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by Helen Hu |

Federal Boulevard is noisy, unkempt, intimidating for pedestrians and lacks a sense of identity, according to participants in a brainstorming session about the historic street.

More than 60 residents and business owners talked about Federal and how it can be improved during a recent meeting sponsored by the Federal Boulevard Partnership, a volunteer neighborhood organization, and Jefferson Park United Neighbors.

The partnership is seeking people’s views for a pilot “streetscape” project for four blocks: Federal from 23rd to 26th avenues and West 25th between Federal Boulevard and Eliot Street.

The blocks are a small part of the partnership’s designated area, which extends from 52nd to Sixth avenues and from Irving to Decatur Street.

A committee of the partnership, including activists and architects, plans to take ideas from the session and see how they might be applied during a walk-through of those blocks on April 2.

There’s no money for any ideas yet, Marshall Vanderburg, president of the partnership, told the brainstorming participants. But the committee, which has met for six months, plans to draft proposals incorporating some of these ideas by May and “set the stage to find some funding,” he said.

The city is expected to solicit proposals for community development block grants, and the partnership will be ready, according to Vanderburg. The non-profit organization would be empowered to hire contractors to carry out some of the work, he says.

The block grants have funded many streetscape projects, including on West Colfax and Santa Fe Boulevard, and neighborhood non-profits have overseen them in some cases, according to Derek Woodbury, spokesman with the Denver Office for Economic Development.

But the block grants are being eyed for budget cuts. President Obama has proposed cutting them 7.5 percent in the 2010 budget, and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, 62 percent.
Another funding method might be to create a business improvement district, Vanderburg said. Commercial property owners pay for improvements in those districts.

“It’s more than an intellectual exercise,” he said. “We want to come up with ideas and hope that they’re realized someday.”

Encouraged to think inside and outside of the box, the participants voiced complaints about the boulevard and came up with suggestions to make it more user friendly, attractive, and interesting. Four groups were formed and ideas were jotted down on giant note pads propped up on easels.

Some wondered whether Federal Boulevard should be more than just a way to get from one place to another. Would improving it discourage people from using shops, restaurants and other establishments on the side streets?

Still, the participants dove in and talked about trash out on the open, graffiti, not enough trees, no bike lanes, obstructive medians, not enough things to hold people’s interest.

“We’re walkers,” said Celeste Melville, who lives at 23rd and Clay, referring to her and her husband. “We’ll always avoid walking on Federal… It’s not pretty, just traffic.”

“Driving on Federal, you won’t notice businesses unless you’re right on top of them,” said Jesse Shelmire, an at-large candidate for city council.

Suggestions included improved sidewalks, longer green lights for crossing Federal, naming the area, opening coffee shops, bringing back streetcars, holding street fairs, installing historic plaques and showing movies at Jefferson Park.

Vanderburg says he has “very informally” talked to business owners about the formation of a business improvement district and they’ve made some positive comments about it.

by Elisa Cohen |

When Donna Lucero sent out invites to the mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe remembering her daughter Anita who had died in a plane crash 20 years ago, she had anticipated that the event would be very joyous. The March 4th mass was supposed to be a a celebration because Fr. Valentine Arteaga, the Superior General from Rome, of the Theatine Order had declared on February 26 that the wall would be coming down. Instead sometime during the week someone vandalized the mural with spray paint. The church has decided not to investigate.

Mike Wilzoch declared that this was an “outrageous decision by the Archdiocese to squelch an ongoing police investigation into the vandalism at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church—where an already desecrated mural of Our Lady covered by a wall was further disfigured last Friday by spray paint across her image—just before a mass of a Faithful member to honor the 20th anniversary of her daughter’s death—which was to include prayers behind the wall.”

Faithful United, a group protesting the covering up of the wall, held a press conference on Thursday, March 10 during which time they described the anger they felt at the loss of the mural. They also contended that the mural and the newly erected altar could co-exist in the space at the church and the assertion that if the wall came down the church would lose its alter was false.

Elina Martinez, parishioner and Highland Mommies moderator, said that she grew up attending Our Lady of Guadalupe. She said, “I miss it [the mural] terribly. It is part of my memories of growing up in Denver, and truly part of what I consider my culture… How could I not want to see a beautiful painting, of a woman, who on top of everything else looks indigenous and dark like the strong examples of women I grew up with.” But Martinez added after attending mass on Sunday, “I went to mass today, looking at the church through a new lens. What felt so comforting? The guitar player strumming to a mixture of English and Spanish music. The echo of people praying in unison. No drama or anyone protesting…I keep reflecting on what is so different, because everything changes with time, but it just wasn’t as beautiful as before. Just a plain wall that didn’t do Our Lady of Guadalupe the justice of its beautiful art before, that was my memory from childhood.”

The parish did not respond to Tribune questions.

by Elisa Cohen |

On Monday, March 14, North High principal Ed Salem announced to his staff that he will be leaving North High School. He will become the principal at Abraham Lincoln High School. Salem has been the principal at North for three years.

Also new to North High School, after all of the public discussion about whether or not the public had a right to use the renovated fields at North, Denver Public Schools announced it will open four state-of-the-art fitness centers open to students, staff and the public. North High is one of them.

The district currently has four Sound Body Sound Mind fitness centers at four different high schools across the city, and thanks to a $495,455 grant from The Colorado Health Foundation, there will be eight fitness centers in total to provide staff and community members with a low-cost, convenient way to exercise in the afternoons and evenings.

All fitness centers are expected to be open to the public by the time school begins in August.

The cost of the fitness centers is $10 per semester for DPS staff and $15 per semester for parents and community members.

by Alvin Bronstein M.D.
and Mary Hilko, RN |

Clean out your medicine cabinet!

Contents of household medicine cabinets seem to grow quickly with partially used and expired medications.

Some people think unused medication is like a savings account in a bank. They can save it for the next time they feel bad. Unfortunately, medicines cannot be saved for future need. In fact, all medications have strict expiration dates set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like opened and stored soda loses its fizz, medicines can lose the ability to work. In addition, use of antibiotics after the expiration date and without specific doctors’ orders can lead to germs that become resistant to antibiotics or “super bugs.”

Leaving expired or partially used medications around the house can pose a severe poison risk to children. The curiosity of young children can lead them to get into medicine that may look like candy. And, teens wanting to intentionally abuse prescription pain medicine, sedatives and cough and cold preparations have free and easy access to those drugs from the home medicine cabinet.

Every 30 seconds a child in the U.S. is exposed to a hazardous substance. Last year, Denver Health’s Rocky Mountain Poison Center (RMPC) received close to 55,000 calls regarding a child age 5 or younger being exposed to poison; or about 150 calls a day.

During 2010, RMPC received almost 11,000 calls about teens intentionally exposing themselves to poisons found in medicine cabinets.
Six of the top 10 exposure categories include substances that are stored in medicine cabinets include the following:
• Cosmetic and personal care products;
• Pain relievers;
• Topical preparations such as diaper ointments;
• Cough and cold medicines;
• Vitamins; and
• Antihistamines.

What steps can you take to keep you and your family healthy and safe from partially used or outdated medications?

Be sure to take the entire course of medications as prescribed.

If your physician tells you to discontinue the drug before the end of the treatment period, be certain to discard the remaining medications.

It’s a good idea to clean out your medicine cabinet to celebrate National Poison Prevention Week and make a commitment to remain vigilant about discarding expired and unused medicine.

You can also take advantage of the upcoming National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back event Saturday, April 30, 2011, to dispose of your medicine. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website (www.dea.gov) to find a disposal site in your neighborhood.

If you are unable to take part in the Drug Take Back event, you can dispose of your medicine by mixing them with an undesirable substance such as cat litter or coffee grounds and place them in the trash.
For more information, call the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center at 1-800-222-1222. The Poison Center is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

This is the story of Abelino Casillas, a young Hispanic man who beat the odds. Hispanic students are the least likely to graduate from high school. Only 56 out of 100 students made it in 2009 (The Colorado Department of Education Statistics). By comparison, the two highest rates belonged to Caucasians at 82.3% and Asians at 85.7%. Across the board, however, it isn’t race or gender that most affects graduation rates. It’s poverty. [Read more...]

by Paula E. Sandoval, City Council District 1 |

Should the City of Denver allow six to eight chickens and two dwarf goats as a use by right? Two competing efforts at backyard farming are currently being considered. The first effort consists of a citizen’s initiative that would allow up to six chickens. The second effort is an ordinance sponsored by Councilman Chris Nevitt that would allow up to eight chickens and two dwarf goats. Denver currently allows both chickens and goats through a permitting process. Applicants pay a fee and undergo an environmental health inspection of their chicken coop. There is also a waiting period to allow for public input from the immediate neighborhood and neighbors. A “use by right” as is being suggested by the Nevitt ordinance and the citizen’s initiative would allow a resident to keep chickens and goats without the benefit of an inspection by environmental health or input from other residents. [Read more...]