Memorial Honors Korean War Veterans

Veterans, community members, and city leaders joined in the dedication of a new memorial in Aurora. The outdoor sculpture was designed as a tribute to all who defended freedom during the Korean War. Flags represent the 21 countries that supported South Korea, sending troops, medical personnel, and supplies.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, whose father fought in the war, read a proclamation honoring  July 27, the day of the dedication, as U.N. Heritage for Korean War Day. The date also marked Korean War Armistice Day, which commemorated the signing of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that halted active fighting.

“This memorial honors those countries and will always remember that freedom is never free, and peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice,” Coffman told the crowd. He added, “Twenty-one countries came to help a country they never knew and a people they never met. Their noble blood and sweat have served as a foundation for prosperity and freedom for Korea today.”

Consul General Jung-Taek Lim of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco joined the dedication ceremony to thank the City of Aurora and the Korean Memorial Foundation for their work on the tribute, which is “far more than a structure of stone and metal. It’s a powerful symbol”, he said, “that reminds visitors of the value of freedom and peace.

“I hope that everyone who visits this site will remember the courage and sacrifice of the veterans and reflect upon their own responsibility to build a better future.”

The memorial also serves as an educational landmark, with signs including stories of veterans. It is free and open to the public at General’s Park near the corner of Peoria St. and E. Colfax Ave.

Keven Burnett Reflects on 20 Years of Building Community in Central Park

After 20 years at the helm of the Central Park Master Community Association (MCA), Keven Burnett has decided it’s time to step down. “It’s been a lifetime. I’ve raised my kids here, and now they’ve flown the coop. Twenty years is probably plenty to be anywhere,” he said with a laugh.

The MCA is the nonprofit municipal organization responsible for managing 85 parks, seven swimming pools, and the walking and biking trails of Central Park. “We also organize the concerts, outdoor movies, and markets. It’s all about creating community and serving the community,” he said.

Early on in the development of the neighborhood, Burnett realized the need for a community meeting space. Although it wasn’t part of the original plan, the MCA worked with the developer to build The Cube: a 6,000 square-foot space used for a variety of gatherings. “We host community meetings, movies, bar mitzvahs, business meetings,” Burnett said. “We even have a rotating art gallery featuring the work of artists in the neighborhood. It’s been just fantastic.”

Looking back on the last two decades, Burnett said he is proud he’s been in a position to expand community services beyond what was originally promised. “Usually developers of planned communities have these grand ideas, and they put out renderings where everything looks perfect. But rarely does the final development look like that,” he said. “We’ve been very driven to make sure that the original plan got done, and then we pushed the envelope to make it even better.”

With the buildout of Central Park nearly complete, Burnett said it’s a natural time to hand over the reins to someone who can be a good caretaker of all the MCA manages. Burnett will serve through the end of September. A successor has not yet been named.

Planting the Seeds for a New Community Space in Central Park

To most people, it looks like a flat, brown piece of land forgotten by developers. But to Central Park resident Claire Crookston, it could be a lush public garden space designed to foster neighborhood connection and wellness.

Crookston has developed a plan called “Grow Together” that would transform the plot into raised bed gardens, a greenhouse, and a lawn area with room for a cafe or food trucks. She got the idea after learning about agri-hoods around the country: communities that have working farms or gardens centered around sustainability and community health. “Looking at our community here in Central Park, I just realized that kind of connective tissue was missing,” she said.

To make this dream become reality, she knows she has a lot of hoops to jump through. First, the land in question (located between Emporia and Florence Streets just north of 60th Avenue) is owned by Denver Public Schools. There’s also the issue of funding such a project. “But I want to shoot for the moon,” she said.

Crookston, who has lived in Central Park for four years and is a mother of toddler twins, has created a website with information and has been meeting with neighbors and community groups. She’s actively building out an advisory board to create an organization to handle “the operational, creative, technical, financial aspects of the space.” She has an online petition and encourages residents to sign it and become involved.

She dreams of the day when this space could host programs, workshops, events, and weddings. “The sky is the limit for how creative we can get with involving the community in this space,” Crookston said.

Visit clairecrookstoncreative.com/grow-together for more information. 

Colorado Ballet Offers Ticket Deals

The Colorado Ballet has two new community-centered ticket programs to help remove barriers and bring new audiences to performances.

The Bridge to Ballet program provides complimentary tickets to local schools, community organizations, and nonprofit partners serving historically underrepresented communities. Tickets will be distributed directly to families, students, and program participants.

For every production during the upcoming 2026–2027 season, the ballet will also offer one Pay What You Can performance. The tickets will be available at 10am on the on-sale date of each show. People can choose the ticket price that works best for their budget.

“These new programs invite more members of our community to experience the beauty, power, and inspiration of live ballet,” said Executive Director Sameed Afghani. “By expanding access, we are not only growing audiences for today but also nurturing the next generation of arts enthusiasts.”

New Life for the F15 Trees

The cottonwood trees at the F15 Park in Central Park are staying and will not be cut down.

The Master Community Association board made the announcement at its August meeting.

“I think the voice we heard from the community is not to remove the trees. So we’re not. The trees will stay,” said Keven Burnett, MCA executive director.

Burnett laid out long-term solutions to the issue of protruding tree roots which residents complained created a tripping hazard, including creating wooden barriers and adding warning signage and mulch surrounding the trees. The suggestion was made and accepted to try a short-term solution: adding a layer of topsoil on the roots to build up the area around the cottonwoods.

Residents who attended the meeting were pleased with the board’s decision.

“Central Park is a beautiful neighborhood because of all the nature and how it is intertwined with the houses and the living spaces. It’s the reason we want to live here,” said Alejandro Varela.

Jake Mellen added that community input needs to be involved in figuring out the next solution if the topsoil doesn’t work.

A timeline for the work was not announced at the meeting.

Crews were planning on removing the trees in July, a decision that was met with complaints from residents who wanted to preserve the trees at the park at 2802 Hanover St.

Big Honor for Northfield High School

Congratulations to the students, teachers, staff, and alumni at Northfield High School, named the number one high school in Colorado by U.S. News & World Report.

The DPS school in Central Park was given the ranking in part due to the International Baccalaureate participation rate of 89 percent.

Superintendent Alex Marrero thanked principal Jessica Rodriguez Bracey for her leadership and added, “This is an incredible honor that everyone in the Northfield community should be proud of.”