1) Kappa Senior Apartments

Kappa Tower II construction is well underway at Northfield and Central Park Blvds. The building will have 70 income-qualified units for seniors 62 and older whose income is 30% to 60% of the area median income. The units include 51 one-bedrooms at 600 sq. ft. and 19 two-bedrooms at 875 sq. ft. Amenities will include a community room with a kitchen, a fitness center, a computer center, and extra wide hallways for taking indoor walks during winter weather. Landscaping will include communal planting beds and a dog park.

The projected completion date is March, subject to weather or other possible delays. Preleasing will start sometime in January. Interested parties should call 720-688-1217.

After this building is completed, Kappa Housing will start planning for a second phase of this project that will create an L-shaped building with 30 additional units. Kappa Board Chairman Larry Williams says that will likely take a couple of years to raise the funds and finalize the plans.

This photo taken in Park Hill shows Jupiter to the left of Saturn just as a meteor shot through the sky below them. The graphic at right shows the alignment that made the two planets, in some views from Earth, appear almost as one. Photo by Sylvia Oboler; Graphic by CBS

In the photo of the control tower, Saturn is barely visible to the right of Jupiter. Photo by Anne Hazelton

2) The Great Conjunction

Jupiter takes nearly 12 years to circle the sun; Saturn takes 29.5 years. Every 20 years, Jupiter laps Saturn, creating the “Great Conjunction,” when they typically appear to be separated by about twice the apparent diameter of the moon. This year, though they were in reality hundreds of millions of miles apart, the distance between them appeared to be only one-fifth of the diameter of the moon. According to Space.com, the last time they were visible this close together was July 16, 1623. And the last time they appeared to be even closer together was March 5, 1226.

3) Rankings for Best Neighborhoods in Denver

Niche, a Pittsburgh-based firm that does a wide range of national rankings, listed two NE neighborhoods in their top 25 Best Places to Live in Denver—and three more in the top 50 (of 78 Denver neighborhoods). The ranking assesses the overall livability including the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics, and access to amenities. 2020 rankings for NE Denver were: South Park Hill #5, North Park Hill #9, Lowry Field #31, Montclair #33, Central Park (Stapleton) #37.

5280 magazine uses its own ranking process with four weighted variables: year-over-year percentage increase in home prices (30%); crime (25%); school rankings (15%); and X factor, things that can’t be easily quantified, such as access to open space, nearby public transportation and the prevalence of restaurants and shops (30%). In the 5280 magazine ratings, South Park Hill was #1 and none of the other neighborhoods in the Front Porch distribution area showed up.

4) DPS Announces First HBCU High School

DPS will open its first high school modeled after Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in August 2021 in Montbello. The Robert F. Smith STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) Academy is named after an East High School graduate, a Black American investor, inventor, engineer, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Smith said in a video announcement: “…the only limitation in your lives will be your own capacity to dream, to work hard, and to build… When I was in school, there were a whole lot of afternoons when I stayed home to study rather than go out with friends…I couldn’t stand the thought of not becoming great..” Principal Shakira Abney-Wisdom said the school’s goal “is to nurture the next generation of Black leaders and learners through a deep understanding of self, reverence for a powerful past, and hope for the possibilities in the future.” For more information visit: https://www.dpsk12.org/hbcu-steam-high-school/

5) Children’s Recognized for Nursing Excellence

For the fourth time, Children’s Hospital Colorado has received the highest international recognition for excellence in nursing—the Magnet Recognition Program, considered to be the gold standard for nursing excellence—and only 8.6% of U.S. hospitals achieve it. Hospitals must reapply for the designation every four years based on adherence to Magnet concepts and demonstrated improvements in patient care and quality. Children’s Colorado has received this recognition four times consecutively, one of 89 to achieve this distinction out of 543 Magnet-designated hospitals. According to information provided by the hospital, research has shown “Magnet hospitals report improved clinical outcomes, fewer patient falls, fewer medication errors, lower mortality rates, and higher patient and family satisfaction. Magnet hospitals also tend to have lower nursing turnover and an improved nurse work environment.”

On a warm December day (just before it turned cold and snowed), a group of young deer by Lake Mary at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge watch with interest as people walk right by them—and show no fear or inclination to run.