This neighborhood is made up of approximately 118 homes as well as the commercial properties on the west side of Colorado Boulevard. In the past, the commercial residents have not been active participants in the Association, but in 2010 that barrier came down when The Garlic Knot sponsored the annual Association meeting and picnic. Residents hope this is the beginning of more mixing of the commercial and residential neighbors.
The annual meeting & pot luck is held on Labor Day and this year's attendance was the highest it has been in years. Residents of all ages enjoyed catching up and visiting. Kids played catch and tried out the Schafer's backyard zip line. While the Garlic Knot supplied their name sake appetizers as well as pizzas everyone brought a side dish or dessert and the delicious food was gobbled up. The choices were varied from pheasant casserole made from scratch by long time Jackson Street resident Russ Olson(2401 S Jackson St.). He used his new Labrador to flush the pheasant on a hunting trip in South Dakota and said the casserole is just one of the many wild game dishes he makes. Judging from how quickly it was eaten it was a huge hit with the neighbors. Another big success was Sarah Riopelle's(2455 S Jackson St.)chocolate meringue dessert which had sweet tooths oohing and ahhing! Everyone lined up for Ken and Judy Simon's (2552 S Jackson St.) famous Bonnie Brae Ice Cream. I think all that was left at the end of the night was about one small scoop and a lick or two. The Simon's have been generous enough every year to share their company's delicious ice cream and it is always a highlight.
Association President Tom Schafer called the meeting to order just prior to the ice cream. Elections were held and Schafer was re-elected as President. Judy Simon was elected as Vice President. and Pat Hanley (2580 S Jackson St.) was elected as Secretary/Treasurer. Mr. Schafer put out a call for a chairperson for a welcoming committee as we try and reach out to all of our association members. Ellie Najjar (2454 S. Jackson St.) and Josh & Megan Biller (2662 S Jackson St.) agreed to take on the job.
A vote was also taken to officially change the name of our organization to the South Jackson Street Neighborhood Association. It passed unanimously. Help was also requested to get a handicapped ramp up to the walking trail along the gulch. And a very short zoning update was given and residents were encouraged to call Kentwood Cherry Creek Realtor Jill Schafer if they wanted specific information regarding their lot. More information can also be found at www.newcodedenver.org Many residents commented on the large amount of children at this years event. Seems our neighborhood is transitioning with some new families moving in over the past few years.There are a few houses currently for sale in the neighborhood, Mrs. Schafer encouraged residents to pick their own neighbors and to talk up the neighborhood as the quicker & higher priced homes sell, the better it is for everyones values.