2023 In Rearview
Highlights, Lowlights And Political Resets. A Look Back At the Year As It Draws To A Close
Compiled by Cara DeGette
GPHN Editor
After a campaign season that stretched through the first half of the year, Denver voters elected Mike Johnston to be its first new mayor in 12 years. Term limits also resulted in an overhaul of the city council. And voters again crushed efforts by Westside Investment Partners to try to build a massive development at the Park Hill Golf Course.
The second half of the year has been dominated by school board politics — most notably clashes between parents groups and board member Auon’tai Anderson, as well as clashes between the school board president and Auon’tai Anderson. The upshot? Last month a slate of reformer candidates won seats on the school board. Anderson, who opted to not seek a second term on the school board, has decided to run instead for the legislature.
Other news has dominated the local landscape. East High School was roiled by gun violence — first with March death of junior Luis Garcia, who was shot while he was sitting in his car in front of the school. Weeks later, student Austin Lyle shot and injured two administrators inside the school, and then fled to the mountains, where he died by suicide.
The year 2023 has also seen much better moments and events. Here’s a look back on a year that will soon be in our rearview.
January
Looking For A New Mayor
After 12 years as mayor, Michael B. Hancock is soon to be term-limited from office. The general consensus is the Queen City of the Plains’ crown is pretty tarnished. A record 5,818 people are homeless in Metro Denver — a fourth of them camping outside without access to toilets or showers or other basic needs. A post-pandemic downtown has become a near ghost-town. Serious crime and vehicle theft is spiraling out of control. Working people can no longer afford to live here. The city can’t even figure out its new trash service. These are just a few issues on voters’ minds. Twenty-five people decide it’s their turn to run Colorado’s largest city.
Stampede For City Council
The mayor’s race is not the only game in play. Several of Denver’s 13-member council are term-limited, including Chris Herndon, who has represented Park Hill for 12 years. Both at-large council seats are also in play. Nearly 50 people announce they are running for council seats citywide. The election is April 4, with a runoff in June. It’s a done deal that local politics will stay front and center for the foreseeable future.
Path To City Hall Winds Through Park Hill
It’s a fairly easy task to run for mayor of Denver. You’ve got to be 30 years old, a qualified elector, and a resident of the city for two years. Living in Park Hill at some point in your lifetime isn’t a requirement. But — as highlighted in the January issue, dating back to 1959 every mayor has called Park Hill home at some point.
February
It’s Baaaaack…
Voters have consistently and overwhelmingly supported the city’s conservation easement on the 155-acre Park Hill Golf Course. But thanks to a persistent developer and his friends at City Hall, Denver will again be asked again to weigh in on the future of the property. It becomes one of the driving issues in this year’s election. However, when asked directly — Do you support the developer or do you support the easement? — many mayoral candidates just won’t say.
A Stream Will Run Through It
After five years of planning and extensive outreach to residents, the $7.9 million City Park Nature Play project has broken ground. Just south of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in City Park, the Nature Play will include a replica of a mountain stream, courtesy of Denver’s historic City Ditch. The project is scheduled for completion late next year.
Remembering Ms. Amy
On Feb. 8, hundreds gather outside Park Hill Elementary School for a bubble ceremony and send-off for Ms. Amy Maes. The beloved, longtime kindergarten teacher died after a brief and unexpected illness — a loss that has a profound impact at the tight-knit school.
Superstar Coaches At East
East High Hockey coach John Kopperud is honored by Mile High Sports magazine as Colorado High School Coach of the Year, across all schools, all divisions, and all sports. Also in East High sports news, basketball coach Rudy Carey notches an 877th win, making him the winningest coach in Colorado high school history.
March
East High Roiled By Gun Violence
Gun violence continues to roil East High School. Luis Garcia, a junior and varsity soccer player, dies after being shot in his car. Weeks later 17-year old Austin Lyle shoots and seriously wounds two administrators at the school. Lyle flees to the mountains, where he dies by suicide. Students and teachers descend on the Capitol, demanding lawmakers and DPS officials enact laws and policies to protect them.
Pat Schroeder Remembered
Former Denver Congresswoman Pat Schroeder dies at 82 in her Florida home. The pioneer for women’s rights, who inspired an entire generation of women to make their voices heard, is remembered for her brilliance, humor, and razor-sharp wit.
April
Voters reject Park Hill Golf Course Plan
In an Election Day blowout, voters reject Westside Investment Partners’ gambit for a massive development plan on the Park Hill Golf Course by a near 2-1 margin. Westside spent at least $1 million on its failed campaign.
The Two Left Standing
Former State Sen. Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough, a former CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, emerge as top vote-getters in the crowded 17-candidate race for mayor. Neither won 50-plus-one percent of the vote, meaning they advance to the June 6 runoff. Both candidates had supported Westside’s development plan for the golf course, but now want to preserve the conservation easement. Both say that as mayor, they would buy the 155-acre parcel for a regional park.
Two More Left Standing
Sarah Parady and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez emerge as the top two vote-getters in a crowded race for at-large council seats. They replace Robin Kniech and Debbie Ortega, who were term-limited from office.
May
A Tough Year At East High
In a GPHN exclusive, student journalists Anna Boyle and Elin Lawrence detail the rough year at East High, including repeated school lockdowns and gun violence. They highlight the fact that, in the 24 years since Columbine, 338,000 students in the United States have experienced gun violence at their schools. At East, they write, “When sitting in class, many students are no longer worried about their upcoming test, but whether or not they or their friend will be the next victim.”
Oreo Cookie’s Big Adventure
Betsy Snyder tells the classic Park Hill story about her newly-adopted puppy, Oreo Cookie. One day Oreo, a skittish pup who is still traumatized from a life before Betsy, escaped from the yard. An hour later, and with the help of many, many neighbors and strangers just happening by, the dog was finally corralled and returned safely home. “Thank you, thank you, thank you to the neighborhood I have lived in for 67 years,” Betsy writes.
Snowshoeing In May
About this time winter is supposed to taper off into spring. But this year someone forgot to explain that to winter. The cold, wet, snowy season persisted through May, and well into June. In Colorado’s High Country, deep snowpack provided all sorts of possibilities for adventurers, who were more than happy to stretch winter a little bit further.
June
You Can Call Him Mayor Johnston
In the June 6 runoff election, Mike Johnston beats Kelly Brough 55-45, becoming the 46th mayor of Denver. Citywide, just 31 percent of eligible voters overall cast their votes in a runoff race. The largest percentage of voters who cast ballots — by far — were people 65 years and older.
New Council Reps In Districts 8 & 9
In the District 8 city council race to replace term-limited Chris Herndon, Shontel Lewis nudges out competitor Brad Revare 51-49. And in one of the most watched — and most expensive — city council races in the city, Darrell Watson handily beats incumbent Candi CdeBaca in District 9 with 61 percent of the vote.
A Walk Through The Gardens
Upward of 700 people turn out to admire the landscaping of seven local gardens in Park Hill’s Annual Garden Walk. Thanks to a wet, cool spring, the gardens were lush and green and in full bloom.
July
Guns To Garden Tools Nets 35 Weapons
A “Guns to Garden Tools” event in Park Hill nets 35 unwanted guns, including four assault-style weapons. The sponsoring organization is part of a national movement that collects deadly weapons and and turns them into garden tools.
May The 4th Be With You
More than 40 groups bring their floats, their costumes, their instruments and their mojo to Park Hill’s annual 4th of July Parade. Cheering throngs line both sides of 23rd Avenue, having a rowdy good time.
Everybody On The Bus
RTD’s free fare program — Zero Fare for Better Air — has returned. During July and August, everyone can ride the bus, light rail, Access-A-Ride and Flex-Ride for free.
Advice For A New Mayor
Columnist Anya Nitczynski offers some advice to Denver’s new mayor on how to improve the lives of young people. Summer outdoor movie nights, youth arts festivals and improving public transit would be a good start.
Bison Are Not Fluffy Cows
Photographer Reid Neureiter reminds readers that bison are not fluffy cows. In fact, when it comes to all large, unpredictable animals, it is recommended that you keep your distance, don’t harass them, and don’t become the latest goofball who spawns a viral video by trying for a bison selfie and getting gored instead.
Let The Creators Create
Park Hill-based artist Jack Price II completes a new mural on the basketball court at City of Axum Park. The mural is a tribute to Denver’s sister city of Axum, Ethiopia, and the resilience of the Tigray people there who have been targeted and displaced in that country’s three-year civil war.
August
A Sewer Runs Through It
When Park Hill-based photographer Mark Silverstein headed to the First Creek open space area in Green Valley Ranch, he was looking for a bird. Instead, he got a massive shock. Bulldozers had decimated the open space, wetlands and wildlife habitat as far as the eye could see, leaving a wide swath of desolation. Turns out that Denver had given permission to the City of Aurora to bulldoze through the open space for a major sewer line project. (One neighbor counted 322 stumps — all that was left of old-growth cottonwoods and other trees after the chainsaws came through.) In the first of an exclusive two-part series, Silverstein details the devastation of the project and the anger and sadness of unsuspecting neighbors who didn’t know it was coming.
Two Years Late And Twice The Cost
After two years of delays, the city’s McAuliffe Safe Routes To School project is finally underway. The price tag for the sidewalk and other improvements comes in in at $2.3 million — nearly twice the amount Denver officials initially quoted when they announced the project in 2021.
Kurt Dennis Gets Fired
McAuliffe International Middle School Principal Kurt Dennis, who had raised concerns about school security in a 9News interview, is fired. DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero claims the principal was fired for sharing private student information, not for going on TV. Parents, students and other supporters respond with fury. Dennis files a lawsuit against DPS. A group of parents launch a campaign to recall the school board.
September
No Chance To Be Heard
In his second installment of the investigative series “A Sewer Runs Through It,” Mark Silverstein describes the game of bureaucratic pinball he encountered trying to nail down details of how Denver allowed Aurora to build a sewer project through what was supposed to be protected open space in Green Valley Ranch. In a nutshell, Aurora first approached Denver about the scheme in 2020. All the planning for the sewer project took place out of the public eye. There was no opportunity for neighborhood residents, birders, nature lovers, or other members of the public to be heard — not when it might have mattered, anyway.
Readers React: ‘It Makes Me Sick’
Silverstein’s series inspires an outpouring of reactions from readers, mostly horrified. One Green Valley Ranch resident, Debbie Jackson, reported the wildlife has all but disappeared from the once-pristine oasis. “It makes me sick my taxes are paying for this destruction. My plea is if this type of ‘construction’ is planned in other natural areas that more consideration be given to either not proceeding with the project or carefully and strategically implementing it with conservation of natural habitat as the focus.”
Librarians And Legends
Pauline Robinson branch librarian Leslie Williams is honored with the Glenda “Rose” Stephens Leadership and Legacy Award at the Park Hill Pirates Day of Legends. Williams, who is also a longtime Greater Park Hill News columnist, is also currently overseeing a massive renovation of the library at 33rd and Holly Street.
October
A Spine-Tingling Tradition
Rebecca Zimmerman takes us on an odyssey tour of Halloween in Park Hill, where the holiday is a grand, spine-tingling tradition complete with ghost tales, unexplained specters, and full-sized candy bars.
Can This Old House Be Saved?
The grand old Renaissance Revival-style home has dominated the northeast corner of Montview Boulevard and Elm Street for 90 years. This fall, the all-too-familiar chainlink fence of doom was erected around the house, suggesting imminent demolition. But not so fast. With a rich history of architecture and prominent past occupants, the house meets qualifications to preserve as a landmark. Several Park Hill residents file a notice of intent to potentially pursue protected designation for the home. One of them, Amy Harris, says: “Maybe we won’t be able to save this house, but we can at least take a stance on historic preservation and educate folks about the significance of the homes in our neighborhood.”
Welcome To The Neighborhood
The Home Tour and Street Fair, Park Hill’s signature event for 45 years, draws hundreds of lookyloos to check out five homes plus one recently renovated historic church. The featured homes represent an eclectic mix of architectural styles that showcase the diverse landscape of the neighborhood. They range from mid-century modern to Craftsman, and Tudor — including the oldest surviving home in Park Hill.
Fall Fest At Axum Park
The second annual Park Hill Fall Festival at Axum Park features free hot dogs and chips, cookies, face painting, bubbles, games and good cheer. A good time is had by all.
November
School Board Elections
John Youngquist, Marlene de la Rosa and Kimberlee Sia emerge victorious in their bids for the DPS Board of Education. Youngquist replaces the controversial Auon’tai Anderson, who opted to not seek reelection. The three were buoyed by an electorate fed up with the antics of a dysfunctional school board, as well as plenty of dark money boosting their campaigns.
Proposition HH Fizzles, II Sizzles
Colorado voters approve Proposition II, which allows the state to use nicotine tax money for universal preschool. But Proposition HH, the property tax reduction measure supported by Gov. Jared Polis, is soundly rejected. After the election Polis calls a press conference in which he picks up a bat and whacks at a glass case (break in case of emergency, get it?) and then announces he is convening a special legislative session to address property tax relief.
Garnsey and Tate Win The Babbs Award
Woody Garnsey and Penfield W. Tate III are named this year’s recipients of the Babbs Award for community service. Garnsey and Tate, both longtime Park Hillians, are praised for their efforts to preserve the conservation easement at the Park Hill Golf Course.
Helen Wolcott’s Grand Finale
Helen Wolcott, a longtime civil rights activist and neighborhood fixture, often says she just makes jewelry and trouble. For 50 years Wolcott has hosted twice-yearly art and crafts shows in her home. The extravaganzas began in the 1970s during the thick of the court battle over school integration, in which Park Hill was at the heart of the struggle. After a half century of shows, Wolcott calls final curtain. The November art show is her last.
The Nine Who Dared
In late October nine East High School buddies decide to walk the entire 50-mile stretch of Colfax in one day. It’s a feat they believe has not previously been done. And man, were they sore afterwards. “We finished at just about 11:30 p.m., and we all made it — barely,” reported Carson Lerner. “We were all hurting pretty bad by the end, but we pushed through.”