Welcome to our April issue!  Spring is upon us and I think it’s fair to say that we are more than ready for the budding trees and all of the positive vibes that come with the new season.

April is an exciting month with so much to experience and contemplate. In this issue we feature the 20th Annual Wash Park Home Tour. We look forward to this neighborhood tradition each year. Not only are we able to take a peek inside some of Wash Park’s most beautiful homes, but we can feel good doing so, knowing that the proceeds of ticket sales benefit Steele Elementary and the Denver Public Schools Education Network.

This month we also tap into Record Store Day (April 21st), which celebrates the culture of the independently-owned record store.  A listening medium that has gained momentum and is far from being lost.

With Spring break behind us, the topic of screen time made its way into our conversation daily, so we decided to tackle this parental battle as well. Our article is written by a father and high school teacher of 20 years, so his knowledge of the effects of screen time runs deep.

Finally, we highlight ReCreative Denver, a local gallery dedicated to cultivating creativity, community, and environmental stewardship through creative reuse and arts education. After all, Earth Day is quickly approaching on April 22nd and the state of the environment is a topic that weighs heavily on our minds.

So with that in mind, we are going to do our part this month to make a small, but mighty, dent in lowering our waste as a family by skipping the straw when we are out to eat, not using bottled water, and by bringing reusable bags to shop at markets that promote refillable containers like SoDo Village Market. We encourage you to also make small changes in your life for the betterment of the environment. Above all else, we wish you a happy and healthy spring!

Your neighbors – Shaleen and Sam DeStefano