What A Year
The Theme Of 2022: Post-Pandemic Recovery
By Cara DeGette
Editor, GPHN
Many things about this year screamed one thing: Relief.
Relief as in, being vaxxed and boosted, and boosted again, feeling comfortable enough to go back out to real, live gatherings. In Park Hill, many of the annual events and traditions were restored after a couple of years of pandemic shutdown. The Community Yard Sale in May, the June Garden Walk, the summer-long Free Farm Stand, the 4th of July Parade, the September Home Tour and Street Fair, the first-ever October Fall Fest in Axum Park. All of these happened, in-person with people gathering and having a good time.
The year in rear-view also included ongoing issues that land in the category of high-stakes.
A deep-pocket developer and his friends at city hall have stepped up efforts to pave the way for high-density development of the Park Hill Golf Course property — despite public sentiment expressed in polls and last year at the ballot box. The November mid-terms yielded sighs of relief for Democrats, especially in deep blue Colorado.
Many Denverites are reporting they’ve emerged from their pandemic cocoons to find the world slightly altered, and not necessarily for the better. Homelessness, a spike in crime, inflation and the cost of groceries are all heavy on minds. Even the local trash service routinely gets dinged for continually being a day late, a dollar short.
The following are a few highlights of the bigger, and the smaller, events that happened in our world this year.
January
Denver Directors Head For The Exit
Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock was still a full 16 months from being term-limited from office, but many of his top staffers were already headed for the exit. Nearly a dozen Denver agency directors departed the year before — including the heads of Denver Human Services, the director of public safety, DIA manager Kim Day, the director of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the heads of Capital Planning and Real Estate, Economic Development and Excise and Licenses.
Penguins Strut Their Stuff
Seventeen endangered African penguins are strutting around their new digs at the Denver Zoo in City Park. The new habitat is intended to replicate the rocky beaches of western South Africa and Namibia, where this penguin species is struggling for survival. Wild African penguin populations have declined more than 98 percent over the past century, from more than a million breeding pairs to just 25,000 pairs. The Denver Zoo is part of a program that fosters collaboration among zoos around the world, with the goal of helping endangered species survive.
Park Hill Landmarks Receive Design Excellence Awards
Two of 16 projects that received top honors for design excellence in 2021 were in Park Hill. The Mayor’s Design Awards included nods to the revamped business block of Oneida Park Center at 22nd and Oneida Street, and the highly-regarded Benzina Restaurant at Colfax and Eudora, which used to be an old gas station.
February
Calderón booted
![](https://greaterparkhill.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/12.18.Mayor-forum-Calderon-225x300.jpg)
Westside Investment Partners continues its hard push forward to craft a development plan for the Park Hill Golf Course property. On Jan. 13, city officials purged the group Save Open Space from continued representation on the 27-member committee that is allegedly considering all options for the protected land, Specifically, Lisa Calderón, who unsuccessfully challenged Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock in his reelection bid three years ago, was booted from serving. (Calderón has since announced she is running for mayor in April, 2023.)
Rolling out cash for trash
In an effort to boost Denver’s exceedingly low 26 percent recycling rate, the city announces plans to directly charge residential customers for trash pickup. Denver residents have, for many years, paid for trash and recycling pickup via property taxes. Beginning in January, 2023 residents will now also pay between $9 and $21 per month for pickup depending on the amount of trash they generate. Also beginning in 2023 residents will not be charged extra for composting. Recycling pickup will increase to once a week.
March
A Very Local Action
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In a move designed to show support for the community, for its newspaper and for minority-owned mom-and-pop owned businesses, a longtime Park Hill resident announced plans to subsidize six months worth of advertising in the Greater Park Hill News. Recipients of the unique program included the owners of MyKings Ice Cream at 33rd and Colorado Boulevard, Mississippi Boy Catfish and Barbecue at 33rd and Holly Street, and Jimmy Johnson’s Tax Service at 28th and Fairfax Street. The donor wished to remain anonymous.
Is Denver Losing Its Mojo?
In a refrain echoed throughout Denver, many Park Hillians are taking a look around the Mile High City — and not liking what they see. Writing a guest opinion, Gary Martyn weighed in on various affronts: “Something is obviously amiss in our lovely city. It’s dirty, it’s unwelcoming, and frankly, it has lost its vision. How about concentrating on smaller projects that will make everyday life better? Brainstorm a way to reroute semi trucks off of Quebec to get some traffic relief. Maintain the things we already have. Instead of traffic calming bollards, maybe write a few tickets to actually slow people down. Clean up graffiti. Try limiting the lofty ambitions, instead finish some of the projects that you have promised. Plant a bunch of trees. Build some parks. Put a shine back on the dusty old cowtown before it is forever tarnished.”
Slicing And Dicing The City Council Map
Political columnist Penfield Tate sliced and diced the Denver’s once-every-decade efforts to redraw the city’s City Council district — which ultimately determines which councilperson represents each of the Denver’s 11 districts. From a total of 15 maps initially submitted for consideration, the ultimate and final map divided Greater Park Hill into two districts — 8 and 9 — beginning in 2023.
April
East Ice Hockey National Champs
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The East High ice hockey team was crowned Colorado State 5A champions and then continued its storybook season by winning the national championship. East High hockey’s championship trophy turned out to be a talisman for Colorado hockey in 2022. Later in the season, the University of Denver Pioneers won the National NCAA Championship. And, on June 26 the Colorado Avalanche became the national champions, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning and capturing the coveted Stanley Cup.
Sidewalks At Last
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Denver officials rolled out a $2 million project to build 2.1 miles of concrete walkways in sidewalk-deficient southeast Park Hill. The project involves building the sidewalks on both sides of Quebec Street between 12th Avenue and Montview Boulevard. Additional sidewalks will stretch along 17th Avenue between Monaco and Rosemary streets. While plenty of residents were overjoyed at the news, many were bedeviled by the details: The planned sidewalks are set to be a whopping 5- to 8-feet wide — which many describe as “overkill.”
The Park Hill Cottage:
An Endangered Species
Letter to the editor writer Elaine Granata bemoaned the disappearing Park Hill Cottage. “I’m saddened to see more and more of what I call ‘starter homes’ being scraped and replaced by McMansions three times their size.” Granata writes.
Messiah Community Church Turns A Tragedy Into A Green Victory
Messiah Community Church members were horrified to discover that thieves had broken into the church, leaving a path of devastation that cost at least $300,000, including destroying the church’s old boiler. But congregants were able to turn the tragedy into a green victory. Messiah’s ministry is focused on a deep commitment to the environment and being good stewards of the earth. They were delighted when they learned that replacing the 73-year old boiler system would reduce the church’s carbon footprint by a whopping 90 percent.
May
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Mother Nature Shows She’s The Boss
A late May snowstorm dropped and plopped several inches worth of heavy wet stuff in Park Hill, snapping limbs and leaving many parts of the neighborhood without power. There were a few reports of car damage — the result of parking on streets under mature tree canopies.
It was not a record-breaker by a long shot but a good reminder that every year Denver is more likely to get a late-season snowstorm than not.
Go (Back) To The Library And Be Amazed
Librarians from Park Hill’s two branches are ecstatic to welcome people back into the buildings — after a trying year of pandemic-induced isolation.Park Hill Librarian Rachel Reddick reminds readers of the samplings people will find inside — including the Library of Things. Yes, you can check out things like Colorado state park passes, Go Pros and sewing machines.
June
Celebrating Emancipation and Juneteenth
The Colorado Legislature adopted a bill, signed into law by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, making Juneteenth an official state holiday. The Colorado action comes a year after President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation making June 19 a federal holiday. To celebrate, the Juneteenth street festival returned to Five Points after a pandemic hiatus.
Pride Returns, Along With Music and Joy
2022 also marked the return of Denver PrideFest from the dreary pandemic hiatus. The two-day festival draws celebrants from across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. (Estimated attendance in 2019 exceeded 525,000, marking the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.)
The Sounds Of Jazz And Art And Markets
Ditto the welcome return of City Park Jazz. The Denver summertime Sunday night tradition returned this year, kicking it off with a soulful tribute to Ron Miles, the legendary Denver jazz musician and Park Hill resident who died in March.
July
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The Return Of The 4th of July Parade
Continuing the march of post-pandemic relief, the biggest 4th of July Parade in Denver returned in all its grand glory. The 12th annual Park Hill Parade featured many of the crowd-pleasing favorites, including the Westernaires, Platinum Divaz Dance, Captain America, and many other merrymakers.
Takeaways From The Jan. 6 Committee
Political columnist Penfield Tate dissected the shocking realities from the first public hearing of the Jan. 6 Committee investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol. The findings, he writes, show a concerted and intentional planned conspiracy to overturn the presidential election and overthrow our government. And at the center of it all stood the former president, with his outright lies about a stolen election, efforts to coerce elections officials to lie and filing several failed lawsuits. What this really is, Tate concludes, is a loser unwilling to accept the fact that he lost.
August
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Double Vision: Denver Voters Will Decide
In the developer’s latest flex over the Park Hill Golf Course, Westside Investment Partners submitted its plan to the city for developing the property, including apartment buildings up to 12-feet tall, single family homes, commercial space and a “main street.” (Noteworthy: There is no promise of a grocery store.) The developer also announced that up to 75 acres of the property (plus an existing 25-acre retention pond) would be parks and open space (a formula that includes the strips of grass between sidewalks).
Meanwhile the group Save Open Space Denver (SOS Denver), which supports transforming the former golf course into a regional park, also released a vision of possibilities for the property — including amenities like playgrounds, trails, an off-leash dog area, community gardens, sports fields, basketball or pickle ball courts and a water park. A spokesman for the developer responded by publicly likening the plan to preserve the land as a regional park as “fifth graders showing up to present their art project to the classroom when the competition is over.” The fifth grader crack unleashed an avalanche of criticisms — most of them aimed at the developer.
That Was Some Gullywasher
No areas of Park Hill were spared by an Aug. 6 gullywasher of a rainstorm that brought buried old creek beds to life, flooded streets and stranded motorists. Meteorologists estimated more than 1.5 inches of rain fell in less than a half-hour. The new $1.2 billion Central I-70 highway project, built partially below grade, was brought to its knees for several hours after the new water pumps that were part of the project failed to activate. Hundreds of motorists were stranded for several hours.
RTD Was Free In August: Look What Happened
The entire Regional Transportation District transit system was free to users all August. During the month — deemed Zero Fare for Better Air — RTD saw some 6.3 million boardings, which was a whopping 22 percent increase over July 2022, and a 36 percent jump from August 2021.
September
Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair Returns
The 44th Annual Home Tour & Street Fair returned in its full post-pandemic glory, featuring in-person tours of seven featured Park Hill homes and an all-day street fair. The Park Hill Home Tour began in 1978, the brainchild of a local realtor designed to showcase the rich history and diverse architecture of the neighborhood.
From Johnson & Wales To Campus Mosaic
After six months and 110 suggested new names, the former Johnson & Wales campus officially became the Mosaic Community Campus. Aaron Martinez, a vice president at the Urban Land Conservancy, which acquired the campus for multiple uses, said the suggestion stood out as the clear front runner. “[Mosaic] perfectly embodies the campus goals of providing an accessible community hub for quality education, economic development, and affordable living opportunities for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and ethnicities.” Other possible names considered included Urban Commons, Park Hill Village Green, The Park Hill Community Campus, Justina Ford (after Denver’s first African American woman doctor) and Mosley Campus (after John and Edna Mosley, early civil rights activists in Denver).
McAuliffe Safe Routes To School Delayed … Again
The McAuliffe International Safe Routes To School project — designed to install improvements to sidewalks and other safety measures for Park Hill children on their way to and from school — was delayed for the second time. The project includes safety improvements along 23rd Avenue, 25th Avenue, and 26th Avenue, and Kearney Street, and came about after neighborhood parents and community leaders voiced increasing concerns over safety for students amid a sharp increase in neighborhood traffic. Construction was originally planned to begin in the fall of 2021. The revised timeline was for completion by the start of 2022 school year. But in August the city announced another delay — with the possibility if won’t be finished until Spring, 2023. Apparently the city did not receive any qualified bidders for the work.
Cyclist Death On Syracuse Highlights Growing Dangers
On Aug. 10, just before 7 a.m., Steve Perkins was heading home from an early morning ride around Cherry Creek reservoir with his twin brother Dan. Post-ride, the two men had split up, with Steve heading home to Central Park. Denver police say at the intersection of Syracuse and 13th Avenue, just southeast of Park Hill, the driver of a blue Ford Explorer failed to stop for a red light. The driver hit Steve Perkins, and didn’t stop. Perkins died of his injuries. The driver has not been apprehended. The death highlights the failure of Denver’s Vision Zero program, which has a goal of zero traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030. As of Nov. 27, this year 74 people have been killed.
October
Holding Court For The King Of Park Hill
Back before he was the King of Park Hill, before he was Mr. Big Shot, Chauncey Billups practiced his signature moves on the court at Skyland Park, behind the Hiawatha Davis rec center at 33rd and Holly Street. Artist Marley Boling — joined by Billups’ parents, a group of neighborhood children and other supporters — kicked off a mural-painting project that covers the basketball court where Billups used to practice with his likeness.
Pauline Robinson Library Announces Upcoming Renovation
As part of the Elevate Denver Bond passed by city voters in 2017, the Pauline Robinson branch is getting a renovation. Plans include an addition to the east of the library with a 600 square-foot community room, new public restrooms, new study rooms and a teen space. The library will be closed during the remodel, which is expected in the first quarter of 2023.
November
Colorado Gets Hit With A Blue Tsunami In The Midterms
Colorado deepened its blue hue in a midterm election that was a blowout for Republicans. Statewide, Gov. Jared Polis easily won a second term, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet coasted to reelection, and Democrats were easily reelected secretary of state, attorney general and state treasurer. Democrats now hold a super majority in the state house, and control the state senate 23-12.
Of note in 11 statewide ballot issues, Coloradans voted to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms and expand liquor sales to grocery stores. In Denver voters weighed in on seven measures, including a new dedicated fund for sidewalks (passed); a legal fund for people being evicted (failed), a property tax for libraries (passed) and requiring recycling programs for commercial and multi-family residential units in Denver (passed).
One question that Denver voters did not weigh in on in November is concerning the future of the Park Hill Golf Course property. After months of uncertainty, the question over whether voters will agree to remove the conservation easement that protects the 155-acre property at 35th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, and pave the way for development will not be on the ballot until next April.