Park Hill, Denver

Park Hill is a neighborhood in Lovely Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. Located in the northeastern quadrant of the city, it is bordered by Colorado Boulevard on the west, East Colfax Avenue on the south, Quebec Street on the east, and East 52nd Avenue on the north. The entire Park Hill hoods is located in the zone known as East Denver. It is further divided by the City and County of Denver into three administrative neighborhoods, South Park Hill, North Park Hill, and Northeast Park Hill.

In 1887, Baron Alois von Winckler platted the original Park Hill offshoot on 32 acres (130,000 m2) of ore he owned east of City Park. This capita was bordered by gift day Montview Boulevard on the south, Colorado Boulevard on the west, East 26th Avenue on the north, and Dahlia Street on the east, placing it in what is now the western share of South Park Hill.

In 1898, in criticisms to the Spanish-American War, Baron von Winckler allowed manure directly north of the original section to be used as a camp for the Colorado National Guard. It housed 1,400 troops in tents. Shortly after this, the Baron committed suicide, reportedly after eyesight the troops leaves for the Philippines.

The first homes in Park Hill were offered for acquisition in 1900. As the neighborhood grew, settlers from lots nations, including England, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, moved in, as did African Americans. After World War II, residential skull increased in the northern fraction of the neighborhood.

In the early 1950s, the Dahlia Square Shopping Center was built in Northeast Park Hill atop a landfill. Located between Dahlia Street and Elm Street and between East 33rd Avenue and East 35th Avenue, it was the commercial recollection of the neighborhood during its time, and at its summit featured a number of businesses including a grocery store. As time passed, it fell into disrepair and was considered a horror by residents.

Starting in the 1990s, under probation by then-mayor Wellington Webb, many redevelopment plans were considered, but none was successful until April 2005, after Webb left office. In that month, the sphere was purchased by Parkhill Community Inc., a subsidiary of Brownfield Partners, LLC, which had been chosen by the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) to clean up the belt and prepare it for redevelopment. In late 2005, DURA announced it would employment exclusively with Alliance Development Partners, Inc., to redevelop the grounds when remediation was complete. Alliance was formed by Webb and partners.

Demolition of the structure on the site, including illustration of asbestos, was completed by December 2005, and remediation of the dump began in February 2006. Data from the U.S. Census indicate that in the year 2000, there were a total of 26,422 residents in 10,221 family in the three administrative Park Hill neighborhoods comprising Lovely Denver. Income increased from north to south, and the mathematics of minority residents increased from south to north. The racial arrangement of Park Hill, as a whole, is 39.76% white (27.06% white alone-non Hispanic), 51.48% African American, 2.87% Asian, 1.21% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any kidney is 17.38% of the population.

Downtown Aquarium in Denver

Downtown Aquarium (formerly Colorado's Ocean Journey) is a public aquarium and restaurant located in Denver, Colorado at the intersection of I-25 and 23rd Ave. The 107,000 square feet (9,900 m2) main building sits on a 17-acre (6.9 ha) site adjacent to the South Platte River. Its freshwater and marine aquaria total approximately 1,000,000 US gallons (3,785,000 l), and exhibit a variety of fish and other animals.

The Downtown Aquarium in Denver is owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants, Inc., and is the largest aquarium between Chicago and California. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Colorado's Ocean Journey was founded by Bill Fleming and Judy Petersen Fleming as a nonprofit entity. It was partially funded by a $57 million bond loan as well as loans by the department of Housing and Urban Development, and its total cost was $93 million. The facility opened June 21, 1999 and soon earned accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Although initial attendance was high, the number of visitors fell drastically within a few months, and the aquarium failed to meet its attendance projections of over a million visitors per year, in part because of a downturn in the U.S. economy. The aquarium was not able to make payments on its high construction debt, and Colorado Ocean Journey Liquidation Inc. filed bankruptcy April 2002 with a $62.5 million debt. After a last-minute bidding war with Ripley's Entertainment, Landry's Restaurants, Inc. purchased the facility in March 2003 for $13.6 million.

After the purchase, the facility remained open to the public until the summer of 2005, when it closed briefly for renovations. These included the addition of a full-service restaurant, bar, and ballroom. A 150,000-US-gallon (568,000 l) marine aquarium was added to the restaurant area. Upon its reopening July 14, 2005, the facility was renamed Downtown Aquarium.

A major theme for this landlocked aquarium is the relationship between inland freshwater ecosystems and the ocean. The original design of the aquarium was zoogeographic. It focused on the path to the ocean taken by two rivers, the Colorado River in North America and the Kampar River in Indonesia. The Colorado River Journey included exhibits of endangered fish, including Desert Pupfish; gamefish such as bass; and northern river otters, among other species. It ended with a large exhibit depicting the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), into which the actual Colorado River empties. The Indonesia River Journey included exhibits of animals such as Asian arowanas, rainbowfish, and endangered Sumatran Tigers, among other species. It ended with a large exhibit depicting the southern Pacific Ocean. In addition to these two journeys, the aquarium housed a large sea otter exhibit.

After the 2005 renovations, the two journey paths remain, but are no longer arranged in a strictly zoogeographic pattern. For example, tanks on the second pathway (formerly the Kampar River Journey) depict African and South American freshwater ecosystems; other tanks are mixed community aquaria. The sea otter exhibit was removed to make room for the restaurant tank.

The facility features several interactive exhibits, including a horseshoe crab touch tank and a stingray touch-and-feed tank.

The aquarium continues to focus on conservation. To that end, it houses numerous endangered or threatened species: 12 species of fish, six of reptiles, two of mammals, and two of birds. It participates in the AZA's Species Survival Plan for Sumatran Tigers.

A volunteer program administered by the Deep Blue Sea Foundation, a nonprofit group, is in place. The Deep Blue Sea Foundation was formed after Landry's purchased the aquarium to ensure the educational goals of the original founders would continue to be met. The aquarium also periodically hosts for-cost educational seminars.

Sloan's Lake Denver

Sloan's Lake is a body of water, park, and neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, US. The neighborhood is located on the northwest side of Denver. The lake is the central feature of Sloan's Lake Park, which is managed by the Parks and Recreation division of the City and County of Denver.

Sloan's Lake is located on the western edge of Denver's city limits, adjacent to the suburbs of Lakewood, Edgewater and Wheat Ridge. The approximate boundaries are Sheridan Boulevard to the west, 17th Avenue to the south, Federal Boulevard to the east, and 26th Avenue to the north. There are no tributary rivers to the lake. St. Anthony Central Hospital used to be southeast of this area, between 17th Avenue and Colfax Avenue in a neighborhood known as West Colfax, before it was moved farther west to Lakewood. Currently, the building is being torn down.

The true history of the creation of Sloan's Lake may never be officially known, but during the settlement of the Denver area in the mid to late 19th century, the lake did not exist. A road connecting Denver and the western suburb of Golden crossed through where Sloan's Lake is now. A homesteader named Thomas F. Sloan received a patent for the land from US President Andrew Johnson in December 1866. He used the land for agricultural purposes, farming and raising cattle. A commonly accepted legend states that Sloan dug a well on the land, inadvertently tapping into an underground aquifer, and that when he awoke the next morning, part of his farm land was covered in water.[3] That flooded this part of what was known as South Golden Road, and the realigned thoroughfare now known as Colfax Avenue would become the major east-west thoroughfare in this part of the city. However, according to gold rush era stagecoach driver Bill Turner, the lake appeared sometime between when he left for Kansas in June 1861 and when he returned in early 1863.It is possible that Sloan occupied the land prior to patenting it. The lake once exceeded 200 acres (0.81 km2) and extended north and west beyond its current size, but portions were filled north of 25th Avenue and west of Sheridan Boulevard.

The area surrounding the lake was once home to an amusement park and swimming facility known as Manhattan Beach. Opened to the public 27 June 1881, it was the first amusement park to be built west of the Mississippi River (it burnt down in 1908 and was rebuilt as Luna Park later that year); mishaps and competition from other such attractions in the vicinity (Elitch Gardens and Lakeside Amusement Park) led to its closure in 1914. Cooper Lake, a separate body of water just southeast of Sloan's Lake, fell under the jurisdiction of the federal Works Projects Administration in the 1930s, and a plan was developed which involved building channels beneath the surface of the water on both lakes. This essentially created one body of water that has commonly become known as Sloan's Lake. The size of the present-day combined Sloan's Lake and Cooper Lake is 177 acres (0.72 km2).

At 177 acres (0.72 km2), Sloan's Lake Park is the second largest park in Denver (after City Park). Typical activities at Sloan's Lake include hiking, jogging and bicycling on the trails and sidewalks that surround the lake, and fishing and boating on the lake itself. There are basketball and tennis courts located in the park. An annual event known as the Dragon Boat Festival attracts thousands of visitors each summer, celebrating Asian American culture and civilization.

The population of the neighborhood is approximately 8,500 residents. According to the 2000 census, the average household income is $48,300, somewhat less than the Denver city average. The neighborhood has a wide range of incomes, with about twelve percent of the population under the poverty line and 16.5 percent of the population making more than 200 percent above the Denver average. The housing stock in Sloan's Lake is likewise diverse with a wide range of housing and styles including 1920s bungalows to new, post-modern architecture. More than 55 percent of Sloan's Lake residents own their home, an above average figure for Denver. The average home sale price in Sloan's Lake is $259,000, nearly $20,000 less than Denver's average.

The neighborhood's total crime rate of 53 per 1,000 people is below that for the city as a whole.The population of the neighborhood is approximately 8,500 residents. According to the 2000 census, the average household income is $48,300, somewhat less than the Denver city average. The neighborhood has a wide range of incomes, with about twelve percent of the population under the poverty line and 16.5 percent of the population making more than 200 percent above the Denver average. The housing stock in Sloan's Lake is likewise diverse with a wide range of housing and styles including 1920s bungalows to new, post-modern architecture. More than 55 percent of Sloan's Lake residents own their home, an above average figure for Denver. The average home sale price in Sloan's Lake is $259,000, nearly $20,000 less than Denver's average.

Denver Sheriff Department

The Denver Sheriff Department is the third largest criminal justice agency in the State of Colorado, following the Denver Police Department and the Colorado Department of Corrections. Thirty percent (30%) of all inmates sentenced to the Colorado Department of Corrections are from the City and County of Denver.

Currently within the department are positions for 3 Division Chiefs, 6 Majors, 18 Captains, 70 Sergeants and 673 deputies and 119 civilians.

The Denver jails hold the distinction for being the first local detention facilities in the United States to be accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA). This distinction will again be realized with the opening of the Denver Justice Center. Both facilities also hold accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC).

According to the Department's web page, "The City and County of Denver does not have an elected sheriff, the Manager of Safety is the ex officio sheriff and the department is directly supervised by the Director of Corrections, who is also the Undersheriff."

The building on the right is the Pre-Arraignment Detention Facility in downtown Denver. The building on the left is the Denver Police administration building.

The Denver Sheriff Department was created on December 2, 1902 with the formation of the combined city and county of Denver. Both the manager of safety and undersheriff are appointed to office by the mayor of Denver and work at his/her pleasure. Since Denver does not have a sheriff per se, the agency is dubbed Denver Sheriff Department as an apostrophe defines possession. The DSD is named for the function of a sheriff per Colorado state law, not the actual sheriff as the other 62 counties of Colorado. Broomfield is another combined entity, which has the police department performing all of the sheriff functions. Denver deputy sheriff's only perform jail and court related functions, much like the San Francisco Sheriff's Department. The police are responsible for the patrol and investigative matters within the jurisdiction.

The DSD is very rich in history as the first sheriff's agency in Colorado. In 1858, James W. Denver appointed Edward Wynkoop as the first sheriff of Arapahoe County and Denver was the seat. Sheriffs and deputies of Arapahoe County were responsible for most of current day north eastern Colorado as well as the jails and courts. In 1902, the DSD assumed the current role with the chief of police also acting as the sheriff of Denver per the city charter. Hamilton Armstrong was the C&C of Denver's first sheriff. The sheriff agency was divided into the courts and the jails. Until the late 1950s, Denver Police operated the City Jail. The undersheriff was in charge of the courts while a warden was responsible for the jail. In 1904, the position of sheriff became elected and Sheriff Nisbet was elected by the citizens. Later in 1911, citizens approved the appointment of a sheriff and Chief Armstrong was again appointed to the office of sheriff. Daniel Sullivan was appointed after Armstrong and in 1913, a commission type government was established and Nisbet was appointed as commissioner of safety/ex officio sheriff. The commission style of government lasted until 1916 when the office of manager of safety & excise/ex officio sheriff was created. Dewey C. Bailey was Denver's first manager of safety. Denver's manager of safety is one of the strongest peace officer positions in Colorado. Managers are not typically peace officers, however most have been lawyers. Denver's first African American manager was Elvin Caldwell, Hispanic, Manual Martinez and the only female, Elizabeth McCann.

The new (2010) Van Cise-Simonet Detention Facility is the prisoner intake center for the City and County of Denver. Prisoners are processed into the system, booked, finger printed, and temporarily housed until such a time that they are able to make bond, or have been given an advisement by the court. The Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center was named after Philip Van Cise who served as Denver District Attorney from 1921-1925. Louis John Simonet was the Director of Corrections and Undersheriff for eighteen years. The facility is known as DDC or Downtown Detention Center.

Broncos Wide Receiver Eric Decker

Eric Decker (born March 15, 1987) is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing.

Early years

Decker attended Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota. He was present in school when the Rocori High School shooting took place, hiding in a cupboard with other students until they were rescued by police officers. At school he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. In each sport he was awarded all-conference, all-area and all-section honors. Additionally, he was named football team MVP two years in a row. During his prep football career he had 2,156 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.

College career

2008 season

Decker finished his junior season with 84 catches for 1,074 yards and seven touchdowns. He either sat out or played with leg injuries in several games.

2009 season

In early spring, Decker met with Thomas Goudy, a wide-out coach in St. Louis, Missouri. Goudy helped Decker with his ball-holding technique. Decker spent three weeks in his training camp before starting the summer conditioning camp.

Decker began the season with the consistent play that had been a hallmark of his Gophers' career. Through three games, Decker was sixth in the nation in receiving yards, averaging 124.8 per game. Sports Illustrated columnist Stewart Mandel declared Decker the third-best wide receiver in college football, behind Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant and Georgia's A. J. Green.

On October 27, it was announced that Decker would miss the rest of the season after suffering a sprained foot against Ohio State.

Denver Broncos

Decker in September 2010.

2010 season

Decker was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round (87th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. Because of a foot surgery, Decker sat out the Broncos rookie mini-camp and OTA's. Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels said he hoped he'd be ready by the season's opener, “At this point we’re going to err on the side of being real careful and not put them in a situation where (it’s) the last day of minicamp on June 13th and all of a sudden we have a foot injury," said McDaniels."Hopefully everybody will be ready by August.”

On July 27, 2010, the Denver Broncos signed Decker to a 4-year contract. In the preseason, Decker led all NFL rookies in receptions, but due to the Broncos' depth at receiver, Decker didn't see much action in the offense until late in the regular season. He did contribute on special teams however, recording seven special teams tackles while returning 17 kickoffs for 429 yards giving him a 25.2 yards per return average.

Toward the end of the 2010 season, the Broncos did start to mix Decker into the offense more, after fellow rookie Demaryius Thomas (a first round draft pick) went down with an injury.[9] Decker finished his rookie season with 6 catches that went for 106 yards and one touchdown—a six-yard score off a Tim Tebow pass.

2011 season

Decker's role in Denver's offense expanded in 2011. In a Week 1 Monday Night Football loss to the Oakland Raiders, Decker returned a fourth quarter punt 90 yards for a touchdown, but the Broncos lost 23-20.

In Week 2, making his first career start, Decker hauled in 5 passes for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns, the second on a 52-yard catch in the 4th quarter as Denver recorded their first win of the 2011 season, 24-22 over the Cincinnati Bengals. On September 25, in Denver's Week 3 17-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Decker had a career high 7 catches for 48 yards. Over the next 4 weeks, Decker continued his steady play by hauling in 18 passes for 192 yards and 4 touchdowns.

On November 13, in a Week 10 divisional road game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs, starting quarterback Tim Tebow attempted a pair of deep passes for Decker, the first almost being hauled in off a deflection and the other being knocked down by the defender. But in the 4th quarter, with Denver hanging on to a slim 10-7 lead, Tebow hit Decker on a go route deep for a 56-yard touchdown catch, Decker's only catch of the game and only Tebow's 2nd completion, as the Broncos won 17-10 to move into a second place tie in the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers and Chiefs. In the first round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Decker was taken out of the game due to injury.

2012 Offseason

Heading into the 2012 regular season, Decker seems primed to have a productive year with quarterback Peyton Manning now running Denver's offense. On May 12, Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator Mike McCoy noted that Decker and fellow receiver Demaryius Thomas are "like two little kids in a candy shop right now," when asked about the receivers eagerness to work with Manning.

In April, Decker attended a Colorado Rockies' baseball game with Manning and began workouts with him prior to training camp.

2012 Season

Eric Decker had a breakout season in 2012. He had 85 catches for 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was number 20 in the league in terms of yards for WRs and the 13 touchdowns was the second most among WRs in the 2012 season.

Personal life

Decker is married to country singer Jessie James. In September 2013, James took to Twitter to announce that she was expecting the couple's first child.

Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. At 140 square kilometres (35,000 acres) it is the largest airport in the United States by total area, and the second largest airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport. Runway 16R/34L is the longest public use runway in the United States. In 2012 Denver International Airport was the 11th-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic with 53,156,278 passengers.

It was the fifth-busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements with over 635,000 movements in 2010. The airport is in northeastern Denver and is operated by the City & County of Denver Department of Aviation. DIA was voted Best Airport in North America by readers of Business Traveler Magazine six years in a row (2005–2010) and was named "America's Best Run Airport" by Time Magazine in 2002.

Denver International Airport is the main hub for low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines and commuter carrier Great Lakes Airlines. It is also the fourth-largest hub for United Airlines. The airport is a focus city for Southwest Airlines. Since commencing service to Denver in January 2006, Southwest has added over 50 destinations, making Lovely Denver its fastest-growing market. Denver International Airport is the only airport in the United States to have implemented an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system covering the entire airport.

History

From 1980 to 1983, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) investigated six areas for a new metro area airport which were North and East of Denver. In September 1989, under the leadership of Denver Mayor Federico Peña (after whom Peña Boulevard is named), federal officials authorized the outlay of the first $60 million for the construction of DIA. Two years later, Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject, scheduled to open on October 29, 1993.

Delays caused by poor planning and repeated design changes due to changing requirements from United Airlines caused Mayor Webb to push opening day back, first to December 1993, then to March 1994. By September 1993, delays due to a millwright strike and other events meant opening day was pushed back again, to May 15, 1994.

In April 1994, the city invited reporters to observe the first test of the new automated baggage system. Reporters were treated to scenes of clothing and other personal effects scattered beneath the system's tracks, while the actuators that moved luggage from belt to belt would often toss the luggage right off the system instead. The mayor cancelled the planned May 15 opening. The baggage system continued to be a maintenance hassle and was finally terminated in September 2005, with traditional baggage handlers manually handling cargo and passenger luggage.

On September 25, 1994, the airport hosted a fly-in that drew several hundred general aviation aircraft, providing pilots with a unique opportunity to operate in and out of the new airport, and to wander around on foot looking at the ground-side facilities—including the baggage system, which was still under testing. FAA controllers also took advantage of the event to test procedures, and to check for holes in radio coverage as planes taxied around and among the buildings.

DIA finally replaced Stapleton on February 28, 1995, 16 months behind schedule and at a cost of $4.8 billion, nearly $2 billion over budget. The construction employed 11,000 workers. United flight 1062 to Kansas City International Airport was the first to depart and United flight 1474 from Colorado Springs Airport was the first to arrive.

During the blizzard of March 17–19, 2003, heavy snow tore a hole in the terminal's white fabric roof. Over two feet of snow on the paved areas closed the airport (and its main access road, Peña Boulevard) for almost two days. Several thousand people were stranded at DIA.

In 2004, DIA was ranked first in major airports for on-time arrivals according to the FAA.

Denver International Airport covered by the December 22, 2006, snowstorm

Another blizzard on December 20 and 21st, 2006 dumped over 20 inches (51 cm) of snow in about 24 hours. The airport was closed for more than 45 hours, stranding thousands.

Art

Both during construction and after its opening Denver International Airport has set aside a portion of its construction and operation budgets for art. Gargoyles hiding in suitcases are present above the exit doors from baggage claim. The corridor from the Jeppesen Terminal and Concourse A usually contains additional temporary exhibits. Finally a number of different public art works are present in the underground train that links the main terminal with the concourses.

Mustang, by New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez, was one of the earliest public art commissions for Denver International Airport in 1993. Standing at 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and weighing 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg), "Mustang" is a blue cast-fiberglass sculpture with red shining eyes located between the inbound and outbound lanes of Peña Boulevard. Jiménez died in 2006 while creating the sculpture when the head of it fell on him and severed an artery in his leg. At the time of his death, Jiménez had completed painting the head of the mustang. The sculpture was completed with the help of the artist's staff, family, and professional race-car painters Camillo Nuñez and Richard LaVato. Upon completion the sculpture was sent to California for assembly and then shipped to Denver. "Mustang" was unveiled at DEN on February 11, 2008.

Solar energy system!

Partial view of the solar farm under construction, leaving the airport, July 1, 2008.

Between February and August 2008, construction of an on-site, two-megawatt solar energy system took place. The single-axis tracking system provides 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year and uses 9,200 solar panels made by Sharp. Originally designed to power a jail, it spares the environment of more than five million pounds of carbon emissions annually. The system generates the equivalent of half the energy needs of the underground trains that move people between concourses. The $13 million-plus system sits on 7.5 acres (or 30,000 m2), clearly visible to people entering and exiting the airport. WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. designed and built the system, while MMA Renewable Ventures LLC—rather than DIA—owns the solar farm and sells its energy to the airport. Denver International Airport’s three solar array systems now produce approximately six percent of the airport’s total power requirements. The output makes DEN the largest distributed generation photovoltaic energy producer in the state of Colorado.

Telecommunications

DIA has Wi-Fi access throughout the airport. The free service is ad-supported through an advertising-filled HTML frame that is inserted into the top of the browser window. Users of the Wi-Fi network are also required to view a 30-second advertising video in the browser before Internet access is granted, although in many cases a click-through button is provided to avoid viewing the ad. The network is managed by FreeFi Networks, a Los Angeles-based firm. T-Mobile HotSpot service is available in the airport lounges run by United Airlines and American Airlines. The airport has pay-per-use kiosks which can be used to access the Internet and to play video games. The current stations were developed by Zoox Stations and were installed in 2007.

Controversy

There are several conspiracy theories relating to the airport's design and construction such as the runways being laid out in a shape similar to a swastika. Murals painted in the baggage claim area have been claimed to contain themes referring to future military oppression and a one-world government. However, the artist, Leo Tanguma, said the murals, entitled "In Peace and Harmony With Nature" and "The Children of the World Dream of Peace," depict man-made environmental destruction and genocide along with humanity coming together to heal nature and live in peace.

Conspiracists have also seen unusual markings in the terminals in DIA and have recorded them as templar markings. They have pointed to unusual words cut into the floor as being Satanic, Masonic, or some impenetrable secret code of the New World Order: Cochetopa, Sisnaajini and Dzit Dit Gaii. These words are actually Navajo terms for geographical sites in Colorado. "Braaksma" and "Villarreal" are actually the names of Carolyn Braaksma and Mark Villarreal, artists who worked on the airport’s sculptures and paintings.

There is a dedication marker in the airport inscribed with words, "New World Airport Commission". It also is inscribed with the Square and Compasses of the Freemasons, along with a listing of the two Grand Lodges of Freemasonry in Colorado. It is mounted over a time capsule that was sealed during the dedication of the airport, to be opened in 2094. The Freemasons participated in laying this “capstone” (the last, finishing stone) of the airport project.

Robert Blaskiewicz writing for Skeptical Inquirer Magazine states that conspiracies about the airport range from the "absurd to the even more absurd". When asking airport media representatives, 'what conspiracies are associated with the airport', they responded, "You name a conspiracy theory and somehow we seem to be connected to it." Blaskiewicz found that contrary to claims from conspiracy theorists that DIA will not discuss these stories with the public, they also give tours of the airport.

Denver and jurisdictions surrounding the airport are involved in a protracted dispute over how to develop land around the facility. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock wants to add commercial development around the airport, but officials in Adams County believe doing so violates the original agreement that allowed Denver to annex the land on which the airport sits.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. It features majestic mountain views, mountain lakes, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails and campsites. The park is located northwest of Boulder, Colorado, in the Rockies, and includes the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River.

The park has five visitor centers. The park headquarters, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, is a National Historic Landmark, designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin West. The park may be accessed by three roads: U.S. Highway 34, 36, and State Highway 7. Highway 7 enters the park for less than a mile, where it provides access to the Lily Lake Visitor Center which is closed indefinitely. Farther south, spurs from route 7 lead to campgrounds and trail heads around Longs Peak and Wild Basin. Highway 36 enters the park on the east side, where it terminates after a few miles at Highway 34. Highway 34, known as Trail Ridge Road through the park, runs from the town of Estes Park on the east to Grand Lake on the southwest. The road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m), and is closed by snow in winter.

The California Zephyr serves Granby (near the west entrance of the park) by rail from Denver, crossing the Continental Divide through the Moffat Tunnel well south of the park. The park's website suggests Granby as an appropriate rail terminus for visitors, although it lies about sixteen miles from the park without public transportation connections. The park is surrounded by Roosevelt National Forest on the north and east, Routt National Forest on the northwest, and Arapaho National Forest on the southwest.

Geography

Map of Colorado. The area of the Rocky Mountain National Park is in dark red.

Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses 265,761 acres (415.25 sq mi; 1,075.50 km2) of land in Colorado's northern Front Range. The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. The east side of the park tends to be drier, with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques. The west side of the park is wetter and more lush, with deep forests dominating. The park contains 359 miles (578 km) of trails, 150 lakes, and 450 miles (720 km) of streams. The park contains 72 named peaks higher than 12,000 feet (3,700 m), and over one fourth of the park resides above tree line. The highest point of the park is Longs Peak, which rises to 14,259 feet (4,346 m; surveys before 2002 show 14,255 feet (4,345 m)) above sea level. On the north side of the park, the Mummy Range contains a number of smaller thirteener peaks, including Hagues Peak, Mummy Mountain, Fairchild Mountain, Ypsilon Mountain, and Mount Chiquita. Several small glaciers and permanent snowfields are found in the high mountain cirques, including Andrews, Sprague, Tyndall, Taylor, Rowe, Mills, and Moomaw Glaciers.

History

Evidence has shown that Native Americans have visited the area of the park for the last 10,000 years. Their influence in the region was limited, however, and their visits often transitory. The Ute Tribe visited the west side of the park, particularly around Grand Lake. The Arapaho visited and hunted in the Estes Park region. The Long Expedition, led by Stephen H. Long, for whom Longs Peak was named,visited the area in 1820, though they never entered the mountains.

In 1859 while on a hunting expedition, Joel Estes and his son discovered the meadows that eventually became Estes Park. He moved his family there in 1860 and raised cattle. He stayed only until 1866, forced out by long, harsh winters. In the next years, settlers and homesteaders staked their claims in the Estes Park region. Tourists, particularly those interested in climbing the high peaks of the region, appeared after this time.

In 1880 a small mining rush began in the Never Summer Mountains. The mining town of Lulu City was established with great fanfare and promotion by the media, particularly by Fort Collins newspapers. The ore mined, however, was low grade; by 1883 the rush went bust, and most of the residents moved on. A satellite town, Dutchtown, was abandoned by 1884.

Enos Mills, then a 14-year-old boy, moved to Estes Park in 1884. He explored the mountains of the area and wrote many books and articles describing the region. He later supported the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, and he split his time between the mountains he loved and the cities of the eastern United States, where he lobbied for the legislation to create the park. The legislation was drafted by James Grafton Rogers, a Denver lawyer and avid outdoorsman. Mills' original proposal for park boundaries went from Wyoming all the way down to the Mount Evans area, including areas such as the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Much of the land was favored for mining, logging, and other operations, however, so the proposed park was reduced to an area approximating the current park borders. The bill passed Congress and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on January 26, 1915. A formal dedication ceremony was held on September 4, 1915 in Horseshoe Park. The park has expanded over the years, with the largest parcel — the Never Summer Range — added in 1929.

The 1920s saw a boom in building lodges and roads in the park, culminating with the construction of Trail Ridge Road between 1929 and 1933. The Civilian Conservation Corps handled several building projects during the Great Depression and remnants of their camps can be found in the park today. On June 24, 2010, a wildfire burned over 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of the park in Larimer County near Estes Park. Estes Park Fire Department believed that lightning may have started the fire.

Popular areas

Longs Peak seen from Dream Lake trail

The park is dominated by Longs Peak, which is visible from many vantage points, and has an elevation of 14,259 feet (4,346 m). Each year thousands of people attempt to scale it. The easiest route is the Keyhole Route, impassable to regular hikers in all but the hottest summer months due to snow and ice. This eight-mile (13 km) one-way climb has an elevation gain of 4,850 ft (1,480 m). The vast east face, including the area known as The Diamond, is home to many classic big wall rock climbing routes. Not all leave Longs Peak alive and safe. There is a stone gazebo at the Keyhole formation with a plaque memorializing Agnes Vaille, a well-known climber in the 1920s. In January 1925, Vaille fell 100 ft (30 m) while descending the North Face. Vaille survived the fall with minor injuries, but was unable to walk. Her climbing partner, professional mountaineering guide Walter Kiener, went for help; but when rescuers arrived, Vaille had died of fatigue and hypothermia. One of the rescuers, Herbert Sortland, froze to death after breaking his hip while trying to rescue her.

Hallett Peak

Bear Lake, in the heart of the park, is a popular destination and trailhead. The lake lies below Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide. Several trails start from the lake, ranging from easy strolls to strenuous hikes. Bear Lake Road is open year round, though it may close temporarily due to bad weather.

Grand Lake

Trail Ridge Road connects the town of Estes Park in the east with Grand Lake in the west. The road reaches an altitude of 12,183 feet (3,713 m), with long stretches above tree line. It passes the Alpine Visitors' Center, a popular destination, and crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass. Numerous short interpretive trails and pullouts along the road serve to educate the visitor on the history, geography, and ecology of the park. The southern area of the park is Wild Basin, a wild and remote region. Several trails cross the area and backpacking it is popular. The Mummy Range is a short mountain range in the north of the park. The Mummies tend to be gentler and more forested than the other peaks in the park, though some slopes are rugged and heavily glaciated, particularly around Ypsilon Mountain and Mummy Mountain.

The snow-capped Never Summer Mountains are found in the west side of the park. Here the south-trending Continental Divide takes a brief sharp northward loop, which creates an interesting reverse scenario, where the Pacific Basin is on the east side of the divide and the Atlantic Basin on the west. The mountains themselves, the result of volcanic activity, are craggy and, more often than not, covered in deep snow. This area saw the most extensive mining in the park, and trails lead past old mines and ghost towns.

Paradise Park is hidden in the peaks above Grand Lake. This rugged and wild area has no trails penetrating it.