Urban Dweller

April 2023

4/5/2023

A Letter from John

Dear Friends and Neighbors

Just when you think spring is in the air, along comes an April snowstorm in time for election night. CHUN thanks everyone who voted for being engaged in the future of our City.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Urban Dweller. It is particularly packed full of news and events to get involved with. These include ¡Viva! Streets, which will close Broadway from Alameda to Welton Street to vehicles in order to make space for cyclists and pedestrians, how to obtain free trees to help reduce heat islands, and a community clean-up of Cheesman park.

In news closer to home, this will be the final introduction I write for Urban Dweller. Next month, I will be starting a new role as president and CEO of Historic Denver. I am excited to join the Historic Denver team and to champion the economic and social value of existing buildings, but will be sad to leave my role at CHUN. It has been a pleasure working with the wonderful board of directors and engaged members. Here is the role description if you are interested in applying for the position of Executive Director.

I hope you enjoy the warmer weather as we move through this month.

Best wishes from all of us at CHUN!
John Deffenbaugh | Executive Director

Business Member of the Month

Pete's Satire Lounge

Pete's Satire Lounge is a fun, laid back bar on Colfax Ave. It is known for its chill bartenders and great drinks and food. Westword named it 'old-school cool' in an article a few years back. In 1960, even Bob Dylan gigged there.

Recently, they updated the old non-smoking room into an arcade with pinball, shuffleboard and an ever-challenging ring toss. CHUN held its March happy hour in this new space. Every Wednesday, they also host a Trivia Night starting at 7 p.m.

Stop by at 1920 East Colfax for drinks, food or games.

CHUN News and Updates

CHUN is Accepting Applications for an Executive Director

CHUN is accepting applications for an Executive Director who is passionate about Denver and eager to shape the future of our 9 greater Capitol Hill neighborhoods and Denver.

The Executive Director will propose, prepare, and present to the Board of Directors specific programs, activities, and actions that will further CHUN’s mission and vision. The incumbent oversees the day-to-day affairs of the organization. This position reports to the Board of Directors, with day-to-day reporting to the President of the Board of Directors.

Organization: Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Inc., a nonprofit/501c3
Location: Central Denver/Greater Capitol Hill Community
Job Type: Independent Contractor or Part-time, hourly.
Compensation: Up to $2000.00-$2,500.00/per month
Benefits: Flexible schedule

Click here for a full job description. If interested, please apply to Secretary@chundenver.org .

April 5: ¡Viva! Streets Webinar

¡Viva! Streets Denver offers everyone the chance to walk, bike, roll or scoot down activated streets in the heart of our city. This summer, everyone can enjoy the diversity of our community in a unique way, free from motorized vehicles on Broadway, from Alameda to Downtown Denver and Welton, from 20th Street to Five Points!

Join the ¡Viva! Streets project team on April 5th from 5:30 - 6:30 PM to chat about all things ¡Viva! Streets during this CHUN-exclusive webinar! The discussion will provide basic information about ¡Viva! Streets and leave plenty of time to answer any questions you may have about the program. Register here.

March CHUN Happy Hour at Pete's Satire Lounge

Thanks to all of our members and new people in the neighborhood who come out to our March Happy Hour at Pete's Satire Lounge on Colfax.

Watch this space and our social platforms for details on our next CHUN Happy Hour that is currently scheduled for May 17.

Hope to see you at our next Happy Hour!!

Volunteer Opportunities in our CHUN Neighborhoods

April 11 and 12: SafeHouse Denver Spring Appeal Mailing

SafeHouse Denver serves survivors of domestic violence and their children through an Emergency Shelter, a non-residential Counseling & Advocacy Center and an Extended Stay Program.

Spring Appeal Mailings

Tuesday, April 11th
- SafeHouse Denver 1649 Downing Street 3rd Floor Denver, CO 80218
  - 1:00 to 3:30 pm
  - 5:30 to 8 pm
Wednesday, April 12th
- SafeHouse Denver 1649 Downing Street, 3rd Floor Denver, CO 80218
- 9:30 to Noon

For those who sign up, they will send you final details, and a reminder a couple days before.

May 13: Cheesman Park Clean Up

The second annual Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees is a city-wide park stewardship day and community celebration, and a great volunteer opportunity for individuals and families who care about our parks and shared public outdoor spaces.

CHUN is hosting the park clean up at Cheesman Park from 10am-Noon with a community celebration at City Park directly following.

Registration is now open! Sign up here!

CHUN Committee Reports

Community Engagement Committee

The Community Engagement committee is looking for members. Email community@chun.org if you are interested! The committee meets every other month on the third Thursday at 6 p.m.

Upcoming Engagement Opportunities include:
○ Cap Hill Spring Clean-up: Sat. April 1 at 9 a.m. Join neighbors for a small neighborhood clean-up on April 1 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. The event is organized by community member Paul Bork and supported by CHUN and other neighborhood organizations. Meet us at Ideal Market at 9am on Saturday!
○ VIVA Streets Informational Webinar: Wed. April 5 at 5:30 p.m. Join the ¡Viva! Streets project team on April 5th from 5:30 - 6:30 PM to chat about all things ¡Viva! Streets during this CHUN-exclusive webinar! The discussion will provide basic information about ¡Viva! Streets and leave plenty of time to answer any questions you may have about the program. Register here.
○ SafeHouse Denver is looking for volunteers to help with their Spring fundraising appeal mailing on Tue. April 10 and Wed. April 11. Email hschreck@safehouse-denver.org if you are interested.
○ Parks, Rivers, Trails, & Trees: Sat. May 13 at 10 a.m. The second annual Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees is a city-wide park stewardship day and community celebration, and a great volunteer opportunity for individuals and families who care about our parks and shared public outdoor spaces. CHUN is hosting the park clean up at Cheesman Park from 10am-Noon. A community celebration for all clean-up teams will be at City Park directly following. Registration is now open! Sign up here!

Development Committee

To help potential new members understand the value of joining CHUN, the Development committee created a new elevator pitch for CHUN:
Joining CHUN gives you an opportunity to meet more of your neighbors and work with them to improve your neighborhood and city.
CONNECT: CHUN members connect to their neighborhood through volunteer opportunities, social activities and committee work.
INFORM: CHUN members become informed through monthly neighborhood meetings, webinars, community forums, social media and our monthly newsletter.
IMPACT: CHUN makes an impact through engagement with City officials, private developers, local businesses and neighbors to negotiate creative solutions to issues in your neighborhood.

The Development Committee continues to meet to plan the CHUN Sept 21 fundraising event. Let us know if you are, or know of, a restaurant or food vendor who is interested in garnering new potential customers by putting samples of their food in front of our community and neighbors - send email to CHUN Development.

History Matters Committee

At our March board meeting, the CHUN board approved the following 'land acknowledgement' that will be added to CHUN's diversity, equity and inclusion statement:
"Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. May this acknowledgment demonstrate a commitment to working to address ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities and recognize the past, present and future contributions of Indigenous communities in Denver."

CHUN is supporting a Denver Landmark designation for the house at 1741 Gaylord. CHUN members will attend the April 24 Denver City Council meeting to speak about protecting this historic property.

In March, CHUN hosted a webinar with Rowena Alegria, Chief Storyteller for the City of Denver, regarding how Denver played a leading role in the fight for the civil rights of people living with disabilities and moving the mark towards the creation of the America Disabilities Act (ADA).

Urban Planning Committee

In March, CHUN board members voted to endorse a 'yes' vote for Amendments 2M and 2N that are included in this year's April municipal election. We believe that a “yes” vote on these questions will support accountability and transparency.

Denver and Colorado News and Updates

NEW Changes to Denver Compost Begin April 1

New changes to compost collection guidelines begin April 1, 2023 It’s simple: Food Scraps and Yard & Plant Trimmings ONLY!

1. Food Scraps: Produce, bread, bones, meat, cheese, eggshells, coffee grounds (no coffee filters or tea bags), moldy food, uneaten leftovers, rinds, peels, pits, etc. [remove all produce decals, stickers, rubber bands, twist ties and anything that is not food]
2. Yard & Plant Trimmings: Leaves, twigs, small branches, flowers, weeds, grass and yard trimmings, etc.
NOTE: ONLY 3-gallon or smaller countertop CMA approved compost bags(PDF, 1MB) are accepted. No other compostable or paper bags are accepted. We recommend saving money by avoiding bags all together – keep your items loose in your compost cart!

Congress Park Sport Courts will close on April 3

Beginning Monday, April 3, the Congress Park sports courts (with the exception of the south courts) will close in preparation for an upcoming renovation project. As part of the renovation, the courts will undergo asbestos abatement in coordination with the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). There is no public health danger to residents or park visitors during the abatement process.

Due to noise violations (DRMC Ch. 36) pickleball play is prohibited on the park’s south tennis courts which will remain open.

For more information, please visit the project page.

Denver Seeking Residents for Sidewalk Ordinance Task Force

Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is seeking applications from Denver residents interested in serving on a new Sidewalk Ordinance Task Force that will begin meeting in April.

Ordinance 307 shifted the responsibility for sidewalk construction, reconstruction and repair in Denver from adjacent property owners to the city and established a fee the city is to charge property owners to fund the sidewalk work.

Denver residents interested in serving on the task force should email DOTISidewalks@denvergov.org by the end of day on Friday, April 7, 2023.

Get a FREE TREE and Help Reduce Heat Islands in Denver

In urban areas like Denver, we can experience higher temperatures than our suburban neighbors because sun hits impervious surfaces like asphalt, tops of buildings, streets and sidewalks. When the heat hits these surfaces, it doesn’t have anything to reflect off of, so it just continues to heat everything around it—causing what we call a heat island effect.

Now is the time to apply for your free tree from the city. Check out this website for commonly asked questions, information to help determine if there is room in your right-of-way, and to submit your free tree request if you qualify: https://beasmartash.org/free-trees/.

April 13: 'Shine a Light' Supporting Organ, Eye and Tissue Donations

Colorado and Wyoming are two of the most supportive states in the country when it comes to signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

Thanks to the generosity of 278 organ donors last year, 739 lives were saved, and 829 organs were transplants. Yet, the need is still great with around 1,400 people in our region continue to wait for lifesaving transplants.

Let’s shine a light on organ, eye and tissue donation and give hope to those waiting this April!

This April, ‘Shine a Light’ to show your support for organ, eye and tissue donation.

Thursday, April 13
Gather at 6:45 p.m.
Event at 7:00 p.m.
Lighting at 7:30 p.m.
City & County of Denver Building
1437 Bannock St

April 15: Free Community Self-Defense Class

Denver Police Department is hosting a free one-day self-defense class for Denver residents ages 12 and up!* In this class, officers teach the art of self-defense known as Krav Maga – the same system taught to every Denver Police officer while in the police academy. Committed to crime prevention, their instructors work to empower students, teaching them to avoid incidents at all costs and to defend against a variety of attacks, while bolstering self-confidence.

Saturday, April 15, 2023
Class starts at 9:30 AM and ends at 1:30 PM.
Cook Park Recreation Center
7100 Cherry Creek S Drive

*Anyone under the age of 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
**SPACE IS LIMITED, **REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, register on Denver Police’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/denverpolice/videos/596806442462292

April 19: Day of Service at City Park

There is a large volunteer event coming up for the annual Starbucks Day of Service, where 400 volunteers are expected to mulch trees, remove debris, pull weeds, spread crusher fines on the trail, and paint throughout City Park. Please make note that the park will have a lot of volunteers working this morning! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Tina.myers@denvergov.org.

Wednesday, April 19
8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
City Park

April 20: The Mile High 420 Festival is at Denver Civic Center

As the first state to legalize cannabis, Colorado has a unique history with the marijuana movement. As a result, The Mile High 420 Festival draws advocates from around the world.

Re-imagining what the holiday has represented in the past, the goal in 2023 is to continue to fight the stigma while celebrating the booming cannabis industry here in the Mile High City.

Thursday, April 20
1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Denver Civic Center