Monthly Archives: February 2009

The North High Vikings won Wednesday night in their first postseason appearance in 22 years; thanks to everyone who came out to the gym to lend their support. In round 2 the Vikings will play on the road at top-seeded Sterling; that game is tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Just in case you’re travling to the game, Sterling is about two hours northeast of here on I-76; the high school is located at 407 West Broadway.

Happy Haynes sent a letter to all the councilmembers touting a program to recruit new teachers, including individuals who don’t have a credential. You earn your credential while you teach. The program is particularly interested in recruiting individuals who reflect Denver’s diversity and could bring great value to the teaching profession. If you want more information, you can call Happy at (720) 423-3221 or Juan Pablo Parodi at (720) 423-1239 regarding.

To the Rocky Mountain News: thank you for being there. You’ll be missed.

News from in / around the District:

• Denver Public Works is asking for feedback on the new Smart Meters in LoDo and on Detroit Street in Cherry Creek. To date there has been only a minimal amount of citizen feedback regarding the Smart Meters, which have been in use in these two locations since November on a pilot program basis. They give drivers the option to use Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards as well as coins. If you have feedback, click here to take the online survey. Community input received through the online survey will be weighed when Public Works decides whether to install the Smart Meters citywide. A decision will be announced in May.
• The Bug Theatre’s production of Willie the Shake’s As You Like It is in its final weekend. There’s a special student matinee today at 2 p.m., with Friday and Saturday night shows at 8 p.m. to wrap up the run. The Bug Theatre is at 3654 Navajo Street; tickets are $20 ($18 seniors, $15 students). Click here for more info online.
• The Parks Planning, Design and Construction Division has unveiled a new tool to help you track of projects undeway in the park system.  It’s a database with information on all active park-related projects; it’s updated monthly and provides essential information such as start and end dates, current status, a project description, and the name of the project manager. City Council members will each receive a special report on projects in their Council District at the beginning of each month. In addition to the Council District report sent by email, the full report will posted on the City’s web site at this link.
• Finally, if you received unemployment benefits or extended unemployment benefits in 2008, please read this document for important information regarding your 2008 tax return.

A spring-like day such as this is perfect for a heads-up regarding Denver’s summer golf programming for youth, a.k.a. First Tee of Denver. The mission of The First Tee of Denver is to use golf as a tool to educate kids academically, socially, and physically, while providing them with opportunities for summer employment and recreation.

The program will take place at City Park, Willis Case, and Wellshire golf courses, as well as at Aqua Golf, the brand new driving range and miniature golf course on Santa Fe and Florida. Signup begins online in a couple of weeks (on Monday, March 16), and the program runs from June 14 through July 26. If you want further details, visit The First Tee of Denver online at www.thefirstteeofdenver.com.

Employment is also available for adults through our instructor program. Instructors teach specific golf and life skills. Older kids can get paid through the mentor program, where they will help instructors implement the course materials and gain valuable work experience. The caddie program allows youth to make money, earn scholarships, and gain job experience. For more information on the mentor and instructor programs, contact Clint Eckstein at 303-295-4082 or via e-mail at clint@thefirstteeofdenver.com. Applications are due April 3rd. For the caddie program, contact Blake Adkison at 303-295-4082 or via e-mail at Blake@thefirstteeofdenver.com.

Very big news out of Highland: Judy’s alma mater, North High School, has qualified for the state high school basketball tournament. This is North’s first postseason appearance in 22 years. The Vikings will host their first-round game tomorrow night, February 25, at 7 p.m. against Pueblo County. Judy will be out there supporting her team; come out and help pack the stands. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students (kindergarten thru 12th grade).

As long as we’re on the subject, Denver Public Schools will be hosting its northwest Denver regional meeting this Saturday, February 28 , from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Masonic Temple Highlands, 3550 Federal Blvd. DPS is holding a series of community meetings over the next few months in all regions of Denver. The overall goals of the regional meetings are:

• Deepen understanding of who the students are in each region and their diverse needs
• Develop understanding of existing programs, assets and gaps
• Deepen understanding of interventions and support, and New School options
• Get community input into the New Schools RFP process
• Develop scenarios for improving array of school options
• Identify regional priorities
• Better meet the diverse educational needs of students and families

Click here for more information.

Denver Restaurant Week began on Saturday night, and District 9 is right in the middle of it. With fine cuisine clustered in both LoDo and Northwest Denver, Judy represents more great eateries than any other councilmember. This event (DRW for short) is a great way to get out and support them, while saving some cash in the process.

For the next week—well, actually the next two weeks (DRW has been extended through March 6)—participating restaurants will offer a multi-course dinner for the fixed price of $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one (tax and tip not included). For a list of all the participating joints, click here. If you want to follow the DRW Twitter feed, here ya go.

A few nights ago Judy’s legislative aide, Teresa St. Peter, attended the first RiNo Neighbors meeting. About 30 neighbors came to learn more about this new registered neighborhood organization, which was born from a merger of the Upper Larimer Neighborhood Organization and the RiNo Arts District. Teresa gave an update from the public meeting last December that highlighted all of the planning efforts in north District 9, and there ensued a general, wide-ranging discussion about the River North area, which is bustling with activity.

The first primary responsibilities RiNo Neighbors will work on are in land use planning and raising membership. A committee for each of these issue areas was set up, and nomination ballots for officers were passed out. Voting will take place at the next meeting. You can find details about the new RiNo RNO at www.rinoneighbors.org

You may be wondering what will happen to RiNo Arts? It will remain intact and continue to promote the vibrant and growing River North arts activities. RiNo Neighbors will tackle the usual work of a neighborhood organization, such as offering opinions about land use processes to various City departments and growing a sense of community through social events and community service projects.

Judy and District 9 won a huge victory Tuesday night when the RTD Board officially approved the location for the FasTracks Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility (CRMF). Judy and residents from half a dozen District 9 neighborhoods have been working on this issue for nearly four years, and the Board ultimately chose the site favored by Judy and the D9 residents. It’s called Fox North Option B, and it sits just north of I-70 and west of I-25. Here’s an aerial photo:

This long, exhausting process has been complicated by RTD’s financial situation and various other factors. But persistence paid off: the new location won’t affect any residential areas, and it won’t disrupt opportunities for Transit Oriented Development along any of the FasTracks corridors. Preliminary studies at Fox North Option B will now begin, and there will be further opportunity / need for public involvement. For more information, see the CRMF project web site.

Below is a letter Judy submitted to the RTD Board on behalf of the CRMF Stakeholders Group, which Judy formed in 2005 and which has stayed on top of this issue ever since:

“Dear Honorable RTD Board Members,

The Council District 9 Stakeholders Group, formed in 2005 when RTD first publicly discussed various locations for the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility (CRMF), would like to offer support for the recently proposed Fox North CRMF site alternative. The Stakeholders group has followed this issue closely. We have attended many public meetings and studied all the materials provided by the RTD Environmental Impact Studies. By asking carefully considered questions in writing, we have collaborated with RTD to illuminate the issues raised by the choice of a site for the CRMF. Understanding that the CRMF is crucial for the completion of the FasTracks system, we support the Fox North, Option B site. Here are our reasons:

• Continue reading →

The draft Denver Union Station Design Standards and Guidelines are now available for public review and comment. The document can be viewed on the project Web site at this link.

The Design Standards and Guidelines will be used by the Landmark Preservation Commission, Planning Board, and Community Planning and Development staff to review and approve proposed development on the Union Station site. Final approval and adoption of the guidelines will occur at a formal public hearing later this spring.

If you want to learn more about the proposed guidelines, the approval process, and the opportunities for public input, there will be presentations / discussion tonight and tomorrow. Tonight the Union Station Land Use and Urban Design Breakout Group will meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the PB office, 555 17th Street , 5th Floor. Kristopher Takacs and Ellen Ittelson will present an overview of the draft standards and guidelines, and attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments afterward. The team also will review the process for submitting written comments and the schedule for final review and adoption of the Guidelines.

The Union Station Advisory Committee (USAC) will meet tomorrow night, February 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the RTD administrative office, 1600 Blake St. , Room T&D. The agenda will include a transit architecture presentation by Marilyn Jordan Taylor and Roger Duffy (partners in the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) and a summary of the Wedensday night meeting.

Tomorrow brings the first of four job fairs in the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt (GSJH). This program, open to all Coloradans between the ages of 16 and 21 (no income restrictions), is a free referral service that links young adults to employers. Tomorrow’s event will be held up in Broomfield at the Paul Dedra Rec Center, 13201 Lowell Boulevard, from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be additional job fairs on February 25 (in Brighton) and March 3 (Golden), with the finale on March 11 at the Colorado Convention Center here in Denver.  Click here for all dates, times, and locations.

Another jobs initiative for students, the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), has begun taking applications. This program is for Denver residents, and includes income restrictions. Applications are available on the program’s web page; they need to be returned to the Youth Services office (1391 N. Speer Blvd, Suite 520) as soon as possible. They’ll be accepting applications through March 20 or until all positions are filled.

By the way, don’t forget: tonight is the inaugural meeting for RiNo Neighbors, the new RNO for River North.

Here are a couple of items for your calendar next week:

First, on Tuesday night, February 17, the up-n-coming River North neighborhood unveils its new organization, RiNo Neighbors. Its inaugural meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at 3457 Ringsby Court. RiNo Neighbors fuses together two old RNOs, the Upper Larimer Neighborhood Organization and the RiNo Neighborhood Organization. At this important first meeting, committees will be organized and priorities will be set, so don’t miss out. There are big changes coming to River North; it promises to be one of the most active neighborhoods in Denver in the coming years, so get involved now and you can influence change before it happens.

Second, due to the President’s Day holiday next Monday, all trash and recycling collection will be displaced by one day next week — Monday collections will be done on Tuesday, Tuesday collections on Wednesday, etc etc. Downtown meter parking will be free all day Monday.