Talk of the Neighborhood
Compiled by Cara DeGette, Editor, GPHN
The following is a synopsis of what was discussed during the Aug. 2 Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. monthly meeting. The next community meeting is Thursday, Sept. 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at 2823 Fairfax St. The October meeting is the annual meeting and will begin at 6 p.m. at the Park Hill Golf Course clubhouse, at 4141 E. 35th Ave. The meetings are free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome.
District 2 Police Update
Community Resource Officer Sharon Avedaño provided an update on police activities, particularly changes within the department. New Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen was sworn in on July 9. The 24-year department veteran replaces Robert White, who retired this year. Pazen in turn has appointed Kathy Bancroft commander of District 2, which includes Park Hill. Bancroft is a 30-year department veteran who had been working as a lieutenant in the district. Michael Calo, formerly in command of District 2, is now heading the Airport Police Division. In the past the airport command was considered an undesirable assignment; however Avedaño said that is no longer the case. Rather, she described airport duty as “Denver’s best kept secret.”
GPHC, Inc. Update
Sierra Fleenor, executive director of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., provided an update on the work being done by the Registered Neighborhood Organization. In June, a total of 82 people representing 33 households were served by the food pantry. In July, 140 people were served, representing 46 households. The overall number of families served in the first six months of the year was 143 (or 388 individuals). Fleenor noted the food pantry is always in need of donations, in particular canned fruit and canned meat, including tuna, Vienna sausages and Spam.
The pantry is also always in need of personal hygiene products, including laundry detergent, soap, shampoo and toothpaste. With a new school year starting, granola bars, fruit snacks, cookies and crackers are also needed. (See page 16 for how to donate.) Fleenor also gave a plug for the Monday fresh farm stand, and encouraged people to donate their extra veggies or stop by to pick up some supplies on Mondays, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., through October.
Fleenor announced the GPHC, Inc. annual membership meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 4 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Park Hill Golf Course clubhouse, at 4141 E. 35th Ave. District and at-large representatives for the RNO are elected at that time. For more information, contact board chair Tracey MacDermott at chair@greaterparkhill.org. Fleenor also introduced Amelia Eckles, who has been serving as administrative assistant at GPHC since June.
Denver Food Rescue Update
Emily Olsen, operations director of Denver Food Rescue, provided an overview of the program. Denver Food Rescue began operating in Denver in 2012. The organization is designed to rescue surplus food that might otherwise be thrown away from grocery stores, wholesalers, and farmers markets. The food is then given directly to recipients, including after-school programs, community centers and neighborhood organizations, including GPHC, Inc. Denver Food Rescue is currently working in 16 neighborhoods across Denver. Fully 85 percent of the food they distribute is fresh produce and dairy. Last year Denver Food Rescue served 36,000 residents.
District Attorney Update
Denver District Attorney Beth McCann provided an update on her department. Since becoming DA in 2016, McCann said, she has restructured the department in several areas, including establishing a juvenile unit for young offenders. The lack of resources to deal with people experiencing mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse issues continues to be a major challenge, she said. McCann also discussed a new diversion program that enables law enforcement to refer people arrested for drug and prostitution-related offenses to treatment programs, in an effort to divert them from the court system. Other programs McCann highlighted included a new human trafficking division, a hate crime unit and a crime intelligence data collection program. McCann also warned against a proliferation of phone scammers, including one that involves a caller claiming the Internal Revenue Service is investigating the recipient. “How many of you have gotten the IRS call?” McCann asked. Nearly everyone in the room of about 50 people raised their hand. “Believe me, you have not violated IRS regulations; the police are not coming for you,” McCann continued. “We don’t usually tell people when we have arrest warrants for them.” The district attorney completed her presentation, saying, “Hopefully I wont see any of you in the course of my work.”
Rename Stapleton Update
Libby Comeaux, of the group Rename Stapleton For All, provided an update on the efforts of the group that has been working to change the name of the Stapleton neighborhood east of Park Hill. Ben Stapleton, who was mayor of Denver from 1923-1931 and again from 1935-1947, was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan’s activities terrorizing Jews, Catholics and African-Americans in Colorado have been well documented. In addition to working to change the name of the Stapleton neighborhood, Rename Stapleton organizers want to change the names of the frontage roads along the northernmost boundary of Park Hill, from Stapleton Drive North and Stapleton Drive South, to 45th and 44th avenues. GPHC board members agreed to vote on the matter during the September meeting.
Fairfax Land Swap Update
GPHC Board Member Blair Taylor provided an update on the city’s controversial land swap deal to give a piece of property on Fairfax Street between 28th and 29th Avenues to developer Ben Maxwell. In exchange, Maxwell has agreed to build a park in his development project across the street. Taylor noted that Councilman Chris Herndon, who helped broker the proposed deal, had agreed to notify Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. of any updates, including when the matter would go to the full city council for a required vote. In addition, the board of the neighborhood organization, which overwhelmingly voted in opposition to the land swap, had requested the councilman to provide a copy of the final proposed contract between the developer and the city. Blair advised the meeting attendees that had not happened, and she had learned that the matter was moving ahead and had been scheduled for formal discussion by the city council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. A general discussion followed.(Click here to read more about the land swap deal, which has since been approved by the city council.)