Volume 51, Issue No. 10
November 2012
A Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Publication
Nancy P. Anschutz Center Underway By Rebecca Voll
Excited supporters broke ground Wednesday, October 17, for the community center that will rise from the ashes of the 2008 Holly Square fire. Construction, which will take nine to 11 months, is beginning on the Nancy P. Anschutz Center, which will house the Jack A. Vickers Boys & Girls Club and the offices of the Prodigal Son Initiative. The ceremony highlighted the community leaders who have supported and funded the Holly Area Redevelopment Project. The ceremony was moved indoors to the Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center, across the street from the site, due to wind. A former shopping center at 33rd and Hudson that was de-
stroyed by arson related to gang warfare more than four years ago, Holly Square was purchased by the Urban Land Conservancy in 2009, and has recently been home to basketball and futsal courts and “peace poles” built by local activists and neighbors. A $5 million donation by the Anschutz Foundation got the ball rolling to build the first ever Boys & Girls Club in Northeast Denver on the 2.6 acre site. The Piton Foundation contributed financially as well. The groundbreaking ceremony included comments from John Arigoni, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver; City Councilmember Albus Brooks; founder of the Prodigal Son Initiative and community activist Terrance Roberts; Program Officer for The Denver Foundation’s Strengthen-
ing Neighborhoods Program, LaDawn Sullivan; and Ted Harms, executive director of the Anschutz foundation. Nancy Anschutz, Jack Vickers, and City Councilmembers Chris Herndon and Mary Beth Sussman joined in the celebration. Students from nearby charter school Venture Prep also attended, to get a first look at the facilities that will directly benefit them. Roberts spoke about the importance of the center. “Working with kids,” he emphasized, “is pretty serious business.” He expressed appreciation for everyone who has contributed to the project, which he said will be a national model. The Prodigal Son Initiative, which he founded, seeks to prevent youth violence by providing mentorship and opportunities for young people. See Boys & Girls Club on page 5
GPHC Achievements Celebrated at Annual Meeting By Erin Vanderberg Editor
Two new members were newly elected to the board in addition to several reelections, and Tracey MacDermott received the Dr. J. Carlton Babbs Award for Community Service at October’s Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., Annual Meeting, which took place at The Garden restaurant on October 4.
Contributed Photo/Ellen Jasko. Contributed Graphic/Urban Land Conservancyl
Inset: Nancy P. Anschutz greets members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility that will bear her name. The Nancy P. Anschutz Center will serve as the home of the Jack A. Vickers Boys & Girls Club and the Prodigal Son Initiative. Main: Rendering of the new center at 33rd and Hudson from the Southeast. The center is scheduled to open in late 2013.
Balance, dance and flip out
Three Park Hill studios to keep you and the kids fit this winter By Rebecca Voll & Erin Vanderberg
Find your balance At Sacred i Yoga 2212 Kearney Connor McBryde had no interest in ever trying yoga. When it came to fitness, the Park Hill physician was more than happy to stick to his passion, cycling. His wife, Karrie, however, loved the way yoga made her feel and the sense of community at the local yoga studio, Sacred i, and she persistently urged him to join her for a class. Connor was an instant convert. “If you don’t know down dog from downtown,” he says, “you’re still very welcome there. Sacred i is Park Hill’s very own yoga hub, tucked into the heart of the Kearney Street businesses. The space is warm and intimate and the classes and workshops offered cater to everyone from children to seniors. As owner Jane Koszowski puts it, “It’s a studio as diverse as the Park Hill population.” Classes range in intensity from gentle yoga for beginners to i-sweat, a yoga-bootcamp hybrid that provides an exhilarating workout. Classes can be purchased on
a drop-in basis or in packages, and the prices are kept lower than at comparable studios. Sacred i offers eight classes per week with free babysitting, making the benefits of yoga accessible to stay-athome and work-from-home parents. While parents stretch and breathe on the mat, the children play outside the studio or inside Cake Crumbs on inclement days. Babysitters earn free yoga, and often bring their own children along. While some yoga studios focus on a single “brand” of yoga, Sacred i has a wide variety of offerings, and Koszowski says she envisions it becoming a “complete wellness center with yoga as its backbone.” Instructors come from a wide variety of backgrounds including power, Anusara, yoga therapy, Ashtanga, and martial arts. Neighborhood yoga luminary, author, and life coach Diane Sieg offers workshops and retreats in addition to her weekly classes. Writer Michelle Marchildon’s class is known for her focus on humor. Mark Genco, who holds a Master’s degree from Naropa, presents talks on Buddhism. Friday evenings See Park Hill Studios on page 9
Shockey Reflects on Two-Year Chairmanship Heather Shockey, outgoing GPHC Chair, said that her and the Executive Committee’s razor-sharp focus on the financials of the organization, over marathon meeting sessions during the past two years, resulted in the organization making a 180 degree turn from the deficits of previous years. “The GPHC was bleeding and we were in triage,” explained Shockey. Focusing specifically on membership and the newspaper, their efforts resulted in membership numbers being met and exceeded by 170 percent in 2011 and the newspaper coming out of a deficit of $15,000 back into the black by that sum and more. “You can literally feel the difference in the newspaper because of the weight of the paper,” Shockey joked. “Believe me, the weight of the paper was at least a 20 minute discussion.” This fiscal focus resulted in GPHC being back in a position to address the needs of and invest in the Park Hill community. Shockey said her proudest achievement, however, was “moving from neighbors to friends” with GPHC volunteers and she closed her remarks by thanking them. “Everyone in this room is a volunteer for GPHC – from the Executive Committee, to the Board, to our bundlers, blockworkers, event volunteers,” she said. “These numbers happened because of you.” Mekonnen and Davis Elected to the GPHC Board During the election process, candidates introduced and reintroduced themselves to the GPHC membership. Bernadette Kelly, Dave Felice, Roberta Locke and Heather Shockey were reelected to district and at-large representation. Getabecha “Gete” Mekonnen and Melissa Davis, both new to the GPHC ranks, were elected to At-Large representation. Mekonnen said his neighbor, longtime Park Hill advocate Marge Gilbert, was his inspiration for joining the organization. Having lived in Park Hill for 25 years and with his children now grown, Mekonnen, the Executive Director of the Northeast Denver Housing Center, said he felt that it was time to give back what he’s learned professionally, but more importantly to be a good neighbor. Gilbert, also in attendance, added that her neighbor would be a great addition to the GPHC Board. “Vote for Gete!” exclaimed Marge. Davis, an eight-year resident of Park Hill, said she felt a great respect for the organization and its legacy and that it was time See GPHC Annual Meeting on page 2