The Highlander

Message from the AHCA Board

Much of our previous meeting was focused on the membership drive and the 2023 budget. In order to help secure funding for neighborhood events, five board members volunteered to apply for local grants of $500 per event – last year we were able to secure three such grants. The currently approved budget assumes we will be able to secure three more grants this year, but there is agreement among board members that we will revisit the budget if reality varies from that assumption. We are committed to fiscal responsibility with your dues and will do our best to spend the budget in ways that enhance our community.

We also discussed some recent neighborhood safety issues – we have had a few incidents recently relating to vandalism and a car break in. We appreciate the neighborhood’s continued vigilance in monitoring activity and encourage anyone impacted by an event such as this to reach out to their neighbors and the AHCA. Many of our neighbors have cameras that may aid law enforcement if any action is necessary.

View full March AHCA Board meeting minutes

Lastly, we have a few reminders for the neighborhood:

1. The AHCA annual membership drive is currently in progress and ends at the end of April – dues of $75 are being accepted and collected. Please submit your form and dues by mail to the AHCA or drop off at the home of Alex Wolf at 7657 S Williams St. Additionally, you can create/update the membership information on the AHCA website – www.arapahoehighlands.com and pay online with PayPal.
2. We encourage everyone to attend the next neighborhood meeting on May 16th from 7-8PM at the Meeks Home (7693 S Gilpin Ct.). AHCA meetings take place on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month. The AHCA would love to hear from you regarding what the board is doing for the neighborhood.

Thanks,
The AHCA Board

Spring Newsletter

Spring is upon us and we could not be more excited for upcoming events that allow our neighborhood to come together! Our event schedule kicks off with the famous Dumpster Days Weekend.

Dumpster Days Weekend (June 3rd & 4th) is an opportunity to kick off spring cleaning by providing dumpsters for the neighborhood to throw out large items collecting dust and a wood chipper to take care of yard waste that has been accumulated over the long winter.

To read more about the services and to understand dumpster and chipper restrictions, please visit the AHCA Dumpster Days Weekend event page.

And for those that want to be more active in the neighborhood, we need volunteers to help with events. You can sign up for this event or future events by visiting the page above, by indicating that you would like to volunteer on your membership form or by contacting the AHCA at ahca.web@gmail.com.

Summer will be here before you know it – mark your calendars for our Summer Celebration on July 4th! This event is fun for all ages and will include the annual 4th of July Parade followed by a picnic.

Helpful Resources

Looking to save water, reduce waste, and or conserve energy within your home? We have a list of local resources that can help you achieve these goals.

• Resource Central is an award-winning nonprofit in Boulder, Colorado determined to make conservation so simple that you don’t even realize you’re doing it. They provide a variety of amazing services:
  • Garden in a Box
  • Lawn Replacement Programs
  • Residential Sprinkler Evaluations
• Plant Select is the country’s leading brand of plants designed to thrive in high plains and intermountain regions, offering plants that provide more beauty with less work so gardeners of all levels can achieve smart, stunning and successful gardens using fewer resources and with a more positive environmental impact.
  • New plants to garden centers and wholesale suppliers in 2023
  • Free Waterwise Landscape Designs perfect for residential curb appeal
• Plant Talk is a Colorado State University and Denver Botanic Gardens collaboration Horticulture blog that provides reliable and timely information on over 600 topics (from how to keep your lawn green to how to grow the best tomatoes in Colorado).
• Ridwell is an amazing resource to recycle items that aren’t able to be placed in a usual collection such as batteries, lightbulbs, electronics, styrofoam and plastic bags! (hot tip there are referral discounts if you sign up and can recruit more neighbors to join)
• Do you have dog toys and clothes that are too damaged for Goodwill Donation? Retold Recycling (as featured in Shark Tank) will send a biodegradable bag that you can fill and pop in your mailbox for USPS to collect!
• To support and raise awareness of traffic related safety in Centennial’s neighborhoods, the City has initiated a Yard Sign Community Education program, available annually from April 15 until November 15. This program encourages neighbors to work with neighbors to raise awareness and provide a gentle reminder to drivers encouraging them to slow down. This can be done by temporarily placing safety messaging signs, provided by the City, in a series of yards.

Announcements:

If you would like to share information about a birth, death, illness, etc., in your family please contact Susie Lewis (susie6405@gmail.com) or Christy Jones (carpenter1978@gmail.com). 

Our neighbor Candace Moon will not be seeking re-election this fall to the Centennial city council.  This seat will be vacant.  Candace says, “It is a pleasure to serve the residents of our city and it is rewarding work.  If anyone desires to run for election to this seat the information is online on the city’s website and I would be happy to talk with them on the topic.”

Local Happenings:

 April 03 | Centennial: City Council Meeting @ Centennial Civic Center
April 06 | Denver: Colorado Rockies Home Opener v San Diego Padres @Coors Field
April 11 | Denver: Free Day at the Denver Art Museum @ Denver Art Museum
April 15 | Denver: NBA Playoffs Begin – Denver Nuggets Games TBD
April 17 | Denver: Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin – Colorado Avalanche Games TBD
April 22 | Centennial: Electronic Recycling Event @ Centennial Civic Center
April 22 | Denver: Free Day at the Denver Botanic Gardens @Denver Botanic Gardens
April 22 | Denver: Free Day at the Chatfield Botanic Gardens @Chatfield Botanic Gardens
May 06 | Centennial: High Line Canal Run @ deKoevend Park
May 06 | Centennial: Chipping and Mulch Event
May 11 | Centennial: 17th Annual State of Our City Luncheon @ Wings Over the Rockies
May 13-14 | Arapahoe County: Chalk Lines & Vines @ Arapahoe County Event Center
May 20 | Centennial: Noxious Weeds Workshop @ Centennial Public Works
April – August | Denver: Bugs Exhibit @Denver Museum of Nature & Science