November 2024

A Message From Our Executive Director

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CHUN Business Member of the Month

Chuey Fu's is our November Business Member of the Month! ​Prepare your taste buds for a flavor explosion as their menu showcases the best of both worlds – think tacos with a twist, sizzling stir-fries, and tantalizing fusion dishes that marry the spices of Latin America with the subtleties of Asian cuisine. Their newest location is RIGHT in our neighborhood and Chuey Fu's is offering all Members of CHUN a 10% discount when you show them your membership card! Stop into Chuey Fu's today and show them you are a card carryin' member of CHUN! ​

Check Out Chuey Fu's

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Welcome to the Newest Members of CHUN!

Ryan Warner
Giselle Rahn
Alex Rozen
Steve and Diana Glass
John Goltermann
Pamela Aurbach
Pamela and Jim Basey
​Chuey FU's Latin Asian Grub

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CHUN News and Events

October Happy Hour was Poppin' at Champagne Tiger!

THANK YOU to all of the new neighbors who attended our October Happy Hour at Champagne Tiger!  We are truly grateful for our business members, Champagne Tiger for being the host with the most and welcoming CHUN so graciously! 

We had a lot of current members and new friends and neighbors join us. Thank you to Councilman Chris Hinds who made a special apperance! 

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Happy Hour is Back and this Month We Invite you to...

Join  CHUN as we explore and pour in our own backyard! This month we are headed to Locales Taco + Tequila Bar, featuring a large selection of Mexican Lagers and local draft beers, margaritas, creative cocktails and a selection of Meixcan inspired dishes! ​

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Looking for Great Neighbors... Like YOU!

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​CHUN is looking for a few more new faces to join our working Board of Directors! We are recruiting new board members until the middle of November. If you have a zeal for community and drive to continue making Greater Capitol Hill one of the best neighborhoods in Colorado, we invite you to email us and find out how you can join our team! Because we love it here, and want to make it better for all! 

Click Here for more details or email us for more information at [email protected]

Click Here to Complete
​Your Application!

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Calling all Nonprofits in the Greater Cap Hill Area. 
SEED Award Grant Applications are Open!

The Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) Seed Awards provide funding to support local nonprofit organizations (501C3) working to improve the Capitol Hill community. Applications open at the end of the month, offering a valuable opportunity for nonprofits located within or serving the neighborhood to receive financial assistance for their projects.
SEED is an acronym for Smart, solutions-oriented development, Enrichment, Environmental sustainability, and Diversity and all recipients are being awarded funding to encourage civic entrepreneurship and to promote neighborhood engagement in one or more of these funding areas. 
​
Applications ARE OPEN!! 

Click here to Apply!

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CHUN is all about Community This Season! 

CHUN is making sure we take care of the community this upcoming winter season. Our November and December Community Engagement Activities are set up for our Neighborhood to support those in need and partner with local organizations to build a strong community! 

In the month of NOVEMBER, CHUN is hosting a COAT DRIVE! Thats right! Starting November 8, We will have a collection area for NEW and Gently Used Coats in the corner of the Secret Garden. Place your items in our donation barrel and we will collect them and donate them to our local homeless serving organizations, The Denver VOICE and Urban Peak! Both of these organizations serve to help those in need and CHUN knows as a community, we build strong community when we help each other!

In the month of DECEMBER, CHUN is partnering with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Denver Chapter for a Community Food Drive! Did you know 22 Million+ children go home each weekend with out food or a plan for food outside of the free or reduced lunches provided at schools? We are asking our neighbors to help us! We will be collecting items that are easy open, easy to fix, and easy to eat for children. A list of items that will be collected will be posted in next months Urban Dweller and we will share these items collected with students ages 7-13. We ask that you drop off donations at the Secret Garden or stop by the Tears-McFarlane House and donate in person on December 8, 2024! 

​For more details email us at [email protected] or [email protected]

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CHUN celebrates 55 Years in Greater Capitol Hill and Invites You 'HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS'!

This year, instead of a FUNdraiser, CHUN’s  Home for the Holidays event is all about celebrating our neighbors and raising awareness of the exciting developments in our oragnization! We will also be celebrating 55 years of community and connection in Greater Capitol Hill! Join us for an evening filled with delicious food, festive beverages, and live entertainment. Tickets are just $60 for CHUN members and their friends. Not a member yet? Grab an $80 ticket, which includes the event and $15 off your first-year membership. Let’s toast to 55 YEARS in the community and the season—together! Thank you to our sponsors to date! 

Are you interested in being a sponsor? Let us know at [email protected].

Get Your Ticket Today!

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CHUN History Matters Moment

​Remembering Denver’s conflicted past

 Denver is located at the confluence of the South Platte and Cherry Creek on the traditional
territories of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Indigenous peoples. The area has a rich history
of Indigenous presence, with various tribes inhabiting the region for centuries before European
settlers arrived.
A change in land ownership started with the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1851 (with a revision in
1861) in which the U.S. Government formally gave the South Platte basin to the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe with many conditions. It turns out that the U.S. Government wanted this treaty
because this area was deemed worthless when it was being mapped. This was in part because
there are no navigable waterways connecting Cherry Creek and the South Platte to other
places.
Despite the treaty, settlers moved onto the lands and the U.S. government did not enforce the
treaty conditions. The selling out of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe did not happen overnight, but
the final straw for a positive future was the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. The Sand Creek
Massacre National Historic Site is located about 3 hours southwest of Denver by car. It is where
Colonel John M. Chivington's armies, authorized and supported by then Territorial Governor
John Evans, killed and mutilated many mostly Cheyenne men, women, and children in a
peaceful camp.
Gold changed everything
Even with no navigable waterways, gold changed the importance of Denver. In 1859, George A.
Jackson discovered placer gold at the present site of Idaho Springs. This discovery marked the
beginning of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, which led to the founding of many cities and towns,
including Denver, Boulder, Black Hawk, Breckenridge, and Central City. Gold was the fuel for
these fledgling economies, which ultimately caused a land rush from prospectors seeking their
fortunes, new supply hubs and the establishment of Colorado as a territory in 1861.
Originally a mining town named Denver City, this town swiftly grew as a supply and trade center.
Denver was named capital of the Colorado Territory in 1867, and later the capital of the state of
Colorado in 1876. The late 19th century saw economic diversification, including agriculture and
manufacturing and sustained, although boom and bust growth.
Denver today is a dynamic metropolis known for its gold domed state capitol, as well as its
natural surroundings, thriving cultural scene, and a diverse economy. The city boasts a
burgeoning tech industry, a robust craft beer culture, and a reputation for outdoor recreation. It
is a great place for balance of life. It is a wonderful place to call home, and yet it is important to
remember our beginnings.
This history is precisely why CHUN has a Land Acknowledgement that we revisit throughout the
year at CHUN meetings and events. It’s important to remember.
Submitted by Bruce Caughey, October 22, 2024

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​Denver and Colorado News and Updates

Denver's LEAF DROP program is underway!

DENVER – Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is encouraging residents to give their fallen leaves and pumpkins a second life by donating them to be turned into compost through our annual LeafDrop program. In addition to offering three weekday drop-off sites, DOTI now has five weekend drop sites open tomorrow through November 17.
On Saturdays and Sundays from November 2 to November 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Denver residents can drop off their leaves and pumpkins for free at the following weekend locations:

• Cherry Creek Transfer Station* – 7301 E. Jewell Ave. (enter on E. Jewell Ave.)
• Bruce Randolph High School – E. 40th Ave. and Steele St.
• Kennedy High School – Newland St. and Brown Pl.
• Sloan’s Lake Northwest Parking Lot – W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.
• Veterans Park – S. Vine St. and E. Iowa Ave.

Three other LeafDrop locations are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and also Saturday, November 30.

• Cherry Creek Transfer Station* – 7301 E. Jewell Ave. (enter on E. Jewell Ave.)
• Havana Nursery – 10450 Smith Rd. (enter on Smith Road)
• Central Platte Campus – 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. (Enter through the gates at Bayaud and Navajo, go past the Denver Animal Shelter to dumpsters in front of Building 2 on the right.)

Note that the Cherry Creek Transfer Station is the only site that accepts loose leaves and hitched trailers (6 ft in length or less); otherwise, leaves should be bagged. Residents can download a coupon to receive a free five-pack of compostable paper leaf bags at participating Ace Hardware stores while supplies last. Leaves dropped off in plastic bags must be emptied on site. 

Learn More about this Project HERE!

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On November 09, 2024 the Colorado Veterans Project hosts Denver Veterans Day! ​

The Denver Veterans Day Run, Parade and Festival is held to celebrate and honor the brave men and women who have served our country. Our origins stem from a passion to recognize the sacrifices made by our veterans, create a vibrant community event where we can come together in gratitude and support the mission to help Veterans in Colorado create economic vitality through career advancement and entrepreneurship.
This event supports the mission of Colorado Veterans Project focused on supporting Veterans and Transitioning Active Duty in the pursuit of vibrant careers, meaningful employment, and successful entrepreneurship to continue a meaningful life full of purpose and fulfillment.

Learn more Here

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SEED Award winner, Traillionaire's Foundation Invites the Community to their 2024 Experience!

The Traillionaires Foundation proudly announces its second annual gala, “An Evening of Elegance,” to be held on Saturday, November 9th, 2024, at the iconic Cableland estate in Denver. The event invites Denver’s philanthropic community to embrace a Bridgerton-inspired theme, celebrating in lavish, period-style attire while supporting a critical mission to address the opportunity gap faced by youth of color. Special dance performances, delightful treats to dine upon and even a visit from the QUEEN! More information, including event details and sponsorship opportunities, can be found here. As a former SEED award winner, they asked CHUN to highlight their event and invite the community. For more information check out their website at www.traillionairesfoundation.org. 

Click Here for More Details

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DOTI Launches Public Survey to Shape the Future of its Shared Bike and Scooter Program while Setting All-Time Ridership Records

​Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is celebrating its Shared Bike and Scooter Program’s record-breaking summer with ridership soaring past last summer’s ridership by 24%.
The program, offering residents and visitors convenient access to e-bikes and e-scooters through a partnership with Lyft and Lime, achieved an all-time single day ridership high of 39,868 trips on Saturday, June 15, 2024. September 2024 proved to be the highest ridership month, recording 795,823 trips and averaging over 25,000 trips per day. The program is on track to reach over 6 million total trips this year, eliminating an estimated 2 million car trips from Denver streets.

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Click Here to Take the Survey!

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Denver Clerks Office Reminds You to VOTE!

• Tuesday, November 5, 2024 is the last day to vote by 24 hour drop box or VSPC by 7:00pm. 
  • You can still register in-person and vote by 7:00pm 
  • If voters are in line by 7:00pm, they still will be able to vote 
• Find your Voter Service and Polling Centers using this interactive map or a list of locations here 
• Support our outreach by utilizing our TOOLKIT 
• Voters can reach out to our hotline for any issues including lost or damaged ballots, drop box locations, VSPC hours, etc. at 720 913 VOTE (8683). 

Rudolph Roundup is Back!

Then one sunny Denver day, Santa came to say, "Will you help me with your running shoes, and find Rudolph so he can guide my sleigh"? Well, will you help Santa? Will you save Christmas?  Rudolph loves to Ramble around Colorado! So, grab your running or walking shoes and join the Rudolph Search & Rescue Team as we help Santa reunite with Rudolph just in time for Christmas. You can SAVE CHRISTMAS!!! 
 
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
Participants receive an awesome long-sleeve Headsweats custom tech shirt!  
Guaranteed spot on Santa's "Nice List" 
Bells for the collars of any "search" dogs who run with their owners
Cookies/treats, because Santa loves cookies and Hot Chocolate!
Kids "Dasher" 200-meter free kids fun run
Costume Contest
Free post-race photos with Santa & Rudolph (fingers crossed!)
Custom Finisher Medal

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Reimagine CAP HILL Parks FALL PARTY

Come check out the preferred concept designs for Governors' Park & Quality Hill Park at a fall-themed open house event hosted by DPR at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion in Governors’ Park. Meet the design team and project consultants to learn about and share your feedback on the vision for the future of these neighborhood parks. Help celebrate with free hot apple cider and donuts! Let us know if you plan on stopping by with an RSVP below.
WHEN: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
WHERE: Grant-Humphreys Mansion | 770 Pennsylvania St. Denver 80203

RSVP Here

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Colfax Ave Holiday Tree Lighting Event

The Community Holiday Tree Lighting Event, held on November 30th, 2024, will celebrate the newly designated Lavender Hill Queer Cultural District on Colfax Ave. The event will feature holiday caroling by the Denver Gay Men's Chorus and a family-friendly tree lighting ceremony at Colfax Avenue and Franklin/Park Ave Park. We aim to create a neighborhood-friendly event that is walkable and accessible to all, especially the senior residents of the adjacent Residences at Franklin Park campus, making it a welcoming and inclusive celebration for everyone.

Find event details and updates at www.colfaxave.com

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Want to submit something in our newsletter, The Urban Dweller? No problem. Send us your flyer, event, and press release to [email protected] by the 25th of each month.