Life on Capitol Hill October 2021

October 2021

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LifeOnCapHill.com

THE ANGELBOTICS

IN PHOTOS:

East High’s robotics team

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FORESTERS, FAIRIES LOVE DENVER TREES Part 2 of Denver trees series

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PROVIDING A CALMING PRESENCE Denver Hospice chaplain has served 25 years with the nonprofit

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TRICKS-AND-TREATS Denver offers numerous options for a hauntingly happy Halloween

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2 Life on Capitol Hill

October 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 Birdcall Birdcall, a Denver-founded fast casual chicken joint, recently opened a new location in southeast Denver.

The eatery specializes in chicken, specifically, chicken sandwiches, though it also offers salads and sides.

Birdcall first opened its doors in Five Points in 2016. Today, the restaurant has six locations in Colorado. One is in Boulder and one in Colorado Springs. Four are in Denver: Five Points, 800 E. 26th Ave.; Whole Foods at Union Station, 1701 Wewatta St.; Evans (University neighborhood), 1535 E. Evans Ave.; and its newest location at Cherry Hills Village, 4996 E. Hampden Ave. Birdcall also two Arizona locations that will be opening soon.

To learn more about Birdcall, visit www. eatbirdcall.com.

Revival Denver Public House A new restaurant has opened in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood.

Revival Denver Public House, 630 E. 17th Ave., specializes in American comfort food.

The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating, and a happy hour menu features both food and beverages.

Revival is currently open from 3 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Saturday.

The restaurant’s website states it will soon offer late-night and brunch hours.

Learn more at https://revival-denver. com.

CLOSINGS Rita’s Law Westword reported that Rita’s Law closed in September.

The bar was located at 2209 Welton St. in the south area of Five Points.

Rita’s Law opened in June 2019 and hosted various events, including comedy acts, live music, DJs and bingo, according to the August 2021 calendar on the bar’s website.

Owner Rita Price is a Denver native and third generation in the restaurant industry.

In an Instagram post, Price wrote: “The bar was open eight short months before the pandemic hit and, unfortunately, we haven’t recovered the way we would have hoped. We love the amazing community we have built and appreciate your support! Hopefully this is goodbye for now and not forever.”

MILESTONES RPO Framing and Gallery RPO Framing and Gallery, 1588 S. Pearl St. in the Platt Park neighborhood, celebrated its one-year anniversary on Sept. 1.

Owner Robert Platz has about 30 years of custom framing experience, and is a Formula 1-inspired abstract artist, meaning he specializes in capturing the abstract characteristics of the motor racing circuits with special attention on the Formula 1.

His work, and that of other local artists, is represented in the gallery.

Platz said he would like to send a heartfelt appreciation to the community for its continued support and for shopping locally.

“Meeting hundreds of new and existing clients, some I can actually call friends, creating around a thousand pieces to brighten people’s lives, selling paintings and hosting art shows, I’m very grateful for all the support, big or small,” Platz said.

“I do not take my position lightly. I know how fortunate I am to be surrounded by art — mine and my clients’ — and that I get to do what I love every day. Create.”

To learn more about RPO Framing and Gallery, visit www.robertplatzoriginals. com.

MISCELLANEOUS Sullivan Scrap Kitchen Sullivan Scrap Kitchen has been listed in Bon Appétit magazine’s 2021 Heads of the Table issue.

Sullivan Scrap Kitchen is a casual eatery located at 1740 E. 17th Ave. in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood. Co-owners Terence Rogers and Holly Adinoff opened the sustainability-focused restaurant with a zero-waste kitchen in June 2020.

Sullivan Scrap Kitchen is one of 12 inspiring restaurants, chefs and organizations located across the U.S. to make the Heads of the Table issue. Sullivan Scrap Kitchen is recognized as The Food Waste

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RPO Framing and Gallery, 1588 S. Pearl St., celebrated its one-year anniversary on Sept. 1. Pictured is the shop participating in the First Fridays Art and Shop Walk along South Pearl Street COURTESY OF BOB PLATZ earlier this year.

Hero on the list.

Rather than sharing the magazine’s Best New Restaurants list, Bon Appétit’s restaurants editor Elyse Inamine developed the Heads of the Table list to showcase the restaurants and people that pivoted during the pandemic to better their community and fellow industry workers.

To learn more about Sullivan Scrap Kitchen, visit www.SullivanScrapKitchen. com. To read the Heads of the Table article in Bon Appétit magazine, visit www.bonappetit.com/story/heads-of-thetable-2021.

The Offices at Broadway Station/ T-Mobile T-Mobile recently signed a 10-year lease at The Offices at Broadway Station in Denver.

The lease “represents one of the larger long-term local office market leases completed during the pandemic,” states Mile High CRE, an online commercial development news publication, which originally reported the news of the lease signing.

The Offices at Broadway Station is a three-building campus located at the

nexus of I-25, South Broadway and the RTD Light Rail station in the Washington Park West neighborhood. Two of the buildings, 900-990 S. Broadway, are office buildings, and the third building is a fourlevel parking structure with ground floor creative office space.

T-Mobile previously occupied about 30,000 square-feet of the 990 S. Broadway building and will now expand to two full floors totaling a 78,336-square-foot space of the building, Mile High CRE reported.

According to The Offices at Broadway Station’s website, the 900 S. Broadway building was built in 1903 as an assembly plant for the Ford Motor Company. It was sold to the Gates Corporation in the 1940s, with the 990 S. Broadway building constructed in 1984 to serve as Gates Corporation’s administrative offices.

Today, The Offices at Broadway Station total 318,053 square-feet on 6.51 acres.

Mile High CRE reported that about 86% of the campus is leased, and there is about 45,600 square feet available for lease.

To learn more about The Offices at Broadway Station, visit www.officesatbroadwaystation.com.

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Life on Capitol Hill 3

October 1, 2021

Open your door to the built environment Doors Open Denver takes place through Oct. 17

By Clarke Reader Special to Colorado Community Media

Even a casual drive around the Denver metro area will unveil a bevy of architectural gems, with even more design secrets hiding behind doors you might not expect.

But since getting an invite to house parties at all these places was dubious even before a global pandemic, the Denver Architecture Foundation hosts Doors Open Denver to share these built environment stories.

This year’s event began on Sept. 27 and will run through Oct. 17. It features a blend of virtual and in-person tours. The free, virtual tours are available on-demand and include four 2021 stops and 12 archived stops from last year’s event.

In-person tours take place Saturdays and

The Baker Historic District is one of the in-person tours that the Denver Architecture Foundation is offering during this year’s Doors Open Denver event. COURTESY OF KEVIN HENDERSON

Sundays with four tours per day, according to provided information. Sites include the Clyfford Still Museum, the Historic

Elitch Theater, the Historic 11th Avenue Hostel and the US. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Tickets for in-person tours are available but are expected to be in high demand.

As part of the event, the Y/OUR Denver photography competition will also be back, accepting entries through Oct. 23. The corresponding exhibit of top entries will open to the public virtually in December.

Colorado Community Media spoke with Pauline Herrera, Denver Architecture Foundation’s executive director, about this year’s event and what you need to know:

nities, if that became possible. We’re glad it did and that we’re able to present a hybrid event this year.

How did you go about planning this year’s event, with the pandemic still going?

We began planning in late 2020. Since, at the time, we did not know where things were headed with the pandemic, we decided to pursue a virtual event for 2021, like we had in 2020. We remained open, however, to including in-person opportu-

What are you most excited about with in-person visits back this year?

I’m excited for our members and patrons who have missed them. It’s wonderful to be able to offer them in-person tours again.

How will this year’s event be familiar to participants? What will be new?

The event will include nine sites never before offered during Doors Open Denver.

It will be familiar in that it includes inperson insider tours led by expert tour guides, as Doors Open Denver historically has. It will also be familiar for folks who participated last year in that we will once again offer virtual tours.

For access to the virtual tours and to purchase tickets for in-person tours, visit denverarchitecture.org.

Denver resident to chair Legal Marketing Association

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A Denver resident has been named chair of the Denver Legal Marketing Association’s Local Steering Committee.

Katherine “Katie” Wright of the Virginia Village neighborhood was appointed to the role in September, and will serve as chair through the end of 2022.

The Legal Marketing Association (LMA) is an international nonprofit that exists to help its members develop best practices for legal marketing. Legal marketing is gov-

To learn more about the Legal Marketing Association, go online to https://legalmarketing.org/ erned by the American Bar Association and Rules of Professional Conduct, of which the LMA educates its members, Wright said.

The LMA represents about 1,404 law firms internationally, states its website.

Wright chairs the local Denver group, which serves all of Colorado and has about 50 members.

“I am honored to hold a leadership posi-

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tion at an international association that serves so many people on so many levels,” Wright said. “The LMA provides great resources to people in the legal community to better serve its members, the public and clients.”

The LMA is a great resource and supportive organization, Wright added.

“Legal marketing is its own discrete specialty, and the LMA offers education and training, opportunities to participate in the community, and networking with a large circle of professionals,” Wright said.

Wright is a litigation paralegal and the

marketing manager for Kelly Law Partners, LLC — a civil litigation defense firm based in Cherry Creek that serves local and national clients. Wright has been with the firm since 2016, and got involved with the LMA in early 2017.

Wright intends to move further within the organization’s leadership structure, she said.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the Denver community through the LMA,” Wright said. “My ultimate goal is to move onto regional and national leadership within the organization.”

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4 Life on Capitol Hill

October 1, 2021

Who’s up in those City

Park trees?

Bleached tree skeletons on the island in City Park’s Duck Lake provide a rookery for nesting cormorants. Dead trees, which also attract insect colonies, are popular with many PHOTOS BY TIM COLLINS types of wildlife for roosting, storing food like acorns and hunting bugs.

Denver’s urban forest prepares for autumn and a magical new playground

Editor’s note: This story is Part 2 of a two-part series in which journalist Kirsten Dahl Collins explores the hidden stories of Denver’s trees. Part 1, which focused on the trees in Washington Park, ran last month in Life on Capitol Hill and the Washington Park Profile.

By Kirsten Dahl Collins Special to Colorado Community Media

I

n the fall, as the leafy giants of City Park gird themselves for winter, they put on one last magnificent show of scarlet, russet and gold.

Denver Parks and Recreation forester Ben Rickenbacker and his 12-person staff also gird themselves, because winter is pruning time. That’s when men and women, mostly young, strap on up to 30 pounds of equipment — including chainsaws, handsaws, ropes, blocks and pulleys — and prepare to climb as much as 100 feet to minister to the needs of towering oaks, elms, lindens and the many other species that populate Denver’s urban forest.

In the fall, deciduous trees slow their production of chlorophyl, shed their leaves and begin to go dormant for the winter.

That’s the best time to prune, according to Rickenbacker, because without their leaves, “you can really see the structure.” Dor-

mancy also lessens the chance of accidentally spreading diseases like Dutch elm or fireblight.

Pruning is essential for landscape trees, since they co-exist with people. Removing deadwood and coaxing trees into structurally sound, balanced shapes is essential for their health — not to mention the safety of wandering pedestrians. But Rickenbacker and his colleague, Urban Forestry Inspector Paul Cancik, frown on bucket trucks, which make it difficult to reach dense interior branches.

“It’s better to climb the tree,” Rickenbacker said. “But it’s a dangerous job. You can be 60 feet up with a chain saw inches from your leg.”

Added Cancik: “You have to be a real athlete.”

Forestry’s Operations Division routinely SEE TREES, P5

‘It’s better to climb the tree. But it’s a dangerous job. You can be 60 feet up with a chain saw inches from your leg.’

Ben Rickenbacker, Denver Parks and Recreation forester

Denver foresters Ben Rickenbacker, left, and Paul Cancik stand with City Park’s elderly and famous “Shakespeare Elm,” planted in 1916. Urban legend has it that the original shoot was cut from a Wych elm growing near the Bard’s grave in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Life on Capitol Hill 5

October 1, 2021

TREES FROM PAGE 4

practices aerial rescue.

“One employee dislocated his kneecap when swinging between branches,” Rickenbacker recounts, “and couldn’t make it down on his own.”

The pampered trees of City Park As forestry operations supervisor, Rickenbacker and his crew are responsible for the care of 82,000 park and parkway trees.

Cancik is with the Forestry Inspections Division, which watches over 230,000 “rightof-way” trees planted along Denver streets.

When not pruning, the foresters make their rounds with wooden mallets and probes to check for internal decay.

City Park is a demanding charge. Built in 1882, the Beaux Arts era-park sprawls over more than 320 acres and houses the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The park is home to more than 3,000 trees and hundreds of different species. Pampered by irrigation, many of the trees grow much larger than in the wild. Every fall, some earn the title of State Champion from the Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC), a volunteer group working to preserve community forests. The group selects from among 750 species.

According to the CTC’s Neal Bamesberger, City Park is currently home to five State Champions — including two pine varieties over 65 feet high. In fact, this urban preserve has so many large, old trees that a decade ago, Parks & Rec considered turning the park into an arboretum. The arboretum map, offering a self-guided tour of 70 trees, is still available online at City Park Arboretum Tree Walk.

Leafy eccentrics, large and small There’s a lot for tree lovers to choose from in City Park.

“Possibly the most spectacular — and underappreciated — tree feature in the park is the Robert More Pinetum,” said horticulturalist Sonia John, curator of the Arboretum at Regis University.

A preserve of 120 conifers southeast of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the little-known Pinetum (pronounced:

pie-NEE-tum) has no sign marking the entrance, no paths and no labels on the trees.

But if you descend from the museum’s southern terrace down a set of broad steps, you’ll find yourself surrounded by pinion, ponderosa, mugo and white pines along with three types of juniper, and whiteand-blue spruce. There are even some bald cypress — a species that often grows semisubmerged in the bayous of Louisiana.

Not all the park’s conifers have survived the city’s 2004 switch to irrigating with recycled water. The higher salt level in this water has been particularly tough on conifers, since they can’t rid themselves of excess salt by shedding their leaves. But one tree that appears to be thriving is a 67-foot State Champion red pine east of Ferril Lake, in the south-central section of the park. Red pines, the state tree of Minnesota, actually prefer sandy soil with low nutrients — which makes them well-suited to the harsh, high desert conditions of Denver.

Can a tree that’s only 17-feet-high qualify as a State Champion? That seems unlikely, except in the Kingdom of Lilliput. But what it lacks in size, the park’s State Champion yellowhorn makes up for in durability. Native to northeastern China and Korea, the yellowhorn is currently thriving in an unirrigated southeastern section of the park.

The yellowhorn’s fruit, which resembles an exploded baseball, contains so much oil it has stirred interest as a biofuel. Most of the tree is edible, including the seeds. Rickenbacker and Cancik compared the flavor to macadamia or hazelnuts.

Rickenbacker and Cancik are also impressed by Japanese pagoda trees, including a 65-footer on the park’s east side, which has a full, rounded shape, bright green compound leaves composed of 10-15 leaflets and not one, but five, thick, sinuous trunks.

“It’s one of the few trees to flower in late summer,” Rickenbacker said approvingly.

He eyed the pagoda tree’s generous assortment of trunks. “If these were all one trunk instead of five, this would definitely be a State Champion.”

Nature Play As in Washington Park, City Park foresters try to preserve dead trees that don’t threaten to fall on people. Since there is

City Park trees frame a view looking west over Ferril Lake, with downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains beyond. The park, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, helps cool and oxygenate the city with an urban forest of more than 3,000 trees.

PHOTO BY TIM COLLINS

no public access to the island in Duck Lake, several dead trees were left upright, where they provide a rookery for nesting cormorants. Forestry also supplies logs and branches to the Denver Zoo, where treemunching animals like giraffes and zebras use them as “browse.”

A dead maple’s upright skeleton will also play a nurturing role — but for children instead of animals. In an unusual partnership between Parks & Recreation and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the small playground in the park’s southeastern quadrant will be re-developed with a new focus on natural objects for kids to explore.

The City Park Nature Play & Waterway Restoration project will span three and a half acres, and with plenty of logs and boulders for climbing. Water will once again flow through the park’s historic DeBoer waterway, constructed in 1953 but dry in recent years. The revived waterway will offer stepping stones, bridges and sandy “beaches” — guaranteeing play that’s not only natural but satisfyingly messy. And just to cover all bases, there will also be traditional swing sets and slides. Construction is slated to begin next year, in time to open the new play area for the spring of 2023.

A nearby tree might just bestow good luck on the project. In the northeastern corner of the old playground, stands a tall catalpa, with floppy, heart-shaped leaves and seed pods resembling green beans.

There’s something a little magical about catalpas, which perfume the air every spring with huge clusters of sweet-smelling flowers. And the magic doesn’t stop there.

“About 12 fairies live up in the tree,” reported a Life on Capitol Hill reader recently. “Look for the scar on the trunk, then look up 15 feet.”

If you do, you will discover that foresters are not the only ones who climb trees in City Park.

The new nature-based playground will preserve the fairy wishing tree. And park visitors who wish to honor this Gaelic tradition can continue to leave offerings for the resident tree spirit.

Is this at odds with the concept of a science-based playground? Perhaps not.

The very idea of fairies — with their acorn hats and cobweb garments — was probably inspired long ago by fascination with the natural world.

Exactly the sentiment Nature Play hopes to inspire in kids.

g Denver tree organizations and events

By Kirsten Dahl Collins Special to Colorado Community Media

To be a well-informed volunteer — or just bring more enjoyment to a stroll through the park — download a free, tree-identifying app to your mobile phone. The PlantNet or iNaturalist apps will quickly identify most species you encounter.

Denver has many opportunities to get more involved with creating a greener city.

Here are some suggestions: American Forests Association Founded in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States. Currently they are focusing on building a reforestation movement in America — in response to large-scale, rapid destruction of our woodlands. Visit americanforests.org to learn about new findings in tree science, current

legislation affecting trees, tips on planting and to read the organization’s magazine, American Forests.

tional programs, nominating one of your local trees as a State Champion or locating Champions in your community.

Arbor Day, April 29, 2022 In April, many communities throughout the Denver metro area hold tree sales and planting events. With the assistance of local volunteers, Denver Parks and Recreation plants 150-500 trees to commemorate this national holiday.

Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park (FANS) FANS of Washington Park Inc. was organized in 2006 to give a public voice to the care, use and maintenance of the 165acre park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. FANS volunteers often fill in to help Denver Parks and Recreation with planting and other service projects.

City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) Send an email to info@cpfan.org for news of the latest projects undertaken by this neighborhood association dedicated to preserving and enhancing City Park. CPFAN was active in the ultimately unsuccessful 2017 effort to prevent the city from removing more than 200 mature trees from the City Park Golf Course.

Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC) A volunteer nonprofit administered by the Colorado State Forest Service, CTC seeks to preserve, renew and enhance community forests in Colorado. Visit coloradotrees.org for information about volunteering, educa-

The Park People For the past 35 years, The Park People’s Denver Digs Trees program has been providing Denver residents with free and low-cost trees for planting on both private and public property. More than 60,000 trees have been planted to date. Learn more at theparkpeople.org or send an email to info@theparkpeople.org to sign up to participate in free tree planting when the program gets underway again in 2022.

Tour des Trees The Tour des Trees cycling event, held

annually in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, raises money for the Tree Fund, which supports tree science research and education programs that connect young people with environmental career opportunities. Participants can choose to cycle for up to 320 miles, planting trees, educating children and raising awareness of science-based tree care. Riders in this year’s Tour des Trees completed their long-distance cycling adventure through the greater Denver area on Sept. 3. It began Aug. 28. Visit treefund.org to learn about the next Tour des Trees.

Urban Forest Initiative The Downtown Denver Partnership, a nonprofit association of local businesses, has launched the Urban Forest Initiative (UFI) to increase Denver’s urban forest canopy through education, built infrastructure and good stewardship of trees.

UFI works directly with property owners to build vibrant, large planting areas to provide a supportive environment for downtown trees. For membership information, visit downtowndenver.com.

6 Life on Capitol Hill

October 1, 2021

Denver Hospice provides ‘a Chaplain Keith Swingle is celebrated for 25 years of service

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

D

enver Hospice Chaplain Keith Swingle said he attended seminary school because he knew he wanted to serve in ministry in some capacity.

He had a friend who did an internship with hospice care, but Swingle didn’t figure that end-of-life care was for him.

But upon finishing seminary school, Swingle realized he was cut out to be a hospice chaplain.

“It is everything I wanted, in terms of one-on-one — meeting with families on their own turf during a vulnerable and helpful time,” Swingle said, adding it gives him “a chance to make a real difference.”

And more than a quarter of a century later, Swingle is still making a difference in peoples’ lives when they need it the most.

Twenty-five years with Denver Hospice Swingle has been serving people and families as a hospice chaplain for 28 years this October. Twenty-five of those years have been spent with The Denver Hospice.

“His commitment to patients and families goes above and beyond, with how he supports, listens and cares for our patients and their families,” said Melinda Egging, president of the nonprofit provider of hospice and palliative care. “Keith can be counted on for his smile and his sense of humor - yes, sense of humor during hospice care. Finding grace and humor is important as we walk this journey.”

Egging added that Swingle was the chaplain for her family when her motherin-law was in hospice.

“He was so gracious and kind. He connected with our family and was a great support,” Egging said. “I know first-hand the important role chaplains like Keith contribute during this important time.”

Swingle, 54, was born and raised in Ohio. He spent 2-1/2 years serving as a hospice chaplain in Ohio before moving to Colorado. He had friends moving to Colorado, and found the job with The Denver Hospice before making the move.

Swingle now lives on Lookout Mountain near Golden. He is married and raising a 14-year-old.

group hug’

LEARN MORE To learn more about The Denver Hospice, visit https://thedenverhospice.org.

With The Denver Hospice, Swingle serves the north metro area out of The Denver Hospice’s Westminster location.

The Denver Hospice was established in 1978. As a nonprofit, nobody who needs hospice care will be turned away, Swingle said.

The agency serves the entire metro area, with its Inpatient Care Center located at 8299 E. Lowry Blvd. in Denver’s Lowry Field neighborhood.

A minister without a church A chaplain is a “minister without a church,” someone who doesn’t represent a specific denomination or particular church, Swingle said.

What chaplains do is help people cope with losses, Swingle said. In addition to the loss of a loved one, losses can include a person’s independence, control and role — or, purpose and meaning of life, Swingle said.

“Sometimes, the immediate family can’t, or doesn’t know how to, talk about it with their loved one,” Swingle said.

That’s where a chaplain can help.

Swingle’s visits to patients run the gamut, but the underlying role is to provide a comforting presence. Sometimes, visits are a friendly check-in just to see how the patient doing. Other times, it’s to pray with them. Or, if needed, Swingle will also help with arranging memorial services or connecting a person or their loved ones to a rabbi or Catholic priest.

No matter the reason for Swingle’s visit to a particular patient, it’s always a meaningful visit, he said. His goal: to ensure that all hospice patients “feel wellsupported, cared for and that we always have time for them.”

When people are at end-of-life, they need to feel that they have someone to talk to, said LeRoy Baker, administrator of Broomfield Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

“When people are transitioning, spiritual needs are just as important as physical needs,” Baker added.

Hospice care is a team effort, Swingle said. He works in a team setting with Registered Nurse (RN) case workers, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), social workers and others.

“Keith has always been someone we look up to,” said Rachel Phillips, an RN

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The Denver Hospice Chaplain Keith Swingle, right, holds the phone up for David Newman, a 34-year-old Army veteran with terminal brain cancer, during a video-chat PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN call in September with Newman’s wife, Alissa.

case manager with The Denver Hospice.

“He’s genuine and caring. That’s comforting for the families, but also for us. It’s very calming to have him here.”

‘He does way more than expected’ During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, Villagio Senior Living — a memory care community in Broomfield — worked with The Denver Hospice to have a dedicated team provide hospice care for its patients.

“They acted as if they were our own inhouse staff,” said Carisa Brown, the community’s executive director. “The Denver Hospice has been vital to our success.”

In addition to tending to patients’ needs, Swingle was sometimes called on to support staff who were struggling or otherwise having a hard time coping, Brown said.

But he also helped in ways well beyond the typical roles of a chaplain.

A while back, a patient who was in clinical isolation at Villagio received a new bed. It was a hospital bed, with all the gadgets, said Tia Abeyta, the wellness director for Villagio.

“This was during the period of time (of the pandemic) when only nurses and CNAs were allowed in,” Abeyta said. “So the equipment company couldn’t come in to assemble it.”

Swingle happened to be there that day, so he geared up in full personal protective equipment to help Abeyta assemble the bed, and they were able to get it put together for the patient.

“He does way more than expected,” Abeyta said.

‘Our dog approved’ David and Alissa Newman of Lakewood had a large Husky dog named Dazbog when David, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in August 2017, started hospice care.

While friendly, the dog was never into cuddling. But, on Swingle’s first home visit with the couple, Dazbog went right up to Swingle and greeted him.

And the next thing you knew, David said, Swingle had a 70-pound dog sitting on his lap.

“That’s how we knew we liked Keith,” Alissa said. “Our dog approved.”

David Newman is a 34-year-old Army

Keith Swingle has been serving the community as a chaplain for The Denver Hospice for 25 years.

veteran. He enlisted in October 2005, and did two tours in Afghanistan. He grew up in the Lakewood area, and upon return from the Army, he decided to study engineering at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

He and Alissa met at a CrossFit gym while she was also attending CSU. David’s original prognosis was 14 months, “so we’ve had much more time,” Alissa said, adding they take every day one at a time. David emphasized how fortunate he feels to have Alissa as his wife.

Alissa cared for her husband at home until the recent COVID-19 restrictions on visitations to care facilities eased.

“It’s been different than getting to see him every day,” she said. But the two video-chat frequently, and Alissa visits inperson as often as she can, between work and her graduate studies. “Dave and I are fortunate to have support groups.”

However, while grateful for it, with all that support comes something that has been particularly challenging for Alissa — the management of everyone who has offered to help, she said.

The Denver Hospice treats people like people, not patients, Alissa said. David’s care team relieves her from what she calls the “mental gymnastics” of managing all of her husband’s needs.

“It’s such a resource to have someone to talk with about spiritual stuff, (and) a hospice team taking care of him,” Alissa said.

“It’s like a group hug. I felt, and continue to feel, so supported.”

Life on Capitol Hill 7

October 1, 2021

Angelbotics’ club members Hailey Sine, a sophomore, and Dmitry Rosnik, a junior, clean The Imperator — the robot that the East High School robotics team competed with in the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament at the Colorado Energy Day Festival on Sept. 25.

Nicholas Kieft, a senior, and Melissa Hermosillo-Nava, a freshman, have their photo taken with the robot that the East High School robotics club competed with in the Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament on Sept.

25 at East High School.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

By Christy Steadman

T

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

he Angelbotics — Denver East High School’s robotics club — hosted about 40 middle-and-high school robotics teams for Colorado’s Energy Day Festival on Sept. 25.

The robotics teams came from across the state to participate in the festival’s Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament, which pits robot against robot.

The Angelbotics is a year-round extracurricular activity. The team consists of about 40 students, freshman through senior, who are divided into four subteams — public image, which designs the t-shirts and website for the team; strategy; programming; and manufacturing. The subteams make it so that

each student can participate in the club, no matter their talents or skills, said Joel Noble, Angelbotics’ coach and engineering teacher. The team has art and business students, as well as those interested in STEM careers, Noble added.

Colorado’s Energy Day Festival is an annual event and always takes place at East High School, 1600 City Park Esplanade. It could not take place last year because of COVID-19.

Noble said he is extremely proud of the students’ accomplishments, following a year and a half of uncertainty, including not knowing what would happen to teams such as the Angelbotics.

“The kids have done some really amazing stuff,” Noble said. “They kept the team together. They made it happen.”

Angelbotics’ club members Celes Buffard, a junior, and Santiago Andrews, a freshman, build trusses and platforms in preparation for the Colorado Energy Day Festival’s Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament, which took place at East High School in Denver.

A group of East High School students who are part of the school’s robotics team stand with a basketball-playing robot that’s in its early stage of construction. This robot is expected to be able to play basketball against a human by December.

The Imperator throws balls during a practice run prior to the Colorado Energy Day Festival on Sept. 25. This robot is the one the Angelbotics — East High School’s robotics team — competed with in the festival’s Kendrick Castillo Memorial Tournament.

Dresden Friar, a sophomore at East High School in Denver, drives one of the school’s robotics team’s robots in late September. The Angelbotics hosted the Colorado Energy Day Festival, which took place on Sept. 25.

8 Life on Capitol Hill

October 1, 2021

LOCAL

VOICES

Celebrate Día de los Muertos in Denver

O

ne of my favorite movies is Disney/Pixar’s “Coco.”

I love that it’s all about music and family — and Día de los Muertos.

I can’t pinpoint FROM THE an exact timeframe EDITOR in my past when I started getting interested in learning about Día de los Muertos, but it was likely when I was in college, during the peak of my travels to and studChristy Steadman Mexico ies of ancient and indigenous Mesoamerican cultures.

I’m not going to date myself, but this was before one could find Día de los Muertos apparatus in general-merchandise big box stores.

Día de los Muertos is a beautiful holiday. It’s not a Mexican version of Halloween and it’s not about celebrating corpses. Instead, it’s a celebration of life, and a way to honor ancestors who have passed on.

And it’s got such a rich history, dating back more than 3,000 years.

Its roots belong to the indigenous cultures of Mexico (Aztecs and other Nahua people) who observed harvest season with rituals that embraced mortality and celebrated life after death.

However, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived and discovered the Indians practicing a ritual they believed to be sacrilegious and mocking death, the Spaniards tried to put a stop to it.

As a result of conquest, the Spaniards attempted to convert the native people to Catholicism, but the indigenous peoples refused to relinquish their ritual of celebrating life after death. So, the Spaniards moved the dates to co-

incide with the Christian beliefs of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which take place on Nov. 1 and 2, when the spirit of the dead visit their families.

Today, Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and parts of the south and central Americas, as well as in the U.S. We are lucky here in Denver because we have many opportunities to celebrate modern-day Día de los Muertos and learn more about this ancient tradition. Here are some suggestions: Note: this list only includes events in Denver proper. You will find many more Día de los Muertos events in the metro area with a Google search.

Ofrendas Mercado 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 9 at Hijos del Sol, 2715 W. Eighth Ave. in Denver Free admission SEE STEADMAN, P9

Three things we can all do to end sexual violence GUEST COLUMN

Megan Carvajal

F

ifty-one per month.

That is the average number of reported sexual assaults that have occurred in Denver so far this year. This number, while staggering, likely does not reflect reality and the number of assaults that have occurred is higher. According to the Department of Justice, only 31% of sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement.

This is a wake-up call. As a community, we must come together and work toward ending sexual violence. Here are three things we can all do to build a more caring community that is safer for everyone.

Make prevention a priority Teaching youth about consent is imperative to preventing sexual violence. Consent education teaches young people what quali-

fies as consent — consent is not the absence of “no,” rather, it is the presence of an enthusiastic, uncoerced “yes.” It also teaches young people to recognize sexually inappropriate and violent behaviors, while promoting healthy, respectful relationships among young people that are in line with their own values and empowers them to communicate these values. These are lessons that young people will carry with them throughout their lives. If you are a parent or caregiver, ask your youth’s school to incorporate consent education.

We can all also harness our own power as active bystanders to prevent sexual violence.

When you hear inappropriate comments or language that normalizes sexual violence, SEE CARVAJAL, P9

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Vote no on bond proposals There are several reasons to vote NO on Denver’s five bond proposals (Questions 2A through 2E).

Your property tax payments will increase: Although the property tax rate for debt repayment may not change, the total property taxes you actually pay will increase (a lot!), given the recent increase in property values.

The city can increase the tax rate for debt repayment up to 30% without your vote.

Taxes now available to the city for spending in 2021 and 2022: $ 77.5 million — new economic recovery taxes. $308.5 million — state and federal taxes transferred to the city for spending. $386 million — TOTAL available for many of the pro-

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

posed projects to be financed by this debt issue. $450 million — new bond taxes from this and four other bond ballot questions.

Adding the taxes listed above plus the new bond taxes will almost double city spending to $836 million. To paraphrase the late U.S. Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen: A hundred million here, a hundred million there — sooner or later it adds up to real money.

If you agree the city should wait and prudently spend available taxes before asking for $450 million of new taxes, you should vote NO on this ballot question.

— Douglas Windes of Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood.

Windes is a retired government employee who worked on several bond issues and served as state cash manager in the Colorado State Treasury.

My two nieces, Cassie, left, and Morgan, let me take their picture inside a restaurant while out celebrating Día de los Muertos in Denver one year — circa 2013.

Oppose Measure 2F: it’s a step backward for affordable housing options

Y

our next ballot will arrive soon with more than a dozen measures for you to decide on, some with hidden consequences to our city and residents.

Three of these measures — 2F, 303 and 304 were funded by hundreds of thousands of F GUEST dollars in dark money. Measure 2F would limit affordable housing options COLUMN for Denver residents, right when we need them the most by repealing a Council ordinance that was supported by 11 councilmembers and more than 50 organizations including Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs) like Capitol Hill United Neighbors.

Input from more than 1,000 residents over three years helped to shape the final legislation, including tighter Councilmember limits requested by RNOs like West Robin Kniech Washington Park that were adopted into the law.

The ordinance modernized outdated language and made our city more equitable for all residents. And it enabled people to share housing when they need it the most by increasing the number of non-family members who can live together from two to five. 2F would repeal these changes and make it illegal to have more than one roommate in three-quarters of our city so I’m urging voters to reject it.

Vote No on 2F because it would take away affordable housing options for working people like teachers, nurses, and grocery store clerks. Hardworking Denverites have struggled to pay their bills during the pandemic. With the

K

SEE KNIECH, P9

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Life on Capitol Hill 9

October 1, 2021

Carvajal FROM PAGE 8

speak up and gently correct the speaker.

Likewise, if you see a potentially risky situation, safely intervene. For instance, if you are out for drinks with friends and notice someone aggressively pursuing another, interrupt that interaction by telling the individual that is being pursued that you need to talk with them in private.

Then, once they are away from the aggressor, ask if everything is alright and if there is anything else you can do to help.

Steadman FROM PAGE 8

Attendees will have an opportunity to shop for high-quality handmade items for an altar, as well as a curated selection of clothing, jewelry & accessories, folk art and more. Those who are unable to attend Ofrendas Mercado, or are immunocompromised, can set-up an appointment by calling Adrianna at 720-353-2233. Some of the collection is for view online at lcacdenver.org/hijosdelsol.

Learn more: www.lcac-denver.org/ ofrendas2021.

Incense Holder Workshop 1-4 p.m. Oct 16 at the Sun Valley Youth Center, 1230 Decatur St. in Denver Free Ages 8+ Copal has been used since ancient times and serves to link us to the past and to our loved ones. To continue this sacred use of copal, we will construct an incense burner

Kniech

FROM PAGE 8

high cost of living in Denver, our teachers often need to live with others to be able to afford to live in our neighborhoods. 2F would take that ability away from them at a time when we already have a teacher shortage.

Vote No on 2F, because this measure would make it harder to live in Denver than any other city in Colorado. Passing measure 2F would make Denver’s housing laws among the most restrictive in the state. Cities like Colorado Springs, Arvada, and Lakewood all allow people to have more than one roommate - and Denver should too.

Vote No on 2F, because it would take away tools the city needs to shelter and house those experiencing homelessness.

Passing 2F would reduce the capacity of

survivors, this paradigm shifts. When we start by believing survivors, they are more likely to seek systems of support and are more likely to seek justice. Most importantly, the survivor of the sexual assault receives the care that they need to heal from the assault. Additionally, the perpetrator is more likely to be held accountable for their actions. This accountability signifies a community with a zero tolerance for sexually violent behaviors — a message that we must send to would-be perpetrators.

Get involved in the movement to end sexual violence We all play a role in ending sexual vio-

Megan Carvajal is the executive director of The Blue Bench, metro Denver’s only sexual assault prevention and survivor support center. To learn more about The Blue Bench, including volunteer opportunities, or to donate, visit https://thebluebench.org.

and learn how it can be used to welcome the souls of the departed.

Learn more: www.lcac-denver.org/ ofrendas2021

Materials provided are appropriate for children ages 5 and up. Preregistration is required.

Learn more: www.botanicgardens.org.

include craft vendors, entertainment, kids crafts and a display of Nichos. There will not be face painting this year.

Learn more: www.botanicgardens.org.

Calaveras Day 2-4 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Corky Gonzales Library, 1498 Irving St. in Denver Free A partnership between the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) Gallery and the Denver Public Library, this family-friendly event includes creating and decorating sugar skulls while learning the history of Día de los Muertos.

Learn more: www.chacgallery.org.

Nichos Workshop 5:30-8:30 Oct. 20 at Raices Brewing Company, 2060 W. Colfax Ave. in Denver Free Ages 8+ Nichos are small “scenes” that bring remembrance into the physical. With these little boxes, we honor the memory of a loved one who has passed. Attendees will construct a nicho in memory of someone to be honored at home or on the community altar.

Learn more: www.lcac-denver.org/ ofrendas2021

Ofrendas Documentary Something to look forward to: In 2022, the Ofrendas Documentary will make its way across Colorado, and will be unveiled next fall for educators, students and families.

The Ofrendas Documentary will tell the stories behind Day of the Dead in Denver and across Colorado over the last 50 years.

The mini film features the history of Mexican/Chicano Denver, starting with Carlos Frequez’s 1993 screenprint, “Westside Wedding” at St. Cajetan church on what is now the Auraria Campus. Through the lenses of the Denver Catrina Troupe, Rosales Bakery, elders, young people, families and community leaders, we celebrate those who have passed and turn the collective losses into moments of remembrance, resilience and teaching.

Learn more: www.lcac-denver.org/ ofrendas2021.

Family Make and Take: Dia de los Muertos Miniature Ofrendas Various times on Oct. 16, 17, 30 and 31 at the Denver Botanic Gardens $15 per project fee; $12 member project fee Attendees will create a miniature ofrenda in remembrance of a loved one. Families are encouraged to bring a photo copy of loved ones to include in their ofrenda.

many existing homeless shelters, make it harder for those shelters to renovate to provide the mental health and housing counseling needed to resolve homelessness, and make it much more difficult and expensive to build new transitional housing. By taking away these housing options, unhoused Denver residents will have a harder time getting back on their feet if 2F passes.

As noted by the Denver Post Editorial Board when they supported the ordinance that 2F would take away, there is “considerable misinformation” being spread about this measure. I encourage voters to check any claims they hear at keepdenverhoused. com or the city’s own website, denvergov. org/groupliving “recent misconceptions.”

If we want to build back stronger, we need to ensure that we support affordable housing options for our community. The last thing we should be doing right now is reducing housing options in Denver, which is exactly what 2F would do.

SHOP LOCAL Local ads, coupons & deals are just one click away!

C H E C K I T O U T AT:

lence. In addition to making prevention a priority and always starting by believing, you can deepen your involvement by supporting organizations like The Blue Bench.

At The Blue Bench, we envision a future where there are zero assaults per month.

With a strong community by our sides, we know that this vision will one day become a reality.

Always start by believing Sexual assault is the only crime where the victim becomes the accused. It is common for victims to be asked about their attire, level of intoxication and sexual history. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), this victim-blaming contributes to the silencing of survivors of sexual assault, which means they may not seek support from loved ones or centers like The Blue Bench — compounding the trauma from the assault and hindering healing. Moreover, the perpetrator of the assault is not held accountable for their harmful actions.

When we actively support and believe

ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Día de los Muertos Celebration 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 Cost is included with admission, 15 and under free This event marks the 10th anniversary of the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Día de los Muertos Celebration. The event will

DROP OFF YOUR LEAVES FOR FREE

We’ll compost pumpkins too!

WEEKDAY DROP SITES MONDAY – FRIDAY

OCT. 4 – DEC. 3 | 8 AM TO 2 PM

WEEKEND DROP SITES SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS

Get your FREE 5-pack of 30-gallon paper leaf bags at Denver Ace Hardware Stores today!

OCT. 30 – NOV. 14 | 10 AM TO 2 PM

For drop-site locations, visit DenverGov.org/LeafDrop.

All participants must comply with COVID-19 State of Colorado Public Health Orders.

PLEASE USE

PAPER BAGS! Help reduce the amount of leaves going to the landfill! All leaves brought to LeafDrop sites will be turned into Denver’s Own EcoGro Compost™.

Limit one per household WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Rain checks and special orders not valid. For in-store use only. Not valid with any other offers.

Available at participating Ace Hardware locations.

Other exclusions may apply. See store for details.

Offer valid 09/01 – 11/08/2021 in-store only.

For more information, call 311 (720-913-1311) or visit DenverGov.org/LeafDrop.

10 Life on Capitol Hill

October 1, 2021

CHUN invests in its financial future with endowments Staff report Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, a registered neighborhood organization, is investing in its financial future with an endowment totaling $1 million to be managed by The Denver Foundation.

“Our organization is committed to shaping the future of Denver through a number of strategies ranging from smart urban planning to championing economic opportunity for all Denverites,” said CHUN’s president and executive director Travis Leiker in a news release. “The endowment

model we co-created with The Denver Foundation will allow CHUN to promote continued community enhancements through citizen collaboration and civic engagement.”

The Denver Foundation is a community foundation that serves Colorado from its

Capitol Hill headquarters at 1009 Grant St. The CHUN endowments were established with proceeds from the sale of the Tears-McFarlane Mansion, 1290 N. Williams St., which is located along Cheesman SEE CHUN, P13

Students encouraged to enter radon awareness contests Staff report Colorado students are invited to participate in the 2022 National Radon Video and Poster contests.

The contests take place annually through a partnership between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The contests provide students with an opportunity to creatively raise awareness

about the importance of radon testing, and to inform people of the dangers of radon in their homes, states a news release.

Students between the ages of 9 and 14 are eligible to participate in the poster contest, and the video contest is open to students between the ages of 14 and 18.

Students must be enrolled in a public, private, territorial, tribal, Department of Defense or home school; or be a member of a sponsoring club such as scouting, art, computer, science or 4-H. Contestants have the option to choose

between five radon-awareness topics for their poster or video entries. Judging criteria for the poster contest includes content accuracy, visual communication of topic, reproducibility and originality. Video entries must also be original, and created as a 30-second public service announcement/commercial-style video that encourages residents to test and/or mitigate their homes for radon.

State winners will receive $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third.

Teachers of students with winning entries

will each receive $100. The first-place poster and first-place video will represent Colorado in the national contest.

Poster and video entries must be received by Nov. 20.

Only one entry per student is allowed.

Contest submission forms, topics, resources, additional guidelines and contest rules are available on CDPHE’s website: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/radon. For additional information about the contests, contact Chrystine Kelley at chrys.kelley@ state.co.us.

2021 JAAMM Festival features in-person, virtual, hybrid events Staff report The 14th annual Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music (JAAMM) Festival takes place Oct. 6-Dec. 21 with in-person, virtual and hybrid offerings.

The JAAMM Festival is a program of Denver’s JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center. It is the organization’s flagship cultural arts program, and focuses on literary arts and Jewish-interest entertainment.

“The Mizel Arts and Culture staff continue to program the most diverse and exciting programs,” said Kathy Neustadt in the news release. Neustadt’s Piñon Trail Foundation is the title sponsor of the festival. “This year’s lineup is no exception and may be the best yet.”

This year’s JAAMM Festival features nearly 20 events including stand-up comedians, workshops, music, movies, author lectures and more. A full festival lineup can be found

online at jccdenver.org/jaamm.

“The goal of the JAAMM Festival is to bring diverse and unique cultural content to our community,” said Rich Cowden, general manager of the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center, in a news release. “Perhaps no festival in the state offers such a wide range of offerings as JAAMM, and we’re working hand-in-hand with the artists to guarantee superb experiences for both our existing and new audiences.”

Ticket prices vary per event. Tickets can be purchased with a variety of options through a virtual and cashless box office.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting https:// jaamm.eventive.org/welcome, sending an email to boxoffice@jccdenver.org or calling the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center Box Office at 303-316-6360.

Tickets can also be purchased in person at SEE JAAMM, P13

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Life on Capitol Hill 11

October 1, 2021

Support reliable, local news

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SCAN TO CONTRIBUTE!

To say that our last year was eventful is more than a bit of an understatement. After surviving the economic upheaval brought on by COVID-19, we were excited to get back to our core job of delivering your local news. And then in May, we were purchased by the Colorado News Conservancy, made up of groups dedicated to keeping local news thriving.

In August, I came on as Publisher with a mission to strengthen our commitment to each of our local communities, including for those of you reading Life on Capitol Hill.

Linda Shapley Publisher

Quality journalism is not free, and there was a reason why, during the height of the pandemic, the work that we did was deemed essential. But we still face peril – more than 60% of all advertising buys in Colorado are spent with Facebook or Google. You might wonder how Life on Capitol Hill survives, and we have you, our readers, to thank for that.

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12 Life on Capitol Hill

October 1, 2021

Denver has many Halloween happenings for all ages prices that do not include the Monster to Midnight experience are available seven days a week.

Distortions Monster World is located in the Denver Pavilions, 500 16th Street Mall, on the first floor in Suite #180.

Tickets for Monster to Midnight cost up to $35 for adults and youth age 12 and older.

Tickets are limited for the Monster to Midnight experience and a timed ticket should be reserved in advance.

To learn more about Distortions Monster World, visit www.distortionsmonsterworld. com.

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

W

hether you’re looking for tricks or treats, haunting entertainment, family fun time or simply somewhere to go decked out in your favorite Halloween costume that you didn’t get to wear last year, Denver is the place to be this year.

13th Floor Haunted House The 13th Floor Haunted House has opened for the season, featuring three attractions: Frostbite, The Doll Maker and Bad Blood.

Additional on-site attractions include Class Axe Throwing, Blitz Bowl: Football Bowling and the Shriekeasy Bar for patrons age 21 and older. Add-on options for additional cost include Mini Escape Rooms and the Sensory Overload maze.

There is no minimum age requirement for the 13th Floor, though the event is graphic and meant to be scary. It is not recommended for children age 12 and younger.

Ticket prices begin at $19.99 per person, with Fast Pass, Skip the Line and VIP ticketing options available.

13th Floor is located at 3400 East 52nd Ave. in Denver’s Elyria Swansea neighborhood.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.13thfloorhauntedhouse.com.

Adams Mystery Playhouse Adams Mystery Playhouse offers mystery dinner shows in a Denver mansion that once served as a mortuary.

The playhouse is offering shows every weekend throughout October, with select Thursday evenings and Sunday matinees also available.

All shows are rated PG and are familyfriendly, unless noted as suitable for age 12 and older.

Tickets cost between $44 and $64 per person depending on day and time of the selected show. Tickets include dinner.

Show descriptions and the dinner menu is available on Adams Mystery Playhouse’s website.

Adams Mystery Playhouse is located at 2406 Federal Blvd. in Denver’s Jefferson Park neighborhood. To learn more about the playhouse or to purchase tickets, visit www. adamsmysteryplayhouse.com.

Broadway Halloween Parade The Broadway Halloween Parade is back this year after taking 2020 off because of COVID-19.

It will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 on Broadway between Fifth and Alameda avenues.

The parade features Halloween-themed floats, bands and marchers. Attendees are encouraged to dress in costume.

Getting its start in 2017, the Broadway Halloween Parade is hosted by the Broadway Merchants Association and City Council Lucky District 7. The event is family-friendly and free to attend. Learn more at www. thebroadwayhalloweenparade.com.

Broncos Trick or Treat Broncos Trick or Treat is a family-friendly event that offers kid-friendly activities and trick-or-treating at Empower Field at Mile High.

The event takes place beginning at 10 a.m.

Oct. 23, at the Broncos’ stadium, 1701 Bryant St. in Denver. The stadium will be decorated and attendees are encouraged to wear costumes.

Tickets cost $5 plus fees per person. A ticket is required for all attendees, regardless

Monster to Midnight is a special afterhours attraction at Distortions Monster World, an immersive artainment monster museum located in the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISTORTIONS MONSTER WORLD

of age. A ticket includes access to Broncos Trick-or-Treat and Miles Fall Fest. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster: tinyurl. com/broncostrickortreat.

Denver walking tours — Ghosts of Capitol Hill This guided walking tour at twilight invites participants to learn some of the history and mystery of Denver’s Capitol Hill area, including a visit to the haunted Cheesman Park.

The tour is suitable for all ages, though recommended for ages 10 and older. Youth ages 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Meeting location is at the southeast corner of West 13th Avenue and North Gilpin Street.

The approximate 1.7-mile walk will take about two-to-two and a half hours, ending at the Molly Brown House, 1340 Pennsylvania St. Tours are available at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Thursday through Sunday throughout October. Private ghost tours are also available.

Cost is $25 per person and tours should be booked online in advance. To book a tour, visit www.walkingtoursdenver.com.

Distortions Monster World Distortions Monster World is offering a special after-hours attraction through October that enhances the monster museum.

Distortions Monster World is an immersive artainment museum created by Greeley’s Distortions Unlimited. Special effects, props, theatrical lighting and sound design by Loveland’s Blazen Illuminations accompany the exhibit.

The special after-hours experience is called Monster to Midnight. In addition to experiencing the museum, Monster to Midnight features interactive characters; entertainment; special guests, including the artists behind the exhibit on select nights; limited-edition collectible merchandise for purchase; and more.

Monster to Midnight is family-friendly and appropriate for all ages. A Monster Repellent sticker is available for those who do not wish to be spooked.

Monster to Midnight is offered from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday throughout October, plus Halloween night. General admission hours and ticket

Ghosts in the Gardens Tour Ghosts in the Gardens Tour is an opportunity to explore the Denver Botanic Gardens at night on a self-guided tour.

Storytellers along the way will share haunting stories of the Gardens’ 100 years of history — inside and outside of what used to be called The Boneyard. The event also includes access to the haunted Waring House that is not open to the public.

This event is not recommended for young children, and children age 12 and older must remain with an accompanying adult at all times.

Ghosts in the Gardens takes place at various times on Oct. 14-16 and Oct. 28-30 at the gardens’ York Street location, 1007 York St. in Denver.

Cost is $34 for non-members and $29 for members.

Reservations must be done in advance online. Visit www.botanicgardens.org to learn more or make a reservation.

Glow at the Gardens Glow at the Gardens offers attendees an opportunity to wander through a spooky, illuminated landscape at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Glow at the Gardens takes place from 6-9:45 p.m. Oct. 19-24 at the gardens’ York Street location, 1007 York St. in Denver.

The experience includes larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures and dense displays of jack-o’-lanterns, performing artists and additional activities.

A timed ticket must be purchased in advance. Cost ranges up to $23 for nonmember adults. To purchase tickets, visit www.botanicgardens.org.

HD Escape Rooms — Haunted Mansion The Haunted Mansion at the Denver location of HD Escape Rooms, 1509 N. Marion St. in the City Park West neighborhood, is set in a late-1880’s mansion.

Participants serve as a paranormal investigative team. Partnering with Frightmare — the creators of the Frightmare Compound in Westminster — this puzzle room makes use of special effects and electronic puzzles to create a frightening and complex escape room experience.

This experience is recommended for attendees age 12 and older, any youth between age 8 and 17 are permitted only with an adult.

Each player younger than 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign a waiver on their behalf.

A booking fee is $30 per person and should be done in advance. To book a date and time or to learn more about HD Escape Rooms, visit www.hdescaperooms.com.

Paranormal Palace The 12th annual Paranormal Palace takes place from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 30 at McNichols Civic Center Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave. in Denver.

The Paranormal Palace is a dress-to-

impress Halloween gala and charity event, benefitting the Humankindness Project. The event features a costume contest, dance floor, open bar, full art installations, food trucks, performers and deejays.

This event is for attendees age 21+. A valid ID must be presented for entry.

Tickets range in cost from $75 - $240, according to Eventbrite. Visit https:// denverhalloween.org to learn more about the event or to link to the event on Eventbrite to purchase tickets.

Victorian Horrors Victorian Horrors at the Molly Brown House Museum offers attendees the opportunity to hear Gothic horror tales portrayed by acclaimed local actors and explore the historic Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania St. in Denver, which will be decorated with spooky curiosities.

Stories this year will include those by Charles Dickens and Nathanial Hawthorne, and “Frankenstein” will be presented in both Spanish and English.

Victorian Horrors is advised for ages 12 and older, per parental discretion.

Admission to Victorian Horrors is offered every 15 minutes from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 14, 16, 21-23, and 28-30. Accessible in-person performances will be offered at 6 p.m. Oct. 21-22.

Attendees will stay in one, mobility-accessible room of the house, and the actors and sign language interpreters will come to perform six chilling tales.

Masks must be worn at all times while at the Molly Brown House Museum, and all guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated before attending Victorian Horrors.

Attendees younger than 12 who are ineligible to receive the vaccine or those with medical exemptions, must instead provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event start time, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within six hours of the event start time.

Advance ticket purchase is required for Victorian Horrors. Tickets for in-person Victorian Horrors cost $20 for non-members and $18 for members. A virtual event is also being offered. Tickets for at-home watch party access cost $20 per link.

To purchase tickets or to learn more about the event, visit www.mollybrown.org.

Wild Fall Will Fall is new autumn event at the Denver Zoo. Wild Fall features the family-fun of the former Boo at the Zoo, with a stronger focus on education and connecting people to wildlife.

Highlights include costumes and characters, creature-carved pumpkins, festive food and drink, and special animal demonstrations that link supernatural beings — such as Bigfoot and the Kraken — to wildlife around the world.

Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes — particularly animal costumes — but are asked to refrain from wearing Halloween masks that cover eyes or outfits that are scary or gory.

The zoo will not be offering trick-or-treating and candy during Wild Fall.

Wild Fall takes places throughout October and its activities are included with regular admission. The zoo opens at 8:30 a.m. for members and 10 a.m. for the general public.

It is recommended to purchase timed tickets in advance as timeslots may sell out.

Tickets range in price up to $20 per adult for the general public.

For more information about Wild Fall and to purchase tickets, visit DenverZoo.org/ Events/WildFall.

Life on Capitol Hill 13

October 1, 2021

Volunteers needed for Service Saturdays this fall Staff report Anybody wanting to volunteer in the community is invited to participate in A Little Help’s Service Saturday events.

A Little Help is a local nonprofit that connects volunteers to help their senior-aged neighbors thrive. The organization serves communities in metro Denver, northern Colorado and the Western Slope. Volunteer opportunities range from yard work

CHUN FROM PAGE 10

Park in Denver. CHUN has owned the historic property since 2005, and maintains a 50% equity stake through a joint venture partnership with City Street Investors. The partnership with City Street Investors includes a revitalization project of the mansion expected to be complete in 2023. Plans call for a café, enhanced community meeting space and other amenities to serve the surrounding neighborhood and provide new sources

JAAMM FROM PAGE 10

ticket kiosks at the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver), 350 S. Dahlia St. which is in the northwest corner of the Washington Virginia Vale neighborhood. Ticket kiosks will be inside the lobby

THE

to creating Kindness Kits; and during the COVID-19 pandemic, running essential errands such as grocery shopping or making a phone call and having a conversation to combat loneliness and isolation.

Service Saturdays take place twice a year.

These entail yardwork and outdoor chores/ tasks that seniors may not be able to accomplish on their own.

This fall’s Service Saturdays take place Oct. 23-Nov. 13, with the Denver event tak-

ing place on Nov. 6. Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at Denver South High School, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave. in the Washington Park neighborhood, for coffee and donuts and to receive work assignments and tools.

Volunteers will go out to the seniors’ homes in small groups to complete the projects. Work projects — which can include raking leaves, pulling weeds, washing windows, cleaning gutters, etc. — typically wrap up about noon. Volunteers are then invited

to Junction Food & Drink, 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. in the University Hills neighborhood, for lunch and a post-service day celebration.

To learn more about volunteering or to register, visit alittlehelp.org/ServiceSaturdays or call A Little Help’s office at 720-2429032.

Seniors who would like to receive a volunteer group can also call the number above to learn more and sign up.

of revenue for CHUN and its partners, states the news release.

The news release states that CHUN’s endowments’ investment returns will provide a dependable source of revenue to support CHUN’s annual budget and allow CHUN flexibility for how dollars are used in the future. CHUN will continue to invest in community through its various initiatives, including CHUN’s SEED Awards, which are micro grants awarded to local organizations to help meet immediate funding needs for smaller projects that encourage civic entrepreneurship and/or promote neighborhood engagement.

“For many nonprofits, creating an endowment is a path to building longterm sustainability,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Denver Foundation, in the news release. “We are thrilled that CHUN has decided to partner with us by opening an endowment.

It will allow them to focus on serving the

Capitol Hill community, knowing that their assets are being put to the highest use through mission-aligned investments with The Denver Foundation.”

To learn more about CHUN, visit chundenver.org. To learn more about The Denver Foundation, visit www. denverfoundation.org.

of the JCC during the week, and in the lobby of the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center, which is located on the JCC’s campus, one hour prior to events.

The JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center has enacted a vaccination and mask policy for in-person events. To learn more, visit jccdenver.org/jaamm. Information on how to attend virtual and hybrid JAAMM events can also be found on that website.

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16 Life on Capitol Hill

October 1, 2021

Re-imagining the classical music experience Denver Philharmonic Orchestra announces 20212022 season concerts

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

W

hen Kwami Barnett was 9 years old, a clarinet was donated to him.

He grew up in a family that believed in the value of donated gifts, so he was expected to make use of it.

“I ended up picking it up and loving it,” Barnett said.

Today, more than 32 years later, Barnett still loves the instrument.

“It’s been such a commodity in my life,” he said.

Barnett is a fulltime music teacher and principal clarinetist for the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, which recently announced its 2021-2022 season concert lineup.

The season will open with a free community concert in Cheesman Park featuring a solo by Barnett performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. The season finale will be a celebration of Beethoven, to include a performance of Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy.” While these two concerts are certainly highlights of the season, Barnett believes people will enjoy the entire six-concert season.

“All of our concerts are going to be special,” he said. “We’re excited to get back into bringing music to Denver, and Colorado.”

Attending a Denver Philharmonic Or-

chestra concert is more than just the music — it’s the experience as well, said Valerie Clausen, a violinist who also serves as the orchestra’s executive director.

The orchestra prides itself on re-imagining the classical music experience, Clausen said.

For the 2013-2014 season, the orchestra started its More than Music, which features pre-concert activities that tie into the theme of the concert. For example, a concert by an Italian composer might feature a food truck serving traditional Italian food. The orchestra will commonly offer pre-concert lectures — at no extra cost — to inform audiences about the historical background and other interesting details about the piece or composer, and postconcert mingling with the musicians.

“We try to make the environment relaxed,” Clausen said, “and make sure nobody feels excluded from the classical music experience.”

The orchestra offers its tickets at affordable price points, and will not turn anyone away. Those who do not have the means to pay for a ticket are welcome to reach out ahead of time and request a complimentary ticket, Clausen said.

All of these experiences allow the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra to break down the barriers between stage and audience, said Lawrence Golan, music director and conductor.

“It is so gratifying to see the enjoyment the audience gets from our performances,” Golan said.

Classical music can include about 300 years of music and thousands of pieces, ranging from well-known work such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 to lesser known, but equally fantastic, work, Golan

DENVER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA’S 2021-2022 CONCERT SEASON

Lawrence Golan conducts the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra during the orchestra’s November 2019 performance of The Mozart Requiem at Central Presbyterian Church.

The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s 20212022 concert season begins in October and concludes in late May. COURTESY OF AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY

said.

“And there’s new pieces being written every day,” he added.

The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra specializes in providing a cross-section of it all, Golan said. People who are familiar with classical music will still get to experience something new, and those who aren’t familiar with it will be pleasantly surprised at how exciting and entertaining classical music can be, Golan said.

“Our passion is orchestral,” Golan said.

“There are very few things more rewarding than sharing one’s passion with others.”

The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s home venue — the Central Presbyterian Church at 1660 Sherman St. in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood — is undergoing renovations, so the orchestra’s concerts may take place in different venues this season.

Season passes are now available for purchase, and tickets to individual concerts will become available as venues are finalized. Venues will be announced on the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s website: https:// denverphilharmonic.org.

Clash of the Titans, a free community concert in Cheesman Park • 7-9 p.m. Oct. 8 at The Pavilion at Cheesman Park, 1900 E. 11th Ave., in Denver “The Elixir of Love” in Concert, a special collaboration with Central City Opera • 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and 3 p.m. Nov. 6 Holiday Cheer! concert • 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 3 p.m. Dec. 18 World’s Fair: The Maestros of Tomorrow • 7:30 p.m. March 5 U.S. premiere of Sergiu Celibidache’s “The Pocket Garden” • 7:30 p.m. April 9 Beethoven Celebration, to include a performance of Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy” • 7:30 p.m. May 25 and 26

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