Distributed to the Greater Stapleton Area DENVER, COLORADO MARCH 2007 Stapleton School A National Model DSST Awarded $500,000 Grant to Explore Growth of education reform throughout the nation, particularly for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) schools. Over the past year DSST has hosted educators from over ten states including Texas, Ohio, California, New York, Pennsylvania and several countries including Australia and Nigeria. “We started out to demonstrate that all kids, regardless of background, could excel in math and the sciences,” said DSST founder David Greenberg. “Thanks to the remarkable work of the faculty and staff, DSST is now a national model for STEM teaching in urban schools. ” Expansion explored The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant will enable DSST to explore expansion to a secondary school serving grades 6-12, subject to the approval of the Denver Public School Board . The Stapleton Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities has also contributed $25,000 to sup - port the exploration of the expansion. The school recently received over 400 applications for next fall’s freshman class , demonstrating the strong demand for the school’s program. Building a 6-12th grade program would allow DSST to pro - vide the continuity and consistency to increase students’ core academic foundation and generate better learning results in Bill Kurtz, DSST head of school (left) and Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien look on as DPS superintendent Michael Bennett announces grades 9-12. The new model would also immerse students as the $500,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and an additional grant that would make DSST a demonstration early as possible into DSST’s highly acclaimed “learning cul - site for teachers and administrators from 35 high schools that are part of the Texas Science Technology Engineering Math Initiative. ture, ” with its emphasis on academic rigor, high expectations and shared core values. The success of those efforts would tapleton’s Denver School of Science and Technology For the second year in a row, the public charter high help the school realize its mission of having 100% of its stu - (DSST) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the school’s students have outscored their counterparts in the Den - dents meet state standards and graduate from a four-year SBill & Melinda Gates Foundation to explore expansion ver Public Schools and statewide on the Colorado Student college. of the highly successful school’s program to a secondary Assessment Program (CSAP) . The combination of DSST’s “We share a mission with DSST to prepare all students school model serving grades 6-12 and systemize programs outstanding performance on state assessments, an extraordinar - for college, work, and citizenship,” said Jim Shelton, pro - that may become the foundation for new schools elsewhere ily diverse student population, and a highly innovative school gram director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates in the nation. culture has made the school a promising model for advocates Foundation. “We are proud to (continued on page 4) Stapleton’s New Firehouse Dedicated Westerly Creek and Roberts to become separate schools School Board Approves Plan Mayor John Hickenlooper and City Council President Michael Hancock join Lt. Charlie Karl Jennifer Shouse, with Kelly Anolin, address the DPS School Board about their concerns of the Denver Fire Department Honor Guard saluting the flag as the ceremony begins for on the reconfiguration of Westerly Creek and Roberts schools at the the February 15th the dedication of the new Station 26 fire station at Stapleton. Board meeting. See story and photos on page 23 about life in the new firehouse. See story on page 8 for answers to your questions about the new school configuration. Printed with soy ink. Public Stapleton Forum on Rocks S.U.N. Local 3 N. Stapleton Kyle’s 15 Forum 20 Businesses 22 ✁ Mark Your CALENDAR FOR STAPLETON EVENTS EVERY MONTH MARCH Third Wednesday Tuesday, March 6 New Resident Orientation Meeting, North Stapleton General [Call Jenifer Graham at 720-249-5104 Development Plan Public Forum for time and location] 6:30 pm - 8: 30 pm 8340 E 49th Ave, Suite 200 (Main Street) Third Thursday Stapleton Citizens Advisory Board Mtg APRIL Stapleton Development Corp (SDC) 7350 East 29th Ave. 7:30 – 9am Saturday, April 28 [SDC 303.393.7700] Spring Festival Fourth Thursday Founder’s Green, time tba SUN Board Meeting at 7:00pm Assistant fire chiefs line up at the dedication ceremony for the new Stapleton Stapleton Development Corp, MAY fire station. large conference room Saturday, May 26 7350 E. 29th Ave. Pools open EVERY MONTH EVERY MONTH [[email protected]] First Saturday Every Tuesday First Wednesday Bluff Lake Birders JUNE AA Open Discussion Meeting Westerly Creek PTA Mtg 6:30 - 7:30pm Bluff Lake Nature Center 7 – 9am Bladium 7:30pm Westerly Creek Elementary School [BluffLakeNatureCenter.org Every Sunday [Joe Mc at 303.912.7075] [303.322.5877] 303.468.3240] Farmers Market 29th Ave Town Center 8:30am - 12:30pm Third Tuesday First Wednesday Second Saturday Stapleton Business Assoc. 8am “1st Wednesdays” NE Denver/Park Hill MS Self-Help Friday, June 8 Call for location Home-based businesses and Peer Support Group Stapleton Movie Night [Stapleton Foundation 303.393.7700] [Check StapletonLife.com for time & Pauline Robinson Library 10:15-11:45am Founders’ Green ~8:30pm place—most meetings 11:30am - 1pm] 5575 E 33rd Avenue Third Tuesday [Paula Sussman 303.813.6691] Saturday, June 16 Stapleton Cultural Arts Committee Second Wednesday Central Park Grand Opening 6 - 7pm Coral Room (odd numbered months only) Central Park, time tba S.U.N. Transportation Meeting SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS Fourth Tuesday Friday, June 29 3126 Elmira Ct 6:30 - 8:30pm of scenes that portray life at Stapleton for the Front Stapleton Cultural Arts Committee [Paul Frohardt [email protected]] Porch calendar. Email to [email protected].. Stapleton Movie Night 6 pm - 7 pm call for location Founders’ Green – Starts at dark [Jenifer Graham 720.249.5104] Dine In Take Out Delivery Party Trays Monthly Specials No MSG Taste of Asia at Stapleton See coupon on p. 16 Quebec Square Just east of PetsMart 303.388.8982 or 303.388.8983 Fax: 303-388-8938 Menu on line: www.ufeedme.com/ tasteofasia EDITOR: Tom Gleason, Forest City 303-382-1800 PRODUCTION by FinePrint The Stapleton Front Porch LLC is published by Forest 303-526-1969 [email protected] City 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 EDITOR: Kathy Epperson www.StapletonFrontPorch.com AD SALES: Karissa McGlynn Lowry and Green Valley Ranch. March 2007 Stapleton Front Porch 2 ✁ Fitzsimons Company Pursues Approval of Genetically Targeted Drug “Colorado Biotech Is Now Squarely on the Map Nationally” tapleton's Richard ment. When prescribed geneti - neighbor, Brewer, to cally, Bucindolol is projected to SFitzsi - help bring the be the most advanced treatment mons, is product to for a majority of U.S. heart fail - becoming market in the ure patients. nationally U.S. and “The results in the favorable known for its Europe. With genetic subsets are better with growing biotech more than 30 this drug than for any other industry. The years of drug in the class,” Bristow said. Fitzsimons Bio - biotech expe - He said what distinguishes science Park rience, Brewer ARCA CEO/President Bucindolol from two competitor opened in 2000 is well known Richard Brewer, M.D. drugs is pharmacogenetic target - and currently and respected ing. “That’s our value-added. It’s nice to know upfront just has two build - in the indus - who is going to benefit from a treatment.” ings. The Fitzsi - try. He is For more information visit www.arcadiscovery.com. mons Develop - teaming up ment Authority with ARCA selected Forest founder City as a devel - Michael Bris - opment partner tow, who was Bryce Keen holds vials that go in the high perfor - that analyzes blood plasma and looks for certain PUBLIC FORUM to complete the mance liquid chromatography machine behind him markers that correlate with genetic heart problems. also the buildout of the founder and 160-acre bioscience park, and growth of bioscience compa - former chief scientific officer of Myogen, one of Colorado’s North Stapleton nies in Colorado is expected to increase exponentially with biotech success stories. Bristow serves as ARCA’s Chairman that new development. The first companies are expected to and Chief Science and Medical Officer. He also is a Professor take occupancy of the new space in approximately 2008, and of Medicine and former Head of Cardiology at the University General Development Plan* the full buildout is projected for approximately 6.5 million of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. square feet of office and research facilities. Bristow and Brewer, who have overseen two of the biotech The most recent biotech headline news focuses on Fitzsi - industry’s most celebrated success stories, further increase Tuesday, March 6, 2007 mons-based biopharmaceutical company ARCA Discovery, Colorado’s reputation in the biotech field. Bristow stated that Inc.’s new drug application that could gain FDA approval as Brewer’s move from the biotech “hotbed” of California to 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm soon as 2008. ARCA received FDA clearance in early 2006 Colorado “means that Colorado biotech is now squarely on to submit a new drug application for Bucindolol, potentially the map nationally. That we can attract someone of the cal - 8340 E. 49th Avenue, Suite 200 the first genetically-targeted cardiovascular drug. That clear - iber of Richard Brewer shows that the state is moving for - Main Street in the Northfield Retail Center ance enabled ARCA to attract $15 million in venture capital ward.