Jef Otte wrote "O, Barnum! An ode to Denver's least desirable neighborhood" as a celebration of his own neighborhood -- one that counts several other Westword writers as residents.
Some of their neighbors appreciated Otte's ode; others did not. Denver School Board member Andrea Merida is just the latest to weigh in:
Mr. Otte, thanks for the article, but I'm compelled to defend Newlon Elementary. As the school board member for the area, I need to point out that this year, Newlon is a "green" school, or in other words, it meets academic expectations of progress. Also, thanks to the voters, the bond will cover a new playground sometime in 2012. I understand that you wanted to show Barnum in a certain light, but I think it's also important to point out how smart Newlon's kids are and how supportive their parents are to their success. Thank you.
Join the ongoing conversation about Barnum here.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
SHOW ME HOW
Or sign in with a social account:
FACEBOOK GOOGLE + TWITTER YAHOO!