On-line Input: Community Name and Sustainable Neighborhoods Program 

SUN is currently soliciting feedback from all who seek to provide it on both the community name and SUN’s application to the City and County of Denver’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program (more information is below). Input received prior to December 9th factored into the application for the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, the form will remain open through December 15th. http://surveys.verticalresponse.com/a/show/461957/c8eea17589/0

Monthly SUN meeting, Dec. 5  at Central Park Recreation Center 

Note date earlier in month: this is in place of the 3rd Tuesday meetings in December.

SUN Outreach Hour (6:30-7:30): After updates from Denver Police, state Historian Dr. Patty Limerick will facilitate a group discussion of the shape and outline of an annual community event where members of the community could reflect on the past and on controversial historical figures and events. The planning of this event was prompted by comments made during her interview on NPR’s Colorado Matters in August in the context of monument removal and dorm renaming. Dr. Limerick described an annual event where (paraphrased): At such a day of reflection, once a year, we as a community could reflect on stories of people, and also look back on ourselves, and think about how we are or are not learning from cautionary tales (with help from historians and skilled facilitators.) The interview is available via CPR, this topic begins at minute 15:30: http://www.cpr.org/news/story/a-cu-dorm-and-a-charlottesville-like-debate

Community members are encouraged to attend the 12/5 meeting with suggestions for the nature of what should be included in such an annual event.

SUN board meeting 7:30pm-8:45

The tentative agenda includes board votes on SUN’s application to the Denver Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, the 2018 SUN calendar, and on SUN board candidate Mandle Rousseau (see November 1^st Front Porch for Bio). Board members will provide updates on plans for a Preschool Expo, coordination with the MCA for inclusivity and diversity efforts, and a recap of the 11/14 instance of Denver Talks: Citizen.

As the December 11th meetings for gathering input on the community name occur after this date, neither meeting (Outreach, Board) includes the community name as an agenda item.

Community Discussion on the Stapleton Name, Dec. 11 at The Cube

On December 11, 2017 the MCA, SUN, the Citizens Advisory Board (CAB), the Stapleton Development Corporation (SDC), and the Stapleton Foundation will host community discussions regarding the community name with Dr. Nita Mosby Tyler as facilitator.  On this day, two opportunities for the community to provide input in-person regarding the community name will be available: 1:30-3:30pm and 5:30-7:30pm. Both will take place in the MCA Cube at 8371 E. Northfield Blvd.  At numerous meetings over the past several months, the available time for public comment has not been able to accommodate the number of persons wishing to speak about the community name. These meetings are an opportunity for in-person feedback for all who wish to provide it.

Sustainable Neighborhoods Program Application

Contributed by: Geoff Horsfall, SUN board of directors, Sustainability Committee co-chair

The SUN Sustainability Committee is currently organizing an application for the City and County of Denver’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program. This program provides resources and support to neighborhoods seeking to organize workshops, projects, and events that enhance the livability of their neighborhood and reduce the ecological footprint of its residents. Participating neighborhoods earn program credits for their efforts while the city provides in-kind resources, such as printing, venue and catering fees, and staff time to support projects. You can learn more about the Sustainable Neighborhood Network here: https://www.sustainableneighborhoodnetwork.org/sustainable-neighborhoods-denver

The Sustainability Committee’s vision is to plan projects and events in Stapleton aligned to five broad goal categories (Air, Land, Energy, Water, People) and associated target areas established by the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program. Examples of potential projects include tree planting in community parks (Air), a movie night/dinner fundraiser (People), and picking up trash in Westerly Creek (Water). In considering potential projects, benefit to residents both in and outside of the Stapleton community, and connecting residents across community borders in and outside of Stapleton are both important factors, with a goal of synergistically connecting people and building community while promoting sustainability.

A parallel effort  will be to establish “Green Teams” around sustainability-focused topics about which a group is interested. Green teams would be a go-to in the community for residents interested in a sub-topic of sustainability, and would support events under the Sustainability Committee umbrella. This additional structure would again build community and connect people with similar interests while promoting sustainability.

SUN is currently collecting feedback from residents to identify which projects are of greatest interest to the community (see survey link above). If you would like to participate in efforts around sustainability with SUN, please contact Geoff Horsfall at geoff.horsfall@gmail.com