Thursday, March 14, 2013

FORCED SEXUAL ASSAULT AT 13TH & EMERSON


From Denver Police District 6


FORCED SEXUAL ASSAULT AT 13TH & EMERSON

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, March 10th a citizen was attacked near East 13th Ave and N. Emerson St. The victim was forced into a nearby alley where the assault took place.  The suspects then ran North toward Colfax Ave.  This type of random, forced sexual assault is relatively uncommon in District 6 and Cmdr. Tony Lopez and DPD are asking for everyone to become familiar with these suspect descriptions and call police at 911 if you recognize them in the area.

The involved parties are described as:

Suspect #1- A medium skin toned Black male in his mid 20’s with a small afro.  He was about 6’1” to 6’2” tall weighing 135 to 140 lbs.  He had a noticeable scar over his left eye, through his eyebrow. He was wearing a red shirt with no collar and writing on the front.  He wore a dark colored hooded sweat jacket, blue or black jeans and black sneakers.  He was also wearing a gold watch with a gold sectioned band on his right arm.

Suspect1

Suspect #2 – A white male in his mid 20’s with brownish blonde hair in a short buzz cut.  He was 6’1” to 6’2” tall with a very muscular build and weighing about 200 lbs.  He was wearing a black shiny windbreaker type jacket, dark jeans and Nike high top tennis shoes.  He had a tattoo on his right forearm that was described as letters in a language other than English, but not Chinese.  The suspect had a silver ring on one of his fingers that looked like a large class ring.  Suspect #2 had a deep voice.

Suspect2

The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are working on all available leads.

We would ask that the public be aware of the descriptions provided and contact DPD if any suspicious persons are seen in the immediate area or if the descriptions provided sound “familiar” or if the persons described may have been recently seen in the area.

The Special Crime Attack Team (SCAT) will be working in the area in hopes of locating/apprehending these individuals.

If you have any information please call DPD at 720-913-7867.   A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered by Crime Stoppers.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Denver Councilwoman Kniech on Hentzell Vote

Complaint filed against Denver School Board






Colorado Latino Forum Denver Metro Chapter
Files Administrative Complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Against Denver Public Schools Board of Education, Mary Seawell President
Denver - The Colorado Latino Forum (CLF) Denver Metro Chapter, whose mission is to increase the political, social, educational and economic strength of Latinas and Latinos, requests relief for Latino students in Denver Public Schools District 4 (D4) under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that bans discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities that receive Federal funds or other forms of Federal financial assistance. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d.
CLF Metro Denver Chapter asserts that there has been an act of discrimination on the basis of race against Latinos as a group, in the activity of selecting a school board member to fill the remaining the D4 position vacated by Nate Easely on January 18, 2013. Under state law the position must be filled within 60 days of Easley’s resignation.  We claim specifically that qualified Latino candidates were excluded by an arbitrary and capricious process within a school district that is comprised of nearly 60% Latino students.

1.    Qualified Latinos have been intentionally and discriminatorily excluded from the finalist pool.
We believe the discrimination occurred with the exclusion of all qualified Latino applicants on Feb 4, 2013 when the finalists were named during a hastily convened school board meeting. None of the nine finalists from a pool of twenty-five included a Latino. One highly qualified but rejected Latina candidate was Dr. Barbara Medina who was the Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Transformation at the Colorado Department of Education where she directed the Language, Culture and Equity Unit.

Student Walkout Tomorrow


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHAT: Students standing up for our education
WHEN: March 14th, 2013 from 11am – 2:30pm
WHERE: West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol

On February 23rd, students gathered at the Colorado Student Power Alliance to discuss what is wrong with the current education system and how they could get their voices heard. From there, the students developed an action plan to have their voices heard.

We, the students, are standing up for our education. We no longer want to be part of the cookie-cutter system where everyone is taught the same and forced to take a standardized test that we memorize answers to, making us products of the public education assembly line.

Update on All Things A64 by Jessica LeRoux - March 13, 2013


Hey Now, 
Im just adding some info to the newsletter from Monday... the 1st meeting of the legislative group who will be submitting a bill to the legislature based on the governors A-64 task force is set to meet on Friday the 15th, at 1:30pm at the capitol building.  "Joint Select Committee on the Implementation of the Amendment 64 Task Force Recommendations — will meet on Friday and again the following Friday, March 22. Both meetings will be at 1:30 p.m. in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the state Capitol."
We need you to share this info, be there, and or write letters to the committee. 
the task force report has been released, and here is a link... http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue-Main/XRM/1251633708470
or this is just the final report... 

Thanks for being part of the force for good, not evil. do your part! 

Jessica LeRoux
Twirling Hippy Confections
2145 W Evans Denver CO
303 922 3661 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Big News! $447,000 for Globeville, Elyria and Swansea Projects!


Exciting News!Last Thursday, WildEarth Guardians, being represented by the DU Environmental Law Clinic, and Xcel Energy resolved a lawsuit with a big win for the community. Both parties decided that $447,000 would be entrusted to Groundwork Denver to implement projects in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods. Because of this settlement, the residents will have a new park where they can connect with nature, walk, bike and play. At least 140 homes will be insulated, collectively saving $27,000 per year, and a solar PV system will be installed on a public or community building, saving another $3,400 per year. Each of these projects will benefit the residents while also demonstrating a sustainable future for the neighborhoods. You can read about the case and the settlement in the Denver Post. We expect to start the projects in about three months once all of the settlement paperwork is completed. Thank you to both parties for putting the community first! 

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS Interdepartmental Communication

Board of Education David Suppes, Chief Operating Officer Through: Trena Deane, Executive Director, Facility Management March 11, 2013
Approval of Fox Street/Hampden Heights land exchange
Purpose: approve the exchange and development agreements (“Agreements”) with the City and County of Denver that allows for the exchange of 1330 Fox Street for 11.7 acres of land in Hampden Heights.
Executive Director, Facility Management, requests the Denver Public Schools (“DPS”) Board of Education to
Background\Related Facts:    DPS staff and the Mayor’s Office have come to definitive terms for the land exchange of 1330 Fox Street (“Fox Street”) and 11.7 acres located in the Hampden Heights neighborhood at the corner of Girard Avenue and Havana Street (“Hampden Heights”).
Elementary schools located in southeast Denver have been experiencing severe overcrowding. DPS staff determined that elementary‐aged children would continue to grow over the next several years. Significant short‐term steps were taken to address the shortage of classroom seats in the region: 1) we have added three modular units at Samuels; 2) we redesigned the library at Southmoor to add a classroom; and 3) we moved fifth‐grade classrooms out of Holm and relocated them to a neighboring middle school, shuttling students back and forth hourly for special programming.
Despite these changes, the area is in need of a new elementary or early childhood center to help ease pressure on existing elementary school facilities in the area. Funding for a new elementary school in SE Denver was included in the 2012 General Obligation Bond package approved by Denver voters last November.    DPS staff conducted a search for a site that would allow for a school or ECE center that would help lessen the overcrowding. After an extensive search, DPS located the 11.7 acre site at Hampden Heights.    DPS staff began conversations with the City in an effort to understand if it was possible to purchase the site.

All Things A64 with Jessica LeRoux - March 11, 2013

Hey Now,

Time to get geared up for legislative fight, the task force recommendations are due to be released today, but nothing is up at the DOR website yet this AM... the rec's are not set in law, so now is the time to make sure that the worst of the myopic mistakes are not codified into our laws. WE need letter writers and bodies to fill the capitol benches, which one are you?  Cannabis isnt free yet, do your part please!


TODAY! 3:30 pm Denver City Council meeting on recreational cannabis sign up for public comment 3pm sharp! 
http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/695/documents/Meeting_3_11_13.pdf
Meeting Schedule of the Denver City Council for the weeks of March 11, 2013 and March 18, 2013.
The public may request from the Chair an opportunity to speak on these measures by contacting Legislative Services in advance at 720-337-2000, or by email at dencc@denvergov.org (please put “Public Comment Request” in the subject line).
Monday, March 11:
Please note there is public comment scheduled for Monday, March 11th in
the Special Issues: Amendment 64 Committee, and for Wednesday, March 13th in the Government and Finance
Committee.
3:30 p.m.
Special Issues: Amendment 64. Members: Brown (Chair), Susman (Vice-Chair), Committee of the Whole (all 13 Councilmembers). Staff: Gretchen Williams. 1) Public comment on the implementation of Amendment 64 in Denver. See above for more information. 2) State Task Force recommendations and proposed legislation. 3) Invited Speakers: Dr. Christian Thurstone; Christian Sederberg, Esq.; Diane Carslon-Robinson. 3rd Floor Council Conference Room, Room 391, City & County Building.
*Sign up to speak between 3:00 - 3:15 p.m. in Room 391



MMED Rule Making 2013The process will continue once the Amendment 64 Task Force Report has been released
and we have a better understanding of if or how the MMED may be affected by 
the recommendations and the General Assembly's direction.  
 
Occupational Licensing
Requests for occupational licensing background checks made after
8:00AM, Thursday, March 7, 2013 will not be accommodated,
but we will continue to accommodate walk-in applicants when we are able to do so.   

If you have left a message requesting an appointment prior to 8:00AM, March 7th,
you will be contacted and an appointment scheduled.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Sunday, March 10, 2013

REPORT FROM THE STREETS



Impact of the Unauthorized Camping Ban on Denver’s Homeless Community

Denver, CO - Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) invites the public to the release of a survey on the impact of the City of Denver’s Unauthorized Camping Ban on 500 homeless people living in Denver. The ordinance allows the police to require the homeless to go to a shelter or move along whenever they are caught covering themselves from the cold and elements or face criminal sanctions.

When: April 3 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Cornerstone Residences, 1001 Park Ave. (at Curtis St.), Denver, CO 80218

The survey was drafted and conducted by DHOL, homeless people and experienced researchers who are deeply concerned about the impact of this law enforcement tool on those living in the streets without homes and in shelters. It was painstakingly prepared, and surveyors were carefully trained to be unbiased in conducting the survey. DHOL believes that speaking with the homeless is the only way to understand the impact of the ban.

Over 500 people experiencing homelessness in Denver volunteered their time to complete the survey. The report is produced in collaboration with Professor Tony Robinson and students of the University of Colorado Denver, Department of Political Science. The survey results provide valuable information about the impact of the ordinance and how we can better serve the homeless in Denver. DHOL will make the data publicly available to the homeless, the Mayor’s Commission on the Homeless, and constituencies who work with the homeless. We hope our data helps improve the safety of those who live on the streets, increases services, and improves rapid re-housing options.

For more information on the DHOL survey or the release event please contact info@denverhomelessoutloud.org or visit our website athttp://denverhomelessoutloud.org/