About SUN
Stapleton United Neighbors (SUN) is the registered neighborhood association for the Stapleton area. Our mission is threefold: to provide a forum for our residents; to maintain a communication network between ourselves, our neighboring Denver residents, and the city of Denver; and to act on issues of importance to the community as a whole.
SUN is comprised solely of volunteer neighbors and serves as the registered neighborhood organization for Stapleton, discussing key issues with neighbors, representing their interests, engaging in proactive problem-solving, and organizing neighborhood-building activities. See the latest news about SUN below, or click on one of the links to the left to find out more about our various committees.
NOTE CHANGE - in 2014 our meetings are moving to the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The SUN Board Meetings are normally held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, except in July, November, and December. The SUN Outreach Committee usually meets at 6:30 pm, followed by the SUN Board Meeting at 7:30 pm. The meetings are held at the Central Park Recreation Center at 9651 E. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Denver 80238. The community is welcome to attend both meetings. Check the calendar section for the next meeting.
Board meeting agendas can be found here. Westerly Creek Metro District Board Elections
Park Creek Metropolitan District (PCMD)/Westerly Creek Metropolitan District (WCMD): PCMD and WCMD
are the official government bodies that were establish to monitor and
authorize expenditures for the development of Stapleton (including the
additional property tax mill levy).
WCMD has 3 openings on the Board. Any resident can complete a self-nomination form and be put on the ballot for election to the Board of WCMD. Click here for a copy of the self-nomination form.
The election will be held on Tuesday, May 6th at the Stapleton Development Corporation Offices, 7350 E. 29th Ave., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80238. For more information on the nominations or elections, please contact: Micki L. Wadhams, Collins, Cockrel & Cole, 303-218-7206. Stapleton Community Input
SUN is always looking for input from the community. If you have questions about the community, please complete the form below. We will do our best to answer your questions. It is important to provide an email contact so we can answer your question.
Stapleton Forum Question SubmissionStapleton Forum Question Submission
SUN Spot - Be Visable. Be Safe.
By David Vogel,
SUN Transportation Committee
If you’re one of the many people who head out each day for an early morning walk, jog or bicycle ride, you have no doubt found yourself doing those activities in total darkness, as sunrise has come later and later. And drivers embarking on their morning commutes have probably noticed that it has become more and more
difficult to see those people. Fortunately, this potentially dangerous scenario can be remedied with a few simple measures.
Anyone who will be using the streets in darkness or around sunrise or sunset, whether on foot or on a bicycle, needs to make him or herself visible with both active and passive lighting. Active lighting for walkers and joggers can be as easy as carrying a small flashlight, wearing a headband-mounted light, or using illuminated
wristbands or anklets. Passive lighting can be easily achieved by wearing clothing that is integrated with reflective material or by putting reflective stickers made for that purpose on your clothing. Fortunately, it is easy to find all those things without breaking the bank.
For bicyclists, as with everything, this is a more complicated (and expensive) subject. This is not the time to look for the cheapest option. Anyone bicycling in darkness needs a high-powered headlamp that emits approximately 1,000 lumens. A good rule of thumb is that if it takes AA batteries, it almost certainly isn’t bright
enough. Having a “flash” setting is a big plus for riding at dawn and dusk when it can be even harder for motorists to see you.
After finding the right headlight, you’ll still need at least one very bright, red flashing taillight. The more obnoxious, the better, as the idea is to get drivers’ attention. Better still, try to find two or three different locations (including the back of your helmet) for taillights. That takes care of the front and back, but you need side visibility as well. LEDs in a variety of sizes and colors are available for your spokes or for mounting directly on your frame. They don’t cost much, so go crazy with them. Remember, you want to make it impossible for motorists to fail to notice you.
Finally, you need reflectors. You’ll be amazed by how much light is bounced back by even just a small set of orange reflectors that come standard on many bicycle pedals. All bicycles leave the store with reflectors installed, but the first thing many bicyclists do is remove them. Big mistake. If anything, you need to add even more. At the very least, you need them on the front and back, as well as in the spokes. A great way to improve on that configuration is to add reflective tape to various parts of your frame. And you don’t need to worry about ruining the appearance of your investment, because reflective tape is available in a wide range of colors, including black.
Ironically, owners of the most expensive road bicycles often seem to be the ones who spend the least on safety measures. While the desire for less weight and a reluctance to clutter your beautiful investment with reflectors and lights might be understandable, it’s not worth risking your life for. It’s great to live in a place where so many people remain active even in the shorter, colder months of the year. By taking the time to make yourself visible to motorists, you can ensure that your exercise remains not just healthy, but safe too.
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