District 7 Update

Thanks to overwhelming support of Denver voters for Measure 2A last November, the Denver Police Department began its first police academy this month. This is Denver's first police academy since 2008, with a little more than 100 recruits vying for a spot in Denver's top-notch police force. Those recruits successfully graduating from the academy will improve the department's authorized strength for 2014, and provide a larger presence for the department around the City. Recruits will be in the Academy until the end of October, when they will be paired with an officer for further on-the-street training. Since its passage, Measure 2A has benefited Denver residents by increasing library hours, paving more streets, and now by putting more police officers in our neighborhoods. Thanks to the Denver voters, and their commitment to our City.

Second Annual Safety Expo - May 18th

Because of the tremendous success of last year's Safety Expo, the dedicated volunteers of the Denver COP Shops and Inter Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) will be hosting another Safety Expo this month on Saturday, May 18^th at the Broadway Marketplace on Alameda & Bannock, from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Just some of the fun events and demonstrations at the Safety Expo include:

Fire Engine
Ladder Truck
Sheriff's K9 Unit
Home Safety Demonstrations
SWAT Team
Motorcycle Patrol
Youth Outreach Vehicles
Air One Helicopter
Police Athletic League
Mobile Command Post
Horse Patrol
Bomb Squad
Recruiting
Denver COP Shops

Come on down and learn about all of these great resources, while getting to know your neighbors and public safety personnel who work hard every day to keep our streets safe. Refreshments will be available; bring the whole family for a fun-filled afternoon.

Ruby Hill Phase II Improvements Public Meeting - May 14th

Ruby Hill is one of South Denver's finest parks, and it's about to get even better. On May 14^th, Denver Parks & Rec will roll out further developed concepts for Ruby Hill improvements and are seeking public comment and input. Parks & Rec staff and their design team will present various concepts and ideas based off the adopted Ruby Hill Master Plan that are teed up for the next round of capital improvements in this amazing park. This is a great opportunity to see and help shape the future of Ruby Hill.

WHAT: Ruby Hill Phase II Improvements Public Meeting

WHEN: May 14^th, 6:00 - 7:30p.m.

WHERE: Godsman Elementary School, 2120 W. Arkansas Avenue, Denver CO

Imagine 2020, Denver's Cultural Plan Public Meeting - May 8th

Great cities have great arts and culture. Denver is a celebrated cultural destination, and the arts help define our community. In an effort to give Denver a renewed sense of direction in the promotion of arts, culture, and creativity, the City of Denver's Arts & Venues department has launched the Imagine 2020 project to update the City's cultural plan and vision for the arts moving forward.

The City needs your input and participation on how we best utilize art and culture in our everyday urban lives. Please attend a community meeting on May 8th to share your vision about future art, culture, and creativity in Denver:

WHAT: Imagine 2020 Public Meeting

WHEN: May 8th, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

WHERE: Swallow Hill Music, 71 E. Yale

You may also visit the website at www.ImagineDenver2020.org and let the City know what you envision for the future of arts, culture and creativity in Denver. After taking the survey, you can be entered to win tickets to Red Rocks, the Denver Performing Arts Complex and other prizes.

Public Hearing on Excise & License Draft Policies for Liquor, 3.2 Beer, and Cabaret Licenses - May 9th

In 2012, the Department of Excise & License convened an external committee of neighborhood groups, residents, licensing professionals and other stakeholders to review and revise its policies and procedures pertaining to Liquor, 3.2 Beer, and Cabaret Licenses. From the work of this committee, the Excise & License Department is now soliciting feedback from the public on the Committee's final draft. The draft policies can be found on the Excise & License main website by clicking here:

The public hearing will be held on Thursday, May, 9th at 9:00 am at the Webb Building located at 201 West Colfax Ave, second floor. If you would like to provide written comments prior to the hearing, please send them via email to john.jennings@denvergov.org.

Save the Date - South Broadway Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, May 21st

Another major component in the transformation of South Broadway is complete! Come help us celebrate. Councilman Nevitt will be joined on by Mayor Hancock, business owners, and residents to cut the ribbon on the latest stage of the South Broadway improvements on Tuesday, May 21st at 1:00 pm at the corner of Yale & South Broadway. More details will follow in a separate email blast, but be sure to join us on this date as we finally cut the ribbon on the premiere southern entrance to our great city.

2013 Small Biz Expo - May 23rd

Denver is home to a lot of great small businesses, and to help celebrate National Small Business Week, the City of Denver's Office of Economic Development will be hosting a Small Biz Expo on May 23rd from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm to provide valuable information and resources for our City's thriving small business community. The Expo will be a free public event that includes an economic forecast, lender panel, and resource fair. If you own a small business, or are looking to start your own, this is an excellent workshop for you to attend.

The Small Biz Expo will include:

A special Denver Economic Forecast (2-2:45 pm) with the latest news on real estate, construction activity, employment, retail, and other factors expected to affect area small businesses in the months ahead.

A lenders' panel (3-3:45 pm) will bring together various public, private and nonprofit financing options to advise existing and aspiring entrepreneurs on landing the dollars they need to get started and keep going.

A resource fair (2-5 pm) throughout the afternoon will include representatives from a wide array of public and nonprofit organizations who offer business-building services to small businesses.

The event will take place at the Denver Central Library, B2 Conference Center, 10 West 14th Ave. Attendees are advised to use the library's west entrance. Reservations are not required and there is no cost. For more information on Denver's Office of Economic Development, click here.

Old South Pearl Farmers Market Kick-off - Sunday, May 19th

The famous Old South Pearl Farmers Market kicks off another season on Sunday, May 19th. The best way to spend your Sunday is stop by the Farmers Market to pick up fresh food, fruits and veggies from local vendors, revel in the music and scenery, people-watch your fabulous fellow citizens, and enjoy everything great about Old South Pearl. In addition, check out this year's special event calendar for the Old South Pearl Farmer's Market:

May 19th: Homestead in the Hood / Green Fair

June 16th: Car Show

July 21st: Health Fair

September 22nd: Pet Fair

October 20th: Chili Cook-Off

October 27th: Halloween Fest

Finally, flea markets will take place the last Sunday of each month, through October.

For more information on the Old South Pearl Farmers Market, click here.

FREE Mulch Giveaway and Compost Sale - May 4th

Denver's annual "Free Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale" is on Saturday, May 4th from 8 am to 2:00 pm (or while supplies last). Pick up what you need at:

Havana Nursery, 10450 Smith Road, just south of I-70 & Havana St.

Mulch and compost loader service for trucks and trailers, and dig your-own:

Limit of 3 cubic yards of compost per vehicle
Compost cost $3.50 per 1.25 cubic foot bag or $30.00 per cubic yard (plus tax)

Dig-Your-Own FREE mulch sites:

Southeast: Veteran's Park, Iowa St. & Vine St.
Southwest: Bear Creek Park, South of Dartmouth Ave. on Raleigh St.

Click here for more information.

FREE Shade Trees From Mile High Million

Looking for ways to reduce your summer energy costs? The "Mile High Million" is offering FREE trees to shade homes and cool neighborhoods in Denver. Strategically planted trees -- in front yards on the west side -- provide the optimal amount of shade for cooling homes in the summer while still allowing maximum southern exposure for heating homes in the winter. To apply for a tree and find out more about the program visit: http://MileHighMillion.org/pages/section/programs/trees-for-energy-savings.

Trees for Trade-Ins

The "Trees for Trade-Ins" initiative from Colorado's Clear Air Foundation gets high polluting cars off the road and trees in the forest. How? For each of the first 250 old, dirty vehicles donated, the Clear the Air Foundation will fund a tree to be planted by ReForest Colorado. Trees improve air quality by absorbing pollutants. New vehicles produce a small fraction of the pollution emitted by old cars. Getting old cars off the road and planting trees is a winning combination for reducing ground-level ozone and dirty air. What's even better is that instead of reselling your old clunker, the "Trees for Trade-Ins" program will crush it and recycle the parts, so it won't pollute again. Click here if you are interested in participating.

Denver Parks & Recreation Encouraging Gardeners to "Purge The Spurge"

With the arrival of the spring season and the renewal of gardens and flower beds, Denver Parks & Recreation is warning residents to aggressively remove the noxious Myrtle spurge weed that may look harmless, but can cause harm to people and natural areas. To help combat Myrtle spurge, Denver Parks & Recreation's, Natural Areas Program has launched an educational outreach program for residents called "Purge the Spurge." Volunteers and staff canvass Denver's neighborhoods looking for myrtle spurge in yards and rights-of-way distributing informative hang-tags that encourage residents to remove it from their property.

To support Denver's citizens with the removal of this noxious weed from their yards, DPR will host two "Purge the Spurge" events where Denver residents can bring in bags of spurge or photos of it being removed in order to receive free native plants to replace it:

May 19: The CSU Extension office in Denver will host the first event on at Harvard Gulch Park, 888 E. Illiff Ave. from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

June 1: Denver Natural Areas Program will host the second event on Berkeley Lake Park from 9 am to 12 pm

What's so bad about myrtle spurge? It not only spreads rapidly and displaces native plants, but all parts of it are poisonous and its milky sap is a severe skin irritant. You can see what the myrtle spurge looks like by clicking here:

New Denver Homebuyer Program

If you are interested in buying a house, but worried about being house-poor afterwards, consider taking advantage of the Mortgage Credit Certificate program. The program enables qualifying borrowers to receive an annual federal income tax credit equal to 30% of the annual interest paid on their mortgage loan, up to $2,000 annually. That money can help offset some of the expenses that buying a new house brings. Additionally, lenders can use the estimated amount of the credit on a monthly basis as additional income to help a potential borrower qualify for a loan. Click here for more details.

Why Permits Matter

Now that winter is finally (we hope) over, construction season is upon us.You may be looking to undertake home improvement projects, but make sure your contractors obtain the proper permits. Here's why:

Permits ensure that the person/company is qualified to do the work
Permits ensure that an independent third party will inspect the work upon completion
Permits ensure that your project is legal and zoning compliant
Unpermitted work done by unqualified individuals could result in safety issues
Unpermitted work is harder to defend by law if something goes wrong
Unpermitted work could void your home insurance
Unpermitted work makes it harder to sell or re-finance your house

Some small projects do not require a permit. Click here to find out if your project is exempt.

Learn the "Bike Basics" From Bike Denver and The Denver Zoo

BikeDenver and the Denver Zoo are teaming up to offer three "Bike Basics" classes to help you be comfortable, safe and confident when riding a bike in the city and commuting to work on your bike. Whether you are new to commuting or a seasoned rider, this two-hour class will give you the tools you need to ride safely and legally on Denver roadways. The classes consist of a classroom discussion on bicycles, local bike-related laws, avoidance of common bike-related incidents, and how to co-exist with cars on the road. The second half of the class will put you on the seat of your bicycle (or a B-cycle) practicing your newly learned skills and maneuvers with our instructors.

Classes will be offered on May 7, June 4, or July 2 from 6-8pm
Registration Fee: $15 includes dinner

To register click here

BikeDenver and the Denver Zoo will also offer a League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills 101 certified bicycle education class on Friday May 31st and Saturday June 1st.

Learn more about Traffic Skills 101

Take Advantage of Low-Cost Pet Vaccinations and Licenses This Summer

Denver Animal Care and Control will be hosting seven low-cost cat and dog vaccination, license, and microchip clinics in area parks throughout the summer. All clinics run from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm:

May 19: Garfield Lake Park (South Newton St. & West Arizona Ave.)
June 9: Harvey Park, (South Tennyson Way & West Warren Ave)
June 23: Aztlan Park (Navajo St. & West 44^th Ave)
July 7: Mestizo-Curtis Park (32nd St. & Curtis St.)
July 21: Fuller Park (28^th & Williams)
August 4: Berkeley Park (46^th & Sheridan)
August 18: Barnum Park - in front of Rec Center (Hooker & West 5^th)
September 8: Thomas Park (East 26th Ave and North Roslyn St.)

The Denver Animal Shelter, located at 1241 West Bayaud Ave., hosts low-cost clinics at the shelter on Wednesdays from 2 to 4:30 pm and Saturdays from 9:30 am to Noon.

$35- includes rabies vaccination, distemper/parvo and a one-year license for Denver County residents or non-Denver residents that use Denver dog parks.
$55- includes rabies vaccination, distemper/parvo and a three-year license for Denver County residents or non-Denver residents that use Denver dog parks.

Cats must be in carriers and dogs must be on leashes. Microchips are also available for just $25. City ordinance requires pets that reside in Denver or visit Denver parks be vaccinated, and licensed. Licenses can also be renewed online.

West Denver Education Forum - May 11th

Denver Public Schools is hosting a West Denver Education Forum on Saturday, May 11th for families who want to learn more about education, health, and public policy. Topics include education, high school graduation, trade school, college, health, wellness, and other issues.

WHAT: West Denver Education Forum

WHEN: Saturday, May 11^th, 8:00 am to 2:30 pm

WHERE: Abraham Lincoln High School, 2285 South Federal Blvd.

Free childcare provided for children 3-11 years old. Reservations required for child care - call 720-423-3350.

Summer Youth Employment Programs

After you attend the West Denver Education Forum, you can make an impact on the life of a young person and help build Denver's future workforce by participating in the Office of Economic Development's (OED) summer youth employment programs. If you are a business with part-time or full-time job opportunities, consider hiring a youth from age 14 to 21. For more information, call 720-865-5700 or YouthServices@Denvergov.org.

May Calendar Link

Click here to visit the District 7 website

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