BY LONDON LYLE
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The Denver Public School Board recently voted unanimously to close all seven schools as recommended by Superintendent Alex Marrero at its November board meetings.
Five elementaries and two middle schools along with three grade-level reconstructions are also moving forward, which did not require a vote.
Board members shared emotional commentary prior to voting, telling community members their concerns were not taken lightly and the vote was an extremely di cult one to make.
Board member Kimberlee Sia pledged to “hold the superintendent accountable” for his commitment to minimizing di culties for students and sta in these schools. Protesters from Movimiento Poder, a nonpro t focused on youth and Latinoled activism in Denver, shouted “Shame on you!” following the board vote and were promptly removed from the DPS central o ce by security.
e decision has been unpopular among some parents and educators due to the school programs that could be lost and the impact closures could have on such a diverse student body.
e impacted schools have a larger population of Black and Brown educators, as acknowledged by the board, but have been struggling with declining enrollment rates since 2020.
e schools will remain open until the end of the school year in May 2025.
Amid declining enrollment rates, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero recommended seven schools for closure at a meeting held Nov. 7, just two days after voters approved a $975 million bond package.
Five of the schools to close are elementaries:
• Columbian Elementary, 2925 W. 40th Ave.
• Castro Elementary, 845 S. Lowell Blvd.
• Schmitt Elementary, 1820 S. Vallejo St.
• International Academy, 2401 E. 37th Ave.
• Palmer Elementary, 995 Grape St. e other two are middle schools:
• West Middle School, 5151 S. Holly St.
• Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design, 840 E. 14th Ave.
Four of the elementary schools’ boundaries will be incorporated into a new enrollment zone, and students will switch to schools in their respective new zone.
Castro Elementary School’s boundary will be split, with students living north of West Kentucky Avenue moving to Knapp Elementary, and students living south of Kentucky moving to CMS Community School.
West Middle School will remain in its current enrollment zone, while Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design, a choice school, will simply close. West MS and DSISD students are guaranteed a seat at a school in the enrollment zone they live in.
e board also approved three grade-level restructures: Kunsmiller will accommodate grades 6-12 and lose its rst- through fth-grade classes; Dora Moore will lose its sixth- through eighthgrade classes, and DCIS Baker will accommodate grades 6-8, losing its high school classes and would enter the West MS enrollment zone.
Since Kunsmiller and Dora Moore are choice schools, they will not join enrollment zones. ese grade level restructures do not require a board vote, since they are program changes and not closures.
According to Paige Neuharth, DPS director of authorizing and accountability, DPS is removing 3,955 vacant seats across the district, while taking steps to ensure they are not disproportionately affecting speci c communities, such as expanding transportation options for students who have to switch to other schools.
Teachers in the targeted schools are eligible for the DPS Employee Assistance Program, which provides free mental health resources. ey will also receive support from a “transition team” made up of school district o cials and experts to help guide them through the process.
Some board members expressed hesitancy at the closures because of their potential impact on students and educators, especially those who are undocumented, in a multilingual program, in a special education program, or are students and teachers of color.
“ e schools that are engaged in this process are made up of very diverse communities,” Board Member Michelle Quattlebaum said. “ ere’s so much diversity, not just in terms of ethnicity, but in language and income and needs. I want to make sure that the leaders who have been engaged in this project are aware of what that diversity brings, and that they are preparing to bring appropriate resources for those children. Personally, I am waiting to hear those reassurances.”
She added that for Black and brown students who are switching schools, it’s important that they have teachers who look like them so they have representation.
“Representation matters. It matters,” Quattlebaum said.
“ ere is a rich history with the DCIS (education) programming that came out of West High School, where Dr. Dan Lutz, who was the founder of DCIS, partnered with the Chicano community on the west side to develop the programming that they felt these children needed. I want to ensure we are honoring that history of the Chicano community that came from the west side as we’re
looking at what this transition will look like for those students,” Board Member Xóchitl Gaytán said.
“I understand that we’re dealing with declining enrollment, declining birth rate. But in my humble opinion, the over ‘characterization’ of southwest Denver means I have to make it known to the public that this is going to be a very, very di cult vote. It’s going to deeply a ect my Latino, Mexicano, Chicano community in southwestern Denver.”
Board members also unveiled the Denver Schools rive Initiative, which is guided by the state board of education and aims to maintain its commitment to equity in the face of declining enrollment. e initiative pulled together data and experts to help inform the process.
“We are committed to our students and families, and they anchor every decision we’ve made in this process. Every student, no matter their background or ZIP code, deserves an opportunity to thrive,” said Andrew Huber, executive director of enrollment for DPS.
Prior to the vote, several parents and teachers confronted the board with frustration, confusion and opposition to the school closures during public comment. A common question was why the recently passed $975 million bond wouldn’t help keep these schools open.
DPS administration responded that those funds could only go toward renovations and cannot be used to cover the operating costs necessary to keep the schools open.
BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
Democratic state Sen. Chris Hansen plans to resign from the legislature Jan. 9, the day after Colorado’s 2025 lawmaking term begins, as he takes on a new role as the chief executive o cer of the La Plata Electric Association.
Hansen, who lives in Denver, told e Colorado Sun that he will submit a letter of resignation to Capitol leadership in the coming days.
e La Plata Electric Association on Tuesday announced that it had selected Hansen as its CEO, a week after Hansen was reelected to a second four-year term in the Colorado Senate representing District 31. He didn’t make his plans to resign from the legislature known until Wednesday when he spoke with e Sun.
e timing of Hansen’s resignation e ectively prevents voters in his Senate District 31 from having a say in their state senator until 2026. His seat will be held by a vacancy appointee until then.
Hansen, who ran unsuccessfully in 2023 to be mayor of Denver, said he didn’t pursue the job in Durango, but was rather contacted by a recruiter about the opening.
“ is is not something I took lightly,” he said. “ is is a decision I made in the best interest of my family. It’s an amazing professional opportunity.”
Hansen said he didn’t sign a contract to take the job until Nov. 9, four days after the election.
Part of the reason Hansen says he took the job is to help pay for his two sons’ college education. State lawmakers earn about $40,000 a year. His oldest child is a senior in high school.
Hansen’s predecessor at LPEA, Jessica Matlock, earned $545,000 her last year leading the nonpro t utility. She announced her resignation as CEO in February.
Hansen plans to commute from his home in Denver to Durango while his oldest son nishes high school. He and his family will eventually move to southwestern Colorado.
e La Plata Electric Association is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative that provides electricity to the residents of La Plata and Archuleta counties, as well as to portions of Hinsdale, Mineral and San Juan counties. It has roughly $110 million in operating revenues.
Hansen is an electric distribution expert. In addition to serving as a state senator, he is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Western Energy and has more than 25 years of industry experience.
A Democratic vacancy committee, made up of party insiders, will be convened in Senate District 31 to select Hansen’s replacement for the next two years. In 2026, that person would have to run for reelection to stay in the seat.
State Rep. Steven Woodrow and state Rep.-elect Sean Camacho, both Denver Democrats, have expressed interest in the job.
“It’s something we’re looking into very closely, and I’m really encouraged
by all of the positive feedback so far,” Woodrow said in a text message.
State law dictates that the Senate District 31 vacancy committee cannot meet more than 20 days before Hansen’s resignation takes effect. at would be Dec. 20.
Hansen said he isn’t resigning from the legislature earlier as to prevent the need for two vacancy committees — one to select someone to serve out his current term, which ends on Jan. 8, when his next term begins at the start of the 2025 legislative session.
Editor’s note: is article was reduced for space and originally appeared in e Colorado Sun on Nov. 13. e entirety of the article can be found at coloradosun.com.
number of nonpro ts that have received a donation went up 22% and the number of donors making donations increased 35%.
ing through Colorado Gives Day last year.
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Whether a nonpro t organization has participated in Colorado Gives Day for one year or for 10, is large or small, the Colorado Gives Foundation continues to support thousands of nonpro ts across the state in the hopes of connecting people and ideas.
“Colorado Gives Day is really an opportunity to be part of the statewide movement,” said Kelly Dunkin, president and CEO of the Colorado Gives Foundation. “I think of it as the ultimate feel-good event.”
Colorado Gives Day launched in 2010 and has become one of the state’s largest 24-hour giving events. Taking place on the second Tuesday every December, which this year is Dec. 10, Coloradans can use the Colorado Gives Day website to nd a cause they want to support and can donate any amount.
“We’re hopeful that it means we’ll see a great response on Colorado Gives Day,” said Dunkin.
Last year, more than $53 million was raised for more than 4,000 nonpro ts. As for early giving, the cumulative total the foundation made between Nov. 1-13 in 2023 was $2.49 million, according to Dunkin. is year, the cumulative total made between Nov. 1-13 was about $3.1 million.
“We’re always amazed and grateful to Colorado donors who step up every year to support their favorite nonpro ts,” said Dunkin.
Making an impact
Lisa Mendelsberg, who founded Colorado Animal Rescue Express, also known as C.A.R.E., has participated in Colorado Gives Day for 14 years and each year, has seen the impact the fundraising event makes.
Colorado Animal Rescue Express, located in Greenwood Village, works to curb pet homelessness through transportation and veterinary care donations.
Acknowledging the prevalence of mental health issues among youth, Jerry Van Leuvan founded the nonpro t to help give youth a place to connect with one another, heal and thrive.
In its third year of operations, e Aspen E ect is a youth program that aims to increase the resilience of youth across the county through the therapeutic relationships they develop with farm animals and adult mentors.
However, early giving kicked o on the rst of November.
While people can donate to Colorado Gives all year long, Dunkin said donations during early giving and on Colorado Giving Day gets a boost from the foundation’s $1 Million + Incentive Fund.
When it comes to volunteering and charitable giving, national trends have indicated that there has been a decline over the years, which can be attributed to economic distress among other factors, according to a 2024 Giving USA report. e report showed that giving by individuals declined 2.3% in 2023.
Despite national trends, Dunkin said the Colorado Gives Foundation is seeing a di erent trend — a positive and hopeful one at that.
Compared to 2023 numbers, Dunkin said the amount donated so far this year has increased 76%. Additionally, the number of donations increased 46%, the
e nonpro t also works to reduce petoverpopulation with sponsored programs for spay and neuter procedures.
e rst year that Mendelsberg participated in the event, her nonpro t won an award for being the smallest charity to have the largest number of donors.
“(Colorado Gives Day) gives a platform to tell your story and to be in front of other people, to be in front of a donor audience,” said Mendelsberg.
She added that Colorado Gives Day has been very important to the nonpro t’s success. Ever since it was formed in 2007, about 65,400 homeless pets have been moved to safety and about $398,000 has been donated to shelters, rescue groups and other caregiver organizations, according to the website.
e animal nonpro t is just one of thousands of nonpro ts that bene t from the annual fundraising event. e Aspen E ect, based in Douglas County, began fundrais-
“Being a part of Colorado GIves Day has not only helped us to raise funding for e Aspen E ect, it gives us a strong connection to the bigger community of nonpro t work in Colorado,” said Van Leuvan.
How it works
People can go online to Coloradogives. org and type in a name of the nonpro t they want to support. If they are unsure, they can search by cause or location. e 12 groups of causes range from animals and civil rights to mental health and religion.
BY ERIC HEINZ
After nearly a century at the 400 S. Williams St. location, the congregation of the Washington Park United Church of Christ has moved to the Mosaic Community Campus so the church can sell the rest of its existing land.
Tom Luehrs, a member of the church’s leadership council, said the church was not utilizing the land as best as it could be. e congregation made its ocial move Dec. 1.
Although the church has sold a nearly 10,000-square-foot parking lot, which closed in May for $2.2 million, according to public records, the actual church building and land have yet to be sold. Luehrs said the church intends to nd a buyer, but he would not disclose whom.
“At one time, the Washington Park community was pretty working class, and that has changed,” Luehrs said. “Rents have gone up very high. e property values have increased greatly. So, as we were thinking about both our future and what we valued, we thought about how could we make the world better?”
Luehrs, a former executive director of the St. Francis Center in the Five Points neighbor-
hood that helps people nd permanent supportive housing, said the church intends to sell to a developer who will build a housing complex for people making 30% to 60% of the city’s area median income.
“We use our building for a few hours a week basically on Sunday, some other times, but primarily on Sunday, and we just felt like we were not being very just for good stewards in holding on to it,” he said.
According to the church’s website, the congregation “knew that mainstream Christian churches, such as ours, were shrinking. We knew we were ‘sitting on’ valuable assets, yet functioning under a de cit budget.
“We deliberated. We argued. We cried. We laughed. Ultimately, we agreed to use our assets in a more responsible way; to sell our property in east Washington Park and move to a location where we will continue our worship and our justice work while joining other organizations making a di erence for the people in need in Denver and beyond.” Park House Holdings LLC, which is owned by Marshall and Mary Hayes, purchased the parking lot back in May, according to public records. Neither of them could be reached for comment before press time Dec. 2.
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We survived Halloween and the sugar hangover and now the very real slash anxiety- inducing reality of the “big” holidays being just around the corner is, well, a bit stressful. But, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few holiday mental health hacks to help ensure a more enjoyable holiday season is yours!
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1. Create space in your calendar. e invites are already coming in and as you RSVP be sure you also look at the days ahead and after to make sure this invitation won’t be the invite that causes the meltdown of having too many places to be! Also, protip: block out hours during the holiday season to just be at home, relaxing, resting, and recharging! Sometimes the most important RSVP is the “no thank you” RSVP that gives you space to catch your breath at just the right time!
2.Prioritize your holiday experience. Take a few moments to acknowledge what’s important to you during the holiday season. Is it family time? Planning the perfect meals? Entertaining?
Creating new traditions or honoring old? Being present in the moments?
Speaking of presents, is it making sure everyone on your list has the perfect gift? Whatever it is to you, make sure you acknowledge it and make decisions for the season through that lens. Take a moment in the moment to remind yourself what your priorities are so you can truly appreciate it...or change it if you’re not feeling the feels.
3. Self-care for survival. Not only is creating space important, creating space with the speci c intention of recharging is critical. is could be planning time for exercise or a walk. A change of scenery, fresh air, and movement do wonders for a reset in the stressful moments. Also, starting
the day with exercise is a great way to set the tone for the rest of the day. And no, this doesn’t have to be wearing a turkey on your head for an o cial Turkey Trot aka, my worst nightmare. Find a quiet place (I hear closets are great for this) to close your eyes and meditate. Use an app like Calm or Headspace if you need a little help. Taking moments to yourself during stressful times are just as important as moments with others.
4. Be realistic. ere is so much to do and you simply do not have to do it all to maximize your holiday celebrations. In fact, not doing it all will likely be the key to making the most of the holidays. See No.2 above. Pick the three things you want to do most. Do those. Do what ts within your boundaries. Hint: this is actually a great time of year to set boundaries. Feel proud of what you accomplish and give yourself grace when you don’t get to everything. To borrow a line from a very famous Disney princess… “Let it Go”.
5. Make a holiday playlist. And no, this de nitely doesn’t have
to be lled with actual holiday music. Sorry Mariah Carey fans :) Choose songs that remind you of an experience that brought joy and calm, songs that can transport you somewhere else even if just for a couple of minutes. Also, extra points for songs that make you smile and dance. I mean, if dancing in the kitchen after you realize you burned the rolls isn’t a good reset, I don’t know what is!
6. Ask for help! It is okay to ask for help! People want to help! Swap a favor with a friend or family member, schedule a playdate (then return the favor) so you can knock out a super e cient list. Or we hear there is a great company called TULA ready to take over your to-do list so you can enjoy whatever it is that matters most during this season!
Cheers to a lovely holiday season, whatever you celebrate, whenever you celebrate!
Megan Trask and Cody Galloway are Denver residents and cofounders of TULA Life Balanced. Learn more about their business at tulabalanced.com.
“e Kamogawa Food Detectives” by Hishashi Kashiwai and translated by Jesse Kirkwood is a lovely, soothing read that explores the intersection of food, love, memory and family.
e food detectives are a father-anddaughter pair, Nagare and Koishi, who have an occasionally contentious but generally a ectionate and loving relationship. Nagare and Koishi also have a shrine in their living space that honors Nagare’s deceased wife, Kikuko.
Nagare and Koishi talk with and about Kikuko often and share the delicious meals they make with her by placing them on the shrine. In this way they honor Kikuko and keep her alive in memory, which is such a beautiful and touching part of the story.
Nagare and Koishi live in Kyoto and own the Kamogawa Diner, which is purposefully di cult to nd. ( ey are very selective about their customers). Nagare was once a policeman and is now the primary food detective. Nagare is determined and philosophical in his approach. Koishi, the daughter, is the face of the detective agency. She also does the initial interviews with clients and relays the information to Nagare.
BY TEAGUE BOHLEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Meredith “Phee” Avery is coming out with her debut novel and her second, from the same publisher, is already in the works.
is rst novel, “ e Unknown,” focuses on human tra cking. A young girl goes out on the town, only to awaken to a nightmare—she’s been abducted and imprisoned in a secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere with a cadre of similarly kidnapped women.
e more she nds out about their predicament, the more sinister it becomes— until she hatches a plan to make her escape and save others.
Currently, the novel is available only in digital form, but will be released in physical copy i January 2025.
Avery, who prefers to go by Phee, said the novel began with a very vivid dream—a nightmare that was a complete narrative from beginning to end.
weeks when Nagare has done his investigation and prepared the meal they are looking for.
Janet Quinn
Koishi is moody and somewhat easily discouraged in the initial discovery phase, but is proud of her father’s ability to track down recipes and nish each job with air. e customers are a crosssection of Japanese society, most coming from Kyoto or Tokyo. Each one comes to the diner with a desire to nd a speci c food from their past.
All of the customers are at a transitional stage in their lives, and need to make a pivotal decision in order to move on with their lives. ey often have very sketchy memories of the food they want to nd but give the details they have and hope for the best. Each customer is served a meal on their rst visit, and the descriptions of the food are loving and detailed. Seasonal food served on speci c types of dishware are served accompanied with tea, Saki or beer and a side of comfort and understanding from Nagare and Koishi. After their interview with Koishi, customers come back in two
One of the things I found most interesting about the book are the descriptions of each customer’s experience, and the way each person is able to process their emotions, relive memories and make their decision by eating the meal.
e descriptions of the food are beautiful and evocative throughout, and this book is also a great way to learn a bit about Japanese society and customs. is sweet and encouraging book is a great pick for the holiday season.
As a bonus, there is a second title in the Kamogawa Food Detectives series, which is called e Restaurant of Lost Recipes. December is Read a New Book Month at Denver Public Library! We have books for every age, taste and style, so drop by a DPL branch or take a look at Libby to see what wonderful new books you can nd.
Janet Quinn is a librarian at Virginia Village Branch Library. She loves walking, hiking and being in nature. She also likes reading, thinking and talking about books.
“I do that sometimes,” Phee admitted, “but this one was particularly developed.”
She was already in the middle of writing a di erent novel completely but switched over to this new idea right away.
“It just seemed to take precedence,”
Phee says, “not only because I thought it was a powerful story, but I hoped it also would bring awareness about the pervasive and increasing issue of human trafcking worldwide.”
Phee’s dreams are also the source of her next book.
“It was weird,” she laughed. “ at night after I submitted the manuscript for this book to my publisher, I had another dream, super vivid, with a beginning, middle, and end—and it was a sequel to the rst book. Hopefully I’ll be able to do something with that, other than to su er through the nightmare itself!”
Phee says she hasn’t started on that sequel yet, but it’s waiting in the wings.
“My next novel is tentatively called
Agent X,” Phee said, “and it’s sort of a Deadpool/James Bond/female mercenary type. It’ll be a lot more fun.”
Writing is something in which Phee says she’s always had an interest.
“I had a poem published back in high school,” she said, “but didn’t pursue it in terms of academics.”
Phee studied journalism for a time and eventually got her degree from Metro State University in International Cultural Studies, which she says is re ected in some of the themes of “ e Unknown.”
Currently, Phee supports herself and her family by barbering, working with clients in her own home. Which is, in turn, how she found her publisher.
“One of my clients is retired from one of the big ve publishing companies,” she said, “and o ered to take a look at what I was working on.”
She said he liked what he saw, enough to send the manuscripts to a friend of his still active in the industry. In a ash, Phee found herself living the authorial
dream—turning a random contact into an o cial publishing contract. How did Phee celebrate?
“My boyfriend and I went to Manning’s for a good steak dinner,” she smiled. “It was great. And then, I thought, okay, that’s done. Now back to work.”
Phee says that the writing is central to what she wants to do now and in the ongoing—and
Wheat Ridge is the perfect spot to do that.
“It’s comfortable. Fields and trees and ponds and whatnot,” she said. “It provides a good backdrop for me to focus on the story I’m working on and be clear about where else I’m going.”
In the meantime, Phee says she’ll keep working on her second novel while promoting her rst.
“One down,” Phee said with rightful and deserved pride. “One down.”
“ e Unknown” is available in digital format now, and will be released in hard copy in early 2025.
BY MERYL PHAIR
From Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) Seed Distribution program to initiatives by Denver Water, community members have numerous resources to plan for creating a sustainable water-wise garden for the next planting season.
Seed distribution
e largest distribution of free seed packets in Colorado gets underway every year at DUG headquarters in Curtis Park, with this year’s volunteers expected to sort and bundle around 150,000 seed packets, an equivalent of 40 million seeds.
Seeds from the Community Seed Distribution program are available for DUG’s community garden network along with families, community partners and non-pro ts, ending up in food pantries, libraries and the Denver Housing Authority.
Over 100,000 pounds of organic food is produced through the program a year, and along with reducing nancial barriers involved in growing food at home or in a community garden, the program also diverts waste. Working with several seed retailers, the program is distributing seeds that would otherwise be thrown away as big seed brands can’t sell their products a year after they’re packaged.
“ e program is the rst lifeline for jump-starting food production across metro Denver,” said Shay Moon, senior manager of food access programs for DUG. “ e collection has a focus on food production, so there’s a lot of vegetables and annuals but we also get seeds for perennials, herbs, we get seeds for a little bit of everything.”
DUG also recently launched a Culturally Inclusive Seeds Program, which Moon described as a more intentional and smaller-scale seed distribution initiative. Currently only available for DUG gardeners, the organization developed a catalog of seeds through a community feedback process to provide greater access to specialty plant varieties that community members may nd challenging to acquire in Colorado.
“Food access is only meaningful if the supplies you’re getting, the varieties you’re able to grow, are also familiar and desirable,” Moon said. “ is is our program’s way to broaden and diversify the scope of foods accessible through our resources and to offer a connection point for gardeners from di erent backgrounds to still share in growing and cooking in community spaces across the city.”
For many across the metro Denver area who are starting to think about next year’s gardens, the Community Seed Distribution program along with various other community initiatives reduces barriers to getting plants in the soil. Addressing a range of challenges such as cost, land success and education, DUG o ers a host of resources to get Denver growing.
In addition to the seed distribution programs, DUG has various food access initiatives across the city, distributing around 30,000 seedlings every year through its Grower Garden Program, which has beginner-friendly themed kits for starting gar-
dens including a bilingual educational guide. e organization also holds plant sales around the year, distributing seeds and seedlings for free to families that receive SNAP bene ts, along with running nearly 200 community gardens involving around 40,000 people and launching an ongoing food forest program.
Xeriscaping, water reduction
For people who are thinking of starting or already have a garden in the works, integrating native plants and reducing water use are two ways to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly garden this year.
Denver Water uses the term “xeriscaping” meaning landscape design requiring little maintenance or irrigation and has embraced these low-water principles in its ColoradoScaping programing.
“ ese landscapes are more diverse, they attract pollinators, they’re colorful, textural and vibrant,” said Bea Stratton, water conservation planner at Denver Water.
“We want to emphasize the diversity of the landscapes that we’re talking about putting in and illustrate that we’re not talking about a rock lawn.”
Denver Water has completed a series of landscape transformations on its properties, including working with Denver Parks and Recreation to complete a 10-acre Quebec Street median, and the organization has begun to partner with other projects throughout the metro area experiencing funding gaps.
ese projects replace “non-functional turf,” essentially grass that serves no purpose beyond aesthetics, into a ColoradoScape that reduces water use along with providing native habitat for birds, pollinators and wildlife by planting native grasses and trees for shade.
SEE GARDENERS, P9
