1. WWPNA Board meeting - 1/5

2. Update on Washington and Emerson

3. Foil Car Smash-and-Grabs

4. TREECYCLE 2010 - January 4 through January 15

5. Zoning Code Listening Sessions - 1/6 & 7

6. Ruby Hill Rail Yard Opening in January

7. Proposed Dog Park Master Plan 1/16 & 30

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1. WWPNA Board meeting - 1/5
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The January WWPNA Board Meeting will be held on the regular first Tuesday, January 5th. The meeting will start at 6:30 PM at the Washington Street Community Center, 809 S. Washington.

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2. Update on Washington and Emerson
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You may have seen the article in the Jan-Mar issue of the WWPNA newsletter talking about Washington & Emerson being converted to two-way. This article was published incorrectly. We have a new volunteer editor for the newsletter who inadvertently changed the headline for space and published the article incorrectly. The original article is attached below for your review (click on "Read more" or "1 attachment" below). Please expect a correction in the next newsletter.

Though WWPNA has been pursuing this goal for decades, Washington & Emerson streets are not being converted to two-way. Rather, Public Works is implementing traffic calming measures over the next several months. These include replacing the stop lights in the interior of the neighborhood with 4-way stops, reducing the speed limit on these streets to 25 miles per hour, designating Washington and Emerson as bike streets, and after repaving next summer will stripe in dedicated bike lanes. The streets will remain in their current one-way configuration. The stop lights at Speer Blvd., Alameda, and N Buchtel will remain. In five years Public Works will revisit the neighborhood's request, and based on circumstances and the results of the aforementioned traffic calming measures will make a final determination whether to revert these streets to their original two-way configuration.

WWPNA has made significant progress on our traffic mitigation plan in this area as well as on Logan, along Lincoln and with pedestrian access to the surrounding light rail stations. These changes should calm traffic throughout the neighborhood, and make it safer for neighbors to walk (and bike) to the park, light rail, local businesses and other neighborhood amenities.

Please remember that safety is first. Make sure you look both ways at all intersections as drivers adjust to new traffic patterns.

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3. Foil Car Smash-and-Grabs
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Our neighborhood police representatives have informed us that "smash and grab" car crime is up in West Wash Park. Thieves walk along the street peering into parked cars looking for items left in cars they can easily resell, then smash the car window, grab the stuff and run.

The primary items being "grabbed" are 1) GPS units left on car dashboards and 2) any briefcase / case which looks like it might contain a laptop or other electronics.

Protect yourself - do not leave these items in your car where they can be seen. If you see any persons which seem to be walking down the street and peering into cars, call the police non-emergency line at 720-913-2000 and give a physical description of the persons, their location and the time. The police can use this over time to
both catch the thieves and to convict. It's also a good idea to write this down in case you are asked about it later.

We can all work together to keep West Washington Park a safer place!

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4. TREECYCLE 2010 - January 4 through January 15
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Recycle Your Tree After the Holidays

Denver Recycles' annual Treecycle program will be recycling thousands of Christmas trees into mulch again this holiday season. Treecycle helps Denver avoid using landfill space and paying disposal fees for a valuable, recyclable resource -- Christmas trees.

Denver Recycles grinds the Christmas trees into valuable mulch, which is made available FREE to Denver residents in the spring. In 2009, Treecycle recycled more than 18,000 trees, which were reclaimed by Denver residents at last spring’s Treecycle Mulch Giveaway and Leafdrop Compost Sale. Residents may call 720-865-6810 after April 1, 2010 for more information about the 2010 Treecycle Mulch Giveaway and Leafdrop Compost Sale.

How to recycle your tree: It’s as easy as can be!

1. Remove all tinsel and decorations from your tree. NO artificial or flocked trees, tree stands or trees in plastic bags. Christmas Trees Only.

2. Manual & Barrel customers set your tree out on your trash collection day near your normal set-out location during the two week period starting Jan. 4, 2010. Dumpsters customers set your tree out on Jan. 4, 2010 or Jan. 11, 2010 and it will be collected during that week.

3. Be sure your tree is set out by 7 AM and at least 4 feet away from any containers, bags, dumpsters or other obstacles.

4. DO NOT place trees in dumpsters.

For more information about Treecycle and other Denver Recycles programs visit Denver Recycles or call 720-865-6810.

Note: All Christmas trees collected or dropped off become the property of the City & County of Denver and will be recycled into mulch for the Annual Mulch Giveaway event in May.

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5. Zoning Code Listening Sessions - 1/6 & 7
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Still have a question on Denver’s proposed new Zoning Code?

Staff from Denver Community Planning and Development will hold another round of “New Code Office Hours” on Wednesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 7 to walk you through your remaining questions on the City’s proposed new code.

These sessions follow our heavily attended November and December office hours and the November City Council/Planning Board Listening Sessions, at which nearly 500 citizens asked questions and shared opinions on the New Code. This input is being used to inform the final version of the New Code that will be sent to City Council early this year.

The January New Code Office Hours are scheduled as follows:

•Wednesday, Jan. 6th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 4.I.4 of the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building, 201 West Colfax Ave.

•Thursday, Jan. 7th, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 1.D.1 of the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building, 201 West Colfax Ave.

IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND….please register at the following link so that we may schedule adequate staffing: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MXCCQLN

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6. Ruby Hill Rail Yard Opening in January
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Ruby Hill Rail Yard Opening in January

Returning for its fourth season, volunteers for Denver Parks and Recreation and Winter Park Resort have begun blowing snow in anticipation of the January 2010 opening. Ruby Hill Rail Yard brings the excitement and energy of skiing and snowboarding to Denver with a free, one-of-its-kind ski and rider urban rail yard.

Snowmaking began on Friday night, December 18 with the support of our snowmaking sponsor, Johnson Controls. Snowmaking will continue through December 28. When complete, Ruby Hill Rail Yard will have more than an acre of snow on the ground.

When opened, Ruby Hill Rail Yard will feature six rails of varying configurations and levels of advancement. Weather permitting, the rail yard will be open approximately four weeks.

Christy Sports has again signed on to be our equipment sponsors, providing free equipment for use while at Ruby Hill and even staffing the equipment area to ensure proper fitting and adjustments. Youth, ages 8-17, will need to have a parent present to sign a release form before snowboards and/or skis will be given out. The Christy Sports on-site facility will be open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Information and details about Opening Day, tentatively planned for the week of January 5, 2010, will be released once there is enough snow and rails are in place.

Ruby Hill Park is located off of South Platte River Drive and West Florida Avenue. The park is open every day from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. and lights will be on at the rail yard until 9 p.m.

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7. Proposed Dog Park Master Plan 1/16 & 30
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The Denver Department of Parks and Recreation is holding a public meeting on proposed draft recommendations for the development of a Dog Park Master Plan and Policy Recommendations for Denver Parks.

Public input on the draft recommendations will occur on the following dates:

January 16, 2010
Scheitler Recreation Center at Berkeley Park
5031 W 46th Avenue
9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

January 30, 2010
Cook Park Recreation Center
7100 Cherry Creek Drive South from
1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Public feedback will be taken into consideration in creating the final recommendations. A copy of the public meeting materials and ability to comment will be available after January 16th at the Denver Parks and Recreation website www.denvergov.org/parksandrec.