Blake Set For June 4 Joe Blake’s death in mid-February brought an outpouring of tributes and love from friends the lifelong Park Hillian collected through 86 years. “Joe was … a tireless advocate for education, and one of the staunchest champions of our students and scholars,” wrote CSU Chancellor Tony Frank. “He was also a model of grace, goodwill, and good humor, whose love of language, passion for ideas, and commitment to this state and its people were unsurpassed.” Blake grew up in Park Hill, and graduated in 1954 from East High, where he was Head Boy. In addition to his work at Colorado State, where he became the system’s first full-time chancellor, his early career was as an FBI agent. He was a key player in the development of Highlands Ranch, and for many years was the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Blake’s wife, Elizabeth, predeceased him. He is survived by his daughter Anne Patterson (Robert), son Joe Blake, Jr. (Michele), and grandchildren Ben and Tom Patterson and Alex and Evan Blake. A memorial service has been set for Wednesday, June 4 at 2 p.m. at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, at 1980 Dahlia St.
Rainbow Signs
Ron Miles: Jazz Cornetist, Teacher, Great Friend, Soulful Man By John Arnold MSU Denver RED
Legendary jazz musician Ron Miles, one of the finest improvisers and composers of his generation and musician-in-residence at Metropolitan State University of Denver, died in March at age 58. The cause was complications from a rare blood disorder. The Grammy-nominated trumpeter and cornetist was one of the most prominent musicians in Denver’s jazz scene, and had deep roots in Park Hill. But his talent and influence extended far beyond the Mile High City. “He was simply a great player. Not just here, but nationally and internationally,” said Norman Provizer, a political science
professor emeritus at MSU Denver and former jazz critic for the Rocky Mountain News. Beyond his musical gifts, Miles leaves behind a legacy of kindness, modesty and a desire to help others, including the students he mentored as a music instructor and jazz director at MSU Denver. “Anyone who knew him knew what an incredibly kind and wonderful person he was,” Provizer said. “He was known for what he did, not what he told others he did. Ron was a great player, not a good player, a great player. And at the same time he was a dedicated, terrific teacher.” For more than two decades, Miles taught in MSU Denver’s Department of Music, a role in which he mentored hundreds of Photo courtesy of MSU Denver
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young musicians. “I really want (my students) to realize that while they’re in school, particularly in music, it’s very important that they get outside of these walls. That they see that their art resonates in the community,” Miles said in 2017. “Duke Ellington said he doesn’t write music, he writes dreams. That’s what he does. He just dreams and puts it on paper. And that’s what I want them to do.” Miles was born in Indianapolis in 1963 and moved to Denver with his family in 1974. He attended East High School and released his debut album Distance for Safety in 1987. He went on to record 11 more albums, including the critically acclaimed I Am a Man in 2017 and Rainbow Sign — his 2020 debut on the iconic Blue Note record label that was influenced by the death of his father. “There’s this idea of rainbows being a highway from heaven to earth and that we
can go back and forth to visit,” Miles told RED in 2020. “Now, it also means inclusion and love and courage … and to meet the test to be positive, vigilant, and still love in the face of negativity we constantly encounter.” In addition to leading his own bands, Miles performed in the ensembles of top jazz artists such as Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Mercer Ellington, Don Byron, Myra Melford, Joe Henry, Madeleine Peyroux, Jason Moran and many others. He was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2017. Miles is survived by his wife, Kari, his daughter, Justice, and his son, Honor, his mother, brother, two sisters and a halfsister. A version of this memorial first appeared in RED, the newsletter of MSU Denver. It is reprinted with permission. The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
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East senior guard Zy’Quis Davis powers past a ThunderRidge defender at Denver Coliseum on March 11.
One Agonizing Point Short East High boys basketball fell one agonizing point short in a thrilling 55-54 Final Four loss to defending champions ThunderRidge at Denver Coliseum on March 11. East, which, at one point was up by eight points during the fourth quarter, had a chance to win. They were down by one with the ball and 20 seconds left in the game. But senior star guard Zy’Quis Davis, who had made a last second shot to beat Rangeview in the round of 16, was unable to repeat the magic, missing a long three-pointer as time expired. D’Aundre Samuels led the Angels with 18 points. Aguir Dawam and Zy’Quis Davis each scored 12. East finished the season with a 24-3 record.
ThunderRidge went on to win the state championship game, beating Fossil Ridge 58-49. Photos by Reid Neureiter
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The Greater Park Hill News
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GPHC Command Central
Spring Has Sprung
Coming Attractions Include Garden Tours, Garden Boxes, Yard Sales, Park Hill Parade, Home Tour & Street Fair By Lana Cordes
additional details. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the annual Park Hill Garden Walk on Daylight Savings has begun, spring has Sunday, June 12, the Park Hill Parade on sprung, and events season is around the Monday, July 4, and the Home Tour & corner! Street Fair, which will take place on Keep an eye on greaterparkhill. a Sunday in September (date to be org and facebook.com/GPHCdenfinalized next month). See the stover in April so you don’t miss regry at right for more on the Garden istration for the Park Hill CommuWalk, and stay tuned in upcoming nity Yard Sale and the Garden in a issues for additional details and Box Giveaway. Both will take place coverage of all our events. on Saturday, May 21. We appreciate those who continHere’s how the community yard ue to support our food programs sale works: Register your address if Lana Cordes through item donations. To better you plan to hold a sale, or utilize help you get us the items we need, the handy map to find all the sales we’ve updated the “Donate” page on near you. our website to include a list of items that are As far as the Garden in a Box Giveaway, most frequently requested by our clients. are you a novice or a gardener with a low or Visit greaterparkhill.org/donate to review fixed income who wants to start a vegetable the list. garden, and needs a little push in the right Thank you to the donors and volunteers direction? This one is for you. Check out that supported our operations this past our website and facebook page, and also month: next month’s issue of the newspaper for Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
DONORS
Christine Davidson Harry and Gail Doby Gidon and Sarah Felson Anne & Joe Frank Bobbi Gillis Princess Gray Casey Guber and Erika Burke Simon and Elizabeth Hambidge Amy Harris Lola and Arlen Hershberger Adrienne Hill Lee Hillman Dana & Bill Hughes Wayne Johnson Bill Juraschek Joycee Kennedy Christine and Daniel Allen Beth Ketel Marc and Alice Applebaum Birgit Kieft Penny Ashley-Lawrence Judy Klupar Ally Bailey & Matt McConville Jodi Krause Mike and Susan Barden Dirk Lashnits Diane Berry Alan and Leslie Levine Barbara Berryman Mary Jo Lorenz Simon Blamires Natalie and Patrick Love Heather Blanchard and Mark and Debra Lovell William White Tracey MacDermott and Miles Brennan and Heather Shockey Yvonne Bokelman Pat and Kate Maley Jon and Janet Bowman Christina and Dan Alex Brown and Mary Stone Manzanares Jennifer Calderone Gary and Carolyn Martyn Inga Calvin Jeff and Mayzie Mayfield A Bruce Campbell Elisa and Colin Michael Patricia Coan Diane Montagne John L Collister Harriet Mullaney Spinelli’s Market Thomas Korson Patty Cordova Chris and Erin Nielsen Jenna Cruff Nicholas and Teresa Lisa Daldegan Nossaman Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church Cake Crumbs Bakery and Cafe Colfax Mayfair Business Improvement District Cure D’Ars Catholic Church Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens God’s Will Christian Fellowship LDS Cannery Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center Pc St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Carolyn O’Shea Annie and David Pratt Kendall Rames Ellen Reath and Craig Maginness Mary Salsich Andrew & Ellen Selig Eloise Smith Kait Speth Sarah Spiker Mary Jo Starmer Nancy Steinfurth Wendi Torres Robert Valuck Lindsay Wadman Flo Wagner Jim/Anita Wagner Kristen Whealon Madeline J. White Pam and Chris Wineman Sue Wofford Debbie Zucker and Brian Field
VOLUNTEERS
Greg Davis Amelia Drumwright Claudia Fields Maria Flora Tas Frashure Noni Horwitz Phebe Lassiter Debra Lovell Chuck E Nelson Mike Quigley Deb Rosenbaum Sandy Sabala Heather Shulman Lindsay Wadman Jeannie Willis
Student volunteers at last year’s Park Hill Garden Walk.
Dirt Under Those Nails
McAuliffe International Middle Schoolers Will Be Back In Action, Volunteering At The June 12 Park Hill Garden Walk By Jean Ercolani
Park Hill Garden Walk Organizer
For the first time in the 21-year history of the Park Hill Garden Walk, students from McAuliffe International School’s volunteer program worked at the eight individual gardens in last year’s daylong event. The volunteers were engaging, helpful and simply delightful at each location, and the organizing committee is thrilled that the students want to do this again this year. Michelle Moore, community liaison for McAuliffe International, says the students’ experiences with the Garden Walk was very positive, and they were amazed at the gardens. Initially wary they may spend the day just looking at cabbages, Moore noted many students reported it was one of the best things they did last summer, and asked if they could do it again this year. Moore works with students on service learning, community projects, is a student mentor, co-coordinates the student leadership program, and teaches a social justice class for 8th graders at Park Hill’s McAuliffe International School, the middle school at 26th Avenue and Holly Street. The McAuliffe volunteer and community outreach program has been a part of the curriculum since the school opened in 2012. Students have done service projects
with Park Hill elementary schools, including Stedman, Smith, and Hallet. They have also done work with the Ronald McDonald House, Urban Farms, Metro Caring and several homes for seniors. Several students who graduated from McAuliffe last year and are now in high school want to participate in this year’s Garden Walk, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets go on sale beginning May 1 at parkhillgardenwalk.org. Advance tickets are $15, seniors (age 65+) are $12 and children under 12 are free. Tickets will also be available at several Park Hill businesses the first week of May (locations are listed at the website). Make sure to check out next month’s issue for additional details and previews of the gardens and artists that will be featured in this year’s Garden Walk. The Park Hill Garden Walk committee is a group of volunteers working to raise funds to support the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. mission. GPHC, is a registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill, and works to preserve the quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation. Learn more and get involved at greaterparkhill.org.
Mon, Wed-Fri: 4-9pm • Sat: 3-9pm • Sun: 1-9pm • Tues: Closed
Daily Specials • Live Jazz on the Weekends! Page 14
The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
open book | opinion
The Circle Of Beauty We Must Preserve The Magic Of Park Hill By Anya Nitczynski For the GPHN
We in Park Hill, are lucky. We have a beautiful neighborhood for walking. Sun dappled sidewalks, church roofs covered with snow, and majestic libraries made up my childhood. I’ve grown up with a life children dream about. A block full of kids my age, getting together after dinner every long summer night, playing games our parents and grandparents have played before, or simply making up our own. As I grow up, I have evolved from capturing the flag to walking around the neighborhood, especially as the quarantine hit. I eventually took one of my closest friends with me, and it’s become a staple of our friendship, to go walking on a particular route as often as possible. This is rare — having a neighborhood where playing outside or going on a walk is so beautiful it makes your heart hurt. Cities are typically designed for consumerism. Suburbs surround a central city that’s designed for convenience. This means having a financial district, a museum district, so on and so forth. Not only are cities designed this way originally, they’re also expanded in ways that create the ugly city landscapes that aren’t as majestic as, say, the skyscrapers in downtown Denver. When the city expands outwards, the landscape generally consists of strip malls, huge corporate restaurant chains, large intersections — the kind of landscape that reminds you of the color grey and dreary weather, no matter how green the grass is or how sunny the day is. Park Hill is a walking neighborhood.
One with a landscape of beautiful trees, independently-owned businesses, and a sense of community that consistently surpasses my expectations of neighborly kindness. I’d like to think our abundance of community gardens and many flowerbeds can partially be attributed to the spirit of the average Park Hillian. I also attribute the kindness of the average Park Hillian to their surroundings, which are in turn affected by their kindness. What a beautiful circle. The end result is, Park Hill is the kind of neighborhood where friends get together to walk every Tuesday morning (the highlight of my day on the way to school every week). Of course, there are exceptions to the beauty of Park Hill. We must stay aware of the development happening within our beloved neighborhood, or we could turn out just like any sad concrete landscape in any other big city in this country. Future generations deserve to have the same capture-the-flag memories, the same fall colors in the trees. They deserve to feel inspired to grab a coffee from a local shop early in the morning, and proceed on a walk with a designated group at sunrise. Hold on to the beauty in this neighborhood and reflect on it every once in a while. We are the exception. We are the lucky ones.
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Anya Nitczynski is a freshman at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears monthly in these pages.Anya Nitczynski is an 8th grader at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears monthly in these pages.
Who We Are, What We Do The Board of Directors of GPHC, Inc. The 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. The GPHC board is comprised of volunteer at-large representatives, as well as 10 district representatives. If you are interested in volunteering or serving on a committee, contact current GPHC Board Chair Shane Sutherland at chair@greaterparkhill.org for details. The following are current board members, and their best contacts. Many representatives prefer to be contacted through the main office, at 303-388-0918 or info@greaterparkhill.org. The GPHC world headquarters is at 2823 Fairfax St. If you have an issue you’d like to discuss about the neighborhood, contact your board representative. For those board members who don’t have a phone or email contact listed, leave a message at the main number and it will be forwarded to your elected representative by GPHC Executive Director Lana Cordes. • Board Chair Shane Sutherland:
Park Hill Treasures
chair@greaterparkhill.org • Secretary and Zoning/Property Use Chair Bernadette Kelly • Treasurer and District 3 Rep Heather Shockey • District 1 Amy Harris • District 2 Brenda Morrison • District 4 Kevin Wiegand • District 5 Ken Burdette • 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 Louis Plachowski: lplachowski@gmail.com • At-Large Sandy Robnett • At-Large Tracey MacDermott • At-Large Leslie Twarogowski • Community Safety Chair Geneva Goldsby • Public Information Chair Melissa Davis: newspaper@greaterparkhill.org • Youth Services Chair Rick Medrick
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April 2022
The Greater Park Hill News
Page 15
AT THE LIBRARY
To Serve, Protect, And Read Sitting Down With The Security Professionals At Pauline Robinson
LW: Describe your typical day. Saenz and Feast: We come in and take care of the work that needs to be done beMore and more people are returning to fore we open. Once the building is open, we the library as the pandemic fades into the tend to be stationed at a desk to help cusrearview, and a common question we have tomers with transactions. Throughout the been getting is: “Why do you have secuday we assist customers in a variety of ways, rity?” and maintain our security Library security is not new. presence by walking through The job of security clerk is part Most of our job is the building periodically. customer service and part LW: What kind of problems making sure the environment about maintaining do you deal with? is safe for everyone. Many of the safety of all the Saenz and Feast: Most our branch libraries have seamount to letting kids know customers in our curity clerks. In fact, several of they’re being a bit too boisterour leaders who started their branch and focusing ous, but we really don’t have library careers in security on getting services very many problems here [at have gone to become librarRobinson]. A few to those that need Pauline ians and branch managers. times we’ve had aggravated In our case, in part to highthem the most. patrons but thanks to our light the work of our two secude-escalation training, they rity clerks, this month I asked haven’t amounted to more Paco Saenz and Quinton Feast than that. to share some insights. LW: What part of this job do you perLeslie Williams: What are the duties/ sonally find most satisfying? Most chalfunctions/responsibilities of your job? lenging? Paco Saenz and Quinton Feast: Most Saenz: The most satisfied with is knoware clerking related; handling materials, ing that I work with a great staff that’s aldoing customer transactions, assisting ways giving their best every day to assist with technology issues, and connecting and help every customer. with community members. The security Feast: I love being able to connect with work is mostly about maintaining a safe members of the community and betenvironment for our customers and trying ter know the people I work for and have to address concerns preemptively and with lived around. Being able to help someone a restorative lens. We look to allow those progress their court case, file for unemthat need our space the most the ability to ployment, or access necessary services like use it. Maintaining the safety of the branch social security or LEAP is both satisfying is of the utmost importance so we stay up and at the core of the work that we do here. to date on CPR/AED (defibrillator) proceBeing able to make a difference, however dures, practice Narcan recovery/first aid, small, is what I strive for in my work. This train de-escalation practices, and lead our can also be the biggest challenge of our team in emergency preparedness. work because my position in security can By Leslie Williams
Pauline Robinson Branch Librarian
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At top, Quinton Feast is on the left, and Paco Saenz is at right. In the photos above, Saenz is on the left, and Feast is at right. Photos by Lexi Davis, Pauline Robinson Branch Library
disincentivize that connection. Bridging the gap between maintaining barriers for safety and working with people to break down barriers can often be a conflicting task. It definitely poses a challenge but not an insurmountable one.
to say hello or seek their assistance. You will be glad that you did.
LW: What attracted you to this position? Saenz: I began my career as a shelver at the Schlessman Family Branch [in the Lowry neighborhood] and worked there for three years. I applied for the security clerk position here in 2017 because I was attracted to Park Hill’s diverse community. Feast: I’ve lived most of my life in North Park Hill and have always used the Pauline Robinson library branch, even volunteering and working here in my youth. I’ve always loved the sense of community around Holly Square and I wanted to contribute to the environment that has been cultivated here. So when I saw that the library was hiring for security clerks I threw my hat in the ring and thankfully have been working here since.
Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 3- to 5-year olds and their parents or caregivers.
LW: What are some myths you feel people have about you when they come into the library? Saenz: Customers thinking that I can’t help them – that I’m just security and cannot assist them with help on books, computers, etc. Some phrases that I hear from customers when they see us “Why more than one security officer today?” or, ”Oh I wonder why so much security today.” Feast: I think people see the uniform and are rightfully intimidated by it. We look a lot like police officers and therefore are perceived that way. Most of our job is about maintaining the safety of all the customers in our branch and focusing on getting services to those that need them the most. Where the security profession usually desires to maintain a level of authority and intimidation, we strive to tear down the barriers that prevent the community from being able to access the necessary services we provide and hopefully curb that perception. Leslie Williams: Uniforms aside, Paco and Quinton create a great sense of community for us and provide the best service possible for our customers. I hope the next time you visit our branch, you take the time
nOW sErving PAstA
Programs at the Pauline Robinson branch Preschool Story-time
Drop In Tech Help
Wednesdays, 2:30 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. After School is Cool
Thursdays, 4:15 p.m. After School is Cool is back. We are starting out having crafts, games, and STEM activities on Thursdays! Come by and see what fun we are having today. For ages 7 through 12.
Programs at the Park Hill branch Toddler Story-time
Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers. Space is limited. Registration is required please register through the events calendar on the DPL website at denverlibrary.org or call us at 720-865-0250. Masks are highly encouraged for people 2 and up. Teen Advisory Board
April 5, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. April 19 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Anyone 6-12th grades are welcome to join and help with library programming and resources geared towards teens. Park Hill has two public libraries: The Pauline Robinson branch library is at 5575 E 33rd Ave., and the Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd. For hours of operation and details on additional in-person and online programming for both neighborhood libraries, check out denverlibrary.org.
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April 2022
This tiny fruit fly is one of 5,000 different types of species in the Tephritidae family. These little guys are often called peacock flies, because of their bright colors and showy markings. The behavioral ecology of peacock flies is of great interest to biologists. Some have extensive mating rituals and territorial displays, moving their wings up and down and engaging in courtship dances. This peacock fly was photographed in Park Hill by Mark Silverstein.
Annual Membership
Strutting His Stuff
Registration
Bugland | Mark Silverstein
2823 Fairfax Street, Denver, CO 80207 • 303-388-0918 • greaterparkhill.org
Complete this form for new membership registration or renewal. You can also register/renew online at greaterparkhill.org/donate Your Name: Household Name: Business Name (if registering business membership): Address: Email: Phone:
Individual/Household Memberships:
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Please make checks payable to Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. is a 501(c)(3). Our tax ID number is 84-6049695. You will receive an acknowledgment and tax receipt. Members receive our monthly email communication. GPHC will not sell/release your information for any purposes and you may opt out at any time.
Park Hill VET
Have Pet, Will Travel Spring Into Action With Your Fur Kids By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ
easily break or tangle, risking injury to pets and people. If you must use a handheld leash, use a solid leather, nylon or rope With little more snow in front of us, leash and make sure your pet’s collar is not we are rushing into spring with cleaning, too loose to prevent them from pulling out. exercise and planning for summer. If you Hiking is a more strenuous form of walkdidn’t start or never made New Year’s resoing and allows both you and your pet great lutions, now it’s time to dust off the walkadventures. Avoid difficult trails and tering or running shoes and get going. And, rain until you’ve acclimated your pet to that includes getting your pets ready for the hiking on shorter trails and softer terrain. spring and summer. Not all dogs are natural swimmers — inIf you’re planning on a move or travel cluding some the breeds that should adore near or far with pets during the summer, water. But for those that love water, swimmake sure the fur kids are current on all ming is also great exercise. For those that their preventive health care like water but don’t know and speak with your veterihow to swim, start slowly in narian about tips to help with water with a canine Just like us, [pets] shallow the move or travel. Stressed lifejacket and help them gain may have become their skills. humans packing boxes or suitcases stress out pets, not couch potatoes rather Fetch and other games are to mention the hours of car a great workout as well. For travel. Much can be done to than road warriors the avidly athletic dog, there prepare pets for your trip or during the winter or are also great sports out there move and even get a referral such as agility, canine freeto a new practice in your des- even the pandemic. style and Flyball™. You can tination so you can have one find resources locally to train thing off the list of to do’s for your herding dog to use their future care or emergencies. innate herding skills. Spring into action now to get your pup And, last but not least, cats need exerback into shape for the upcoming warm cise too – especially since we see so many months of longer walks/runs, hiking and overweight and obese cats. You just need to camping. Just like us, they may have bemake sure a cat “wins” at their challenge. come couch potatoes rather than road Cat exercise options include: warriors during the winter or even the 1. Laser pointers and mobile laser toys. pandemic. 2. Catios – an outdoor enclosure for a safe Remember to start your dog’s exercise way to engage the outdoors. program slowly to allow them to build up 3. Food puzzles – the marriage of mealtime endurance. Watch the temperature and and engaging exercise. time of day as well as for signs of exhaus4. Feather toys and other chasers. tion such as heavy panting and wheezing, 5. Hiding toys and treats in random localameness, slowing or stopping to lie down. tions. Avoid walks and runs during hot temperatures and check to make sure that the side6. Bubbles for visual stimulation – there’s walks and asphalt are not so hot they will even a brand just for cats that is made burn tender paws. with catnip to make it doubly fun. Not every dog is built for strenuous exEnjoy your time with your pets exercisercise, but all dogs can go for walks. Make ing too – it benefits human physical and sure that there’s time to sniff around new mental health to spend quality time with areas and add to the pee-mail. Take new our animals. routes for both your entertainment and the physical challenge. Dr. Margot Vahrenwald For runners, safety first – it’s best to use is the owner of Park Hill a hands-free leash around your waist. OffVeterinary Medical Center leash running is not appropriate in our urat 2255 Oneida St. For ban environment for the safety of your pet; more information, visit save it for open areas where it is allowed. parkhillvet.com Avoid using retractable leashes as they can For the GPHN
April 2022
The Greater Park Hill News
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Greater Park Hill Resources Active Minds
Active Minds has transformed itself during the pandemic from a live, in-person series of lectures to a web experience. Check out free lectures on topics ranging from music to history, current events to foreign affairs. A complete schedule of upcoming events is at activeminds. com
Art Garage
6100 E. 23rd Ave., artgaragedenver. com, 303-377-2353. Check the website for schedules.
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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? Would you like to participate in meaningful community service? 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 720-9131000. 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.
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 The GPHC neighborhood association community meetings are currently con-
ducted virtually on the first Thursday of the month, except for December and July. The next meeting is Thursday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. Link to attend at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/community-meetings/. Check greaterparkhill. org for information and details to participate. The May meeting is Thursday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Libraries
denverlibrary.org See the “At the Library” feature in this month’s issue 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. Check its Facebook page @ Northeast Park Hill Coalition for updates.
Park Hill Community Bookstore
Established in 1971. Denver’s oldest nonprofit bookstore. Used and new books. 6420 E. 23rd Avenue. 303-3558508. Members and volunteers get discounts and book credits. The bookstore is open; check parkhillbookstore.org for current hours.
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. Check the website for updates and information about its Virtual Cinema.
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-chi-zoomclass/. 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 on 23rd & Dexter. for a casual, conversational-paced community walk. Everyone is welcome to join.
Submit your neighborhood events and resources to editor@greaterparkhill.org • Deadlines are the 15th of the month, for the following month’s issue.
The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022
GPHN Classifieds Concrete
Painting
Concrete work and repair. Driveway, patios, and sidewalks. Small jobs welcome. 25 years experience. Free estimates. 303-4290380
PREMIER PAINT WORKS since 1993. Denver’s Residential Paint Specialists. Int/Ext Neat, conscientious craftsmanship by polite, respectful, honest & fully insured crew, impeccable references. Call or text John at 720-849-3921.
Gardening
Flower & Vegetable Gardening. Residential landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Professional assistance with all your gardening needs, including monthly maintenance. Saige Gardens. saigegardens@yahoo.com 303-506-9960
Handy Man
Brush & Hammer- 303-895-5192 Affordable-reliable services. Clean gutters. Repair and replace wood fences and gates. Interior painting. Install small paver patios and walkways.
Hauling
Cut Rate Hauling - A trash, clutter, and junk removal service. Estate clean up, eviction clean up, construction debris, etc. denvercutratejunk.com Call Ruben today 720-434-8042
Masonry Services
Masonry Services- Brick, Stone, Concrete, restoration, tuck pointing, chimneys, retaining walls, city sidewalks. Licensed, bonded, and insured. www.thebrickandstoneguy.com References. Call Shawn 303-907-9223 Tuckpointing. Over 25 years 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 303948-7999
DEntAl Arts
cosmEtic & fAmily DEntistry
complete and comprehensive dental care for the whole family!
Plaster Repair
THE WALL REBUILDERS Interior plaster (and drywall) repair. We repair cracks, holes, crumbling walls, etc. Specializing in older homes, though we fix houses of every age. Dan and Laura Pino 303-698-1057
Plumbing
5280
Best Dentist 2022
Roofing
Residential reroofing and repairs, 17 years experience, licensed, bonded, and insured. Gutter replacement and cleaning. Call Shawn 303-907-9223
Tree Trimming
Tree trimming and trash removal. General yard work and clean up. Gutter cleaning. Please call 303429-0380
Windows
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.
Full indoor and patio seating available.
303-377-8662 D.D.s, P.c. 4624 East 23rd Ave., Denver
4628 E 23rd Ave, Denver CO 80207 www.honeyhillcafe.com • 720 242 6048
thomas J.
croghan
VAIL PLUMBING & HEATING The Older Home Specialist. Repair, service, remodel. Hot water heat. Licensed, insured, guaranteed. 303-329-6042 Plumbing & Sprinklers - Repair or replace, disposal, toilets, water heaters, faucets, sinks, drain cleaning, sump pump, water pressure regulator. Sprinkler blow out, repair and install. www.vertecservices.com 720-298-0880
OpEn EvEry DAy At 7Am Wine and local beers • Happy Hour daily
Twenty years of experience working with Denver’s classic homes Numerous Park Hill references Design and Renovation Specialists
720-338-0748
www.CitySideRemodeling.com
HOUSE CLEANING
Providing 25 years of personalized cleaning service in Central Park & Park Hill
Deep & Detail-Oriented Cleaning • Offices/Homes/ Apartments/Airbnb • Move-in/Move-out • Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products (upon request) • Magnificent References
Paulina Leon 720-628-6690
MAYFAIR VISION CLINIC
Adult and Children’s Vision • Complete Visual, Eye Health and Glaucoma Testing • All Types of Contact Lenses • Frames with One Year Guarantee • Most Insurances Accepted • Free Adjustments and Minor Frame Repair • 15% Discount for Senior Citizens
Dr. Janice I. Jarret 1336 Leyden
Across from Safeway
303.333.9898
To advertise in the Classifieds contact Melissa Davis
newspaper@greaterparkhill.org 720-287-0442 (voicemail)
the deadline for submitting a classified ad is the 15th of every month
Ireland’s Finest Painting Co.
40
Bringing Color to Park Hill We Are The Clean Guys In A Dirty Industry!
+
Years
Complete Interior & Exterior Painting
(303) 512-8777 irelandsfinestinc.com
We’re Getting Busy, Call Today!
April 2022
The Greater Park Hill News
Page 19
2124 E. 17th Ave. #3 Sold!
7995 E. Mississippi Ave. Unit F16 UndEr ContrACt! Beautifully updated 2 bed, 2 bath condo with newer kitchen, wood-burning fireplace, and private patio
www.combssellhomes.com Keith Combs 720-218-9614 Jaden Combs 303-324-1437
Page 20
The Greater Park Hill News
April 2022