Reader: Newlon Elementary is green, and growing

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...

By Patricia Calhoun

November 21, 2011

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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.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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