Wow – it’s already July! Not only are we going to be celebrating 250 years of the United States on July 4th, but we are also going to be celebrating 150 years of Colorado’s statehood on August 1st. Make sure you attend Visit Denver’s Sunset Cinema celebration on July 3rd at Sculpture Park with a showing of National Treasure followed by the 4th of July Drone Show! “Doors” open at 5:30 p.m., movie at 7:00 p.m., and drone show at 9:15 p.m. Before the show, head to Sundae’s flagship store at 16th and Glenarm for an ice cream sundae – another American treasure!
UpDoNA Annual Meeting – Thanks to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting at Maggiano’s. We oversold the place! Mayor Johnston arrived right on time and stayed a bit longer than he had planned to answer many questions. We also heard from Jeff Hoover with Veo, and from Doug Tisdale, Chair of the Downtown Denver Development Authority Board. Also in attendance were Council Members Hinds and Watson, and Commander Bowser and Officer Knabe. Many thanks to our Social Committee and the Maggiano’s staff for an excellent event with delicious appetizers and food.
UpDoNA Board Election Results: Congratulations to Gil Vondrasek and Paul Melinkovich for being reelected to our board. I’d also like to welcome our two new board members, Steve Ridge, a Spire resident, and Tony Martinelli, owner of West Saloon and Kitchen. Both have already been put to work. Thanks to Brent Strausbaugh, a One Lincoln Park resident, who served as our Treasurer for the last two years, and thanks to Chris Marseilles, a Spire resident, who also served on our board the last two years. Both will be missed.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS for another huge UpDoNA event. It is our 4th Annual Downtown Denver National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4th, from 4:30-7:30 p.m., at Skyline Park 1. Although the size of the park limits our space, we are still growing every year with sponsors and vendors who want to be a part of this very important event. Michael Spencer, Channel 4 News Anchor, will be the emcee again this year. We also have all our special guests coming back including Mayor Johnston, CM Hinds, DPD Chief Thomas, DFD Chief Fulton, RTD Chief Martingano, Commander Bowser, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, fire engines and more. We are also working with Street Soccer USA to schedule some pick-up games with the Denver Police Department. You won’t want to miss this year’s event. We are also looking for volunteers. If you can volunteer for an hour shift, please contact Carol Wayne at Wayne.CarolA@gmail.com. See you there!
UpDoNA Shirt Sales – don’t forget to order your UpDoNA polo shirt. It’s a great way to promote UpDoNA and Upper Downtown. Orders will close on Friday, July 10th, so order quickly. Polyester shirts are $43.00 and cotton shirts are $30.00 including shipping and tax. UpDoNA is not profiting from these shirt sales.
Payment can be made by Venmo or check (Venmo is preferred). You can Venmo Rob Squire directly @Rob-Squire (last 4 digits of phone number 7065) or checks can be made out to Rob. On the order form, please note how you will pay for your shirt(s). Payment should be made when the order is placed, but no later than Friday, July 17. Please note: these shirts are customized with our UpDoNA logo, so they are not returnable. All sales are final. Use link to order your shirt(s). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdX7jtB9xD_FVuxqUUA-B2aVXAi3HbcIFLgD9C4HnJQhBcRCA/viewform?usp=publish-editor
Denver Rewards Residents Who Shift 2! Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, and the Denver Regional Council of Governments are encouraging residents to “Shift 2” trips a week away from driving to alternative forms of transportation and earn rewards!
Participants who shift two trips each week through the Shift2 program are entered into monthly prize drawings. Shift2 gives away approximately $1,000 in gift cards each month and features local restaurants and businesses. The program is for people who live and work in Denver and lasts through the end of the year. Use this link for more information: www.denvergov.org/shift2
Skyline Parks 2 and 3 – Construction is already well underway for the changes coming to Skyline Park 2. Upgrades include a canopy and stage, interactive water feature that will turn into the skating rink in the winter, a concession building, improved/repaired Halprin Sculpture, and shaded seating. During the later part of June, Skyline Park 3 had some improvements. The temporary pickle ball court was changed to a temporary basketball court, a new fence was installed around the temporary dog park, and the Skynets Over Downtown temporary art installation was installed. The basketball courts are ready for play and will be up through Labor Day Weekend, so grab your friends and play ball!
Don’t forget to visit all three Skynets Over Downtown – Union Station, Skyline Park 3, and Glenarm Plaza!
Have a great Fourth of July! I talk to you again in August!
Lisa L. Pope
President
Thumbnail attribution: Leo Marce
