West Side Recorder Volume 6 No 9

              WEST SIDE RECORDER
Volume 6—Number 9
Monthly Newspaper of the West Side, Denver, Colorado
January, 1970
Action Coucil To Divide
$12,500 In Neighborhood
The West Side Action Council has available approximately $12,500 to be used in "special impact" projects on
the West Side.
The money comes from the
Office of Economic Opportunity
(OEO) and Is known as a block
grant. The block grant Is given
directly to the Council so they
can become more Independent of
Denver Opportunity (DO) which
sets many guidelines about how
action center money may be
spent. The grants are in addition to the center's regular operation money.
Block grants are also supposed to give the Council a chance
to prove to OEO that they know
how to set up projects which
will really benefit the community.
The Action Council has not
yet decided how the $12,500 for
1970 will be spent. They are
asking organizations and individuals to submit proposals and
ideas about how the money
might be spent for the improvement of the West Side.
CaU your Action Council representatives and tell them what
kinds of projects you think
would have the greatest impact
in the community whether it
might be scholarships, training
programs, craft projects, youth
centers, recreation programs,
craft projects, youth centers, recreation programs, parks, Summer jobs for high school students, etc.
It is obvious that only one or
two of these projects can be
funded with the $12,500. Several
council members have expressed
concern that an attempt was being made to rush the council into accepting one proposal without giving consideration to other proposals. They believe that
if the council is going to be able
to use the block grant for the
best interests of the West Side it
is necessary to consider a variety
of proposals and to consider the
wishes of the community.
If you do not know who your
Action Council representative is,
call the Action Center at 534-
5141 for his or her name. If
you are unable to get the name
of your representative or his telephone number from the Action
Center call 623-2285.
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR
THIS ISSUE OF THE
WEST SIDE RECORDER
(BASIC COST, $555)
Colorado Printers $10
Drafting Engineering
School    10
First Bethany
Lutheran Church .... 10
First Mennonite
Church   10
Inner City Parish   10
St. Elizabeth's
Catholic Church  10
St. Joseph's
Catholic Church  10
Wesley United
Methodist Church  ..10
West Side Improvement
Association     10
UNDER $5:
Mr. Everett Dobson
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Barbara Baker
Pledges for this issue:
St. John's Lutheran
Church  10
Food Distribution
Center Needs Help
The food distribution centers for pregnant mothers
and families with children
under six are in need of volunteers. People are needed
to help drive food to the distribution points, help staff
the centers and various other jobs.
A good pick-up truck is also
needed to distribute the food to
then centers. Miss Connie Grei-
go, Vista associate in charge of
the center at Sixth and Galapago says that the center could also use shopping carts for mothers to carry their food home.
Thirty cans of milk are given
per child. If a mother has several pre-school children and
must bring them along to pick
up her foods, it becomes almost
impossible for her to get them
all home. Sometimes Miss Griego herself gives families a lift
home after her work is done in
the evening. Someone with a car
could help out with this. There
are many opportunities here for
all of us to help other West Siders.
Anyone who wants to help In
any way may call Miss Connie
Griego at 825-6455 in the mornings and Mrs. Delores Haynes,
266-9267. The center at Sixth
and Galapago is open Tuesdays
and Thursdays. It is the only
one on the West Side presently.
Families are referred to it from
La Casita Esperanza and Mariposa Health Stations. The West
Side Health Center and Denver
General, also refer people.
Two more centers are hopefully being planned for the
West Side, one in Lincoln Park
Homes and one at St. Cajetan's
That means more volunteers will
be needed.   Let's all help.
M.A.L.S.A.  Starts
Legal Aid Center
Just what is this new organization? It is a group of students who, in conjunction with
the University of Denver Law
School, have organized themselves for the purpose of helping
Mexican-American Spanish surnamed people with their legal
problems.
OPERATION S.E.R. has opened its doors to this group and
is offering office facility and
telephone.
The function of this organization, M.A.L.S.A., is to counsel
those who fall in the indigent
classification.
The young people are either
Seniors or Juniors in Law School
and can serve as counsel or refer the individual.
Those wishing to avail themselves of the M.A.L.S.A. County
Court Practice Program may
call the following phone number—534-3186.
FLASH!
West Side Coalition receives $20,000 from Archdiocese and vote of confidence from Archdiocese
Social Action Committee.
West Side Relic
ELMWOOD
Elmwood School, 720 Galapago, is an ancient relic.
Part of the building (right) was built in 1887. The other part
(left) dates from 1895. Yet our West Side children still attend classes in this sadly inadequate eyesore.
There is an immediate need for vital facilities.
      e Elmwood has no lunchroom.
NEW WSIA DIRECTORS  DIG
IN
Complaints of inadequate
street sweeping and garbage
pick-up were among the principal subjects discussed at
the January 13th board meeting of the West Side Improvement Association. Henry Maestas, the new Association's vice-president, said
that he had inspected his district and found that garbage
collection has been lax and
haphazard. It was decided
that the new executive com-
mitte would take the matter
up with the proper authorities.
FREE MEALS
Children of families on welfare and those of other low income families are eligible to receive free breakfasts and lunches
at their schools. The Denver
Department of Welfare is sending letters to all welfare families
for them to take to their schools
to be in the program. The child
will then get a lunch card which
will be on file in the school cafeteria.
Those families who have not
received a letter and are interested in the program should contact the social worker at their
school. Other interested low income families may do the same.
The Christmas Party held December 21st at the Auraria Community Center was a success.
Over 500 West Side children attended the party for which expenses had been paid by the
Catholic Archdiocese. Many
Denver area individuals and
merchants contributed toys,
food and money.
A question was raised at the
meeting about the delay of last
year's officers in transferring
the Association books and accounts to the new officers.
Although the new officers had
been installed in December the
books had not yet been turned
over to the new officers by the
old officers. It was pointed out
that since the December meeting
the past president and past vice-
president, Mrs. Wilma Dabrow-
.ski, and Mrs. Leona Partney,
had had the past treasurer, Mrs.
Benita Clark, write checks to
them in the amount of $50.00
each. Mrs. Dabrowski said that
the money was for past services
and expenses.
The association voted that in
the future officers would be reimbursed for their expenses only
if it was authorized by a specific resolution of the Board.
Coker New Projects Head
. .Mr. William Coker, former
manager of the Curtis Park
Projects was appointed the
manager of the Lincoln Park
Projects in January.
Mr. Coker's appointment came
about after Mr. Austin Robinson retired as director of management for the Denver Housing Authority after 22 years of
service.
Mr.   Leonard   Chadwick,   no
stranger to West Siders was appointed to replace Mr. Robinson, as director of management,
who in turn was replaced at his
present position by Mr. Bill
Ratzlaff, the manager of Lincoln Parks Homes. Good luck
to all of these men in their new
assignments. We hope to have
more information on Mr. Coker
by our next issue.
New Action Council
Members Selected
The West Side Action Council has selected four people to
fill empty seats on the Action
Council. They are Mr. and Mrs.
Alfredo Herrera of 361 Elati St.,
Mrs. Mary Aguirre of 872 Galapago St., and Barbara Rogers of
The Mariposa Health Station.
Barbara is a social worker at
the health station and will fill
the third and final agency seat
on the council. The other two
agency people are John Doyle of
Baker Junior High School and
Don Schierling of the Westside
Action Ministry.
It is also reported that Alberta Crespin of 1467 Navajo St.
was elected treasurer for the Action Council.
Food is currently being served in the basement between
the  school's  only two lava*
tories.
e Elmwood has no auditorium.
The only area large enough
to  assemble the children is
at the end of one of the hallways,
e Elmwood needs a gymnasium.
The only recreation area now
is located in two converted
classrooms,
e Elmwood needs a music and
art room. The present cubicle
is hidden in the basement. It
also serves as a speech room
two afternoons a week,
e Elmwood lacks adequate lavatories. There are only two
lavatories    located    in    the
basement to serve the entire
400 student enrollment. Some
children must go down two
flights of stairs to use the
lavatory.    Twenty    minutes
per   day   are   lost   because
teachers must always accompany the children.
• Elmwood is one of the very
few schools still being heated
by coal. On some mornings
the temperature is 70° in the
office, 50° in a north classroom,  and about  72°   in a
south classroom.
Until these facilities are provided at Elmwood, our children
are daily being deprived of equal
educational opportunities. Teacher  and pupil attitudes are adversely affected by the overall
appearance of this substandard
monstrocity. We should sit still
no longer. Equality of education
does not exist on the West Side!
For proof, see the photographs
and story on Page 3.
Auraria Backs Coalition
The Board of Directors of
Auraria Community Center met
Monday evening, December 15,
at 7:30 p.m. At the meeting,
the Board voted to support the
activities of the West Side Coalition. The Board also voted to
hold its regular meeting the
second Monday of each month
at 7:30 at Auraria.
Auraria Board meetings are
open and are a way for residents
to learn more directly about the
decisions and operation of the
Center.