Community Announcements

The Future Of Park Hill Golf Course

Clayton Early Learning and the Clayton Trust, owners of the Park Hill Golf Course, are seeking public input over the future of the golf course, at 35th and Colorado Boulevard. Clayton Early Learning leases the operations of the golf course to a private management firm. The current 20-year lease will expire in December of 2018, and operates at a significant financial loss. Given the financial challenges, it is unlikely that the golf course can continue as is. According to Charlotte Brantley, President and CEO of Clayton Early Learning, “First, we must ensure the property can provide a sustainable funding source for Clayton’s early childhood education mission, which serves the children of northeast Denver. Second, we want to consider the future use of the land as something both the community and Clayton can be proud of well into the future.” Clayton currently serves approximately 800 children and their families per year, primarily in northeast Denver neighborhoods. Clayton Early Learning is funded in large part by a trust left by businessman George W. Clayton. In addition to the historic Clayton campus, at the intersection of Martin Luther King and Colorado Boulevards, the Park Hill Golf Course is one of the largest assets of the Clayton Trust. The public is invited to a community forum on Wednesday March 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the main auditorium of the administration building on the Clayton Early Learning Campus, 3801 Martin Luther King Blvd. to learn more and provide input. Information is available at futureofparkhillgolfcourse.com, or by calling a 303-355-2945. Both the website and telephone line are set up to accept comments.

The City We Want

The Denver League of Women Voters will present a panel discussion on “The Denveright Process: How To Create The City We Want.” Representatives from city departments of Planning, Public Works, Parks and Recreation and Transportation will explain the community driven planning process, named Denveright. Joining the city representatives will be a member of the board of the umbrella organization for neighborhood organizations, Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation. The public is invited to attend, learn and participate with questions and comments. The forum is Tuesday, March 7, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St.

Honoring Women To Watch

March is National Women’s History Month and for more than 20 years, the League of Women Voters of Denver has honored women who have faced significant challenges in their lives, but have nevertheless made strides to fulfill their personal goals. On Sunday, March 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, the Women to Watch program will honor 13 women with inspiring stories of barriers faced and successes achieved during an afternoon ceremony and reception.

Montview Blvd. Presbyterian is at 1980 Dahlia St. The event is free and everyone is welcome.

Schools Kids Deserve

In keeping with its spring theme, “Government works better when citizens participate,” the League of Women Voters of Denver will hold a briefing at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 3, focused on “How to get the schools our children deserve.” The forum will bring together a variety of local organizations whose purpose is to inform and to provide a vehicle for action on issues related to our schools: Chalkbeat Colorado, an online education newsletter; Great Education Colorado, an organization working to improve funding for public education in Colorado; Denver PTA, a school related advocacy organization; Our Denver, Our Schools, a citizen and parent organization focused on neighborhood schools; and the League of Women Voters, whose local and state organization works both on educating citizens and holding elected officials accountable and on advocacy. The free forum is at Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St.

Immigration Mini-Grants

The Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is accepting applications for 2017 Immigrant Integration Mini-Grants. Any organizations or groups seeking to conduct immigrant integration projects or activities are encouraged to apply for a $1,000 grant. Ten new projects, as well as 10 continuing projects, will be funded this year for small, community-driven projects designed to bridge immigrant and receiving communities, create stronger and more connected neighborhoods, address community needs, and foster community pride. Visit denvergov.org/immigrantrefugeeaffairs for details and to apply. Application deadline is Friday, March 10.

Art In A Time Of Turmoil

The La Cour Bistro and Art Bar, at 1643 S. Broadway, is featuring the art of Park Hill resident Calvin Lee for the month of March. The title of the show is Art in a Time of Turmoil. The art will feature works in oil, ink and watercolor.  Included will be landscapes, portraits, Chinese calligraphy and social and political commentary. The art opening is March 3. Go to www.denversartbar.com for photos and a calendar of events. Check out www.calvinleeartist.com for images of the artist’s work.

A Month Of Photography

Month of Photography (MoP) Denver is a biannual celebration of fine art photography with hundreds of exhibitions, openings, and artist talks throughout the region. Most events are free and open to the public. For more info, check out mopdenver.com. Not sure what to see? The following are three shows presented by Denver’s most established photography gallery, the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, and their exhibition partners:

1. Every Breath We Drew: Jess T. Dugan at RedLine, March 9-April 10: www.cpacphoto.org/everybreathwedrew/

2. Varied Perceptions at Art Gym, March 2-25: www.cpacphoto.org/varied-perceptions/

3. Remember Me at CPAC, March 4-April 15: www.cpacphoto.org/remember-me/

Cash & Help For College

The Ethnic College Counseling Center is sponsoring its annual college fair on March 4 at East High School, 1600 City Park Esplanade from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Eighty-nine Historical Black Colleges and Universities will be represented. There will be recruiters on hand from many of the colleges and universities. Information and workshops on college preparation and financial resources will also be offered. Seniors who bring a valid transcript may be admitted on the spot. Scholarships may also be awarded. In addition, the ECCC will award four $250 scholarships to randomly selected students who pre-register. On-site registration fee is $7, which includes a continental breakfast. Lunch will be provided to those attending the workshops and fair. The Ethnic College Counseling Center prepares middle and high school students for post-secondary education beyond high school. Now in its 34th year, the Center has assisted more than 3,000 students nationwide.

Odyssey Fundraiser March 17

The Odyssey School of Denver is hosting its annual fundraising auction on March 17, at the Savoy at Curtis Park, 2700 Arapahoe St. from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include appetizers, wine and beer and an opportunity to help support this local Park Hill School, which is located at 6550 E. 21st Ave. To purchase tickets in advance: http://odysseydenver.org/

Pinnacol Offering Scholarships

The Pinnacol Foundation is accepting applications for scholarships for the 2017-2018 school year. The Foundation provides scholarships to children whose parents have been injured or killed in work-related accidents, regardless of insurance carrier. The application deadline is April 15. To qualify for a scholarship, a student must be the natural, adopted, stepchild or full dependent of a worker who was injured or killed in a compensable work-related accident during the course and scope of employment with a Colorado-based employer. Students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and be between the ages of 16 and 25 at the time of application. Visit pinnacolfoundation.org to complete the online application or call 303-361-4775 for more information.

Collecting Clothes For Kids

The Denver Health Foundation is collecting new clothing to distribute to refugee children who are patients at Denver Health’s Lowry Family Health Center on Sunday, March 26, including warm coats, hats, gloves, jeans, shirts, shoes, socks and underwear. Families have recently arrived in Denver from Burma, Syria, Congo, Nepal, Afghanistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Iraq, Ukraine and Ethiopia and they are building new lives in America after surviving unspeakable hardships in their countries of origin. To donate, check out to denverhealthfoundation.org/ways-to-give/donate-now.  For more information contact Robin.Engleberg@dhha.org

Living In Your Truth

New Hope Baptist Church, at 3701 Colorado Blvd., will host its 65th Annual Women’s Day Festivities. The inspiring theme of the weekend is “Living in Your Truth.” Beginning on Saturday, March 11 at 9 a.m., the women of New Hope will sponsor a Prayer Breakfast. Guest speaker is Reverend Dr. Stephany Rose, pastor of Ebenezer Church in Colorado Springs. The Sunday Worship, March 12 at 10:45 a.m., will feature Rev. Tamieka Gerow, Executive Minister of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Spring House, Penn. The deadline for registration for the Saturday Prayer Breakfast is March 5. For more information about the Women’s Day events check out  www.NewHopeChurchDenver.org  or call 303-322-5200.

Saving Denver’s Tree Canopy

The Park People and Denver Parks and Recreation are offering several training workshops to tap the inner-green thumbs of local nature lovers. The Community Forester program encourages environmental advocates to be part of the city’s volunteer forester teams. Registration is open through March 6. Classes begin Saturday, March 11. To register, call 303-722-6262. The threat of the Emerald Ash Borer, which destroys ash trees, is a real threat. Though the ash borer has not yet been spotted in Denver, experts fear it may already be living in the city’s tree canopy, which is comprised of 15 percent Ash trees. The Park People aims to lessen the negative impact of tree loss, and community foresters play a big part in that effort. The 2017 Spring Community Forester series begins with Trees 101 on March 11. Classes are $20 each or $80 for all five classes. To become a Community Forester, participants must complete all five sessions. However, individuals may take Trees 101 and at least one other class to become Tree Stewards. Registration is limited.

For more information and to apply, visit TheParkPeople.org, or call 303-722-6262.

Denver Daughters Dance

The Denver Daughters Dance will celebrate its 6th year on May 13 at The Hanger at Stanley Marketplace, at 25th and Dayton. The dance was started in 2011 to celebrate the importance of daughters in our families’ lives and with the firm belief that strong and confident daughters grow into strong and confident women. For the past six years, the dance has been a special opportunity for Park Hill families to spend an evening focusing solely on our daughters to let them know how important they are to us and our communities. The dance is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Since its inception the dance has steadily grown to include more people in this neighborhood tradition. This year more than 400 are expected to take part. Register now to be sure you don’t miss out. Check out the web page at http://www.denverd3.org/ or follow on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DenverDaughtersDance.

Making Park Hill Proud

Cleaning Up Colfax

Greater Park Hill Community Chair Tracey MacDermott is seeking volunteers to help out with the Adopt a Block on Colfax to help clean up litter, report graffiti and call on suspicious behavior. Volunteers are essential in keeping the area clean throughout the year, and MacDermott is hoping to get all of Colfax covered from Colorado Blvd to Quebec. The ongoing sustainability project is designed to keep Park Hill’s streets and public areas clean, and helps keep litter out of our stormwater system. If you are interested in learning more or signing up, contact chair@greaterparkhill.org.

Looking For Green Thumbs

As the weather warms we all want to be outside, anxious for spring to arrive. The committee for this year’s Garden Walk has begun planning for the event on June 17, and are still scouting out gardens of all types to feature on this year’s tour. If you would like more information about participating in the garden walk or have a garden to recommend we would love to meet with you to explain what is involved. The daylong garden tour is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is a great fundraiser for Greater Park Hill, Inc. For more information, contact Barbara Armendariz at armendarizlcsw@comcast.net or 303-842-7678.

Start Building Those Floats

Get ready – registration is open for the eighth annual Park Hill 4th of July Parade. Groups can register for free on the parade website at ParkHillParade.org. Neighborhood floats, community organizations and music entries are particularly encouraged to participate. Get ideas by checking out photos from previous parades at Facebook.com/ParkHillParade. For info contact Justin Bresler at parkhillparade@gmail.com. or 303-918-6517.