NEWS
Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (DPRAB)
The Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (DPRAB) is comprised of 19 members. Five members are appointed by the Mayor, one is delegated by Denver Public Schools and the remaining thirteen are selected by city councilmembers. DPRAB members work closely with their appointing authority, the community and Denver Parks & Rec to be stewards of the agency.
For the past year, Mr. Andy Sense has represented District 9, but will be stepping down next week. We want to thank him for all that he has done. He's a great community advocate who has demonstrated a unique ability to collaborate and find solutions. Andy’s openness to other people’s points of view has enabled him to work toward building consensus. Please help me thank him for representing District 9 on the DPRAB.
We are happy to welcome Ms. Brande' Micheau, former District 9 staff member, who will now be our DRPAB representative. She lives in the district and knows the community very well.
Thank you for your service Andy and welcome aboard Brande'!
Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to help your neighbors?
The Denver Boards and Commissions has several vacancies available. Please consider appplying to any commission that meets your interests, skills and/or qualifications.
Your application will be kept on file for a period of two years, during which time you will be considered for any vacancies. To assure full consideration of your application for a board or commission appointment, it is important to review the responsibilities and requirements. Certain boards and/or commissions may require special qualifications, i.e. professional licensing or experience and geographic location.
When applying for a position, please follow these guidelines:
Locate the board and/or commission(s) of interest to you and apply online.
Submit your application at least 45 days prior to the vacancy date for positions that are currently occupied
E-mail your current resume or a biography to Barry Burch Jr. at Barry.Burch@denvergov.org
Click here to learn more about the Mayor’s Office of Boards and Commissions and what opportunities are available.
2017 Denver Healthy Communities Awards Winners Announced
Bob McDonald, Executive Director of Denver Environmental Health, joined more than 100 city officials, finalists and community partners to announce the winners of the third annual Denver Healthy Communities Awards.
Launched by Denver Environmental Health in 2015, the Healthy Communities Awards recognize individuals, as well as public, private, and community organizations working to promote public health and environmental sustainability.
Nominations were solicited for Innovation, Compliance and Good Neighbor categories. Approximately 34 nominations were reviewed and scored by a panel of experts in public health, sustainability and related areas.
The 2017 Healthy Communities Awards recipients include:
Innovation Award
Designed to recognize individuals and organizations that employ innovative strategies, processes, or technologies to improve public health and/or the environment in Denver.
Denver Food Rescue - Denver Food Rescue (DFR) is focused on improving health equity outcomes for low-income families and individuals by increasing access to healthy food in a resident-driven and culturally appropriate way. DFR partners with community-based organizations and residents of low-income neighborhoods to enhance their ability to distribute healthy food. Using this approach, programs can be tailored by the community to meet the specific needs of an area.
Compliance Award
Designed to encourage, recognize and reward local individuals, companies, and nonprofit organizations that have consistently met or exceeded applicable standards established through recognized best practices, regulation or certification.
Work Options for Women
- Work Options for Women (WOW) assists people who have barriers to employment by providing individualized culinary training, building confidence and removing obstacles to sustained employment. WOW’s primary training kitchen is the cafeteria in the Denver Human Service building. All the WOW Chefs are certified ServSafe Managers with upper management, and also certified ServSafe Manager Instructors and proctors. Each day WOW’s professional chefs teach student how to safely prepare, serve and store all the food for the café. Students complete the ServSafe Food Handlers course within the first week and apply their knowledge in the kitchen for the next eight weeks. Last year, WOW was proud to become a Partner in Food Safety.
Good Neighbor Award
Designed to recognize individuals and organizations that have a longstanding commitment to protecting and/or improving the environment in Denver (clean air, land, and water), or promoting healthy people through improved access to healthy food, healthy built environments, or promoting healthy pets through activities at the animal shelter or in the community at-large.
Metro Caring - As one of Denver’s most trusted frontline hunger-prevention organizations, Metro Caring meets people’s immediate need for nutritious food while also sustainably addressing the root cause of hunger – poverty. Through its Fresh-Foods Market, nearly two million pounds of free, healthful food is distributed to low-income residents annually. Metro Caring also provides complementary cooking and nutrition classes, including Kidz in the Kitchen, Diabetes Self-Management, Diabetes Prevention programming, and mini-nutrition classes with educators and healthy samples. Last year Metro Caring educated 7,464 participants, and will double its impact this year.
Please visit the Department of Environmental Health website for more information about the Denver Healthy Communities Awards.
UPDATES
District 9 to Get an Infrastructure Face-Lift
The City of Denver Public Works division has been working hard to get our sidewalks and curbs up to ADA code. This year District 9 is on the calendar to receive the finishing touches of ADA Pedestrian Improvements.
To learn more about these improvements, click here.
To learn if your neighborhood will be effected click here.
Public Works will also be repaving our streets this year! Click here to learn if your neighborhood will be impacted by this work.
2017 GO Bond April Update
The Mayor’s Office recently announced the 2017 GO Bond stakeholder committees that will thoroughly examine the capital facilities and infrastructure needs of Denver and make project recommendations for bond funding.
The diverse, 60+ volunteer committee members will focus on five programmatic areas:
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Transportation and Mobility
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Parks and Recreation
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Arts and Culture
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Safety Facilities
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City-owned Facilities
An Executive Committee will also be chaired by Roxane White, the President and CEO of the Nurse-Family Partnership and former Chief of Staff to Governor John Hickenlooper. Executive Committee co-chairs will be Jandel Allen-Davis M.D., the Vice President of Government and External Relations at Kaiser Permanente and J. J. Niemann, President of the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation.
The stakeholder committees will consider over 3,000 ideas from the community combined with project ideas identified by City Council, city agencies and the projects listed in the city’s Six Year Capital Improvement Plan, called Elevate 2020. The city also received information about major capital needs from other partners, such as city-owned cultural facilities.
The stakeholder committees will hold meetings from mid-March to May. You can find more information by clicking here.
Electronics Recycling Event Full, BUT Denver Residents Can Still E-Cycle
The City of Denver, in partnership with Metech Recycling, is now offering an E-cycle Coupon. The E-cycle coupon will allow Denver residents to drop off their televisions, monitors and other electronic items at Metech Recycling's facility at a significantly discounted rate.
Denver residents may request an E-cycle coupon by completing the online form or by calling 311 (720-913-1311)
Click here, to request an E-Cycle coupon and receive more information about other electronic recycling drop-off options.
In the state of Colorado, disposing electronics in landfills is illegal.
2017 Five Points Jazz Festival Fast Approaching!
This FREE festival is sponsored by the City of Denver and takes place the third Saturday of May every year and celebrates the history of Denver's Five Points neighborhood.
Please mark your calendar for - Saturday May 20, 2017 from 11:00a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Click here to view a map of the street closures and the festival layout. Street and parking lot closures will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 19th and will reopen on Saturday, May 20th at 11:59 p.m.
If there are any questions or concerns prior to the meeting, please contact Brooke Dilling, Special Events Coordinator with Denver Arts & Venues at (720) 865-5558 or via email at brooke.dilling@denvergov.org
Three Teams Selected for Project Proposals the Platte to Park Hill Project
The City and County of Denver has announced that three design-build contractor teams have been selected to submit proposals for the design of the 12-acre recreational open space: 39th Avenue Greenway and Open Channel. The teams are comprised of well-respected designers, engineers, architects and construction contractors that have the unique experience, knowledge and expertise to meet needs of the Cole and Clayton communities.
The three teams chosen to submit proposals are:
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Kiewit
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Kraemer North America
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SEMA
These three were selected from five teams that responded to the city’s Request for Qualifications that was issued in February 2017.
The greenway is an opportunity to enhance connectivity and improve the quality of stormwater entering the South Platte River. In addition to minimizing flood risk in the area, these talented and experienced teams will ensure the greenway design incorporates the technical requirements, mobility and park-like amenities prioritized by the surrounding community.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued to the three teams in mid-April. The RFP will include guidelines that will drive the design of the greenway and multi-use trail based on input received from the public and representatives of the Cole and Clayton neighborhoods. Residents, including local property owners, participated in a nine-month, collaborative process to develop and inform the design guidelines included in the RFP.
The city will select the design-build contractor in the Fall of 2017, with construction expected to begin in late 2017. The Greenway will be operational in late 2019.
To stay updated on project developments and program-wide news, please sign up for email updates, or click here.
EVENTS
Denver Celebrates Sixteenth Annual César Chávez March
The César Chávez Peace and Justice Committee of Denver (CCPJCD) began a tradition honoring the late leader in 2002. The memory of César Chávez continues in Colorado on Saturday, April 8th. The Chávez commemoration will begin with an 8:30a mass at the Regis University Chapel, located at 3333 Regis Blvd. in Denver. Immediately following the mass, the traditional march will begin at 9:45a and will proceed to the César E. Chávez Park located at 4131 North Tennyson St., honoring the spirit of César Chávez and recognizing his peaceful and nonviolent ideals.
The theme of the 16th Annual celebration is “Let’s Build Bridges, Not Walls” to honor the many working class families and immigrants whose lives are being threatened by regressive immigration policies and who currently live in fear and apprehension of deportation.
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Chávez led a nation of support for the country’s farmworkers who continually faced abuse, low pay and sometimes no pay, and inhumane working conditions. He created awareness for the people who had no voice, and was instrumental in creating the United Farmworkers Union, demanding rights for the people of the fields.
Mass
When: Sat, April 8, 2017 at 8:30a
Where: Regis University Chapel (3333 Regis Blvd)
March
When: Sat., April 8, 2017 at 9:45a
Where: César E. Chávez Park (4131 N. Tennyson St.)
Work Training Opportunity!
Do you love working with people? Are you good at multitasking?
Sign up for this free customer service academy! Childcare and transportation service assistance available.
You must be a Denver resident to register.
To register contact:
OR
When: April 10th - 28th from 1p to 3p
Where: Quigg Newton Community Center (4440 Navajo St.)
Our Immigration Stories
Listen to guest speakers share their person stories emigrating from Laos Vietnam and Nepal. To learn more click here.
When: Thurs., April 13, 2017 from 5:30p to 7p
Where: Tivoli, Auraria Parkway (1900 Auraria Pkwy.)
Wynkoop Street Bikeway Project
Public Meeting
You are invited to a public meeting that includes a presentation of proposed improvements to the bikeway on Wynkoop Street. Last year in 2016, Denver Public Works made rapid pedestrian enhancements to Wynkoop Street. As a next step, DPW will further address bicycle mobility on this street.
While the City is still in the planning process of the long-term vision for Wynkoop Street, these solutions are in anticipation of the street being repaved during the summer of 2017.
When: Wed., April 19, 2017 from 5:30p to 6:30p
Where: Alliance Center (1536 Wynkoop St.)
Please contact Riley LaMie if you have any questions: Riley.LaMie@denvergov.org
Celebrate Earth Day!
A message from The Sierra Club:
On April 22nd, thousands of Coloradans and a diverse collection of leaders will come together to celebrate Earth Day. By celebrating Earth Day, we not only recognize the progress and commitment to climate change action, but we also strengthen our community drive to reach a 100% clean energy future. The divergence from fossil fuel production will ensure the health and climate security for the people of Colorado and our nation. When members and leaders of the community are willing to stand up against the environmental injustices imposed by the federal government, Colorado can emerge as a leader in environmental protection and climate action.
Earth Day Celebration
When: Sat. April 22, 2017 from 8a to 3p
Where: State Capitol Building (1451-1475 Lincoln St.)
March for Science this Earth Day!
On Sat., April 22nd, which is Earth Day, March for Science will be marching in solidarity with marches around the world in support of the sciences and the progress they have made for society. To learn more about the March for Science you can click here.
When: Sat. April 22, 2017 from 10a to 3p
Where: Civic Center Park (101 14th Ave.)
Blueprint Denver wants to know: How should we address growth?
How will Denver address growth as our population continues to increase? Come be part of a Blueprint Denver workshop to help identify the best path forward for managing Denver’s growth.
At the April 25th scenario planning workshop, you can join a “Blueprint growth strategy game” that plays out the implications of different patterns of growth. What are the tradeoffs for different population, employment and housing increases and what are the tradeoffs associated with different growth strategies? To learn more click here.
When: Tues., April 25, 2017 from 5:30p to 8p
Where: West Leadership Academy @ Denver West HS (951 Elati St.)
Community Meeting to Discuss the Future Development of 29th and Welton
Please join the Five Points Buisness Improvement District for a Community Meeting to discuss your ideas for the future development of 29th and Welton, a joint initiative of the City and County of Denver and RTD.
Denver’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and RTD are seeking a developer partner to build mixed-income condominiums on an RTD-owned lot at the northern corner of 29th & Welton. A portion of the condos will be reserved for buyers earning less than 80% of median income ($44,900 for a one-person household or $64,100 for a 4-person household).
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Other questions or needs?
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A sign language interpreter or Spanish language translation will be provided on request with five days’ notice prior to the scheduled meeting.
Please contact Julie Stern, (720) 913-1605 or via email at julianne.stern@denvergov.org.
Deaf or hearing impaired residents, please contact TTY 7-1-1– or 800-659-2656.
Can’t attend? Use this survey link to provide your feedback: Click here.
When: Sat, April 15, 2017 from 9a to 11a
Where: Whittier Community Center (2900 Downing St, #1B)
Plant a Tree this Arbor Day!
There’s no better way to spend Arbor Day than planting a tree. The Park People’s Denver Digs Trees program makes it affordable and fun through its Arbor Day Fruit and Yard Tree Sale. Trees purchased at this annual sale not only will beautify Denver’s urban forest, the numerous fruit varieties also add to Denver’s edible landscape and promote food equality.
Just $45 for bareroot trees and $65 for balled and burlapped trees! The sale is open to everyone, regardless of where they live and will be held after the Denver Digs Trees program tree distribution on April 15th.
Click here, or call (303) 722-6262 for more information.
When: Sat, April 15, 2017 from 12noon to 2p
Where: City Park Greenhouse (2500 E. 23rd Ave./near 23rd & York, close to the Denver Zoo) & Sloan’s Lake Park (5055 W. 17th Ave./near 17th & Sheridan, across from Yates)
Find a Job in Denver!
The Denver Department of Workforce Services is hosting several job fairs throughout the month of April.
Healthcare Academy or Customer Service Academy
Denver Housing Authority
When: Mon., April 10, 2017
Where: DHA Quigg Newton Community Center (4545 Navajo St.) & North Lincoln Opportunity Center (1401 Mariposa St.)
Diesel Program Open House
Community College of Aurora
When: Thurs, April 13, 2017 from 4p - 6p
Where: Lowry Campus, Diesel Building (1060 Alton Way)
Click here to learn more.
Call for Volunteers!
RiNo is looking for two volunteers to help with their Annual Meeting on Thurs., April 13, 2017 from 4p to 7p.
The event will take place at Blanc, where RiNo will do a year-in-review; there will be free hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, as well as live music from RUMTUM.
Volunteers will receive two free merchandise items for compensation. Please email Lindsey at lindsey@rinoartdistrict.org for more information and to sign up!
Where: Thurs. April 13, 2017 from 4p to 7p
Where: Blanc (3150 Walnut St.)
Volunteer with Comcast Cares Day
What are you doing on Sat., April 22nd? Comcast will be out at Garden Place Academy in Globeville for their Comcast Cares Day. If you are free, please consider volunteering and bring your family!
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Volunteers are needed to help the school prepare for a Learning Landscapes installation, working on such projects as planting trees, spreading fresh mulch, removing sod and preparing soil, installing raised planting beds, installing community tables and sinks outdoors, creating a compost zone, installing garden fencing, and helping with variety of cleaning, organizing and repair projects inside the school.
Where: Sat., April 22, 2017 from 8a to 2p
Where: Garden Place Academy (4425 Lincoln St.)
Please click the link below to sign up.
Comcast Cares Day – Garden Place Academy
Washington Street Study Open House
Please join a community meeting to discuss Washington Street in Globeville. Washington Street was identified in the Globeville Neighborhood Plan as “an attractive corridor that creates a positive sense of place, attracts private reinvestment and better
accommodates all transportation modes.”
The Washington Street Study will refine and progress this vision of Washington Street into an implementable conceptual design to serve resident and visitor needs. The project is organized into three phases with public engagement included in each phase and scheduled completion in the late fall of 2017.
When: Wed., May 3, 2017 from 5:45p to 7:45p
Where: Garden Place Academy, in the Cafeteria (4425 Lincoln St.)
Meeting Agenda
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5:45p to 6p Welcome
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6p to 6:30p Presentation and Q&A
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6:30p to 7:45p Open House
Spanish language interpretation and translation provided. Refreshments and childcare will also be provided at the meeting.
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A sign language interpreter will be provided upon request with a three business‐day notice.
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Contact: SignLanguageServices@denvergov.org
You can visit the Washington Street Study website to stay up to date on project developments!
Or you can call Karen Good at (720) 865-3162 for more information.
