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:
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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.
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