Issue 133

Residents in the new Stapleton neighborhoods purchased their homes long after Dick’s Sporting Goods Park held its first concerts. Some who moved into the area believed things would change after they moved in. “I guess I knew there was a giant stadium that hosted events a couple miles from my house,” said Wicker Park resident Jennifer Meehan. “But, I expected that to change after we moved in. We were also told by the builder the noise wasn’t bad and all the concerts were done by 10PM, and they had no reason to lie to us.” Other residents in the area are also disappointed in the noise coming from Dick’s during concerts. “It turns out, concerts can sometimes be really loud,” said Willow Park East resident Jim Hayes. “I guess I thought it would be a lot of acoustic stuff, or unplugged gigs. But, it seems these concerts are using amplifiers, drums, bass guitar, the whole shebang.” Unbelievably, a spokesman for Dick’s says they plan to continue to host concerts, despite residents moving into the area nine years after they began hosting events. “We absolutely want to be good neighbors,” said spokesperson Nancy Wolf. “But, we had a long term plan for how we would use the area, and concerts and music events were a part of that long before housing was beginning to be built over there. We definitely are not trying to be disruptive, but we have to stick with our long term plans and goals as well.” Resident Megan Walker doesn’t see things the same way. “As soon as homes began being built in North Stapleton, Dick’s should have begun rethinking their strategies,” said Walker. “Cities need to always look after their homeowners, especially a Stapleton homeowner. I think things will end up being changed over there. Stapleton residents will mobilize and shut down or at least curb the concerts at Dick’s.” Some residents in the area aren’t bothered by the concerts. “I enjoy the free concerts,” said resident Colleen Hansen. “We knew when we moved over here from Eastbridge there would be concert noise on occasion. It’s really not a big deal. Plus, we didn’t like being next to the jail in Eastbridge, but we couldn’t tell the jail to move. A lot of people don’t like living next to Aurora, but can we move the city over? You kind of have to know what you are getting into and take the good with the bad. It’s just loud music.” North Stapleton residents are beginning a movement to quiet the noise. “These bands have other options,” said Hayes. “They could listen through wireless headphones, the concerts could be done by 9PM, and only be held on Fridays. So, these are the kinds of things we are looking for. Compromise. That’s all we ask.” The noise from Stapleton residents complaining about Dick’s is expected to quickly become louder than any concert being held there. ]]>

A recent article in the Front Porch discusses the aging of Stapleton homes and the subsequent repainting of them. Many residents are choosing vibrant colors over the drab colors of their homes when they first purchased them. “There just wasn’t a lot of color on our block,” said Stapleton resident Robin Becker. “So, when we decided we needed to repaint, we choose a bright green color that would stand out. Not sure if the neighbors like it, as it looks like Dr. Seuss may have chosen our color, but we love it.” Other residents have gone through the same process. “It was definitely time to repaint our home,” said resident Paige Barnum. “We didn’t want to do the same old drab color we had, so we went with a bright yellow color. It reminded me of a place I lived growing up in southern Florida. We really like it.” As homes begin to get more colorful, Stapleton residents do not. Recent reports show a higher percentage of white people moving to Stapleton than any other Denver community. In fact, statistics in Stapleton have stopped using percentages for non-whites moving to Stapleton and simply use the actual number. “Statistically, the percentages were so low it was meaningless,” said statistician Ben Wollenzien. “The actual number is easier to use, and more meaningful.” The Stapleton community continues to struggle in attracting non-whites to the neighborhood. Until something is figured out, residents will have to count on their homes to bring color to the community. ]]>

The City of Denver recently dropped trash cans off to all Denver residences in an effort to ease the pickup and processing of trash in Denver. Denver and Stapleton residents will no longer be able to use their old trash cans or just throw bags out in their alley. Residents would be left with useless trash cans taking up space only being used the one time every four weeks for trash overflow day. Luckily, there would be a trash can recycle day in Stapleton held at Bill Roberts. Residents would be able to come and drop off their old trash cans, listen to some live music, grab some beer and food, and spend time hanging out with friends and neighbors. Or at least they thought. [Read more…] about Residents Disappointed in Lack of Pomp for “Trash Can Recycle Day”

The trendy new ‘challenge’ making its way through Facebook is the “Love Your Spouse challenge.” The basic concept is that the challenge will help couples celebrate their love by posting seven days’ worth of joyful photos of their wonderful marriage on Facebook. After being tagged in the spouse challenge, the person tagged can then nominate others for the 7-day challenge. Many people find the challenge to be a good reminder of their love for their spouse, but others find the concept a little nauseating, like Stapleton resident Chad Murphy. “People already do cheesy crap by posting things like, ‘happy birthday to the greatest wife ever,’” said Murphy. “Well, you live with her. Maybe give her a card instead of posting it on Facebook.” Murphy despises all sentimental thoughts couples share with each other through their computers. “People are always going over the top about being married to the best wife ever, best mom ever, best dad ever, and so on. Save something for their documentary, or maybe send them a private note letting them know you appreciate how fantastic they are. It’s just really, really showy when people publicly proclaim their love for a significant other.” [Read more…] about Stapleton Dad Starts “Annoy Your Spouse Challenge”

The hit new game Pokémon GO is a free-to-play, location-based augmented reality game that has been downloaded over 100 million times and is being played by people all over the country. With Stapleton’s massive “tween” population, hundreds of Stapleton kids are out and about playing the game. Many parents, however, don’t seem to mind. “The game is nice because it makes kids get out of the house and run, walk, or ride their bike to do whatever they are doing in that game,” said parent Amy Clinton. “Kids are out exploring, instead of sitting still on the couch for three hours like they normally do.” Parent Kalyn Closson also is okay with her kids playing the game. “Instead of sitting around texting people all day, they compete with them by getting out of the house,” said Closson. “It’s great to not have to yell at my kids to get outside. With this new game, regardless of how ridiculous it is, at least they’re not in the house.” [Read more…] about Stapleton Golf Cart Owners Missing True Spirit of Pokémon GO

A DPS investigation into potential corruption at Swigert Elementary in regards to school choice has come up empty. “We were unable to find any evidence which would support that Principal Hinton tampered with any files which would have given students or families an unjust benefit to getting choiced in to Swigert outside of the normal protocol,” said special investigator Lee Street. “At this time, we consider the investigation to be complete, and no further action will be taken. Principal Hinton will continue to be the acting Principal at Swigert.” Street went on to say that although the investigation did not turn up any incriminating evidence, there was evidence that about 3,000 emails had been permanently deleted off of the DPS server which had been sent or received by Principal Hinton. “We now know that about 3,000 emails have been deleted from the DPS server, and will not be recoverable,” said Street. “Principal Hinton has been issued a verbal and written warning for this irresponsible behavior. However, without having any emails with incriminating evidence, the case has been closed.” [Read more…] about School Choice Investigation Shows Swigert Principal Deleted Roughly 3,000 Emails

Stapleton resident Marc Ortner has two kids, a six year old boy and a four year old girl. The family often listens to music together and the kids enjoy dancing and singing to songs. Although Marc is not a fan of most music that can be found on the radio or music kids find appealing, he of course thinks it is enjoyable to watch his kids sing and dance. “Although the music is not my thing, I definitely enjoy watching the kids dance around,” said Ortner. “They have some really good moves, and it typically distracts me from the crappy music.” The music they listen to is typically a Disney station or the popular collection, ‘Kidz Bop.’ The only time Ortner listens to the kid-friendly music is when he is at home with the kids, or driving with the kids in the car. [Read more…] about Stapleton Dad Disappointed In Self After Listening to ‘Kidz Bop’ Without Kids in Car

Resident Matt Walsworth has lived in Stapleton since the beginning in 2002. He loves his neighbors, the neighborhood, and all the great things Stapleton has to offer. Matt has lived in the East 29th Ave. neighborhood, before moving to Eastbridge, then moving to Bluff Lake, and is now waiting for his home to be completed in Willow Park East. Matt’s family circumstances have not changed, nor has his needs for a different sized home. “I have really enjoyed all of my homes and all of the neighborhoods,” said Walsworth. “And it’s not that I enjoy moving, because, in fact, I do not. However, there is one thing I for sure dislike more than moving, and that is home maintenance. I mean, I don’t want to have to repaint, replace a water heater, a dishwasher, the air conditioning, or any of that stuff. So, I just make sure I have a move in the works every five years or so, so I can get out long before things start breaking down.” Matt’s wife says she is fine with the moves, as it is kind of a fun adventure for the family. “The kids get to meet more friends, and get new rooms,” said Stephanie, Matt’s wife. “They are always a little annoyed at first, but in the end, the enjoy the new place just as much as our previous one.” [Read more…] about Stapleton Resident Plans Move Every Five Years to Avoid Home Maintenance