Most parents appreciate the importance of a child’s education, and therefore, put lots of thought into where their child will attend school. Stapleton is a great example of this, as many residents moved from their hip Denver neighborhood specifically for the possibility of a stronger education for their children. “We used to live in the Highlands,” says Stapleton resident Allie Haugen. “We planned to stay there, but once our son turned one, we had to confront the fact that we would have to send him to private school or would have to move. So, here we are.” Stapleton schools are almost always a hot topic of conversation, whether it be the boundary issue, where a school will be located, or the style of teaching a school will use. And with school choice coming up quickly, Stapleton schools once again dominate parents’ conversations. [Read more…] about Mothers of Pre-Schoolers Discuss Something Other Than Where Kids Will Attend School

The Elf on the Shelf tradition goes all the way back to 2005. That’s right, just 2005. That means parents right now are responsible for anywhere the tradition goes down the family tree. No current parents had an Elf on the Shelf when they were growing up, so our generation is completely and wholly accountable for this custom. And with traditions, you have to take the good with the bad. The minute you purchased that little mythical creature in Pandora’s box and showed it to your kids, you took on a great responsibility. Probably a greater responsibility than you should bare. I mean, the tradition of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas, has been around for centuries. Rudolph the oddball reindeer has been around for over 70 years. Heck, even the Easter Bunny has been around for over 300 years. So, with these holiday institutions, we just took the handoff, and the coach told us exactly where to run with the ball. But now, with OUR tradition, we are calling the plays. And like any first year coach or quarterback, there are bound to be some rookie mistakes (see Manziel). [Read more…] about Elf on Shelf “Tradition” Brings Good, Bad to Christmas

The Breitenbach’s have always had a good sense of humor about their respective families’ differences in religious beliefs. Zack Breitenbach comes from a Jewish family and his wife Cynthia, comes from a Lutheran family. When they first decided to get married, there were of course some concerns from each of their families. Eventually, these concerns were forgotten, with each family accepting a new person into their family. “It was never that big of a deal,” says Zack. “We knew we wanted to be married, and our families would quickly become supportive.” Cynthia says her family was pretty understanding from the beginning. “My family is Lutheran,” says Cynthia. “So, pretty much anything goes. It’s not like we are those judgmental Catholics. I mean, those people are judgmental.” [Read more…] about Holiday ‘House Divided’ Flag Gets Mixed Reviews from Community

Forest City continues to drag its feet when it comes to creating a viable town center in Eastbridge. And although the layout of the 29th St. Town Center is pretty good, there is probably more retail turnover than what Forest City or residents would have expected. So, Forest City chooses to sit on the sidelines and watch as Stanley Marketplace and the Fitzsimons Campus begin to develop. [Read more…] about Forest City Waiting to Learn from Aurora’s “Mistakes”

The private Facebook page ‘Stapleton Swap’ has made waves in recent months as the best way to buy and sell items in Stapleton. Other sites, such as the popular Stapleton Moms Big Tent Group, had previously served as top dog when it came to local online garage sale-ing. But the Stapleton Swap site has apparently made things better for users. [Read more…] about Ebay to Purchase Stapleton Swap for $100 Million

Close your eyes and imagine someone stealing packages off of Stapleton porches during the holiday season. Now brace yourself for the reality that this Grinch is a white chick. According to a recent 9 News story, an unidentified (as of this story) lady was captured stealing a package off of a Stapleton porch by a surveillance camera. “It is really quite disturbing,” says resident Kathy Sifers. “Pretty gutsy walking right up onto someone’s porch during the day and just taking something of their porch. Ridiculous.” [Read more…] about Unlikely Grinch Stealing Stapleton Christmas

Stapleton residents have long battled the infestation of the prairie dogs, and residents have taken different sides on the most humane solution to their overpopulation. Many residents want the rodents removed at all costs, where others feel that every animal is an important part of our ecosystem, and relocating them should be the only option considered. While that battle continues, a new battle may have emerged. Geese have taken over Stapleton’s Central Park. “It’s really pretty crazy,” says resident Erin Ortner. “Sure, it’s cool, up until you want to go play at the park. Then you are just running around in goose poop for as far as you can see. It has to be a health hazard.” Amy Battenfield agrees. “They seem like fine birds,” says Battenfield. “But are we really going to put their safety and health ahead of our own and our children? We have to do something before all of Stapleton is covered in goose poop.” Many residents feel that drastic measures should be taken immediately. “I think we should begin the poisoning,” says resident Jim Gates. “No waiting, no debate, just start poisoning the hell out of them.” Joel Johnson believes that there is a more humane way to rid Stapleton of its geese problem. “Close the park for a day, and allow me and a couple friends to use them as target practice. The ones we don’t hit will head back to Canada where they belong.” Not all residents are enthusiastic about ridding Stapleton of the plentiful waterfowl. “The kids love seeing them,” says Laurianne Mason. “It seems like they are always here for a specific time, and not year round like the prairie dogs. Plus, I hate to categorize them with those disgusting prairie dogs.” Ornithologist Justin Bidler says that killing off the geese is not the right thing to do. “Geese represent no danger to people. Just let them be, and they eventually will fly away. I think it is ridiculous to even be considering doing anything. What kind of crazy, reactionary community is this?” SUN and the MCA say that community members have been in contact with them, but there have been no plans on dealing with the situation. “Right now, we are just gathering information,” says SUN President Mike Victoria. “At this point it is just a wait and see.” MCA President Liza Kampstra had a similar offering. “It’s not open season on the geese quite yet. Understand that what is good for the prairie dog isn’t always good for the gander.” ]]>

Stapleton is home to more kids’ birthday parties per capita than probably any place on the planet. On top of that, several people turned forty this year, and there are always theme parties and several direct giving parties for the schools. So, when party-throwers need to get party supplies, they want to make the trip as efficient as possible. What better place to go than a place completely stocked on things for parties? [Read more…] about Check Out at Party City Causes Customer to Not Want to Party