Middle School Choices Abound in NE Denver
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Distributed to the Stapleton, Park Hill, Lowry, Montclair, Mayfair, Hale and East Colfax neighborhoods DENVER, COLORADO JANUARY 2009 MMiiddddllee SScchhooooll CChhooiicceess AAbboouunndd iinn NNEE DDeennvveerr Rich Harrison, principal of Morgridge Middle School, Denver School of Science and Technology, gives students a tour of their newly completed building. Pictured are (back row, left to right) Suleyma Alcazar, Jaelynn Smith, Imani Baskerville (middle row) Joshua Hernandez, Kivonjay Russell, Conrad Green (front row) Reed Cohen, Dylan Rozansky, and Monica Narona. By Kathy Epperson DSST Middle School ary 26th fo r 6th and 7th g rade for the s parents begin to think about mid - are stand-alone middle schools, some are On the heels of the successful Denver 2009-2010 school year and will be fully en - dle school options for their kids, the part of a K-8 program, and some are part of School of Science and Technology (DSST) rolled with grades 6 through 8 in 2010. Front Porch has assembled a grade 6 through high school program. High School, the new DSST Middle School As a tuition-free charter school within A More in-depth information can be found on welcomed its first class of 140 sixth graders the Denver Public Schools system, DSST overviews of neighborhood and charter schools serving middle schoolers in the NE the websites referenced here, by attending in the 2008-2009 school year. DSST Middle Middle School program is modeled after Denver area. Some of the following schools open house events, or visiting the schools. School is taking applications through Janu - the DSST High (continued on page 26) 90-Year-Old Tuskegee Airman “Buck” Newsom Invited to the Inauguration Stapleton Neighbor of the Year Award Editors Note: As a follow-up to age 90, says there are 11 Air - our December story about the men in Colorado, all of Tuskegee Airmen, the Front Porch whom received the Congres - talked to Tuskegee Airman Fitzroy sional Medal of Honor. “Buck” Newsom to hear his feel - Newsom is unaware of how ings about being invited by Presi - many of them will be travel - dent-elect Barack Obama to ing to Washington for the attend his inauguration. inauguration, but he will be By Wallace Yvonne Tollette at the head of the line. resident-elect Barack He says he’s overwhelmed Obama has invited all by the invitation to the Poriginal Tuskegee Airmen White House and if he had across the country to the inau - to, he would “crawl to get guration on January 20th to Fitzroy “Buck” Newsom there.” He feels that it is so honor them for their work during World significant that the majority of the country War II and to attempt to repay a debt to elected Mr. Obama and he feels “the greatest them caused by institutional racism during honor to be invited as part of the original that time. Mr. Fitzroy “Buck” Newsom, now Tuskegee group.” (continued on page 4) Corby Felsher (center) presents the Neighbor of theYear award to Mike Schindler. Felsher’s business, Stapleton Home Services, sponsored the contest. Story on page 10. Printed with soy-based ink. Paper contains 40% postconsumer waste. MLK’s Renovation of Stock 4 Message Hangar 61 6 Show 8 S.U.N. 24 ¡ Sledding at Stapleton’s Central Park CALENDAR Events in or near Stapleton that are free and open to the public or charitable fundraisers. Additional events are listed on page 11. JANUARY JANUARY Saturday, Jan. 3 Friday, Jan. 23 Denver Art Museum - Free Day Magic Show for Families, 7 pm Monday, Jan. 5 Merrill Middle School Theater Odyssey School fundraiser (see p. 12) Free, Active Minds – Sudan & the Darfur Crisis 7 – 8pm. Stapleton MCA, 2823 Roslyn St, Sunday, Jan. 25 RSVP Stapleton Fd. 303-468-3223 Denver International School’s 7th Annual www.ActiveMindsForLife.com. World Tea Fair1-4pm. $5/$10 children/ adults Tuesday, Jan. 6 www.dischool.org 303.756.0381 Children’s Museum - Target Free First Tuesday, Wednesday, Jan. 28 4-8pm, Cmdenver.org Free, Active Minds – Buddhism. 1-2pm. Wed. Jan 7 & Thur. Jan. 15 Generations at Lowry, 8505 Lowry Blvd, RSVP 303-364-8500. DSST Middle School Open House 6:30-7:30pm www.ActiveMindsForLife.com. 2000Valentia St (arrive by 6pm). (See p. 26) Thursday, Jan. 29 Saturday, Jan. 10 Christ the King Roman Catholic School Denver Zoo – Free Day Open House, 3 yrs to 8th grade, 7-9pm Sunday, Jan. 11 860 Elm St, www.ckrcs.org 303.321.2123 Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Free Day Saturday, Jan. 31 Tuesday, Jan. 13 CIRCLE Conference 2009 Odyssey Middle Sch. Open House 6pm, (See p. 26) Courageous Conversations ~Vision, Dialogue & Action 8am-6pm Tuesdays, Jan. 13, 20 & 27 Stanley British Primary Sch, 350 Quebec St. Envision Leadership Prep Information Sessions www.uccs.edu/~lases/circle.htm Park Hill Library 6:30-7:30pm, (See p. 26) Tuesday, Jan. 13 Free, Active Minds - OPEC and the Oil Economy FEBRUARY 12:30-1:30 pm Tattered Cover, 2526 E Colfax Monday, Feb. 2 Jan. 13, 27, Feb. 10, 24, Mar. 10 Denver Museum of Nature and Science – Vanguard Classical School Informational Meetings, Free Day 303.322.7009 www.dmns.org School gym 6:30 pm. 303-691-2384 (See p. 27) Tuesday, Feb. 3 Monday, Jan. 19 Children’s Museum - Target FREE First Tues - Free, Active Minds - How Dr. King's efforts im - day, 4-8pm. Cmdenver.org pacted history and how his ideas continue to in - fluence our society today. 7-8pm. Stapleton Master Tuesday, Feb. 3 Community Association, 2823 Roslyn St. RSVP: The History of Denver Stapleton Foundation: 303-468-3223 11:00 am -12:00 noon (refreshments served at 10:45) Monday, Jan. 19 Temple Emanuel, 51 Grape, RSVP: Jodi: 303- Denver Botanic Gardens – SCFD Free Day 388-4013 x307 720.865.3500 www.botanicgardens.org Friday, Feb. 6 Monday, Jan. 19 Montview presch. app deadline for ‘09 –‘10 Denver Zoo – Free Day 1980 Dahlia Street 303.322.7296 Wednesday, Jan. 21 Saturday, Feb. 7 Westerly Creek Elementary Denver Art Museum - Free Day. 100 West New Student Open House 6:30 pm 14th Avenue Pkwy, Denver. 720.865.5000 [email protected] or 303.322.5877 www.denverartmuseum.org Thursday, Jan. 22 & Feb. 26 Saturday, Feb. 7 Smiley IB Open House for 5th graders (see p. 27) Westerly Creek Elementary School Tours 5:30 & 6:30pm, Presentations 6 & 7pm Silent & Live Auction 2540 Holly Street, 720.424.1540 6:30pm, The Tivoli at Auraria, Denver Monday, Feb. 9 s ome Stapleton New Resident Orientation 6:30- welc cal 7:30pm 2823 Roslyn Street 303.388.0724 rch ng lo t Po omi ) and [email protected] Fron upc 5th . he s of the 1 ues T sion e is e iss mis lin tur r.com sub ead r fu enve s (d s fo tonD ent ea aple .com ev y id @St ntCo stor ason ePri TGle @Fin ail arol (See page 13 for recurring monthly events and meetings) Em or C EDITOR: Tom Gleason 303-382-1800 PRODUCTION by FinePrint The Stapleton Front Porch is published by Forest City 303-526-1969 [email protected] Stapleton, Inc., 7351 E. 29th Avenue, Denver, CO MANAGING EDITOR: Carol Roberts 80238. A minimum of 35,000 papers are printed. The PHOTO EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER: Steve Larson free paper is distributed during the first week of each month to homes and businesses in Stapleton, Park Hill, FEATURES WRITER: Nancy Burkhart www.FrontPorchStapleton.com AD SALES: Karissa McGlynn 303-333-0257 Lowry , Montclair and Mayfair. January 2009 2 Stapleton Front Porch Stapleton Front Porch 3 January 2009 Invitation to the Inauguration (continued from p.1) After reading in the New on active duty and retired as full colonel. York Times that Tuskegee Airmen would be in - Mr. Newsom was born in Manhattan, vited, Colonel Newsom was contacted by a New York but was taken to the British West public relations official in Washington inviting Indies at an early age. He was on the Island him to attend. of Trinidad when he saw his first airplane , Newsom states that when President Harry but didn’t really know what it was. After the Truman desegregated the armed forces in 1948, pilot landed and took off, Mr. Newsom ran most of the country didn’t know the Tuskegee and stared at it until it disappeared into the Airmen even existed. “What a tragedy,” he says clouds. He was ten years old at the time and “that it took so long for the Airmen to get the told his mother that was what he wanted to recognition they deserved.” He is appreciative do. When they came back to the States, he that President Truman acknowledged that they, started planning to become a pilot, but there too, were (and are ) Americans , and states that was no money for flying lessons. for the first Black American President to invite When President Roosevelt made the them to be recognized in Washington is totally arrangements with the National Guard in remarkable . New York, Mr. Newsom was told that there He went on to say, “It was no picnic back would be a good number of Blacks included. then.” He sent in an application to go to the Thirty-three Black men took the exam and Air Corps and was rejected. His third rejection thirteen passed. They were all admitted to came back with a note that said, “it is not the Officers Candidate School, but Mr. Newsom policy of the Air Corps to mix Blacks and wanted to go to flight school at Tuskegee. He Whites.” He was finally accepted into the Na - finally got his wish, but he said he had to tional Guard in New York which was conve - fight discrimination every step of the way.