Community Announcements
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE NE WALK FEST: AUGUST 24th
How often do you block out a morning of your weekend to take your neighborhood by foot? Save the date for the NE Walk Fest taking place on Saturday, August 24th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This will be an inspiring and fun day of walking for people of all ages and abilities through three NE Denver neighborhoods! Participants will be encouraged to walk to and from various activities taking place in three neighborhood zones: Holly Square (Safe Communities), The Green (Active Communities) and McNichols Park (Be Well Youth Zone).
NE Walk Fest is designed to encourage destination-oriented walking behavior within and between Park Hill, Stapleton and Montclair neighborhoods. By partnering with local businesses and a spectrum of community organizations, NE Walk Fest aims to raise awareness that walking creates more vibrant and safe neighborhoods while improving personal, social and communal health.
Major Event Partners are the Stapleton Transportation Management Association, Walk2Connect and WaytoGo. For more information and contact information visit newalkfest.com.
DENVER DAYS – CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY
There is no better time than the summer to get out and enjoy our world-class city! That’s why Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock is launching “Denver Days,” a new citywide summer tradition aimed at creating stronger neighborhoods by fostering community service projects and neighborhood gatherings annually during the month of August.
The first annual “Denver Days” will be this summer from August 3-11. During this week, Denver residents will be asked to work with their neighbors to organize a community service project or team up to host a fun, festive neighborhood gathering. From community clean ups to backyard potlucks and block parties, “Denver Days” will provide a unique opportunity to connect neighbors and neighborhoods.
In an effort to make organizing your “Denver Days” event as easy and affordable as possible, the city has revised its block party guidelines and is waiving park permit fees. The city is also supporting “Denver Days” by providing supplies for neighbors who organize a street or alley clean up, expert speakers for neighborhood gatherings and assistance with planning your event. And if you register your event soon, there’s a chance the Mayor might be able to stop by so start organizing your “Denver Day” event now! Visit denvergov.org/denverdays to register your “Denver Days” event or call 720-865-9082 for more information.
2013 DESTINATION HEALTH WALK/RUN/LEARN FOR ALL AGES
Teams of co-workers, church members and civic group colleagues will join hundreds of Denver area families for the third annual Destination Health: Walk/Run/Learn on Saturday, July 27 in City Park. In addition to the walk and run, there will be a Health Expo with 40+ booths and a Children’s Health and Safety area with fun activities and targeted information. The Mary Louise Lee Band will provide entertainment and sponsors have donated healthy snacks for participants to enjoy. Proceeds support the Center for African American Health, which is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Denver’s African-American community. Registration, which includes a t-shirt and customized bib, is $30 for adults; $25 for team members, seniors over 50 and children ages 6-17; and $10 for children 5 and under. For more information, visit caahealth.org or call 303-355-3423.
BE AN A+ ANGELS MENTOR
Mentors are needed for the A+ Angels Mentor Program at East High School. Started 10 years ago by parents to narrow the “achievement gap,” A+ Angels pairs over 80 struggling students with adult volunteers. 50 new freshmen want mentors in 2013-2014.
Mentors try to meet with their student once a week. The best “built-in” times to meet are Wednesday or Thursday, 7:30-9 a.m. Other meeting times are during lunch, after school or on weekends. In addition to building a relationship, mentors help students:
• check their grades and work on homework;
• get organized and meet with school counselors;
• use peer tutors and after-school tutoring with teachers;
• apply for jobs and internships; and
• think about the future, visit colleges and explore careers.
Some mentors stay with their students all four years of high school; other pairs dissolve after one year. All mentors are busy, juggling jobs and travel; none are professional educators. One-on-one support and mentor relationships can make can make the difference between a student graduating or not. There is a training program on Saturday August 24, 2013, 8:30-1 p.m. and monthly mentor meetings. Contact Jessica Pearson at jpear2071@msn.com or Denise Gomez at denise.gomez11@gmail.com for application materials and more info.
COLORADO WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS
The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame is seeking nominations of outstanding women for the Class of 2014. Members of the hall include: singer Judy Collins, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, dancer and choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson and space scientist Jo Ann Cram Joselyn. Since 1985, the Hall has inducted 132 living and historic women. They are women connected to Colorado who represent remarkable achievements in politics, medicine, business, philanthropy, education, engineering, activism and other fields. Each woman is a pioneer in her own right, having made a significant and enduring contribution to her profession and to the advancement of women and society. The deadline is August 23, 2013. Visit cogreatwomen.org/nominate2013 for more information and to download a nomination form. Inductees for 2014 will be announced November 2013.
PARK HILL FAMILY BIKE RIDES/VIVA STREETS PARK HILL
After two planning meetings in May and June, the grassroots Viva Streets Park Hill group decided to table a larger event until next year in order to have more preparation time, and instead focus their energy on making the September 7 Park Hill Family Bike Ride a more robust event. Save the date for Saturday, September 7 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and be sure to follow the Park Hill Family Bike Ride on Facebook.
BLUFF LAKE RECEIVES NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE GRANT
Bluff Lake Nature Center was awarded over $501,000 in grant money from the State of Colorado’s Lowry Landfill Superfund Site Natural Resources Damages (NRD) Fund. It is the largest grant win in the history of the privately owned, nonprofit Nature Center, and was the largest of four grants made by by Colorado’s NRD Trustees: Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Martha Rudolph, and Robert Randall from the Department of Natural Resources.
NRD is compensation from responsible parties that caused environmental injuries to the state’s natural resources, as was the case at Lowry Landfill. BLNC has been developing its proposal and working with state agencies for over a year. The award was announced on June 6, 2013.
The funds will be used to repair and reinforce the lake’s 100-year-old dam, preventing significant leakage from the lake that can often leave it dry for parts of the year.
“BLNC is in a unique position. We’re in the heart of a dense urban landscape, yet have 123 acres of pristine habitat along the Sand Creek Greenway,” said Jeff Lamontagne, Bluff Lake Nature Center’s Executive Director. “As the population density has dramatically increased in the Denver metro area, and around us in particular, an abundance of wildlife and migratory birds have come to rely on this patch of natural habitat. That’s why it is so important that we preserve and protect the area and the lake.”
Venture Prep Staying Put
Dear Park Hill Community:
Recently, there has been a lot of “buzz” surrounding our neighborhood middle schools. The decision to close a long-standing middle school and replace it with another program has created many mixed emotions among our community.
As DPS works to restructure the middle schools within the Smiley Campus, I believe it is necessary to reach out and thank the Park Hill Community for its continued support of Venture Prep High School, which is also located within the Smiley Campus.
While the middle schools have received the majority of the attention in the media and in community circles, it is important to remember that we have a high-performing high school in our own neighborhood. With that said, I wanted to share the excitement and the many new milestones that our High School scholars have achieved.
In particular, we are proud to present:
• 100% College Acceptance for our Classes of 2012 and 2013!
• Over $2,000,000 in scholarship money for our Seniors
• Three Daniels Scholarship Recipients in 2013
• Establishment of the National Honors Society and the National Art Honors Society
• Strong growth on state-standardized testing
• Increased enrollment
I am also aware of the fact that there has been misinformation posted online, in the press, and in community meetings regarding that status of Venture Prep High School. To be clear, Venture Prep High School is a strong school and plans to remain in the Smiley Campus. We support the efforts of DPS, and are excited to work with the McAuliffe program in a shared-space capacity.
If you wish to learn more about the Venture Prep High School program, please visit us online at www.ventureprep.org, or call me personally at 303-893-0805. It would be my pleasure to share our successes you and your family.
In addition, we are accepting new applications for the 2013-2014 school year. It is our goal to continue to grow our robust High School program, and to offer a college-bound, rigorous educational program to all 9th-12th graders.
Sincerely,
Ken Burdette, Principal, Venture Prep High School