October Community Announcements
Colfax Marathon Turns 15: Detours Ahead Oct 16-17
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Colfax Marathon, which is actually a several day event including numerous races. The main events take place this year on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16 and 17. Saturday includes the Marathon, Half-Marathon and Urban 10 Miler. Sunday is the Colfax 5K with a concert in City Park, just west of Park Hill.
Many road closures and detours will be in place along the route, particularly on Saturday. Traffic on York Street between Colfax and 23rd Avenue will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Traffic will be closed on 23rd Avenue between York and Colorado Boulevard between 6:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. 17th Avenue from Detroit Street to York will be closed to vehicles from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The closures will continue west of Park Hill on and around Colfax for much of Saturday as the marathon heads west. Check runcolfax.org/road_closures/ for additional closures and detours, as well as information about the races.
Updates On 17th Ave.
Road Closures
The road closure to install a new storm drain along 17th Avenue from Jackson Street to Colorado Boulevard just west of Park Hill continues. The original timeline for completion was by fall, but supply chain disruptions have reportedly created project delays. As of press time the new timeline for completion has not been announced.
In the meantime, beginning the weekend of Sept. 25, Colorado Boulevard between 16th Avenue and Montview will be completely closed during some weekends. According to officials, the closures are necessary to perform prep work in advance of the upcoming tunneling under Colorado Boulevard. The next closure is expected to take place Oct. 8, 9 and 10. Updates and more information can be found at bit.ly/16Storm. Questions or concerns can be directed to Public Service Company area supervisor Jess Varela at 720-693-3468.
Annual Food Drive Oct. 1-10
Join the New Perspective Team/Compass for its 11th Annual Community Food Drive.
Autumn is the season for serving those in the community with deeper needs. From Oct. 1-10, the real estate professionals are rallying friends and neighbors to help provide nourishment to people who are food insecure.
The food drive is being held via an all-virtual online collection for Food Bank of the Rockies, Every dollar of cash donation equals four meals, and last year’s effort resulted in 34,000 meals.
Over 11 years New Perspective Team/Compass has raised contributions equivalent of 274,905 meals. Donate online via nprefooddrive.com.
Calling All 3-D Mall Artists
The City of Denver’s Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or team of artists to create original public artworks for the renovation of Denver’s 16th Street Mall. The budget for the commission is $700,000.
Designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, the outdoor pedestrian/transit mall runs 1.25 miles along 16th Street in the heart of downtown Denver from Wewatta Street to Broadway. The selection panel includes community representatives, arts professionals and civic leaders. They are seeking three-dimensional artworks that “should engage multiple senses, harnessing tactile, light and/or sound components, and utilize vertical, overhead or other space-conserving strategies.”
The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is open to local, national, and international artists or artist teams through Monday, Oct. 18 at CallForEntry.org. Additional information on this and other Denver Public Art calls is available at DenverPublicArt.org/For-Artists/#opportunities.
Take An October Tour Of The City’s Crown Jewel
City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) will guide tours of City Park for Doors Open Denver on Saturday, Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m..
Join tour guides, artist and educator Patty Paul, author Barbara Wright and CPFAN President Georgia Garnsey, for a fun and interesting tour of City Park, the People’s Park and Crown Jewel of the Queen City. The group will explore City Park’s history and its intrinsic beauty, sculpted by the vision of Denver’s pioneer founders and leading designers such as Reinhard Schuetze, S.R. De Boer, George Kessler and Charles Robinson. Learn about the park’s evolution from a rattlesnake and cactus-filled stretch of prairie to an oasis of lakes, trees, fountains and gardens.
Tickets are $25 to $30. For more information and to register: denverarchitecture.org/event/dod-2021-in-person-tour-city-park/.
RTD Wants Your Feedback
Regional Transportation District customers will have the opportunity to provide feedback about proposed service changes that will go into effect in January. Three virtual public meetings will be held Oct. 4 and 5. The proposed changes will modify the current COVID-19 service plan that has been in place since April 2020. Many of the routes proposed for service improvements serve vulnerable communities that rely on transit. As per federal requirements, RTD riders are required to wear masks through Jan. 18.
Check out rtd-denver.com/service-changes/january-2022 to review the changes RTD is proposing, and for details on how to attend the three virtual meetings. Feedback on the proposed service changes can also be submitted by emailing service.changes@rtd-denver.com or by calling 303-299-2004.
Avoid The 5th Wave Of COVID-19: Get Vaccinated
In late September, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment announced the state has entered the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. An estimated 1 in 99 Coloradans are infectious. More than 70 percent of Coloradans have been vaccinated, and the vaccine — which has been deemed safe and effective by doctors, scientists and public health officials —is free and widely available.
There are more than 1,600 enrolled vaccine providers in Colorado, and mobile vaccine clinics are still being scheduled across the state. Check mobilevax.us/clinics for upcoming clinics in the area. Vaccine provider locations are also posted and updated on the state’s COVID-19 website at covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine/where-you-can-get-vaccinated.