April SUN Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, April 17, Central Park Recreation Center

Outreach Hour: 6:30-8:30pm
At SUN’s monthly outreach meeting in April, after updates from Denver Police, discussion will focus on block party planning. All are encouraged and welcome to attend, including veteran block party hosts, residents on new blocks who have not yet hosted a block party, or any resident looking to reinvigorate their block’s traditions.

Discussion will include city and national efforts for community building, such as Denver Days, Denver’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, and National Night Out. Denver Days (August 4-12) is a city program encouraging neighbors to get to know each other by “hosting block parties, picnics, and service projects with the focus on small, organic gatherings.” Denver’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program gives residents the opportunity to become active partners in making Denver a vibrant and sustainable community. National Night Out (August 7) is an “annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.” If interested in helping to design or pilot a program for neighbors on each block to embrace diversity and find a deeper connection on block party day, please attend the April meeting or contact SUN at StapletonUnitedNeighbors@gmail.com.

SUN board meeting: 7:30-8:45pm
The April SUN board meeting agenda will include final details for the First Community Day of Reflection, Community Forum, and logistics for the paper vote on bylaw change (see below for more detail on all three of these items).

Community Day of Reflection
Saturday, April 21, 12:30-4:30pm
Sam Gary Library

As the community deliberates issues around the name Stapleton, please consider attending the first Community Day of Reflection for an exploration of and a chance to think more deeply about our history. Through learning and processing evidence about the controversial historical figure Benjamin Stapleton, the community will have an opportunity to grow stronger together. Further, residents will have a strong factual foundation for a community-wide vote the following month on the organization name Stapleton United Neighbors.

Presenting historians are Professors Albert Broussard (Texas A&M University), Robert Goldberg (University of Utah), and Geoffrey Hunt (Aurora Community College). Discussion will be moderated by Professors Rebecca Hunt (University of Colorado at Denver) and Patty Limerick (State Historian, Center of the American West, University of Colorado Boulder). Principal learning objectives are: 1) a recognition of the distinctive features of the KKK in the 1920s and the American West; 2) a grounded understanding of the relationship between Benjamin Stapleton and the KKK; and 3) a chance to think carefully about the ways that citizens in a democratic republic can—with civility and openness—reflect on the wisest and most productive ways to respond to the complex stories we inherit from the past.

Earth Day and Every Day

SUN board member and Sustainability Committee Chairperson Geoff Horsfall has registered an event for Earth Day, where participants will be picking up trash at Westerly Creek—separating landfill, recyclable, and compostable items—followed by a happy hour and dinner at Stanley Marketplace. In addition to being a beautification project, this particular cleanup will improve the local water quality as well as that of regional water sources that are fed by Westerly Creek. Participants will meet at 2:30pm on Sunday April 22 at Westerly Creek and MLK Blvd. All are welcome and encouraged to participate, or to post and host additional events. Through the City of Denver’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, every resident has the power to register a sustainability-focused event on the city-hosted web site: https://www.sustainableneighborhoodnetwork.org/sustainable-neighborhoods-denver/stapleton

Annual Community Forum
Tentative Agenda

Tuesday, May 15, 6–8pm at The Cube

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1973904439592095/

• Updates from SUN President Amanda Allshouse, including a recap of recent events and ongoing efforts.
• Vote on SUN board slate (see below) and paper vote on bylaw change (see below).
• Fracking: procedural updates about legality in Colorado and city plans for resident notification.
• Updates from Denver Police.
• Representatives from DPS: enrollment and capacity information, and updates about Northfield High School.
• Funding and timeline for infrastructure: Roads (CPB bridge and MLK completion)
• Development updates from Forest City (Northernmost development in Section 10, Transit Oriented Development near Central Park Station, Eastbridge to Peoria)

Potential Addition of Operating Principles to SUN bylaws

Via a paper ballot at the Annual Community Forum, residents will be asked to respond yes or no to: “Should the name of the Registered Neighborhood Organization as reflected in Article 1, Section 1, of the Stapleton United Neighbors Bylaws be changed from Stapleton United Neighbors to Central Park United Neighbors?” Vote will be in-person only, residents must be present at the meeting to vote. Please refer to SUN’s web page for other logistical details.

Slate of Board Members for Community Vote

Via a vote at the Annual Community Forum, residents will be asked to respond yes or no to a proposed slate of candidates for the SUN board. Joining returning SUN board members will be newly slated candidate Erin Parkins. Please refer to the SUN web page at www.StapletonUnitedNeighbors.org for all bios.

Stay in touch with SUN

Sign up for emails from SUN (box on right of SUN web page) www.StapletonUnitedNeighbors.org.

More regular updates and all notifications received from the city are communicated via Social Media https://www.facebook.com/StapletonUnitedNeighbors/