Denver, CO
Denver Tool Library builds community through shared resources and skills
DENVER — Nestled in crowded buildings along Sante Fe Avenue, the Denver Tool Library offers a twist on the traditional concept of a library.
Instead of books, library members can check out a wide range of tools for their home improvement projects.
Founded in 2015 by Sarah Steiner, the library has grown from humble beginnings.
Denver7’s Ethan Carlson
“When we first started, we had a secret back entrance in the alley,” said Steiner with a laugh. “We couldn’t afford to rent the whole building.”
Today, it holds over 5,000 tools — from table saws to gardening equipment — all available with a $150 annual membership fee.
The scope of the library has expanded, too. It now houses workshop space for classes. Those spaces can also be rented out by its members.
Chris Hoehle, a community workshop monitor and woodturning instructor for the library, believes that hands-on instruction is the best way to learn hands-on skills.
“Just like anything these days, you could learn that just from YouTube,” Hoehle explained. “But it’s a lot easier with an experienced instructor to guide you through all the pitfalls.”
Despite the challenges faced by similar workshops in the area, the Denver Tool Library thrives by fostering a collaborative atmosphere and by expanding at a rate that works for them.
“The kind of secret sauce to this place is just starting small, expanding as you go, and responding to the demands of the membership,” said Hoehle.
Denver7’s Ethan Carlson
Steiner believes that the $150 membership fee can pay for itself almost immediately, especially if a project calls for one big rental item.
“We hear from people a lot that we’ve saved them thousands of dollars in tool rentals over a year of working on their first home,” Steiner said.
Yet, the main reason for the success of the library is the people who participate. There’s a spirit of sharing and collaboration, with members often consulting each other for the best ways to complete their projects.
“It’s really beloved in the community,” Hoehle said. “I think we also have a really personal touch that people appreciate. I’m able to give people a lot of individual attention in the open shop hours, really help them out, [and] think them through their projects. I think that shows and kind of keeps the people coming back.”
“This space is like if you started a fort in your backyard,” said Steiner. “Then it turned into something that the whole community just really loved and appreciated and participated in… It always surprises me. It’s always got something interesting to try to figure out. It is a fun place to be, and I’m really lucky to be a part of it.”
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DENVER (KDVR) – Denver and the Plains will see extra clouds Thursday with isolated storm out east and warm highs along the Front Range.
Weather today: Partly cloudy and warm
Clouds kept temperatures mild this morning and pockets of sunshine through the afternoon help us warm to the middle 80s.
We will be very close to tying a daily record high, but a light northerly breeze should stop us from hitting 87. The Eastern Plains can also see some isolated storms in the afternoon. There are also some Red Flag Warnings in the state, winds will be at 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, avoid any burning or open flames in these areas.
Weather tonight: Lingering clouds
Partly cloudy skies through the day will stick with us tonight. Overnight lows will dip into the low 50s with a lighter wind.
Looking ahead: Cooler weekend with shower chances
Friday rounds out the workweek with partly to mainly sunny skies and comfy highs in the lower 80s. Saturday looks comfy as well with partly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 70s and afternoon storm chances. Sundayis still mild as highs hit the middle 70s, but clouds increase through the day with showers and storms in the evening hours. That rain can linger overnight and into Monday.
Monday has showers through the day and maybe a few flakes in the high country. Highs on Monday will be in the lower 60s with a breeze and cloudy skies. Shower chances linger into Tuesday with below average highs in the lower 60s with cloudy skies. Wednesday has smaller storm chances and a bit more sunshine as seasonal highs make it to the lower 70s.
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.
All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.
People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”
Denver officials have mistakenly sent emergency alerts about isolated police activity to the entire city twice in recent months — once in January when a person was barricaded near the University of Denver and once in April when two armed robbery suspects ran into a nearby home in Ruby Hill.
Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release.
While Denverites don’t need to take any action during the test on Wednesday, the sirens are usually a sign to seek shelter indoors immediately and check for updates from the city and local news outlets, according to Denver officials.
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