Life on Capitol Hill March 2022

March 2022

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DENVER IS BACK RESTAURANT P4 WEEK Annual event serves up taste of the dining scene

A LITTLE HELP Nonprofit in need of snow buddy volunteers

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Local novelists discuss recent releases

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GLOBAL PARTNERS Conservation group raises environmental awareness

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March 1, 2022

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 Billy’s Inn Billy’s Inn, a restaurant that can trace its Denver roots back to 1933, has opened in Congress Park at 1222 Madison St. — the space formerly occupied by TAG Burger Bar, which closed in fall 2021.

The Congress Park location is the second for Billy’s Inn, with the first being located at 4403 Lowell Blvd. in the Berkeley neighborhood.

Like the Berkeley location, Billy’s Inn Congress Park features a Baja-style menu known for its fish tacos, but the restaurant also offers a variety of traditional plates, tortas, homemade green chili, salads, sandwiches and burgers. The bar menu includes extensive tequila and mezcal lists, a variety of specialty cocktails, beer and wine.

To learn more about Billy’s Inn, visit billysinn.com.

MILESTONES Urban Autocare Urban Autocare celebrated the one-year anniversary of acquiring its Platt Park location in February.

“During our first year serving the south Denver community at Urban Autocare, we have been blown away by the authenticity and fellowship of the community,” said Brian Sump, president and owner of Urban Autocare. “We have served, and been served, well. We’ve forged relationships with families and businesses alike. The neighborhood genuinely watches out for one another, and we couldn’t ask for anything more on that front.”

Urban Autocare in Platt Park is located at 701 E. Evans Ave. It is the auto shop’s fourth location, with the first location opening June 2014 at 1701 N. High St. in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood. The other locations are in Lakewood and Littleton, and the company also includes Avalon Motorsports in the Montclair neighborhood.

Urban Autocare is a local-andfamily-owned auto repair shop that specializes in Toyota, Subaru and Honda. However, Sump added that the shop is “seeing more and more domestic and other Asian import makes.”

All its mechanics are ASE certified technicians and Urban Auto-

Lead is heavy on our minds.

Though the water we provide is safe, clean and lead-free, lead can get into the water as it moves through customerowned plumbing. So we’re replacing customer service lines, one impacted property at a time. To find out if you’re one of them, visit our website.

Learn more at DenverWater.org/Lead

Ann Dain, on the bottom right, and David Thomas gather the rest of the Cherry Creek Caliber Home Loans team for a selfie. Dain and Thomas were recently awarded with COURTESY PHOTO national Lifetime Achievement Awards from Caliber Home Loans.

care earned the 2018 BBB Torch Award for business ethics.

Sump added he grew up in the south Denver community and as for Urban Autocare, he “can’t be more excited for year two and many more to come.”

To learn more about Urban Autocare, visit urbanautocare.com.

MISCELLANEOUS Cherry Creek Caliber Home Loans Caliber Home Loans has recognized two of its Cherry Creek team members with a national Lifetime Achievement Award.

The two recipients are David SEE BUSINESS, P3

Life on Capitol Hill 3

March 1, 2022

Coloradans can help bring music to life for students Annual instrument drive takes place March 7-20

toward a common goal. We’re excited about reaching even more children, schools and communities this year.”

Last year’s drive had a turnout of 597 donated instruments, which benefitted 41 music programs across the state. To date, since the program’s founding in 2014, roughly 17,500 Colorado students have benefited from the more than 6,500 instruments that have been donated through the Bringing Music to Life program.

Instruments needed include band and orchestra instruments in good condition, including strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, guitars and electronic keyboards. Upright and grand pianos or organs cannot be accepted.

Those who do not have an instrument to donate may still participate in the drive by donating to the drive’s repair fund. These funds go toward repairing and refurbishing the instruments, which is the greatest expense of the program, Blatt said. This work is done by technicians at the Colorado Institute of Musical Instrument Technology (CIOMIT) and Boomer Music Company in Fort Collins and they ensure every instrument is in excellent condition by the time it is provided to the student.

All donations are tax deductible.

Schools that have a majority

STAFF REPORT

Making music can lift spirits, and the Bringing Music to Life Instrument Drive ensures students in underfunded music programs have access to the instruments they need.

Now in its 12th annual year, the instrument drive this year runs March 7-20.

Anybody who has a gently-used band or orchestra instrument they no longer play is asked to donate it at any of the 17 donation sites which are located across the state. The instrument is repaired and cleaned, and then is provided to a school in need.

Though the instrument goes to the schools, the teachers assign the instrument to a student, who gets to keep it as their own for the entire time they are enrolled in the school’s music program.

“Study after study shows the positive impact that learning music has on children,” said Steve Blatt, founder and executive director of Bringing Music to Life, in a news release. “Their listening skills improve, as well as creative thinking, self-discipline and self-esteem. Students learn the value of persevering and how to work with others

BUSINESS FROM PAGE 2

Thomas, who serves as the branch’s manager, and Ann Dain.

Caliber Home Loans is a national lender with retail branches across the country. The Cherry Creek branch is located at 55 Madison St. Suite 525 in Denver.

The Lifetime Achievement

Awards is a national sales award and is bestowed quarterly to Caliber’s top performers nationwide.

Recipients exemplify exceptional production performance, advanced tier achievements in loan production, and dedication and commitment to Caliber Home Loans.

To learn more about Caliber Home Loans in Cherry Creek, visit caliberhomeloans.com/loan-consultant/colorado.

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

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

of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunches are encouraged to apply for instruments through March 31. Bringing Music to Life will match qualifying schools with donated instruments.

“Music is always a reminder of something bigger than yourself,” said Carolyn Warpinski, music teacher and director of bands and choirs at Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences in Denver, in a news release, “whether it’s an awareness of the composer of a piece or connection to the other students making music with you.”

To learn more about the Bringing Music to Life program or to find a list of donation locations, visit bringingmusictolife.org.

ON THE COVER

Bonanno Concepts restaurants are a few of the approximate 200 local restaurants and chefs participating in Denver Restaurant Week March 11-20.

Story on page 4.

COVER PHOTOS BY JONI SCHRANTZ

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4 Life on Capitol Hill

Denver Restaurant Week takes place March 11-20

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Denver’s culinary scene is like a hidden gem nationally, said Justin Bresler, vice president of marketing for Visit Denver, but it’s something locals have always known about.

Denver Restaurant Week offers an opportunity to celebrate the local dining scene, and this year’s 18th annual event takes place March 11-20.

“Denver Restaurant Week is always a time for chefs to show off their creativity,” Bresler said. “It’s a good time to visit an old favorite or try something new.”

Nearly 200 restaurants are participating this year and they represent about 30 different cuisines.

How it works is participating restaurants create a multi-course dinner based on three price points — $25, $35 or $45 per person. Menus were announced mid-February, and diners are able to search restaurants by location, price point, cuisine and amenities,

March 1, 2022

such as minority-owned or vegan options available.

Reservations are encouraged, and restaurants are expected to be busy.

Though they will do what they can to accommodate desired reservation times, Bresler suggests avoiding peak dining hours and trying restaurants at different times and days of the week.

Bresler recommends dining in but some of the participating restaurants are offering takeout. Those who would prefer takeout should inquire with the restaurants beforehand to determine if this is an option.

Bonanno Concepts, a local chefdriven restaurant group, has five restaurants participating in this year’s Denver Restaurant Week. They are: Denver Milk Market in the Dairy Block downtown, Osteria Marco in Larimer Square, Luca in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Lou’s Food Bar also in Capitol Hill and French 75 downtown.

“You’re really hoping to showcase your restaurant,” said chef Frank Bonanno, who alongside his wife, Jacqueline, runs 10 food and drink concepts.

Denver has “a really great dining community,” Bonanno said, adding

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Chef Frank Bonanno is one of many local chefs participating in the 18th annual Denver Restaurant Week, which takes place March 11-20. This year, nearly 200 restaurants are COURTESY PHOTO participating, representing about 30 different cuisines.

that Denver diners embrace the local and independent restaurants.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented struggles for restaurants, and Denver Restaurant Week is the time to celebrate all that Denver’s dining scene has to offer.

“Believe me,” Bonanno said, “after the past two years, everyone wants your business.”

Bresler agrees and said diners can go to as many of the restaurants as

they’d like during the 10-day Denver Restaurant Week event.

“Restaurants make great community small businesses,” Bresler said.

“They make up the fabric of why we love living here.”

To learn more about Denver Restaurant Week or find a list of participating restaurants and view menus, visit DenverRestaurantWeek.com.

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March 1, 2022

Nonprofit in need of volunteers for seasonal program

To learn more about A Little Help or for more information on its snow-shoveling program, visit alittlehelp.org.

BYCHRISTYSTEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Laurie Bagan is a do-it-myselfer.

She always enjoyed doing the physical tasks to keep up her home, like shoveling snow and gardening. That is until the 76-year-old Alamo Placita resident, who has been in her Speer neighborhood home since 1974, could no longer do those tasks because of aging and health issues.

“I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Bagan said.

She found herself in a unique predicament. Bagan did not know how to go about getting help or hiring people because she had always taken care of her home herself.

Then, she found A Little Help, and now, Bagan has a volunteer to help her with her gardening and a volunteer to help with snow shoveling.

“It is a lifesaver for elderly people who are trying to stay in their homes,” Bagan said.

A Little Help is a nonprofit organization that sends volunteers to help their older adult neighbors with a variety of tasks — everything from helping to organize photographs and setting up the internet to yard work and dog walking.

The nonprofit was born organically in 2006 when a group of Washington Park residents started doing tasks to help their older adult neighbors.

It was called Wash Park Cares back then, said Jake Dresden, A Little Help’s metro Denver director.

“It grew and grew,” Dresden said.

In 2011, the group officially became A Little Help and got its nonprofit status.

A Little Help eventually expanded and now serves six counties in the Denver metro area — Denver, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Douglas, Broomfield and Adams — as well as the Western Slope and northern Colorado. Statewide, A Little Help has about 1,500 older adult members and about 3,000 volunteers.

How it works is a member puts in a request to A Little Help, which the organization’s background-checked volunteers have access to. Once a volunteer finds a request they’re able to fulfill, they accept it and then A Little Help provides the member’s contact information to the volunteer so they can schedule a time to get the task done.

“We try to keep things as local as possible,” Dresden said.

For example, a volunteer in the south metro area typically will not pick up a request that is located 45 minutes away in the north metro area.

The No. 1 core service A Little Help provides is transportation such as helping an older adult neighbor get to a doctor’s appointment, the barber for a haircut or the rec center for an activity. Generally, these are no more than a 10-mile round-trip task and can

Denver homeowner Laurie Bagan stands with her A Little Help snow buddy, JK Costello, on a snowy February day. The A Little Help organization pairs snow buddies with an older adult neighbor to help with snow removal during the winter.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

be recurring or one time.

A Little Help also connects people for care calls or visits for social-emotional wellbeing, which often become the basis for a recurring friendship.

The older adult members will never pay for a service or task. However, A Little Help has a unique model in that members can choose a pay-what-youcan option upon membership signup or annual renewal, which is, in essence, a donation to the organization.

This is something that Bagan appreciates because A Little Help “doesn’t feel like charity,” she said.

Bagan added that her income is a bit too much to qualify for assistance, but not enough to be able to pay for the individual services she needs.

“I’m right in the middle,” Bagan said. “And there must be thousands like me.”

A Little Help’s biggest volunteer need currently is for snow buddies — the nonprofit’s seasonal snow shovelers program.

A total of 150 older adult members have requested a snow buddy, and as of February, 40 of those requests have not been fulfilled, Dresden said. And in Colorado, there’s a potential to get big snows in March and April, Dresden

added.

“It’s a simple task that pays off enormously,” he said. “It makes our older adults who are receiving this service feel overjoyed.”

Bagan was already a member with A Little Help when one winter day a couple of years ago she got a warning from the city for not having her sidewalk cleared after a big snowfall.

“There was nothing I could do about it,” Bagan said, adding that every time she had attempted to shovel the snow herself, she would throw out her back.

“It was terribly upsetting.”

She tried to look into hiring a snow shoveler but discovered service providers were either too expensive for her to afford or were so booked up that they were not accepting new clients or would be unreliable.

So she reached out to A Little Help and asked for a snow buddy.

Bagan got paired with JK Costello, a neighbor who lives less than 2 miles away, as her snow buddy. He has since developed a routine on snow days: Costello goes to the gym in the early morning, and afterwards, he’ll go shovel Bagan’s walkways. Then he’ll treat himself at the nearby neighborhood coffee shop.

Costello shovels snow from Denver homeowner Laurie Bagan’s property in February. Costello has been Bagan’s snow buddy for a couple of years and has a routine on snow days, during which he goes to the gym, shovels snow from Bagan’s walkways and then visits a local coffee shop.

“This is something that, with a minor time investment on my behalf, really helps with independence,” Costello said of snow shoveling for Bagan.

Costello, a physician who also runs a health care consulting company, moved to Washington Park in 2019.

He wanted a way to get to know his neighbors and started looking into volunteer gigs that could be done on an occasional basis. Along with being Bagan’s snow buddy, Costello also helps another neighbor with grocery shopping through the A Little Help program.

“A lot of us don’t get to know our neighbors very well,” Costello said. A Little Help offers “a great way to build those relationships (and) provides an opportunity volunteer when it’s convenient for you.”

There are many benefits to becoming a snow buddy, said Dresden, who is a snow buddy himself for a few of his neighbors.

It’s outdoors and it’s great for your physical health, he said, but it also provides a sense of accomplishment and is wonderful for one’s self-esteem.

“Humans feel better when they’re helping other people,” Dresden said.

6 Life on Capitol Hill

March 1, 2022

HIGHLIGHTING DENVER AUTHORS Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Jamey O’Donnell: “Hunting for the Lamb of God”

Katy McQuaid: “Everybody Loves Grace” Katy McQuaid believes the most important trait of the Finnish Lapphund breed of dog is that they know how to look into someone’s eyes and let them know they are loved.

“This is what Grace does best,” McQuaid said.

McQuaid, a resident of the Baker neighborhood, started her “Everybody Loves Grace” series of children’s books a couple of years after retiring in 2015 from a 32-year career with the CIA. “Grace has an impact on people,” McQuaid said. “When people meet her, there’s a natural connection, and the stories follow.”

Grace is McQuaid’s Finnish Lapphund. She has fans across the nation, as Grace accompanies McQuaid to story times with children and older adults, and the two stayed busy with virtual story times when in-person events ceased due to the pandemic.

Grace came into McQuaid’s life in 2011 to be a companion to the senioraged Tinto, also a Finnish Lapphund.

McQuaid adopted Grace when she was a 4-year-old dog from a woman in Canada who needed to find a safe home for Grace.

McQuaid’s first Grace book was published in 2018, and the sixth in the series, “Everybody Loves Grace: A True Story of Grace’s Adventure to Washington, D.C.,” came out in October 2021.

An approximate 25-minute read for adults, McQuaid’s Grace books are about 65 pages and eight chapters, written from Grace’s perspective.

While they’re primarily geared toward children ages 6-10, people of all ages enjoy them. Older adults particu-

Katy McQuaid and Grace

JESSICA KIMAK

larly like that the books help spark intergenerational conversations with their younger family members.

For example, “children may not understand aging,” McQuaid said, “but it’s easier when told through the perspective of a dog.”

Each of the Grace books also includes a “simple life lesson,” McQuaid said. These range from the profound effect on others that simple acts of kindness can have to learning the journey is an important part of the adventure.

Grace’s adventures in the stories include many areas in town that are familiar landmarks to people — and serve as Grace’s favorite sniff spots — such as the Mayan Theatre on Broadway.

Denver Health is another one of those spots. Once when McQuaid and Grace were out walking near the hospital, one of Denver Health’s paramedics stopped and asked to pet Grace.

“He said, ‘if only I could start my day like this every day,’” McQuaid said. “There’s just something about the comfort of a dog.”

Jamey O’Donnell started writing his first book in 1999.

But it got put on a shelf, and it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns of 2020 that O’Donnell felt he had a book in him.

“Hunting for the Lamb of God” came out in July 2021. The book tells the story of two Centennial families, the Jenkinses and the Prices, who must navigate through a super-electromagnetic pulse that throws America back into the stone O’Donnell ages.

O’Donnell describes it as dystopian and apocalyptic fiction with two themes: the end as we know it and people’s struggle to survive, and one man’s quest to find God. “I’ve always been fascinated with what happens if something were to happen,” O’Donnell said. “A year’s supply sounds great on paper, but what happens if your friend or neighbor within walking distance is unprepared?”

All of a sudden, that year’s supply is cut in half, O’Donnell said.

An Amazon delivery driver by day and writer at night, O’Donnell is also a singer-songwriter who plays guitar.

He has written four books, with two of them published and available. Along with “Hunting for the Lamb of God,” O’Donnell’s other book is “Meth War: Lost in Felony Flats,” which was published in October 2021. This book takes place in 1993 in California’s San Bernardino Valley and recounts the effects of the methamphetamine industry.

O’Donnell, who resides in Denver’s University Hills neighborhood, came to Colorado in 1995.

“Hunting for the Lamb of God” is Colorado-centric, O’Donnell said, adding that readers will be able to picture certain details, such as the landscape and major streets, that are part of the story.

But if there is one thing O’Donnell hopes that people get from the book, it’s to be prepared, he said.

Yellowstone could blow, there could be the mother of all snowstorms or a cyber-attack, O’Donnell said.

“We would come back from that, but it would set us back,” O’Donnell said. “People need to think about those things. People need to look beyond just what they need for today.”

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March 1, 2022

HIGHLIGHTING DENVER AUTHORS

Phil Goodstein: “The Ghosts of Denver: Capitol Hill,” revised fifth edition Author Phil Goodstein decided it was time to bring one of his books into the 21st century 25 years after its original publication.

“The Ghosts of Denver: Capitol Hill” was first published in 1996. All copies of the book had been sold, and Goodstein decided another revision was needed. Now in its fifth revised edition, the book is about 100 pages longer than the original and includes new, additional stories, new photos — some vintage and some contemporary — and some new additions to the stories included in the 1996 version.

One of the new stories in the fifth revision is about the Winbro, an art deco building at 1620 Grant St. that serves as apartment homes.

This building, Goodstein said, “is perhaps haunted by a health inspector.”

Along with stories people may have not heard before, the book also includes the old favorites, such as the tale about Cheesman Park — the city’s original cemetery.

Phil Goodstein PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ Goodstein is the author of about 30 titles on Denver.

He has lived in Denver nearly all his life. He is a graduate of East High School and returned to Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood after college.

In the 1980s, Goodstein was a contributor to the Life on Capitol Hill newspaper, and during that time, he did a series on the neighborhood. That series eventually turned into a book, which sold out by the mid-1990s.

He believes people in Denver enjoy reading about their city.

“By having a sense of pride in place, residents naturally have a greater commitment to a flourishing commonwealth,” Goodstein said.

Goodstein also hosts walking tours of Denver and started offering his ghost tours sometime in the late 1980s.

But the “The Ghosts of Denver: Capitol Hill” is about much more than ghosts, Goodstein said.

“It’s about Capitol Hill. It’s about the people, the place, what makes the neighborhood,” Goodstein said. “It belongs in the library of anybody who is proud to call Capitol Hill home.”

GET TO KNOW THE AUTHORS To learn more about the local authors, visit lifeoncaphill.com to read a Q&A by each author.

Anthony Garcia: “African Slave Conquistador: Esteban and Blues”

Anthony Garcia’s family has been in the New Mexico/Colorado area since the 1500s — nearly 400 years.

Garcia grew up in a small town in northern Colorado and has lived and worked in Denver since the mid-1980s. He settled in the Washington Park neighborhood in 2010.

Currently self-employed in private health care and as an author, Garcia writes primarily within two genres: Indigenous and the Sephardic Jewish community.

“Both areas relate directly to our state of Colorado,” he said.

A running theme in his books is the first contact of Indigenous peoples and Europeans — a topic of interest to Garcia personally.

His first book, “Portal of Light,” came out in 2014. It is the first of three on the Sephardic Jewish community. Garcia’s other two published books are on Indigenous people, as well as his sixth and latest book — a novel of historical fiction called “African Slave Conquistador: Esteban and Blues” — that came out in January.

But it was back in 1983 when Garcia was studying in Spain that Esteban piqued his interest.

“I never forgot about him,” Garcia Cordova said, adding that while some history has been written about Esteban, there wasn’t an extensive account of his life.

Esteban was born in an African

village called Cufu, located near the Nile River. He was eventually sold to a Spanish conquistador, and in 1535, was the only African slave among 350 or 400 Spanish soldiers to embark on an expedition to explore the New World, landing on the Florida shore. Only four people — Esteban being one of them — survived the trip, and upon landing, it became an eight-year journey through the U.S. Gulf Coast and southwestern states to eventually reach New Mexico.

“African Slave” is a fictional story based on the real-life journal of Cabeza de Vaca’s Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America that recounts how Esteban made first contact with natives and found creative ways to survive, including pursuing leadership roles as a linguist, intermediary and Shaman healer. While it tells Esteban’s story, the book is also about finding oneself, and it weaves present-day characters into the story.

“African Slave” is in the young adult category, but Garcia has found adults also enjoy his books because of the historical aspect.

Garcia spends about six months researching his books and also uses an Indigenous editor to ensure the stories are historically consistent and verifiable.

“It’s very real,” Garcia said.

Garcia believes it is vital to place “importance upon communities-ofcolors’ contributions of valuable qualities that can add and enrich this land’s essence and life,” he said. “You don’t know yourself until you know your history.”

8 Life on Capitol Hill

March 1, 2022

LOCAL

VOICES

There’s no shame in getting COVID — it has happened to many of us FROM THE EDITOR

Christy Steadman

W

ell, it finally got me.

For nearly two years, I had avoided it, but in early January, I was one of thousands across Colorado who tested positive for COVID-19.

I can’t say for sure how or when I was exposed, but my best guess is through my boyfriend’s job, which is at a corporate retail store. We stayed in on New Year’s Eve, but he was called into work Jan. 1 to help with a delayed truck delivery. A few days later, he was cold and tired and went to bed early. The next morning, he woke up with a runny nose, and it wasn’t just a case of the sniffles. It was like a faucet had been turned on. He didn’t have a fever, but we gave him an at-home antigen test anyway. And sure enough, the result was positive.

Luckily, I worked from home that Monday. My boyfriend’s job required a positive test from a community site — a PCR test — for him to be excused from work, so I went online to schedule a test for both of us, which proved to be a challenge.

Previously when I got tested out of precaution, it was a breeze. But early January was around the time omicron was peaking, and appointments weren’t readily available. Finally, I was able to get a test for myself and another for my boyfriend at two different testing sites several days after

Spring clean your eating and local-buying habits

S

pring Cleaning” is more than cleaning out closets and dusting off outdoor furniture. It can also include clean-eating goals to improve habits and thinking harder about food choices that are nutritiously and GUEST economically sustainable. Thanks to Colorado farmers, ranchers and COLUMN producers, local food options make it easier than ever to stick to this spring goal, adding extra value to our lives every season.

We resolve to eat right, choose foods that are good for us and grocery shop with purpose and intention.

Buying local helps us combine and embrace these choices, nurturing Danielle Trotta ourselves as much as the Colorado farmers and ranchers who produce the spinach, squash, beef and everything else we are craving this this time of year. Every time we choose local produce and products, we are simultaneously boosting Colorado’s economy and heritage. That’s good news for everyone.

So while we aim to ‘eat better’ and show our appreciation for health and local food this spring, let’s take an active role in feeding Colorado’s agriculture industry, too. It’s all part of a greater awareness for healthy eating and for an economically-healthy state.

SEE TROTTA, P10

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

the positive at-home test.

On the day of the tests, I was still symptom free, but the following day, it hit me like a brick wall. I got my PCR test results back two days later, but I definitely didn’t need those results to know I had COVID. While my boyfriend experienced mild to no symptoms the entire time, I was down for the count, with a fever, chills and all the other telltale symptoms of COVID — except loss of taste.

Now finally well enough to write this column mid-February, I asked a colleague to help me look into the number of positive COVID cases recorded during the week I had it, and what I found shocked me.

According to the Colorado COVID-19 Data graph on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website, 13,660 cases were reported statewide Jan. 4, which was my boyfriend’s runny nose day. By Jan. 6, the day we got tested, that number had spiked to 19,477 — the highest number to date according to the graph.

I have heard of a thing called COVID shaming, meaning the feeling of excessive guilt one may experience for getting COVID. I’ll admit there was some mental anguish when I had it. Mostly, thoughts of “when is this finally going to be over?” but I was also worried I possibly had exposed someone else when I went to the grocery

store Jan. 2, before both my boyfriend and I had symptoms.

I have to remind myself that going to the grocery store is a common errand that everybody has to do. I wear a mask, I’m vaccinated and I stay 6 feet from others whenever possible.

No one should ever feel guilty for contracting a virus that has been spreading worldwide for two years now. And no one should make another feel shame for getting the virus, just because the former has been fortunate enough to have not been exposed.

I got so much support during the time I was out with COVID. Sources with whom I had interviews passed on a get well soon wish and happily rescheduled. Community members and organizations provided courtesy photos for events that occurred while I was quarantined. One of my freelancers sent a box of locally-made artisan chocolates as a pick-me-up gift. Coworkers offered to help with anything they could to ensure that Life on Capitol Hill and Washington Park Profile made it to press on time.

If there’s one good thing that came out of my COVID experience, it’s that it is human nature to care for others. And we should all remember to have empathy for others because you never know when you, in turn, may be in need.

Redrawing council district boundaries

D

enver City Council is in the middle of redrawing the council district boundaries, which is a lengthy but important process to ensure that every voice counts.

GUEST Denver has changed a COLUMN lot in the last decade and has seen a huge increase in population. Our council boundaries need to be altered to reflect these changes and how they are represented at the municipal level. This process is to ensure every vote counts, in accordance with Councilmember the Voting Rights Act, by creating new district Jolon Clark boundaries based on the current population. These new boundaries will remain in effect for 10 years, determining representation until 2035 — which includes three municipal election cycles.

The goal is to create 11 evenly populated districts that are geographically compact and as reasonable as possible to uphold the one-person-one vote standard in the U.S. Constitution. There is special consideration for “communities of interest,” or, any group that shares one or more substantial interest, such as religion, language, culture, etc. Maps have been drawn, to the greatest extent possible, to respect

natural boundaries and keep communities of interest together.

Over the past few months, members of the public were able to draft and submit maps, and city councilmembers then drafted maps based on that input and feedback.

Community meetings were held throughout the city, and input directly from the public was incorporated. City council is now in the final phase of the process.

Here is the timeline: Public vetting of proposed maps: Feb. 1-23.

Redistricting Committee debates maps: Feb. 1 to March 14.

Redistricting Committee approves final map for filing: March 14.

First reading of ordinance at Denver City Council: March 22.

Final reading and public hearing of ordinance at city council: March 29.

The adopted map will be effective for the April 2023 election.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback, attended a meeting and shared their community of interest. Public participation has been vital to ensure an equitable and fair process.

To learn more, get involved or view the maps, visit denvergov.org/redistricting.

Jolon Clark represents District 7 on Denver City Council. He can be reached at jolon. clark@denvergov.org or 720-337-7777.

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Life on Capitol Hill 9

March 1, 2022

One life, one chance to create positive change Denver-area residents make conservation waves

To learn more about the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund (KACF), visit katieadamsonconservationfund.org or follow it on social media: @katieadamansonconservationfund.

The KACF has two events planned for March — a virtual ZOOM event on Madagascar fish conservation programs, and a community in-person event at the WOW! Children’s Museum in Lafayette.

Once scheduled, more information on these events will be available on KACF’s website under the ‘events’ tab.

BY ELICIA HESSELGRAVE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Nancy Kiyota grew up on a farm.

She developed a respect and care for wildlife, and this sensitivity instilled in her as a child has had lasting effects.

“We have to protect animals and conserve the environment to have healthy lives ourselves,” Kiyota said.

Today, Kiyota, who lives in Washington Park, uses her passion to volunteer with a Littleton-based wildlife conservation organization called the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund.

Established in memory of an inspiring teen who lost a battle with cancer, the nongovernmental organization, or NGO, was founded by Littleton resident Dave Johnson in 2014 with an overarching mission to make the world a better place.

“People here need to realize the greatness of what surrounds us and take part in what is going on,” Johnson said.

Johnson has noticed a widespread and growing public interest in participating in conservation and preservation of the planet but realizes many people are unsure of how to channel their well-meaning enthusiasm.

Under the KACF umbrella, John-

Nancy Kiyota gets her picture taken with a baby elephant at an elephant sanctuary in Nepal in 2012. Kiyota of Washington Park attended the trip as a volunteer with a Littleton-based wildlife conservation organization called the Katie Adamson ConserCOURTESY PHOTO vation Fund (KACF).

son is able to aid in global conservation efforts by bridging the gap between people who care and who want to help but don’t know where to start.

With 31 years of professional animal care experience as a zookeeper, Johnson was inspired to connect people with wildlife to make a positive impact specifically focused on mediating human-wildlife conflict. During the last eight years, KACF has amassed a cadre of more than 200 volunteers who are actively participating in conservation efforts both locally and globally. The organization is active in the U.S. and 18 other countries

and has established 23 ongoing partnerships worldwide.

One of Johnson’s initial inspirations occurred four years before founding KACF while visiting the Chepang people of Nepal, who were in need of support after being removed from the Chitwan National Park protected area. He has since visited annually to help build fencing — which thwarts unwanted cattle grazing — strengthen community and change attitudes about wildlife.

This work has served to build a strong, beneficial partnership.

For example, prior to partnering with KACF, the greater one-horned

rhino in Nepal was a threatened species, being poached at an average of 12 per year. According to Johnson, since the partnership with KACF, that number has decreased by 92%, reducing the poaching to only one occurrence every other year.

Congress Park resident Heather Schwartz was one of the participants on an annual KACF trip to Nepal in 2017. She now serves as the organization’s social media manager and has the opportunity to go on many KACF trips.

Schwartz, who has always loved animals, said the opportunity to take these trips to help wildlife gives her the chance to see the profound impact of intervention first hand.

“One of my favorite memories was meeting a spicy 8-month old rhino in Nepal who was rescued by one of our KACF partners, The SEE KACF, P10

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10 Life on Capitol Hill

March 1, 2022

KACF FROM PAGE 9

National Trust for Nature Conservation,” Schwartz said.

The NTNC found him malnourished after he had nearly drowned in a monsoon, Schwartz said.

“With the help of NTNC’s rehabilitation efforts and his joint tenacity, this orphaned rhino was eventually released back into the wild,” Schwartz added.

KACF has had a positive impact in other regions as well. The organization has implemented beehive fencing in Nepal and Tanzania, right outside the Mkomazi National Park. Constructing these fences

TROTTA

FROM PAGE 8

Here are eight ideas for how every Coloradan can nourish our farmers, ranchers and food businesses - and spring cleaning our eating and local-buying habits: 1. Buy local. Click and share this website to see in-store product offerings and shipping options from local producers, ranchers and manufacturers from around the state: ColoradoProud.com.

2. Pick Colorado-grown produce.

Look for the Colorado Proud label, which symbolizes that a particular piece of fruit or vegetable was grown in our state. And check out what local produce is in season.

C

as a natural elephant repellant has helped with elephant-human conflict.

Like Schwartz, one of Kiyota’s favorite memories is also connected with wildlife in rehabilitation.

“We got to see an orphaned baby elephant that had been rescued,” Kiyota said. “It’s inspiring to see the work people are doing to help animals.”

For people wishing to contribute but stalled on how to get involved, Kiyota, Schwartz and Johnson all offer ideas.

Aiding in field work with KACF abroad is one way to contribute to wildlife conservation. But there are many opportunities locally to help wildlife that do not require such a hefty time and financial

commitment, Kiyota added.

“Don’t litter or pollute the water.

Pick up trash, even if it is not yours. Carpool, combine errands when driving. Be mindful and conserve water, reduce plastic use, and recycle and compost when possible,” Kiyota said. “Even small actions in the community can add up and help wildlife.”

She also recommends spending more time outdoors.

“When we experience the benefits nature has on our well-being, it helps us be more inclined to protect it,” Schwartz said.

Johnson suggests those who have the space can establish a pollinator garden to support local biodiversity.

For those seeking local fieldwork

experience, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is recruiting volunteers to help with conservation of the black footed ferret. Likewise, the Denver Zoo will soon be seeking volunteers to help monitor the survival of boreal toads.

Other wildlife conservation organizations seeking volunteers in Denver and the surrounding areas that KACF has relationships with include the Butterfly Pavilion, the Downtown Aquarium, Wildlife Protection Solutions, Idea Wild and Nature’s Educators.

Eventually, Johnson hopes to get involved with area mountain towns to ease human-bear conflict.

“We only have one life and one chance to create some positive change,” Johnson said.

3. Buy Colorado-made products. When shopping, look for Colorado-made products, such as jams, sauces, condiments, snacks, sweets and other locally-made food products, which will also have the Colorado Proud label.

4. Support Colorado’s livestock producers. Look for Colorado beef, lamb, pork, bison and poultry or order directly from local producers.

5. Buy direct from a Colorado wholesaler. Many local companies are now selling food and products directly to end-consumers. ColoradoProud.com offers a list of companies participating under the “Wholesaler” category.

6. Dine at local restaurants.

More than ever, Colorado chefs and restaurants are incorporating

locally sourced ingredients into their menus.

7. Enjoy Colorado beverages.

Whether you prefer adult libations, fresh kombucha or locally roasted coffee, look for Coloradocrafted alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

8. (Virtually) thank a farmer.

We are sharing many stories from Colorado farmers, ranchers and businesses on Colorado Proud’s Facebook page. Tag your favorite Colorado Proud companies.

Agriculture is an important economic driver in the state, consistently ranking as one of Colorado’s leading industries and is in the top 10 nationally for production of a variety of agricultural products. With more than 38,900 farms encompassing nearly

32 million acres, agriculture is a vital part of Colorado, supporting more than 195,000 jobs and contributing more than $47 billion to the state’s economy annually.

It’s not just the responsibility of the farmers and ranchers. It’s important for all of us to take a healthy role in feeding ourselves — and Colorado, both literally and economically. And there’s no better time of year than spring for refreshing and cleaning up our eating and our local-buying habits.

Danielle Trotta is the program manager for Colorado Proud and leads the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s work to promote food and agricultural products grown, raised or made in Colorado.

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Life on Capitol Hill 11

March 1, 2022

Colorado Access appoints Annie Lee as president, CEO

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Annie H. Lee first became interested in serving in health care when she was about 12 or 13 years old.

“My mom and dad had health care needs,” she said. “I was a kid, just old enough to begin to understand the world, and I wanted to help.”

Today, Lee has been appointed to serve as president and CEO of Colorado Access, a nonprofit public sector health plan.

Lee assumed the role Feb. 14.

“I’m humbled to be in this role,” Lee said. “I’m looking forward to building on the great work that’s already happening here.”

Lee succeeds Marshall Thomas, who retired from the post after 16 years.

“Lee is well known locally as a passionate and collaborative leader with expertise in Medicaid and community health,” Thomas said. “I’m confident that she will build upon existing momentum within the organization to ensure those who depend on us receive access to quality, affordable and culturally responsive care.”

Lee has an extensive background serving in health care, intentionally focusing on the nonprofit sector. She served as senior director of Medicaid and charitable coverage programs at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, and prior

Denver residents on Medicaid are Colorado Access members, but they may not know it, said Annie Lee, president and CEO of Colorado Access.

Anybody with questions is encouraged to call 800-511-5010 or send an email to customer.service@coaccess.com.

To learn more about the organization, visit coaccess.com. to that, spent four years working at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Her most recent role was executive director of community health and Medicaid strategies at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

A resident of Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood, Lee was born on an Army base in Georgia. She grew up as a military child — her dad was in the Army — but the family eventually made its way to Colorado. Lee is a 1997 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in west Denver and attended the University of Colorado-Boulder where she earned a degree in political science.

She worked for a small consulting firm right out of college, but around that time, she “had a calling to work in public policy, specifically health care,” Lee said. “Law school seemed like a great idea.”

Lee received her juris doctor degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. While there, Lee enjoyed studying civil rights and health care.

As the daughter of Korean im-

migrants, Lee and her brother are first-generation Korean Americans. She is the first woman, and the first person of color, to be CEO of Colorado Access.

“As the needs of our members, providers and community continue to change, it was important for Colorado Access to be present and adapt,” said Bobby King, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Colorado Access. “We focused our CEO search to recruit from a pool of health-care leaders, both locally and nationally, representing diverse backgrounds and experiences. This inclusive and thorough approach led us to Annie Lee right here in Colorado.

As the first woman and person of color to lead Colorado Access, we are excited about Annie’s leadership and our journey ahead.”

Lee feels honored to be part of a “larger, collaborative movement that is more inclusive,” she said.

“It matters for people to see others in leadership positions who look like them,” Lee said, adding that she herself has had mentors who are women of color.

Being from an immigrant family, Lee said there is a drive to work and to succeed while leaving behind everyone and everything they know. Her accomplishments, including her current role as CEO of Colorado Access, represent that journey, she said.

“That is something I’m proud of,” Lee said.

Annie Lee has been appointed to serve as president and chief executive officer of Colorado Access, a nonprofit public sector health plan. She is the first woman and first person of color to assume the role.

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12 Life on Capitol Hill

March 1, 2022

Creating positive change through music-centered programs

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

One of Kelly Waltrip’s favorite memories is from when the Denver Young Artists Orchestra (DYAO) performed at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall in June 2016.

“It was spectacular,” Waltrip said, executive director of DYAO, “and the best I have ever heard them play.”

What is DYAO? Waltrip calls the DYAO group a “conservatory orchestra.”

“We provide high-quality music educational experiences for children all over the Front Range,” she said, “about 250 kids ages 7 to 23.”

Waltrip said about one-third of the students go on to study music very seriously; about one-third study something else and music, and still get music scholarships; and one-third don’t choose to study music.

She added that 50% of the orchestra members go on to study in STEM fields and that some alumni can be found playing in the Colorado Symphony.

DYAO recently learned it was one of 49 recipients of a 20212022 Denver Music Advancement Fund grant, under the Denver Music Strategy via Denver Arts & Venues.

DYAO was awarded a $7,500 grant. The timing couldn’t have been better, Waltrip said, because

To learn more about Denver Music Achievement Fund grant program, visit artsandvenuesdenver.com/denvermusic-advancement-fund. the orchestra was preparing for its Feb. 20 DYAO Spectacular performance at Boettcher Hall in a collaboration with the Japanese Arts Network.

The show included performers from two drummer groups and, in particular, a special performance that was based on the U.S. government placing Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II. “What we really appreciate about this grant program is that it allows organizations like DYAO to stretch and take some artist risks,” Waltrip said, “and encourages collaboration with groups you might not see together.”

The 2021-2022 Denver Music Advancement Fund grants totaled $457,000 — both figures are record highs — with many grants ranging between $5,000 and $10,000.

According to a news release, the funds were granted in a variety of categories which included music performances, networking opportunities for musicians, educational opportunities for children, community workshops, podcasts, videos, magazines and more.

Denver Arts & Venues launched this grant program in 2018 as part of the Denver Music Strategy. The idea is to honor diversity, helping

The Denver Young Artists Orchestra performs with taiko drum musicians during the DYAO Spectacular event on Feb. 20 PHOTO BY OWEN ZHOU at Boettcher Hall.

youth, older adults, Black, Indigenous, Latinox/e, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, People of Color or of the global majority, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities and others.

The fund “supports initiatives that build a more equitable and connected city, drive economic vibrancy and create positive social change through music-centered programs,” states a news release.

The 18 people who select the grant recipients are music industry pros, said Lisa Gedgaudas, program manager for cultural affairs at Denver Arts & Venues.

A sampling of some of the grantees includes: The American Indian Academy of Denver was awarded a $10,000 grant. This is a new charter

school that will use the money to buy music equipment and to build an audio production program for its students.

Shining in the Shadows Inc. also received a $10,000 grant. This organization provides resources, education and a digital platform for incarcerated musicians.

Urban Peak got a $10,000 grant to go toward teenagers in transition from homelessness. Its Urban Peak Music Studio provides a drop-in music studio for creation and recording.

Rocky Mountain Public Media will use its $10,000 grant for its radio station called The Drop.

The group is looking to hold a block party at Levitt Pavilion that represents queer, trans, Black, indigenous and People of Color “to increase racial equity in the media industry and on the stage and airwaves.”

The Denver Music Achievement Fund grant program is a continuing partnership with TakeNote Colorado, a “statewide initiative offering equitable access to musical instruments and instruction to K-12 students in Colorado.”

“Music programming remains a necessary and integral part of Denver’s cultural ecosystem,” Gedgaudas said in a news release.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Take Note Colorado and align our efforts here in Denver. Through these grants, we can continue to support diverse and accessible music programs.”

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