GPHN March 2022

Jimmy Johnson, owner of Jimmy Johnson’s Tax Service.

At MyKings Ice Cream, the shop’s namesake MyKing Grant, owner Le’Day Grant, and customer Hassani Moore.

Compiled by Cara d eGette, e ditor, G p HN

Start the presses!

MyKings Ice Cream, Mississippi Boy Catfish & Ribs, Jimmy Johnson Tax Service All To Run Free Ads In Unique Project For BIPOC-Owned Businesses

Three Park Hill businesses are the premier recipients of a unique program designed to provide sponsored newspaper advertising in the Greater Park Hill News. The project, designed for businesses

owned by Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and minorities, was announced in last month’s issue.

A longtime Park Hill resident, who requested anonymity, decided to subsidize six months worth of advertising in the newspaper for two local BIPOC-owned businesses. The donor, who requested anonymity, pledged to spend thousands of dollars on advertising to support minority-owned mom-and-pop businesses to help highlight the importance of advertising — as well as

INsIde ThIs Issue

o denver, Where a rt thou? Has our Great City lost its Way?

support the local community newspaper.

“I am pleased to announce the story about the grant program inspired other donors to contribute to the BIPOC Ad Grant Program,” said newspaper manager Melissa Davis. “As a result, we will be able to award ads to two more businesses than we originally anticipated.”

The first recipients include MyKings Ice Cream at 2851 Colorado Blvd., whose owner, Le’Day Grant, was featured in a business profile last month (check out the MyKings ad on page 9).

Mississippi Boy Catfish & Ribs, a restaurant at 5544 E. 33rd Ave., will also receive free display advertising (check out the ad

continued on page 7

time to Honor two Women Who a re Working to Save our planet rebel Girls: take a deep dive into Women’s History month pa G e 3 pa G e 4 pa G e

What in the Heck is this Guy doing Here?

12

upcomINg gphc mee TINgs

Angels Soaring To State

On Feb. 1, the Denver East Angels boys basketball team defeated Denver Public Schools rival Thomas Jefferson by the score of 83-65 midway through its league season. East concluded its regular season on Feb. 19 by taking down its east Denver rival George Washington High, by the score of 79-76.

As of Feb. 20, the Angels team had a record of 21-2, undefeated in the Denver Public Schools League, and a sported a No. 4 state ranking in the 5A big school division

(behind No. 1 ThunderRidge, No. 2 Fossil Ridge, and No. 3 Chaparral). The Angels excellent record gives East a first-round playoff bye.

The Angels second-round state tournament playoff game was scheduled to be played at home on Feb. 26 (after this issue went to press) against the winner of Denver South (seeded No. 26) and Legend (seeded No. 36). The state championship game is scheduled for March 12.

Ty Allen, owner of Mississippi Boy Catfish & Ribs. Photos by Cara DeGette

East Boys basketball beat Thomas Jefferson 83-65 on Feb. 1. Photo by Reid Neureiter

Who’s Your Pal?

The “Pizza Pals Playzone” room at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station brings to mind the colorful imagery of the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoons. The playzone is just one feature of the immersive, multimedia adventure that is Meow Wolf, which started in Santa Fe and opened its 90,000 square-foot installation in Denver last fall. Check out page 8 for the story and additional photos by Reid Neureiter.

2206 Kearney St., 720-735-9800

www.nestmanortho.com

o Denver, Where Art Thou?

Things Are Amiss In Our Once-Lovely City

By Gary Martyn

the GPHN

For

I ran an errand downtown a few weeks ago and it was quite the unsettling experience. Between the protected bike lanes, bus lanes, the traffic-calming bollards, and the endless graffiti like spray paint all over the tarmac from construction, the place looked like a total disaster. Some buildings still have plywood over their windows, there is a lot of regular graffiti, and there isn’t much parking. It simply is not welcoming.

I did a little reading on the denver.gov website to gain some clarity. I went through all kinds of pages detailing plans and studies. One thing Denver does is plan and study. A lot. We have Blueprint Denver, the Denver Mobility Plan, Game Plan for a Healthy City, Denver Moves: Pedestrians and Trails, Three Year Shelter Plan …

The list of plans — trust me — goes on and on. And on.

When one peruses these plans, often there are examples that tell us Portland did this, Minneapolis has done that, Austin is doing this. It gives the impression that our planners spend a lot of time studying what others have done, a good thing, but then cannot articulate why a certain idea is right for Denver.

With all of this planning, our leaders have decided that being Denver is OK, but it would be better if we were World Class. We need a World Class airport, a World Class convention center, World Class sports, and World Class arenas. There is a really Big New Bridge going over the Platte at 51st Street from the new stockyards construction to…, well right now to a dead-end street that is serving as a housing area for those without homes. The homeless problem is, sadly, heading toward World Class and should be the city’s top priority.

In these pursuits, we have all been witness to the ghastly cost overruns at the airport, the ongoing convention center problems, the National Western funding issues, and the ongoing inability to build anything on time within budget. Our own Fairfax Park is a prime example. The Greater Park Hill News did a great job uncovering that debacle over the past several years.

Somewhere along the line, our elected leaders have mostly stopped doing the small things that make our lives easier and better in order to grasp at the Next Big Shiny Thing. A new arena at the National Western, YES! More airport, YES!

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: Melissa Davis ads@greaterparkhill.org

720-287-0442 (VM)

Deadline for submissions is the 15th of every month

Bus Rapid Transit on Colfax, YES! Does anyone think the city will be able to build the Colfax Bus Rapid Transit within the budget and timetable they are proposing? No. And, that construction will probably kill off many of the small shops along the route. Albuquerque has gone through this.

Something is obviously amiss in our once-lovely city. It’s dirty, it’s unwelcoming, and frankly, it has lost its vision. At this point in my essay, since I borrowed the title from a great movie, we could cue up a folksy bluegrass tune by the Soggy Bottom Boys and end it. Instead, we are left with the Dodgy Bottom Boys (and Girls) still running the show. So I ask of them:

How about concentrating on smaller projects that will make everyday life better? Re-route semi trucks off of Quebec to get some traffic relief. Instead of trafficcalming bollards, maybe write a few tickets to actually slow people down? Clean up graffiti.

At least pick up the numerous traffic island signs that are laying around all up and down Colfax. Have the construction folks clean up after themselves by scrubbing their graffiti off the streets and sidewalks before they move on. Give the police a chance to work with the citizens.

Try limiting the lofty ambitions, instead finish some of the projects that you have promised. Plant a bunch of trees. Build some parks. Put a shine back on the dusty old cowtown before it is forever tarnished. Gary Martyn grew up in Park Hill.

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.

Gary Martyn

Crumpled median sign along Colfax, still there 10 days — and counting — after this photo was taken.

a ‘Very, Very Special Sighting’

Denver birders were ecstatic in February over the rare appearance of a Pyrrhuloxia. This cardinallike bird usually sticks to Arizona and Mexico, but inexplicably decided to pay a visit up north. Bird-lovers flocked to the west-central Denver neighborhood near 12th and Newton Street for a glimpse of the beauty, and posted many observations online. The Pyrrhuloxia was easy to spot: Just look for the group of people standing on the sidewalk, pointing into the tree. Note: The fellow in this photo is not the Denver bird, but one of his Arizona cousins photographed last year by Mark Silverstein.

Dogged Tenacity

Honoring Two Women Who Are Working To Stop Destruction Of Our Only Home

By Tracey MacDermott For the GPHN

It is predicted that within 50 years fully one-third of the plants and animals that inhabit the globe will be extinct. These rates of extinction accelerate in years when we suffered hotter temperatures.

Last year — 2021 — recorded the sixth hottest year on record. Scientists are calling the time we are living in as the sixth mass extinction event. The last one happened 65

million years ago.

There is no doubt that human activity is responsible for this trend in our planet’s history. One of the drivers to species loss is the destruction of habitat. Both our land and water need preservation and protection, quickly.

This month, coinciding with Women’s History Month, I’d like to highlight the work and dogged tenacity of two women who have dedicated their lives to creating solutions to head off the destruction of our only home.

Our own congresswoman, Rep. Diana DeGette, sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Natural Resources. These are critical assignments, held by Colorado’s most senior member of Congress — where seniority is critical.

To highlight just one example of DeGette’s longstanding commitment to the environment, last September the House approved her bill to protect 1.3 million acres of public land, including 660,000 acres in Colorado.

The Protecting America’s Wilderness (PAW) act would also add protections in California and Washington.

Key factors of this bill address many issues. It provides protections so that future generations will experience unique landscapes, improves recreational areas for underserved communities, generates economic boosts to surrounding areas, protects tribal areas, and help keep our rivers running with clean water. The legislation, as noted on DeGette’s

website, would ensure that Colorado’s High Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, known as HAATS, is able to continue its mission uninterrupted.

The PAW act passed the House, but, unfortunately, was stripped late last year when it got to the Senate. DeGette is undeterred, and has vowed to continue the fight. She, along with environmental scientists, knows that in order to save open spaces, threatened species and help avert climate catastrophe, it is imperative that we must do more.

DeGette’s legislation not only protects land but also scenic rivers — which eventually lead to our oceans, and are also in need of efforts for protection and cleanup.

That leads us to oceanographer Sylvia Earle, the founder of Mission Blue and whose life work is protecting ocean habitat.

Earle refers to the oceans as the blue heart of the planet. Her work has led to creating Hope Spots to create marine protections. Currently, she has created 140 of these spaces, from the Great Barrier Reef to areas of the East and West coasts of the United States.

The Hope Spots are chosen based on criteria which includes the following: areas of abundance or diversity of species, areas of rare, threatened or endemic species, sites with potential to reverse damage from negative human impacts, presence of natural processes such as major migration corridors, significant historical cultural or spiritual values and economic importance to the community.

Our oceans have been exploited through

commercial fishing. Half of our coral reefs have disappeared or are in decline, and hundreds of “dead zones” have occurred through runoff.

The oceans play a vital role in weather patterns, and also help regulate the Earth’s climate by taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Yet our oceans have absorbed most of human-caused global warming, as well as our plastic trash.

Our oceans are warming faster than previously understood. This warming leads to rising sea levels, heavier downpours, stronger hurricanes and dying coral reefs. Currently, approximately 7 percent of the oceans are protected, compared to 12 percent of land. For both land and oceans, it is estimated that we need to protect at minimum 30 percent in order to provide benefits to humanity and help solve the climate crisis.

Your actions and voices are also important. Please continue to support the efforts of leaders like Rep. DeGette and Dr. Earle. The work being done by these two women is critical to help head off catastrophe.

Tracey MacDermott is an at-large member of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., and immediate past chair. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017, and is currently the Statewide Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project for the 100% Committed Campaign.

Lovin’ The e-Bike

By Mark Kuhl

For the GPHN

Did you recently buy an electric bicycle to help reduce your carbon footprint, or just for fun? The most expensive part of the e-bike, the battery, will typically fail within three to five years depending on the brand, type, and how you care for it.

Fortunately, many e-bike batteries can be repaired and rebuilt to their original level of function by a qualified technician. This involves replacing battery cells and repairing damaged or worn-out components, such as the electronic battery management system. Some repairers will turn down batteries with advanced intelligent lithi-

um battery management systems for instance. Ask the bike shop where you purchased your e-bike whether they repair/ refurbish batteries or who they would recommend.

On another note, have you heard that Tesla plans to launch an innovative new e-bike like no other, called Model B? Stay tuned.

Mark Kuhl is an environmental advocate who lives in Park Hill with his family. His handy tips and news about recycling household items appear every month in these pages. A directory of his past columns for recycling everything from paint to Styrofoam to shoes is at greaterparkhill.org/sustainability/recycling-directory/.

Rep. Diana DeGette gets a firsthand look of the Little Book Cliffs Wilderness Study Area in Mesa County, one of 36 areas in Colorado that would be permanently protected under her wilderness bill.

Sylvia Earle. Photo by Susan Middleton

2022 Garden Walk Set for June 12

Last year’s Park Hill Garden Walk had record-breaking attendance, and the organizing committee is expecting similarly high interest for this year’s event on Sunday, June 12.

The annual Garden Walk is a daylong event designed to showcase the handiwork of local gardeners and featured artists. Eight gardens will be featured throughout the Park Hill neighborhood this year, with the work of local artists who display their work at each location. The art forms range from oil paintings, watercolor, mixed media, acrylic, ceramic sculpture, metal sculpture, jewelry and more. Many of the featured artists will work en plein air the day of the Garden Walk.

As with past Garden Walks, attendees will be treated to English themed gardens, Japanese influenced gardens and even “secret gardens.” One of the gardens has the elements of an urban-style forest, with significant diversification of native species and an outdoor kitchen complete

with fireplace and television. Other gardens include water features, fire pits and even a totem pole.

Tickets will go on sale beginning May 1 at parkhillgardenwalk.org. Advance tickets are $15, seniors (age 65-plus) are $12 and children under 12 are free. Tickets will also be available at several retail locations throughout Park Hill. Make sure to check upcoming issues of the newspaper for additional details..

The Park Hill Garden Walk committee is a group of volunteers working to raise funds to support the Greater Park Hill Community mission. GPHC, Inc. is a volunteer-based registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill through its resources, information and advocacy, and preserving the quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation.

March Community and Board Meeting

Thursday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting is held virtually via Zoom. Everyone is welcome to attend. For instructions and links to join the meeting, go to greaterparkhill.org/join-us/community-meetings/

Community meeting agenda

• 6:30 p.m. — Welcome – Shane Sutherland, Board Chair

• 6:35 p.m. — Police Update - Heidi Lewis, Community Resource Officer, DPD

• 6:40 p.m. — Community Update – Lana

Cordes, Executive Director

• 6:45 p.m. — Kearney/Krameria Neighborhood Bikeway: Riley LaMie, senior city planner, Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure

• 7 p.m. — Update from the DA’s office: Denver District Attorney Beth McCann

• 7:10 p.m. — City Council Redistricting:

Presentation and discussion

• 7:20 p.m. — Open Floor: Community comments and announcements

board meeting agenda

• 7:30 p.m. — Approval of February Meeting

Minutes

• 7:35 p.m. — Open Floor: Board issues

Upcoming programs and events

Food programs

Our food programs include the Emergency Food Pantry, Weekend Food Program, Free Farm Stand, Thanksgiving Giveaway, and Garden in a Box Giveaway. All of these programs are supported almost entirely from donations from the community. Check out greaterparkhill.org for detailed information about the food programs, and how to make financial contributions,

Not sure what to donate? A list of what is currently needed, and client favorites is available at greaterparkhill.org/donate/.

announcements

The City and County of Denver is developing a policy through the Expanding Housing Affordability project to ensure that as new homes are built in Denver, more affordable homes are built as well — both to rent and to buy. This policy will complement other existing housing programs throughout the city.

The Expanding Housing Affordability project has released an updated proposal. The city invites comment on the proposal through March 14, 2022. Comments may be submitted online. More information is at this link: tinyurl.com/ DenverHousingAffordability

Go to this link to submit feedback on the housing affordability project: tinyurl.com/DenverHousingFeedback

Notices from the City and County of denver

Notice of City Council Hearing

Applicant: 3435 Albion LLC

Property Address: 3435 N Albion St. (“Robinson House”)

Case Number: 2021I-00111

Proposed Action: Rezone from PUD539 to E-MX-2x

Hearing: Monday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m.

Notice of Landmark Designation Application

Applicant: 3435 Albion LLC

Property Address: 3435 N Albion St (“Robinson House”)

Landmark Preservation Commission Hearing: Tuesday, March 15 at 1 p.m.

Notice of Zone Map Amendment Application

Applicant: Will Wagenlander, David Evans and Associates

Property Address: 1895 Quebec St. and 1800 Oneida St.(former Johnson and Wales Campus)

Case Number: 2021i-00232

Proposed Action: Rezone from CMP-EI to CMP-EI w/waivers

Notices of Transfer of Ownership

Applicant: Pyramid Denver CP Management, LLC dba DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver – Central Park

Business Address: 4040 Quebec St., Denver, CO 80216

Business File Number: 2022-AMEND

-0000418

Liquor License Type: Hotel and Restaurant

License

Cabaret License: Dance Cabaret

Applicant: Pyramid Denver I Management, LLC dba DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver

Business Address: 3203 Quebec St., Denver, CO 80207

Business File Number: 2022-AMEND0000420

Liquor License Type: Hotel and Restaurant

License Cabaret License: Dance Cabaret

Applicant: 7 Leguas Mexican Grille #1 LLC dba 7 Leguas Mexican Grille #1

Business Address: 4550 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80220

Business File Number: 2022-AMEND0000252

Liquor License Type: Hotel and Restaurant License

— Jean Ercolani, Park Hill Garden Walk organizer

YOU NEED US. WE NEED YOU.

Slicing And Dicing Denver

Redistricting Promises To Be A Recipe For Saucy Political Theater

By Penfield W. Tate III For the GPHN

I am sure by now you are feeling sliced and diced, at least on a political level, on a regular basis. And indeed, you are.

These feelings are not just a product of the divisions that run through our country, it is the administrative process of democracy. It is the process where, based on population changes and shifts every 10 years, new boundaries are drawn to determine who represents us. We have just been through congressional and state legislative redistricting to determine who represents us in Congress and in the state legislature.

Now we are all about to be sliced and diced for a third time. Denver City Council has begun its process of council redistricting. This ultimately will determine your City Council person — who you vote for and who you reach out to and express your opinions and concerns. This is part of the administrative necessity of democracy that allows your vote to truly count.

Ideally, each new council district should have a population of 65,047, with allowable deviations. We are less diverse as a city than we were 10 years ago, and the huge demographic and population shifts — particularly downtown and far Northeast — will require that every district sees boundary changes. This requirement also prevents all of Park Hill being in one council district.

The process has begun with the public submitting 15 maps for consideration and City Council members submitting no fewer than six possible district maps, Maps A (brought by Candi CdeBaca), B (Jamie Torres), C (Kevin Flynn), D (Jolon Clark, Chris Herndon, Paul Kashmann, Chris Hinds, Stacie Gilmore, and Kendra Black), E (Amanda Sandoval), and F (Amanda Sawyer). Only councilwomen Robin Kniech and Debbie Ortega, both term-limited, have not sponsored maps.

From now until March 7 Council will have committee meetings debating the respective maps. Between March 7 and March 14, the committee will determine which are approved for filing. March 21 will be the first reading of the ordinance for the proposed maps, and March 29 culminates in the public hearing and adoption of an ordinance selecting the map to be put forward.

These maps will govern the April 23, 2023 mayoral and city council election.

Mapping Denver

“Map A” above is one of six redistricting maps being proposed by members of the Denver City Council.

Greater Park Hill is currently represented by one councilman — the termlimited District 8 representative Chris Herndon. In all of the proposed redistricting scenarios, Park Hill will likely end up in some combination of District 5 (currently held by Amanda Sawyer), District 8 (newly elected) and District 9 (currently held by Candi CdeBaca).

The following are the boundaries and demographics for proposed Map A. • District 5 would include the area roughly from Colfax Avenue north to 23rd Avenue, and east from Colorado

You can examine things for yourselves at tinyurl.com/DenverRedistrictingMap

In addition to the population requirements, maps must be drawn with certain equity criteria in mind to prevent gerrymandering. They must avoid cracking or diluting historically marginalized voters; avoid packing or concentrating historically marginalized voters; avoid stacking overall power against historically marginalized voters, acknowledge census undercounts in marginalized areas; and, consider past and future growth trends. (See aclu.org/video/ stacking-cracking-and-packing for further discussion of the equity criteria.)

If you question the need for these equity criteria, consider this not-so-ancient Den-

Boulevard to Quebec Street. (District 5 would be 13.5 percent Latino, 64.7 percent white and 12.6 percent Black.)

• District 8 would include much of north and south Park Hill, roughly running from Fairfax Avenue and 23rd Street east to the city limits. (District 8 would be 33.6 percent Latino, 40.1 percent white and 15.6 percent Black.)

• District 9 would include the northwest portion of Park Hill, stretching south to roughly 23rd Avenue and Fairfax Street. (District 9 would be 33 percent Latino, 46.9 percent white and 13.1 percent Black.)

Go to tinyurl.com/RedistrictingDenver to see similar geographic and demographic details of all the proposed maps.

ver history. When Elvin Caldwell Sr. was elected to the Denver City Council in 1955, he became the first Black elected to a city council west of the Mississippi River. When he was appointed to the cabinet of former Mayor Bill McNichols in 1980, he became the first Black to serve on a Denver mayor’s cabinet. In 1983, Federico Pena became the first non-white elected mayor of Denver.

So how do these proposals impact Park Hill? Our neighborhood will likely end up in some combination of District 5 (Amanda Sawyer), District 8 (currently represented by Chris Herndon, who is term-limited from office) and District 9 (Candi CdeBaca). That means that, rather than the neighborhood being represented by one member of council, as is currently the case, three council members will represent different parts of Greater Park Hill.

With more than 20 maps in play, debating how this all shakes out is going to be an interesting process. Layer in the infighting with the current council, the fact that three council members and the mayor are term-limited, some council members may not seek re-election and the inherent desire of incumbents to craft districts where they can be easily reelected — and you have the recipe for good political theatre.

Here is the link to Redistricting Denver 2022: tinyurl.com/RedistrictingDenver Log into a meeting and join in the fun. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Penfield W. Tate III is an attorney in Denver. He represented Park Hill in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 to 2000, and in the State Senate from 2001 to February 2003. He lives in Park Hill.

Map produced by the City and County of Denver.

on page 12), as will Jimmy Johnson Tax Service, at 2839 Fairfax St. (See his ad on page 6).

Businesses were selected based on the following criteria: those who expressed interest, operate in or adjacent to Greater Park Hill, is majority owned by a Black Indigenous Person of Color (BIPOC), and has the ability to provide ad information within the newspaper’s production deadlines.

If you are a BIPOC business owner and would like to be considered for the program, email Ms. Davis at newspaper@ greaterparkhill.org. If you would like to become a sponsor of this program and help provide newspaper advertising for BIPOC and minority-owned businesses, visit this link: bit.ly/3BpnaHl

The story announcing the program can be read at greaterparkhill.org/news-andopinion/a-very-local-action/.

Women’s History month: Weld With rosie the riveter

Celebrate Women’s History Month on Tuesday, March 8 at 1 p.m. with Colorado’s Rosie the Riveter, aka Gail Beaton.

Rosie the Riveter was the name given to women in the United States during World War II who worked as welders, bullet makers, and at a wide variety of factory jobs vital for the war effort. This March 8 program will focus on the character Gail Murphy, a bullet case worker at the Denver Ordnance Plant, as well as other great contributions that women made to World War II efforts.

The 45-minute first person portrayal will be presented by the actor and scholar Gail Beaton live via Zoom, and will include a live conversation, and a question/answer session with registrants.

The event is sponsored by the Colorado

Humanities and Front Range Community College. To register for the free event and receive the link, visit coloradohumanities. org/programs/speakers-bureau/.

Scott balderman on tap For march 9 edequity Corner

Denver Public Schools at-large board member Scott Balderman is the featured guest for the monthly EdEquity Corner on Wednesday, March 9.

The virtual forum runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Balderman will discuss what he’s learned from his first few months on the school board and talk about the current state of the School Performance Framework and accountability for DPS Schools. He’ll also provide an update on the superintendent’s transition priorities. Register for the free event at tinyurl.com/EdEquityMar22.

EdEquity Corner is sponsored by Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, a group of parents and community members who are working to ensure students attending all Park Hill elementary schools get a quality education. Check out their website at phnee.org.

New music Series launches at montview presbyterian

The Front Range Chamber Players is launching a new music series at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, beginning with a concert on Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m. The concert will feature the music of Caroline Lizotte, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and Schubert, including two harps, flute, violin, viola, and cello.

The second concert is Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. It’s designed for children and those young at heart, and will include such timeless stories as The Boy Who Cried & The Great Race (Tortoise and the Hare). The third featured concert is Saturday, May 14 at 2 p.m. and will be an epic quintet for piano, two violins, viola, and cello.

Each concert is about 1 hour 45 minutes. with an intermission.

The concerts are presented thanks to a generous donation from the daughter of former Colorado Symphony Orchestra Dr. Gerald Rainer, to continue his legacy of supporting classical music. The concerts are free to students. Adult tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door. Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church is at 1980 Dahlia St.

Front Range Chamber Players is a classical chamber group based in Ft. Collins that has presented concerts since 1985.

St. paddy’s parade returns downtown on march 12

Denver’s longstanding St. Patrick’s Day parade will return downtown on Saturday, March 12 for the first time since 2019. The parade — one of the largest in the country — was paused in 2020 just after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

The parade, featuring 175 floats and scores of leprechauns, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. from the corner of 19th and Wynkoop streets. It turns left on 17th Street to Blake Street, heading east to end at Coors Field.

In the past, crowds have surged to an estimated 450,000 people, who gather to celebrate Irish culture. An estimated 10,000 marchers are expected this year, from Irish step dancers, to marching bands, politicians and first responders. Check out denverstpatricksdayparade.com for all details.

a pplications Sought For Julia Gayles’ Scholarship

The Urban Financial Services Coalition of Denver, formerly known as Mile High Banker’s Consortium, is accepting applications for two $2,000 scholarships. The scholarships will be awarded in June in honor of Julia Gayles’ legacy, one of the charter members. High school seniors or current college students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better pursuing a degree in business, finance or a related field are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit your application is April 30. Direct all questions about submissions requirements and criteria to the Julia Gayles’ Scholarship committee at ufscdenver@gmail.com.

This 1942 work-incentive poster by artist J. Howard Miller has become one of the most famous icons of World War II.

Scott Balderman

Image from the 2018 St Paddy’s Day Parade.

Art Tripping

Denver’s Meow Wolf Transports Visitors To The Fantasmic Beyond

Story and photos by Reid Neureiter

For the GPHN

In 2008, a collective of artists gathered in Santa Fe, N.M., intent on creating a new kind of art experience. Each artist placed one word on a piece of paper to be chosen from a hat. The first two words selected, “Meow” and “Wolf,” named the collective.

Today, Meow Wolf has become a multi-city arts and entertainment company in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and now, downtown Denver, where its four-story, 90,000 square-foot Convergence Station opened not far from Mile High Stadium last September.

Through immersive, multimedia experiences, Meow Wolf describes itself as transporting audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of storytelling. Its Denver installation is part jungle gym, part haunted house, and part a hands-on children’s museum for all ages.

A visit is a disorienting but enthralling adventure, with secret doors opening to reveal new chambers, hidden stairways, and psychedelic passages. Each feature different kinds of art, some of it small, some massive enough to fill entire rooms — all somehow tied together by the installation’s unusual origin story.

To the uninitiated, Convergence Station presents as a freaky combination of the science-fiction land of Avatar’s

Pandora, the dazzling structures and sculptures of Burning Man, the flashing colors of Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district, with a dash of SpongeBob SquarePants thrown in for good measure.

The tale is that four alien worlds have been joined together via a “rare cosmic event” to create a place where “memories are currency.” These disparate environments include the unnerving labyrinthine subterranean world of Ossuary; the Ice Cities of Eemia which feature a twostory tall Kaleidogothic Cathedral; the 6th dimensional rain-forest landscape of Numia; and the neon metropolis of C Street, which brings to mind an extraterrestrial Times Square. Each “world” is bathed in different colored lights. Each has a different soundtrack, with unusual music creating a unique sound experience to complement the visual feast presented by the multitude of rooms and corridors.

The experience is interactive, including numerous computer screens responding to touch and sound, dazzlingly push-button activated spinning washing-machine-like sculptures, with certain exhibits that can be seen only by bending to navigate spiral halls or crawling under lowhanging platforms to pop one’s head up out of a hole like a groundhog.

The entire experience is made all the more unusual because the facility’s docents, or guides, are dressed as if they were residents of this alien world—a strange mix of goths and fairies, all ready to direct you to the nearest (very oddly decorated) restroom if you have the need.

Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station is a worthwhile excursion for modern art and fantasy aficionados of all ages, although children younger than seven might be frightened by some of the darker rooms and otherworldly images. General admission tickets are $45 ($40 for children) with a $10 dollar discount for Colorado residents. Check out the Meow Wolf website for reservations and other info at tickets.meowwolf.com/

A towering crystaline silver spaceship-like structure is the central feature of Convergence Station’s 6th dimensional rain-forest landscape of Numia.

A colorful illuminated spiral hallway makes for uncomfortable viewing.

A giant articulated alien worm-creature emerges from the ground next to the Meow Wolf parking lot. Psychedelic rotating washing machine sculptures.

No Cure for Aging

In The Big Picture, That Is A Good Thing

By Anya Nitczynski For the GPHN

I’ve noticed a recent uptick in people relying on me for answers. I go to concerts and I’m asked for my ID. I ask myself why every time. I guess I have reached the age where I can’t stoop behind my mother. I am no longer five years old and helpless.

When did that happen?

From birth, maybe. I’ve always been growing, but not quite growing up. Or maybe I have. What does it even really mean to grow up? I know it means the collections of artifacts I hang on my wall are starting to grow, not unlike ivy clinging to the houses I see in Park Hill so often. I know it means sorrow and anxiety about the future.

self while you figure out what age means to you. This can happen at 5 years old, or at 95. It is ingrained in us from birth that aging is a bad thing. That we aren’t allowed to look like we’ve aged, act like we’ve aged, or do anything besides pretend to avoid the reality that is longevity.

There is grief in realizing you are probably never going to make it big on the Disney Channel.

Isn’t it a wonderful thing that we get to age, though? So many people never get that opportunity. I’m not saying not to experience the fullness of emotions, because that’s part of it, but understand that the Earth is older than you and you are here to experience it. Find the mundane things in life and enjoy them — trust that there is life beyond wherever you are now.

Every day and every milestone that passes is one more thing that is now over in my life. There is pride in that, in the sense of accomplishment and recognition I seem to be getting more and more as of late, but there is also melancholy. Elementary school is long past. There is grief in realizing you are probably never going to make it big on the Disney Channel.

I don’t think there is any cure to the feelings that come up with aging, and of course there’s no cure to aging itself. The closest thing to medicine is being gentle with your-

I know that I may not be qualified to be giving out advice on how to grow up at my elderly age of freshman in high school, but my ramblings and musings will hopefully at least inspire a look inwards. A look at who you are and what your values are, what matters most to you, and how that is the most important thing about you. It’s a good feeling to grieve something because of how much you miss it, because it happened.

Anya Nitczynski is a freshman at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears monthly in these pages.

d IT or I N m emor I am

Larry Ambrose: A Tribute

By Phil Goodstein

For the GPHN

Park Hill and lovers of the city’s parks lost a good friend on Jan. 28, Larry Ambrose.

A native of Pueblo, where he graduated from Central High School, Ambrose had an amazing reach and helped shape the destiny of Denver, his adopted city. He was a polymath, excelling in many different fields. A hypnotizing storyteller, he is the man as responsible as anybody for the survival of the Golda Meir House. He oversaw its move to the Auraria campus in 1988 when he was the head of a newly-created Auraria Foundation.

Over the years, Ambrose was heavily involved in entertainment. Settling in Denver in the 1970s, he ran a booking and talent agency. At one time, he was the co-owner of a bar/nightclub in Lakewood. His family once sponsored the Ambrose Jellymakers, an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team.

Always proud of his hometown, in the early 21st century Ambrose was the man ager of the Pueblo Convention Center. He was a close partner of his wife of 48 years, Jane Parker-Ambrose, in her amazing kite business. Included was helping promote her international One Sky One World Kite Fly for Peace festival that she once held on

lands that had been part of Stapleton Airport.

Ambrose was also most active in Denver city politics. Twice an unsuccessful candidate for city council, in 2015 many voters disgruntled with the Michael Hancock administration rallied around Ambrose. He received two percent of the vote as an undeclared write-in candidate for mayor. In part they did so because they knew him as a champion of parks.

As much as anything, Ambrose was very much a neighborhood activist. Along the way, he helped to shape the coalition of the city’s neighborhood groups, Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, of which he served as president. As the head of the INC’s parks committee, he was a fierce fighter for the improvement, enhancement, and expansion of the city’s park system.

Always ready with a story, Ambrose created a marvelous portrait of the world around him. Not afraid to take on city hall, he endlessly had a vision of improvement and uplift for everybody. This particularly came out in his last job, as executive director of the Southwest Improvement Council in southwest Denver.

[An Associated Press investigation] found the system sets off false alarms with fireworks, cars backfiring, or other loud sounds.

ShotSpotter Is Ineffective

By Kayla Q. Frawley

On the evening of Jan. 3, I, among many other neighbors and concerned citizens stayed online untill 9 p.m. to testify at a Denver City Council meeting in opposition or support of the new contract that the Denver Police Department made with ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter is a technology that alerts law enforcement when gunshots and other loud sounds are made.

As a mom and resident of District 8 in Denver, I am familiar with the gun violence that has torn our city apart countless times. I remember hiding under my desk at my child’s daycare center, calling 911 multiple times because of a shooting down the street, or a lockdown, or a lockin. My stress is likely shared with all of my neighbors. All of us are impacted by gun violence. In 2019 the Denver metro had the third-most mass shootings per capita in the country. We are the fifth highest state when it comes to mass shootings. Residents are aware that we have to seek better solutions, invest in cost-effective routes to reducing gun violence, and take an equitable stance to community safety by reducing violence done onto communities of color.

An Associated Press investigation of

pacity of our City Park horticulturists and maintenance staff to care for our park, you signed up to implement Denver Parks and Recreation’s Adopt-A-Flowerbed program. What a difference your commitment made.

More than 50 volunteers showed up in May, 2021. Neighbors from all around the park participated, including Park Hill, South City Park, Whittier, Congress, Cheesman, Cherry Creek – and beyond. City Park horticulturists outlined gardening responsibilities that included watering, weeding, pruning, and fertilizing. Participants organized into teams and picked the gardens they wanted to maintain.

As the gardening season progressed from spring to fall, volunteers gathered in teams or individually when they could – sometimes weekly, bi-weekly or monthly – and began to work on larger team projects. Sometimes the word would go out that the Benedict Rose Garden or Sopris or Thatcher needed help and a group of a dozen or more would show up to make it happen. Gardening was always accompanied by much laughter, trading of gardening tips and camaraderie. Getting to know the City Park horticulturists was a particular bonus.

We are well into organizing for the 2022 season now.

City Park’s Adopt-a-Flowerbed volunteers racked up 1200 volunteer gardening hours in 2021 - the first year of the program. We are well into organizing for the 2022 season now. Please join us. The GPHC

Pronghorn Dreams

Springtime Expedition To The Pawnee National Grassland Yields Wildlife, Birds, Wind And Wells

Story and photos by Reid Neureiter For the GPHN

One hundred ten miles northeast of Park Hill lies the Pawnee National Grassland with two remarkable geologic features — the towering twin Pawnee Buttes, sedimentary rock formations rising 350 sheer vertical feet above the surrounding windswept plains.

Rechristened by James Michener in his book Centennial as the “Rattlesnake Buttes,” he described them thusly: “They

were extraordinary, these two sentinels of the plains. Visible for miles in each direction, they guarded a bleak and silent empire.”

The towers provide a focal point for exploring Colorado’s historic Eastern Plains. They also make for a fantastic day trip for some early spring hiking, camping, birding and wildlife viewing.

The Pawnee National Grassland is a 30by-60 mile area consisting of 193,060 acres of federal land, intermixed with a checkerboard of private land and Colorado state

ownership. The Pawnee Buttes themselves — 13 miles south of the Wyoming border — can be reached from a U.S. Forest Service trailhead via a moderate 5.5 mile roundtrip hike.

The Pawnee Buttes trail winds through cliffs and an arroyo and then open prairie on the way to the Buttes, and is open yearround. As the rock forming the Buttes is crumbing sandstone, climbing on the Buttes, while not prohibited, is not recommended. The entire hike, which is mostly flat, can be completed in three to four hours by moderately fit hikers with occasional stops for pictures and snacks.

On the outskirts of the Grassland lies the now-deserted town of Keota, Colo., which itself provides an eerie history lesson in how the plains were homesteaded in the

late 19th century and were subsequently deserted 100 years later when blizzards, drought and incessant winds ultimately proved too much to bear.

The Grassland itself, recognized for its wildflowers, is renowned by birdwatchers, especially during the spring migratory period where hawks, falcons and golden eagles are plentiful. The Grassland also supports numerous mammal species, including the swift fox, coyote, black-tailed prairie dog, and mule deer. And on the drive through rural Weld County one is likely to see herds of pronghorn, the skittish, brown and white amazingly quick “antelope” of the plains— the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere that can reach speeds of 55 miles per hour.

While a trip to the Grassland may hold the promise of uninterrupted scenes of the unspoiled plains, one should not be under the misimpression that the area consists of nothing but pristine prairie.

While the Forest Service manages the surface resources of the Grassland (including by leasing the land to ranchers), the federal Bureau of Land Management manages the subsurface mineral rights, including oil and gas reserves. Weld County has significant oil and gas deposits. So, per the Forest Service’s webpage, there are approximately 40 active oil and gas wells on the Grassland near the Pawnee Buttes, detracting somewhat from the pastoral feel.

In addition, the “windswept” aspect of the plains means that dozens of power-generating windmills are visible to the north and east of the Buttes. Thus, a visit to the Pawnee Buttes is a lesson in balancing environmental and wildlife preservation with competing needs for energy resources.

Primitive, dispersed camping is permitted on the Grassland year-round. No fee is required and there are numerous suitable spots within a mile of the Pawnee Buttes trailhead for an overnight stay in a tent or RV. Other than a restroom and picnic table, there are no facilities or trash receptacles. Campers are encouraged to follow “leave no trace principles” — including packing out all trash and minimizing campfire impacts. More information can be found at fs.usda. gov/recarea/arp/recarea/?recid=32178

This gravel road in northeast Weld County provides access to the Pawnee Buttes National Grassland.

A herd of antelope sprint across the grassland on the way to the Pawnee Buttes.

A lone hiker makes her way east through the grassland toward the Pawnee Buttes in this image taken last year.

a

T T he l IB rary

Rebel Girls

Take A Deep Dive Into Women’s History Month

By Rachel Reddick Park Hill Branch Librarian

March is Women’s History month, and your friendly neighborhood librarian at the Park Hill branch library has plenty of ways to help you dive into that history.

Want to make it a fast lesson and get a movie? Denver Public Library has gems like A League of Their Own — a classic from Penny Marshall about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Want more of a straight documentary? Definitely give Makers: Women Who Make America or Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology a shot. Both give insight into women’s various creative contributions.

Maybe you’re more bookworm than cinephile. I highly recommend Circe by Madeline Miller, which is a reinterpretation of the Greek myth with gorgeous imagery and lush language. While the story is cataloged firmly in the fiction category, mythology is a reflection of the society that tells it after all.

But perhaps you’re more a nonfiction kind of reader. Last year gave us the publication of The Light of Days: the Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos by Judy Batalion. A detailed account of real life WWII heroes who fought to save themselves and their families in the midst of the holocaust, it’s available in both an adult and a young reader’s edition, which is appropriate for younger teens and advanced readers.

Have a younger reader you’re hoping to engage on the topic? GoodNight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World by Elena Favilli is a colorfully illustrated guide to stories of such remarkable women as Josephine Baker, Marjane Satrapi, and Ada Lovelace. You can also look into Brad Meltzer’s popular biography I Am series, which outlines the lives of women like Billie Jean King, Anne Frank, and Frida Kahlo.

Local history has lots of interesting women to research as well. Our sister branch, the Pauline Robinson branch, was named after an extraordinary community member. As a graduate of the University of Denver in 1943, she was the first Black librarian in the city of Denver. She started

nOW

Wednesdays: Kids Night

feeling The Love

In This Great Neighborhood, We’re Fortunate To Build On The Bonds Of Generations That Came Before Us

By Lana Cordes Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.

March marks my third anniversary as executive director at Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Last year at this time I took the opportunity to write about my affinity for Park Hill. This year, considering I’m writing this very column on Valentine’s Day, it’s only appropriate to expand on that theme.

Yesterday my husband and I went for a run with our two sons; it was a particularly warm winter Sunday. On our way home we noted no fewer than five (and as many as a dozen) people out on basically every block, strolling the neighborhood along with us. We felt really enveloped by and embedded in the community at that time.

geographic boundary does not a community make. Those emotive bonds come from shared experience. Our shared experience here is rooted in a sense of place. Conversely, the sense of place is created by our shared experience and our bonds with one another. This cycle of bonding and experiencing and creating place has been going on for generations.

l a N a Corde S

I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to quite put my finger on what makes this neighborhood a community, but I do think that we are the fortunate beneficiaries of what was honed by many before us. We get to step into this place that’s already here and waiting for us. We get to enjoy all the warm and fuzzy feelings of this place. And if we’re lucky, we’ll be good stewards who help nurture and sustain so we can pass this place along.

Pauline Robinson was a civil rights activist and also Denver’s first Black librarian.

the Reading is Fundamental to Denver program and became the chairwoman to the National Children’s Book Week, which eventually became our ongoing Summer of Adventure program.

When Robinson discovered how few books featuring Black heritage and history were in the Denver Public Library collections, she personally organized a bake sale of 150 pies to raise funds to purchase what became a core collection for the system.

Robinson was also a civil rights activist who, among other things, helped integrate Lakeside Amusement Park and began the Negro History Week Celebration, which grew to be a part of the greater Denver Black History month. More information on her and other prominent historical figures can be found through our Western History and Genealogy collections, much of which has been digitized and is available on our website, at denver library.org.

The Park Hill branch library is at 4705 Montview Blvd, and the Pauline Robinson branch is at 5575 E 33rd Ave. For hours of operation and details on in-person and online programming for both neighborhood libraries, check out denverlibrary.org.

WE hAvE

ExPAnDED Our DElivEry rADius

now open 7

But why? Being in the presence of people on the street doesn’t bond you to those people. Despite its most basic definition,

doNorS

Dang Soft Serve Ice Cream

God’s Will Christian

Fellowship

HCA Healthcare Foundation

Montview Boulevard

Presbyterian Church

Network for Good

Park Hill Community

Bookstore

Park Hill United Methodist

Church

The Spicy Radish

Unity on the Avenue

Christine Allen

Penny Ashley-Lawrence

Grace Baker

Simon Blamires

Barry and Karyn Brandt

Nancy Brauer and Jeffrey

Kent

Joanne Bronstein

Alex Brown and Mary Stone

Jennifer Calderone

Inga Calvin

Barbara Cavender

Pranav Chawla

Carmelita Clayton

Rachel Coates

Jenna Cruff

Emma Cummings

Christine Davidson

Carrie Davis

Caitlin Deane

Brenna Derritt

Jocelyn Durkay

Janet Fairs

Thank you to these donors and volunteers who supported our operations this past month:

Mon, Wed-Fri: 4-9pm • Sat: 3-9pm • Sun: 1-9pm • Tues: Closed Daily Specials • Live Jazz on the Weekends!

Steve Farley

Jack Farrar

Elisabeth and Raymond

Fedde

Anne & Joe Frank

Georgia and Woody Garnsey

Bobbi Gillis

Simon and Elizabeth

Hambidge

Amy Harris

Adrienne Hill

Jane Hoback

Lacy Hochman

Dana & Bill Hughes

Mark and Diane Imhoff

Katherine Jeter

Shirley Johnson

Bill Juraschek

Lynn Kalinauskus and Trevor Williams

Sue and Roger Kilgore

Dolores Kopel

Phillip and Constance

Lanphier

Mary Jo Lorenz

Deborah Maslov

Jeff and Mayzie Mayfield

Richard McCanna

Ann McLaughlin

Carol and Gordon

McLennan

Sheila Mcmullen

Megan and Bill McQuinn

Stefan and Brenda Mokrohisky

Harriet Mullaney

Chris and Erin Nielsen

Annie and David Pratt

Ellen Reath and Craig Maginness

Susan and Paul Riederer

Mary Salsich

Karin Schumacher

Barbara Sharp

Beverly and Peter Skram

Skip and Carol Spensley

Clark Strickland

Marilyn Swan

Susan and Darwin Toll

Wendi Torres

Alex Walsh

Shari Walsh

Stephanie Wasserman and David Fine

Nikki Wiederaenders

Tom Wordinger and Bill Benzie

Al and Ann Yates

VolUNteerS

Ann Baumgartner

Sue Bruner

Celine Davis

Greg Davis

Amelia Drumwright

Claudia Fields

Maria Flora

Noni Horwitz

Debra Lovell

Justin Lovell

Chuck E Nelson

Deb Rosenbaum

Heather Shulman

Lindsay Wadman

Jeannie Willis

evolved, and

Complete

Golden Velvet

Velvet Ants are not ants at all, but wingless wasps. There are more than 7,000 species of Velvet Ants (their official name is Mutillidae); they vary in color from bright scarlet to orange, and may also be black, white, silver or gold. Their bright colors serve as aposematic signals — or advertisements to other animals that they aren’t worth eating. They have extremely painful stings, but are not aggressive and sting only in defense. This Velvet Ant was photographed at Bluff Lake, just east of Park Hill, by Mark Silverstein.

A Boy, A Cow, A Vaccine

The World Is Much-Improved For People And Pets

By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ

For the GPHN

Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve learned much more about vaccines than the average person ever expected.

It’s hard to find true numbers, but I know from 30 years in veterinary medicine that vaccinations have made an enormous impact on pets’ and peoples’ lives. And, recent and continuing advancements in vaccination technologies will enhance those protections and even potentially become part of treating other diseases, including specific cancers.

the acceptance of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services.” WHO declared vaccine hesitancy No. 8 in its Top 10 threats to global health in 2019.

Aren’t you glad that vaccine technology has advanced so far from having your skin scratched with the contents of a cow’s broken lesion?

The history of vaccinations starts with humans when Dr. Edward Jenner in 1796 inoculated a boy with vaccinia virus (cowpox) and demonstrated that it created immunity to smallpox. From there vaccine science expanded and created a much-improved world for humans and then for our food and domestic animals. And, aren’t you glad that vaccine technology has advanced so far from having your skin scratched with the contents of a cow’s broken lesion?

We have seen the positive impact of vaccines against tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and now COVID-19 for human health. And, the same has been true for our pets. Since Dr. Jenner implemented his primitive test, vaccinations have been so effective in helping to saving and extending lives that human life spans have more than doubled human life expectancy in the U.S.

In 1796, living past 40 years of age was a feat. Rabies, diptheria, tetanus and measles were but a few threats that shortened life. We see the same benefits extending our pets’ lifespans with vaccinations against rabies, canine distemper, canine parvovirus, feline upper respiratory viruses and feline viral leukemia.

But it has not been without controversy and some politics. Lori Kogan, PhD and a professor at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, wanted to see what impact “vaccine hesistancy” in people was impacting the vaccination rates for pets.

Vaccine hesitancy is defined by the World Health Organization as a “delay in

What Dr. Kogan and her fellow researchers found in their research completed prior to the pandemic was a correlation in vaccine hesitancy in pet owners. Primarily, it found that vaccine hesitant pet owners were not necessarily “antivaxxers” but were influenced by anti-vaxxer conversations in social media and advertising. The study also indicated that advances in communications via social media were exposing pet owners to incorrect or misleading information about vaccinations being unnecessary or risky for their pets. With all that we’ve learned about the positives of vaccinations, it literally pains veterinarians to see pets going unprotected. All cats and dogs do need vaccinations, but those vaccinations should be tailored to their stage in life, their lifestyle risks, the endemic risks in their area, legal vaccination requirements of the city/county/state and the pet’s age.

Vaccinations for our pets fall into two types: core and non-core. In our area of Colorado, core vaccinations include rabies for both cats and dogs because we have endemic rabies in both terrestrial animals such as raccoons and skunks, and also in our bat populations. All jurisdictions in the United States have some requirement for rabies vaccinations for dog, cats and sometimes pet ferrets.

Don’t hesitate to talk with your veterinarian about vaccinations and any concerns you have regarding your pet/s.

Check out these references for more:

AAHA NewSTAT, Feb. 3, 2022: tinyurl. com/PetVaccineHesitancy

New York Times, Jan. 21, 2022: tinyurl. com/NYTPetVaccine

World Health Organization, 2019: tinyurl.com/WHOglobalHealth

Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit parkhillvet.com

individual/Household memberships:

[

Individual or Family ($35)

[ ] Sponsoring ($100)

g rea T er p ark hI ll r esources active

minds

Active Minds has transformed itself during the pandemic from a live, in-person series of lectures to a web experience. Check out free lectures on topics ranging from music to history, current events to foreign affairs. A complete schedule of upcoming events is at activeminds. com

art Garage

6100 E. 23rd Ave., artgaragedenver. com, 303-377-2353. Check the website for schedules.

blunders and beers

Blunders and Beers is a Park Hill Chess Club that meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at Longtable Brewhouse, 2895 Fairfax St., beginning at 6 p.m. All skill levels are welcome. Bring a board if you have one.

Daughters of the American revolution

Are you interested in genealogy? Your family history? American history? Would you like to participate in meaningful community service? The Frances Wisebart Jacobs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution meets regularly in the area. Contact Kathy Kelly at kkellyfwj76@gmail.com for details.

denver police district 2

3921 Holly St., 2.Dist@denvergov.org, non-emergency number is 720-9131000. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1.

denver public Schools

dpsk12.org

Check the website for resources and updates. Call the helpline at 720-423-3054 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.

Greater park Hill Community, inc. 2823 Fairfax St., greaterparkhill.org, 303-388-0918

The GPHC neighborhood association community meetings are currently con-

ducted virtually on the first Thursday of the month, except for December and July. The next meeting is Thursday, March. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Link to attend at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/community-meetings/. Check greaterparkhill. org for information and details to participate. The April meeting is Thursday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m.

libraries

denverlibrary.org

See the “At the Library” feature in this month’s issue for updates and resources offered by the Park Hill and Pauline Robinson branch libraries.

Northeast park Hill Coalition

The Northeast Park Hill Coalition hosts its monthly meeting the second Thursdays of the month. Check its Facebook page @ Northeast Park Hill Coalition for updates.

park Hill Community bookstore

Established in 1971. Denver’s oldest nonprofit bookstore. Used and new books. 6420 E. 23rd Avenue. 303-3558508. Members and volunteers get discounts and book credits. The bookstore is open; check parkhillbookstore.org for current hours.

park Hill peloton

A recreational group of road cyclists that roll from Park Hill once or twice a week. Check the current status of their rides on the Park Hill Peloton Facebook page.

Sie Filmcenter

2510 E. Colfax, denverfilm.org, 303595-3456. Check the website for updates and information about its Virtual Cinema.

Free Zoom Tai Chi

Free morning beginner Tai Chi classes on Zoom every Friday at 10 a.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m. Register at taichidenver.com/beginner-tai-chi-zoomclass/. Longtime Park Hillians Jacqui and Joe, who teach the class, will send you the link to join.

Walk2Connect

www.walk2connect.com

Park Hill Sunrise Walking Trips have resumed after the pandemic hiatus. The walks happen every Tuesday from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Meet in front of Honey Hill Cafe on 23rd & Dexter. for a casual, conversational-paced community walk. Everyone is welcome to join.

Who We Are, What We Do

The Board of Directors of GPHC, Inc.

The Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., is a volunteer-based registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill, provides resources, information and advocacy, and preserves quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation.

The GPHC board is comprised of volunteer at-large representatives, as well as 10 district representatives. If you are interested in volunteering or serving on a committee, contact current GPHC Board Chair Shane Sutherland at chair@greaterparkhill.org for details.

The following are current board members, and their best contacts. Many representatives prefer to be contacted through the main office, at 303-3880918 or info@greaterparkhill.org. The GPHC world headquarters is at 2823 Fairfax St.

If you have an issue you’d like to discuss about the neighborhood, contact your board representative.

For those board members who don’t have a phone or email contact listed, leave a message at the main number and it will be forwarded to your elected representative by GPHC Executive Director Lana Cordes.

• Board Chair Shane Sutherland: chair@greaterparkhill.org

• Secretary and Zoning/Property Use Chair Bernadette Kelly

• Treasurer and District 3 Rep Heather Shockey

• District 1 Amy Harris

• District 2 Brenda Morrison

• District 4 Kevin Wiegand

• District 5 Ken Burdette

• District 6 Phebe Lassiter

• District 7 Jon Bowman

• District 8 Nam Henderson

• District 9 Doug Schuler

• District 10 Colette Carey

• At-Large Maria Flora

• At-Large Shanta Harrison

• At-Large Louis Plachowski: lplachowski@gmail.com

• At-Large Sandy Robnett

• At-Large Tracey MacDermott

• At-Large Leslie Twarogowski

• Community Safety Chair Geneva Goldsby

• Public Information Chair Melissa Davis: newspaper@greaterparkhill.org

• Youth Services Chair Rick Medrick

This map shows the 10 district boundaries of GPHC, Inc. Six at-large representatives also serve on the board of the Registered Neighborhood Organization.

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Tuckpointing. Over 25 years experience. Fully insured. Mortar color and brick matching, broken brick replacement, cement chimney crown replacement. 12 years Chicago union experience. Mr Chimney and Home Masonry Repair. Call Chuck Bahnsen 303-9487999

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PLAST

THE WALL REBUILDERS Interior plaster (and drywall) repair. We repair cracks, holes, crumbling walls, etc. Specializing in older homes, though we fix houses of every age. Dan and Laura Pino 303-698-1057

VAIL PLUMBING & HEATING - The Older Home Specialist. Repair, service, remodel. Hot water heat. Licensed, in sured, guaranteed. 303-329-6042

Plumbing & Sprinklers - Repair or replace, disposal, toilets, water heaters, faucets, sinks, drain cleaning, sump pump, water pressure regulator. Sprinkler blow out, repair and install. www. vertecservices.com 720-298-0880

RoofING

Residential reroofing and repairs, 17 years experience, licensed, bonded, and insured. Gutter replacement and cleaning. Call Shawn 303-907-9223