Annie Bolden, December 8, 1934 - September 27, 2021

Annie Bolden wasn't born in Globeville, nor did she live in the neighborhood, but she influenced all who knew her at Globeville's Broadway (formerly Stapleton) Recreation Center. Born and raised in Waco, Texas in 1934, Bolden attended schools there and completed her college education at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, earning a B.S. degree in Physical Education. She was an accomplished and competitive athlete, playing semi-pro fast-pitch softball as a pitcher for over 20 years.

After college, she moved to Denver for better opportunities and to join her older sister Mae Kyle. 

Bolden got her first position with Denver Parks and Recreation at the Glenarm Center in Denver's Five Points and Curtis Park Neighborhoods, creating outreach and recreation programs. She was then named a supervisor at the St. Charles Recreation Center, a heavily Hispanic area where Bolden was well liked and respected. When Joe Cianco, head of the Parks and Recreation department abruptly transferred her to Globeville's Stapleton Center, Bolden was flummoxed. "You'll do fine" Cianco said. And she did.

Many of the people who used the center were from the nearby Stapleton Public Housing Projects and were a very diverse group. Bolden could relate to them all. Shannon Kanan remembers, "Any child, any parent, any need, she was an advocate for each one. She was fearless.

She didn't get along with everyone and she didn't bite her tongue. She was a leader at the center and in the community. 

 

Bolden created volleyball, softball, basketball and cheerleading classes, but also food programs, educational assistance, summer and full-time jobs, adult activities and outings. Roberta Mollock Sanders smiles as she describes them. "During the War on Poverty, on Fridays, we had these bus trips. We would go to Idaho Springs, to Estes Park, Chautauqua, and Tiny Town. It was fun."

Bolden retired in 2000 and was living in Houston, Texas at the time of her passing.

Balloons were released at the Broadway Recreation Center on Sunday, October 10th and family, friends and all those who were fortunate to know her celebrated her. A movement has been started to replace the nondescript name "Broadway Center" with that of the "Annie Bolden Recreation Center" to honor a woman who had such an impact on the Globeville Community.

John Zapien remembers Annie Bolden

Shannon Kanan urges folks to write their memories
on the website

Debbie Powell hopes to gather some momentum to name 
the center in honor of Annie Bolden

Annie Bolden Obituary
https://www.troybsmith.com/obituary/annie-bolden

The National Western Stock Show

Ever since the National Western Stock Show was officially established in 1906, Globeville enjoyed the trickle-down economic bounty from the event. During its ten-day run, the Stock Show was a source of jobs and a boon to local taverns, restaurants, hotels and merchants. School children enjoyed a day away from the classroom to see farm animals, mutton busting, horse shows and numerous rodeos.

Ad from January 1927 issue of the Denver Catholic Register

In 1960, the nearby meatpacking industry was Globeville’s and the city’s largest employer. But the decade that followed saw mergers and acquisitions that resulted in a loss of jobs. Soon feedlot operators built out-of-town facilities to slaughter and process meat, shipping directly to stores and bypassing the packing plants. The change affected the “Big Four:” Swift shut down in April 1966 and Armour in 1968. Cudahy continued to operate until it was acquired by Bar-S in 1981, and Wilson limped along until closing in 1981. The stock pens were deserted and the Stock Show Complex began to deteriorate.

Empty stock pens in the 1980s.

Every January, the National Western Stock Show continued to generate excitement and revenue. But for the rest of the year, the run-down complex struggled to stay relevant, hosting tattoo conventions, model trains exhibits and bridal shows. Meanwhile, in 2011, the city of Aurora offered tax incentives to relocate the Stock Show as part of the Gaylord Hotel complex. Thankfully, in 2015, Denver voters approved 2C. 

                  John Zapien, member of the Citizens Advisory Committee

The measure extended a 1.75 percent tax on hotel rooms and rental cars in Denver, generating $622 million for the project. CSU pledged another $250 million to construct facilities for education, and the Stock Show donated 75 acres of land and $50 million in cash.

Longtime Globeville resident John Zapien once worked as a “lugger” for Wilson, lugging lamb off a hook and onto a truck. Zapien has also represented the community’s interests for decades. Now a member of the National Western Citizens Advisory Committee, he is the only community member who gets a vote on the authority’s board. He and other residents look forward to the jobs that construction and new facilities will bring and the CSU educational opportunities for children.

“Who would have thought we’d have a college campus right where the stockyard was? They’re not just dealing with animals, but information and water, which is terribly crucial. I see this as a wonderful opportunity for young people,” Zapien said. “I think one of the biggest bridges is the food on the table. Whether you live in Globeville or Elyria or Swansea or Burlington or Clifton or Palisade or Rifle, there are some real similarities that we can work on together in the future with our rural neighbors. They’re the same as we are, they just live out of town.”

John Zapien - Community Activist

Maybe it’s his oversized voice or his intense personality, but John Zapien seems much larger than he is. Although he has never been elected to public office, Zapien has been a force of nature in Globeville, representing resident’s concerns almost as soon as he arrived in 1958.
“I’m originally from Kansas City in an area that’s a lot like Globeville. A lot of Croatian, Serbian, Polish and Belgian. I’m the only one in my family who lives in Colorado, courtesy of Uncle Sam. When I first moved to Globeville, I worked construction and then got on at Wilson Meatpacking.” Both construction and meatpacking were seasonal and when Zapien left Wilson, he went to work as a paralegal for the Model Cities Program (part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society and War on Poverty Program). The program gave participants a crash course in “Poverty Law,” which Zapien used to battle a proposed rendering plant (PepCol) along Washington. The application for the plant was denied and led to the health department’s regulation of industry odors. “That had never been done before,” Zapien remarked.
In 1974, Zapien was appointed by Joe Shoemaker, Chairman of the Platte River Development Committee (PRDC), to work with committee members to revitalize the polluted waterway. Without city funds and no legal authority, Zapien used his persuasive methods to get polluters (including the city of Denver) to not only cease dumping, but to clean up their immediate area. In 1976, the PRDC became The Greenway Foundation and its 100 miles of riverside trails and parks are a testament to the early efforts of the organization.
In 1975, Zapien and Globeville neighbors battled the Denver Planning Board’s goal of letting the  neighborhood “evolve” into an industrial area. Zapien is remembered for inviting the Board to a meeting in the community, then presenting a meat cleaver to them for “carving up Globeville.” The Board withdrew the plan in 1977.
Zapien’s theatrical antics have garnered some criticism, but his unorthodox methods have also produced results, including the defeat of a proposed medical incinerator, the removal of an unwanted homeless shelter, and increased voter registration.
Residents of Globeville, Elyria and Swansea (GES) trust Zapien to stand up for them. And so he does. As the only Voting Community Member of the 13-member board of the National Western’s Center,  Zapien remarked, “This is the best chance our neighborhoods have in moving forward and we are all excited for the educational, cultural and economic opportunities this campus will bring our community.” The communities are counting on Zapien, and by whatever tactics are necessary, he will be their voice.

 John Zapien, Photo ® Mary Lou Egan