Washington Park Profile September 2021

WashParkProfile.com

SEPTEMBER 2021

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ART TO HELP UNDERSTAND, GRIEVE ‘Americas COVID-19 Memorial’ exhibit now on view

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DENVER’S COOL, OLD PLACES

MAKING A GLOBAL CONNECTION

Historic Denver launches 50 Actions for 50 Places

International youth to work together on virtual competition

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FOR THE LOVE OF TREES Two-part series explores Denver’s lofty residents

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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 The Glam House The Glam House salon opened a second location in Capitol Hill this August, which happened to be the five-year anniversary of the business.

“A salon goes beyond beauty,” said The Glam House’s owner and founder, Alexandria Grado. “It is an opportunity to touch people’s lives, one at a time.”

Grado started her business in the basement of her southeast Denver home in August 2016. In September 2018, The Glam House expanded to its own storefront location at 4085 E. Mississippi Ave. in Denver’s Belcaro neighborhood. The Glam House’s Capitol Hill salon is located at 1433 N. Ogden St. The Glam House performs all hair color, cutting, extension and barber services, specializing in balayage color services and various types of extensions to best suit a person’s hair type and goals.

“When I moved to Denver as a child, it was because there was more opportunity in Colorado,” Grado said. “Today, I love providing opportunities for every com-

munity because I believe we are stronger together.”

To learn more about The Glam House, visit www.theglamhouse.com.

Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery A deli with a 35-year history in the community has reopened in a new location with new owners.

Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery, now located at 600 S. Holly St. in Denver’s Washington Virginia Vale neighborhood, got its start by original owner Gerard Rudofsky. It became a local mainstay for matzo ball soup, potato latke sandwiches, pastrami and other New York-style Jewish comfort foods.

“After we closed, we got some beautiful notes from customers about how they felt about Zaidy’s and the food,” Rudofsky said in a news release. “It made me feel great because I wanted Zaidy’s to be something that the community would really appreciate.”

Max Appel, alongside his son Joel Appel and Beth Ginsberg, is the new ownership team of the deli.

“We wanted to bring the heritage of Zaidy’s forward in a fresh new way for the next 35 years,” Joel Appel said in a news release. “It’s important to our community, so we are giving it a new life in a new location. Zaidy’s will continue to be a treasure for everybody who loves delicious Jewish deli food.”

Zaidy’s will continue serving classic deli sandwiches such as Reubens, pastrami and Corned Beef on rye. A new feature to the restaurant is an in-house bakery,

and new additions to the menu include a classic avocado toast on a homemade bagel, flights of mini bagels, a variety of nutrition-packed salads, specialty cocktails and other unique new recipes.

“Thousands of people over the 35 years have made life memories at Zaidy’s,” Ginsberg said in a news release. “It was a part of the heritage of the whole city.”

To learn more about Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery, visit www.zaidysdeli.com.

MILESTONES The Bookies Bookstore The Bookies Bookstore celebrated its 50-year anniversary in August, but is up for sale after its founder and owner, Sue Lubeck, passed away in July, Denver 7 News reported.

The Bookies Bookstore is located at 4315 E. Mississippi Ave., which is near the four-corner area of Glendale and the Belcaro, Cory-Merrill and Virginia Village neighborhoods.

The independent bookstore carries a wide variety of books for all ages and reading levels, ranging from books on Colorado topics by local authors to rare books.

A message on the bookstore’s website states: “We (want) to assure you that Sue’s legacy will continue. Sue’s family has stepped in to help maintain her vision so long as it is possible. While the family will continue The Bookies, they are actively welcoming any inquiries by possible buyers who will continue the traditions of the store and the vision that Sue originally

had.”

To learn more about The Bookies Bookstore, visit www.thebookies.com.

MISCELLANEOUS Z Cycle Shop A locally-owned bicycle shop recently moved from one location in Capitol Hill to another. Z Cycle Shop is now located at 1025 E. Ninth Ave. The grand opening of the new location took place on Aug. 1.

The bike shop got its start in its former location in September 2018.

Z Cycle Shop offers one-time repairs, tune-ups and inspections; and a monthly subscription for ongoing upkeep, use of various equipment such as stands, and other perks such as discounts and premier access to classes, events and promotions.

The sales component of the shop offers new, used and refurbished bikes, as well as custom builds.

“I started my own bike shop because I believe this is an industry that I can make more accessible and fun for people,” said Z Cycle Shop’s owner, Dmitri Rumschlag, in a previous interview. “I like to offer a way for people to become more confident … by always offering a smile, knowledge or a simple tool if it’s warranted or requested.”

To learn more about Z Cycle Shop, visit www.zcycleshop.com.

Editor’s note: Life on Capitol Hill interviewed with Z Cycle Shop for a feature story in the June 2019 edition. To read the story online, visit: www.lifeoncaphill.com/ stories/building-gears,281790?.

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Beginning in the mid-18th century, Americans fell in love with the graceful V-shape of elms and planted them throughout New England and the Midwest. Here the branches of a magnificent elm on the eastern side of Washington Park surge upward, forming highways in the PHOTOS BY TIM COLLINS sky.

Denver forester Ben Rickenbacker pauses near one of his favorite trees, an 80-foot Northern Red Oak in the park’s northwestern sector. Oaks can live for hundreds of years and were revered by Native Americans, who ground the acorns into flour and used the bark and leaves to treat various ailments.

Meet Washington Park’s loftiest residents Denver trees and the people who dig them

By Kirsten Dahl Collins

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Special to Colorado Community Media

ntering Washington Park on a hot day, a sense of relief and well-being creeps over you, along with a thick canopy of shade.

That shade is provided by a collection of

about 2,000 trees of more than 100 different species — some more than a century old.

City Park has an even larger urban forest, with about 3,000 trees and even more varieties.

The trees of both parks tower over us, inspiring and intimidating. Once you start looking up, it’s hard to stop.

“Unlike flowers and grasses, to me, they’re just more impressive,” said arborist Neal Bamesberger, head of the Colorado Tree Coalition (CTC).

“You see a tree that’s 100-200 years old, and a

petunia can’t hold a candle to that.”

State Champions Each fall, the CTC, a volunteer group working to preserve community forests, confers the title of State Champion on the biggest and tallest trees in Colorado, selecting from among 750 species. Washington Park is home to a number of State Champions, including a 90-foot high SEE TREES, P5

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

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.

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TREES FROM PAGE 4

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black cherry, a 70-foot high Kentucky coffee tree and two honey locusts ranging from 76 to 84 feet tall.

These champions remind us how ingenious trees are: pumping water upwards to staggering heights through their xylem (vascular tissue) — and feeding themselves with sugar manufactured out of nothing but chlorophyl, carbon dioxide and sunshine.

Ancient trees Sonia John, curator of the Arboretum at Regis University, phased out her career as a professional artist to spend more time on trees. Nowadays, she nurtures a mini-forest of saplings destined for the arboretum in her Wash Park backyard. A former board member of the Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park (FANS), she also wrote and illustrated the eloquent “Washington Park Tree Guide,” a book that has nearly sold out at its brick-and-mortar location inside the Wash Perk coffee house.

Seven years ago, John partnered with the Denver Botanic Gardens to create the annual Tree Diversity Conference, with the mission of protecting urban forests from disease and climate change. To accomplish that, cities must plant more diverse species.

And if those species are going to survive in Denver’s harsh, high-desert climate, they’d better be tough. When Denver was first settled, there were no trees — except the cottonwoods lining rivers and creeks.

True to the vision of the Tree Diversity Conference, John is impressed by hardy trees — such as the Osage oranges in the southwest section of Washington Park.

“The ones that survived are looking great,” she said.

The Osage orange species ought to be tough. It’s been around since prehistoric times. When mammoths roamed the earth, they chomped on the tree’s distinctly weirdlooking, softball-sized, wrinkled, green fruit. The park’s honey locusts and Kentucky coffee trees are also ancient species dating back to the Pleistocene. They produce bizarre-looking oversized seed pods, which were popular snacks for giant sloths and other Ice Age behemoths.

The storybook elms John said her Wash Park favorites also include “the grand old elms.” A grove of these magnificent, V-shaped trees welcomes visitors into the park at the Mississippi Avenue and Franklin Street entrance.

Standing under these American elms is awe-inspiring. Their mighty branches darken as they surge upwards, crisscrossing and forming highways in the sky for squirrels and other small creatures. The only thing these storybook trees are missing is a small wooden door for a resident gnome.

After the ravages of Dutch elm disease (DED) of the 1950s, it’s surprising that elms are here at all. Only a few thousand remain in Denver. But Denver Forestry says the trees are carefully monitored and pruned, and happily, there have been very few outbreaks of DED in more than a decade’s time.

An insider’s view Ben Rickenbacker, Denver’s forestry operations supervisor, is another person who lives and breathes trees.

Rambling through Washington Park with Rickenbacker is a bit like hanging out with a small-town mayor. He knows everybody.

He has an insider’s view of his lofty green citizens, including their age, behavior and eccentricities.

Although Rickenbacker’s official beat is City Park and northeastern Denver, he greets each member of Washington Park’s

A nine-year-old Washington Park visitor examines a hatching cicada he discovered on the bark of a white willow bordering the eastern shore of Grasmere Lake. The willow is far older than the boy — it likely dates back to the lake’s construction in 1907. PHOTOS BY TIM COLLINS

urban forest like family. He knows all their habits — good and bad.

Passing a small hawthorn tree near the center of Wash Park, he warns: “Don’t plant one of these under your bedroom window.”

Hawthorns, Rickenbacker explains, produce pretty white flowers in June but their odor is akin to cat urine.

He plucks an elliptical leaf off a young hardy rubber tree and tears it in half.

“See these stretchy strands,” Rickenbacker asks. “That’s silica.”

Passing a honey locust with feathery, compound leaves, he points out vicious, two-inch-long thorns sprouting from a scar on the trunk.

“Thorns were bred out of them for ornamental purposes,” Rickenbacker said, “but sometimes when they lose a branch, they revert to their natural state.”

Like his great-grandfather, the World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker, the Denver forester has spent plenty of time aloft — but mostly in trees. As a child growing up in Kentucky, Rickenbacker avidly climbed around the woods in the local park and savored the views from his backyard tree house. More recently, he cycled in the annual Tour des Trees marathon to raise money for tree science research.

Wildlife flock to dead trees Periodically, elderly or storm-damaged trees in the park have to be cut down and hauled away.

But “only as a last resort,” Rickenbacker said, adding that trees are cut down only for public safety reasons.

And not all dead trees are removed from the parks.

“If they are not dangerous,” Rickenbacker said, “we usually try to leave them.”

This policy is in line with recent discoveries about the importance of preserving dead trees in forests — and not only for the nutrients they return to the soil. Wildlife love them. Why? Because those bleached tree skeletons attract insects and offer plenty of hollows for nesting.

Indeed, a dead willow on the southern shore of Grasmere Lake has become a virtual high-rise condo for park birds, complete with an ongoing bug buffet. Come fall, squirrels may use the holes as storage bins for acorns. Out in the middle of Grasmere, on Monkey Island, the whitened branches of

Washington Park is home to a number of State Champions, including this 70-foot tall Kentucky coffee tree. The tree, which is an ancient species dating back to the Pleistocene, produces large pods containing dark brown seeds that resemble coffee beans. Early settlers used them to brew a rather dangerous coffee substitute — unless the seeds are roasted first, they are toxic to humans.

another skeletal willow provide night herons and other fishing birds with unobstructed water views.

Even more reasons to love trees As we learn more about trees, it seems there are even more reasons to love them.

According to Psychology Today magazine, “new research shows that the sight of trees allows the parasympathetic nervous system to gain an edge, calming the entire body.”

Trees, it appears, can also calm, cool and oxygenate an entire city.

In a recent story, The Colorado Sun described the findings of a study by the US Forest Service: “Urban trees can help reduce ground-level ozone levels — and in turn improve air quality by reducing air temperature and absorbing pollutants.”

Clearly, trees are emerging as an important way to mitigate climate change.

In 2021, Denver Parks and Recreation doubled its tree-planting budget in an effort to lower the increasing temperature of Denver’s many heat islands. These highly-paved urban areas run hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass. According to the

Environmental Protection Agency’s website, “buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes.”

Trees, or the lack thereof, are even revealing social injustices that were once ignored.

According to The Colorado Sun story, “A recent analysis by American Forests highlights Denver’s shady divide: neighborhoods of color and areas with higher poverty rates have fewer trees than those that are predominantly white and more affluent.”

On a larger scale, groundbreaking research by Canadian scientist Suzanne Simard has revealed the invisible but powerful connections between forest trees.

Simard found that in old, established forests, different species of trees and fungi communicate, pass nutrients back and forth and essentially depend on each other. Many tree lovers instinctively feel that clear-cutting old forests and replanting them with one or two species is wrong. Now we know why. And that knowledge holds out hope for preserving the “lungs” of our planet.

No wonder that shady old elm is taking on a new importance. Besides, where else would a gnome feel at home?

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September 1, 2021

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Washington Park Profile 7

September 1, 2021

WorldDenver connects Colorado to the world

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

In the past decade or so, Cheesman Park resident Laurie Hirschfeld Zeller has hosted members of Parliament from the United Kingdom, university presidents from Yemen, journalists from various African countries and women leaders from all over the world.

“These are the most interesting and rewarding interactions you can imagine,” Zeller said.

Sometimes these international guests stay in Zeller’s home for about a week and sometimes they come just for dinner.

“Breaking bread in one’s home is universally meaningful to all cultures,” Zeller said. “These opportunities have allowed me to show a personal side to the good experience these visitors have in Colorado, and helps them feel the goodwill that they take back to their home countries.”

Zeller is a founding member of WorldDenver and an Emeritus Board Member. The international visitors she has hosted are people chosen to participate in the International Visitors’ Leadership Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

“Denver has so much to share with the world,” said John Krieger, executive director of WorldDenver, “and we make those connections.”

WorldDenver is a membership-based nonprofit organization that connects Denver — and Colorado — to the world through international exchange, education, and personal interaction with international leaders, professionals and students, states its website.

“It matters that we feel connected to the greater world, here in land-locked Denver,” Zeller said. “WorldDenver is a community of members that supports the great programs and visiting delegations that help us understand the perspectives of our fellow humans — and helps those other humans understand us.”

WorldDenver is perhaps most known for facilitating the International Visitors’ Leadership Program, and for being Denver’s World Affairs Counsel. But, WorldDenver also has a Young Professional membership, and puts on a

LEARN MORE To learn more about WorldDenver, its programs or how to become a member, visit https://worlddenver.org/. variety of other programming, such as an annual International Women’s Day event.

“The biggest issues we face are borderless. They’ve got to be solved with global cooperation,” Krieger said.

“Members come to WorldDenver to get that global connection.”

WorldDenver put on some virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, but also turned attention to incorporating more educational programs for youth — something that had been on a priority list for quite some time, Krieger said.

The organization started to put together a plan to connect U.S. students ages 14-17 with students of the same age in the Middle East and North Africa — Iraq and Morocco, specifically.

Called the World Affairs Challenge Virtual Exchange, the new program is being implemented by WorldDenver, and supported by the Stevens Initiative. The Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, “is an international effort to build global competence and career readiness skills for young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa by growing and enhancing the field of virtual exchange,” states a news release.

WorldDenver is one of 19 grantees to be named a 2021 Stevens Initiative grantee.

What the youth will do in the program is work in binational teams to identify a challenge in their community that is related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

They will work together to create a solution, and the program will culminate with the students presenting their challenge and solution plan in video format. Winners of the competition will get to implement their plan.

The youth will develop relationships and lifelong friendships with their peers abroad, while also building empathy, developing leadership skills and learning about

UNPRECEDENTED PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP...

As many of you know, I have been selling homes in Washington Park for 40 years and have lived there even longer. The numbers are amazing but the chart is the best visual for understanding what happened to the market the first half of 2021. Each month, for many years now, we have tracked the active listing count on the first day of the month and the number of sales during the prior month. We have had a few months over this time where supply and demand were pretty equal but NEVER have we had 6 months in a row where demand outstipped supply so dramitically. It has turned the chart upside down.

This condition is directly related to the stories you have heard about bidding wars and sales well over asking. We have seen it all with our listings selling at 108% of asking this year. Most importantly, these market conditions are related to the median price in Washington Park being up between 15% and 43% over the first 6 months of 2020.

This is not something I have been able to say in 40 years. Wow! It has been a tough year and a half for so many, but for those who have been so fortunate to own Washington Park real estate, it has been unprecedented in at least one good way.

We have successfully guided our Buyers and Sellers through over $30,000,000 in real estate sales already this year. If we can help you get the highest possible price for your home with the least amount of hassles and/or successfully win a new one, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

Your call to The Bridge Team at 303-331-4562 will be warmly received.

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Youth participate in the World Affairs Challenge 2019 in Denver. WorldDenver recently received grant funding to implement a new youth program called World Affairs Challenge Virtual Exchange. This program will allow U.S. students to work with students in the Middle East and North Africa to solve a community challenge that is related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WORLD AFFAIRS CHALLENGE

new topics.

“When young people can turn their ideas into real action, especially while working cross-culturally, it is immensely powerful and transformative,” Krieger said in a news release, “setting them on a path toward meaningful global citizenship and community involvement.”

Kelly Jones-Wagy is one of the local World Affairs Challenge Virtual Exchange facilitators/mentors.

“Students generally have incredible ideas,” Jones-Wagy said. “As a facilitator, my goal is just to help them to focus those ideas as they work with their counterparts through the virtual exchange.”

Jones-Wagy said she hopes the students learn from each other.

“Not just about their project, but also about all of the things that they have in common,” Jones-Wagy said. “The more time we all spend getting to know people, the more we will be able to respect and care for others.”

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8 Washington Park Profile

September 1, 2021

Building company culture Denver-based entrepreneurs launch TheCultureBiz crates

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Courtney Jacobson and Katie Wall are the co-founders of TheCultureBiz, which is activity KALEN JESSE PHOTOGRAPHY crate company that helps workplaces build culture through play.

Most people don’t think of a business meeting or company conference as being playtime in the workplace.

But two Denver-based entrepreneurs, Katie Wall and Courtney Jacobson, realized that as little as 10 minutes of play can help build company culture. They believe that building culture through play is essential for increasing workplace happiness, reducing stress and retaining the best talent.

“When you play, you have a shared experience and that’s really powerful,” Jacobson said. “It allows for people’s diverse sets of strengths to come out, which can lead to new and different types of collaboration between team members.”

Jacobson and Wall are the co-founders of TheCultureBiz, which is an activity crate company. The activities included in the kits are “designed to engage employees, cultivate creativity, strengthen relationships and foster well-being,” states a news release.

There are two types of kits available.

The CultureCrate is designed to enhance company culture through short bursts of play — 10 to 15-minute activities — during team meetings. These can be purchased as a one-time crate — though there are enough activities for an entire quarter — or as a quarterly subscription.

The RetreatCrate is designed to connect people during a team retreat or conference and includes both quick and longer — 30 to

LEARN MORE To learn more about TheCultureBiz, visit www.TheCultureBiz.com.

45-minute — activities.

All the activities are original. A couple of examples are creating a special no-touch handshake, and sculpting a meal for your team out of clay.

“The activities showed us that there are creative ways of finding our way through issues that occur in our work together,” said Jess Christensen with Mountain Youth, which is a nonprofit youth organization based in Edwards, “and that multiple good and ‘right’ answers are possible.”

TheCultureBiz also offers interactive corporate workshops to help companies with culture development and team building, for example.

Jacobson and Wall first started discussing the idea for TheCultureBiz in summer 2019, and the two began piloting the inperson crates with various local businesses in February 2020. During the COVID-19 shutdowns, TheCultureBiz crates pivoted to virtual crates while people worked remotely.

Jacobson and Wall are fully re-launching the in-person crates in September.

As more people are returning to the office after spending months of working remotely, Jacobson and Wall believe now is a good time for teams re-build their culture in person.

“Building a company culture used to be a luxury, but now it’s a necessity,” Wall said.

“Team building is such a valuable investment for your company, but also incredibly important for the well-being and happiness of your people.”

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September 1, 2021

A new recycling service now offered in Denver Ridwell is meant to supplement the city’s existing recycling program

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Washington Park resident Elizabeth Nicholson does everything she can to reduce the waste she sends to the landfill.

She uses the city’s recycling and composting services, and on average, sends only one standard-sized trash bag of waste to the landfill every two weeks.

But “as best as I try to reduce waste,” Nicholson said, “there’s still bits and bobs that are hard to recycle.”

Then, earlier this spring, Nicholson learned that a new, membership-based recycling program called Ridwell was coming to Denver. She signed up for the service in July, which is when it launched in her neighborhood.

Ridwell’s service is meant to supplement Denver’s existing recycling program, said e Ryan Metzger, Ridwell’s founder and CEO, in a news release.

“Denverites are looking for an easy solution to recycling items that are not accepted in the city’s curbside bin service, but shouldn’t go in the garbage,” Metzger said.

“We know this service will meet the needs of Denver citizens.”

Nicholson, for one, expects to be able to reduce the already-small amount of waste she sends to the landfill by 30% with Ridwell’s service.

“There are so many things that Ridwell can recycle,” Nicholson added.

Ridwell’s service is biweekly with monthly subscriptions ranging from $12 to $16 per month, depending on the length of commitment, states a news release. With a subscription, Ridwell offers door-to-door pickup of four core categories of household items. The four core categories are plastic film, such as single-use plastic bags and bubble wrap; household batteries; lightbulbs; and threads, such as clothing and shoes.

A fifth featured category is also offered with every pickup. The fifth category is rotated and consists of items that can be reused or recycled in the local community.

A couple of examples are towels and linens — gently-used or damaged — and electronics, including cords and chargers. Members receive an email every two weeks that announces the featured category to allow time to gather the items.

LEARN MORE To learn more about Ridwell, visit www.ridwell.com. Select the `what we take’ tab to enter in a zip code and learn more about the specific categories of recyclables that Ridewell picks up in a specific Denver neighborhood.

To learn more about the city of Denver’s recycling program, visit www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/ Recycle-Compost-Trash. This webpage has links to a number of resources offered by the city. The `Schedules and Reminders’ provides information on what can be recycled, a directory that you can type in a specific material and the directory will let you know where and how to recycle it, and a waste sorting game to help tutor you on how to sort your recyclable items.

Ridwell also offers add-ons to any regularly-scheduled pickup for an additional fee. Add-ons include Styrofoam and fluorescent light tubes, for example.

Members receive a metal Ridwell bin for front porch pickup, and reusable cloth bags for each category to sort items before dropping them into the bin.

“Since curbside recycling programs are constantly shifting, residents recycle things they shouldn’t and end up contaminating the whole bin,” Metzer said in the news release. “We help fill in the missing gaps and make it easy to recycle responsibly with the knowledge that trash is finding a new purpose and staying out of the landfill.”

Ridwell prides itself on working with local partners and nonprofits for recycling ensuring that reuse items are given a new life. In Denver, current partners are: SustainAbility — an Arvada-based recycling and composting company that serves the entire metro area and values employing a diverse workforce, including individuals who have intellectual/developmental disabilities.

WeeCycle — a Colorado-based nonprofit that collects and matches essential baby gear to families in need through partner organizations focused on alleviating poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, teen pregnancy and under-employment.

Blue Star Recyclers — an electronic waste recycling organization with four Colorado locations that creates jobs for, and employs, adults with autism and other disabilities who may not otherwise be able to obtain gainful employment.

Ridwell got its start in 2018 by Metzger and his six-year-old son who wanted a way to recycle old batteries. Ridwell now serves

Full Service Veterinary Care in the Comfort of Your Home Serving metro Denver since 1985 Dr. Sherri Folkestad • DVM (Sherri Somerville)

303-904-1989 | www.housecallvetservice.com

Elizabeth Nicholson of Washington Park is hoping to reduce the waste she sends to the landfill by 30% by using Ridwell, which is a new recycling service that recently COURTESY PHOTO launched in Denver.

Seattle, Tacoma and Portland.

In Denver, Ridwell’s initial launch was in Washington Park, Hilltop, Park Hill, Central Park, University Park, Cherry Creek and the Highlands. Ridwell expects to serve Denver citywide within the immediate near future, and expand to the surrounding suburb cities beginning this fall.

Since its start, Ridwell has helped its members keep more than two million pounds of unnecessary waste out of the landfill, states the news release.

“We’ve all seen the pictures of what our landfills are looking like,” Nicholson said, adding that with Ridwell, “it’s helpful to know that it (waste) is going to something good.”

10 Washington Park Profile

September 1, 2021

LOCAL

VOICES

Cyclists to ride the metro area for charity on Sept. 25

A

s residents or frequent visitors of this great city, you undoubtably know that Denver hosts some truly wonderful events.

An acquaintance recently emailed me requesting a pledge for his participation in the Denver Animal Shelter’s Cycle for Strays. I had not heard of this event before and because I am a big advocate of pet adoption through shelters, so I decided to look into it a bit more. I learned that Cycle for Strays is Denver Animal Shelter’s team for the Denver Century Ride — and that piqued my interest even more.

The Denver Century Ride got its start in 2010, according to its website, and its primary beneficiary is Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado is a Denver-based nonprofit that uses “advocacy, education and passion to make Colorado one of the most bicycle-friendly states in the nation,” states its website.

To learn more about Bicycle Colorado, visit www.bicyclecolorado.org.

One of the cool aspects of the Denver

I

FROM THE EDITOR

Century Ride is that Bicycle Colorado is not the only organization that benefits — the event welcomes other nonprofit organizations to use the ride as a fundraising platform.

Called a Charity Affiliate of the Denver Century Ride, these ts get to keep Christy Steadman nonprofi 100 percent of the pledges or funds it raises.

Denver Century Ride’s website lists four Charity Affiliates: Denver Animal Shelter, Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado & Wyoming, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Rotary Clubs of Colorado. All of these nonprofits are great community assets, so in my opinion, it’s worth spending some time browsing their websites to learn more about their missions.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation/CF Cycle for

Life: www.cff.org Denver Animal Shelter/Cycle for Strays: www.mightycause.com/event/Cycleforstrays2021 Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado & Wyoming: www.epilepsycolorado.org Woohoomanity Challenge (Rotary Clubs of Colorado): www.woohoomanity.org If you are a cyclist who would like to participate in the Denver Century Ride, here are the basic details: The Coldwell Banker Denver Century Ride takes place on Sept. 25. Headquarters for the event is at The Shops at Northfield, 8340 Northfield Blvd., which is located in the Central Park neighborhood.

There are four route options to choose from — a 100-mile, 85-mile, 50-mile or 25-mile ride. Each will allow cyclists to explore the city’s bike routes and cycling roadways, with each offering a unique experience. The 25-mile route boasts a ride through Denver’s beautiful cityscapes, the 50-mile and 85-mile routes take cyclists to picturesque spots throughout the metro

Tips for watering trees in Denver

n Denver’s semi-arid climate, trees and water are both precious resources.

With a few expert tips, you can preserve mature trees on your property and establish new GUEST trees that will COLUMN help grow our urban canopy, diminish heat islands and combat the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer.

Does my tree need more water?

In most cases, sprinkler irrigation and natural moisture from the occasional rainstorm do not provide consistent moisture for trees in Denver.

It can be difficult, however, to tell whether a tree needs additional water simply by looking at it, so follow these tips to determine your tree’s needs: • Stick your finger into the soil at the base of your tree: - If it easily penetrates, the tree is adequately watered.

- If it’s difficult to penetrate the dirt, the tree needs more water.

- If you observe standing water in the hole when you pull your finger out, the tree is over-watered, which can be as damaging as under-watering.

Paul Cancik

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.washparkprofile.com/subscribe

• A soil moisture meter is another option for determining a tree’s watering needs.

How much water does my tree need?

Once you’ve determined that your tree needs more water, there are some standard guidelines for determining exactly how much.

Regardless of the tree’s age, a tree in a non-irrigated area needs 10 gallons of water per week per inch of trunk diameter. For example, a two-inch diameter tree requires 20 gallons of water per week. This can be spaced out over two to three days per week.

An easy way to match your watering technique to your tree’s needs is to put a hose on a lowpressure setting and put it into a 5-gallon bucket — which are commonly found at home improvement stores — then time how long it takes to fill the bucket. Once you know the timing for your watering system, start a clock and move your hose around the base of your tree.

How do I effectively water my tree?

A simple hose is the most basic tool needed to water your tree, but soaker hoses, soft spray nozzles and soil needles can help break through the soil surface. Most absorbing tree roots are found in the first 12-inches of soil depth, so be sure water is applied slowly and has time to absorb into the soil and

reach these vital roots.

Adding mulch around the base of your tree is a simple and effective way to help retain moisture. A maximum mulch depth of threeto-five inches is optimal, but be careful not to let the mulch directly contact the trunk of the tree.

Additional resources Before you begin any watering program, it’s important to get familiar with Denver Water’s outdoor watering rules, which take into account our high summer temperatures and recent drought conditions. While hand-watering trees is not restricted, we encourage following the recommended watering times of between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to optimize your efforts. Read more of Denver Water’s outdoor watering rules by visiting www.denverwater.org/residential/ rebates-and-conservation-tips/ summer-watering-rules.

The Colorado State University (CSU) Extension is also a great resource for tree care and other home landscaping needs, including seasonal watering recommendations that are customized to our unique Colorado climate. Learn more tips from CSU Extension online: https://extension.colostate. edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/watering-a-home-landscape-duringdrought-7-240-2/.

Paul Cancik is an inspector with Denver Forestry

area, and the 100-mile route offers Golden’s iconic Lookout Mountain climb.

Registration fee ranges from $75 to $99 depending on the selected route, and $50 for youth for the 25-mile route. To learn more about the Denver Century Ride or to register, visit http://denvercenturyride.com.

Note that Denver Century Ride registration fees do not benefit the Charity Affiliates, which benefit from the cyclists’ pledges and donations. If you’re wanting to participate in the ride to fundraise for any of the Charity Affiliates, visit your chosen Charity Affiliates’ website first for instructions on how to do so.

For those who are not interested in cycling in the Denver Century Ride but would still like to support one or more of the Charity Affiliates, visit their websites to learn how to pledge a participant or donate.

Or, keep an eye on your emails and social media accounts. You might also get an email from someone you know who is asking for your pledge, as I did.

Residents to vote on five bond packages

D

enver City Council recently approved referring five General Obligation Bond packages to the voters. The proposals ask voters to invest in economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The packages are estimated to create GUEST 7,500 good-paying jobs, $483 million in worker wages and benefits, and $11 COLUMN billion in economic benefits for the city. The packages fund more than 80 projects across the city.

The five measures are: • $190 million for the National Western Center campus for a new mid-sized arena to support year-round events and year-round jobs. It also will renovate the historic 1909 Stadium Arena building for use as a public Councilmember market to provide food access in the Deborah Ortega neighborhood and create space for neighborhood businesses.

• $104 million to create new community assets and preserve beloved existing community assets. This includes making critical improvements to ensure community assets are accessible to all residents, building two new libraries and expanding an existing library in unserved and underserved neighborhoods, and creating a new youth empowerment center.

• $63 million for 46 projects to address transportation safety in neighborhoods, address six miles of sidewalk gaps, design and construct the first part of The 5280 Trail and create 16 miles of new bike lanes.

SEE ORTEGA, P11

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September 1, 2021

N

ative to East Asia, Miscanthus sinensis, or maiden grass, produces silvery tussle-like flower crusts in late August, which gives us a hint that the end of summer is coming, GUEST soon to be followed by COLUMN the arrival of fall.

Ebi Akiyoshi Growing up in Japan, I remember seeKondo ing them everywhere, forming a field of grassland. When the strong fall wind blew over them in open spaces, it looked like the continuous waves of the ocean.

In native habitat in Japan, Miscanthus sinensis can grow in poor soil — such as the rocky soil of Japanese mountains — as they can uptake silicic acid from poor soil, which makes the plant’s leaves and stems strong and hard. That is why maiden grass is very flexible and can be used to lay the traditional thatched roofs of Japanese farmhouses. However, it is dangerous to work with this grass without wearing thick gardening gloves, as it can cut your skin with its razor-sharp edge of leaves and stems.

During the traditional Tsukimi — fall moon viewing — in Japan, maiden grass plays a quintessential role. On the night of the full moon during Jugoya — the fifteenth night — people offer a bouquet of maiden grass to the full moon, which

Ortega FROM PAGE 10

• $54 million to improve existing, and build new, playgrounds, athletic fields, a public pool and public restrooms.

• $39 million for housing and sheltering facilities serving people experiencing homelessness.

I supported placing all five measures on the ballot.

The funding to complete the National Western Center campus was, perhaps, the most controversial. In 2016, Denver voters approved funding for Phase I of a new campus at the site of the National Western Stock Show. The vision, supported by the voters, called for a new arena to host yearround events and rehabilitation of the 1909 Stadium Arena. Unfortunately, funding for these projects fell through when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our economy. I believe it is imperative that these facilities be completed so we can fulfill the vision endorsed by voters and the commitments made to the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods.

Prior to voting for the package, I asked Mayor Michael Hancock and City Council President Stacie Gilmore to sign a document that explicitly outlines the commitments made to the community during the past five years as we worked to bring the campus to life. The resulting document — the Joint Executive Summary and Legislative Report on Equity Components of the 2021 RISE GO Bond — incorporates the commitments made by the National Western Authority and the city to Globeville and Elyria-Swansea residents. The commitments are based on resident input from numerous sources such as neighborhood organizations, neighborhood plan meetings, city meetings to receive input on the campus design/programming, parent meetings, input from people representing organizations working in the communities, and the results of a 2019 series of meetings that specifically discussed the Community Investment Fund. The 2019 meetings involved more than 65 residents and local

Japan’s maiden grass

Morning light is a cultivar of miscanthus sinensis, also known as maiden grass.

PHOTO BY EBI AKIYOSHI KONDO

shows their appreciation of a good harvest year.

Because of their toughness and availability in the market, maiden grass is a very popular ornamental grass that we

businesses.

The final document incorporates longdiscussed items, as well as more recent asks from the community such as the robust, community-based planning process for The Triangle area. The Triangle area is a large piece of land located adjacent to the campus that is slated for redevelopment.

The first step towards fulfilling our commitment to Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods is to complete the vision of the campus by constructing the new arena and rehabilitating the 1909 Stadium Arena.

The arena will provide revenue to the Community Investment Fund. Without an arena to host events year-round, funding for the Community Investment Fund will be meager, primarily based on a once-ayear stock sow.

The Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods are a food desert. Access to fresh affordable food is a long-standing community goal. The rehabilitation of the 1909 Stadium Arena into a public market will fulfill this goal. It will also provide opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

Many of the improvements envisioned by the planning processes have become reality. Colorado State University will open the first of its three buildings on the campus in January. The hydra building, being built in partnership with Denver Water, will provide a new, expanded water quality lab and be a research and education center to find solutions to water challenges. The Stockyard Event Center will open this summer to host lectures, seminars, live music, conventions and other gatherings when it opens in January.

While this is exciting and important, leaving the campus incomplete will break the promise to the neighbors that this campus would serve them. Frankly, I was concerned when the first phase of the campus did not include funding for the 1909 Stadium Arena. My vote in support of placing this issue before the voters was a vote to meet our obligation to this community.

Deborah “Debbie” Ortega is an at-large member of Denver City Council. She can be reached at ortegaatlarge@denvergov.org.

can also see everywhere in U.S. landscapes, such as in gardens, parking lots and even in the median of busy streets.

At the Denver Botanic Gardens, you can see the popular cultivar, morning

Washington Park Profile 11

light. It has a fine texture of foliage and an early blooming habit. It is an ideal companion to chrysanthemums, asters and other fall flowering garden plants.

The Denver Botanic Gardens’ Grass Garden includes zebrinus, also called zebra grass. This is another popular cultivar that has large leaves and spotted silver variegation which resembles some tropical foliage.

I planted a group of Japanese cultivars called Yaku Jima — which has delicate and thin variegated foliage — around the moon-viewing deck in the Japanese Garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Most maiden grass cultivars are easy to grow in the garden. They prefer a sunny spot with average garden soil and less than one inch per week of water after established. Because they usually grow 5-to-6 feet tall in the short time from spring to summer, it is a great way to add height in your garden beds or hide something undesirable, such as an ugly shed. Even after their vegetative parts are dead in late fall, maiden grass can be left in the garden during winter — or until it begins to look shabby — as they sustain an attractive tawny color and stand up strong.

Ebi Akiyoshi Kondo is an associate director of horticulture at the Denver Botanic Gardens and curator of the gardens’ Japanese Garden

4 MISTAKES THAT MAKE KNEE PAIN WORSE

By Dr. Brooke Olsen, DPT - published author & leading Denver PT What if what you are doing is actually bad for your knees?

Are you making your knee pain worse without even knowing it?

Were you given an exercise sheet or followed a program in the past and you are not noticing any improvements? I have so many people ask if what they are doing is the right thing or not - should they be using cold packs, heat, massage, braces… because they don’t know if it will help or make their knee pain worse. If you’ve wondered this as well, I’m going to clarify a few of the MOST common mistakes I see people do when it comes what to do about knee pain: 1. Rest - Rest is important to a certain degree, but we over use this idea way too often. Rest does one thing to your joints - it weakens the muscles around it without use. This is why your knee becomes more unstable, stiff, and painful as the years go on. So, if your knee pain doesn’t improve after a short period of time of rest, an extended period of rest will definitely make your knee pain worse in the long run.

2. Medications - Similar to rest, taking medications, such as antiinflammatories or pain pills, might make sense for a short time following a knee injury. However, the truth is that these medications only mask your pain and they don’t uncover or treat the actual

ROOT CAUSE of your knee pain.

This, over time, makes your knee worse because again - they don’t fix the root cause of the problem, they only put a band-aide on it.

3. Braces - I have no problem with people wearing a brace from time to time - especially if you want a little support during a more active day. However, if you’re RELYING on a brace to stabilize your knee on a regular, daily basis, you’re missing something - big! Braces take over the actual job of muscles - they help to stabilize your knee. Until you figure out WHY your knee is feeling unstable and you DO something about it, the feeling of instability isn’t likely going to improve and instead, worsen.

4. The Wrong Exercises - Doing generic exercises that are from a book or a cookie cutter program given to you without a specific purpose is well-meaning advice, but will not get the results you want. Many people plateau and feel stuck in knee pain after seeing no improvements with this type of approach. That’s because these movements are not specific to helping your knee pain. They are a good starting point, but that’s about it. What’s even more concerning - If you continue to do the wrong exercises, you could be making it worse.  If you’re looking to get help for your specific knee pain and want more customized advice on what to do, Dr. Brooke Olsen’s team at The Physio Revolution is happy to answer any questions about knee pain by phone at (720)-772-1133 or email at TheTeam@ ThePhysioRevolution.com

12 Washington Park Profile

September 1, 2021

Residents encouraged to visit sites, in-person or virtually

By Clarke Reader Special to Colorado Community Media

M

ost people in the metro area are at least a little familiar with historic sites like the Molly Brown House in Capitol Hill and the Brown Palace in downtown Denver.

But there’s undoubtedly some who will not recognize the Rosedale House or the Wellshire Inn. The Wellshire Inn — located in the Wellshire neighborhood — was built in the 1920s as a golf club house. The Tudor building has since become an event center.

SEE 50 PLACES, P13

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Bob Ragland Home of the Non-Starving Artist, 1723 E. 25th Ave.

CROSS-OVER APPEAL

Old Elitch Gardens Carousel House, 3775 Tennyson St.

Aztlan Theater, 976 Santa Fe Drive Sakura Square, 1255 19th St. Julia Greeley Boarding House, 2911 Walnut St.

Bear Mountain and Monkey House at the Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St. Street Clock by E. Howard & Co., 770 S. Broadway

LEGACY BUSINESS Lake Steam Baths, 3540 W. Colfax Ave. Bail Bond Corner, West 13th Avenue and Delaware Street Lakeside Amusement Park, 4601 Sheridan Blvd.

El Chapultepec, 1962 Market St. The Shops at East Colfax & Quebec, 7232 E. Colfax Ave. My Brother’s Bar, 2376 15th St.

CIVIC ASSET Stedman Elementary School, 2940 Dexter St. National Human Alliance Watering Trough, Tremont Place and West Colfax Avenue Benedict Fountain, 475 E. 20th Ave.

CULTURAL RESOURCE

Mercury Café, 2199 California St.

Little Italy of Denver, multiple properties in north Denver

Ben’s Market, 2301 E. 28th Ave.

Denver’s Chinatown, lower downtown AIDS Memorial Grove, Confluence Park

Garden Place School, 4425 Lincoln St. Halprin Fountains at Skyline Park, 1110 17th St.

Riverside Cemetery, 5201 Brighton Blvd.

La Casa de Manuel, 3158 Larimer St. Welton St. Café, 2736 Welton St. Legacy Business/Iconic Architecture Bastien’s Restaurant, 3503 E. Colfax Ave.

Former Navajo Arts District, Navajo Street and West 37th Avenue

Wellshire Inn, 3333 S. Colorado Blvd.

Eisenhower Park Picnic Pavilion, 4300 E. Dartmouth Ave.

REMARKABLE RESIDENCE

ICONIC ARCHITECTURE

Irving P. Andrews House, 2241 York St. Barney Ford House, 1569 N. High St.

Cliff May Homes in Harvey Park

Shangri-La, 150 S. Bellaire St.

Big Top Auto Mart buildings, various locations

Firehouse 13, 600 S. Broadway

George Morrison Sr. residence and Whittier Homes, 2558 Gilpin St.

Art modern building, 2101 Champa St.

Judge Raymond Jones House, 780 Steele St.

Ford Motor Company, 900 S. Broadway

Albert Whitaker House, 3656 Bryant St.

Moorish Revival House by Gonzalez Brothers, 1585 Glencoe St. Whatley Chapel, 1800 Pontiac St. Brooklyn’s (J. Solf Building/ Schachet Mercantile), 2644 W. Colfax Ave.

Robinson House, 3435 Albion St. Frank Edbrooke House, 1825 E. 25th Ave. McDonough Residence, 3939 W. 46th Ave. Former Gender Identity Center, 3715 W. 32nd Ave. Rosedale House, 2199 S. Bannock St

Denver’s row of Painted Ladies, 2250 W. 34th Ave. To learn more about any of these places, visit https://50actions.historicdenver.org/places.

Washington Park Profile 13

September 1, 2021

Denver gets more serious about sidewalks

By David Sachs Denverite

If you report a pothole, the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure promises to fix it within three days. If you report a broken sidewalk, it could take around 50 years to get fixed, according to a report by the city auditor.

That’s because, unlike roads, city sidewalks are your responsibility to fix even though they are in the public right-of-way. Home and business owners who border Denver’s walkways are by law responsible for fixing and building them.

The approach dates back to the 1950s when the city government fell in love with the automobile and sort of decided that walking was over, said Jill Locantore, executive director of the Denver Streets Partnership, the city’s foremost bear-poker on sustainable transportation issues.

“And it turned out that, you know, not only is that impractical — there’s still a huge portion of the population that can’t drive — but also people like walking,” Locantore said. “Walking is a pleasant and efficient way to get around. And it makes zero sense that we should provide no infrastructure for that most basic form of human movement.”

Walking is also an official climate priority of the Hancock administration, which has committed to building a city where half of all commutes are made without driving a car solo. The latest census figures put solo driving at 73% of all city commutes.

That’s one of the reasons voters approved

50 Places FROM PAGE 12

“The size and architectural style are uncommon in Denver. The building is distinctive and a landmark, sitting up high above the golf course,” said Kendra Black, Denver councilmember for District 4. “The story should be told and the building and course should be preserved.”

Historic Denver wants people to know more stories like these, and that’s the aim of the new 50 Actions for 50 Places campaign.

The project was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of the organization.

“We wanted to try to recapture the original grassroots spirit that led us to preserve places that are important,” said Annie Levinsky, Historic Denver’s executive director. “At the time, we had one of the largest memberships in the country and we want to get back to that. People often think preservation is something older people do, but it really is multi-generational.”

The list of 50 places was gathered through a months-long campaign that solicited the Denver community for places and spaces that deserve to have their story told and memorialized in the coming years. Historic Denver received more than 100 nominations and selected options that recognize the full diversity of the city. The resulting list includes arts and entertainment sites, civic assets, cultural landmarks and homes.

One such home is located at 780 Steel St. in the Congress Park neighborhood, which was the residence of Judge Raymond Jones, who was the first African American appellate judge in Colorado. According to information provided by Travis Leiker, president and executive director of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Jones attended Harvard, was a judge for 32 years and is a member of the Colorado Black Hall of Fame.

“All too often, the stories of historically marginalized populations go untold and unrecognized. We discovered the

$48 million to start filling in 300 miles worth of gaps in the sidewalk network. Denver also dipped its toe into the sidewalk game in 2018 with a law, sponsored by City Councilmember and pedestrian Paul Kashmann, that created a fund to help residents pay for their sidewalk repairs.

The bucket of money was part of a sidewalk repair program that officials thought, at the time, would enforce the law and ease the financial burden on locals, sending the city’s sidewalk woes walking.

It didn’t work.

Denver Auditor Tim O’Brien documented as much in a biting assessment that found Denver’s slow pace and inefficiently set-up program needed serious adjustments if it was going to deliver on what was promised.

And that’s just for the sidewalk repair piece. Completely building out sidewalks would take hundreds of years at the current pace, Locantore said. Kashmann, who helped develop the city’s first if inadequate permanent funding source for walkways, agreed.

“We have made more progress on rebuilding our pedestrian infrastructure in the past five years than since the founding of our city,” Kashmann told Denverite. “Unfortunately, while retrofitting our city is daunting, it must be done and our pace has been far too slow.”

“We need to look at how this is set up in the ordinance and where these responsibilities lie,” Williams said.

He understands why members of the public are frustrated, but said the transportation same was true for Judge Raymond Jones,” Leiker said. “This property, and the story of Judge Jones, represent one’s perseverance, defiance against all odds, and should be a fixture in our community today and for our posterity.”

Some of the places readily welcome visitors, while others are great for walk by to appreciate the design and its history, like the Rosedale House, 2199 S. Bannock St. The Rosedale House is one of the few remaining homes that were part of the town of Rosedale, which is now part of the Overland neighborhood — not to be confused with the neighboring Rosedale neighborhood, which is just east of Overland. The modest Queen Anne home was part of the first development built by George Timerman in 1887.

People need to know that street names and towns change over the course of 100 years, said Karen Jackson, owner of the home and nominator.

“The original Rosedale is now Overland and was probably beautiful for decades.

Over the years, many homes fell in disrepair, but I always knew it was a diamond in the rough,” Jackson said. “I feel like the home picked me and I’m the caretaker chosen to save the home and its history.”

The actions that will be embarked upon are as varied as the sites themselves, Levinsky said. Some will require research about their history; others, technical assistance; and some, recognition through state or national programs.

“We’ll be working with the property owners and community members who nominated the sites to develop a plan,” Levinsky said. “We’ve raised $50,000 for the campaign, and residents can get involved by donating to our organization or a specific project.”

Even if you’re not comfortable going out and about to see the sites in person, Historic Denver has you covered — on its website, you can virtually visit all the locations and learn something about them.

“Preservation has a reputation for being reactive, but we want to get ahead of things

department needs to thread the needle. Los Angeles set a scary precedent for governments when it said they would bear responsibility for sidewalks. In the 1980s, L.A. used federal grants to start the work but when the money dried up, it got sued for $1.4 billion.

The fix lies in making the public rightof-way a responsibility of the public sector and actually funding it — with city dollars, Locantore said.

“We’re asking them to take over responsibility for sidewalks, but also establish a sustainable funding source so that you can in fact build out the network and not end up in a situation like Los Angeles,” she said.

Transportation officials are looking into a permanent and significant stream of money to build and maintain sidewalks — just like the streets department uses taxpayer dollars to handle roads, Kashmann said.

“I do believe that we need to have a system in which people pay a small amount each month, or quarterly, so when their sidewalks need repair, they are covered. Because eventually, all property owners will need to repair their walks,” Kashmann said.

“And yes, we certainly need to address missing walks, and I don’t know if it’s fair to expect property owners to install walks on their property when for decades we’ve ignored the issue. Those bills are far too steep for many homeowners.”

Kashmann and his colleagues have been mulling sidewalk taxes and fees since 2018.

More recently, Kashmann, along with city councilmembers Chris Hinds and Jolon Clark, have been discussing next steps with

Mayor Michael Hancock’s transportation department.

But the councilmember also said the transportation department has canceled the last two meetings.

“I do not minimize the complexity or cost of this task, but it is simply one that we have to begin addressing methodically, efficiently and fairly,” Kashmann said. “I hope our agency partners will redouble their efforts as willing partners. We can try to force things on our own, but I think things get done better as a more collaborative `we.’”

Williams, with the Hancock administration, said everything is on the table. Some options include fees, others don’t, he said.

Wherever the streets department lands, it plans to get things rolling at the end of this year.

But there’s another major wrinkle. The city’s initial assessment of the sidewalk system was dire, with a cost of $1.3 billion to fix and an estimated 40% of streets with either missing or subpar sidewalks, according to the Denveright Pedestrian & Trails plan. Williams said that while the city does not have new figures, its experiment with the sidewalk repair program made clear that DOTI underestimated the breadth and depth of the problem.

“The conditions are worse than we initially anticipated,” he said.

This story is from Denverite, a nonprofit Denver news source affiliated with CPR News Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

LEARN MORE To learn more about any of the 50 places, visit https://50actions.historicdenver.org/places. and support these places and the people who take care of them,” Levinsky said.

“Seeing these places is a great way to get to know the city.”

Bringing these spaces and places more attention is what the campaign is really about, and if people can become more appreciative of what is around them, so much the better.

“The home of Dr. Charles Blackwood, the first Black graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, was recently demolished,” Leiker said. The home was located in Denver’s Whittier neighborhood.

“This is a reminder that unless we focus our efforts on preserving the buildings and the stories that go with them, our city will lose out on its unique heritage.”

The Rosedale House, 2199 S. Bannock St., is one of the sites included in Historic Denver’s 50 Actions for 50 Places campaign. The Rosedale House is one of the few remaining homes that were part of the town of Rosedale, which is now part of the Overland neighborhood.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HISTORIC DENVER

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14 Washington Park Profile

September 1, 2021

‘The engine that powers Colorado’ Emily Griffith Technical College celebrates 105 years

LEARN MORE To learn more about Emily Griffith Technical College, visit www.emilygriffith.edu.

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

As they walk through the halls of Emily Griffith Technical College, students are reminded that their future awaits them with one catchphrase: “Our mission is to prepare our students for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s opportunities.”

“I chose Emily Griffith because I believe so deeply in the school,” said Katie Broz of Denver, who will be graduating from the college’s web development program in November. “It is truly an amazing legacy.”

Emily Griffith opened her Opportunity School on Sept. 9, 1916. Her vision was simple — it was to be a school for anyone who wished to learn — but the impact her school has had is much greater.

Griffith, a former educator with Denver Public Schools, was inspired by the parents of the children she taught and came to believe that education offered a pathway out of poverty.

And she believed that education should be accessible to all.

“The vision of Emily Griffith has stayed strong,” said Randy Johnson, executive director of Emily Griffith Technical College.

“It’s just who we are.”

A light for its students The heart of Emily Griffith Technical College is making education accessible, Johnson said. The college prides itself on being able to offer some of the lowest tuition rates in

Colorado, as well as scholarships and financial aid awards to qualifying students.

This year, Emily Griffith Technical College is celebrating its 105th anniversary and is recapping the ways the school has supported its students, including what it calls the “104 requests” — an initiative that started last September in partnership with the Emily Griffith Foundation.

In a news release that was issued last year about the initiative, Lulu Lantzy, director of innovation and partnerships at Emily Griffith Technical College, said, “we’ve made a commitment to provide above and beyond support to 104 students and alumni over the next year as a way to give back to our community, like Emily (Griffith) herself would have done.”

How it worked was students and alumni submitted a request — big or small — and the school and the foundation worked to fulfill 104 of them.

However, even after the 104 requests are completed, the Emily Griffith Foundation has a 360 Fund that will continue to provide resources for students who need support.

Emily Griffith Technical College is “acting on our vision of removing barriers for opportunity,” Lantzy said.

Some of the barriers people may face range from being food-insecure or unable to afford daycare or transportation, to needing financial aid assistance or the education to obtain a licensure to enter a specific employment field, Lantzy said. The school also

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A group of Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) students work together in a classroom at PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN Emily Griffith Technical college.

anticipated additional challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the need for a personal laptop.

“We saw what was happening,” Lantzy said, “and we wanted to be a light.”

Providing a talent pipeline Griffith’s Opportunity School was one of the first trade schools in the nation, and today, it is a nationally accredited public college. A name change from Opportunity School to Technical College happened in 2010, to further align the college with higher education.

Emily Griffith Technical College has always been affiliated with Denver Public Schools, though it welcomes students from well beyond the district’s boundaries.

The college has served more than 2 million students — roughly 8,000 students annually — in its career and technical education, apprenticeships, English language classes, GED preparation and customized workforce training programs.

In addition, the school boasts a great track record of success. Numbers from 2019 reveal that Emily Griffith sits at 86% for program completion and 81% for job placement, Johnson said.

Johnson attributes some of the school’s accomplishments to its partnerships and collaborations with industry employers.

Emily Griffith is “deeply rooted in the center of Denver,” Johnson said, adding that employers look to Emily Griffith for their talent pipeline.

Innovation for the 21st century According to Emily Griffith Technical College’s website, word about Griffith’s dream of opening her Opportunity School spread throughout Denver after she mentioned it to a Denver Post reporter, who published a feature story on it. Eventually, the Denver Board of Education provided Griffith with the condemned Longfellow School located downtown near 13th and Welton streets.

Today, Emily Griffith Technical College boasts three state-of-the-art facilities — the main campus, located at 1860 Lincoln St. in Uptown; the trades campus, located at 1205 Osage St. in Lincoln Park; and the video campus, located at 200 E. Ninth Ave. in Capitol Hill.

Emily Griffith Technical College is constantly innovating to best meet the needs of its students. For example, a new component of the school’s partnership with Denver Health provides graduates of the college’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program the opportunity for employment at Denver Health’s new Outpatient Medical Center (OMC). Additionally, students and graduates of the college’s Culinary Arts and Culinary Quick Start programs have the opportunity to operate the new Denver Health OMC Café Powered by Emily Griffith.

The CNA and culinary arts programs are not the only two that offer students handson experience in the trade — some students gain work experience serving the public at the school’s student-run businesses, which include Emily’s Salon & Barbershop, Emily’s Café, Emily’s Massage and Emily’s Spa. Griffith’s Opportunity School of the early 1900s was designed so that students could attend their classes when they were able, whether it be day or night. That model is still in place today. In fact, Emily Griffith Technical College began offering hybrid classes well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Opportunity School got its start with class offerings such as telegraphy, industrial millinery, typing, academic subjects and English language classes, states the college’s website. “During World War I, the school trained soldiers in radio communications and civilians for special mathematics, drafting, tractor and ambulance driving, and gas engine work,” states Emily Griffith Technical College’s website. Additional departments were added during World War II, which included war production training, food conservation and victory gardening.

Now in the 21st century, Emily Griffith Technical College is meeting the needs of today’s technology-driven demands in industry, such as offering programs in web development and cybersecurity, among others.

A new program focused on the construction industry will be offered next year. The Virtual Design Construction Academy program will allow students to gain essential skills to achieve gainful employment with top construction, engineering and architectural companies across Colorado, states a news release.

Going above and beyond Students tend to choose Emily Griffith for its community and reputation of staff “going above and beyond,” Lantzy said.

“The Practical Nursing Program at Emily Griffith Technical College has provided me with the possibility to reach my goal of becoming a nurse. The instructors are always rooting for my success in the program,” said Ana Sotelo of Parker. “I have built strong friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime.”

Each student who walks through Emily Griffith’s doors has a vision of hope, Johnson said. The school’s graduates range from becoming highly desired skilled professionals to entrepreneurs who start their own businesses, Johnson added.

“We have the ability to immediately affect the economy,” Johnson said, adding that Emily Griffith Technical College is a huge resource to the community.

And that includes its students and alum, Johnson said. “We’re the engine that powers Colorado.”

Washington Park Profile 15

September 1, 2021

Last month, the Washington Park Profile and Life on Capitol Hill asked for reader submissions of summer fun photos. Here are a couple that were submitted.

Mary Dreger of West Washington Park gets her photo taken with a donkey at the burro races on July 25 during the town of Fairplay’s annual Burro Days celebration. Dreger said it was “the sweetest donkey” and that she would have gotten its name had she known the COURTESY OF MARY DREGER photo would be selected for the newspaper.

Jonathan Charpentier covers himself in sand in a riverbed in Teapot Canyon in Canyonlands National Park in Utah on June 3. Charpentier is the grandson of Cheesman Park resident and small-business owner Martha Lucas. This is not the first time Charpentier has received media attention, Lucas said. He was recognized by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science a while back for discovering a COURTESY OF MARTHA LUCAS Tyrannosaurus rex tooth while hiking.

Denver requires coronavirus vaccination for all city employees

By John Ingold, Special to the Colorado Sun

The city of Denver on Aug. 2 announced that it will require all city employees, all workers at hospitals and nursing homes, all people who work in homeless shelters and correctional facilities, and all teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of September.

The new order comes amid a wave of vaccination mandates, but it is among the most sweeping in the nation issued by a city government.

Bob McDonald, the executive director of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, said the city decided to issue the order due to a surge in coronavirus cases caused by the delta variant. The surge is moving faster than a similar increase at this time last year.

McDonald said the city could be in for a nightmare scenario come fall — when respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 normally take off — if the city doesn’t get more people vaccinated now.

At the same time, McDonald said other protective measures — such as requiring mask-wearing or limiting capacity in indoor spaces — are now less effective because of the delta variant’s supercharged transmissibility. People who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised are strongly encouraged to wear masks in public spaces, McDonald said, while those who are vaccinated are encouraged to make a personal decision on masking.

But McDonald said a mask mandate can’t accomplish enough at this time to be worth it.

“We’re not going to mask our way out of this; we’re not going to test our way out of this,” McDonald said at a news

conference on Aug. 2. “We need to get people vaccinated. That’s the only way we’re going to pull out of this.”

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the order applies to all of the city’s roughly 10,000 employees, including police officers, sheriff ’s deputies and firefighters. But it also applies to all teachers — whether public or private — at schools within the city. And it applies to people who work at hospitals and nursing homes, as well as other outbreak-prone settings like correctional facilities and shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Denver Health, the city’s main public hospital, announced last week that it would require vaccination for workers.

But other hospitals in the city had not yet announced a decision on vaccination.

Workers covered under the order will need to have received their final dose of

vaccine by Sept. 15 in order to be fully immunized by the end of that month.

Hancock said there will be narrow exemptions for medical or religious reasons. He also said the city would work with employees who are reluctant to receive the vaccine, providing them with information to address their concerns.

But he said the city won’t be afraid to take action against city employees who refuse to get vaccinated.

“There might be some folks who may lose their jobs behind this,” Hancock said. “We recognize that.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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September 1, 2021

Processing the pandemic through art Museo de las Americas to host COVID-19 memorial exhibit

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By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Colorado artist Ana María Hernando hopes that her piece in the “Americas COVID-19 Memorial” helps people feel that they are not alone.

“The pandemic has been an enormous event for all of us,” Hernando said.

Hernando is one of 21 commissioned artists for the exhibit. In their work, the artists focused on how the artistic imagination conceives a memorial to a contemporary tragedy that transcends national borders.

Hernando’s piece, “In the Night, In the Day, At Every Hour,” includes black dots to represent the movement that the pandemic “is happening, and still happening,” Hernando said. White dots in the work are holes — or cutouts — that represent “all of the pieces that are not there because of the pandemic,” Hernando said. The missing pieces can be people, or the future for many, Hernando added.

The “Americas COVID-19 Memorial” is “an artist-driven project to acknowledge the grave impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Americas,” states a news release.

It was a multi-month project of the Denverbased Biennial of the Americas, which is a nonprofit that exists to “enhance, celebrate and discover the cultural and economic connections between” the Americas, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, states its website.

FloraJane DiRienzo, executive director of the Biennial of the Americas, pulls out a piece by artist Kezna Dalz called “To See You, To Ache To Feel You, To Feel For You” in preparation for the Biennial of the Americas’ “Americas COVID-19 Memorial.” PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

The culmination of the project is an exhibit of the 21 commissioned artists at Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Dr. in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. The exhibit opened on Sept. 3 and closes on Sept. 25.

The project was announced in March, and along with the commissioned artists, the Biennial of the Americas had an open call for

members of the public to submit artwork.

About 185 works were submitted, created by people from 15 countries and 22 states.

The public submissions are part of a virtual exhibit on the Biennial of the Americas’ website.

Claudia Moran, executive director of Museo de las Americas, believes the exhibit will be a benefit for the community. She

The Biennial of the Americas’ “Americas COVID-19 Memorial” will be on exhibit Sept. 3-25 at Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Dr. in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. A special event, ConnectArte: Biennial of the Americas, will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 in person at the museum. Commissioned artists Suchitra Mattai and Ana María Hernando will join Derrick Velasquez, curatorial advisor for the “Americas COVID-19 Memorial” exhibition for a discussion on the arts’ role in communicating and processing grief, as well as their personal contribution to the collective memorial project.

It is free to attend ConnectArte: Biennial of the Americas, but an RSVP is recommended.

Admission to the “Americas COVID-19 Memorial” is free, though donations will be accepted.

To learn more about Museo de las Americas or to RSVP for the ConnectArte: Biennial of the Americas, visit https://museo.org/.

To learn more about the Biennial of the Americas or the Americas COVID-19 Memorial project, visit www.biennialoftheamericas.org. believes it may create a global perspective on processing the pandemic, while also creating connectivity, healing and a sense of belonging and understanding.

“People are more resilient when there’s understanding,” Moran said. “Through art, we can create a different approach to these difficult issues.”

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Washington Park Profile 17

September 1, 2021

Colorado Symphony returns with a live, indoor, in-person season It’s the orchestra’s first regular season since the pandemic began last year

By Maggie Donahue Denverite

Colorado Symphony has announced its 2021-2022 season. Starting in September, the orchestra will perform 49 live, indoor concerts featuring a lineup of renowned guest artists at Boettcher Concert Hall in downtown Denver.

The season is the orchestra’s first regular programming since COVID began in 2020.

In the last year and a half, it’s put on several virtual performances and played 18 live shows at Red Rocks. Members have also performed in small ensemble concerts at venues like the Botanic Gardens’ Evenings Al Fresco, the Denver Performing Arts Complex Galleria and Denver Zoo. The season will open Sept. 17-19 with a guest performance by GRAMMY-winning pianist Emanuel Ax, who will join the orchestra to perform pieces like Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto, Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. This year, the orchestra plans to highlight talented and diverse composers, guest performers, soloists and conductors, including music by women composers Clarise Assad, Gabriela Lena Frank, Joan Towers, Jessie Montgomery, and Florence Price.

“As we look ahead to the return of normal in-hall operations, we’re excited to build on the successes we’ve enjoyed over the past decade by coming out of this pandemic with renewed energy and purpose,” said Anthony

Boettcher Concert Hall.

Pierce, the orchestra’s chief artistic officer.

“This season will be a true celebration for our musicians and patrons alike, providing live symphonic music and shared concert experiences that will be thrilling for people of all ages.”

Guests can buy season subscriptions, Flex Passes or six-ticket vouchers for prime seats to any show of the season. Individual tickets went on sale Sept. 1.

2021/2022 season concert highlights: Sept. 17-19: Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with Emanuel Ax Oct. 1-3: Dvorák Symphony No. 9 “From The New World” Oct. 15-17: Brahms Symphony No. 1

COURTESY OF CSO

conducted By Christopher Dragon Nov. 5-7: Beethoven Symphony No. 7 Nov. 19-21: Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 with Natasha Paremski Dec. 3-5: Elgar Enigma Variations Jan. 7-9: Marin Alsop Conducts Jan. 21-23: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 Feb. 11-13: Berlioz Symphonie fantastique conducted by Douglas Boyd Feb. 25-27: Beethoven Symphony No. 5 March 11-13: Respighi Pines of Rome March 25-27: Holst The Planets conducted by Peter Oundjian April 8-10: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 April 16: Mahler Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”

IF YOU GO To learn more about the Colorado Symphony or to purchase tickets, visit https://coloradosymphony.org/.

April 29-May 1: Schumann Piano Concerto with Ingrid Fliter May 13-15: Mahler Symphony No. 5 May 27-29: Beethoven 9 with Colorado Symphony & Chorus

This story is from Denverite, a nonprofit Denver news source affiliated with CPR News.

Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

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18 Washington Park Profile

September 1, 2021

Fall stewardship days return to South Platte Staff report There are two upcoming opportunities for people who would like to volunteer to tend to the South Platte River.

Both events take place on Sept. 25 at Globeville Landing Park. Parking for the events will be available at the Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., with the entrance gate located at 46th Avenue under I-70.

The Greenway Foundation’s Fall Family

Stewardship Day takes place from 9-11 a.m. This event is designed for families with children ages 12 and younger. Volunteers will start the day with a trash pick-up led by South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) staff, and will finish with crafts and activities that can be taken home or completed in the park with physical distancing measures.

The Pacifico Preserves Fall South Platte Stewardship Day presented by The Nature Conservancy takes place from 8-11:15 a.m.

This event is for adult volunteers or families with children age 12 and older.

Breakfast will be provided at both events.

Visit the Greenway Foundation’s website for more information on what to bring.

Both events are free, but both require advance registration. Both events have limited space, so early registration is highly recommended.

The Greenway Foundation is a Denverbased nonprofit that was founded in 1974 to protect the South Platte River. Today,

the organization “protects and revitalizes watersheds, promotes water stewardship, champions environmental education, stimulates innovative policies and practices while also celebrating the historic, recreational and environmental roles involving water that flows through our communities,” states its website.

To learn more about The Greenway Foundation or to register for one of the Fall stewardship day events, visit www.thegreenwayfoundation.org.

Gymnastic Olympians to visit Denver on Gold Over America Tour Staff report The Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour will be making a stop in Denver on Oct. 3 at the Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle.

A news release describes the show as “a high-energy, gymnastics-meets-popconcert spectacular.” It features a crew of gymnastic dancers under eye-popping LED video screens.

Headlining the show are some of the best U.S. gymnasts, including Simone Biles, who is the most decorated gymnast

of all time. She holds 25 medals — 19 of those gold — and is a five-time Olympic medalist, with four of those being gold.

Biles is a silver medalist for the Women’s Artistic Team All-Around and bronze medalist in the Women’s Balance Beam in Tokyo 2021.

Joining Biles in the show are Tokyo 2021 medalists MyKayla Skinner, who won silver in vault; Jade Carey, who won gold in floor exercise; and Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum, who won silver for team competition. Other all-star gymnasts participating in the show include

Peng-Peng Lee, Laurie Hernandez, Katelyn Ohashi, Morgan Hurd, Melanie De Jesus dos Santos, Shilese Jones and Chellsie Memmel.

The show emerges from the athletes’ “personal values of empowerment, friendship, positive body image, mental health awareness and self-confidence,” states the news release.

“The Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour will match athleticism and entertainment,” Biles said in the news release. “The show embodies the themes of empowerment and togetherness which

was on display in Tokyo. Together, all the gymnasts on this tour want to inspire the next generation of women and athletes.”

The tour will include 35 U.S. cities, kicking off on Sept. 21 in Tucson and concluding on Nov. 7 in Boston.

Tickets for the Oct. 3 Denver show range in price beginning at $26.50 each for standard admission to $325 each for a Diamond VIP Package. Tickets can be purchased online at www.BallArena.com.

To learn more about the Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour, visit www.

GoldOverAmericaTour.com.

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Enrollment open for 2021/22 Toddlers through Private Kindergarten Celebrating 58 Years

The 32nd Annual Denver Art Museum Friendship Pow Wow and American Indian Cultural Celebration will be held Sept. 12 at the Denver Indian Center on Morrison COURTESY PHOTO Road.

Washington Park Profile 19

September 1, 2021

Warren Village now offers services, resources at Ivy Crossing apartments New partnership will help more residents in need

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Warren Village has big goals to serve the community, said Ethan Hemming, president and CEO of Warren Village.

“We know that financial strain can have a detrimental impact on mental health, academic and job performance, and other aspects of life,” Hemming said in a news release. “Both the economic and social factors related to housing insecurity and insufficient income have a trickle-down effect that negatively impacts individuals’ physical health, the community as a whole, and our local economy.”

Warren Village is a Denver-based nonprofit focused on helping low-income, single-parent families make the journey from poverty to self-sufficiency.

With the goal of providing housing continuity and stability, Warren Village and BLDG Management, Inc. recently entered into a partnership to launch a pilot program at BLDG’s Ivy Crossing, which is a community of 1,023 apartment homes located on South Quebec Street, just east of Denver’s Goldsmith neighborhood.

The pilot launched in June and will initially serve 15-20 families.

A focus of the pilot program is to help ensure that those who have housing are able to keep it, Hemming said. Warren Village staff will work closely with BLDG staff to ensure that residents who might be on the cusp of losing housing have access to stabilizing and empowering resources.

Families living under the 80 percent of Area Median Income are the target group, but Warren Village at will also provide resource referrals to any other Ivy Crossing families in need.

These resources include a variety of free, onsite and remote supportive services, such as assisting residents seeking help in the areas of financial coaching, life skills, mental health and resource referrals. Families will also be able to participate in communitybuilding experiences such as barbecue events, and there will be after-school programming available for resident children, as well additional resources for parents to address children’s developmental, behavioral and mental health issues. Warren Village will also implement a Rent Reporting Pilot Program for the families participating in

Warren Village and BLDG Management, Inc. recently entered into a partnership to launch a pilot program at BLDG’s Ivy Crossing, COURTESY OF BERNARD WOOTEN/FOCUSTREE PHOTOGRAPHY pictured, to help provide housing continuity and stability.

the pilot program. Working with the Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) and Esusu, the rent reporting program will provide residents with an opportunity to raise their credit scores by allowing Warren Village to report rent payments to credit bureaus.

Warren Village has two communities in Denver — one in north Denver, and one in the Cheesman Park neighborhood. The partnership with BLDG is the first time for Warren Village to expand its services to a fair market rate rental property. However, the concept that roots the newly-formed partnership with BLDG had been in the works for about two years, Hemming said.

“We have long been looking for opportunities that allow us to expand our services beyond the four walls of our resident buildings,” Hemming said. “This partnership provides a significant step toward advancing our strategic goal of growing our services to positively impact more families in need.”

The Warren Village at Ivy Crossing pilot program is initially funded through grants from the Colorado Health Foundation and the Carmel Classic Charity Golf Tournament, with additional support from Warren Village and BLDG Management.

The partners are seeking a long-term, sustainable funding source/grant to sustain and grow the program.

BMC Investments — a Denver-based

real estate investment company — owns Ivy Crossing and BLDG manages it. These two affiliated companies both contributed to making the partnership with Warren Village, and thus the pilot program at Ivy Crossing, happen.

“We have long admired the successful program that Warren Village has created, and are thrilled that through this

partnership, we can finally offer similar services to our residents at Ivy Crossing,” said Darren Everett, president of BLDG Management. “With parents being more financially stable, and their children being more successful in school, the property will benefit from higher resident retention, which creates a win-win for everyone involved.”

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Washington Park Profile 21

September 1, 2021

Dick Lamm remembered for policy, passion and prescience Former 3-term Colo. governor honored at Denver service Daniel Ducassi Special to the Colorado Sun

The late former Gov. Dick Lamm was a man of vision and prescience, a complex character in the state’s political history who was never afraid to follow his convictions and take on controversial issues, his family and fellow Colorado politicians remembered Aug. 31.

Current Colorado Gov. Jared Polis praised Lamm’s life of service, not just to the state as both a lawmaker and governor, but also in the U.S. Army to his nation, as a lawyer to his clients and as a teacher to his students.

“Whether or not you agreed or disagreed with Dick, nobody can deny he lived a full life and one that was truly dedicated to serving others,” Polis said in opening remarks at a Denver memorial service that drew hundreds, including prominent Colorado politicians such as Democratic U.S. Sens.

John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet.

Lamm, a Democrat, died July 29, less than a week short of what would have been his 86th birthday.

Speakers praised Lamm for his passion for policy, particularly as an advocate for the environment and for opening the door to the liberalization of abortion laws.

Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, who served in Lamm’s cabinet, described his friend and former colleague as a “member of the greatest generation of political leadership in Colorado,” contemporaries with Democratic former U.S. Sens. Gary Hart and Tim Wirth, as well as Democratic U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder.

“Dick was truly Colorado,” Webb said.

“Independent, tough, strong, complicated, unpredictable, kindhearted.”

Lamm was no stranger to controversy during his time in office, and afterward.

Lamm was a state legislator in 1972 when he famously led a movement that spurred voters to reject funding for the 1976 Winter Olympics. That remains the only time a host city has rejected the Olympics after they were awarded.

He also generated controversy for remarks he made in 2006 that suggested Latinos and Blacks lacked the drive and ambition of Asians and Jews.

Speakers remembered Lamm for his ability to foresee problems like climate change and urban growth, with Polis calling him “prescient.”

Lamm was also described as a man ahead of his time on hot-button topics. Speakers noted he was on the vanguard on environ-

Dottie Lamm speaks in remembrance of her husband, former Colorado Governor Richard “Dick” Lamm on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver.

mental issues and pushed the country’s first law liberalizing abortion regulations, six years before the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on abortion rights in Roe v. Wade.

“Patients from across the country benefit from Dick Lamm’s belief in, and advocacy for, bodily autonomy and the right to make our own healthcare decisions,” said Vicki Cowart, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

Cowart said Lamm “took the position he believed was right no matter what.”

Lamm’s daughter, Heather Lamm, recounted her father’s love for reading and intellectual discussion, guessing that he “probably ascended to the pearly gates only to inquire of St. Peter what he had been reading over the summer.”

His wife, Dottie Lamm, told the story of their love for each other, starting from how they first met and their first date to the time they spent “cocooning during the lockdown,” giving them a chance to look back on their lives and express their love for each other.

The couple shared a deep affection for Colorado, which Lamm governed for 12 years from 1975 to 1987.

“Our marriage was rooted in Colorado soil,” she said. “We fell in love with the state before we fell in love with each other.”

The memorial service, held at Wings Over

the Rockies Air and Space Museum, was punctuated with musical performances by local musicians Purnell Steen and the Five Points Ambassadors. The service concluded with a rendition of John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High.

In her final comments, Dottie Lamm bid her husband a final farewell: “Goodbye, love of my life. We had a really good run. Now

pass your torch, release your spirit, raise your wings and fly over the Rockies.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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Washington Park Profile 23

September 1, 2021

Study: 1st-time homelessness doubled in area over past year

By Kyle Cooke Rocky Mountain PBS

Every year, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative conducts a “Point in Time Count” to determine how many people are experiencing homelessness in the Denver area.

This year’s report found a “drastic increase” in the number of people in the Denver metro area experiencing homelessness for the first time, a surge that surveyors attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can read a snapshot of the report online at tinyurl.com/MetroDenverHomelessness.

The full MDHI Point in Time report for 2021, which will include individualized data for Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, will be published this fall.

“In 2020 there were 1,273 people in shelters that were experiencing homelessness for the first time,” said Matt Meyer, MDHI’s executive director. “This year, that number doubled to 2,530 demonstrating the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the stability of our neighbors.”

This year’s survey was conducted on a single day in February. MDHI found that in the Denver metro area, 5,530 people were staying in shelters, about a 1,000-person increase from last year’s study, which was conducted before the pandemic started.

Benjamin Dunning with the advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) told Rocky Mountain PBS that the true number of people experiencing homelessness is probably even higher.

Dunning explained that the pandemic made counting the number of unhoused people difficult, and that because the results of the Point in Time survey are self-reported, many unhoused people do not respond to the survey and are

therefore not counted.

This year, MDHI did not include the number of unsheltered people in their study because of COVID-19. In 2020, there were 1,561 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the Denver metro area. Advocates believe that number has increased over the past year.

“The number of folks ... that are out on the street probably tripled,” Dunning estimated.

Nearly three-quarters of the people experiencing sheltered homelessness were staying in emergency shelters. MDHI said individual sheltered homelessness increased by 27 percent over the last year.

“Unlike other parts of the country where shelter space was decreased during COVID-19, our community worked diligently to meet this challenge and stood up additional shelter

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spaces to help ensure the safety of those who needed it most,” Meyer added. “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication of our providers in responding to increased need while crafting creative solutions to meet the demand for those experiencing homelessness.”

Recently, the City of Denver’s Department of Housing Stability released a five-year plan to address problems surrounding housing and homelessness in the city. One of HOST’s 14 main goals is to reduce unsheltered homelessness by half.

“While the 2021 (Point in Time Count) did not include a count of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, due to the circumstances related to the pandemic, job loss experienced during the public health emer-

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gency increased the number of people living in unstable conditions and losing their homes,” the HOST plan reads.

The HOST plan also shows that there were more unsheltered homeless people in Denver last year — nearly 1,000 people in Denver County — since at least 2014.

“We know that unsheltered homelessness has become a more visible presence in Denver even as we are sheltering more people nightly than ever before,” the authors of the plan wrote.

You can read the full five-year plan online at tinyurl.com/Denver5YearPlan.

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

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September 1, 2021

Denver parks have mountains, too

ne doesn’t need to go very far from the city to get the experience of being in the Colorado mountains.

In fact, did you know that the city of Denver has more than 14,000 acres of parklands in the mountains and foothills of Jefferson, Clear Creek GUEST and Douglas counties?

COLUMN With Denver being an early leader in land conservation, these vast mountain parklands are part of Denver Parks and Recreation’s 100-yearold park system.

These acres are home to 46 mounHappy Haynes tain properties and attractions, including everything from yurts and challenge courses to roaming bison herds and hiking trails. While some of the mountain lands are deemed conservation areas and have limited public access, there are many that are easily accessible for Denver-area residents to explore and enjoy. (And) the time is right to explore some of what Denver’s Mountain Parks System has to offer. But remember, given the COVID-19 pandemic, if you venture out, be sure to adhere to social distancing guidelines, be respectful of all park rules and consider visiting the more popular areas during non-peak visiting times.

LEARN MORE To learn more about Mountain Parks, visit https://bit.ly/3yOGXha. To learn more about the Denver Mountain Parks Foundation, visit https://mountainparksfoundation.org/.

Most of the mountain parklands are easily accessible and within a half hour drive from Denver. Some are accessible by multimodal transportation options from Denver.

Genesee Mountain Park, for example, has a bus route that drops off at the Genesee Park-n-Ride off I-70 at Exit 254.

Genesee Park is the largest park in the Denver Mountain Parks System, with a total of 2,413 acres. It offers diverse experiences — picnicking options, bison-watching from the Patrick House Trailhead, backcountry hiking on the historic Beaver Brook Trail and camping at Chief Hosa Campground. In addition, park visitors can enjoy a panoramic view that spans from the Continental Divide to the city and plains at the 8,284-foot Genesee Mountain Summit.

For the more adventuresome, Genesee Park also offers a challenge course set in a beautiful area of Ponderosa Pines overlooking the continental divide. With roughly 60 low-and-high ropes elements, it offers varying degrees of challenges to meet a

broad range of visitor preferences. The course is programmed by the Denver Parks and Recreation outdoor recreation team and available to groups of 8-100 people.

Other mountain park areas offer the opportunity for wildlife sightings, beautiful views of the mountains and access to some of the best hiking trails that Colorado offers. These include, but are not limited to: Echo Lake Park — Denver’s only mountain park within the sub-alpine zone. It includes a 24-acre natural lake at the base of Goliath Peak, which is popular for fishing and offers wonderful views of Mount Evans. Visitors to this park are requested to stay on trails, as a 10,000-year-old wetland at the east end of the lake provides important wildlife habitat.

Summit Lake Park — Also on Mount Evans, at an elevation of 12,840 feet, Summit Lake Park is at the highest altitude of all of Denver’s Mountain Parks and considered the highest city-owned park in the nation. A road to the top of Mount Evans is typically accessible from Memorial Day to Labor Day and provides stunning views of Colorado’s highest peaks. There is an accessible trail that offers a short hike to the Chicago Lakes Overlook where park visitors can enjoy spectacular mountain views. The Summit Lake parking area provides access to climb Mount Evans or fish in the high alpine lake. Mountain goats and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep may also be spotted throughout the park.

Lookout Mountain Park — This park boasts a panoramic view stretching from the Continental Divide to downtown Denver and beyond. It is also home of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, which has exhibits that chronicle the life of one of the great figures of the American West.

This area also has great access to hiking trails, including the Beaver Brook Trail in Genesee Park.

O’Fallon Mountain Park — A favored spot for fishing and picnicking along Bear Creek, O’Fallon Mountain Park also has an extensive system of hiking trails, including access to the Bear Creek Trail, which connects to Pence Mountain Park, Corwina Mountain Park and Little Mountain Park.

There are many options to explore as you get outside to enjoy these incredible spaces.

To view the many other options that the Denver Mountain Park System has to offer, visit the Denver Parks and Recreation Mountain Parks website.

The Denver Mountain Parks Foundation works in partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation to ensure continued stewardship and enjoyment of this unique mountain park system for generations to come. For more information about the educational programming and fundraising efforts offered, visit the foundation’s website.

Allegra “Happy” Haynes is the executive director of Denver Parks and Recreation

Curious Theatre will reopen this fall The gutsy Denver theatre company has announced its 2021-2022 lineup

By Maggie Donahue, Denverite

After more than a year and a half of operating solely online, Curious Theatre Company is welcoming audiences back

into its theater.

The gutsy, community-driven theatre group recently announced its 2021-2022 season, which features five productions that will be presented live and in-person at Curious’ Acoma Street stage.

The season will kick off this September with “The Lifespan of a Fact,” an acclaimed 2018 play about a battle of wits between a rigorous fact checker and an eccentric writer. It will be followed by “American Son,” an award-winning

drama about a distraught mother looking for her missing child. The play aims to expose truths about our country’s racial divide “through the eyes of parents on the brink,” per Curious’ promotional materials.

This winter, the new year will kick off with “The Sound Inside,” a show about connection and loneliness told through the friendship of a lonely literary professor and her brilliant students.

The theatre will also notably host the

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world premiere of “Refuge,” a bilingual play incorporating puppetry, magical realism and music to tell the human stories of refugees crossing into Texas, and what it means to be American. Curious has been working on the show for about 18 months now, and press materials call it “the centerpiece” of Curious’ season.

The season will end next spring with “Fireflies,” a play about the struggles of a couple working to fuel the Civil Rights Movement in the wake of a devastating church bombing.

Here’s the full Season 24 lineup: Sept. 18-Oct. 16: “The Lifespan of a Fact” by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell Nov. 6-Dec. 11: “American Son” by Christopher Demos-Brown Jan. 15-Feb. 12: “The Sound Inside” by Adam Rapp March 5-April 9: “Refuge” by Satya Jnani Chavez, Andrew Rosendorf and Marialuisa Burgos April 30-May 28: “Fireflies” by Donja R. Love This story is from Denverite, a nonprofit Denver news source affiliated with CPR News. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

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