What are the odds?

Volume 2014, Issue 3
ALLEY ART
HISTORIC DENVER
LAUNCHES LODO
WALKING TOUR
It’s sweeping the alleys!
What are the
odds?
By Wendy Lesko
I remember the initial excitement and
enthusiasm when we had five alley artworks and I said: "Imagine if we had
thirty mosaics in the alleys”. People
rolled their eyes and said no way.
Ellen and Steve Haverl, our neighbors
to the south, have turned the possibility
into a reality. Naturally, without the
other 29, we would not have 30! Look
for “Alley Cat” just south of Mississippi
in between S Clayton St and S Fillmore
St. Joy Allman recently unveiled:
“Sometimes You Have To Kiss Alot of
Frogs” in the library alley.
In addition to the number thirty milestone, Alley Cat represents another big
achievement for Bonnie Brae. We have
inspired another neighborhood to develop their communal artistic talent,
grow strong bonds with their neighbors
and keep the alleys special. It’s a winwin. Alley Cat is the second mosaic in
the Cory Merrill neighborhood. (Mary
Beth and Tony Church were the first
with Francis of the Alley. Just south of
Mississippi in between S Clayton St and
S Elizabeth St.)
Bonnie Brae Alley Artists clearly
have something to be proud of.
Linda Roberts (Flower Power – Lilies
of the Alley) is targeting her alley to be
the first with 100% participation. Donna and Bill Mercer are working on number 31.
Aim high. Consider the possibilities.
Imagine if we had 60 pieces….
Wendy
www.bonniebraealleyart.com
wendylesko@msn.com
“Alley Cat”
Ellen and Steve Haverl
“Sometimes You Have To Kiss Alot of
Frogs”
Joy Allman
It’s Right Around
the Corner!
The Bonnie Brae
neighborhood picnic
is Sunday, September
7th.
Historic Denver - Historic Denver launched
Historic Denver Tours,
a new historic walking
tour program, on July
12. According to a
recent attendee, “The
Lodo Walking Tour provides Denver
history and architecture in a lively tour
that brings to life the buildings I have
passed by many times in LoDo. I
highly recommend it, and now want to
go on many more walking tours!”
The tour program debuted with the
LoDo Walking Tour, which tells the
story of Denver’s founding, the arrival
and impact of the railroad, the way
buildings grew up around Union Station, and the transformation of the
neighborhood – now a national model
for how to balance preservation and
development.
Historic Denver Tours, modeled
after the award-winning Chicago Architectural Foundation tours, provide
just the right mix of history, architecture and fascinating stories to bring
Denver’s history and personality alive.
Historic Denver intends to roll-out a
robust roster of tours of diverse
neighborhoods across the city over the
next several years.
Locals and tourists are invited to
take part in a LoDo Walking Tour to
get a sense of what it felt like to arrive
in and live in Denver at the turn of the
20th century, learn the reasons the
neighborhood became a hot-spot, and
understand the architecture that still
makes Lower Downtown unique. All
tours are be led by passionate and carefully trained docents who are experts
in all things Denver!
(Continued on page 3)
Bonnie Brae Neighborhood
Association
Board of Directors & Steering
Committee:
President
Lynn Crist
303-887-0630
lynncrist@comcast.net
Vice-President
Evan Anderman
evan@evananderman.com
2014 Bonnie Brae Board Meetings
Annual Picnic and
Neighborhood Meeting
Sun. September 7th
November 19
Treasurer
Barbara Drews
303-733-1995
Secretary
Renee Arrington
reneearrington@mindspring.com
Newsletter Editor
Mike Slattery
303-722-6856
mslats64@aol.com
Technology Director
David Anderson
dwanders@NetWin.com
Zoning & Variances
Greg VanBuskirk
303-753-1485
If you have not already sent in your dues
for 2014, please do so to help us fund our
annual picnic and this newsletter. Please
enclose your BBNA Membership Fee of
$10 for the calendar year 2014 to:
Barb Drews
BBNA Treasurer
714 South Elizabeth Street
Denver, CO 80209
Past President
Mary Broere
A big thank you to the hosts for
2014. Your generosity to open your
homes to your neighbors is much appreciated. As always, the parties are well
attended and a good time is had by all. If
you are new to the neighborhood or unfamiliar with the Wine Group, send email
to wendylesko@msn.com to learn more
and get on the invite list.
The group meets the 3rd Saturday of
every month to enjoy good food, great
wine and their neighbors. The host supplies the wine and guests bring a dish to
share, a wine glass and money to pay for
the wine.
The Bonnie Brae
Neighborhood Picnic is
Sunday, Sept 7th.
Curb & Gutter Hotline.................. (720) 913-4574
To report any problems with the curbs and gutters
within the Denver corporate limits
Dead Animal Pickup..................... (720) 865-6900
Bonnie Brae Neighborhood Association
www.bonniebraeneighborhood.org
City of Denver ..................................................311
www.denvergov.org
Denver Water................................ (303) 628-6000
www.denverwater.org
Noise Control................................ (720) 865-5452
Call for violation of noise ordinance, including
construction noise
EMERGENCY................................................911
BBNA logo designed by
Victoria Eubanks Design
Newsletter Submittals:
We encourage you to participate in
supplying items of interest to the
community for this publication. You must
have material for inclusion in the next
edition of the newsletter, to our editor by
Nov 1, 2014
Please submit all material to:
Michael Slattery
988 Bonnie Brae Blvd
Denver, CO 80209
mslats64@aol.com
Ask Bonnie & Brae:
BonnieandBrae@aol.com
Fire Dept (district 3)................... (303) 698-4921
Neighborhood Inspection Services
Complaint Line ............................. (720) 865-3200
Police ............................................ (720) 913-2000
Recycling ...................................... (720) 865-6805
RTD / Bus & Light Rail ............... (303) 299-6000
Councilman Charlie Brown.......... (720) 337-6666
http://www.denvergov.org/CouncilDistrict6
Speeding Enforcement.................. (720) 865-6905
Animal Control............................. (303) 698-0076
Cats and Dogs must be vaccinated and licensed.
Call to report barking or vicious dogs, dog at large.
No snakes, poisonous reptiles, pit bulls, or livestock. Leash laws enforced.
Snow Removal.............................. (720) 865-6855
Better Business Bureau ................ (303) 758-2100
Street Sweeping ............................ (720) 865-6855
Cable TV Complaints................... (720) 913-8888
City Attorney ................................ (720) 865-8600
Trash Pickup ................................. (720) 865-6900
To find information on scheduled pick-ups or largeitem pickup
Clerk & Recorder ......................... (720) 865-8400
Zoning Permits ............................. (720) 865-3200
Crime Stoppers Hotline ................ (720) 913-7867
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Street Maintenance ....................... (720) 865-6855
To report potholes, damaged streets or alleys,
inoperable traffic signals, etc.
Write this on the
palm of your
hand!
The Bonnie Brae
neighborhood picnic
is Sunday, September
7th.
(Continued from page 1)
The LoDo Walking Tour starts and
ends at the historic Denver Union Station, lasts approximately 75 minutes
and covers about one mile of walking.
Tickets cost just $15 for the general
public and for $12 for members of Historic Denver, Inc. and the Molly Brown
House Museum. Tours are offered at 1
p.m. on Fridays, and at 10 a.m., and 1
p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets may be
purchased
online
at
www.historicdenver.org, by phone at
800-979-3370, and in person at the
Molly Brown House Museum or the
Visitor Information Center at 16th and
California in downtown Denver.
About Historic Denver
Historic Denver is the organization
for those who love Denver. For 44
years, Historic Denver has led the way
by providing ideas and actions for the
places that give Denver its character.
Historic Denver owns and operates the
Molly Brown House Museum, provides
education and technical assistance for
owners of historic properties, houses
the Denver Story Trek and Discover
Denver projects, and actively engages
in community dialogue about the vibrancy created through the dynamic
mix of old and new.
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Monique Hansen
303-963-6049
Laura Genty
303-408-3589
laura_genty@yahoo.com
Daniela Masur
303-744-8745
dcmasur@q.com
Rebekah Krieg
303-919-6558 (c)
rebekahlovesblitz@yahoo.com
Anna Sablik
303-590-8558
igetufit@gmail.com
First Aid and CPR certified
Lizzy Howard and Lucy Sobel
Operation Babysitting
720-545-6302
elizahoward0@gmail.com
Red Cross Certified
Sheena Marshall
864-415-8591
sheenalynnmarshall@gmail.com
If you would like to be included please
send your contact information to
mslats64@aol.com.
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RECYCLING
Back to School with Recycling
and Composting in Mind
Spotlight on Denver Public Schools
(DPS) – Denver Recycles is proud to
partner with DPS to provide recycling
services and recycling education to all
eligible Denver Public Schools facilities.
Last year DPS students and teachers
recycled 700 tons of recyclables that
would have otherwise ended up in a
landfill! With a growing number of
schools in the DPS system also adding
compost collection to their lunchrooms
through the Food to Flowers Lunchroom
Composting program, the number of
total tons diverted from the landfill is
Decrease pain AND sculpt
your body? Sounds too
good to be true but Pilates
does it all.
Many people have heard of Pilates but
don’t understand how it differs from
yoga, weight-training, or core exercises.
The Pilates equipment is designed to
tone your body while lengthening the
individual muscle fibers. This results in
shaping long, lean muscles while improving overall strength and flexibility.
Unlike weight-training which can increase muscle bulk and create tightness
in muscles and joints, pilates utilizes a
spring system that stretches the muscles
while challenging them to strengthen
against the spring resistance.
Pilates can also help with common
issues that will affect most of us at some
point in our lives. Back pain is estimated to affect 80% of Americans
throughout their lifetime and is the number one cause of disability in individuals
under age 45. In most cases of back
pain, the small, deep muscles that are
close to the spine and provide stability
are not properly engaging. This can
cause over-firing of other muscles, such
as the spinal extensors, which results in
more pain and compression. Pilates is
designed to retrain the stabilizing muscles while strengthening the core muscles. This results in a balance of muscles
growing even larger. Last year, the 18
schools enrolled in the school compost
program diverted 128 tons of food
waste from the landfill, bringing the
DPS total waste diverted from landfill
disposal to 828 tons!
Whether you attend a DPS school or
another school or university, the back
to school season offers a unique opportunity for all students and parents in
Denver to reduce waste and support
recycling.
Here are some helpful Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle tips for your back to school
shopping this month:
 Use reusable containers when
packing lunches and snacks. You
don’t even have to purchase these newconsider reusing yogurt containers and
other food packaging.
 Purchase recycled-content products. Many school supplies are now
being made with post-consumer content.
Read labeling carefully and look for paper and plastic products made from recycled materials.
 Save money and purchase second-hand. Thrift stores generally have
great selections of school supplies. Often
times you’ll find their products to be
unused or only lightly used.
 Keep your purple carts in
mind. When purchasing food for school
lunches, consider purchasing products
that have minimal packaging or come in
packaging that can be recycled through
the Denver Recycles program. For example, juice boxes can be recycled in
purple carts, but juice pouches cannot.
The Denver Recycles website has detailed information that can help inform
your purchasing decisions: DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.
that surround the spine which essentially decompresses the discs and
nerves, allowing for pain-free, flexible
movement.
Pelvic floor dysfunction can affect
both men and women. In men, it can
manifest as weakness in pelvic floor
muscles after prostate surgery which
may cause sexual dysfunction, incontinence, and pelvic and back pain. In
women, pelvic floor weakness can occur after childbirth or with hormonal
changes peri-menopause. Our pelvic
floor, like any other muscle, needs to
be strengthened. As the saying goes,
use it or lose it! Pilates focuses on
strengthening pelvic floor muscles to
avoid uterine prolapsed, incontinence,
and pain. Best benefit… a strong pelvic floor increases sexual satisfaction
for both partners!
Colorado is an impressive state for
health and vitality. Where else would
you see an 80 year old riding his bike
next to an 18 year old over Vail Pass?
Just like our car needs maintenance,
our bodies require tune-ups to perform
at our desired level without pain and
injury. At BodyIntel, we use our physical therapy, pilates, and massage expertise to rehab injuries and to prevent
future injuries. We believe in empowering people to do the activities they
want to do by creating balanced muscles, strong cores, and flexible joints.
Injuries do not need to change your
lifestyle.
V i s i t
o u r
w e b s i t e
www.bodyintelco.com for information
regarding our services and introductory
packages. Or just come by and introduce yourself! BodyIntel, 1574 S. Pearl
St, Denver CO 80210. Phone (303)7335263.
Catherine Hodges and Tiffany Watson
are co-owners of BodyIntel, licensed
physical therapists, and certified Pilates
instructors who work with some of Denver’s top professional athletes, political
figures, kids, and couch potatoes!
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Bonnie Brae
Neighborhood Picnic
Sunday, September 7th
11:30am—2:30pm
Always a good time
MONEY MATTERS
Avoid Expensive
Errors When Paying
for College
It’s just about Back-to-School time
again. If you have young children, you
might be hustling them to the store for
backpacks and binders. But if you fastforward a few years, you can envision
driving your kids a little farther — to
their college dorms. And when that day
comes, you’ll want to be financially
prepared. So you’ll want to avoid making costly mistakes when preparing
for, and paying, those big bills. Here
are some of the most common of these
errors:
Not saving enough — Only half of
all families with children under 18
save any money for college, according
to a recent study by Sallie Mae, the
country’s largest originator of federally
insured student loans. You might find
it easier to save for college if you automatically move a set amount each
month from your checking or savings
account to a college savings vehicle.
Not considering vehicles with
growth potential — The same Sallie
Mae study found that more parents use
a general savings account than any
other method of saving for college. But
since most savings accounts these days
pay only a minimal rate of return, you
will have trouble getting the growth
potential you need to achieve your
college savings goals. Consider working toward your college savings goals
by investing in a vehicle specifically
designed for college, such as a 529
plan or a Coverdell plan. There are
differences between
these plans, such as
contribution limits
and tax treatments,
but both allow you to
invest for growth potential. As with any
investment account,
there are risks involved, including
market risk.
Stopping your savings once your children are in college —
Unless your children
plan to take an awful
lot of credits, they’re not going to finish
college in just one year. Consequently,
you’ll want to keep investing in your
plan or other college savings vehicle
while your children are in school.
Taking out 401(k) loans — Your employer may allow you to take out a loan
against your 401(k) to help pay for college. But this may not be a good idea for
two reasons: First, when you remove
money from your 401(k) — even if you
plan on eventually paying it back — you
will slow the potential accumulation in
your account, thereby depriving yourself
of resources you will eventually need for
retirement. Second, should you leave the
company, you might have to repay the
loan within a limited number of days.
Not using available tax credits — Depending on your income, you might qualify for the American Opportunity tax
credit, which is worth up to $2,500, provided you spend at least $4,000 on college expenses. Check with your tax professional to see if you qualify for this
credit and how to most effectively incorporate it. And be careful you don’t waste
the credit, because you may not be able
to use it and your plan distributions at
the same time.
Paying for college can be challenging
— but if you can avoid making the
above mistakes, you’ve got a better
chance of getting your kids through
school without derailing the progress
you’d like to make toward your other
financial goals.
This article was written by Edward
Jones for use by Todd Young, your local
Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Bonnie Brae Neighborhood
ANNUAL
PICNIC
Community get together and
short neighborhood meeting
Sunday, September 7th, 2014
11:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Food served from 12:00 to 1:30
Win prizes from our local merchants
Bonnie Brae Park
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7
REAL ESTATE
SUMMER TIME
SUMMER TIME
WHERE HAVE YOU
GONE!
By Susan DiLiberti
As I write this on Friday, August 8th, I
am amazed at the pace of the season.
School starts on August 25th for DPS –
where did the summer go?!
The real estate market was also quite
brisk – not unlike most Spring and Summer seasons in the past. Below is a recap
of sales per MLS records thus far:
YEAR TO DATE STATS
19 homes sold and closed between
1/1/14 and 8/8/14
Lowest price was 2929 Ohio Way at
$355,000 selling at 101% of list price
Highest price was 915 S. Steele at
$1,796,270, selling at 106% of list price
OVERALL SOLD AVERAGES
2223 square feet above ground, 3119
total square feet and 2917 total finished
(includes basements)
$372 per square foot above ground,
$276 total finished price per square foot
Days on the market – 29
MEDIAN sales price $729,000
AVERAGE sales price $839,759!
We continue to experience a positive
real estate market in Bonnie Brae. Our
block saw a major renovation completed,
two $1.2+ homes sell within days at record prices and a Washington Park family
“move over to our side of University”!
For which we are thrilled!
On a not-so-positive note, crime in our
area has been on the rise in the past couple of months. Largely car break-ins,
however, also attempts at home intrusion,
some strange “characters” in vans and
cars as well.
SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS
FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY:
A watchful eye – around the neighborhood, if someone appears to be lost, or
isn’t familiar to you, call the authorities
should you feel uneasy.
LIGHT UP YOUR HOME – one of the
single most important things you can do
deter crime is keep your property well lit,
both inside and out. Lights on timers
inside, photocells on the front and back
porches, motion lights, landscape lighting.
Walk the perimeter of your home and
ask yourself…”If I were a burglar, where
would I break in”, identify vulnerable
areas and remedy them.
Locks on windows and doors – make
sure they are secure and in good repair.
Contact a locksmith to update or fix any
issues that leave you vulnerable.
Invest in a security system and make
sure you put the signs in your yard stating you have a system – set it whenever
you leave your home, and especially
when going to bed.
LOCK your cars – especially those that
sit in driveways or on the street and
DON’T LEAVE ANYTHING in your
car, both visible items and items in your
glove compartment. My husband leaves
his glove compartment open so they can
see there is nothing inside worth going to
jail over!
Taking a vacation - Remove papers (or
have a friendly neighbor do it for you)
from your door, sidewalk and front porch
– a telltale sign you are not home.
Susan M. DiLiberti
Broker Associate
44 Cook St., 9th Floor
Denver, CO 80206
Phone: 303.331.1400
Fax: 303.393.1400
Direct: 303.336.0332
Cell: 303.946.4530
susan@realestatesusan.com
Draw your drapes and blinds when you
are not home – don’t show potential
thieves what’s inside!
Leave a radio or television set on if
you are gone during the day to create the
impression someone is home.
Don’t hide a key – burglars know all
the places to look. Leave a key with a
trusted neighbor or install a secure lock
box out of sight.
Please stay safe, have a wonderful
summer, see you at the annual picnic!
Susan DiLiberti is a Real Estate Broker with the Kentwood Company of
Cherry Creek.
She and her family, husband Mike
Martin and daughter Lauren (who spent
preschool through 5th grade at Cory
Elementary-and loved it!) have happily
resided on Columbine Street since 1998.
740 S. University Blvd.
303.777.2262 Fax 303.777.7335
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Sunday
th
, Sept 7
ood P
ighborh
e
N
e
a
r
B
Bonnie
m
—2:30p
m
a
11:30
9
icnic
Dear Bonnie and Brae
I heard that there is some sort of
neighborhood get together coming up.
Do you have details?
Curious Neighbor
Bonnie Responds
Yes. You are referring to the world
famous Bonnie Brae Neighborhood
Annual Picnic.
It will be held on Sunday, September
7th, 2014 from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM
at the equally world famous Bonnie
Brae Park located conveniently in the
middle of our neighborhood.
Food will be served from 12:00 to
1:30. You can even win prizes from
our local merchants!
We look forward to seeing you.
Brae Responds
If you would like to lend a hand feel
free to arrive early to set-up tables and
chairs and such.
Jean Day Maschinot
2326 E. Exposition Ave.
Denver, CO 80209
(303) 722-8855
jean@bonniebraetravel.com
DON’T FORGET
BONNIE BRAE
NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL PICNIC
Sunday
September 7
Cut out and tape to your refrigerator
You are invited to a
Special Presentation, sponsored by
OLLI at DU (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute)
The Russia & Ukraine Crisis:
International Implications
Presenter: Ambassador Hill,
Dean of the Korbel School
of International Studies
Tuesday, Sept 9, 2014
10am-11:30am
Harvest Bible Chapel
3651 S Colorado Blvd
For more info on OLLI:
Portfolio.du.edu/olli
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