Several months ago, Forest City announced the development of more neighborhoods north of 56th Street into the Rocky Mountain Arsenal area. More recently, the massive development company announced further expansion south and west. In fact, the new plans show Stapleton moving in and taking over neighborhoods including but not limited to Park Hill, Congress Park, Baker, and all the way Southwest to Mar Lee. “We’re aware it’s a pretty aggressive plan,” said Forest City President Phil Dargossi. “We’re always looking into growth. And the best opportunity for growth right now is moving west. Sure, we could move towards Green Valley Ranch, but there is a lot more work to do if we move that direction. We can gobble up these older, quaint neighborhoods, rebrand them a little, and suddenly they’re Stapleton boroughs.” [Read more…] about Forest City Announces Aggressive Growth Plan for Stapleton

In an effort to “make things right,” the new King Soopers will be offering special discount cards to current Eastbridge residents once they open this fall. “We know the people of this great neighborhood have long suffered,” said Kroger spokesperson Jay Shaffer. “On top of the great deals King Soopers and Kroger brand stores already offer, we will be giving our special Eastbridge residents an extra five percent off. This offer will continue in perpetuity, and we will consider this reparations for the extended period of time it took for us to get a grocery store here. We know we can never completely make up for the injustices we caused, but we hope this is a step in the right direction.” [Read more…] about Reparations: New Soopers to Offer Additional Discount to Eastbridge Residents

The Eastbridge Town Center is moving along quickly, and with the impending fall completion of the center, local residents can expect a nearby grocer, great restaurants , and even an ice cream shop. These exciting changes will bring increased traffic to the Eastbridge neighborhood, which is a concern for local residents. “The benefit of having a town center so close is being able to walk over to it,” said Eastbridge resident Zach Buchan. “If we can’t find a safe, effective biking or walking route, it definitely loses some appeal.” Resident Amanda Hall has a similar viewpoint. “We already know the traffic is going to get a little crazy,” said Hall. “But, if we can walk there to do our eating, drinking, and shopping, it takes the sting away a little bit. I won’t be near as psyched if we have some antiquated way of crossing over to the center from Eastbridge.” [Read more…] about City of Denver: “Pedestrians Can ‘Frogger’ Their Way to Eastbridge Town Center”

This year’s Westerly Creek Fishing Derby caught national headlines when part-time resident Eric Springer landed what’s now being called “The Freak from the Creek”. Springer’s 15oz largemouth bass is a new state record for Boat Assisted Urban Creek Synthetic Jig Fishing, a category specific to this type of event. The previous record was a 12oz largemouth bass pulled from the Pueblo River Walk in 1992. “I’m just as surprised as you are,” Springer said of the “Freak”. “It was so late in the day when I hooked her that I had all but given up on catching anything.” [Read more…] about Record Breaking Fish Snagged in Westerly Creek

Several months ago, a sign was placed on 29th and Central Park Blvd. to remind residents to lock their vehicles and homes. Last week, a similar sign was placed on MLK by the fire station hoping to deter crime in Stapleton. The message was simple: “Thieves, stop breaking N2 cars. We are watching you.” For potential thieves, the sign can be quite foreboding. “If I was a thief and I found out police may be watching me, I guess I would be less likely to commit a crime,” said Stapleton resident Sandy Johnson. “More than anything, I guess it serves as a reminder to the community that we do have a police presence here in Stapleton. So, we’ve got that going for us.” Other residents were not quite as encouraged by the signage. “When I was driving by and read the sign, I laughed so hard I spit my beer out,” said resident Tom Christin. “It was absolutely perfect. Not sure if it will deter any crime here, but it probably gave most residents a good chuckle.” Resident David Clinton agrees. “I’m pretty sure the sign isn’t going to affect crime in any significant way,” said Clinton. “But, it did affect how good of a mood I was in when I was driving home from work every day. Damn, that sign was funny. The only thing I wish is that they would have changed the wording up a little every day. But, probably didn’t want to tamper with comic genius.” Denver Police Chief Robert White says the sometimes comical signs can be helpful. “Signs are continuously reminding people not to do things,” said White. “That’s why we have street signs. You don’t have to obey them, but there’s a chance police are watching you and you will get a ticket. Same concept here. Criminals may ignore the sign, but there is a chance they will get caught.” White says the data has not been fully gathered to determine whether the signs had any effect on crime in the last couple of weeks. “We will tabulate the crimes and calls in the next month which will give us an idea if it served as any deterrent at all,” said White. If so, the DPD says they will continue to use the signs and place them strategically around Stapleton. They have asked for the community’s help in verbiage for the signs. If you have an idea for what the sign should say, please email your idea to The Stapletonion at stapletonion@gmail.com. We will send the best ones off to the DPD, as well as include in one of our issues or post on our Facebook Page. Thank you for your continued support in developing a crime free neighborhood. *Editor’s Note: We were unable to get a picture of the actual sign (yes, a sign like this absolutely existed). If you have one, please send to us. Our photographer has since been fired for his recklessness and inability to get this photo. ]]>

Scott Gerbracht is a parent at Bill Roberts school in Stapleton. He often drives his kids to school, which he would enjoy if it wasn’t for “all the horrible f*cking drivers.” “I can’t believe how bad people are at driving, parking, obeying rules, etc.,” said Gerbracht. “It is unreal. Almost every day I would take my kids to school, and almost every day I would see almost incomprehensible driving.” For that reason, Gerbracht worked with the school and the district to set up a mandatory summer driver’s education program for all parents who have returning or incoming students at Bill Roberts. [Read more…] about Bill Roberts to Require Summer Driver’s Ed For Stapleton Parents

Last Wednesday, an emergency meeting of the Stapleton Community Olympic Committee (SCOC) was held to announce the immediate withdrawal of Stapleton’s bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. According to SCOC President Dr. Mark Noren, growing concerns over the Zika virus and Brazil’s seeming inability to contain it during this summer’s Olympic games motivated the withdrawal. “This is a very sad day. Stapleton is one of the most competitive communities in all of Colorado and usually wins at everything. Hosting an Olympic games is a goal most definitely aligned with our community’s values.” [Read more…] about Zika Virus Fears End Stapleton 2028 Olympic Bid

Stapleton has long had an issue with petty crime, and growth and access to the Denver community only increases these opportunities for criminals. Although Stapleton has a low rate of violent crimes, there seems to be a high incidence of package theft, bike theft, and other unattended items in open garages. Recently, disturbing news was reported that thieves had stolen milk out of people’s milk boxes. “We called Longmont Dairy to let them know we didn’t receive our milk,” said resident Leah Ross. “They said that we weren’t the only ones in the area reporting that, and said they felt it was probably stolen. Seriously? Who steals milk?” Resident Jenny Hickey was also disturbed to hear the news. “I mean, I can deal with the sound of gun shots, a few packages being taken, but taking people’s food is crossing the line,” said Hickey. “You’re a dick when you take a package, but you’re a complete dick when you take milk. How do those people sleep at night? I guess after drinking some warm milk?” [Read more…] about Thieves Next Big Heist: Shirts Off Stapletonian's Backs