Life on Cap Hill August 2021

August 2021

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A WINDOW TO WILDLIFE Denver Zoo has been connecting people to animals for 125 years

P4 PROVIDING A UNIQUE FOOD EXPERIENCE

CELEBRATING FIVE POINTS

Cherry Creek North Food & Wine takes place Aug. 11-14

History Colorado exhibit pays tribute to historic Denver neighborhood

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FOCUSED ON ART Summer Art Market to highlight Art Students League of Denver

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2 Life on Capitol Hill

August 1, 2021

Business Matters Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com Business Matters is a monthly column featuring business news in the Life on Capitol Hill and Washington Park Profile coverage areas, which is roughly central and central-south Denver.

If you are a local business that would like to announce any updates to your operations, email Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia. com.

NEW OPENINGS Heaven Creamery Heaven Creamery opened its second metro-area location in Cherry Creek North at 299 Milwaukee St. mid-May, and is expected to open a third location in Denver’s River North Art District this summer.

Heaven Creamery is an all-natural artisan creamery that serves a variety of ice cream, gelato, sorbet and fruit pops. Products have no artificial colors or flavors, zero processed sugar and are made with wholesome ingredients. Heaven Creamery is known for its unique, bizarre and extravagant flavors and offers an extensive selection of dairy free, vegan and gluten free options, states its website.

Heaven Creamery’s owner and CEO Martha Trillo got her start in the creamery business in Denver in 2008, but closed the doors to that business two years later to focus on a different profession. In 2015, Trillo opened KIWI International Delights in Avon. Because of its success, Trillo decided to expand to the Denver area with the same recipes, but with a re-

branded name. Heaven Creamery opened its first location in the Streets at SouthGlenn in Centennial in early 2020.

To learn more about Heaven Creamery or to stay up-to-date on the opening of its RiNo location, visit https://heavencreamery.com.

Reverence Brewing Company A new brewery in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood opened in early July.

Reverence Brewing Company, 1604 E. 17th Ave., is “a neighborhood brewery for all ages, races, genders and lovers serving up all the styles in a vintage lounge,” states its Facebook page.

The brewery opened with offering three beers on tap: Sanguine, a hazy IPA; Sedora, an ale; and Sheltered In Cove, a Mexican lager.

To learn more about Reverence Brewing Company, visit www.reverencebrewingcompany.com.

Tikka and Grill Tikka and Grill, a new restaurant serving Nepali and Indian cuisines, opened mid-June at 1300 South Broadway in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood.

The restaurant’s full menu offers a variety of items for lunch and dinner, including appetizers, deserts and nonalcoholic specialty Indian drinks.

To learn more about Tikka and Grill or to view the menu, visit www.thetikkaandgrill.com.

Yum Yums Ice Cream A new ice cream destination opened in

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late July on the property shared with Denver Beer Co.’s South Downing taproom at 2425 South Downing St. in the Rosedale neighborhood.

Yum Yums Ice Cream specializes in small-batch ice creams and sorbets with all ingredients locally sourced from Colorado dairy farms and fields.

The concept is the brainchild of Denver Beer Co.’s founders, Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford. When the two purchased the South Downing Street property in January 2020 for Denver Beer Co.’s third taproom, they envisioned opening a creamery in the property’s smaller auxiliary building, said Diana Crawford, public relations director for the brewery.

Yum Yums serve flavors that flavors that pay homage to the creamery’s craft brewing roots — Lemon Drop Hop sorbet and Graham Cracker Porter Ice Cream, for example — fun flavors and kid favorites such as Rainbow Unicorn Fruity Pebble Treat, and old-school classics like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

“We can be quite nimble with our micro-creamery and we’ve had a ton of fun coming up with all the flavor combos,” said Patrick Crawford in a news release. “We envision folks enjoying beer and a scoop on our patio, there will be something for everyone, from craft beer floats to classic cones covered in sprinkles and a cherry on top.”

To learn more about Yum Yums, visit www.yumyums.co. To learn more about Denver Beer Co., visit https://denverbeerco.com.

CLOSINGS beast + bottle beast + bottle, 719 E. 17th Ave., which was a farm-to-table American restaurant in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood, closed in early June after eight years of service.

However, it was recently announced that Paul and Aileen Reilly, the brotherand-sister duo behind the former beast + bottle, will be opening a new seasonal American fare restaurant called Apple Blossom inside the Hyatt Centric, 1776 Champa St., in downtown Denver. Apple Blossom is expected to open in the fall.

Coperta — the Reillys’ other restaurant concept located at 400 E. 20th Ave., which borders Uptown and the Five Points neighborhood — is currently open for dine-in and takeout. This restaurant specializes in the food and wine of Rome and southern Italy. It opened in 2016 with a third business partner, JP Taylor, Jr., who also opened beast + bottle with the Reillys.

To learn more about Coperta, visit www.copertadenver.com.

MILESTONES Three Cutters Three Cutters is celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its Washington Park location this summer.

Three Cutters is an Aveda concept salon that offers full-service scalp to soul experiences, including Aveda color, cut, style, skin care, waxing, body care and makeup services; as well as specialty services that vary by provider per location.

The Washington Park location, which is currently owned by Brad Van Dyke and Justin Williams, was Three Cutters’ first location. Since its opening in summer 2001, the salon has expanded to three locations in Denver. They are: Washington

Park, 485 S. Pearl St.; Capitol Hill, 1021 E. Ninth Ave., which opened in September 2019; and Sunnyside, 4053 Tejon St., which opened in October 2017.

“Denver has such a unique community, and being nestled in these neighborhoods really gives us a sense of belonging,” said Sarah Riggs, Three Cutters’ general manager who has been with the salon since 2012. “We hear from our guests all the time that we have become a place to escape from the stresses of their everyday lives, and they feel truly renewed after leaving our salon and spa. Hearing that we make a difference is what makes our day.”

All Three Cutters locations boast a team of highly trained stylists and estheticians.

To learn more about the salon, including a meet-the-team for each location, or to book an appointment, visit www. threecutters.com.

Wheelhouse Gifts Wheelhouse Gifts celebrated the oneyear anniversary of opening its brick-andmortar location in July.

Wheelhouse Gifts, 1525 S. Pearl St., got its start a number of years ago as a mobile gift shop that made its way around the city in a 1972 converted Chevy step van.

The concept was to carry “something in everyone’s wheelhouse — women, men, children, babies and pets,” said owner Jody Fidler.

“Having a permanent location and getting to know my neighbors and their pets has brought me incredible joy,” Fidler said. “I truly feel part of this wonderful community.”

Wheelhouse Gifts boasts being an affordable gift boutique and carries a variety of items. Much of the items are women’s clothing and accessories, but Wheelhouse also carries curated gifts for babies and toddlers, men’s gifts and selections for teens; as well as jewelry, novelty items, artwork, Colorado ware, custommade decorative license plates and wall art.

To learn more about Wheelhouse Gifts, visit www.wheelhousegifts.com.

MISCELLANEOUS Patrick Mangold-White Patrick Mangold-White, a well-known Denver restaurateur, died at age 53 on July 7 after being struck by a tree on a fishing trip in Montana, Westword reported in a July 9 article.

Mangold-White was the local owner of Kaos Pizzeria, 1439 S. Pearl St. in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood; three Uno Mas Taqueria locations — 1585 S. Pearl St. in Platt Park, 730 E. Sixth Ave. in Denver’s Speer neighborhood, and a Fort Collins location; MAS KAOS Pizzeria + Taqueria, 4526 Tennyson St. in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood; and Bird Restaurant, 1529 S. Pearl St. in Platt Park.

A bereavement fund has been set up for Mangold-White, as his family learned that his life insurance policy was in lapse at the time of the accident, according to the post on GoFundMe. If the GoFundMe goal amount is met, it will also include a college fund and education donations for his employees, which is something Mangold-White had always wanted to set up, states the post on GoFundMe. To donate to the Patrick MangoldWhite Bereavement Fund, visit www. gofundme.com/f/patrick-mangoldwhitebereavement-fund.

Life on Capitol Hill 3

August 1, 2021

Veteran Colo. journalist Linda Shapley named publisher She’ll lead Colo. Community Media newspapers and websites, including this one

By Mark Harden mharden@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The new owners of Colorado Community Media have named Linda Shapley the news company’s publisher.

Shapley, a lifelong Coloradan, has been a senior news executive at The Denver Post and Colorado Politics magazine in a career in print and digital news and communication spanning more than 30 years.

She will lead CCM’s two dozen Colorado newspapers and websites, including this one, as well as other publications as the company’s first publisher since the May announcement of its sale by Jerry and Ann Healey to The Colorado News Conservancy, a partnership of The Colorado Sun and the National Trust for Local News dedicated to fostering community journalism.

CCM newspapers service Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Weld counties.

“I am excited and honored to be assuming this role, especially during such a critical time in our industry,” Shapley said. “Anyone who knows me knows I am an ardent supporter of local news, and my main goal is to tirelessly work at building a team that strengthens the bond a community has with its newspaper.”

Shapley has been managing editor of Colorado Politics, affiliated with the Colorado Springs Gazette and Denver Gazette, since October 2019. Before that she was customer experience director at communications company Deke Digital and managing editor of The Denver Post, overseeing news operations and coverage.

‘Anyone who knows me knows I am an ardent supporter of local news, and my main goal is to tirelessly work at building a team that strengthens the bond a community has with its newspaper.’

Linda Shapley

Larry Ryckman, co-founder and editor of The Colorado Sun, said he was excited to be able to work with his former Post colleague again. Ryckman noted that Shapley “worked in many different roles and departments during her time at The Post and oversaw print production for news events large and small. She also led The Post’s community engagement initiative along with other operational duties.”

Prior to The Post, Shapley worked at The Kansas City Star, the Greeley Tribune and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is a Colorado State University graduate and a former vice president of the Denver Press Club.

Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, CEO of the National Trust for Local News and a Colorado News Conservancy board member, said CCM’s owners “conducted an extensive, thorough search, and a number of highly qualified applicants expressed interest in the position.

In Linda we found an experienced leader with a com-

bination of strong newsroom chops, organizational skills and budgeting acumen. She’s a great listener, has boundless energy and is passionate about community news. On top of all that, she is a lifelong Coloradan with deep roots in Weld County.”

Shapley joins CCM on Aug. 23.

CCM publications include the Arvada Press, Brighton Standard Blade, Canyon Courier, Castle Pines News-Press, Castle Rock News-Press, Centennial Citizen, Clear Creek Courant, Commerce City Sentinel Express, Denver Herald-Dispatch, Douglas County News-Press, Elbert County News, Englewood Herald, Evergreen Lifestyles, Fort Lupton Press, Golden Transcript, Highlands Ranch Herald, Jeffco Transcript, Life on Capitol Hill, Littleton Independent, Lone Tree Voice, Northglenn/Thornton Sentinel, Parker Chronicle, South Platte Independent, Washington Park Profile and Westminster Window, plus two shoppers, AdCo Advertiser and 285 Hustler.

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4 Life on Capitol Hill

August 1, 2021

A ‘mini window into the wild’ Denver Zoo has been connecting people to animals for 125 years

By Christy Steadman

T

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

he Denver Zoo’s president and CEO, Bert Vescolani, believes that animals have a way of making us humans feel special.

“We want to inspire communities to save wildlife for future generations,” Vescolani said, “and see a world where wildlife thrives.”

Denver Zoo by the Numbers

80 3,000 450 400 2 million

— The Denver Zoo has 80 acres of property that its visitors can explore

— More than 3,000 animals live at the Denver Zoo

— The Denver Zoo houses about 450 different species of animals

The Denver Zoo started out as a place where people could see and learn about the wildlife of the local region. Since then, technology for animal care has advanced, ideas and concepts for exhibits have developed, and efforts such as sustainability, conservation and public education have excelled. Today, the Denver Zoo can boast that it offers its visitors a glimpse into the diversity of wildlife found across the world.

“Most people won’t get to see these animals in the wild,” Vescolani said. “We’re here to help people understand the importance of these animals.”

Zoos serve as a connector to education and a “mini window into the wild,” said Jake Kubié, director of

IF YOU GO The Denver Zoo is a nonprofit organization located at 2900 E. 23rd Ave. in Denver’s City Park neighborhood. To learn more about the Denver Zoo — including its animals, exhibits and events — or to purchase tickets, visit https://denverzoo.org/. communications for the Denver Zoological Foundation.

Kubié added that the overarching mission of the Denver Zoo is, quite simply, to connect people to animals.

“We want them to love animals as much as we do.”

Did you know… … the Denver Zoo’s president and CEO, Bert Vescolani, is a former science teacher?

Vescolani is proud to say that the zoo puts on hundreds of programs for tens of thousands of students annually. Various educational programs are available for all ages and include virtual classrooms; camps; school field trips; student career resources, including shadowing a zookeeper; many volunteer opportunities; and even graduate degree programs.

These programs are not to mention the on-site education every zoo-goer can receive by simply viewing the animals and exhibits, and visiting the Denver Zoo’s new Schless-

man Family Foundation Visitor and Education Center where people can view the zoo’s veterinarians caring for the animals in real time inside the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital. … the Denver Zoo spends about $2 million each year on conservation efforts?

The Denver Zoo’s Field Conservation Department has programs across the Front Range, working with bison and the American pika — which is a small mammal that is a member of the rabbit family — and mitigating the impacts of I-70 on wildlife.

Outside of the U.S., the zoo’s Field Conservation Department works with vultures, sheep, gazelle and falcons in Mongolia; frogs in Peru; and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in Vietnam. These programs are in addition to a small grants program for zoo staff, staff-nominated emergency conservation projects and ongoing staff projects, all of which take place across the globe.

— About 400 staff members help operate the Denver Zoo

— Roughly 2 million people visit the Denver Zoo each year

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DENVER ZOO

Life on Capitol Hill 5

August 1, 2021

E H T T A Y A DA ER ZOO V N E D

The Bralishes are Denver natives, and they have been coming to the zoo for family time for more than 30 years. Pictured is three generations of zoo visitors, from left, Theresa Bralish, her daughter Christen, and Christen’s 1-year-old twins.

“I love that I could bring my daughter here when she was growing up, and now, my grandchildren.”

Theresa Bralish

The Denver Zoo has been hosting visitors for the past 125 years, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Colorado Community Media visited the Denver Zoo on July 21 to find out why people enjoy it so much. Here is what that day’s zoo visitors had to say: The Bryant family of Denver comes to the zoo regularly, at least several times a year.

Six-year-old Aalijah enjoys all the animals but was especially impressed with the porcupines during this visit.

“The zoo is awesome because I love seeing and learning about all the animals.” Aalijah, 6

Kelsey Eggers has worked at the Denver Zoo as a zookeeper for six years. She enjoys everything about her job — especially the animals.

“I love working with my teammates to brainstorm and come up with innovative ways to support great animal welfare.”

Kelsey Eggers.

The Trout Family has been to the Denver Zoo about five times in 8-year-old Kemah Trout’s lifetime. Her grandmother, pictured on the left, lives in Castle Rock, and the rest of the family were visiting her this summer from Tanzania, East Africa.

“I love that it’s (the Denver Zoo) a great place for people to come and see animals that they’ve never been able to see before.” Kemah Trout, 8

1 2 5 YE A RS 1896 — A bear cub was gifted to former Denver Mayor Thomas S. McMurry, who took the cub to City Park for public viewing. Thus began the Denver Zoo, which, in its beginnings showcased local wildlife — elk, birds of prey, coyotes, etc. — that Colorado residents captured or found injured.

1918 — Bear Mountain opened, making the Denver Zoo the first in the nation to use Carl Hagenbeck’s concept of naturalistic exhibitory, meaning people should see animals in natural habitats, not behind bars or in cages. Bear Mountain is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

1898 — The Denver Zoo’s first conservation project got its start, which was leading the national charge to save the American bison from extinction.

Six breeding bison were transported from Kansas City, and about 16 years later, two more were acquired from Yellowstone National Park. The buffalo herd in Genesee are descendants of these initial efforts.

OF THE

1959 — The Denver Zoo started charging admission for the first time as a source of sustainable revenue. Admission was 50 cents for adults and children were free. The zoo offered seven free days a year for those who could not afford admission, and this tradition of offering free days continues today.

1950 — The Denver Zoological Foundation formed, which helped the zoo get the resources it needed to become an attractive city amenity. One of the foundation’s first efforts was to purchase an elephant, and thus, Cookie came to live at the Denver Zoo.

1988 — Voters passed a sales tax that would provide one penny for every $10 to the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), which today boasts 300 scientific and arts-and-culture institutions — including the Denver Zoo — in the seven-county metro area.

1964 — The opening of the Feline House marked the Denver Zoo’s most dramatic exhibit since the opening of Bear Mountain.

DENVER ZOO 1996 — The Denver Zoo’s first immersive exhibit, Primate Panorama, opens.

1994 — The birth of two polar bear cubs, named Klondike and Snow, became icons for the progress of animal care in zoos, as these two cubs were abandoned by their mother and hand-raised by Denver Zookeepers.

2012 — Toyota Elephant Passage opened in 2012 with the same concept as Predator Ridge, except with elephants and rhinos.

2004 — Predator Ridge opens. This exhibit was one of the first of its kind, and allows for different species of animals to be rotated through multiple habitats.

Predator Ridge is home to lions, wild dogs and hyenas.

2020 — The new Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital opens at the Denver Zoo. The facility is state-of-the-art and boasts the most advanced technology in the industry.

6 Life on Capitol Hill

August 1, 2021

Underground Music Showcase

is back on Broadway

Eldren, a psych-pop/alternative band, is one of the many bands that will be performing at the 2021 Underground Music Showcase, which takes place Aug. 27-29 along South Broadway in Denver.

PHOTO BY ANDREW RIOS

Annual three-day music festival to feature more than a hundred live bands

IF YOU GO The 2021 Underground Music Showcase takes place Aug. 27-29 between Alameda and Sixth avenues on South Broadway in Denver. To view a lineup of musical acts, including band bios, or to purchase tickets, visit www.undergroundmusicshowcase.com.

By Ryan Dunn and Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Claire Heywood expects she will be singing her heart out at this year’s Underground Music Showcase.

“Speaking for myself, playing a festival represents a needed chance to release some pent-up energy from 2020,” Heywood said. “After so long without a space to play, I hope to sing my heart out and get a few things off my chest.”

Heywood, a singer/songwriter of Denver, will be performing at UMS this year with a full backing band comprised of other local musicians. UMS will be their first full-band show since March of 2020, and UMS-goers can anticipate hearing new material, including the song, “Crushed Lemons,” which won’t be released until Aug. 27.

The 2021 UMS will consist of more than a hundred live musical acts performing during the three-day music festival, which takes place Aug. 27-29 across more than 12 indoorand-outdoor venues in an eight-block stretch of South Broadway between Alameda and Sixth avenues.

“I’m excited to see people who were distant or tangential friendly faces before the pandemic,” Heywood said, and “maybe people who I didn’t ever (get to) meet, but enjoyed seeing around locally at shows knowing they were supporting live music in Denver.”

This year’s UMS will be the second time for The Barlow,

a Colorado country band from Arvada, to play the music festival.

“We’re excited to put on the best show we can,” said Shea Boynton, a singer and guitarist with The Barlow. “We’re bringing the twang and a bunch of new songs off our latest album, “Horseshoe Lounge.”

The Barlow has been out performing live recently, but The Barlow is particularly looking forward to UMS because “there’s always an unknown factor to festivals that make them exciting,” Boynton said.

Tyler Imbrogno, a vocalist who also plays keys and guitar in Englewood’s Eldren — a psych-pop/alternative band that formed in 2011 — is looking forward to reconnecting with old friends, meeting new fans and discovering new artists at this year’s UMS. “It means a lot to us to be back,” Imbrogno said, “because playing UMS has served as an introduction to tons of friends, artists and venues through the years.”

He added that this year will be the fourth or fifth UMS that Eldren has played.

Eldren recently released an album of cover songs titled “Separation Sessions,” which the band recorded remotely during quarantine.

Claire Heywood will be performing at this year’s Underground Music Showcase with a full backing band comprised of other local musicians. The live music festival takes place Aug. 27-29 along South Broadway in COURTESY PHOTO Denver.

“We had a blast doing it and were able to experiment with songs we loved, sometimes doing totally different versions,” Imbrogno said. “Who knows, we may even bust one of those out.”

Otherwise, UMS-goers who attend Eldren’s set can expect “some old familiar tunes, as well as a couple new ones and surprises,” Imbrogno said.

Eldren hasn’t performed live since February 2020, so the band is very much looking forward to performing UMS, Imbrogno said.

“I think everyone can expect an emotional and energetic show,” he added.

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Life on Capitol Hill 7

August 1, 2021

Golf tournament benefits the Denver Santa Claus Shop Staff report Organizers with the Denver Santa Claus Shop recently announced that its annual Charity Golf Tournament is returning this year.

The Denver Santa Claus Shop Charity Golf Tournament takes place on Aug. 30 at the Fox Hollow Golf Course, 13410 Morrison Road in Lakewood. The shotgun start is at 8:30 a.m.

Cost is $200 per individual player or $750 per foursome. The price includes breakfast, cart, range balls, prizes, lunch and the opportunity to participate in a silent auction.

Sponsorships are available starting at $300.

The golf tournament benefits the Denver Santa Claus Shop, which is a volunteer-run nonprofit that offers Denver families in need the opportunity to shop, at no cost, for holiday gifts for their children — newborn to age 11 — in a temporary store

located in Denver. In its more than 90-year history, the Denver Santa Claus Shop has provided toys to more than 1 million children.

Last year, the Denver Santa Claus Shop put on a drive-thru toy giveaway in lieu of its in-person shopping experience, and served about 13,000 children.

“We’re super-excited to hold the golf tourney again — it was COVID-cancelled last year,” said Scott Hamburg, president of

Denver Santa Claus Shop’s board of directors. “But we’re even more excited to have our normal, in-person toy giveaway again in December. Our volunteers are looking forward to interacting with shoppers again, helping them pick the perfect toys for their kids.”

To learn more about the Denver Santa Claus Shop, or to register for the golf tournament, visit https://denversantaclausshop. org.

DASHING FOR DONORS

A group of people gather for a photo during the Donor Dash’s pre-race and packet pickup event on July 17 in Denver’s Washington Park. The Donor Dash is an annual event put on by the Donor Alliance, which is a nonprofit that “facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming; honors the lives of organ, eye and tissue donors; celebrates the lives of transplant recipients; and recognizes those still waiting on the gift of life,” states a news release. This year, the 22nd annual Donor Dash was a hybrid event, with a pre-race and packet pick-up event taking place on July 17, and the virtual 5K race taking place on July 18. To learn more about the Donor Alliance, visit www.donoralliance.org.

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8 Life on Capitol Hill

August 1, 2021

LOCAL

VOICES

Send me your vacation pics

O

FROM THE EDITOR

Christy Steadman

ne of the best things about being a reporter for a community-centric publication is being able to get readers involved with the newspaper.

And I have another opportunity for you to do so.

As summer will be coming to a close soon, I thought it would be fun to learn what the Washington Park Profile and Life on Capitol Hill readers did this summer. I am imagining a full page of reader-submitted vacation photos for the September edition.

Now, when I say vacation, I don’t mean that it has to be a vacation in the traditional sense. Maybe your summer vacation was a day trip to the mountains for a hike or picnic, or the annual weekend trip to your favorite camping spot. Maybe you had out-of-state visitors and you got to be their tour guide around Denver. Or, maybe you went to one of Denver’s many cultural and/or arts institutions for the first time.

Perhaps you did travel this summer, so of course, if you have that perfect photo of an out-of-state or out-

of-country destination, send it my way! Anything that encompasses summer fun counts.

I will start: My boyfriend and I celebrated our fiveyear dating anniversary in July. As much as we both enjoy spending a night out on the town in Denver, we decided to do an extended weekend getaway in Manitou Springs. We explored the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, visited the Miramont Castle Museum, played some games at the penny arcade and wandered around the downtown area (aka shopping).

For your summer photo to be published, all I need is a jpeg image emailed to me at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Cell phone pictures should be uncropped and in color. Please include everybody’s first and last names — and the ages of any youth in the picture — and where and when the photo was taken. A one-or-two sentence description to accompany the photo would also be nice, but not necessary.

Deadline is Aug. 25.

I am looking forward to seeing all your photos!

Unemployment in Colorado still high for those with disabilities

H

ere’s a challenge to all business owners and business leaders in Colorado: Seek opportunities to employ people who have disabilities.

In April, May and June of last GUEST year, Colorado’s COLUMN unemployment rate was well over 11%. Thankfully, as we have started to come out of the pandemic, that number has fallen considerably, down to 6.2% as of May. Soon, I hope, Lloyd Lewis we will return to pre-COVID numbers — between 2.5% and 3%.

However, there is a population in our state with unemployment figures that are not decreasing, and in fact, are on the rise.

Here is the sobering truth: Today, 80% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed.

As president and CEO of Arc Thrift Stores — one of the state’s largest employers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) — this is deeply troubling, but sadly nothing new.

Despite the advances put forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination based on a disability and affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil

A publication of

Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or visit www.lifeoncaphill.com/subscribe

Rights Act of 1964, there is much work to be done.

And it starts with a challenge I would like to propose to all business owners and business leaders in Colorado. It’s a simple one: Seek out opportunities to employ people in our community who have disabilities.

I know from over 15 years of advocating for the disability community — and as a proud father of a young man with Down syndrome soon to be entering the job world — that employing people with IDD is a smart business strategy with big time benefits.

At Arc Thrift Stores, we employ 350 people with IDD at our 31 stores across the state. These amazing individuals — some of whom have Down syndrome, autism, or other intellectual or physical or developmental disabilities — are our Ambassadors. They work in many different positions in the stores, including as donation coordinators, clothing hangers, and room attendants.

But more importantly, Arc Ambassadors serve as examples of the organization’s mission in action — to have people with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain self-respect, self-determination, and independence in their communities and professional workplace.

Perhaps you have been to one of our stores and met some of these remarkable people. Maybe you have met Seth at our JCRS Shopping Center store in Lakewood who is a wiz on the cash register. Or Beth at Green Mountain, who handles the production line like a pro and is always quick with a smile.

Or Myles at Central Park, who may be

singing R&B while he stocks shelves at our Central Park Store.

If you have, I am sure that you consider yourself lucky.

I know I do. As a CEO, I want a team of people working for me that is dedicated, loyal, and that bring their hearts to their job every day. I can say that about all Arc employees, but this is most true about our Ambassadors.

These are people who are dedicated to providing great service and willing to assist customers and co-workers with their whole hearts.

By employing people with IDD, we are giving these deserving and capable people purpose and encouraging a positive sense of self-worth. But the truth is, they give back so much more.

Frankly, it’s difficult to be frustrated at your job when the person working alongside you who happens to have Down syndrome wears a contagious smile and believes that this is the best job they have ever had.

Employment diversity, equity, and inclusion — in both the public and private sectors — means accommodations, connections, and awareness, and it means breaking down barriers.

As we begin to slowly return to the New Normal in this post-pandemic age, and as we begin to need to hire new employees, I am issuing a challenge to my fellow CEOs and business owners.

Take this leap of faith and seek out and employ a person — or two or more!

— with a disability. I promise that the rewards outweigh any downside.

Because the truth is, employing SEE LEWIS, P9

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings was one of the attractions I visited during my extended weekend getaway to Manitou Springs in July.

Upcoming events this summer and fall

H

appy summer Denverites!

After taking last year off, Denver Days is happening this year and runs through Aug. 8. Denver Days is a great way to reconnect with your neighbors by attending or hosting a GUEST block party, participating in a COLUMN service project or stopping by a picnic in the park. Check out all the fun events happening this week: www.denvergov. org/denverdays.

We are very excited to announce that our Broadway Halloween Parade is returning on Oct. 23. The parade will feature all the favorites Councilmember again, including local marchJolon Clark ing bands, historic hearse cars, spooky floats and more.

Stretching from Fifth Avenue down to Alameda, the parade is a family-friendly event and group costumes are very encouraged. The event is also a great way to support our Broadway small businesses after a difficult year and slow sales from the pandemic. Check www.LuckyDistrict7. org for parade details and how to get involved.

To jump start the economy, Denver will invest more than $700 million into our economic recovery by leveraging federal and local stimulus dollars. The city will ask voters on the November 2021 ballot to approve a $400 million bond program for infrastructure projects. Every $10 million spent on construction supports 130 jobs, so the bond program would serve thousands of workers and stimulate the local economy at a time when we need it most.

SEE CLARK, P9

JERRY HEALEY Board Member

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

jhealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

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efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of Life in Cap Hill.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Life on Capitol Hill 9

August 1, 2021

Incorporating penstemon into your landscape

R

ecently, my coworker exclaimed, “you can never have too many penstemons in your yard.”

I would agree.

Species of this genus display showy spikes GUEST of brightly-colored, COLUMN bilateral flowers high Jen Toews above basal clumps of leaves. This is a diverse genus, however. Species range from herbaceous perennials to semi-shrubs, from 1-inch-tall cushion plants to plants with 4-foot-tall inflorescences. Leaves can be deciduous or evergreen. The floral color palette ranges from pale pink to scarlet, electric blue to grape juice purple, and snow white to almost yellow, attracting pollinators such as bumblebees and hummingbirds.

The center of diversity for this genus, and likely where it originated, is Utah. In fact, there are over 100 species of penstemon native to the arid and rocky beehive state. Colorado, with 65 taxa, may be the state with the second highest number of penstemon species. This means penstemon are adapted to the harsh climate of our region and, as a result, have gained popularity in landscaping. Many straight species and cultivars are available in the nursery trade. What follows are a few of my favorites.

Desert penstemon (Penstemon pseudospectabilis) is a long-lived species with spikes of pink flowers, which are a magnet for broad-tailed hummingbirds.

Evergreen leaves provide winter interest.

Beardlip penstemon (P. barbatus) has brilliant reddish-orange, downwardpointing flowers, which are characteristics that attract hummingbirds. Deadhead this penstemon after its flowers fade, and you may be rewarded with a second bloom in the fall.

Rocky Mountain penstemon (P. strictus) is another long-lived, easy-to-grow penstemon that naturalizes with time.

Flowers are bluish-purple and attract bumblebees.

Penstemon grandiflorus growing in the eastern plains of Colorado.

Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri) has tall spikes of large, pale pink, rose-scented flowers and blue green, evergreen leaves. Flowers attract very large bumblebees.

Large-flowered beardtongue (P. grandiflorus) has pink, blue-lavender or pale blue flowers. Perhaps a more precise common name would be “the largestflowered beardtongue ever,” as flowers are almost exaggerated in size. This species often behaves as an annual or biennial but will seed around if allowed.

Pineleaf penstemon (P. pinifolius) is a diminutive species with linear evergreen leaves and red-orange tubular flowers.

Mersea Yellow is a selection with yellow flowers and flowers of STEPPESUNS

sunset glow are a warm orange.

SILVERTON bluemat penstemon (P. linarioides ssp. coloradoensis `P014S’) of Plant Select is another easy-to-grow small penstemon with silvery, evergreen leaves and lavender-blue flowers.

Bridges’ penstemon (P. rostriflorus) is a late bloomer that provides a final burst of red blooms in late-July through August.

Tips for Growing Penstemon Select a sunny, open site with welldraining soils. If needed, amend your soil with expanded shale or squeegee to improve drainage. Penstemons thrive in disturbed sites.

Mulch with pea gravel instead of wood

PHOTO BY JEN TOEWS

chips.

Water deeply but infrequently.

Avoid synthetic fertilizers, or any fertilizer at all really.

Penstemons typically produce firecracker-like bursts of color from May through June and then are quiet for the rest of the season. To extend color and textural interest in your garden, select companion plants with similar water needs. My favorites include Artemisia, Agave, Hesperaloe, yarrow, blue flax, orange milkweed, chocolate flower, Colorado four o’clock and dwarf baby blue rabbitbrush.

Jen Toews is the plant recorder for the Denver Botanic Gardens

DiPrince to become History Colorado’s executive director Staff report History Colorado has announced that Dawn DiPrince will be the nonprofit’s next executive director.

DiPrince will assume the role of executive director on Sept. 1. She is taking over for Steve Turner, who is retiring after 13 years of serving as History Colorado’s executive director.

DiPrince “Both Dawn’s heart and her head are firmly rooted in exploring and fully telling the stories of Colorado history, making her an outstanding choice to lead this valued organization into the future,” said Tamra

Clark FROM PAGE 8

Check out the projects submitted by the community and follow along the process at risetogetherdenver.org.

Please remember, as more people are outside and walking around, please trim your trees and bushes. City ordinance requires that property owners keep sidewalks clear at all times, which includes adjacent

Ward in a news release. Ward chairs History Colorado’s board of directors. “At a time when history has never felt more relevant, her dynamism, passion, demonstrated skill in community collaboration, and business acumen made her the clear choice.”

History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and oversees nine museums throughout the state, including the fourstory History Colorado Center — which houses the Stephen H. Hart Research Center — located at 1200 N. Broadway which borders Denver’s Capitol Hill and Golden Triangle neighborhoods. History Colorado is one of six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado.

DiPrince has been with History Colosidewalks, streets, alleys or street corners.

If there are properties that need maintenance, you can report them to 311 or pocketgov.org. An inspector will visit the property, educate the owner and correct the violations.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and please continue to reach out with your questions, concerns and ideas.

Jolon Clark represents District 7 on Denver City Council. He can be reached at jolon. clark@denvergov.org.

rado since 2012 and has held various positions throughout her tenure. She started her career with the organization as the assistant director of El Pueblo History Museum in Pueblo and eventually became director of that museum. She later assumed a senior management role for all of History Colorado’s community museums. DiPrince moved to Denver in 2019 to become the organization’s chief operating officer and has held that position since.

During her time with History Colorado, DiPrince has accomplished a number of achievements, including implementing educational and community-oriented programing and exhibitions and helping to transform a historic house museum into the Center for Colorado Women’s

Lewis

History — which is located at 1310 Bannock St. in Denver’s Golden Triangle.

DiPrince is the third woman to hold the executive director’s role since History Colorado’s beginning 142 years ago.

“I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to lead History Colorado into the future, serving both an organization and a state that I love so much,” said DiPrince in a news release. “We will continue to grow History Colorado’s service to communities across the state and expand how we think about the role of history in our lives and who it includes.

Every Coloradan should see themselves in our collections and stories.”

To learn more about History Colorado, visit HistoryColorado.org or call 303-HISTORY. beyond measure.

FROM PAGE 8

Lloyd Lewis is the president and CEO of Arc Thrift Stores.

people with IDD is smart strategy and only makes us all more successful.

When employers create a culture of belonging, they gain competent, dependable employees and help workers with disabilities to stretch their limits.

The dividends that are paid back to a company - and to the community - are

This opinion column was originally published in The Colorado Sun, a journalistowned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

10 Life on Capitol Hill

A SUMMER

STAPLE FOR ART LOVERS

Lauri Dunn, a photographer and digital artist of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, is one of nearly 100 artists who is participating in this year’s Art Students League of Denver’s COURTESY PHOTO Summer Art Market, which takes place Aug. 28 and 29.

There’s no place like hope.

August 1, 2021

Art Students League of Denver’s Summer Art Market returns Aug. 28-29

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

L

ocal artist Lauri Dunn has discovered a whole world of interesting insects through her art.

Her favorite is the praying mantis, she said. This is because of their “fun-looking heads,” Dunn added.

Dunn, of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, is a photographer and digital artist who creates abstract art pieces by digitally editing photographs of insects.

She is one of nearly 100 artists participating in this year’s Summer Art Market — an event put on annually by the Art Students League of Denver.

“I’m looking forward to doing shows again,” Dunn said, adding that in normal years, 90% of her art income comes from selling her work at art fairs. This is the third year for Dunn to participate in the Summer Art Market. “It feels so good to be out and talking with people. I enjoy seeing the familiar faces and meeting new people.”

This is the 28th year for the Summer Art Market, which takes place on Aug. 28 and 29. It was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are excited to bring back the Summer Art Market,” said Harry Utter, event chair, in a news release, “as it is an opportunity to highlight the work of artists and share the mission of the Art Students League of Denver.”

The ASLD is a nonprofit arts organization that got its start in 1987. Today, it annually serves about 14,000 students of all abilities and ages through its various community engagement programs, and its fine arts classes, workshops, teen studios and summer camps.

“Something we’re passionate about,” said Tessa Crisman, communications specialist with the ASLD, “is that art is real work, and artists should get paid for it.”

What is unique about the Summer Art Market is that it showcases all the mediums that people can a take a course on at the ASLD, Crisman said. These mediums are ceramics, fiber arts, mixed media/ book art, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, jewelry and sculpture. All will be represented at the Summer Art Market, Crisman said.

Additionally, the Summer Art Market, which is a juried show, highlights the ASLD community, Crisman said. Each participating artist has some sort of tie to the ASLD, whether they be a member,

IF YOU GO The Art Students League of Denver’s 2021 Summer Art Market takes place on Aug. 28 and 29.

The outdoor event will take place in the blocks near the ASLD, which is located at 200 Grant St. in Denver’s Washington Park West neighborhood. Artist booths will be set up between East First and East Fourth avenues, and between Logan and Sherman streets.

To ensure safe event practices, the ASLD is ticketing this year’s Summer Art Market. Tickets cost $5 per person and children age 12 and younger are free. Every ticket purchase goes toward supporting the ASLD and its programming.

Tickets can be purchased upon arrival, but the ASLD encourages people to purchase their tickets in advance through the ASLD website for a smooth entrance experience.

A list of participating artists and their media is also available on the website.

To learn more about ASLD or the Summer Art Market, visit https:// asld.org/. volunteer, faculty or student, she said.

“The Summer Art Market is a staple of so many peoples’ summer,” Crisman said.

“While the art market is different each year, it’s a touchstone that people always remember.”

Joe Higgins, a monotype artist and ASLD faculty member who lives in the Sloan Lake area, believes people in the Denver area like to decorate their homes with unique art.

But they especially enjoy being able to meet the local artist who created it, Higgins added.

The Summer Art Market has earned the reputation of being a good show to attend to buy art, Higgins said, and added there will be affordable price points for everyone.

Higgins has participated in at least 25 Summer Art Markets and he expects there will be a lot of positive energy at this year’s event.

“This show is focused on art,” Higgins said. “For us artists, it helps knowing that people who come (to it) are generally looking for art. It’s the type of show all artists want to do.”

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Life on Capitol Hill 11

August 1, 2021

WINING AND DINING

Oscar Padilla, the executive chef at Toro Latin Kitchen & Lounge, pours achiote ponzu sauce over the restaurant’s salmon dish. Toro, a Richard Sandoval restaurant, is hosting a couple of events during the Cherry Creek North Food & Wine, including the Latin Wine Dinner on Aug. 11. During this special event, Padilla and Sandoval will cook side-by-side for the events dinner guests.

PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

Cherry Creek North Food & Wine returns Aug. 11-14

By Christy Steadman

A

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

fter about a year of providing the restaurant experience primarily through takeout, restaurateurs and chefs in Cherry Creek North are looking forward to reconnecting with their guests and local foodies again.

Providing the perfect opportunity to do so is the annual Cherry Creek North Food & Wine event, which has been expanded this year to include four days of festivities — all centered around the unique and diverse dining experiences that Cherry Creek North has to offer.

Attendees “will be able to choose their own experience,” said Jeannie McFarland Johnson, director of marketing and communications for Cherry Creek North. Because, she added, “there is a lot of diversity with the experiences.”

This year’s event takes place Aug. 11-14 at various locations throughout the Cherry Creek North neighborhood, which is roughly from First to Third avenues and University Boulevard to Steele Street.

The lineup of events range from intimate dining experiences and small bites to seminars and demos.

Attendees may choose to attend one or two events, or make an entire weekend of it.

“Food & Wine offers some neat experiences not offered on any normal day,” McFarland Johnson said.

One such event is the Dinner on the Plaza, which takes place Aug. 13. This event includes a multicourse dinner with wine pairing, live music and dancing, and a cocktail hour during which attendees can mingle and meet new friends.

The Dinner on the Plaza will be a “beautiful celebration of the community,” McFarland Johnson said.

Something else new to this year’s Food & Wine is this is the first year for the event to have a beneficiary. This year, a portion of the proceeds of every ticket sold to Food & Wine events will go to Food for Thought Denver, which is a local nonprofit that provides food to students across the city to guarantee

To make sure lead stays out of your water, we’re starting with your pipes.

Denver Water is committed to delivering safe water to our community.

So, we’re replacing customers’ lead pipes, one impacted property at a time. To find out if you’re one of them, visit our website.

Learn more at DenverWater.org/Lead

IF YOU GO To learn more about the Cherry Creek North Food & Wine event, or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.ccnfoodandwine.com/.

that no child goes hungry during the weekend.

Another not-to-miss Food & Wine event is the Grand Tasting, which is offered twice on Aug. 14.

Attendees will get to try small plates and bites from more than 20 restaurants, and sip more than 50 wines curated by experts at The Vineyard Wine Shop. The Grand Tasting also offers the unique opportunity to meet-and-greet with restaurant owners and chefs.

Sean Huggard, owner of Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood in Cherry Creek North, is looking forward to hosting the Chef and Shucking at Blue Island events.

“It’s our favorite event because it puts us front and center with our regular customers — the neighbors of the neighborhood, so it’s exciting to spend time with them,” Huggard said. “Secondly, it gives us the time to promote our brand to people that are coming to Cherry Creek from far away. And maybe it’s (Food & Wine event) the only time they come to Cherry Creek every year.”

Likewise, Oscar Padilla, executive chef at Toro Latin Kitchen & Lounge, is looking forward to sharing culture and tradition with Food & Wine attendees.

“Denver has a culture of friendly people,” Padilla said. “Toro has that connection with people. Sharing (culture and traditions) with people is like bringing the opportunity to every guest to feel like home, like family.”

Cherry Creek North is so happy to be able to bring the Food & Wine event back this year and promote community togetherness through it, McFarland Johnson said.

“It’s a tremendous way to help these businesses get back on their feet and gain solid ground,” she said, “and continue to thrive.”

12 Life on Capitol Hill

August 1, 2021

History Colorado unveils tribute to Five Points Cool jazz and warm family ties define historic neighborhood

By Kirsten Dahl Collins Special to Colorado Community Media

I

A collage of vintage photos in the show, “Five Points Plus,” honors Denver African Americans who made history. The achievers include renowned double bassist Charles Burrell, lower right, known as the “Jackie Robinson of classical music.” Burrell broke the color barrier PHOTOS BY TIM COLLINS in classical music in 1949 when he was hired by the Denver Symphony, now the Colorado Symphony.

Charlezine “Terry” Nelson serves as senior special collection and community resource manager for the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library in Five Points. BlairCaldwell supplied many of the historic photos on display in “Five Points Plus.”

n late June, the History Colorado museum opened a small but potent new show celebrating the Five Points neighborhood — Denver’s famous pre-war jazz mecca and center of Black middleclass life. Titled “Five Points Plus: Neighborhood Memory Project,” the exhibit brings Black history alive with a mural by local artist Adri Norris, vintage photos, historic memorabilia and recordings of community storytellers. As today’s explosive growth and rapid gentrification transform Denver, Five Points Plus reflects the museum’s effort to preserve and learn from the city’s past. The show is part of History Colorado’s “Building Denver,” an 18-month initiative that includes exhibits, walking tours and a podcast.

A design retrospective asks the question: Is this the city we had in mind? “The Museum of Memory” collection is stocked with recordings of oral history from long-term Five Points residents along with many other Colorado communities. These recordings can be accessed at http://soundcloud.com/ historycolorado. “Five Points Plus” was created with the help of Five Points community members, the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center and the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. “Five Points Plus” runs until Nov. 1 at the History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway in Denver.

Rev. Ronald Wooding shows off a display that honors Five Points barbecue restaurateur “Daddy” Bruce Randolph (1900-1994) at History Colorado. Every November Randolph gave away thousands of free Thanksgiving dinners to those in need, a tradition that continues today. Wooding produced the 2017 Rocky Mountain PBS documentary on Randolph titled, “Keep a Light in the Window.” He is currently working on a longer version of the documentary to be released as a feature film.

Artist Adri Norris stands alongside some notable women of Colorado history in the mural she created for History Colorado’s exhibit, “Five Points Plus: Neighborhood Memory Project.” The luminaries in Norris’ mural include, from left, “Aunt” Clara Brown, a gold rush pioneer and philanthropist; Dr. Justina Ford, Colorado’s first licensed black female doctor; and Dr. Joyce Davis, a vocalist, composer and Colorado’s first black high school choir director.

Spoken word artist Kenya “Mahogany” Fashaw performs an original poem at the “Five Points Plus” opening on June 24 at History Colorado. Fashaw is one of four local poets featured in the museum’s “Living Denver” podcast, which focuses on four Denver neighborhoods. To listen to the podcast, visit www. historycolorado.org/building-denver.

Life on Capitol Hill 13

August 1, 2021

5

things to know about

FIVE POINTS

Trolley conductors once called out, “Five Points!” as they neared the confluence of Washington Street, 27th Street, 26th Avenue and Welton Street. The name stuck and became synonymous with jazz.

During the 1920s to 1940s, Five Points’ vibrant jazz scene earned it the sobriquet, “Harlem of the West.” Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington and many other major artists played the nightclubs and cabarets lining Welton Street.

By Kirsten Dahl Collins

Special to Colorado Community Media

While Five Points is known as a historically African American neighborhood, it was actually quite diverse.

Many Japanese Americans and Mexican Americans also called the neighborhood home.

Built in 2003, Five Points’ handsome Blair-Caldwell branch of the Denver Public Library is one of only four African American research libraries in the entire country. This little-known Denver landmark at 2401 Welton St. features distinctive bas reliefs on the exterior.

Inside, murals and exhibits vividly depict Black history in Colorado.

Don’t call it RiNo! Longtime residents of Five Points take pride in the neighborhood’s rich history and do not want it subsumed by the neighboring River North art district.

The Five Points neighborhood, which is northeast of downtown Denver, was named for this complex intersection in front of the famed Rossonian Hotel, 2650 Welton St. From the late 1920s through the 1940s, the Rossonian garnered a reputation as one of the nation’s the top jazz clubs. The five “points” are formed by the corners of Welton Street, a through-street here; 27th Street; East 26th Avenue and North Washington Street.

PHOTO BY TIM COLLINS

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16 Life on Capitol Hill

August 1, 2021

New Thinkers are changing the world Group offers safe space for tough conversations

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

D

enverite Keo Frazier has a goal.

It is to bring people with diverse backgrounds together to affect change.

“All of us contribute to our society,” Frazier said. “Diverse thought is how we get solutions that are helpful for all people.”

Frazier is a Colorado native and currently works as the director of communications and public affairs for Denver Housing Authority. Frazier has served on nearly 20 nonprofit boards, and is an alumna of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s Leadership Denver, Legacy Denver, Colorado Experience, Downtown Denver Leadership Program and the President’s Council for Cornell Women. She has been named a Top 40 Under 40 by the Denver Business Journal and was a Top 50 Minority Owned Business Owner in Colorado, to name a couple of her past recognitions.

A group called New Thinkers is Frazier’s passion project.

New Thinkers is a group “designed to bring people together who are creating great change and solving world problems,” states its website.

New Thinkers are people “who want to do something with the information” they are presented, Frazier said. “Not just absorb it, but act on it.”

Frazier is a fan of the Summit Series, which is an organization that fosters a global community through a series of invitation-

Keo Frazier, founder of New Thinkers, listens as Ben Cohen from Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice cream discusses the importance of integrating social responsibility into business during a New Thinkers event in June.

The next New Thinkers event will take place in late September.

BECOME A NEW THINKER New Thinkers offers an annual membership at $137. The membership fee includes free access to all New Thinkers experiences, events and conversations through the year. To learn more, visit http://keosmarketing.com/newthinkers. only events. Frazier has attended many Summit Series events, during which she met like-minded people and had conversations on challenging topics, she said. Frazier realized the value of these conversations, but also realized not everyone had access to Summit Series events, as they are cost or travel prohibitive for some people, Frazier said.

Frazier wanted to ensure everyone had access to such conversations, and near the beginning of 2019, she founded New Thinkers.

“To effect change, we need everyone at the table,” Frazier said.

New Thinkers offers an annual membership, and current members reside in cities and towns across Colorado — with a few members living out-of-state.

“Members (of New Thinkers) are already doing amazing things,” Frazier said, adding they are the people already “creating change in their own world.”

For a few examples, New Thinkers members run the gamut of business owners, civic leaders, artists, activists and future politicians.

New Thinkers’ events bring all these people together and offer a safe and open venue — some events are in-person, some are virtual and some offer a hybrid experience — for discussion about a topical issue

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that incites action and change among the attendees. Conversation topics are varietal, but can include social justice, climate change, social biases, innovation, dismantling democracy, impact of culture on the world and interpersonal listening tools, states a news release.

The events and conversations are meant to inspire thought, and for attendees to be inspired by others.

“Maybe it’s a bold statement to make, but this world would be a better place if each city had a New Thinkers group,” said Conor Hall of Denver’s Athmar Park neighborhood. “I’ve deeply enjoyed every New Thinkers event I’ve been a part of. Each has challenged my assumptions and introduced me to not only new ideas, but a broad and engaged network of community-minded leaders who are excited to join forces in solving the many complex problems we face.”

A New Thinkers event takes place about

every quarter. In June, Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice cream, spoke virtually with New Thinkers about integrating social responsibility into the DNA of a business.

The next New Thinkers event is scheduled for Sept. 29, and its focus will be bridging the gap between the judicial system and public knowledge of the judicial system.

This event will take place virtually, and attendees can be anonymous so that they can ask tough questions to the panel of judges, Frazier said. This New Thinkers event will be open to the general public, but registration will be limited.

Frazier believes we were all changed in some way through the pandemic — but not all that change is negative. There was some evolution and awakenings, Frazier said.

New Thinkers can help “us continue that evolution as a city and as a nation, and propel us forward,” Frazier said. “I feel people are ready for that.”

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