Community Announcements
December At Montview
Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church has a host of events happening in December. All are at the church, at 1980 Dahlia St. Here’s the line-up:
— The Christmas Mission & Fair Trade Market is Saturday, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday Dec. 3, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Global offerings. Fair market prices. Stock up with beautiful gifts from around the world.
— A Great British Christmas Concert, on Sunday Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. The combined Montview Choirs, Orchestra and Organ present their annual Christmastide concert with works by Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi, Elizabeth Poston and David Willcocks.
— Service of Remembrance on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. “Love Unbound.” A commemorative hour filled with music and readings, candle lighting and quiet to address the real losses many people face during this holiday. Influenced by the French Taize community, Love Unbound brings light to dark times.
— The Night before Christmas, Sunday Dec. 24. On Christmas Eve Sunday, celebrate with a morning service at 11 a.m. followed by four afternoon/evening services: two for families with younger children (3 p.m. and 5 p.m.) with children’s crèches, and two with choirs and candlelight (at 7:30 p.m.) for everyone. The last service starts at 10:15 p.m.
Holiday Market At ART Gym
The Art Gym Gallery, at 1460 Leyden St., is holding a Fine Arts Festival from Dec. 7 to Dec. 23. The artists reception is Thursday, Dec. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. It is free and open to the public. The market will be open through Dec. 23, Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Participating artists include metalsmiths, printmakers, digital artists, painters, illustrators, performing artists, sculptors and culinary artists.
Peace In The Universe
Share peace this holiday season at Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA). Youth at DAVA create special works of art year round in anticipation of the holiday season and spirit of giving. This year, the focus is on making art that brings us peace and unity. The exhibit opens with a reception from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday Dec. 7. Works will be on display through Jan. 12. DAVA is at 1405 Florence St., one block south of East Colfax Avenue in the Aurora Cultural Arts District. Young artists have experimented with a wide range of materials and techniques to create mandala rocks, shadow boxes, mobiles, ceramics and pillows. Other projects are inspired by animals, architecture, bugs and plant studies. Proceeds from the exhibit support year ‘round art programs for youth at DAVA. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday and by appointment. For more information, e-mail gallery@davarts.org or call 303-367-5886.
The Future Of Colfax
Do you take transit, ride a bike, walk, or drive along East Colfax Avenue? Do you live near the corridor or frequent the businesses there? If so, Denver Public Works, in partnership with RTD, would like your input on Denver’s preliminary recommendation for a center-running bus rapid transit (BRT) on East Colfax Avenue to improve travel along the corridor from I-25 to I-225. Deploying BRT along one of Denver’s busiest corridors is part of Denver’s Mobility Action Plan. The General Obligation bond package that Denver voters passed on Nov. 7 includes $55 million for additional design and initial implementation for BRT on Colfax, as well as more than $20 million for streetscaping improvements. The bond also includes other funds for pedestrian and bike safety enhancements along the corridor. Over the next 20 years, Denver expects 25 percent more people to travel along Colfax Avenue. BRT is designed to carry up to 50,000 riders per day, compared to the 22,000 people who currently ride RTD buses along Colfax. Learn more about the project and provide feedback through the end of the year at www.ColfaxCorridorConnections.com. Denver will announce a final decision on a BRT concept for Colfax by early next year.
Get Ready For Preschool
The Denver Preschool Program will host its sixth annual Preschool Showcase on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dahlia Center for Health and Well-Being at 3401 Eudora St. to help Denver families explore early learning options for their 4-year-olds. The Preschool Showcase is a free, one-stop event for parents to connect with representatives from numerous quality-rated programs and learn more about available resources, including tuition support. The event features free food, dental screenings, story times and family-friendly entertainment from community partners like the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and photo ops with the Minions. Spanish translators also will be available. Families who are unable to attend the 2018 Preschool Showcase are encouraged to use the Denver Preschool Program’s “Find a Preschool” tool on its website, dpp.org, to search for nearby programs. Also available on the website is a “Tuition Credit Calculator” which allows parents to estimate their monthly tuition credit that can be used toward lowering the cost of preschool. For more information visit dpp.org/news/showcase or call 303-595-4DPP (4377).
109,000 People Choose To be well
Program Focuses on Health Equity, Access
The Stapleton Foundation’s be well Health and Wellness Initiative influences and advocates for policies, programs and practices to create health equality and access for all people regardless of race, income, gender or other social barrier.
Thousands of residents of Greater Park Hill have benefited from various be well programs since it began in 2004 after a roundtable of community members determined that health issues were a major concern.
There are currently five block captains working in Greater Park Hill, with a total of 52 Block Captains in the be well zone, which includes six Denver and Aurora neighborhoods: Greater Park Hill, Northeast Park Hill, East Montclair, Montbello, Stapleton and Northwest Aurora. Those areas have a population of nearly 109,000.
At the heart of the be well movement are Block Captains, key residents knocking on doors to educate residents about the importance of healthy living, connect residents to health resources and encourage them to become involved in advocacy to improve the community’s health.
Block captains have helped develop be well centers that offer free fitness and cooking classes and free screenings for cardio vascular and other health issues. In 2016, approximately 42 percent of participants came from Greater Park Hill. The centers are located at the Hiawatha Davis, Martin Luther King Jr. and Central Park rec centers.
be well also offers a youth program, including a Youth Block Captain program and School Wellness teams. These efforts engage students, schools and neighborhoods to develop fun activities and events to encourage healthy living. To date, more than 1,800 people have been impacted by the be well Youth Program. Learn more at bewellconnect.net.