DPD ShotSpotter Alerts Rose in More Than 470% in 2020 Compared to 2017 To the untrained ear, hearing the difference between the sounds of a car backfiring, fireworks going off, and gunshots can be nearly impossible. Tracking the number of gunshots in a neighborhood can be difficult, even for … Continue Reading about It’s Not Your Ears. Gunshots in North Denver Have Increased
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Politics
North Denver House Reps Talk Session
North Denver’s state representatives Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (D - House District 4) and Alex Valdez (D - House District 5) are both serving their 2nd term in the legislature and sat down with The Denver North Star to give an update on the bills they are sponsoring this year. Both highlighted a mix … Continue Reading about North Denver House Reps Talk Session
Want to Vote for More Than One Person? Denver Could Make that Happen
Approval, Ranked-Choice Elections Could Be on November Ballot Several options to change Denver’s elections process could be decided by voters in November—to increase the time between the municipal election and a runoff or do away with runoffs altogether. In 2019, elections officials in Denver … Continue Reading about Want to Vote for More Than One Person? Denver Could Make that Happen
Denver Ends Bison Sales, Donates Animals to Tribal Nations
Every week for the past few months, the Denver City Council has begun their Monday night meetings with a land acknowledgement, recognizing that the land Denver resides on is “is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples” and stating they “honor Elders past, present, and … Continue Reading about Denver Ends Bison Sales, Donates Animals to Tribal Nations
Denver City Council Mulls Giving Anonymous Ethics Complaints a Voice
Director Would Also Have Authority to Initiate Board Investigations People wanting to file ethics complaints against Denver city employees and elected officials have always had to provide their name. But City Council members said a recent survey of about 3,000 city employees found that … Continue Reading about Denver City Council Mulls Giving Anonymous Ethics Complaints a Voice
Councilwoman Sandoval Passes Two Zoning Overlays
Two recently approved zoning overlays will guide development and usage in the Berkeley neighborhood, and likely beyond. The Active Centers and Corridors design overlay and the Bungalow conservation overlay both passed city council unanimously earlier this month. Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval … Continue Reading about Councilwoman Sandoval Passes Two Zoning Overlays
Community
Spring: Set Out to Enjoy the Birds
“It’s a good time of year to go outside. Sit in your yard, listen. You’ll start to learn their songs and calls,” says Megan Miller, master birder and volunteer with Denver Field Ornithologists. She’s happy to ease newcomers into a world of birds that has held her attention since she was ten years … Continue Reading about Spring: Set Out to Enjoy the Birds
North Denverite Works to Ensure We Don’t Waste Food
North Denver resident Arlan Preblud was an attorney in solo practice back in 2009. Preblud and his wife struck up conversations with restaurateurs and caterers about what happened to extra food guests didn’t eat. After learning most of it ended up in a landfill and seeing the impact the recession … Continue Reading about North Denverite Works to Ensure We Don’t Waste Food
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work at Denver Dream Center
Sign twirlers attract passerbys while volunteers in “hope dealer” masks prepare boxes of necessities to give to families in need. It’s another Saturday for the Denver Dream Center. The Denver Dream Center is a Christian faith-based organization in North Denver, currently housed at the Senior … Continue Reading about Teamwork Makes the Dream Work at Denver Dream Center
Game On…COVID Victory Gardens
Nostalgic victory gardens are the new black in this era of modern plague. We gardened our way through two World Wars and the Spanish Flu out of necessity to address food shortages and boost morale. Gardens are our secret weapon as we learn to live with COVID and other viruses. Our gardens are … Continue Reading about Game On…COVID Victory Gardens
April 2021 News Shorts
Sloan’s Lake Neighborhood Org Leader Receives INC Award Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, the overarching organization for neighborhood groups, honored Sloan’s Lake resident Larry Ambrose with a lifetime achievement award for “his longtime work in the interests preserving and enhancing the quality … Continue Reading about April 2021 News Shorts
Public Safety
It’s Not Your Ears. Gunshots in North Denver Have Increased
DPD ShotSpotter Alerts Rose in More Than 470% in 2020 Compared to 2017 To the untrained ear, hearing the difference between the sounds of a car backfiring, fireworks going off, and gunshots can … [Read More...] about It’s Not Your Ears. Gunshots in North Denver Have Increased
Education
Two Legislative Bills Affecting Denver Public Schools
Two state bills working their way through the legislature could have important, albeit very different, effects on DPS this fall. One allows school board members to be paid and the other relates to how much public disclosure is needed regarding superintendent searches. As of publication, neither bill had yet passed both chambers, but both appear […]
DPS Board Hires Investigation Firm After Director Anderson is Accused of Sexual Assault
In late March, Black Lives Matter 5280 released a statement with an unnamed woman coming forward alleging that Tay Anderson, a director at-large on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, was “the perpetrator of her sexual assault.” The statement said the woman was seeking a public apology and that Anderson “seek help from a […]
Arts and Culture
Smiley Branch Library Welcomes Back Customers after Renovation
After over a year of being closed to the public, Denver Public Library’s Smiley Branch Library looks forward to opening its doors again in late April. While access will initially be in a limited … [Read More...] about Smiley Branch Library Welcomes Back Customers after Renovation
Dining
Sunnyside Salsa Maker Talks Chilis, North Denver Murals
For Nick Sandoval, his salsa is about “flavor, balance, and heritage.” Sandoval grew up near 43rd and Clay, where his mother still lives. His wife grew up across the street from La Raza Park. “I’m a northsider … Continue Reading about Sunnyside Salsa Maker Talks Chilis, North Denver Murals
Metro Area’s Commissary Kitchens: Where Chefs Cook Up Community
A narrow commercial kitchen efficiently lined with tables and shelves opens into a fork in the road. To its left, three more small kitchens feed into an open area containing a row of cooking surfaces. Veering … Continue Reading about Metro Area’s Commissary Kitchens: Where Chefs Cook Up Community
Transportation
2021 Paving Starts in North Denver
As the temperatures warm up, paving projects for roads and sidewalks by the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) have begun. Major resurfacing projects this year … [Read More...] about 2021 Paving Starts in North Denver
Health & Wellness
Dear COVID 19, Thank you for…
Trying to constantly reclaim, recreate, and “go back to the way things were” can have serious wellness ramifications. This isn’t to say we shouldn't treasure our memories, honor sacrifices made, and … Continue Reading about Dear COVID 19, Thank you for…
Welcome to The Gray Zone
Older Coloradans: More Likely to Give Care than to Receive It
2 in 5 Coloradans 60 and older provide day-to-day support to a loved one. They spend an average of 9-12 hours per week in duties ranging from transportation and meals to personal hygiene or help … Continue Reading about Older Coloradans: More Likely to Give Care than to Receive It
what to read
Checking out: Cuyahoga
In the early hours of New Year’s Day 1837, Pete Beatty’s “Cuyahoga” (Scribner, 2020) introduces Big Son, a pioneering American spirit among the likes of Johnny Appleseed and Daniel Boone. Big Son, his … Continue Reading about Checking out: Cuyahoga
Views on Parenting
Michelangelo Was Rich
Many of us always assumed even great artists like Michelangelo lived a frugal, typical existence of the cliche starving artist. If the real story of Michelangelo had been common knowledge, solid … Continue Reading about Michelangelo Was Rich
Shaping Our Future by Remembering Our Past
Two Shining Stars in the Denver Public School System. Let Us Rejoice!
You have heard me rightfully complaining of the poor management of our Denver Public School Board and the way the school board and administration have been mismanaging the system. Well I think the … Continue Reading about Two Shining Stars in the Denver Public School System. Let Us Rejoice!
Student Voices
AAPI Community Needs Proactive Community to Stop Hate
From the The Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance: Dear North community, Following the recent attack on several spas in Georgia that resulted in the deaths of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, it is necessary to address and condemn this kind of hate. Although the government and media do not want to […]
A Student’s Guide to Colorado Flowers
Editor’s Note: This month, we expand our DPS voices column to include younger students. We hope you enjoy this piece from a 6th grade GALS student. We are reaching the end of winter and the beginning of spring! Between this time the snow is melting and beautiful flowers are starting to bloom. Take a look […]
Guest Opinion and Letters to the Editor
Elected Official Update: Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul Lopez
I proudly serve as the third elected Clerk and Recorder for the City and County of Denver. Unprecedented media focus on the 2020 General Election brought national, and even international, media attention to our office’s election processes. But what many may not realize are the other ways in which the Office of the Clerk and […]
How Coloradoans Can Chart a New Career Path and Embrace Desire
If you’ve spent the last year wondering what you really want in your life and in your career, you are not alone. Nearly two thirds of Americans are on the hunt for a new job or would consider changing jobs if approached with an opportunity, according to a recent study by Ceridian, a human resources […]