We ask each family to bring one dozen cookies or brownies to share!

Decorate your bikes, strollers, scooters, wagons, dogs and yourself!

The parade starts at the corner of East Eastman and Magnolia, proceeds down Dartmouth, and ends at Hutchinson Park.

At the park, we will be playing games, awarding prizes and serving refreshments.

Please Note:
An important Wellshire East Annual Meeting will be held at the park immediately following the bicycle and costume judging (which is #1 on the picnic agenda).  Please plan to gather for this brief meeting around 10:00 AM.


Meeting Agenda:

• Treasurer's Report
• Election of Officers

             Currently:
                    President - Lois Kahn (Not up for reelection)
                    Vice-President - Joyce Butler (Not up for reelection)
                    Secretary - Marge Johnson
                    Treasurer - Lois Kahn (Not up for reelection)
             New Nomination:
                    Vice-President - Amanda Washer
             We encourage nomination of new officers.  If you have a nomination (be certain the person is willing to have his/her name submitted), email it to Lois Kahn or phone at 303-758-0092 by June 30, 2013.  Nominations may also be made from the floor.

• Open Topics
• Adjourn

Reminder: If you have not already provided your email address to receive matters of neighborhood interest and wish to do so, please contact Lois Kahn.

Hello Goldsmith Gulch Improvement Supporters,

Yes, with your help and support, we are still pursuing the idea of a multi-use path in Goldsmith Gulch between Eastman and Hampden. And it will be a huge improvement in the neighborhood! Before I ask you to please send CW Lehmann emails and letters showing your support for the Gulch path, I’ll fill you in on what has happened recently.

I have received Letters of Intent from the Gulch contiguous property owners, Tamarac Plaza, the office complex, and Tiffany Plaza, showing their support for putting a path in the Gulch between Hampden and Eastman. They have said they are willing to work with the City to make it happen. FYI, one of Tamarac Plaza’s tenants was recently hit by a car crossing Hampden. If anyone wants to see those letters, let me know and I’ll email them to you.

As I mentioned in an earlier email, I am on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC). MBAC will soon be sending a letter to CW Lehman’s office, and additionally to Denver Parks and Public Works, supporting construction of the path. Parks and Public Works attends our meetings and we have a very close working relationship with them. CW Lehmann needs a lot of encouragement! I’ll send that letter out to you as soon as it is sent out to CW Lehmann and you can follow up with your own supportive emails and letters at that time, also.

Recently, there was a blog by Council Members Debbie Ortega and Susan Shepard posted in the online version of The Denver Post about City Council and their vote to encourage pedestrian and bike infrastructure: Read the blog here .

Jeff Shoemaker, Executive Director of The Greenway Foundation, recently met with CW Lehmann to voice support for the path in the Gulch. He has worked tirelessly promoting the recreational the aspects and beneficial commercial opportunities that improved greenways provide.  

If you want to improve your neighborhood, please click here to email CW Lehmann. Tell CW Lehmann in your own words you want her to support a path in the Gulch – that the neighborhood needs this type of improvement when commercial interests like Target and Chick fil-A ignore our neighborhood’s best asset. Ask her to help make our neighborhood walkable and to help connect our waterways and parks with greenways!

Let me know if you have any questions or comments and please send names of any additional neighbors or organizations that will support the path.

Mark Kelley

TO ALL WELLSHIRE EAST HOMEOWNERS  and
REGISTERED VOTERS in DENVER    
       
There has been a lot of opposition to the action of our elected officials when, in April, agreed to trade the Natural Area (Hentzell Park) at apprx. E. Girard St. & S. Havana St. away from us in a real estate deal.
 
IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE & SETS A BAD PRECEDENT.
 
A petition has been formed to place a referendum on the ballot this fall repealing the ordinance that the officials have managed to get approved...........
 I have a portion of the petition here at my home, 6750 E. Eastman...for signatures.  Please contact me for further information....I also have names of others you may reach.  This is a very large movement with several lawyers involved. The committee hopes to get 6,000 signatures this weekend.  The drive will be on the entire month of June.  My home will be open Sunday, June 2 from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm for information and petition signing.  We can also make arrangements for me to come to your address.
 
Thank you for your concern in this matter.
 Lois Kahn

Here is some additional information provided by "Friends of Denver Parks":

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2013
Friends of Denver Parks, a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving Denver’s park land and natural areas, and two Denver citizens filed suit against City officials and Denver Public Schools, asking the Denver District Court to enjoin City officials from trading of 10.7 acres of park land to DPS in exchange for a downtown office building.

Denver attorney John Case represents the Plaintiffs on a pro bono basis. “The plaintiffs are not suing to benefit themselves. They are sacrificing their time and treasure to preserve this beautiful and unique area for all future generations. After the city sells a park, it is gone forever,” Case said.

The lawsuit claims that in 2011 agents of Mayor Hancock and DPS made a secret oral agreement to transfer 10.7 acres from Hampden Heights North Park. The land is part of the Paul Hentzell Natural Area, a unique 90 acre wildlife habitat along Cherry Creek that is inhabited by deer, fox, coyote, skunk, raccoon, muskrat, prairie dogs, rabbits, beaver, hummingbirds, chickadees, robins, sparrows, magpies, crows, woodpeckers, flickers, finches, doves, blackbirds, other small birds, butterflies, caterpillars, ant colonies, roly poly bugs, insects, crawdads, minnows, bull snakes, garter snakes, ducks, geese, heron, owls, and hawks. Before white men came to the region, native Americans hunted bison and deer along Cherry Creek, leaving arrowheads that can still be found. As prospectors came to Denver looking for gold, they established the historic Cherry Creek Trail, which meanders through the park and is used by thousands of bicyclists each week.

The lawsuit claims that City officials own the park as trustees in trust for the benefit of citizens who elect them. The suit claims that the land swap deal violates Section 2.4.5 of the Denver City Charter, which prohibits City officials from transferring park land without a vote of the people. Denver clerk and recorder Debra Johnson is also a defendant, because she forbade the Plaintiffs from circulating a petition to repeal the land swap.
Renee Lewis, president of Friends of Denver Parks, said, “First the City attorney told us the land swap was a done deal. Then the clerk and recorder told us we could not circulate a petition to repeal the deal without her permission. She said we had to sue before we could petition our own government. So we sued. Lots of people are circulating our petition, and lots of voters are signing our petition. The right of Denver citizens to govern themselves is at stake.”

Copies of the legal documents may be viewed on the websitewww.FriendsOfDenverParks.org