☎️ The price of better 911 response times

🛫 Peña Blvd Revamp Proposal Hits Roadblock

The potential expansion of Peña Boulevard — the main road to DIA — continues to spur so much controversy that a city council committee was forced to postpone its vote on the contract proposal this week as councilmembers grapple with concerns over spending and transit equity.

• What’s the problem? Take a look at the Peña Blvd issue from all sides. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

☎️ How YOU’RE About to Help Improve 911 Response Times

City Council is set to vote on a proposal that would increase the city’s existing emergency communications surcharge on all local phone bills by 92 cents. Denver 911 officials say the added revenue would significantly improve the agency’s response time, which currently sits well below national standards. [Axios Denver]

• Case in point: The tragic 2022 death of Ma Kaing. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

⛰️ Colorado ‘Devastated’ by Park Employee Layoffs

Just ahead of peak tourism season, an unofficial tally by park rangers reports Colorado lost 52 National Park employees across the state to President Trump’s ongoing federal workforce layoffs. That makes our state one of the hardest hit in the nation — and rangers estimate that’s an undercount.

• What will the impacts be? Likely less maintenance of the land and facilities and fewer educational and enrichment programs. [Westword]

Last week’s answer: “Ghost Trolley” by the late Lawrence Argent located on East Colfax Ave.

Installed in 2007, this illuminated, translucent fiberglass sculpture is a throwback to a time when city rail lines ruled the streets. You may be more familiar with Argent’s very Denver-famous piece, “I See What You Mean” (aka “the big blue bear”), but he has work on display in San Francisco, Sacramento, and other cities across the world.

📣 Major claps for our correct guessers this week:

• Laura H. was the first to write in with the correct answer!
• But Leah J. and MaryLou B. weren’t far behind!

This Week’s Photo:

🕵️ Do YOU recognize this pretty pink dining room? Be among the first to respond with the right answer and you’ll get a special shoutout in next Friday’s newsletter!

📸 Want to submit a photo? Send me a snapshot of somewhere in Denver, and I’ll consider it for an upcoming photo trivia segment!