My Day At School

Something’s Happening At East. Again.

by Madeleine Senger

For the GPHN

I was in my world history class when it happened. It appeared to be a normal day for me. I walked into the building, went to math, then world history, where I had a test. It happened yet again: lockdown.

Since this has been a common occurrence all year, we figured that there was probably something wrong on Colfax. But as we texted more with friends, we started to worry that something was happening inside the school. Again.

Our class huddled in the corner, some of us crying, others numb. One common denominator was the texting, to our friends, to our parents: What happened? We had just experienced the death of one of our own Angels, Luis Garcia. Shot just outside our school while he sat in his car. We had just buried him – and now this was happening. Again.

I could hear sirens and helicopters overhead. I was getting texts with photos outside of ambulances and police gathered. I knew that this was real. There was a point when my teacher told us to blockade the door with chairs, and that was when I got really scared. I texted my mom and she tried to soothe me, writing, “The fact that it’s all locked and police are there is scary, but also a sign that it’s safer.”

In moments like this, we’re wary of our surroundings and of who we can trust. But after hearing the same information from multiple texts from friends, I started to believe that the threat was indeed coming from inside the school. I soon found out that two of our deans had been shot. Two deans, one who I’ve met many times before and another I know from his presence in the halls. Deans who do their job every day, protecting students, had been shot. At my school.

Unlike when Luis Garcia was shot, this happened inside our school. A place where students come to learn and are supposed to feel safe, but it’s starting to feel the opposite these days. We’re scared about what will happen next, we seek out places to hide in case of yet again, another lockdown. And yet with all this, we’re still expected to learn. Again. After it was safe to come out of hiding, we went back to our chairs. A deep sense of dread was starting to push down on my chest: Is everyone okay? Are the deans alright? Are they in serious condition? Are they going to survive?

My teacher put on the news and I could see that parents were outside the school protesting and that the entire city was focused on our school. Now we were focused on getting out of the school. It felt like an eternity waiting in the class for the officials to let us out, room by room. As I walked through the halls I saw the sullen faces of teachers and the administration. The students around me looked dazed.

When I got outside, and finally saw my mom waiting among the parents, she burst into tears. Again.

How many more shootings need to happen before things change? How many years? How many lives?

Will it happen? Again.

Madeleine Senger is a sophomore at East. She is a pianist in the school’s Jazz Combo, was pianist for East’s musical Chicago this spring, and plays varsity tennis.

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10 Years Wiser

Trying To Stay Creative Amid The Haze Of Gun Violence

By Anya Nitczynski For the GPHN

May has always been my favorite month of the year. To me, May represents an emergence from the school year chrysalis. In May, I feel like I see everything through a nostalgic lens.

I attend Denver School of the Arts, which includes students grades 6 through 12. East High School is a little more than three miles away. I have friends there; my brother is graduating from East. This time of year is one of reflection and a time where I convince myself that over the school year I grew wiser by 10 years.

This year, the mystical knowledge I’ve unlocked is the fact that I don’t have any. Some things happen for no reason at all. This school year has been overshadowed by the constant threat of gun violence in and around our schools. Students and teachers alike feel it in the back of their minds, always.

My peers and I talk about how we are constantly aware of who is closest to the door, especially if it’s us. We are wary of taking bathroom breaks in case we become stuck in the hallway, locked out of every classroom. We make jokes and theorize about how our different teachers would react if it happened to us. But it isn’t anything new. Even as it feels like the threat of a shooter is closing in on us and even as it feels like this is becoming inevitable, we are never shocked when we hear about another shooting somewhere far away or close by. We discuss the topic as less of an “if” and more of a “when.”

The iron grip of gun violence stakes itself into every single school in America.I am the same age as the children would be if they hadn’t been killed in the Sandy

Hook shooting. This has always been my reality in educational settings. It’s close to impossible for me to imagine why adults are so shocked every time these events repeat themselves. What is the point of protest anymore? We have become so numb to violence as a facet of our lives as students that it’s become increasingly easier to compartmentalize: We hear the news of another shooting and are able to move on.

This doesn’t mean we don’t care or aren’t concerned. It’s a method of selfpreservation. It should not be up to students to spark change. It feels like as students we’ve exhausted all of our efforts. We should be allowed to simply grieve instead of being the ones to come up with solutions to problems we didn’t create.

Regardless of the heavy haze of gun violence, my year was characterized by creation. I learned that as a person, I always need to be creating something and honing my artistry. The smallest and seemingly stupidest ways of creating are the best for self-characterization and clarity in times of stress.

This year, it became abundantly clear to me that everyone — not just students — is messing up and making mistakes. What separates good and bad mistakes is what you take from them and how your actions may be different in the future. If you believe in your methods and choose to stand by them, the people around you will be forced to follow suit. And if they don’t, so be it.

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

Ms. Amy’s Spirit Lives On

Ms. Amy leaves indelible memories on the lives of countless families in Park Hill.

For the Roberts family, her joyful spirit and unconditional acceptance of our son and brother, Benjamin, gave us the courage to persevere in our struggle for his acceptance at Park Hill. Benjamin’s disabilities never fazed Ms. Amy for a moment and his 2003-04 academic year was filled with total acceptance, participation, and love.

That Benjamin was able to attend the same school as his sisters, in an inclusive and welcoming classroom, was a gift from Amy to us. She celebrated every child and her acceptance was infectious and paved the way for Benjamin’s entire school career. Ms. Amy, you will be missed but your impact lives on.

— Karen and Jeff, Alyssa, Caroline and Benjamin Roberts, Park Hill

Editor’s note: This remembrance was submitted in response to the passing of Park Hill Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Amy Maes, who died unexpectedly in February. A story about Ms. Amy’s impact on the community appeared in the March issue and can be read at this link: greaterparkhill.org/news-and-opinion/ remembering-ms-amy/

Oreo Cookie’s Big Adventure

I want to thank all the people who recently kept my dog safe.

I adopted a dog who had been in a puppy mill for four years and then with a foster family for two months. I have had Oreo Cookie for a little under two months and have slowly been getting her used to my home because she is skittish and nervous and I am working on holding her and letting her allow me to do so.

Last month Oreo Cookie got out of my yard and headed to Montview — she had never before wanted out of the yard or the front door. I got help from so many. My neighbor on the corner tried to get her back down the alley and gave me treats to bribe her. One couple on the block spent nearly 45 minutes trying to help me bribe her with more treats and a kennel. I called my daughter to tell her the dog was gone, but that I could no longer chase her. My daughter and my son-in-law came with my grandkids and lo and behold Oreo Cookie was still on the corner of Hudson and 19th. Two young ladies were sitting on the sidewalk and although she wouldn’t come to them, they kept her safe. Their parents (I assume their parents) were waiting, too. Cars were slowing down and offering to help. Finally, everyone was able to block Oreo Cookie in while my daughter lunged and grabbed her.

Oreo Cookie has not been trained to come because it is a process getting her over bad memories. So, thank you to all the wonderful Park Hill people who took the time to help me when I was experiencing the first “running away!” I thanked you all, but am hoping at least some of you will see this and know I am so very grateful.

Oreo Cookie is now bathed, wishing for more treats (too bad), and asleep in her kennel. My daughter has ordered a collar with a GPS tracker to tie into her phone, a leash, and I will get a name tag. And I will be finding someone who can help me train a dog with trauma so that Oreo Cookie will at least come when called. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the neighborhood I have lived in for 67 years!

Betsy Snyder, Park Hill

Feel The Electricity

I found Tracey MacDermott’s switch from gas-powered utilities in her house to all-electric inspiring (as detailed in MacDermott’s November column, Milestones to Celebrate).

Like many of my neighbors with older homes, I have been shocked at the cost of gas on my Xcel bill in recent months. I have a gas hot water heater, gas furnace, and gas stove. I would like to move away from gas, but it can be expensive and difficult to know where to start.

After talking to friends, I found out there are several tax credits and rebates available at the local, statewide and federal levels. There are even rebates for electrical panel upgrades associated with electrification.

The Denver rebates are time limited and likely running out soon for this round. There will be one third and final round later this year or next year. This is the same program that funded the electric bike rebates. The current state rebates only apply to 2023 and 2024. New and better rebates are expected to be passed by our legislature and Gov. Jared Polis later this year. Read the federal rebate laws carefully because it is advantageous to do projects in different years to maximize tax credits.

I thought this information might be helpful to others in the neighborhood considering the switch. The amounts listed in the accompanying graphic are maximums, make sure to read the details of the various programs for more information. Many of the solutions can use your existing high efficiency furnace as an air handler and a back up for extreme cold. However, there are all electric options that can handle the coldest days in Colorado.

For updates, check out Colorado House Bill 23-1272, currently making its way through the legislature, which extends tax credits to advance decarbonization. leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1272

Karen Chapman

(with help from Julie Lang), Park Hill We love your letters, and give preference to those that address an issue that has been covered in the newspaper, or a topic that is Park Hill or Denver-specific. Send letters to editor@greaterparkhill.org, and include your full name, and the neighborhood in which you live. Deadlines are the 15th of each month, for the following month’s issue.

Garden Walk, continued from page 1 and was always helping his Mum in the garden. At his mother’s urging, he transposed a rough portion of is childhood yard into a beautiful garden. Another significant trait he learned from his Mum is starting everything from seed. To this day, 95 percent of his garden plants are from seed.

Mark is a metal sculptor, and his creative work is also visible throughout the space. Thus, the “rusty one.”

John Desmond – John’s mother was also a gardener and she gave him a piece of the yard to grow whatever he wanted. That started a lifetime of creating interesting and inviting outdoor spaces. Regardless of where he lived, he always strived to have a small garden. At his current home, he has tried to use interesting elements like curvy retaining walls to break up the square, boxy look of the home’s exterior. That was one of the first things he tackled when he moved in more than 20 years ago.

What do you enjoy most about gardening?

Kimmal and Davis – “We just love being outside and decompressing.” Kyle and Ron walk through the yard, picking flowers and harvesting the veggies and herbs. Ron loves to cook, and their fresh vegetables and herbs are key elements in their summer menu.

Ammerman – “I just love watching everything grow and be happy.” Remember, Colin starts most of his garden from seed. Some of the plants shoot up to provide vegetables and herbs, while others become flowers and other botanics. Colin likes to play with different plants that typically don’t do well in Colorado. Last year’s experiment was loofah, which is actually a gourd. It grew 10 to 15 feet in one week and overtook one side of the house.

Desmond – John loves it when people walk past and stop to talk with him about his plants and ask him questions about his garden. He also feels like he is giving back to the neighborhood by having a nice yard, and likes how people feel when they see it. Even his Christmas decorations bring a sense of enjoyment and giving back to the community.

Do you have a favorite area and what makes it special to you?

Kimmal and Davis – It’s all about the vegetables and herbs. Kyle and Ron love to pick them and cook them up in some yummy dish, and they also enjoy sitting on the patio and looking at their plethora of plants and flowers and just take it all in. They also appreciate a pleasant stroll around the 36 rose bushes in their yard.

Ammerman – There is a particular place in the back corner of the yard under a tree that Colin is fond of. He has planted ferns around this area and will sit out there with a good book and take in the beauty of the yard. Sometimes, he will call his Mum back in England from this special corner of the yard for a little chat. It’s also a wonderful place to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening.

Desmond – The front porch is John’s favorite place. It offers a great vantage point to see the front yard and many of the potted plants, mostly annuals. He also brings most of his indoor plants out to the front porch in the summer. Between the annuals and the indoor plants, his front porch becomes a lush little jungle.

What are your biggest gardening challenges? How do you get past them?

Kimmal and Davis – The biggest challenges are soil, the Colorado climate, and conservation needs. The best way to get past this is to focus on native Colorado plants. Kyle and Ron originally wanted a cottage garden, but due to these challenges, developed more of a prairie-cottage garden. They also planted things that will attract birds, bees and butterflies. The correct lowwater plants will attract more bees and fewer wasps.

Ammerman – The overarching challenge is the Colorado climate. It is hot, dry and it’s a short season. Colin has had to learn what will thrive here. He has also struggled with figuring out what’s the right plant, in the right place, and planting it at the right time. He practices putting plants in different locations until he finds the best place for that specific plant. It’s a constant learning curve.

Desmond – Bindweed has been the bane of John’s gardening existence. When he retired, he finally had the time to stay on top of it, and he thinks it’s finally under control. He also struggles with a lot of issues around his 100-year old Siberian elm tree. He has spent a lot of time and money to keep the tree alive. It’s also hard to get anything to grow under it, and he has tried xeri-

Get Your Tickets

Proceeds For The Garden Walk Benefit Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.

Tickets to the June 11 Park Hill Garden Walk are available now at parkhillgardenwalk.org for $15. Cost for seniors age 65-plus is $12, and children under 12 attend free.

Tickets purchased online will be available for pickup the day of the event at 19th Avenue and Forest Parkway between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Simply drive up, have your proof of purchase ready to show the scape and native plants to help beautify this area of his garden.

What tips do you have for someone wanting to start or improve their yard/outdoor space?

Kimmal and Davis – Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens and Centennial Gardens, which feature native and drought tolerant plants. Also, walk the neighborhood and check out what is working in other people’s gardens. Don’t be afraid to talk to these gardeners about their plants, struggles and success. You also need to be patient. Plan your outdoor space in sections. Don’t try to do it all at once. Maybe most importantly, have fun and enjoy it. Take pictures as you go and watch the changes.

Ammerman – Have fun and experiment with different plants in different places. Colin moves things around a lot just to change the visual interest of the yard. Gardening is always a work in progress, so be patient. For ideas and inspiration, visit the Denver Botanic Gardens. He also recommended a Google camera app, which allows you take a picture of a plant and have Google try to identify what it is.

Desmond – Start small, get the soil right and get the irrigation right. Also, understand the micro-climates in your yards. Take a season to observe what works and what doesn’t work. You can do this by walking through the neighborhood. Pay attention to plants in the neighborhood and determine grows and where. For example, you can’t grow a vegetable garden in a heavily shaded area. Build up your confidence and go from there.

The Park Hill Garden Walk committee is a group of volunteers working to raise funds for Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. GPHC, Inc., is a volunteer-based registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill through resources, information and advocacy, while preserving the quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation. Learn more and get involved at greaterparkhill.org.

Garden Walk volunteer and they will give you your ticket(s).

Tickets are also available now at the following Park Hill establishments:

• City Floral: 1440 Kearney Street

• Spinelli’s Market: 4621 E. 23rd Ave.

• Cake Crumbs: 2216 Kearney Street

• Park Hill Branch Library: 4705 Montview Blvd.

• Park Hill Art Festival on June 3 and 4: 4958 Montview Blvd.

Tickets will be available the day of the event via Venmo for $20 at any Garden Walk location.