All the News About Denver’s Best Residential Community Since 1960 • Volume 59, Issue No. 6 • June 2020
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Readers’ Contest! Name These Park Hill Landmarks And Win Big!
Updates On Cake Crumbs, Honey Hill, Mod Livin’ and More
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Park Hill Character: The Great Tomato Giveaway
Upcoming GPHC Meetings Monthly community meetings are canceled until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Updates On Park Hill Golf Course, East Area Plan, Fairfax Senior Housing
In May, the group Save Open Space Denver continued its push for a ballot measure to add a layer of protection to conservation easements and prevent development of Denver’s parks and open spaces. SOS Denver is asking the Denver City Council to refer the ballot initiative to voters, to avoid being required to physically collect at least 8,265 valid signatures by July 7 for the Nov. 3 ballot. Proponents cite the impracticality of physically collecting petition signatures during the pandemic. The immediate issue is the status of the Park Hill Golf Course land in northwest Park Hill. The 155-acre parcel is protected by a conservation easement for which city taxpayers shelled out $2 million in 1997. Despite the easement, the company Westside Investors bought the property last year with the hope of developing the land. At least two other conservation easements are in place that protect open space in other parts of the city. Also in May, Denver’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board adopted a resolution urging the city purchase the Park Hill Golf Course land at its current market value. The board, which is appointed by the mayor and city council, recommends using unspent funds from the 2019 tax collections ($26.565 million) to acquire the property. “We understand that this would be a departure from our earlier recommendations,” the board wrote on May 13. “We feel
that the current economic conditions and our current cash-rich position enable us to acquire this land and we see it as a very important addition to our park system. Our intention is to recommend the purchase of this land and to recommend its preservation as zoned open space (OS). The land’s use, whether as a golf course and/or other recreational uses, should be determined through the regular DPR public outreach process after the land is acquired.”
Virtual Town Hall Draws 142 Participants, Many From Outside East Area Boundary
Denver planners held a virtual town hall on May 12 to provide updates on the controversial East Area Plan that would impact neighborhoods along the East Colfax corridor. At the outset, the 142 participants were polled to identify which neighborhood they live in. Of those, 35 responded they do not live in the impacted boundaries of the East Area Plan, and another 33 declined to answer the question. Of respondents who do live in the affected area, eight were in Hale, 12 in the East Colfax neighborhood, 17 in Montclair and 37 in South Park Hill. The draft plan includes a multitude of recommended changes that would impact land use, housing, mobility and quality of life in the neighborhoods. It is part of a citywide planning effort that was launched in response to past forecasts that Denver’s growth will continue at a staggering rate. In the wake of the pandemic and resulting continued on page 5
The Cañon City High School class of 1919 poses for a class picture. Surgical masks were a big hit when the Spanish flu pandemic hit Colorado in 1918-19. Photo credit: Western History and Genealogy, Denver Public Library, Rocky Mountain News collection
Part 2
Shotgun Quarantines And Gauze Germ Catchers The Pandemic Lingo Was Different, But Responses To The Invisible Monster In 1918 Strike Similar Chords Today By Stephen J. Leonard For the GPHN
Between Sept. 28, 1918, when Denver reported its first influenza fatality and Nov. 21, nearly 500 Denverites had died from what was known as the “Spanish flu,” a pandemic which ultimately killed 675,000 Americans. Briefly heartened by a drop in the daily death rate, Denver’s Manager of Health, Dr. William Sharpley, declared on Nov. 21: “I believe that by the end of the week Denver’s
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Compiled by Cara DeGette, Editor, GPHN
Parks & Rec Board Urges City To Buy Golf Course; SOS Denver Pursues Ballot Measure
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Talk of the Neighborhood
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Pomp and Circumstance ard Flip?
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See more graduation coverage inside, beginning on page 4.
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This year didn’t go as planned, acWe are late-night pancakes and tually, most of our high school career early morning Starbucks, afternoon probably hasn’t. hikes, and long drives. From cheerleader scandals, sexual We are TikTok dances, late-night assault allegations, to walkouts, studying, and car accidents. and school shutdowns. Snow We are Harvard, UCLA, days and bomb cyclones, to a Boulder, CSU, Butler, Metro, crazy lady from Florida. We UW, USF, UCSD bound. never really thought this is how Many of you might not get the most memorable four years Graduation to live out your prom night of our lives would go. But neverdream, or hear your name 2020 theless, we became the class that being cheered as you walk has its mark on East forever. across that stage to receive your diWe are crowd surfing at pep-rallies ploma. and senior sunrises, students running Nevertheless the Class of 2020 is a around with water guns and goggles. class that never gives up, a persistent We are late-night practices and early group of kids that were born when our morning ski days, 10-hour musical recountry was suffering after a terrorist hearsals and pop shows. attack. We are Cakes and Jazz and SerenThe unusual circumstances that we dipity, barrel people, and crowd chanthave endured from birth to now only ers. make us stronger than we ever were We are doughnuts at early release, before. house parties, and Congress Park. COVID-19 may have taken the end We are DECA, and Con Law chamof our senior year away. But it will nevpions, teacher walkouts, and hallway er take the fight out of the smartest, parties. most athletic, creative, and rambunctious group of students to ever walk We are Instagram photoshoots, the hallways of East High School – and Target adventures, and Red Rocks that’s on, period. sunrises. We are political views and activLove, your fellow senior Angel, ists, climate change, and gun control Maria Madden voices.
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Editor’sPNote: ark Awards, Teamwork, Neighbors Helping Neighbors e Al l th
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Photo of East Senior Maria Madden by fellow East Senior Abby Smith.
Inside This Issue ing 61 e 19
death rate will be normal.” That was not to be. Increasing deaths in late November — 18 on Nov. 22 alone — prompted Sharpley and Denver Mayor William Mills, to reinstate the closing orders which had been lifted earlier that month. In addition to forbidding parties and closing theaters and churches, Sharpley’s Nov. 22 order instructed people to wear masks. Yet, diners were allowed to eat at restaurants, crowded streetcars ran, shoppers shopped, continued on page 9
Editor’s note | Cara DeGette, GPHN Editor
Awards, Neighbors, and Getting Lucky
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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1930 Ivy St FOR SALE 3 Bd | 2 Ba Tudor Roberta Locke
5401 S Park Terrace FOR SALE $369,900 DTC Condo Steve LaPorta
875 Tennyson FOR SALE $389,900 Spacious Lot Steve LaPorta
8295 Iris St FOR SALE $405,000 3 Bd | 3 Ba in Arvada Roberta Locke
101 S Clermont St U/C $1,695,000 5 Bd|5 Ba in Hilltop Ann Torgerson
4934 Eagle St SOLD! $341,000 3 Bd|3 Ba Tri-level Roberta Locke
17403 E Mansfield SOLD! $145,000 Investor Special Nina Kuhl
2865 Oneida St SOLD! Rep Buyer Brick Mid-century Steve LaPorta
2229 Bellaire St SOLD! $1,023,000 Two Story Craftsman Nina Kuhl
7722 6th Pl SOLD! $745,000 4 Bd|3 Ba Ranch Ann Torgerson
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These are times, as old Thomas Paine as they can, to embrace their neighbors as would say, that try everyone’s souls. But part of this cool effort. amid the challenges brought about by a Here’s another story about teamwork. sudden upending of life, amid the tremenLast year, longtime Park Hillian Rebecca dous sadness of lives lost in a pandemic, Zimmerman pitched an idea to write about there are opportunities for celebration and our neighborhood’s tradition celebrating for joy. Halloween in a big way. Rebecca’s resultWitness the alternative ways that graduing story hit all the right chords – mystery, ates and their pals are celebrating big miletragedy, ghosts, candy. Contributing phostones this year. All over the neighborhood, tographer Reid Neureiter sent over a bunch parades and physically distanced lawnof pictures of trick-or-treaters swarming chair parties have taken the place of packed the neighborhood. Mark Silverstein joined auditoriums and pomp and circumstance. the action, contributing creepy spider and And guess what? The achievements are still spiderweb photos to help set the scene. Our there; the pride is real. talented art director, Tommy Kubitsky, Even in rough times, we can still witness neighbors helping their neighbors. This month, I’d like to highlight a couple of ways how, to this end, Park Hill has long been and will always be at the top of its game. Let’s start with the newspaper you are holding in your hands. For us and most other advertising-based publications, the past several months have been even more challenging than usual. Simply, the Greater Park Hill News relies on advertisers to support our existence. Most of our advertisers are independently owned businesses that Park Hill Haunting, from the October, 2019 Greater Park Hill have been hit hard by the pan- News. The feature story won an award for excellence in newsdemic. Many have either closed paper design from the Colorado Press Association. temporarily or have been forced to drastically alter their business model. took all these elements and whipped up Bottom line, we anticipate losing as much a design for a feature story that perfectly as 40 percent of our monthly advertising captured Park Hill at Halloween. revenue, at least for now and in the months Last month we learned the design won to come. And this is, more than ever, a time second place in the prestigious Top of the when people are looking for critical local Rockies regional journalism contest. news coverage. Also last month we were notified that It’s safe to say that our newspaper manReid won an impressive second place for ager, Melissa Davis, is creative when it his portfolio of Greater Park Hill News comes to meeting challenges. She spearphotographs in the Colorado Press Assoheaded a campaign to give local businesses ciation’s annual competition. Readers most that are currently doing well (think liquor certainly cannot be surprised by this news. stores and cannabis dispensaries) the opWhether Reid is shooting from a mounportunity to help subsidize businesses that taintop surrounded by goats, or from a field are not doing well (think restaurants and of giant sunflowers, or from the thrill of a gyms). basketball court or from underneath a blur The campaign – Neighbors Helping of bicycles, his images are stunning. Neighbors – creates advertising grants that Our journalism awards are always made can be applied to support struggling busieven sweeter given that we compete against nesses. Not surprisingly, Mayfair Liquors – much larger daily and weekly news orgawhich has been supporting the community nizations in Colorado. As with all our and serving the area for 61 years – signed up contributors, Reid and Mark and Rebecca, on the spot. Check out their ad on page 14, and so many others, shoot and write for the and make sure to thank them for stepping newspaper out of a love for Park Hill and up, the next time you stop in for a bottle of a commitment to community journalism. bubbly. We’ll make sure to let you know as We are lucky to have them. We are lucky other local businesses join the campaign, to live in Park Hill.
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
contact us Story Tips and Letters to the Editor: Cara DeGette; 720-979-4385, editor@greaterparkhill.org Advertising information: ads@greaterparkhill.org
Nina Kuhl
303-913-5858
Steve LaPorta
303-525-0640
Roberta Locke
303-921-5842
Ann Torgerson
303-522-5922
Classified ads: Melissa Davis; 720-287-0442 (VM), newspaper@greaterparkhill.org Deadline for submissions is the 15th of every month
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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
June 2020
Birdland | Mark Silverstein
5409 E Montview Boulevard | $1,399,000
It’s still a Seller’s market but Buyers have Purchasing Power! Historically low rates are giving Buyers in our market a big boost. A monthly budget of $2,000 can now buy almost 14% more house. Denver’s housing prices have stayed stable through the last couple of months, but they’ve just gotten more affordable with our low interest rates. Want to talk it out? Give us a shout!
Marcy Eastman 720.436.5494 marcy.eastman@compass.com
Laura Hudgins 720.480.9692 laura.hudgins@compass.com
A Real Stunner
The Yellow-Headed Blackbird is what we’d call a real stunner in the plumage department, with its beautiful golden head, black wings and a white patch. But when it comes to this bird’s melody, the experts call it as they hear it: “It may have the worst song of any North American bird, a hoarse, harsh scraping,” Audubon reports. Others compare the sound to the opening of a rusty farm gate. Yellow-Headed Blackbirds breed and roost in freshwater wetlands with dense vegetation, like the cattails shown here. This photo was taken by Mark Silverstein at Bluff Lake Wildlife Refuge, just east of Park Hill.
June 2020
Follow us on our new Facebook page People and Places of Park Hill NPRE is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass. Compass is a licensed real estate broker in Colorado and abides by equal housing opportunity laws. Rules & Exclusions apply. Compass offers no guarantee or warranty of results. Subject to additional terms and conditions. We cannot take aerosols, paint thinners, solvents and cleaning agents.
SOLD ABOVE LIST PRICE
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Main Floor Master
Craftsman Masterpiece
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Gorgeous Tudor
The Greater Park Hill News
Page 3
GRADUATING IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC
Anali Blue
Natalie Smink
Marisol Espinoza
Seniors In Lockdown: The Ultimate Irony Trading Prom for Snapchat A Surreal Experience Interviews by Reid Neureiter
would never physically attend high school again at DSST Montview. I remember on the last day of classes before the initial cloThis is the time of year when seniors are sure of school, I didn’t feel the need to say usually so very tantalizingly close to that ‘bye to any of my classmates or teachers all-encompassing reality of being, as they because I thought that we would be back say, free at last! in three to four weeks and life would conWe all know that the past three months tinue as normal. I didn’t think that I wasn’t have been anything but normal. We asked going to be able to say goodbye in person to three graduating East High seniors and one the teachers that have done so much for me DSST Montview senior to weigh in on ways these past four years or my classmates who the pandemic and cancellation of physical have made my high school experience what school and other events has affected their it was. There was no wind down to the end, high school finales. Here are their it was just over. answers, some edited for space. Marisol: My dad had COVID-19 and was in the hospital for 34 days The Students – 17 days on the ventilator and 17 Anali Blue lives in far northeast Graduation days off of it. Also, my grandma had COVID-19. My dad and her Denver in the Montbello neigh2020 are both recovering. So we were borhood and has attended East all already in quarantine. I was hopfour years. She has been accepted to ing somehow we’d be able to finish senior Howard University. year off like normal. When I got the news, Natalie Smink lives in Stapleton and has I just felt this sadness and sense of guilt. I attended DSST Montview for the past seven felt guilty that I was sad about not having years. She has been accepted to Yale Unithe rest of my senior year the way I had seen versity. my prior classmates get it. I knew why they Marisol Espinosa lives in the Reunion were doing it, but it just felt like the things neighborhood of Commerce City and has I was looking forward to for so many years attended East for four years. She was acjust got taken away in an instant. cepted at University of Colorado, Boulder. Joe Smith III lives near 7th Avenue in the GPHN: How did the at-home/remote Country Club neighborhood. He was aclearning go? Do you feel that the teachers cepted at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and your fellow students took it seriously? for film. Anali: At first, most of things the teachFor the GPHN
The Questions
GPHN: What was your reaction when you heard school on the physical grounds would be canceled? Natalie: It did not sink in at first that I
ers were sending us to do were very tedious. Then they tried to put big projects on our shoulders all at once. I found myself trying to complete multiple singing and dancing projects, and a 20-page paper simultaneously.
Joe Smith III
Joe: DPS and the school have been as proactive as they can be, but communication across the board has been a large-scale game of telephone. DPS tells teachers one thing, teachers tell the students another, and everything gets lost in translation. Natalie: There was definitely a lot of senioritis going on in the senior class because by third trimester of senior year most of us have already gotten into college, so school becomes less about going to classes and more about celebrating our accomplishments over the past four years. However, with e-school we could not have the celebrations that make senior spring special and instead just had classes of what felt like busy work. Marisol: It was very hard to do virtual learning. East and all of the teachers tried very hard to make it work to the best of their abilities, but it just wasn’t the same. GPHN: What kind of activities and programs were canceled that you had been looking forward to? Joe: Everything that I had planned was canceled. The State Speech tournament. Two national tournaments for speech. I compete in original oratory, and I was going to state in oral interpretation. The senior projects in theater were canceled. Normally, all seniors in the theater department direct one-act plays and underclassmen star in them. We have managed to have some performances, but nothing where you get together as an ensemble. I’m not the biggest guy for prom or graduation ceremonies. That matters a lot for some people but if I get a diploma that is good enough for me. And I am mortally afraid of dancing. What feels stolen is not being able to say goodbye to my friends and have a conclusion to this. Marisol: There are tons of “senior stuff” that got canceled. Our last pep rally, last spirit week, prom, after prom, our annual senior BBQ, a morning where they make us pancakes to celebrate being done with high school, senior checkout, signing “the E” and graduation. We were supposed to travel to Ghana for our choir class. We didn’t get to
do Pop Show for choir. Our choir banquet and theater banquet also were canceled, but those departments are trying to do a banquet online. I was so excited for this year because it was finally my senior prom. I already had gotten my dress. I was so sad when I found out that it was canceled. It’s obviously not the end of the world, but it’s still sad that we won’t be able to go. I think my family is super sad that there won’t be a formal graduation ceremony. I have been into academics my whole life and I know they wanted to celebrate me moving on to college. Natalie: We were unable to have our DSST Senior Signing day, which is a celebration that brings together all the DSST (and AST) campuses to celebrate DSST’s mission of getting 100 percent senior acceptance into college and see where the senior classes will be attending in the fall. Another important thing we do as a senior class at the end of the year is something called Closing Circle. Closing Circle is where all the students and teachers from a grade get together on the last day at school and go around in the circle either giving recognition to a person in the community who had an impact on them in the year or reconciling a relationship. This is supposed to be the last activity that seniors do together at school and is a way to say goodbye to each other and the teacher, which we will have to do virtually this year. I know that it will not feel the same as sitting next to your friends and getting to see the expressions of your fellow classmates. It was also very disappointing to lose my senior soccer season. Our team this year was going to be probably the best one we have had during my four years at DSST. On a personal level, I was on track to become the highest scoring girl soccer player ever at DSST this season. Anali: One disappointment was the cancellation of the Choir trip to Ghana. We were going to go to Africa, to bring supplies, meet people, visit historic slave dungeons. There was a whole itinerary. Over 50 people associated with the East Choir were going to go. At first, the trip was going to be rescheduled and then it was canceled altogether. Money was paid in advance for a deposit and many families had donated money for the trip to happen. For me, I was fortunate [to have had a lead in the East musical, Sister Act], which closed a week before [the pandemic] all went down. I found that closing Sister Act was a good way to end. [In terms of missing a graduation ceremony], my family put signs up in our yard. My parents and aunt, god-mom, adults who have been close to me, and proud of me throughout my life, are sad they can’t celebrate graduation with me. It is almost harder on my family than it is on me, because they are so proud of what I have accomplished.
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The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
GPHN: How have you been spending your time during the pandemic? How have you been connecting with friends? Natalie: When I am not doing schoolwork, I have been trying to get outside and away from my computer as much as I can and meeting up to socially distance hangout with my friends. To connect with friends, I have been doing a combination of internet and in-person meetings. My friends and I have had a few “Underage Happy Hour” Zoom calls on Sunday afternoons where we all get together and talk. We have also had a few social distance picnics where we will meet up in a park, each having brought our own food, and just talk for a couple hours. Anali: Besides school, I have been doing art, making a dress, and playing video games. I have been connecting with friends mostly through Facetime on the phone. We went on a family walk. I drove by City Park and saw a ton of people very close to each other. I try to stay away from that. Even though the City of Denver is easing some restrictions, I don’t want to be caught up in the next wave of infections. Marisol: During this quarantine, I have spent a lot of time helping my dad recover. Now that he’s back home, we have to help him. I’m also trying my hardest to keep my mental health as good as it can be, so I’ve spent time focusing on that. I’ve also been trying to go on runs as well as work out and read books. I am a big believer in quarantine, so I haven’t seen any of my friends in person. I have Facetimed my friends and kept in touch through texting and through Snapchat. Joe: I am writing a screenplay and music. I will be going to NYU Tisch to study film and I am getting prepared for the next film I might be able to shoot when this over. To connect with friends, there is a new Call of Duty [video game]. I use social media and texting. It is nice to keep in touch with people. You have to do something for your family or yourself.
GPHN: Is there anything in particular you would like people to know about what you and your high school friends have been going through? Joe: We are the group least affected by the disease. We are not too worried about ourselves. Most of us want to do as much as we can to keep the world sane and healthy. Marisol: This whole thing has been crazy. Our high school experience at East for the class of 2020 has been one hell of a ride. We all thought this was the best year to graduate because of how cool it is to be the class of “twenty twenty” but we never knew something like this could happen. I just think everyone wanted to celebrate the end of their high school career the way we thought it should be. There has been a great poem written by Maria Madden, a high school senior at East, that I think perfectly describes a lot of our emotions (see Madden’s letter to seniors on page 1). Natalie: Something that keeps coming up between me and my friends is what to expect next. Like the rest of the world we are waiting to see what the guidelines for social distancing will be over the summer and into the fall, and we are constantly asking ourselves, “Will we get to attend college on campus this fall?” Not knowing whether or not we are going to get to have this experience is frightening for so many of us who have worked so hard to get here. Anali: I feel like through this crisis, other things have been put in the dark. Even though the pandemic is important, there are bigger world issues we should and could be focusing on. But keep faith Gen-Z! We are going to save the world. Online Extra: Check out greaterparkhill. org for an online exclusive featuring East Principal John Youngquist, theater chair Matthew Murphy and longtime sociology teacher Michael Hernandez weighing in on the challenges of the past several months.
News, continued from page 1 double-digit unemployment, however, the current economic forecast is unclear. The city’s insistence on moving forward while Denver was still in lockdown due to the pandemic drew criticism. “There is no emergency planning need that justifies hurrying the East Area Plan through,” noted organizers from the group East Area Neighborhoods First. “Community members are being excluded from the process as a result of the city’s failure to provide in-person public meetings and failure to ensure that everyone in the community is included in the process.” City planners have posted the newest version of the draft plan at DenverGov.org/ eastplan. The city has extended its review period for the latest draft of the plan to July 1 and indicated it will also post a recording of the May 12 virtual town hall event. As of press time, answers to questions raised during the virtual town hall had not yet been posted on the city’s site. Background and details of the city’s process are available at https://greaterparkhill. org/2019/09/not-so-fast/
Developer Planning ThreeStory Housing For Seniors At 28th and Fairfax
Ralph Nagel, the developer of a proposed three-story residential apartment building for active seniors, is seeking support for a zoning variance that would allow him to add three extra feet to the height of the building. The project is slated for the site of the former Xcel power station on the west side of Fairfax Street between 28th and 29th avenues. The building – called Parkview on Fairfax – will be directly across the street from the new city pocket park that will be located inside the unfinished block-long Park Hill Commons residential and commercial project. Nagel provided an overview of the project to the board of GPHC, Inc. via a Zoom presentation in May.
Artist rendering of Parkview on Fairfax.
The three-story building would include a mixture of 34 one- and two-bedroom residential units for people who are 55 years and older. Residential amenities would include a card room, community kitchen and indoor/outdoor gathering space. The building would be constructed of brick/masonry. A 39-space surface parking lot would be located to the west of the building, with access from the alley. Demolition will likely commence this summer and construction will begin late 2020 or early 2021. During the presentation, board members asked Nagel for details, including about affordability, parking and whether he has sought support from nearby neighbors. Nagel said two of the 34 units would be designated as affordable housing, and the remainder would rent for market rates. The current zoning for the property allows building to a height of 33 feet, which would allow Nagel to build a 3-story building with a sunken garden ground floor. The extra three feet allowed by the variance would place the ground floor at grade. Check back next month for more on this project.
KimDavis
Real Estate Broker, Co/Owner Maison of Colorado,with Compass
#303.218.8373
Kim.Davis@Compass.com
Eudora Street grads, left to right: Mark Whitter (East High), Riley O’Brien (East), Sophia Means (East), Emma Van de Velde (McAuliffe Middle), Ellie Bresler, (University of Utah), Lola Hunter (Denver Language School), Olivia Chandler (Kent Denver). Photo by Charlie Ellsworth
Lawn Graduates Pomp and Circumstance On Eudora Street By Cara DeGette
up together. The celebration included grads from multiple blocks and multiple grades, including one college grad, four For graduates of all ages, this year high school grads and two 8th grade there was no chance for a collective dongrads. Proper physical distancing meaning of the cap and gown. There sures were in effect. was no official stage to cross, To commemorate the day, and no chance for the classic distudents walked down the street ploma swap and grip-and-grin in a processional, accompanied photo with school leaders. the traditional Pomp and Graduation by With in-person graduations Circumstance. The graduates 2020 postponed or canceled comwere then recognized individupletely because of the pandemic, ally, including proclamations of graduates, their families and friends all where they were from, and where they over the neighborhood have come up are headed. Poems were read and parwith alternatives. ents made speeches. On May 6, neighbors of graduates Other impromptu and sometimes between the 2300 to 2600 blocks of Euspontaneous celebrations have includdora Street gathered on Ryan Hunter’s ed yard signs and spontaneous drive-by front lawn to honor the achievements of parades. It’s a year that graduates will be several young scholars who have grown sure to remember. Editor, GPHN
June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
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Page 5
GRADUATING IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC
Lessons On Leadership Principals Weigh In On These Trying Times Editor’s Note: As part of our end-of-schoolyear coverage, we reached out to Park Hill school principals and asked them to share, as school leaders, the challenges and their thoughts on leadership and education in this age of pandemic.
Reasons To Be Grateful
experience from online learning, while preparing the highest quality instruction we could offer. Since April 7, all our K-8 classroom teachers have been leading morning crew meetings, providing recorded and live lessons and activities, and offering teacher support hours every day. Our intervention and special education teachers have provided small group and 1:1 instruction to our most vulnerable students. Families have risen to the challenge by supporting their students at home. We’ve worked hard to keep spirits up by boosting morale and offering support where needed. Some community members have donated their CARES act payments to buy supermarket gift cards for our most impacted families. Our mental health and administrative teams have made daily wellness calls to students and families. We’ve offered fun adventure ideas to families to
ensure that our students could access content, practice skills, and grow remotely. Our families are the picture of commitment and diligence, who will do whatever it takes to support their children. It most definitely takes a village, and this Smith Village is rising to the occasion. Teams of teachers are partnering together to deliver rigorous, standards-based content in every lesson, each day. They’re reviewing students’ work and coaching them to correct, improve and enhance their responses and ideas. However, the highlight of my days and weeks is visiting LIVE sessions in action, real time. Our students are craving face-time with their teachers and classmates, who are more like family and friends; and while it’s only digital, we are fostering community and connection, nonetheless. To our parents and families, when in doubt, choose connection. With your children, with your neighbors, with family. Do not let the obligation of “home school” lead to added stress or anxiety. Let us not look back on this time with regret over arguing about schoolwork, getting frustrated with an assignment, or battling with our
There was no way to know the depth and breadth of impact experienced by COVID-19, when we hurriedly closed the door of our school on Friday, March 13. The weeks that followed – a flurry of questions, anxious thoughts, fear, and grave uncertainty, as we worked to prepare our families and students to acquire technology and adjust at lightning speed to a new way to access learning. I have always held confidence in the resilience, courage, and perseverance of my community … they are resourceful beyond measure, and are moved with compassion towards one another. I was not surprised to see more than 85 percent of our students engaged in remote learning, consistently from day to day. While this global pandemic has given us space to reassess what is the way that we do school … we pause to look more closely at the inequities in access and assessment now. We extend grace while we all grieve the loss of the good that was before the pandemic. Marnie Moody Cooke Emily El Moudaffar As dark as the world is today, Dominique Jefferson as many lives lost to this virus, we have opportunity to search help them stay connected to this important out the reasons we ought remain grateful. children to log into yet another Google part of our school while at home. Our P.E. I believe that in the midst of devastating Classroom for the day. While we are leadteacher, Kaylie Titus, has visited 66 families crisis, that joy can still be found. I am foring school communities and classrooms by bicycle to promote physical wellness, sotunate that I don’t have to look too far to of children, we are also moms and dads cial distancing and connection. We’ve held see a community of learners, teachers, and and spouses, parenting and working and weekly staff check-ins and we’ve shown families who are choosing to ensure that teaching and leading, alongside everyone appreciation for teachers through gift certheir children remain engaged, continue to else… from home. In this village, let us give tificates and homemade treats delivered to have access to an education, though it looks ourselves as much grace as we are affording their doorstep. vastly different from what we’ve known. one another. The pandemic has reminded us that we Your school team is working diligently Dominique Jefferson learn best by making mistakes. We’re all behind the scenes to provide the very best Principal, Hallett Academy trying new things that we think are imposinstructional opportunities for your chilsible, but then we do them. By taking care of dren while also planning and designing ourselves and staying home, we’ve cared for for the future of learning at Smith. You The Way We Learn Best others and flattened the curve. It’s up to all can count on us to meet your kiddos where When we began planning for remote of us to get everyone safely to the other side. they are and build upon their learning with learning, we set goals aligned with our misintentionality and precision to accelerate Marnie Moody Cooke sion and vision, focusing on academics and growth and fill learning gaps when the time character. Our school’s small size has made Principal, Odyssey School of Denver comes for us to reunite. In the meantime, it possible to be nimble and responsive to stay strong, stay healthy, stay encouraged, students, staff and families. and choose connection. Gritty, And Full Of Grace Odyssey students typically spend many During these uncertain, oftentimes days outdoors, with all students particiEmily El Moudaffar scary times in our world, this is undenipating in overnight camping adventures. Principal, Smith Elementary able: The Smith Community is resilient, We also place a large emphasis on engageflexible, gritty, collaborative and full of ment and positive character, emphasizing grace and encouragement. We are blown the motto, “We are crew, not passengers.” Change Is Opportunity away by our amazing teachers and staff who We knew that we had to prioritize reducOne of the many implications of the pantransformed learning almost overnight to ing social isolation that our students might
Page 6
demic is that it has really made clear the essential role schools play for our communities, at large. The impact runs the gamut: providing academic instruction, physical and social growth opportunities, mental health services, two square meals a day, and a safe and nurturing environment for students to be while parents work. DSST Public Schools, where I have taught and led for 11 years, has worked hard during this crisis to ensure families have access to food, and are working with Denver Metro Emergency Food Network to deliver meals to any DSST families in need of food, free of charge. The realities of working and learning from home have also made abundantly clear how difficult it is to teach! Anyone who has been a teacher before—whether for one year or for an entire career—knows that teaching is not easy. For many families with children at home, needing help not only with content and e-learning, but meeting all of the other needs our young people require has only reinforced the incredible impact our schools have on all of our lives. I would recommend to families and students to stay engaged in e-learning. At
Josh Hugo
DSST Public Schools, we knew consistent engagement was critical, and we set a goal for 100 percent access (internet and technology) for our students at the beginning of this crisis. We are proud to report we achieved that goal. It may be tempting to look at policies that are more forgiving and decide to stop e-learning, but it’s quite possible this reality will be a much longer-term reality. I would also recommend that families and voters reach out to your local legislators and lawmakers and advocate for maintaining as much funding for schools as possible. The implications both now and into the future are quite dire if funding decreases, as our state is already one of the poorestfunded in the nation for education. Lastly, embrace this change as opportunity. We are in this new reality together and have a great chance to innovate and improve upon the “ways of yesteryear” and improve our overall educational experience for all stakeholders: students, parents, educators and the community. Josh Hugo, Acting Director DSST: Montview High School
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
RAW POLITICS | Penfield W. Tate III
Up Close, Not Personal Is Pressing Real Live Flesh A Thing Of The Past?
It is election season, with primaries comTruth be told, it’s publications like the ing on June 30. We have a hotly contested one you’re reading right now that do most U.S. Senate primary. November’s general of the legwork these days reporting on election will even be more heated. campaigns. There are state legislative primaries, but I haven’t even had my front door assaultnot in our neighborhood. The candidates in ed with reams of campaign flyers or noSenate District 33 (James Coleman) tices. And the usual flood of mail and House Districts 7 and 8 (Jenpieces still has not come. I have nifer Bacon and Leslie Herod) not seen a few pieces, but not many. I only don’t have primaries, they don’t am starting to feel ignored. have general election opponents in But the email and texts, now November. Part of this is by political that’s a different story! Here is a calculation, but there is more at work. sample of what I am getting daily: The coronavirus pandemic is all “I don’t take responsibility at consuming and is changing the charall.” – Joe Biden quoting Donald acter of life around the globe and in Penfield W. Trump’s famous statement on the the U.S., changing campaigns and coronavirus. tate III possibly forever the rules for both “Democrats Drunk With elections and campaigns. How frequently Pandemic Power Could be Undercutting do you hear about a campaign or a candiThemselves Come November!” – the Towndate these days? Or get a live phone call? hall Daily Even still, ask yourself, when was the last “Trump Catapults Existential Threat at time you saw a candidate in the flesh? We Vote by Mail” – The Democratic Combined see this at every level of government. InCongressional Committee cluding at the highest levels. “If I am still alive in November, you can Coronavirus confines Donald Trump to count on my vote.” – U.S. Senate candidate the White House, except to play golf. The Andrew Romanoff, quoting a supporter. press conferences/campaign events he was “Republicans like my opponent, Cory holding daily to talk about the pandemic Gardner, are part of the problem in Washwere such disasters that his staff and Reington dragging his feet on common-sense publican candidates asked him to stop. Alreforms and putting corporate interests though appearing on daily news programs ahead of Americans.” – U.S. Senate candion a semi-regular basis, the fact is that Joe date John Hickenlooper Biden is openly running for president from And here’s one from a group called Stop his basement. They both feel like stealth Trump PAC: “Sign the petition: Don’t fire campaigns, although Trump is now runDr. Fauci!” ning television ads. Next to impossible I have been to virtual town halls. They are very unsatisfying and hard to get a word And there is much, much more. It seems in or a question answered as they are too the internet information assault has inheavily moderated. creased because personal contact with Virtual campaign rallies are worse. You candidates is so limited. have no hope of speaking to the candiAs I suggested earlier, the coronavirus dates. Similarly, Zoom meetings with 200 has not only impacted campaigns, it’s of a candidate’s best friends and supporters changing the way campaigns are regurarely does the trick. Even the small Zoom lated and conducted. We have written bemeetings that I have attended with candifore about the efforts of Secretary of State dates are sterile. Jena Griswold s drive to export Colorado’s At the end of the day, it’s really hard to successful vote by mail program to the naengage and know a candidate with screen tional level. (And yes, she too has sent out time or phone calls alone. I have pretty an email about that.) But that won’t be the much decided to avoid all of these in the only rule or procedural change. future. Acknowledging the impact the coronavirus is having on the safety of those enWhere’s the flood? gaged in campaigns, and relying on his disaster emergency declaration, Gov. Polis Television news coverage of campaigns issued two executive orders, 2020-065 and is spotty at best. And it usually only covers 2020-064, temporarily suspending various a gaffe or mistake. Big newspaper coverage requirements for petition gathering. is virtually non-existent. Maybe the same wire story runs in every local paper around What does that mean? Well, in the past the country. we have all been used to the sight of peti-
We’ve got you covered.
tion signature gatherers in the parking lots of grocery stores, in the parks or at other outdoor events. Current law requires that signatures be collected in person. As Polis explained at a press event, because there is a public health emergency that makes normal petition gathering next to impossible, it was absolutely critical that we still honor the right of the people to place ballot initiatives but create a way that is consistent with our constitutional principle of the right to petition and meets the needs of this public health environment.
Legal challenges
tax rate, create a paid family and parental leave program and make Election Day a holiday. The group Due Date Too Late, seeking to limit access to abortions, is also challenging the orders. Their position is unique. Having been deemed to lack sufficient valid signatures to make the ballot, the group is in the cure period to show the legitimacy of signatures collected. Because they have already turned in their petitions and are in the cure period, the executive orders do not offer them relief. They are the only ballot question so impacted and have alleged that the governor’s order intentionally leaves them without relief. Finally, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce is also considering a legal challenge.
I think we have threaded that needle, working with the secretary of state. The executive orders make changes for state independent and unaffiliated candidate and ballot issue petitions. Fundamental rights The most important change is eliminating the requirement that signatures be colThis won’t only be an issue on the state lected in person, and ensuring that regisportion of the ballot. A group, Resilient tered electors are able to feasibly complete Denver, is calling on the Denver Clerk and the process from their homes. This change, Recorder to allow online signature gathercertainly the most controversial, has been ing for initiatives, including theirs on a fosinterpreted to mean collecsil fuel extraction prohibition of signatures by mail or tion in Denver. Truth be told, it’s electronically. In its press release supThe business group Coloporting the measure, Republications like the rado Concern filed suit one you’re reading right silient noted that Denver claiming that the governor residents have a constitunow that do most of has exceeded his constitutional right to amend the the legwork these days tional authority and that the City Charter and ordiexecutive orders would re- reporting on campaigns. nances. Group members move vital safeguards that go should not be forced to to the very heart of the integrisk their health and saferity in the initiative process. ty to satisfy unjustifiable and unachievable ballot restrictions and The group’s lawyer further stated that, “A participate in democracy or protect their governor does not have the power to unihealth and give up their fundamental right laterally throw out Colorado’s signatureto access the ballot. gathering process and that the executive It is clear that the coronavirus pandemic order undermines the integrity of the inis impacting every sector of society. It is person process that Coloradans have long also clear that some of its impacts will be demanded.” Colorado Concern is asking for an imlong lasting. Be safe and enjoy your summer. mediate ruling to block the executive orders directive from going into effect. Penfield W. Tate III is an attorney in Supporters of Polis’s action believe that Denver. He represented Park Hill in the Colorado Concern’s opposition is not based Colorado House of Representatives from on the change in the process in the wake 1997 to 2000, and in the State Senate from of the virus. 2001 to February 2003. A former candidate It is, they maintain, a political ploy for mayor of Denver, Tate’s opinion column grounded in the group’s objections to sevreturned to these pages in December. He eral proposed ballot measures – including lives in Park Hill. those advocating to lower the state’s income
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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.
June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
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June 2020
Politicking in the pandemic
Newspaper cartoons like this one highlighted the dangers of coughing and sneezing without covering up. Yet many protested orders to keep businesses closed and requirements that people wear masks in public.
Spanish flu, continued from page 1 hotels took in guests and manufacturers continued to produce. Theater owners and their associates, among the hardest hit economically, reacted predictably. Seventy-five of them marched, wearing masks, on Mayor Mills’ office on Nov. 23 and demanded that the city lift the Nov. 22 closing order. Mills and Sharpley quickly capitulated.
travelers were warned that if they alighted at Gunnison they would be immediately quarantined. Fences were placed across the few roads leading into the town. In January 1919 the town reopened, with the unfortunate result that at least three people died from the flu there that year. Dr. Duane Vandenbusche of Western Colorado University wrote of the intriguing story of Gunnison and Crested Butte’s struggle with the disease in this year’s March 11 issue of the Crested Butte News, which is available online.
Business versus public health
Studio portrait of Dr. William H. Sharpley, who was Mayor of Denver from 1915 to 1916. Sharpley was Manager of Health in 1918 when the Spanish flu hit. Photo credit: Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy
Masks remained Sharpley’s last line of defense. Pool hall patrons were told to wear the “gauze germ catchers.” Soda fountain and restaurant patrons did not don them. Compliance was spotty; complaints loud. On Nov. 31 Sharpley rescinded the mask order.
Keeping strangers away Largely unfettered, the pandemic ran its course. It peaked in mid-December and tapered off into 1919. Between September, 1918 and the following June, Denver’s influenza and pneumonia deaths approached 1,500. Around 80 percent of those deaths occurred between Sept. 28 and early January, leaving the city an excess death rate of 586 per 100,000. Statewide, the mortality rate of 681 also compared unfavorably with the national rate of 528 per 100,000. Steamboat Springs witnessed few flu cases until late in November, when the mountain town was overwhelmed with sickness. Yuma, on the northeastern plains, also enjoyed relative safety in early November, only to be smacked late in the month. Some high-altitude mining towns suffered greatly. Silverton, tucked away in the southwest part of the state and with around 2,000 people, converted its town hall into a hospital and tried to keep strangers away. By mid-December it had counted 146 deaths. Ouray barred visitors, with little apparent impact on the spread of the virus. In Gunnison, on the Western Slope, the experience was better. Through luck and by enforcing a “shotgun” quarantine, the town escaped the pandemic in 1918. Train June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
The flu, much diminished, lingered into 1920. By then people were anxious to forget the invisible monster that had sickened millions and killed at least 675,000 Americans. The journalist and gadfly H.L. Mencken explained the amnesia: “The human mind always tries to expunge the intolerable from memory, just as it tries to conceal it while current.” Forgetfulness bred complacency, as most places continued to underfund public health. Dealing with the influenza was generally beyond the science of the time. There were common sense, though sometimes expensive, measures that were not beyond science. Nevertheless, Coloradans continued dumping raw sewage in rivers with consequent spread of disease. Smallpox remained a killer as did other preventable diseases. In 1927 Denver spent 60 cents per capita on public health. Although the importance of public health was one of the major lessons to be learned from the pandemic, there were others. One was, as President Calvin Coolidge put it in 1924, “the chief business of the American people is business.” When economic priorities clashed with public health directives, business was destined to win, especially because public health officials did not have quick, effective remedies. In Denver, 75 theater moguls and their allies, who pushed to reopen, ultimately were more powerful in determining the city’s health policies than were Dr. Sharpley and Mayor Mills.
Congratulations
RaSheik Gaddis
on your graduation We are so proud of you Love you
Current students of scapegoating can also learn from 1918. The Germans, at war with the United States since early April 1917, easily got blamed for supposedly spreading the “German Germ.” Some communities found nearby scapegoats. When the plague hit the Southern Ute Reservation, the Durango Evening Herald criticized the Utes for failing to obey “their superintendent and nurses and physicians.” In Denver, Dr. Sharpley faulted Italians for not heeding health regulations. For at least one politician there was a bitter lesson. U.S. Sen. John F. Shafroth, formerly Colorado’s governor and earlier a U.S. Representative, sought re-election in 1918. Accustomed to shaking hands and giving speeches, he found his normal campaign strategy wrecked by the pandemic. His opponent, millionaire Lawrence Phipps, a man who had never held a significant political office, had barrels of money for newspaper advertising. Perhaps Shafroth would have lost anyway, but Phipps’ narrow victory was in part due to the flu, which prevented Shafroth from campaigning and deprived him of votes from some of his working class supporters who were too sick to go to the polls. The pandemic’s economic consequences are perhaps impossible to untangle from the worldwide economic tidal waves generated by World I and its aftermath. The closing orders locally and nationally were generally far less restrictive than those imposed in the current COVID crisis. Tourism, then highly dependent on summer vacationers, was probably only slightly affected by the flu, which did not strike until late September 1918 and which was largely over by June 1919. Still, the national recession of 1920-1921 may have been partly due to the flu.
Dazed silence, and penicillin Were there any silver linings? For the more than two million people who migrated to the United States between 1919 and 1924 there were job opportunities because of flu deaths. And billions of people have benefitted from a 1928 discovery. While searching for the origin of the flu, Dr. Alexander Fleming accidently found a mold, which inhibited some bacterial growth. Scientists and drug manufacturers slowly followed up on the discovery and within two decades penicillin was being hailed as a miracle drug. Another boon was Katherine Anne Porter’s Pale Horse Pale Rider (1939), an acclaimed short novel, based on Porter’s 1918 experiences in Denver when she was a Rocky Mountain News columnist. The book’s central character, Miranda, like Porter, survived the flu and looked forward with hope: “No more war, no more plague, only the dazed silence that follows the ceasing of the heavy guns; noiseless houses with the shades drawn, empty streets, the dead cold light of tomorrow. Now there would be time for everything.” Park Hill resident Stephen J. Leonard teaches history at Metropolitan State University of Denver. This is the second of a two-part series. Part I, which appeared last month, can be read at greaterparkhill.org.
Congratulations
Gabrielle Day
2020 East High Grad It’s our joy seeing you flourish Way to go - VALEDICTORIAN! Keep shining your beautiful light Love, Mom, Dad & Nate
Congratulations
Isabella De Leon
on your graduation! Your tenacity and sense of adventure will take you far. Can’t wait to see what you accomplish at Regis University!
Congratulations
Katelyn De Leon
on your graduation! Take life as an adventure and enjoy the ride. Wishing you the best of luck at Regis University this Fall!
Congratulations
Congrats 2020 Grad!
You Make Us Proud!
We Love You!
Jack Slowey
Dream. Believe. Achieve. Best wishes on your next journey. See you at CU. Sko Buffs! We Love You! Mom, Dad & Nick
Claire Matucan
Wishing you all good things at Seattle University We love you and are proud of you Love, Mom, Dad, Elaine, Gary & PP Page 9
opinions
It Seemed Crazy, Until It Wasn’t Adjusting To A New Reality Is Tougher Than It Seems By Anya Nitczynski
brightened my day a ton. Now, we don’t talk at all. Some people I was just becoming friends with, and I might never get that At the beginning of the year, when we back. I don’t get to see some of my Denver first learned about the virus, it wasn’t a big family – even on birthdays. deal. We would make jokes or ignore it alAt the beginning of this whole ordeal, together. I didn’t let myself mourn the losses I was My science teacher from last year moved experiencing. Because I know there are so to China, and so when we heard from him many more people in so many worse situthat his school had closed ations, I thought I didn’t for a month, we all wished deserve to be sad. I didn’t we could be in China. let myself miss restauThen, when we were rerants or family members leased from school, we who don’t live with me left books and papers in here in Park Hill, and our lockers because we who I haven’t been able assumed it would be a to see in person, or hug, short three weeks before since March. we got back into the swing Even when my birthof things. It was exciting. day came and went, I Units were skipped, tests didn’t let myself be sad. were canceled, and essays When school was canno longer needed to be celed, when my nationals written. for a theatre competition It seemed that cancelgot canceled, I wasn’t sad. ing the rest of the school When I had to do a Zoom year was insane, until it wasn’t. It seemed Seder on Passover, I wasn’t sad. canceling summer shows and activities was I realized it was all building up. The insane, until it wasn’t. Soon, reality set in. frustration from not seeing my friends, We weren’t going to be seeing each other for the sadness I should’ve been experiencing, a while. Suddenly, technology was the only has made this all seem overwhelming. My way to connect with one another. friends started fighting because there reMy friends and I have been texting in ally wasn’t anything else to do. My friends our group chat a lot more. agreed they were experiThere are five or six times encing this build-up as a day that my phone blows We all have been trying well. up because someone Now, we all have been to find a balance started a conversation. trying to find a balance between gratitude and We Facetime as much as between gratitude and we can, and we complain sorrow, together. We are sorrow, together. about schoolwork, too. keeping in touch more Yet somehow, it never than ever, sending letters feels the way it did when and texts, calling each we really saw each other. The realization other whenever we get the chance. I’m callcame that maybe it wasn’t just because I ing my grandma more than ever to check miss my friends, but I miss everyone. in and talk. I think we’ll come out of this, I came to understand that one of the whenever it ends, stronger and better than most mundane things in my normal life at ever. school has become one of the biggest difAnya Nitczynski will be an 8th grader at ficulties. Simply talking to a desk partner Denver School of the Arts this fall. For the GPHN
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The “6 Feet Apart Jazz Trio” wowed physically distanced crowds below on Saturday, May 23 from the balcony of the Allegrezza House at 2505 Ash St. Friends and neighbors were invited via fliers to mosey on by and soak in the music from the alley, the street, or their own yards as the sounds of the sax, keyboard and bass wafted through the late spring air. BYOB beverages and snacks. Photo by Lynn Kalinauskas
Living In The Desert
Creative Solutions For Adding Green Spaces To Our ‘Hood By Carlton J. Willey For the GPHN
Despite its name, much of Park Hill is actually a “park desert” – including some large swaths that don’t meet Mayor Michael Hancock’s “10 minute walk” standard. With City Park over a mile away for much of the neighborhood, and involving crossing Colorado Boulevard, it’s not a practical trip for much of Park Hill. The few existing pocket parks, like Ferguson, aka “Turtle Park,” at 23rd and Dexter, can get extremely crowded. So clearly the demand is there! Under the “Measure 2A, Parks and Open Space Sales Tax,” voterapproved sales taxes are to be used to fund parks. However as far as I can tell, almost none of it is addressing Park Hill’s “park desert,” other than one very small area in a commercial plaza at 29th and Fairfax. Here are three proposals that City Council could implement, which would make a meaningful impact:
Proposal # 1: Create a “Walking Park” in Park Hill • Use park money to fix sidewalks so they’re practical for strollers, young children and seniors. • Connect the few sidewalk gaps (the result of poor zoning practices/planning from years past) through an incentive program. • Put up signs to create “Walking/Biking Preferred Streets” – the east-west streets including 16th, 19th, 22nd, 25th, 28th, 30th, 33rd and 36th.
Proposal # 2: Create Pocket Parks to Address the Park Desert Create more small parks the size of Ferguson. Here are some lots where you could do this: Hudson and 26th – next to the East Denver Bible Baptist Church. It’s currently a vacant, unused lot. A nice playground plus small covered pavilion would be perfect. Glencoe and 22nd Avenue– Some houses are adjacent to large unused lots, and this one is in disrepair. Perfect opportunity for the city to acquire and make a pocket park. Corner of McAuliffe Middle School Lot – Lots of space to put in a nice playground
for younger children. An off-leash dog park would also alleviate the constant back-andforth on whether or not dogs should be allowed on the field. HUD House Lots - I believe there are a number of houses already owned by the city in the neighborhood. This isn’t the most efficient solution for public housing - the city could create a pocket park with one of these lots, and house more families in areas that are set up for more density. Kearney & 22nd Avenue – Currently a parking lot. Could move parking underground and install a park on top. Or acquire the Kearney Garage Lot at 23rd and Kearney. These are just a few options for pocket parks that I see regularly in my walks around the neighborhood. I’m sure there are more – let’s get creative!
Proposal # 3: Purchase All or Swap a Portion of Park Hill Golf Course I understand the history here, and that this is complicated. I know the original plan for the city to purchase was bungled, and then the lawsuit, and then the purchase of the land by Westside Investors. However given that the conservation easement is still in place, the city has all the leverage here. For folks that live closer to the Colfax side of Park Hill, this doesn’t solve the “park desert” but it helps! Note the above proposals aren’t mutually exclusive. We can do #1 and #2 and #3! Bottom line: Denver voters have approved a sales tax to fund parks. Park Hill is one of the largest neighborhoods in Denver, but suffers from a lack of park access. And yet we’ve seen no plan to address this issue. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss the above proposals, or any plan that meaningfully addresses the need for park access for Denverites in Park Hill and surrounding neighborhoods. Carlton J. Willey lives in Park Hill with his wife and children. These proposals were also sent to members of the Denver City Council. The version here has been shortened for space; his more detailed letter can be read at greaterparkhill.org. Check next month’s issue for responses from council members; feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and suggestions as well, to editor@greaterparkhill.org. The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
Letters to the Editor Two Critical Words
As a lifelong Park Hill resident, a Greater Park Hill Community board member and an active member of Save Open Space Denver, I’m writing in response to Kenneth Ho’s guest opinion piece in the May edition regarding land speculator and real estate developer Westside Investment Partners’ development plans for the Park Hill Golf Course land. Mr. Ho is one of Westside’s owners and Westside’s point person trying to convince our community that Westside should be able to build a mini-city on the invaluable 155-acre open space. Glaringly, Mr. Ho failed to use the two critical words – “conservation easement” – anywhere in his opinion piece. Mr. Ho, Westside, and the Hancock administration want to pretend that there are no legal impediments to their development plans. Here are the undisputable facts: In 1997, Denver taxpayers paid $2 million for the perpetual open space conservation easement that forever protects the Park Hill Golf Course land from being developed. The “conservation purposes” of the conservation easement are to conserve the land “as open space” and “to maintain [the land’s] scenic and open condition and to preserve [the land] for recreational use.” When Westside purchased the land in July 2019, it purchased the land subject to the conservation easement. The conservation easement is governed by the Colorado conservation easement statute that prevents its termination unless Westside and the City could secure a court order that – based on changed conditions on or surrounding the Park Hill Golf Course land since recording of the current easement version in July 2019 – it has become impossible to accomplish the “conservation purposes” of the easement. Based on current facts, there is absolutely no way they could prove such impossibility. It’s time for Mr. Ho, Westside and the Hancock administration to stop blowing smoke at our community! Sandy Robnett, Park Hill
Forever Should Mean Forever
An Open Letter to the Park Hill Community: I am a 10-plus year resident of this amazing neighborhood, a Greater Park Hill Community board member, and an Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation board member. This is my response to the opinion piece by Westside Investment developer and principal Kenneth Ho in last month’s issue titled “City Should Pursue Planning Process.” What I find to be increasingly alarming in Mr. Ho’s piece and prior narratives by lobbyists is the absence of acknowledgement for the perpetual open space conservation easement that Denver purchased 23 years ago. This easement preserves the land from any development. It is critical we emphasize the word “perpetual” from the easement contract because it means “continuing forever.” Under Mayor Wellington Webb’s administration, the prior owner of the golf course land, Clayton Early Learning, sold the development rights when it agreed to the conservation easement in exchange for $2 million of Denver taxpayer dollars. When Mr. Ho’s company, Westside Investment, purchased the land last July, it did so subject to the perpetual conservation easement, preserving it forever as open space. I am disappointed that the city and Mr. Ho are forging a planning process under these clear restrictions. Instead, Mr. Ho wants to berate the Save Open Space Denver group and community supporters for opposing the current administration’s announcement to begin a “small area planning process” for the land. It is their responsibility to explain why additional money, time, and energy should be wasted on a planning process for land that we, the taxpayers, have already preserved as open space. The land cannot be developed and it is not our responsibility to bail out the developers. June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
I find it strange that Mr. Ho argues that “parks have the potential to cause gentrification.” As a resident, it seems development causes gentrification. We have seen this gentrification in Park Hill and adjacent neighborhoods. I encourage you to check out the developer’s website westsideinv. com and consider a built environment like 9th and Colorado Boulevard over a vibrant open space that will be utilized for recreation, wildlife, and combat pollution now and for the benefit of future generations. Stay healthy, neighbors! Blair Taylor, Park Hill
Politics At Play
Statement to Denver City Council on May 11: The letter comes with the utmost appreciation for your services to the city of Denver, especially at this juncture as we are greatly challenged by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Greater Denver Interfaith Alliance (GDIA) is a nonprofit organization located one block away from the Park Hill Golf Course. We have served the greater Denver area for 20 years as a catalyst for network development and coalition building across faith contexts and among existing service providers at the local, state and federal level. Our mission has been to coordinate and expand resources to mitigate the disparities facing marginal and underserved populations, especially people of color. We know the history of Northeast Denver well and more importantly the people who have resided in Northeast Park Hill, past and present. Over the years, GDIA has witnessed how special interests groups have united to broker power to influence the politics and systems that ultimately serve to undermine the often disenfranchised residents of local neighborhoods – many of whom who have been displaced as a result. At this point, GDIA’s main objective is to advocate for small area planning. Those who live in the Northeast Park Hill neighborhood should give the guiding input to the ultimate outcome for what happens with this land. Special interest groups speak of diversity in terms of age, background and culture in general terms, but rarely mention the racial/ethnic diversity which has been declining as the affluent class moves forward with its agenda, forcing out former residents who can no longer afford to stay in Park Hill. They speak of changing neighborhoods as a given, yet fail to acknowledge that their interests and privilege are the driving forces behind the population change. Now, the more affluent class demands that this particular open space be preserved at all costs, even when there is consideration for multiple-use of this land which could include space for a good size park, attainable/affordable housing (amid a housing crisis for lower income families), and other community needs at the same time. Small area planning is optimal. As long as Westside Investment Properties, Inc. is willing to engage the surrounding community for the purpose of developing multiple land uses that are accountable to the collective needs of this community and accommodating to neighborhood living for the co-habitation of a truly diverse community (across income levels and race/ethnicities), GDIA will be supportive of building a collaborative community partnership. To those pushing for a citywide vote, we see this as a political ploy designed to silence the voices of the residents of the community and a deterrent to having us adequately represented. Therefore, our hope is that Denver City Council will invest in representing the cultural particularities of the people of the Northeast Park Hill community and, therefore, make resources available for small area planning to go forward. Thank you for your time and consideration.
A Moment Of Clarity
In the midst of this pandemic, I had a small moment of happiness. I was looking at the skyline of Denver – which I enjoy from my home – and realized the view was pollution-free. On television, I saw the same phenomenon in other large cities. COVID-19 has given us a glimpse of what life could be like if we did not have gasoline-powered cars clogging our roads and airplanes polluting our skies. It has shown us the reality of a dramatic reduction in our use of fossil fuels. In signing the 2016 Paris Accord, we partnered with the rest of the globe to meaningfully address climate change. But President Trump announced his intent to pull us out of that agreement the very next year. How do we move forward? It will take more than replacing Trump in November. We must have a Senate that believes the climate crisis is real—a Congress that does not ignore the science behind global warming. Sen. Cory Gardner does not represent our climate values. While 62 percent of Coloradans believe climate crisis is a serious problem, Sen. Gardner opposed the Clean Power Plan, which curbs emissions of greenhouse gases. He voted to appoint Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, to run the Environmental Protection Agency. And he supported eliminating methane
limits and drilling for fossil fuels on federal lands. That is why we must elect former Gov. John Hickenlooper to be our next U.S. Senator this November. Doing so will be a key step towards ensuring the Senate is led by Democrats in 2021. With a Democratic majority, our country can rejoin the Paris Accord and reassert itself as a global leader in keeping our skies blue and water clean. Polly Boe, City Park 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.
To advertise with the Greater Park Hill News Please contact Melissa Davis: ads@greaterparkhill.org
RECYCLE
RIGHT CORRECT • Recyclables are loose • Cart lid is open no more than 45 degrees • Carboard boxes are flattened
INCORRECT
• Recyclables are bagged
• Cart is overflowing • Cart lid is open more than 45 degrees • Cardboard boxes are not flattened
Carroll A. Watkins Ali, Ph.D., Skyland Editor’s Note: Ali read this statement to the Denver City Council on May 11, and submitted it for publication as a letter to the editor.
For more information, visit DenverGov.org/Trash or call 311 (720-913-1311).
Page 11
Photo by Joshua Palmeri
Painting with Hammers City Park’s Lily Ponds Come Alive By Georgia Garnsey For the GPHN
As park-goers throng to City Park these days, there is something new to discover. The Lily Ponds southwest of the Museum of Nature and Science have been activat-
ed with an exciting art installation called Color Field. You will now see the formerly deserted seedbeds of the ponds filled with 6,000 painted gardening stakes of glowing colors that echo the colors of the water lilies in Claude Monet’s paintings. Monet’s lilies
inspired City Park’s first Lily Ponds in 1917, which were later reimagined at their present location by Denver landscape architect Saco DeBoer in 1924. Denver artists Sarah and Josh Palmeri conceived of the Color Field project. They discovered the Lily Ponds when they lived near City Park. Fascinated by the deserted, evocative area and after researching its history, they decided to bring the Lily Ponds back to life The artists partnered with City Park Friends and Neighbors, a Registered Neighborhood Organization that advocates for the park, and received a Denver
Arts and Venues’ 2019-20 “PS You Are Here” (PSYAH) grant to implement the project. (PSYAH grants fund short-term projects meant to call attention to cityowned and other outdoor public spaces and to celebrate what is best about our neighborhoods.) Color Field is intended not only to call attention to the Lily Ponds, but also to build momentum for restoring a garden to the spot that has lately been deserted. As you circle the seedbeds of the Lily Ponds, you will notice that the colors change as you move around them. The artists painted all the gardening stakes themselves (the onset of the coronavirus pandemic prevented volunteer participation). They also painted two sides of the square stakes in different colors. Once the stakes were painted, a limited number of masked and physically distancing volunteers pounded them into the cement-like soil of the beds. The Lily Pond was literally hammered into the living painting you see today. The next phase of Color Field will be programming performances (jazz, poetry, dance) at the ponds, which will be filmed and streamed on Facebook and Instagram. Funders for Color Field are Denver Arts and Venues, City Park Friends and Neighbors, City Park Alliance, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Zoo. More donations are needed as programming goes forward. Check out cpfan.org or colorfielddenver.com for more.
Gardening Tips And Advice A Few Ideas To Try At Home
Since we all seem to now have a lot of time on our hands, we thought you might enjoy a few gardening tips from a couple of members of the Garden Walk committee. Somewhat ironically, I am clueless when it comes to gardening in Colorado. I use to live in Dallas and I had wonderful gardens there, but I struggle with the Colorado climate. I feel like I lose (and replace) about one-third of my garden each year. I reached out to some of the committee members about gardening and they generally offered a few tips. They do not consider themselves “experts” in any way, but here are a few solid, homespun guidelines.
From Kate 1. Don’t plant warm weather crops like tomatoes until all danger of frost is over, around mid-May in Denver. In fact, you might want to start these things inside since they need a long growing season. 2. Denver County is in gardening zone 5b and 6a. Make sure you are buying plants that are rated for these hardiness zones. 3. Don’t plant in the spring until the ground is the consistency of chocolate cake.
Garden Walk Canceled COVID-19 Interrupts Annual Fundraiser By Jean Ercolani
Park Hill Garden Walk Organizer
June 28 would have marked the 20th annual Park Hill Garden Walk. However, due to continued concerns over safe distancing, the Garden Walk Committee, in conjunction with the Greater Park Hill Community board, decided to cancel this year’s fundraiser. The safety of our gardeners, artists, volunteers, attendees and the entire community is our top priority. Generally every year, thousands of dollars in proceeds from the Garden Walk go to GPHC, Inc., a volunteer-based Registered Neighborhood Organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill through its resources, information and advocacy, while preserving the quality of life and the history of the neigh-
borhood through community participation. These funds help support the RNO’s food programs, sustainability programs, the Greater Park Hill News and more. Without events such as the Garden Walk these programs will suffer. Therefore, we ask that you please donate to GPHC, Inc. directly (check out page 16 for ways to contribute, or online at greaterparkhill.org). Even small contributions are extremely helpful. Perhaps consider donating what you would have spent on your Garden Walk ticket. And remember, your donation is tax deductible. We still hope to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Garden Walk in some way. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page and our website for details about a fun, interactive gardening campaign and fundraiser we’re putting together.
From Micki With the right spot and care, you can grow things even when experts say you can’t. Micki was told she couldn’t grow eastern black raspberries here, but she has been doing this successfully for years. Additionally, it took her three tries in three spots, but she finally has a well-established wisteria plant. With this in mind, here are few other thoughts from Micki. 1. Plant with micro-climates in mind. Something that might not generally work in a semi-arid climate like ours might be fine on the north side of a fence or house because it is cooler, damper, shadier. Or, something that generally doesn’t winter well might be fine facing south with lots of mulch. 2. Unless you really know what you are doing, pay the extra money for plants from a reputable nursery that buys for the Colorado climate and soil. 3. Do your homework on fruit trees. Later blooming, later fruiting varieties are a better investment. Also, apple trees come in four variants by bloom time. Apples not only need a pollinator, but they need a pollinator from the same variant (1, 2, 3 or 4). Crabapples are a pollinator for all apples. 4. Prune your fruit trees. Otherwise, fruit trees prune themselves, and that’s a disaster. Soil preparation is also very important. Make sure your soil has all the proper nutrients and the best balance of those nutrients. You can buy soil test kits at your local nursery. Some nurseries may test the soil for you. As of this writing, the community garden at Saint Thomas Church still has two garden beds available. Lastly, the Agricultural Extension at CSU is a good source of expert information. Here’s the website: extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/. Happy gardening! We’ll see you in 2021. -- Jean Ercolani
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Page 12
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
Earth In Crisis | Tracey MacDermott
Making Up For Lost Time
The snow is finally gone, but business at Honey Hill Café, at 4628 E. 23rd Ave., is clicking right along. And, they now have cocktails! Check out the website at honeyhillcafe.com for updates, hours of operation, specials and other updates. Photo by Kathryn Charles
We Can No Longer Accept Inaction On Climate Change
The global pandemic has impacted every climate scientist, has noted that the pansingle one of us and has altered our lives. demic has demonstrated that we need a sysAt the time of this writing, more than 1,000 tem-wide response. In a recent interview, Coloradans have died from COVID-19. Hayhoe said “Even if we as individuals did Tens of thousands more have recovered. everything we could to cut our carbon footYet many individuals have not believed print, to live within our personal boundarthat this crisis would really affect them or ies, that in and of itself as individuals would that it was even real. Sound familiar? Think not be sufficient to fix either the ecological about the rationale exhibited by some clicrises or the climate crisis. And that’s why mate change deniers. we need system-wide change.” Last month I highlighted the Anecdotally I see people insimilar parallels that the illness stalling more solar on their has on our marginalized comhomes. I see people working to munities as it does with the clireduce their carbon footprint mate disaster. While a majority and rising concern worldwide, of Americans have responded including that U.S. response has to this global health emergennot risen to the level that this cy, many others have called it emergency requires. a hoax, even as the death toll Unfortunately, while COVsoared. Warning bells for this ID-19 has been making its way crisis were ringing late last year, throughout the U.S., the Trump and yet our country did not beadministration has accelerated gin a system-wide response until its assault on our natural world. mid-March, losing precious and We are in the midst, as NASA Tracey valuable time. notes, of a “truly global, comMacDermott What could have been averted plex problem with economic, if we had acted sooner? social, political and moral ramiIt was more than 30 years ago fications,” whose solution “will that physicist James Hansen testified before require both a globally-coordinated reCongress, ringing the warning bells that he sponse and local efforts on the city- and was “99 percent confident that recent rise in regional-level.” temperatures were due to human activity.” It is true: It’s up to us what happens next. After his testimony Hansen told reporters We cannot have an appropriate response to that the “evidence is pretty strong that the our climate crisis if we continue to allow big greenhouse effect is here.” oil and developers to continue to receive a Our government was warned in the pass from our governments. We must have 1950’s and further reinforced in the 1970’s strong green policy initiatives that they are when oil companies knew that burning fosrequired to follow. sil fuels could cause global warming. SevIn an article published in Eos, Hayhoe enty years of inaction. Seventy lost years also notes that “The health and safety of of opportunity. Unlike COVID-19, which our family, our loved ones, our friends, has swiftly transmitted around this globe our community, the people and places we and arrived at our doorsteps, the idea of the care about, that’s what the pandemic puts greenhouse effect, now known as climate at risk, and that is exactly what climate change, appeared to be so far in the future change puts at risk as well.” that it wouldn’t impact us. Yet here we are, And let’s not forget, as with the climate facing rising temperatures, food and water crisis, COVID-19 disproportionately afinsecurity and an unrecognizable planet. fects black and native and indigenous peoIt’s a dismal picture for our youth. ple. Both require us to tackle our system We cannot continue to ignore these elof injustice. ephants in the room. Biodiversity is key to The delayed response – in both the panreducing our risk of animal vector diseases. demic and the climate emergency – have Humans have caused rapid loss of habitat unnecessarily cost lives. We can no longer and deforestation, pushing animals closer accept inaction while our planet continues to human populated areas and therefore to decline. We cannot be silent while our putting ourselves at risk for zoonotic disbrown and black brothers and sisters diseases. The journal Nature published an proportionately suffer. article in 2015 suggesting that biodiverTracey MacDermott is chair of the board sity “stabilizes ecosystem productivity by of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. She increasing resistance to climate events.” was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in Continuing our unsustainable growth and 2017, and is currently the Statewide Coconsumption will cause further encroachChair of the Climate Reality Project for the ment and risk. 100% Committed Campaign. Contact her Katherine Hayhoe, an atmospheric and at chair@greaterparkhill.org.
Give Up The Liquid Soap Give The Bar A Try
By Mark Kuhl
aged in a lightweight paper sleeve that is easily recycled or composted. The minor convenience of a sexy soap China no longer takes as many of our bottle with a creative flip top spout and recyclable plastics, thus leaving us shiny label does not seem worth the with a glut of materials for which environmental detriment. Give bar S KUH ’ T industry has not yet found a use. soap a try, and save some money An easy way to help this situatoo. Another alternative is to purtion is to avoid single-use plastic chase refillable bottles of liquid food and beverage bottles. Ansoaps, offered by at least one local O L RECYC other way is to give up on liquid Denver company. Check out thebetsoaps and move to bars. There are terworldcompany.com. many producers of bar shampoos and Mark Kuhl is an environmental advocate conditioners, for instance, and the enviwho lives in Park Hill with his wife Nina ronmental benefits are impressive. and their two teenage daughters. Kuhl’s Liquid soap is mostly water so you’re handy tips and news about recycling paying for water to be packaged in a nice household items appear every month in fossil fuel based bottle with a label and these pages. A directory of his past colcap. Additionally, it’s heavy, so the transumns for recycling everything from paint portation carbon footprint is quite large. to Styrofoam to shoes is at greaterparkhill. Bar soaps, on the other hand, are packorg/sustainability/recycling-directory/. The Greater Park Hill News
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June 2020
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For the GPHN
Spilling the beans
Trail of Crumbs Local Businesses Keep On Trucking Compiled by Cara DeGette Editor, GPHN
Since March, we’ve provided monthly updates for the status of how numerous businesses in and around Park Hill are grappling with the impacts of COVID-19 (check out greaterparkhill.org). We’ll continue to cover the impacts of the coronavirus on local businesses in the months ahead. Please email news tips, updates and photos to editor@greaterparkhill.org.
Cake Crumbs Marches Onward! Cake Crumbs Bakery & Café Owner Katie Magner reports that everyone is overwhelmed and exceedingly grateful for the outpouring of support from the neighborhood. After initially cutting back to reduced days and times, the bakery and café at 2216 Kearney St. has returned to its daily operations, open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. “You have kept us busy!,” Magner says. “We have enjoyed the opportunity to put a smile on a face when we have delivered an unexpected birthday cake, to have a brief catch up when our regulars come to visit and most importantly to maintain our presence in this beloved community.” The Cake Crumbs team had to shrink, at least temporarily, and remaining employers have been cross-trained on all aspects of the business – from cupcake decorating to cookie baking. “We are a small but mighty crew,” says Magnus. “Our menu is a bit smaller but many of your favorites remain, including the Kearney Street Breakfast Sandwich, our Breakfast Bowl and the Bakeshop Chicken Salad Sandwich. If you’re a pastry chef at heart, you can take home and bake our cinnamon rolls and if you’re tired of cooking you can take home a whole quiche. We continue to stock our pastry case daily with an assortment of our freshly baked house made pastries, cookies and cupcakes as well as our “in a pinch” cakes and cakes by the slice. And our baristas are ready to prepare any of the espresso drinks on our menu. “Everyone still has something to celebrate and while you might have a smaller gathering, we are more than happy to fulfill custom cake orders.” The bakery’s website is cake-crumbs. com.
Brandon Scott Offering Free Portraits The neighborhood studio, Brandon J. Scott Photography, has relaunched operations with a focus on headshots and business portraiture – and a mission of getting neighbors back to work, no matter their current financial status. Co-owner Ashley Scott-Trainer announced their new direction in mid-May. “We know professional imagery is essential in these times when your online presence essentially is your brand, so we have begun our Empowering Entrepreneur program to offer complimentary headshots to anyone who may need them,” Scott-Trainer said. “Whether someone is impacted by
COVID-19, starting over in a new career, chasing the success they are still dreaming of, or updating imagery to help maintain the success they’ve already found, we want to work with them. “If you know anyone in need of our services, we’d love for you to share our business info; we’d especially like the opportunity to support our Park Hill neighbors during these uncertain times.” Learn more and contact the photographer at brandonjscott.com.
Red Lark Closed Red Lark, the whimsical boutique that opened late last year on the business block at 2208 Kearney St., fell victim to COVID-19. In May, owner and Park Hillian Bridget Mitchell announced the sad news: “Fortunately, we are all healthy here. [But] after a lot of soul-searching, I’ve decided to close Red Lark’s storefront. I’ll continue with the online business and build a plan to be better prepared for the unexpected! It breaks my heart to leave behind such a beautiful space.” Mitchell is currently looking for someone who is interested in taking over her lease. Contact her and check out the Red Lark’s online offerings at redlarkshop.com.
Mod Livin’ Reopens Mod Livin’, the home furnishings store at 5327 E. Colfax Ave. that is filled with hip, retro and one-of-a-kind treasures, has reopened. Or as they say, “Oh we have missed you! So go get your masks and come on in!” As per city health orders, customers and employees are required to wear masks. Contactless payment has been installed, social distancing is in place, and hand sanitizer is plentiful. Check out some of the current collection at modlivin.com/sneakpeek-showroom-sale-19/
Festivals And Music Cancellations Numerous arts and music festivals have been canceled in Denver and Colorado for the year, or have taken their events online. The following is a partial update: • The 20th Annual Park Hill Garden Walk has been canceled this year, due to uncertainties associated with COVID-19. Organizers have put together a Virtual Garden Contest from June 20-28, during which Park Hill gardeners are urged to show off their gardens and handiwork. There will be prizes! Check out the ad on page 20 for details. • Denver’s Juneteenth celebration and festival is moving online this year, providing a platform for music, art, history, education and commerce. The virtual festival will be taking place on Thursday, June 18. On Friday, June 19, virtual attendees are invited to commemorate Juneteenth with us in the #IamJuneteenth celebration campaign. Check out JuneteenthMusicFestival.com for more. • The Cherry Creek Arts Festival, originally scheduled for July 3, 4 and 5 in Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping District, has been canceled. The festival, in its 30th year, expects to return next year. Page 13
THIS MONTH AT THE LIBRARY
Bugland | Mark Silverstein
Mirror Images
Diversity Audit Of Picture Books Seeks To Reflect Who We Are By Leslie Williams and Judith Berquist Pauline Robinson Branch Library
Hey Park Hillians. We have missed you during this closure. One project that several of the staff are working on is the picture book diversity audit. To give some context, in 2019 the Park Hill & Pauline Robinson branches combined had 43,362 picture book checkouts from a total of 351,302 checkouts from all the collections. Translated, of all of the materials checked out from both libraries, 12.34 percent were picture books. Picture books are often the first books that children ages 3 and up are read to by their caregivers and read on their own. They are an integral part of children’s literature to prepare children for getting ready to read. So, what exactly is the picture book diversity audit? It’s a tool being used to establish a baseline of diversity within the circulating picture book collection. The children’s librarians at the Central Library spearheaded the project, and staff from all over the city are helping with the process. Why are we doing a picture book diversity audit? It will help us inspect our collection to identify gaps and holes. We will be able to use this knowledge as a system to better purchase and promote diverse titles. The DPL has set out to record what kind of picture books we have in the collection, because DPL wants and needs to reflect the types of readers that comprise our Denver communities. What’s being audited? All picture books (call number jE) with three-plus copies in DPL’s collection (11,000-plus items). The audit has a survey that records what the reader can assume or not assume about the
characters in the book. The overall survey asks if the reader can identify (or not apparent) • The race of the characters • The gender of the characters • If the character identifies their own gender identity • If they have physical disabilities • If they have mental health issues, or disabilities • What kind of family arrangements the characters have. (i.e. a single parent.) • What is the household environment ( a house, apartment or homeless) • Whether they live in a rural, urban or suburban environment
“Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly. “One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”
~Hans Christian Andersen
Fascinating isn’t it? Here are some testimonials from staff members at Park Hill and Pauline Robinson about their experiences working on the picture book diversity audit:
From Judith I think that this survey has pushed the limits of my own prejudice or assumptions. Just because the two characters are a single child and a single adult, do I know what the household configuration is, or is not? When we read as children our ideas of the world are reinforced or at the very least not challenged. So if the child is of a minority or lives in a household without enough food, can they identify with the characters in the picture books? I have found through the few books I have audited how many books are not very diverse, especially for minorities. However, having said that, I do think that picture books are often more about how a child interacts with the physical world and not try-
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Long Live The Monarch
The Boring Book by Shinsuke Yoshitake
Sometimes You Fly by Katherine Applegate Our Big Little Place by James A Conan
ing to identify their gender or whether they are in a single parent home. They are learning how to be a sibling, or how they should treat their friends. The picture books often have characters that are anthropomorphic and in that way the hope is that the child sees diversity because not all characters look alike. Such as a duck, a sheep, and a cow might be different but are all friends. I think the harder aspect of the survey is that sometimes the illustrator has made assumptive illustrations. Children learn through images as well as words. Picture books are used to learn to read but at the same time they are learning how their adults view the world around them. It has been an interesting challenge for me to recognise my own assumptions. The following are two examples of auditors’ questions, that for me illustrate our assumptions and issues and concerns. Q: The characters in a book have pale/ light skin. Should I record their race as “European”? A: Unless the story is specific about them being from/living in Europe or having European heritage, please use “Race not stated or apparent” instead. Q: What if a human character’s gender is identified in reviews and/or the book jacket, but is not actually identified in the text of the book? For example, the character is referred to as a “little girl” in book reviews and the book description, but not actually identified in the text of the book. A: Use the gender only if identified in the text. Often reviewers and jacket flap writers will make assumptions based on clothes and appearance. If you don’t have the text in front of you, do your best to make an informed decision. If you feel fairly certain, go ahead and audit the book. If you’re unsure, take your name off the title. There may be someone else who remembers the book well or has access to a print copy.
From Marco I’ve been doing the diversity audit of picture books for the past month or so. It’s been an interesting experience during the lockdown. Several titles are actually read aloud by people on YouTube and I’ve au-
dited several titles in this manner. My son and I have added this viewing to our normal “reading” time. I came across a few fun titles on my own written by a Japanese author named Shinsuke Yoshitake that I later shared with my son. One called Still Stuck is about a boy that has trouble taking off his shirt, just like my son. He imagines what life would be like if we lived his life “still stuck.” Another called The Boring Book is simply about a boy that is bored. The boy philosophizes on the nature of boredom and comes to the realization that thinking about that state of boredom is, in fact, not boring. Although my son and I have enjoyed several titles, in doing the diversity audit of picture books, I noticed that the main characters in most books are a Caucasian boys. So we still need some work in diversifying titles, although the newer books tend to be better in this respect..
From Shannon One book that I absolutely loved is Our Big Little Place. It’s about a little boy who lives in a small apartment with his family. His parents worry that their home is too small, but the boy’s imagination makes up for the tight spaces. It really hit home for me right now.
From Dawn After participating in the diversity audit, Dawn recommends the book Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke, and Dawn is looking forward to using this title for a toddler storytime. This book is an “own voices” book about everyday life in modern Africa. Own voices books are books about diverse characters written by authors from that same diverse group. Atinuke was born and spent her early years in Nigeria. She has also written the popular Anna Hibiscus chapter books (now also picture books) and The No.1 Car Spotter series. Use Atinuke’s books to explore another part of the world. The audit was an eye-opening experience for all involved, and we hope that you like the books you see in our collections over time. We look forward to a return to library hours soon, and seeing you in person. The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
We phnee’d to talk
Coronavirus Sparks New Realities At ‘School’ Connection, Inclusion, Commitment To Students And Pride In Community Are All Critical For Success By Park Hill Neighbors For Equity In Education For the GPHN
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education (PHNEE) believes that building awareness can motivate the community to improve equity among our neighborhood elementary schools. PHNEE thus finds it critical that we understand and share the realities our schools face, particularly during this challenging time. Towards that end, PHNEE connected with leaders and teachers in Greater Park Hill’s four elementary schools (Hallett Academy, Smith Elementary, Stedman Elementary and Park Hill Elementary) to ask about the rapid transition to remote instruction and what it has meant for all impacted. In sharing the schools’ responses with you, PHNEE hopes to build upon our two most-recent columns that appeared in these pages. We recognize that the powerful words of those living through experiences are in some ways better advocacy tools than anything we’ve ever endeavored to write on behalf of Park Hill’s schools.
Relevant, Meaningful Information Last month, we described how the coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity for more meaningful school assessment. We noted that DPS could use more relevant and meaningful metrics – instead of only standardized test scores – to assess schools and share that information with parents. Responses to our questions about the transition to remote learning provide precisely this type of information. Despite the fact that the School Performance Framework portrays Greater Park Hill’s schools very differently, all of the schools’ responses revealed five positive themes in terms of what they are providing to students and families. These themes, which DPS could incorporate in a new school assessment tool, include connection, commitment to students, acceptance and inclusion, and pride in the school community.
resource pathways for needs like food and clothing.
Acceptance and Inclusion Remote learning has also required schools and teachers to respectfully meet families and students where they are. Because every family’s learning situation is different, any amount of effort and participation is accepted and openly appreciated. As families and students have faced a learning curve with technology, teachers have adjusted their academic instruction so as to not overwhelm students. Students are also given the flexibility to go at their own pace, and in some instances are performing better. Listening and problem solving have made it possible to offer individuallytailored responses to families’ needs.
Pride in the School Community Despite the tremendous challenge of rapidly transitioning instruction to an online platform, all responses conveyed a sense of pride in the schools’ communities of leaders, teachers and parents, working together to accomplish this feat. Teachers praised leaders for their understanding, as well as families for surmounting the obstacles on their end. Teachers are proud of their students. One has watched an entire class move forward academically, calling it “amazing.”
Embracing a Community Mindset
The novel, urgent and unplanned nature of the transition to remote learning has in some cases created new connections and strengthened existing ones between schools and their enrolled families. On a daily basis, teachers are reaching out to students in virtual class settings, but also reaching parents and students individually by phone, text, email, FaceTime and Zoom. Connecting with students in their home also creates a deeper understanding of the lives students lead outside of schools. Teachers are connecting to other teachers as well, with communication opportunities facilitated by leadership.
In our April column, we described how the coronavirus pandemic should remind Greater Park Hill neighbors that a community-mindset is a powerful tool for delivering all children an equitable education and opportunities to thrive. Schools’ responses to open-ended questions concerning what they need and what they wish for the community to understand about this “new normal” provide us with direct, specific information concerning what we can advocate for today and in the coming months. Schools want to see teachers and families have reliable, consistent internet access, adequate technological resources, and technological support. For example, one laptop cannot suffice for a family with multiple children, and families have questions about technology. Similarly, the online platforms that teachers are using have weaknesses. Teachers sometimes cannot see the children, and children struggle to see one another. Teachers also need access to social-emotional training and resources to better understand how they can assist their students. One response noted that those who already struggled in school - for multiple reasons - continue to struggle and will fall further behind unless they receive additional support.
Commitment
Can you help?
Teachers are demonstrating their tremendous dedication to reaching and connecting with every student. Their efforts have included safely meeting with families outside of their homes, personally delivering materials and supplies to families, and providing technology training and lessons to families. One response noted, “teachers have RISEN to the challenge,” while another described teachers as “heroes working incredible hours and going beyond the call of duty to help families.” Schools are helping families with social-emotional needs, and for some families, schools have provided
With so many sectors of society in need, it can be overwhelming to decide where to focus one’s energy. PHNEE asks that you remember our neighborhood schools if you are looking for a way to help. If you would like assistance finding a way that you can support our neighborhood’s schools during the pandemic, please contact us at info@PHNEE.org.
Connection
June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
Park Hill Neighbors For Equity In Education (PHNEE.org) is an organization of local advocates working toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in all schools in Greater Park Hill. Past columns can be read via their website and at greaterparkhill.org.
Rick Strittmater, showing what happens when you make a deal with nature. Photo by June Nery (check out her website at VisitLaManzanilla.com)
Park Hill Character
Great Tomato Giveaway Pop-Up Love Yields 86 Plants In 1.5 Hours Interview with Rick Strittmater For the GPHN
One lovely Saturday in May, on the sidewalk at 23rd and Dexter, a man in a ball cap and a blue bandana appeared. Rick Strittnater was smiling and loading up tables with pots of tomato plants, which he had grown from seed and nurtured until the day he could brighten this section of the neighborhood with a pop-up tomato giveaway. Here is the story behind the story, as shared by Strittmater via his wife, June Nery. • We live on the 30th block of Dahlia and have been in the neighborhood for 16 years, barring a nine-year stint in Mexico – but we always came back to Park Hill in the summers. Our son went to the Children’s Center and is now at East. We’re the typical “We Love Park Hill” fans. • It is my firm belief that gardening is a great way to turn into one’s self, where you make a deal with nature, delve into tending to something for weeks or more, exhibiting faith and hope, diligence and patience. I tied each of those traits into the fact that last year my zucchini plants forced upon me feelings of charity just to save from wasting any of the bounty from these vigorous plants. As the challenges of the daily “stay-at-home” grind churned on and on in March, this idea of planting something for others struck me. • I and my wife work from our Dahlia Street house. Thus, I thought that since I was home anyway it would be easy to plant something to benefit others, in a small way – perhaps by just giving away some tomato plants. • Nearly all of the seeds were purchased from Johnny’s Selected Seeds only because their catalog seemed to be the first of many to show up in the mail during those short, dark days of December. Planting started in earnest in mid-March with grow mix, seed starter trays, heating mats and a large cobbled together cardboard structure, duct taped together, which gave away the fact that I’m a structural engineer. Grow lights were hung over the fully populated cell packs and an old fluffy blanket was draped over the top of the box in the garage. • This had to work because there was no
room in the house to rescue the bounty. Everything seemed to take off as planned and before I knew it, I had to get the seedlings out of the cells and into larger pots. • As I and my wife often walked to Honey Hill Café for coffee and a pastry, I noticed that there was always a great gathering of folks there. Young, old, singles, couples, families, dog walkers, runners, you name it. It struck me that I could simply set up a table right here and it would be a cinch to give all of the plants away in an atmosphere of waiting for the fabulous Honey Hill Café staff to prepare your hot drink and wrap up your pastry. The last part would be to take home something that you could nourish and it would return the favor. • Having a free plant to take home on Mother’s Day weekend would also hopefully keep people out of the busy crowds at the big box stores. A planting could also be a science experiment for kids who are no longer able to go to school. I offered up a diagram of how to prune an indeterminate variety so you could have just two main stems and plenty of fruit on what might be an 8- to 10-foot tall plant. The challenge was thus set in many folks’ minds. • A total of 86 plants disappeared in about one-and-a-half hours on the Saturday morning of Mother’s Day weekend. Eight total varieties of tomatoes were given away, including large red slicers, heirlooms, cherry and fun small oblong shapes that appeal to kids. • An abundance of stories were shared about tomato varieties that others have planted and loved. A real knitting together of the Park Hill community ensued in the most organic and holistic of ways. People even turned off their cars at the stoplight at 23rd and Dexter to jump out for a freebie plant! Plants were balanced on stroller handles, stuffed into the drink carrier on bikes and carried home in hats turned upside down. • Everyone involved seemed to forget about why we had these masks on. They were patient to stand 6 feet back as those at the table took their time to grab the plant they wanted. • It just could not have been more “Park Hill” than that. Page 15
GPHC, Inc: Who We Are, What We Do, Our Mission
The Mission and The Officers of Greater Park Hill Community, 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 Greater Park Hill Community 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 Tracey MacDermott 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. 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 in the list at right, leave a message at the main number and it will be forwarded to your elected representative by GPHC Executive Director Lana Cordes. The GPHC office is at 2823 Fairfax St.
• Board Chair Tracey MacDermott: chair@greaterparkhill.org • Secretary and Zoning/Property Use Chair Bernadette Kelly • Treasurer and District 3 Rep Heather Shockey • District 1 LaMone Noles • District 2 Ryan T. Hunter • District 4 Kevin Wiegand • District 5 Blair Taylor • District 6 Vacant • District 7 Jon Bowman • District 8 Nam Henderson • District 9 Stephanie Ceccato • District 10 Colette Carey • At-Large Jeanette Fedele • At-Large Justin Petaccio • At-Large Louis Plachowski: lplachowski@gmail.com • At-Large Sandy Robnett • At-Large Shane Sutherland • At-Large and Community Planning Chair Lisa Zoeller • Community Safety Chair Geneva Goldsby • Education Chair Lynn Kalinauskas • Public Information Chair Melissa Davis: newspaper@greaterparkhill.org • Youth Services Chair Rick Medrick
GPHC Command Central Lana Cordes, Executive Director
Hard Times, Creative Solutions Doing Our Best To Respond To The Times
As we look to the summer it is ers for us. If you are someone who inevitable that we will have some typically supports these events or if noticeable gaps in our programyou’d like to start supporting these ming. As of this writing, this year’s events please keep an eye on Greater Garden Walk has been canceled Park Hill News, greaterparkhill.org and the 4th of July Parade is in the and Facebook.com/GPHCDenver to balance. September’s Home Tour learn how you can participate and & Street Fair may move to a virtual support throughout our event seatour, due to the disruptions caused son. We’ll do our best to bring you by the coronavirus. Bear with us as Lana Cordes fun and useful content! we work to come up with creative GPHC is a volunteer and donorideas for replacement plans. based organization. A big thank Aside from being fun community tradiyou to our donors and volunteers this past tions, these events are important fundraismonth. We are so grateful!
Donors
Jill Fairchild Judy Faught Autodesk Foundation Carla Finch CJV Real Estate Cure D’Ars Catholic Church Oliver Flint Dahlia Campus Farms and Anne & Joe Frank Gardens Duane and Jean Gall The Foundation for Georgia and Woody Sustainable Urban Garnsey Communities Andrea Gordon The Spicy Radish Parish Griff and Meg Park Hill Congregational Mary Pat and Bob Hall UCC Simon and Liz Hambidge Park Hill United Methodist Craig D Hansel Church Shanta Harrison Unity on the Avenue Craig Hayes Christine Allen Diane and Lawrence Hergott Raymond Allen Paula Hoffman Micki Amick Ashley Hofwolt Joelle Appel Kathryn Holm Bobbi Armstrong Nancy Howe Penny Ashley-Lawrence Richard Hughes Allyson Bailey and Matt McConville Ryan Hunter Nancy Banks Margaret Ingram Marjory Bender Susan Jenkins Caroyln Benoit Julian Jenson Barbara Berryman Steve and Wendy Kaeuper Rena Bloom and Jacob Lynn Kalinauskus and Schur Trevor Williams Katherine Bollard and Patti Kato David Click Catherine Kealey Dennis T. Boucher Bernadette Kelly Melissa Bradford Terrance R Kelly Nancy Brauer Jane Klever John M. Brink Paul Kottke Justin Brothen Barbara Kozelka Alex Brown TJL Kubo Family Nathaniel Buchheit Toshiko Langford Inga Calvin Rolfe Larson Katie Cannon Ed Leachman Marty and Arna Caplan Carolyn Lenderts Martha Carlson Holly Lexor Mary Chipman Laurie Loughhead Lana and James Cordes Robin and Jay McCarthy Kirby Culbertson Fund Trevor and Lindsey Daly Dirk and Carol Mcdermott Rob Daugherty Ellen McGinnis Leah Davis Diana McHale Amy DelPo Lisa McKenzie Millie Drumwright Mary McNeill Diane and Wayne DuBois Nicole McSpirit Jenny Dyer Steve and Laurel Mohr
Jesse Moon Jennifer Moran Susan Mountain-Morgan Harriet Mullaney Buffy Naake Chris and Erin Nielsen Carol Odwyer Brad Parks Lisa Pearl Anne Penner Jen Perry Traci Pichette Kurt Reisser Karen and Jeff Roberts Mark and Tasha Rosenberg Katherine Saltzman Kathleen Schettler Ashley Schinske Jennifer Seward Babs Seymonds Elizabeth Spohn Frank Tapy Pamela Tarquin Alexa Taylor Judith Taylor Marjorie Thompson Mary Thompson Jonathan Ullrich Kim Erickson and Barb Vossler Laura Waligorski Scott Wick Nicole Wiederaenders and Tim Carrier Kevin Wiegand Polly A Wirtz Beth Wright Craig Umbaugh and Lisa Zoeller
Volunteers Maddie Carrier Jenny Dyer Tas Frashure Mark Frye Erika Hutyra Debra Lovell Mia Peterson Deb Rosenbaum Heather Shulman Jonathan Sierra Nikki Wiederaenders
Thanks to all of our blockworkers, who deliver the Greater Park Hill News throughout the neighborhood every month!
If you are interested in becoming a blockworker, contact newspaper manager Melissa Davis at newspaper@greaterparkhill.org Page 16
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
Park Hill VET | Dr. Margot Vahrenwald, DVM, ASVJ
The Bugs of Summer How To Avoid The Creepy-Crawlies
As I write this is mid-May, it’s been a bugD. andersoni is the most common tick gy week, with stories about murder hornets found in Colorado. and dogs coming in with ticks. The ticks are 2. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Caused early this year and more prevalent, but they by bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii that is are one of many bugs that proliferate in the carried in the Rocky Mountain Wood summer – and many appear to be in tick, the American Dog tick and higher numbers as we humans get the Brown Dog tick (Rhipicephalus back outside with our pets. sanguineus). Ticks used to be of limited con3. Tick paralysis is very uncommon cern in Colorado, but with the everbut has been seen in both dogs and westward migration of ticks, greathumans, with long attachment of er movement of people and pets and the Rocky Mountain Wood tick changes in weather patterns, we causing an ascending paralysis have seen rising tick numbers for from a neurotoxin in the tick’s saa few years. These minute bugs are Dr. Margot liva that resolves when the tick is perfect vectors and can carry one removed. or more infectious diseases that im- Vahrenwald 4. Tularemia: The bacterium Franpact mammals and not the insect. cisella tularensis is carried by both the First, a few things to protect humans and Rocky Mountain Wood tick and Ameripets against tick-borne diseases: can Dog tick. • Avoid direct contact. Ticks like shrubs 5. Lyme disease and some other associatand tall grasses. When hiking, stay on ed diseases are transmitted by the black the trails, avoid brushy areas, tall weeds legged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis or I. and tall grasses. pacificus) which carry Borrelia burgdor• Use repellant products that contain feri and related Borrelia species of bacDEET or permethrin. teria. Lyme disease is still uncommonly • Wear protective clothing. diagnosed in humans in • Apply topical or give Colorado, but epidemiolooral flea-tick preventa- Ticks like shrubs and tall gists and tick experts extive to your dog. The best grasses. When hiking, pect to see a rise in cases of these products can be over the next several years. prescribed by your veter- stay on the trails, avoid 6. Ehrlichiosis is an emerginarian versus over-the- brushy areas, tall weeds ing disease caused by rickcounter products. ettsial bacteria different and tall grasses. from the Rickettsia rickets• Check and inspect. Look over yourself and your sii. Ehrlichiosis is carried pets. by the Brown Dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus). Brown Dog ticks are the Tick-borne disease symptoms can be only species that can spend their entire hard to identify as they are commonly life cycle indoors and live predominately subtle or mistaken for other diseases. Most in and around human settlements. common are flu-like symptoms such as Babesia species are another form of tick7. aching joints, fever, headache and fatigue. borne disease and can be carried by the Lyme disease can show a transient ring-like deer tick Ixodes scapularis. Babesia are rash at the tick’s feeding site. Tularemia is a microscopic parasite that can infect less common as a disease in people, but is mammalian red blood cells. widespread in wild animals, especially rabAnaplasmosis is another tick-vectored 8. bits. Most human cases are seen in hunters bacteria that is spread by the deer tick when common in contact with blood from species. an infected animal and clinical signs include sudden high fever, general weakness Now that your skin is feeling a bit crawly and painful, swollen lymph nodes. … well you know what you need to know Here’s a quick summary of ticks and disabout ticks. Make sure to enjoy a safe sumeases that are present in Colorado: mer by talking with your veterinarian 1. Colorado tick fever: This virus is carried about prevention. by the Rocky Mountain Wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) and the American Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Dog tick (Dermacentor variablis). Both Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at tick species can be found on small ro2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit dents, porcupines, raccoons, deer, horswww.parkhillvet.com es, cattle, dogs and other larger animals.
Keep your neighborhood strong! Join Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.
We have a variety of memberships. All memberships are tax deductible. ___ Individual or Family ($35/year) ___ Business or Patron ($250/year)
[ ] New member
___ Sponsor ($100/year) ___ Other
[ ] Membership renewal
If these membership levels are not suitable, GPHC will gratefully accept a donation for membership dues at a level that is comfortable for you and your family.
Name: ________________________________________________________ Business name:_________________________________________________ Address & Zip:__________________________________________________ Phone:_____________________(work) ________________________(home) Email: ________________________________________________________
Mail to: GPHC, 2823 Fairfax Street, Denver CO 80207
YOU’VE SPENT 30 YEARS BUILDING YOUR NEST EGG. NOW COMES THE HARD PART: MAKING IT LAST ANOTHER 30.
A Positive Path for Spiritual Living
Honoring ALL Paths and ALL People
Virtual Sunday Services 4670 East 17th Ave Parkway, Denver CO 80220 • 303.322.3901 10am on Facebook For more info: www.unityontheavenue.org and our website
Have a Park Hill story to tell? Contact the editor@greaterparkhill.org June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
CALL 303-803-1016 TO LEARN MORE
Kuhn Advisors, Inc 2373 Central Park Blvd., Suite 100 Denver, Colorado 80238 Phone: 303.803.1016
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SUMMER IS HERE!
Do your double-hung windows open, stay open? I can fix them & insulate them. Other Questions? Call David, experienced restorer!
Art Garage
Park Hill Resources
Northeast Park Hill Coalition
6100 E. 23rd Ave., artgaragedenver.com, 303-377-2353. The Art Garage has been closed due to coronavirus precautions. As of press time the organization hoped to open bhy May 30. Check the website for updates.
720.550.2786
Denver Police District 2 3921 Holly St., 2.Dist@denvergov.org, nonemergency number is 720-913-1000. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1.
Denver Public Schools WHOLE HOUSE REMODELS BASEMENT FINISH KITCHENS • BATHS 303.355.5666 DIANEGORDONDESIGN.COM
40
dpsk12.org All schools remained closed for the remainder of the school year due to coronavirus precautions. Check the website for resources for remote learning and food distribution and delivery sites. Call the helpline at 720423-3054 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.
A Straight Up Fence Company Fences - Gates - Iron Work
A Straight Up Fence Company is a family owned and operated fence, gate and iron work installation and repair company. Specializing in custom metal fabrication, automated gates, cedar, vinyl, chain link and composite materials.
720-404-4730 | denverfencebuilder.com
$50 off any job over 50’
$100 off any fence job over 100’
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. 2823 Fairfax St., greaterparkhill.org, 303388-0918 The GPHC neighborhood association generally holds its monthly meetings on the first Thursdays of the month, except for July and December. Community meetings are on hold until further notice due to coronavirus precautions.
Libraries denverlibrary.org
HAKALA FAMILY DENTISTRY Over a Decade of 5280 Top Dentist 2009 to 2020
KATE HAKALA, DDS 425 S Cherry #100, Denver, CO 80246
303-321-8967
www.hakalafamilydentisty.com
The Park Hill and Pauline Robinson branch libraries are closed until further notice due to coronavirus precautions. See the “At the Library” feature in this month’s issue for updates and online programs and offerings.
The Northeast Park Hill Coalition hosts its monthly meeting at the Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being, 3401 Eudora St. Meetings are normally the second Thursdays of the month, but have been canceled until further notice due to coronavirus precautions.
Park Hill Community Bookstore Established in 1971. Denver’s oldest nonprofit bookstore. Used and new books. 6420 E. 23rd Avenue. 303-355-8508. Members and volunteers get discounts and book credits. The bookstore is closed until further notice due to coronavirus precautions.
Park Hill Peloton A recreational group of road cyclists that roll from Park Hill once or twice a week. Check the current status of their rides on the Park Hill Peloton Facebook page.
Sie Filmcenter 2510 E. Colfax, denverfilm.org, 303-5953456, The film center closed due to coronavirus precautions. Check its website for updates and information about its Virtual Cinema.
Tattered Cover Travel Lovers Book Club The book club normally meets the 2nd Monday of each month at the Tattered Cover at 2526 E. Colfax Ave. However, the bookstore is currently closed due to coronavirus precautions.
Walk2Connect www.walk2connect.com Park Hill Sunrise Walking Trips set off every Tuesday morning from Honeyhill Cafe at 23rd & Dexter. Walks have been suspended until further notice due to guidelines advising groups of more than 10 to congregate. Northeast Park Hill Bilingual Walk take place the first Saturday of each month from Hiawatha Davis Jr. Rec Center on 33rd and Holly. Walks have been suspended until further notice due to guidelines advising groups of more than 10 to congregate.
Submit your neighborhood events
and resources to editor@greaterparkhill.org
Deadlines are the 15th of the month, for the following month’s issue.
PET SPA
Grooming Lessons • Toys • Treats • Apparel
Wendy Miner NCMG 303.954.9486 Lucinda Young 2247 Oneida St., Denver, CO 80207 Gemma Brown www.ZenDenPetSpa.com Laura Pasillas Peaceful • Stress Free • Spa Treatment • Educational Resource
Bringing Color to Park Hill We Are The Clean Guys In A Dirty Industry!
Complete Interior & Exterior Painting
Our exterior schedule is filling up fast, so call now to schedule to make an appointment.
25th
Anniversary
Page 18
Ireland’s Finest Painting Co. (303) 512-8777 irelandsfinestinc.com
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020
GPHN Classifieds Cleaning Services
Superior House Cleaning Services – Friendly & Dependable, Flexible Schedule, Homes, Offices, Window Cleaning, 15 Years of Experience, Park Hill Resident, References available, Call for a free quote English & Spanish speaking 720-626-3696 or 720-276-5174 or email d.m.gonz6@gmail.com
Concrete
Concrete work and repair. Driveway, patios, and sidewalks. Small jobs welcome. 25 years experience. Free estimates. 303429-0380
For Lease
Moss Pink is moving. 810 square foot store available for rent. Lawyers, barbershop, real estate, nails. A choice location. Call 303-337-2082.
Handy Man
Licensed GC. Expert home repair/handy man/woodworker. Can fabricate missing/ broken pieces for furniture, staircases, trim, molding, etc. 30 years Park Hill area. Peter 720-291-6089 text ok. Brush & Hammer- 303-895-5192 Affordable-reliable services. Clean gutters, repair, replace, wood fences, gates and decks, interior painting, install small paver or flagstone patios and walkways. HANDYMAN and REMODELING – Serving Park Hill Since 2001. For ALL Home Maintenance/Repair/Remodeling needs. FREE ESTIMATES - Fast and Friendly service. 720-235-6879
Lawn Care
Aeration – Sod fertilizer – Power rake – Lawn mowing, Rototilling – Hauling – Stump removal – Weed control – Lawn mower repair – Shrubbery care – Small trees removed 720-327-9911
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
Painting
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.
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 303-6981057
Plumbing
VAIL PLUMBING & HEATING - The Older Home Specialist. Repair, service, remodel. Evaporative coolers. Licensed, insured, guaranteed. 303-329-6042
Roofing
Residential reroofing and repairs, 17 years experience, licensed, bonded, and insured. Gutter replacement and cleaning. www.accurateroofingandmasonry. com Call Shawn 303-907-9223
Sprinklers
Dental Arts
Open for pickup, carry out and curb side pickup. Open Sun-Thur 7-4 • Fri-Sat 7-7 Cocktails every day all day long!
5280 says
Best Dentist
2019
Hours may vary. Please call aHead.
Thomas J. Croghan, D.D.S, P.C.
303-377-8863 4624 East 23rd Ave.
cosmetic & fAmily Dentistry
4628 E 23rd Ave, Denver CO 80207 www.honeyhillcafe.com • 720 242 6048
Complete and comprehensive dental care for the whole family!
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
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
Tree Trimming
Tree trimming and trash removal. General yard work and clean up. Gutter cleaning. Please call 303-429-0380
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. Also restore metal casement windows. 40 year resident of PH. Contact David 720-550-2786.
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
HOUSE CLEANING feNciNg aNd deckiNg
Providing 25 years of personalized cleaning service in Stapleton & 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
New fence installation, fence repair, staining and power washing • Deck building, repair, staining and power washing • Owned and operated by Park Hill resident with over 20 years experience • Free estimate • Senior citizen and veteran discount.
Pablo’s Fencing 720-485-7207 or jpabz04@gmail.com
InterIor & exterIor 720-485-7207 PaIntIng
Prep, power washing, professional. Owned and operated by Park Hill resident with over 20 years experience • Free estimate • Senior citizen and veteran discount. Pablo’s Painting
or jpabz04@gmail.com
Twenty years of experience working with Denver’s classic homes Numerous Park Hill references Design and Renovation Specialists June 2020
The Greater Park Hill News
720-338-0748
www.CitySideRemodeling.com Page 19
Yogis under
ContraCt
new PrICe 35 Ivy St.
1521 Monaco Parkway
Outstanding 2 story in Crestmoor. Remodeled. Over 5100 finished square feet. 5 bedrooms and 5 baths
Authentic 1937 example of Art Deco style. Outstanding character and condition. Over 3600 finished square feet.
$1,899,950
$875,000
new PrICe
new PrICe
8457 S. Custer Lane
3,100+ Sq.Ft. | 6 car garage | Newly renovated | 3 Beds & 3 Baths | Set in 1 Full Acre in Evergreen
$749,950
1900 Leyden St.
Classic updated 2 story Tudor on top Park Hill block. 5 bedrooms, 4 baths. Over 4253 total square feet.
$1,399,950
Keith Combs DenverRealEstate.com
720-218-9614
kcombs@denverrealestate.com • www.combssellhomes.com
Page 20
Park Hill Family Owned
Indian Restaurant We serve Park Hill, City Park and Stapleton
15% Off use code PARKHILL
www.yogisindian.com • 720.737.1941
1612 E 17th ave, Denver (17th and Franklin)
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2020