Annual Community Forum, Tuesday, May 15, The Cube (8371 Northfield Blvd) 6-8:30pm

While attending the annual forum is free, please help us in planning by registering in advance at via the Eventbrite link on SUN’s web site: www.StapletonUnitedNeighbors.org.

Potential name change of SUN through bylaw change: 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?” To vote, a person must be present in-person, over age 18, and reside in or own residential property in “the footprint of SUN” (the Stapleton redevelopment in Denver—as SUN is a Denver Registered Neighborhood Organization). While the paper vote will not be anonymous for the purposes of ballot validation, individual votes will be kept confidential by the SUN board. The outcome of this vote will not be available during the meeting.

Tentative Agenda for the Annual Forum: The paper vote on the bylaw change will be available in the lobby of the Cube starting at 6pm, and for the duration of the meeting.

• Updates from SUN President, including a recap of recent events and ongoing efforts.
• Vote on SUN board slate
• 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 (Northern most development in Section 10, Transit Oriented Development near Central Park Station, Bluff Lake development at Peoria)

Tour “Peña Station NEXT,” Saturday, May 19 at 10am–12pm

6195 N Panasonic Way, Denver, CO 80249
Anyone curious about what is going on at the Peña Commuter Rail Station should join the SUN Sustainability committee for a site tour. This guided tour will give participants a glimpse into the future of smart cities and urban sustainability through demonstrations of leading technologies in smart, sustainable, healthy, and connected places. Attendees will leave with ideas, tools, and inspiration for bringing some of “Peña Station NEXT” back to their home and community. A train from Central Park Station will be departing for Peña Station at 9:43am. All are welcome and invited to attend.

Recap: Community Day of Reflection

With grant funding by the Denver Foundation, support from the Denver Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, in partnership between Stapleton United Neighbors, Denver Public Library, and the Center of American West, the community day of reflection (Saturday April 21, 12:30-4:30pm, Sam Gary Library) was a successful and well-attended event. A cumulative audience of 94 people learned from three expert historian panelists, who addressed a range of features of the early 1900s in Denver, the American West, and in the life of Benjamin Stapleton. While the control of the Klan in the 1920s in Denver differed from late-1800s and 1960s instances of the Klan, it shared the element of white supremacy and discrimination. Early life connections between Benjamin Stapleton and other Denver Klan members was rooted in their military service. The Klan helped bring Stapleton into office, he appointed their people into positions of power in Denver, and the Klan helped him survive an election recall. While Benjamin Stapleton remained mayor after the Klan was removed from Denver in the late 1920s and he was removed from the Klan, there is no evidence that he ever denounced the Klan during the remainder of his years in office. Presenting historians were Professors Robert Goldberg (University of Utah), Albert Broussard (Texas A&M University), and Geoffrey Hunt (Aurora Community College), with discussion moderated by Professors Rebecca Hunt (University of Colorado at Denver) and Patty Limerick (State Historian, Center of the American West, University of Colorado Boulder).

Block Party Planning, Block Directories

Block parties are fun and can improve safety through collective efficacy: where social cohesion among neighbors increases willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good.

At SUN’s monthly outreach meeting in April, discussion on block party planning included ways in which block parties can link to national, city, and community efforts, and incorporate celebrations of cultures within homes on each block. SUN encourages blocks to host a block party during Denver Days (in 2018: August 4-12), 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’. During Denver Days, fees for street closures are waived, barricades are available for free, and the MCA will waive fees for reserving parks. The Tuesday during Denver days (August 7) is National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign aimed to make neighborhoods safer and more caring. Whenever your block holds its block party, consider making it a sustainable event as part of Stapleton’s participation in the Denver Sustainable Neighborhoods Program: ask neighbors to bring out recycling and composting bins, to avoid Styrofoam, and to reduce waste.

Attendees at the April SUN Outreach meeting considered how to celebrate diversity within homes on each block. Potluck events were considered as a mode of highlighting family recipes, and cultural diversity, and bringing people together over food. A paper-quilt was considered as a way that children could engage in an activity to celebrate diversity—where paper quilt squares could be taped together. If your block will be including a celebration of diversity, please share the experience with SUN: StapletonUnitedNeighbors@gmail.com.

Links to register your block party available through SUN: www.StapletonUnitedNeighbors.org

SUN has door hangers to help starting or update a block directory. Door Hangers will be available for pick up at the Annual Forum (5/15, 6pm at the Cube), or upon request, email: (StapletonUnitedNeighbors@gmail.com) with the number needed.

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/