Washington Park Profile August 2022

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AUGUST 2022

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Scoping for creatures Washington Park’s lakes are full of water inhabitants

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A NEW DAY

Curious Theatre celebrates its 25th season

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DISTINGUISHED WOMAN Madison Manning represents state in national competition

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ART TO AMAZE

Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado hosts local maze artist

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August 1, 2022

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August 1, 2022

BIG BOY’S VISIT TO DENVER

The Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 made an appearance at Denver’s Union Station on July 29 for the Union Pacific’s 160th anniversary. The stop in Denver was part of a special roundtrip passenger train from Denver to Cheyenne pulled by Big Boy No. 4014. The trip served as the annual gala fundraiser for the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, a nonprofit located in Iowa. The steam locomotive is one of 25 Big Boy locomotives that were built for the Union Pacific to haul heavy freight during World War II. Only eight of the Big Boys are persevered, and of them, No. 4014 is the only functioning Big Boy. To learn more about the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, COURTESY PHOTO visit uprrmuseum.org. To learn more about Union Pacific, visit up.com.

Lead is heavy on our minds.

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

Learn more at DenverWater.org/Lead

ON THE COVER

Aquatic creatures are a major draw for the kids in June Bugs, a camp for children age 3-7 based in Washington Park. Here, two campers examine a tiny baby crayfish. Story on page 6. PHOTO BY TIM COLLINS

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August 1, 2022

Denver’s Madison Manning participates in Distinguished Young Women national competition

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Three years of Distinguished Young Women of Colorado stand together for a photo. Pictured is Madison Manning, center, PHOTO BY ELIANA CHAYE PHOTOGRAPHY 2022; Alison Reed, left, 2021; and Korttney Potter, right, 2020.

To learn more about the Distinguished Young Women program, visit distinguishedyw.org.

WE ARE WHAT

There’s not many people who can say they’ve met someone from each of the 50 states.

But that is something that Denver’s own Madison Manning will be able to tell people once she lands in New York this fall as she begins in her college career.

Manning, 18, was Colorado’s representative in the 65th Distinguished Young Women National Finals, which took place June 23-25 in Mobile, Alabama.

There, she met teens representing all 50 states.

“It was really great to represent Colorado,” Manning said. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

Manning arrived in Alabama midJune, and during the time leading up to the competition, she and the other 49 competitors made new friendships with each other, participated in team building activities, completed community service projects and interacted with the community through various events.

Manning, a resident of the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, is a Colorado native and has lived in Denver her whole life. She is a 2022 graduate of the Cherry Creek School District’s Overland High School.

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Madison Manning, the 2022 Distinguished Young Woman of Colorado, performs “Colored Woman” from the musical “Memphis” at the 65th Distinguished Young Women National Finals, which took place June 23-25 in Mobile, Alabama.

COURTESY OF DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN

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August 1, 2022

MANNING FROM PAGE 4

The Distinguished Young Women program is a national scholarship program during which participants have a chance to win college scholarships while learning life skills — such as public speaking and building self-confidence — that will remain with them through college and beyond.

It teaches young women to “be your best self,” Manning said, and prioritizes and supports women going to college.

The Distinguished Young Women program validates confidence in women, according to Greeley resident Alison Reed, who is the 2021 Distinguished Young Woman of Colorado and represented the state in last year’s national finals.

“By doing the program, I learned that everyone can be distinguished,” Reed said, adding that the program “offers a well-rounded approach to teaching young women life skills.”

For the national competition, participants compete in the following categories: scholastics, which makes up 25% of the score; interview, also 25%; talent, which is 20% of the score; fitness; and selfexpression, which are each 15% of the score.

The competition is a “meritbased pageant,” Manning said, but added that it’s worth it for any female high-schooler to do because “just for participating, you get scholarships.”

Additionally, while it is a compe-

tition, it is not as cutthroat as most pageants are, Manning said.

Manning named a number of girls from states as far away as Alaska and Hawaii that she naturally “clicked with” during the national competition, and they have plans to keep in touch with each other for the foreseeable future.

Preparing for the national competition was a two-year process for Manning, which began during her junior year. Her mom, Nicole Manning, who was Colorado’s representative in 1990, told her of the Distinguished Young Women program. Manning decided to participate in the local competition, then went on to represent Denver in the state competition, which took place in July 2021.

As soon as she was named 2022’s Distinguished Young Woman of Colorado from the state competition, Manning started preparing for the national competition.

At the national competition, Manning was a trailblazer as Colorado’s representative. She became the first Colorado representative to place within the top eight of the overall competition, and in addition, Manning was the first African American to represent Colorado.

“I’m so proud to have had her represent Colorado,” Reed said. “It was a great moment to have everyone cheer on Colorado.”

By placing within the top eight — a competition finalist — Manning won a $5,000 scholarship. She placed within the top five in both the fitness and the self-expression categories.

The self-expression category was “kind of like public speaking,”

Manning said, with its core goal being able to share an opinion on a topic.

“They can’t judge you on your opinion, they judge you on how you present it,” Manning said.

Manning’s questions were: “What is the best thing about your state,” for which Manning responded by discussing how Denver is becoming such a vibrant performing arts hub; and “What would you change about your state,” which Manning answered by saying Colorado needs a better response to gun violence, using Columbine and the Aurora movie theater shootings to back up her response.

The scholastics category was academic-based, and Manning admitted that because she’s not a good test-taker, she had to work even harder on the other categories. For her talent, she sang “Colored Woman” from the musical “Memphis.”

“The first time I heard her sing, I think my jaw just about hit the ground,” said Reed, who met Manning in July 2021 when Manning was competing in the state competition. “There’s a power and passion in her voice that’s so impressive.”

Manning’s dream job after college is to work on Broadway and/ or with traveling theater groups.

She realizes this is quite an ambitious goal, so she’s also thinking about pursuing a PhD and becoming a professor of theater.

“I decided that if I wanted to do what I love, then theater is it,” Manning said.

She added that “it’s a very white field, so it’s important to spread

equity through it and tell stories of Black trauma and the Black experience, whether (storytelling) fact or fiction.”

Manning will be majoring in musical theater at Syracuse University. She leaves this August, and though she’s nervous about the move across the country, she is proud of what she has accomplished here in Colorado. Manning has a long list of accolades, ranging from coaching gymnastics and being part of the National Honor Society to placing second in the 2021 Denver Shakespeare Competition and performing the National Anthem in 2020 to open the city of Aurora’s annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration.

Participating in the Distinguished Young Women National Finals also taught Manning a valuable life lesson — to adapt. Though it was a fun and exciting experience, Manning said the competition itself was physically and mentally exhausting. Add a few COVID scares among the other participants and judges to the demands of the competition, it taught Manning and the rest of the competitors the importance of being flexible.

“This was way harder than going (out-of-state) for college,” Manning said. “If I can do Distinguished Young Women, I can go to New York.”

Reed agreed, adding that it’s Manning’s determination that sets her apart.

“I’ve been inspired by her from day one,” Reed said. “I’m excited for her to expand and grow who she is in New York. I have no doubt that she’ll be successful.”

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6 Washington Park Profile

August 1, 2022

BY KIRSTEN DAHL COLLINS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

E

ven though this writer never managed to convince her kids that a sea monster prowls Smith Lake, visitors to Washington Park are discovering that some of the park’s aquatic creatures grow to sizes that are, well, monstrous.

Just ask Pedie Sosa, an experienced angler, who has pulled 18-inch-long largemouth bass out of his favorite park fishing hole — a spot he cagily refuses to name.

Or check with anyone who strolls around Smith Lake on summer mornings. They’ve probably watched in disbelief as enormous, golden-brown carp explode out of the water, hurl themselves several feet into the air and plunge back in.

Sometimes the splash can be heard on the opposite shore.

Senior park ranger Regan Carriere, who helps supervise the school fishing programs that regularly visit the park, has also encountered some `monsters’ — at least by crayfish standards. She reported that young anglers sometimes catch lake-dwelling crayfish the size of small lobsters.

“The biggest one I’ve seen was probably five-to-six inches long,” said the ranger, who currently works out of the Eugene Field House near Smith Lake.

Netting the small crayfish who inhabit Smith Ditch, the SEE CREATURES, P7

Largemouth bass put up a spirited fight but even the heftiest of these Washington Park “lake monsters” cannot escape the angling skills of Pedie Sosa.

COURTESY OF PEDIE SOSA

Near the Lily Pond in Washington Park, Téa Connors, 3, makes friends with a baby bullfrog, the largest North American frog which can weigh up to one pound when full grown.

PHOTO BY TIM COLLINS

A red-eared slider turtle suns on a log in Grasmere Lake in Washington Park.

PHOTO BY KIRSTEN COLLINS

Washington Park Profile 7

August 1, 2022

Brothers Jonah, Noah and Jared Klasse practice their angling skills in Smith Lake in Washington Park. Who knows what monsters will emerge from the depths? The lake’s common carp can weigh 35 pounds or more.

PHOTO BY TIM COLLINS

CREATURES FROM PAGE 6

canal flowing through Washington Park, is a time-honored kids’ pastime.

But in the lakes, the crayfish live longer and grow bigger because it’s harder for predators to find them, according to Brian Aucone, senior vice president for life sciences at the Denver Zoo. Aucone also had an explanation for the leaping carp.

“They are probably females, trying to escape a group of males who want to breed,” he said.

These lake monsters, who eat only vegetation, can measure two-to-three feet long and weigh more than 30 pounds.

In addition to voracious largemouth bass, the nation’s most popular game fish, Colorado Parks and Wildlife regularly stocks park lakes with rainbow trout, perch and channel catfish, along with sunfish varieties such as bluegill and crappie.

Many of these varieties, like rainbow trout, stay relatively small. But in pond environments with a generous buffet of sunfish, crustaceans, plants and bottom debris, channel catfish can attain monster-hood at weights of 50 pounds or more. Wash Park catfish are probably smaller — but lakes are places of mystery. Who knows exactly what lurks in those watery depths?

Another one of the park’s oversized aquatic animals is the American bullfrog, the largest species of frog in North America. Currently, bullfrogs are making themselves at home among the rushes of the Lily Pond, a children’s fishing hole in the park’s northeastern section. Bullfrogs, an invasive species

with a gluttonous appetite, can grow up to eight inches long and weigh as much as a pound. Wildlife biologists hope they won’t.

Who else lives in the waters of Washington Park?

One local monster hunter claims he recently sighted a snapping turtle the size of a large pizza swimming in the canal near Smith Lake. Entirely possible, since snapping turtles are native to Colorado and their shells can reach an intimidating 20 inches in diameter.

According to Aucone, the lakes are home to at least two other varieties of turtles: the native western painted turtle, a handsome fellow with red, yellow and olive markings; and the non-native red-eared slider, once sold at pet shops and flea markets. Sliders sport a red stripe on each side of the head. Since these two species rarely exceed 10 inches in length, neither is apt to inspire a creature feature. But they are fun to watch — especially when sunning themselves on logs or floating just below the surface with their heads poking out.

Aquatic creatures in the park have many fans. The kids in June Bugs, a local day camp for children age 3 to 7, spend summer mornings splashing through Smith Ditch in search of crayfish and water striders. Equipped with nets and field guides, the June Bugs visit watery locations throughout the park. Camp director Nikki Hudon said the kids love to observe wildlife around the Lily Pond, where they recently netted some mega-size bullfrog tadpoles.

Park goers may wonder: what happens to our watery denizens when summer comes to an end? On Nov. 1 each year, the waterflow in Smith Ditch shuts off and as winter takes hold, the

Enlarged to a gigantic size, crawdads would make great sci-fi movie monsters. But in reality, most crayfish are too small to menace anybody — except minnows, snails and other male crayfish during courtship season.

DRAWING BY KIRSTEN DAHL COLLINS

lakes frequently ice over. But unlike the ocean, lakes do not get colder at greater depths.

“Once you get below 18 inches in depth, the water temperature moderates and stays stable,” Aucone said.

He added that turtles will head for the bottom of the lakes — approximately 10 feet down — in Smith and Grasmere.

There they’ll burrow into the mud and enter a state of torpor, which slows their biological processes. In this state, they skip eating and absorb oxygen from the water.

Crayfish also burrow, earning their nickname, mudbugs.

Aucone said fish stay active in the winter, although they prefer the moderate temperatures in the lake’s lower depths.

Things may quiet down below the ice, but on the surface, senior park ranger Jessica Johnson has observed some lively animal activity.

“When the lakes freeze over in the winter,” she said, “the foxes love to play on the ice.”

8 Washington Park Profile

August 1, 2022

New artistic director leads 25th season CANDY PETROFSKY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Gearing up for what’s sure to be its most sterling season ever, Curious Theatre Company is raising the curtain on its big silver anniversary with a significant change of scenery — a new artistic director.

“To go from a white man running the company to now a female, and especially, one of color, is vital in continuing our mission of producing thought-provoking, relevant, social justice theater,” said Markus Henry, artist in residence at Curious Theatre Company.

The man Henry is referring to is Chip Walton, the “OG” of what’s known backstage as the magnificent seven — which includes his now wife Dee Covington — who started Curious Theatre Company 24 years ago.

Walton and Covington will be leaving the company at the end of this upcoming 25th season to seek new adventures.

They could have conducted a nationwide search to find their replacements, but it turns out that their angel was already waiting in the wings.

“It is so satisfying to hand the theater off to someone on the inside

Jada Suzanne Dixon has been named as Curious Theatre Company’s new artistic director.

“No guts, no story.” Entering into its 25th anniversary season, Curious Theatre Company is known for its longstanding commitment to pioneering work, equity, diversity PHOTOS COURTESY OF CURIOUS THEATRE COMPANY and inclusion.

— someone who is deeply intimate with Curious,” Covington said. “All the mystery and anxiety of change is softened. She knows how to make her mark, and as our new artistic director, she’ll do a lot to make audiences of all ages and color feel welcome.”

Jada Suzanne Dixon is the woman Covington is referring to - and is she ever right for the role. A Curious company member for the past 10 years, Dixon has been an actor, assistant director, associate producer,

associate director, director and artist in residence. Her Curious credits alone could pack a playbill and she holds three masters degrees, one from the very tony Harvard University.

After intense vetting, which no doubt earned her a standing ovation from the board, the polished Dixon will officially assume the role of artistic director just in time for Curious’ 20222023 silver anniversary season, which could prove to be its most timely, if not most treasured, to date.

“I’m looking forward to leading Curious into the next quarter-century of bold theatrical work, and carrying on its tradition of thinking outside the box and starting conversations,” said Dixon. “Work that is unapologetic, diverse, tackles the tough questions and stirs emotions. Our five plays this season are centered around the theme, `what does it mean to be an American?’ Something I think a lot of people are thinking about right now.”

“No guts, no story” embodies the ethos of Curious Theatre Company, according to Covington. Established in 1997 by a vanguard artistic company that has since grown to 25 professional actors, designers and directors, Curious has cultivated a local and national reputation as a destination for artists and playwrights to foster and develop new work — and as a place where audiences are challenged.

Now entering a quarter century of bringing thought-provoking theater to Denver, Dixon highlighted just a few of the amazing accolades the vanguard company has racked up in the past 24 seasons: Curious has produced 21 world premieres, 13 National New Play Network Rolling World Premieres, 82 regional premieres and four Denver premieres.

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To learn more about Curious Theatre Company, visit curioustheatre.org or call 303-623-0524. To reach the box office, email boxoffice@curioustheatre.org.

Curious is also active on Instagram and Facebook.

Here is a brief snapshot of the upcoming 25th season. Show descriptions can be found on Curious’ website: curioustheatre.org/season25info.

During the last 10 years, 75% of Curious’ plays have been written by playwrights of color, LGBTQIA+ playwrights or female playwrights.

Curious’ longstanding commitment to pioneering work, equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as artistic and professional excellence, has been recognized with more than 100 local and national awards, including a Denver Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in Arts & Culture.

As with everything in life, change is inevitable and the show must go on. Covington said the company is excited to flip the script with a new artistic director, and she and her husband will remain active and available during this 25th Anniversary transition year.

“Under Dixon’s direction, the lens will shift, but our core values will stay the same,” Covington said. “Curious Theatre will forever remain a destination for artists and playwrights with gutsy things to say to foster and develop new work, and a place where audiences are challenged. And we will never be static. We’ll keep asking questions and reevaluating the answers to keep our audiences enthralled and engaged.”

As for Dixon? She hopes to bring a little extra sparkle to the 25th anniversary season. And with ticket prices starting at just $20, it won’t cost a lot of silver to go.

“I look forward to breaking new ground this season, and beyond, in a very thoughtful and intentional way,” Dixon said. “We want to create theater that’s inclusive and accessible to everyone. Think of me as a caretaker in collaboration with the entire staff to move the Curious legacy forward.”

• “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” by Will Arbery. Sept. 10-Oct. 15.

• “Franklinland” by Lloyd Suh. Nov. 5-Dec. 10.

• “Alma” by Benjamin Benne. Jan. 14Feb. 18.

• “Amerikin” by Chisa Hutchinson.

March 11-April 15.

• “On the Exhale” by Martin Zimmerman. May 6-June 10.

Washington Park Profile 9

August 1, 2022

IF YOU GO

Attendees of local artist Warren Stokes’ opening reception gather for a photo during the event on July 22, which took place at the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado building in Washington Park.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN Stokes is pictured in the center, next to the youth holding the artwork.

Local artist Warren Stokes holds one of his maze art pieces on the outdoor patio of the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado building in Washington Park. Stokes’ artwork will be on exhibit through August at the VOC.

Warren Stokes’ maze art will be on display at the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado building, 600 S. Marion St. Pkwy. in Washington Park, through August. It is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Drop-ins are welcome.

Stokes’ exhibit is part of the VOC’s monthly art exhibit program, which highlights local artists. Any Coloradobased artist is welcome to participate. It is preferred that the art have some connection to nature, but all mediums are welcome. To inquire about the VOC’s monthly art exhibit program, contact Abby Hanson, the VOC’s administrative assistant, at 303-715-1010 ext 111 or abby@voc.org.

To learn more about the VOC, including volunteer opportunities, visit voc.org.

To connect with Warren Stokes or learn more about his art, visit his Facebook page: facebook.com/StokesGriot or Instagram: Warren_Stokes_art.

Local maze artist spotlighted at Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado art exhibit

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Freedom. Gratification. Expression.

This what local artist Warren Stokes gets from creating his maze art.

“In everything I’ve tried, I’ve never gotten such a positive response as with my art,” Stokes said.

Stokes, a self-proclaimed mazeologist, has drawn roughly 2,000 artistic mazes. Each is unique and they vary in size — often, Stokes will create them on discarded materials, such as a broken-up dresser drawer or shelf.

Though intricate and detailed, each work of art is a solvable maze.

Stokes has always had an interest in art, and started creating his maze art in 2008.

“Art is a way to save me,” Stokes said.

Stokes’ art is available through various organic platforms — particularly word-of-mouth or reaching him through social media — but it has been a number of years since it has been available on consignment.

This is because his first experience consigning was negative, Stokes said.

About five or six years ago, Stokes had a deal with a furniture retailer to sell his work. But the art was only

available to the public for a short while before the Colorado Department of Revenue seized the property — including Stokes’ artwork inside — because the businessowner did not pay taxes, Stokes said. Eventually, the businessowner “did the right thing” and purchased Stokes’ work through auction and returned it, Stokes said.

But “I gave up on showing my art after that,” Stokes said.

That is, until last fall when a thenneighbor reached out to him and expressed interest in his work.

Kate Barrett, projects manager for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, thought Stokes’ work would be a good fit for the organization’s monthly rotating art display.

As neighbors, the two got to talking and Stokes invited Barrett into his home to view his art. That’s when Barrett asked if Stokes would be interested in being August 2022’s featured artist at the VOC, which is located within Washington Park.

“He’s a passionate and involved member of the community,” Barrett said. And “the VOC is not just a steward of the land, we’re also stewards of relationships and community.”

Stokes is a Colorado Springs native and has lived in Denver since 1997.

A current resident of the Virginia

Village neighborhood, he and Barrett got acquainted when he was living in the Washington Park neighborhood.

The VOC is an outdoor stewardship nonprofit that was founded in 1984. Each year, the VOC engages with thousands of people who volunteer their time to the outdoors, so it’s common for people to see VOC volunteers out on the trails and in the parks, caring for Colorado’s natural resources, Barrett said. But the art exhibits offer a different kind facet for the VOC to operate in the community, Barrett added.

They “cultivate a passion for natural art,” said Abby Hanson, the VOC’s administrative assistant.

VOC’s monthly art exhibit program offers local artists a space to display and consign their work with no overhead. It is free for artists to participate, and for every sale, the artist keeps 75% with the other 25% going to the VOC. “It’s a mutually beneficial program,” Hanson said. “The art (is displayed) in an accessible space — we’re on public land, so the public is already here.”

Those who come for the art are introduced to the VOC and its mission, and those who are already familiar with the VOC have the opportunity

to be exposed to nature-inspired art by a different Colorado-based artist each month, Hanson said.

And the exhibits provide VOC with an opportunity to learn about people’s vision of the state, Barrett added.

Stokes’ “mazes are an interesting commentary on nature,” Hanson said, “because they illustrate how everything is connected.”

He is inspired by animals, nature, parks and shapes, as well as “being Black in America,” Stokes said.

As an example for the latter, Stokes mentioned being called the N-word.

“Instead of choosing a fight with the person,” he said, “I’ll go home and draw.”

Stokes calls it “mazing it out,” because mazes always have a solution.

“I can’t solve hunger. I can’t solve homelessness. And I can’t solve racial inequities,” Stokes said. “But I can draw a maze, and it will have a solution.”

Stokes is looking forward to the consigning opportunity with VOC. Something he hopes to gain from the experience is the courage to keep going as an exhibition artist.

Something he likes to keep in mind is a quote, for which the attribution is unknown: “Don’t fear your future when your purpose is present.”

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10 Washington Park Profile

August 1, 2022

LOCAL

VOICES

There’s just nothing like Red Rocks FROM THE EDITOR

Christy Steadman

GUEST COLUMN

Councilmember Jolon Clark

Y

ou’re killin’ me, Smalls.”

I enjoy watching movies, but I don’t consider myself a film buff by any means. I don’t keep up with Hollywood or most entertainment news. More often than not, I have no idea who an actor or actress is until someone tells me what movie they starred in — and that’s considering that I’d seen the movie.

My boyfriend, however, is somewhat of a film enthusiast. He has a collection of probably a couple hundred movies — on DVD and the “collectables” from the ‘80s and ‘90s on VHS. Still, we’re run-of-the-mill movie-goers. We enjoy dinner and a movie at home, and will go to the theaters when a new release that particularly excites us is announced.

But there is one movie-going experience that is not like any other in the world. That’s Denver Film’s Film on the Rocks.

Denver Film is a nonprofit organization that got its start in 1978. It is known for its unique programming such as the award-

winning Denver Film Festival and the Film on the Rocks series.

There are a few reasons that make the Film on the Rocks experience so remarkable.

First, it’s Red Rocks. Anyone who is familiar with the venue knows there is nothing more that needs to be said about that. Second, it feels like home to me — I’ve been to Red Rocks so many times for live music events that it would be impossible for me to guesstimate the number. Thirdly, the crowd. It is just so much fun when everyone around you cheers during the climax of a movie, or yells out the movie’s famous one-liners and quotes. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Film on the Rocks is affordable. A movie ticket only costs about $20 — including fees — the parking is free and you can bring your own movie snacks (in sealed packaging or clear plastic containers/baggies).

On July 18, my boyfriend and I went to the showing of “The Sandlot” (which is one of the movies we own as one of the VHS col-

lectables, by the way).

It has been a few years since I’ve been to a Film on the Rocks, and even though he’s a Colorado native, my boyfriend had never been to Red Rocks at all before. (To his defense, he’s not from the metro area.) Since he’s a musician, I wanted to make sure that we arrived in time to see some of the band perform — that night was the School of Rock, and they did great.

I’ll be honest and admit that even the hike up to the amphitheater isn’t so bad because it’s scenic. The worst part about the hike, in my opinion, is the building anticipation of the amazing event you’re about to experience.

Everywhere in the world has unique places that provide its community with bragging rights. Red Rocks is just one of Colorado’s many, and I’m proud to say that it is in our backyard.

To learn more about Film on the Rocks, visit denverfilm.org/programs/film-on-therocks.

Taking action to combat climate change N ot a day goes by that the effects of a warming planet are not in the news. Fires, floods, drought and famine all across the globe. Here at home, Denver is experiencing more triple digit days, our water sources are drying faster than normal and the return of the brown cloud hurts our air quality and harms our most vulnerable residents.

Fortunately, Denver voters took a bold step with the passage of initiative 2A — which created the Climate Protection Fund, a $40 million a year fund generated from sales tax, to mitigate impacts of climate change, build resiliency and adapt to changes. Denver is only the second city in the United States to have a taxpayersupported fund dedicated to climate action.

I was proud to sponsor the legislation to put the initiative on the ballot and work with stakeholders to develop climate policy that is focused on equity.

Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) recently released its 5-year plan designed to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. In just the past year, the Climate Protection Fund has funded more than $7 million in projects, from providing electric bikes to essential workers, to funding six different organizations that provide training for jobs in the green economy.

Some highlights of the fund include: • $18 million in community solar, with 30% of the power generated helping pay bills for Denver Public Schools families with lower incomes.

• Nearly 1,000 paid positions in workforce development programs designed to give under-resourced residents a clear pathway

A publication of

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to the quality, in-demand jobs of the future.

• Planting more than 2,000 trees to increase tree canopy in climate-vulnerable neighborhoods.

• A free, on-demand micro-shuttle to help Montbello residents move around their neighborhood and connect to transit.

• Co-creating climate and environmental justice solutions with historically underrepresented communities.

• Retrofitting the Forum Apartments to an all-electric building, improving the health, safety and comfort of residents experiencing homelessness.

More than half of the Climate Protection Fund’s first-year investments directly benefit our most climate-vulnerable residents, surpassing its mandate to direct at least 50% of the funds towards those communities.

Some of these programs include: • Rebates for e-bikes and e-cargo bikes to replace car trips, covering up to 100% of the cost. This program is extremely popular — the last release of rebates ran out in less than 24 hours — so be sure to check denvergov.org/climate for more information on when rebates will be available again.

• Rebates for energy efficient heating and cooling, covering up to 100% of the cost.

• Free e-bike libraries for essential workers in the Westwood and Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods.

• Reduced costs for solar panel installations.

• Paid workforce training programs.

• Free reusable bags (contact our office at district7@denvergov.org if you are interested in receiving free bags).

• Funding to assist neighborhoods and

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

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small businesses to go green.

Initiatives sponsored and passed by city council: • Implementation of Energize Denver.

This will provide more than $1 billion in benefits to the city by drastically cutting buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels with energy efficiency improvements and strategic electrification of all existing large buildings. Buildings and homes are responsible for 64% of the greenhouse gas emissions in Denver, so this legislation is a major step towards achieving net zero emissions.

• Bring Your Own Bag, led by city council and implemented by CASR to reduce the use of plastic bags.

• #SkiptheStuff, led by city council and implemented by CASR to reduce the use of single-use items when ordering takeout or delivery.

• Expanded waste collection services, which will change billing for solid waste customers in 2023 by implementing a fee on the amount of trash discarded, and provide free and weekly compost and recycling.

This direct economic incentive will decrease the amount of waste we send to the landfill, a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more, visit www. denvergov.org/expandedcollection.

During my seven years on council, I have been a passionate advocate for implementing bold changes for the environment. We have to do everything that we can as a city to combat climate change, and we have to take that action now.

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

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Profile.

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

Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

Washington Park Profile 11

August 1, 2022

Beyond our York Street walls

S

The gardens just beyond the Denver Botanic Gardens’ walls are curated with the same amount of care as the ones inside the property.

PHOTOS BY HOLLY G. HAYNES

o, you have walked, biked, bused, scootered or driven over to the Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street and are ready to explore GUEST all the beauty that COLUMN is within the 24-acre Holly G. Haynes property. Before you make a beeline for the entrance, stop, and take some time to explore just beyond our walls. What many visitors might not know is the gardens that surround our main property are curated with as much care as the ones inside and are some of our most sophisticated and transformative gardens. An added perk is these gardens are accessible 24/7.

If you begin along the Josephine Street streetscape, you can explore a naturalistic grassland area. This garden gives you an innovative idea of what is to come in the world of residential landscaping in the coming years. As our rainfall decreases, but our desire to have beautiful yards and visits from pollinators is still just as important, having a water-wise garden is something you might want to consider. Stroll along Josephine Street throughout the year and observe the transformation that happens from spring through winter. As the idea of adding meadows to your yards takes hold, you can be inspired by this sophisticated design.

Taking a stroll around the gardens that surround our newest building, the Freyer-Newman Center, you will find everything from shade gardens

to annuals to medicinal ones. You can enjoy a tasty beverage and read a book in the courtyard, or stop by the medicinal courtyard (just outside our classrooms) to see what you might want to grow as you learn more about the benefits of herbs. Heading west, look across the street at the Colorado Garden Show Promenade Garden on the parking structure hill. Here you will see more low-water plants that would be perfect for any yard. This garden performs well into the winter months with architectural interest of hesperaloe parviflora, Salvia azurea, and schizachyrium scoparium. All the grasses, similar to the Josephine streetscape, put on an amazing show as well, and are great as a foundation for any home garden.

If annuals and perennials are your passion, continue a slow stroll up York Street and enjoy the beautiful blooms.

Not to be outdone by the flashy campsis radicans, the annual and perennial blooms put on a real show from April through October. Maybe you missed the bulb blooms of spring, but by August, the perennials and annuals have exploded in color. To me, August is the height of gardening season in Denver, and it is one of the best times to have a look at what Denver Botanic Gardens has to offer. No ticket required to see the gardens outside our gates, anytime of day - access to all, just beyond our walls. Enjoy the journey.

Holly G. Haynes is the plant mapping coordinator for the Denver Botanic Gardens

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12 Washington Park Profile

August 1, 2022

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On June 28, teams with the Denver Zoo and Colorado Parks & Wildlife released 570 boreal tadpoles into wetlands in a remote site in the Gunnison National Forest. The goal of the effort is to restore the state’s populations of boreal toads.

The boreal toad is a state-listed endangered species. It has experienced dramatic population decline in the past two decades, which “appears to be related to habitat loss and primarily infection by the chytrid fungus, which can infect the majority of the world’s 7,000 amphibian species,” states a news release.

Last November, conservation and amphibian experts with the Denver Zoo traveled to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility (NASRF) in Alamosa to pick up 95 adult boreal toads to serve as an additional breeding population for the species.

These toads were prepped for breeding at the Denver Zoo, and staff nurtured the offspring to get them ready for release into the wild.

“This was the result of a tremendous amount of hard work and planning by our partners at Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and

Teams with the Denver Zoo and Colorado Parks & Wildlife release 570 boreal tadpoles in the Gunnison National Forest on June 28.

The boreal toad is a state-listed endangered species that has experienced dramatic population decline in the past PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DENVER ZOO two decades.

mitted to continuing this effort with CPW for many years to come, and doing our part to make sure the species remains part of Colorado’s ecosystem for future generations.”

The collaboration is expected to be a multi-year program, as officials with the zoo and Colo-

rado Parks & Wildlife estimate it will take many years to bring the boreal toad back to a level where it is secure in the southern Rocky Mountains, states the news release.

To learn more, visit DenverZoo. org/Boreal-Toad-ConservationTeam.

members of our animal care and field conservation teams,” said Erica Elvove, Senior Vice President for Conservation Engagement and Impact at Denver Zoo. “Boreal toads face an extremely uncertain future in Colorado and have a good chance of going extinct without human intervention. We’re com-

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Washington Park Profile 13

August 1, 2022

One year later — is it working as intended?

ELICIA HESSELGRAVE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Barbara MacFarlane wishes Denver would ban plastic bags altogether.

“You gotta roll with the times,” she said. “The times (now) are reusable.”

MacFarlane is the co-owner and self-proclaimed Queen Bee of Marczyk Fine Foods, a locally-owned neighborhood market that has two locations in Denver — one at 770 E. 17th Ave. in Uptown; and the other at 5100 E. Colfax Ave., which borders the Hale and South Park Hill neighborhoods.

Colorado has proposed a statewide ban on plastic bags expected to go into effect beginning in 2024, but in the meantime, shoppers across Denver are subject to a fee of 10 cents per disposable bag.

The Bring Your Own Bag program, which passed Denver City Council in December 2019 and was implemented in July 2021, requires retailers to charge 10 cents for a disposable bag.

Consumers are able to avoid the fee by bringing their own bag.

While all paper, plastic and compostable single-use disposable bags at most retail stores in Denver are subject to the fee, the smaller bags — such as those used for filling bulk items like nuts or produce, and those provided by pharmacists that contain prescription drugs — are not.

“Nobody really batted an eye,” MacFarlane said of the fee, adding that she believes her customers’ response has been neutral.

This could be because it isn’t just Marczyk enforcing the fee, MacFarlane said. As a city-and-countywide program, Marczyk is one of 1,090 Denver retailers enrolled in the BYOB. Working as intended BYOB is intended to encourage consumers to bring their own, reusable bags to help meet an overarching goal of reducing waste and preventing litter.

It is one of a few efforts — such as Pay As You Throw and Waste No More — that Denver is using as tools to meet waste diversion rate goals.

Now a year into the program, the BYOB seems to be working as it is intended to.

In a July 12 article published by 9News’ Next with Kyle Clark, Denver’s Chief Climate Officer Grace

Rink states that disposable bag usage is decreasing — with the city estimating that residents used four times as many disposable bags before the program was implemented.

At Marczyk, MacFarlane said she has seen an increase of customers making use of reusable bags. She guesstimated that use of a reusable bag is up from about only 10-20% of Marczyks’ customers using a reusable bag prior to BYOB’s implementation to about 65% of Marczyks’ customers bringing their own bag currently.

Making adjustments to better serve consumers Retail stores subject to the fee include, but are not limited to, convenience stores, department stores, retail chain stores, hardware stores, liquor stores and grocery stores. Restaurants, salons, auto mechanics and other businesses that retail sales are not the primary business activity are not required to charge the bag fee.

Nor are temporary vendors and those at events such as farmers markets.

While shoppers arm themselves with reusable bags or make ready to pay for bags, grocery stores have had to make adjustments as well.

Marczyk, for example, prepared for consumer needs by ordering different sized paper bags, MacFarlane said.

Marczyk also used the program as a way to offer a new product: an upcycled bag, designed to meet the customer’s needs, MacFarlane said.

It includes special pockets, such as one that can be used for a baguette and another for olive oil, for example, MacFarlane said.

Keeping it local, Marczyk worked with a local vendor, Mile High Workshop, to create the reusable bags out of retired Denver-based organizations’ banners.

How the fee is spent Of the 10 cents fee per bag, retailers keep 4 cents and the city receives 6 cents.

According to the Next with Kyle Clark article, a spokesperson for Safeway “said that the grocery chain uses the money for training employees, providing customer education with posters and flyers about the bag fee, (offering) free bags to customers, nonprofits and schools and producing internal training videos for staff.”

As of July 15, the city’s share of collected fees amounted to $1,631,773,

Denver’s Bring Your Own Bag program, which requires most retailers to charge a 10cent fee for a disposable bag, has been in place for a year now. Reusable bags like this one can be purchased at some retailers, but the BYOB program includes a provision for COURTESY PHOTO the city to provide free reusable bags to residents.

said Winna MacLaren, spokesperson for Denver’s office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. The fee is not a tax, and cannot be used for general government expenses. Therefore, the city reports that these funds have been spent on public awareness campaigns, providing free reusable bags to consumers and program administration staff, MacLaren said.

A question of fairness The bag fee is only charged when the store provides the shopper with new single-use plastic or paper bag.

Individuals participating in state and federal food assistance programs are exempt from the fee.

Additionally, the BYOB includes a provision to provide free reusable bags for all residents, and there is no limit to the number of bags each person may have, MacLaren said. So far, the city has given away about 40,000 bags, MacLaren added.

The best way for people to obtain a free, reusable bag through the city is to attend an event or contact their district office to make a reservation and pick one up.

Though the city is making efforts to ensure every resident can participate in BYOB, some residents question the equity of the program.

For example, Nate Girard of south Denver said the city needs to make a

better, ongoing effort to share information about where and how to get reusable bags. He added he was one of probably many who did not know that information was online, and wonders if the program exacerbates systemic barriers.

“Who is really paying for this program? It isn’t the wealthy people who were likely already using reusable bags,” Girard said. “It’s the individuals who can’t afford reusable bags to begin with. It is just another example of environmental inequities.”

A change in behavior Others, like Nicole Meredith of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, loves the program.

“I want to use less plastic in general for environmental reasons,” Meredith said.

Meredith moved to Denver in January, and came from a city that had a similar program. Denver, however, charges 5 cents more per bag, and the slight increase has been enough to incentivize Meredith to always remember to bring her own bags, she said.

“It makes me more mindful,” Meredith said.

To learn more about Denver’s Bring Your Own Bag program, visit tinyurl. com/DenverBYOB.

14 Washington Park Profile

August 1, 2022

All Colorado Art Show returns to Curtis 39th annual exhibition will run through Aug. 27

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colors are softer and more subdued, perhaps, in this 39th year, and materials seem more varied as one enjoys Curtis Center for the Arts’ very solid All Colorado Art Show at Greenwood Village’s Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E. Orchard Road, just west of South University Boulevard.

The pleasant gallery in an old schoolhouse holds a collection of works, in two and three dimensions, by a number of this state’s talented corps of working artists.

The show will run through Aug. 27 and is open six days a week (closed Sundays), so area art lovers will want to fit a visit onto the summer calendar. And perhaps find a new treasure for their home.

Admission is free. Parking (free) is accessed from the drive just east of the gallery, which also serves the corner school.

Libby Garon, gallery director for Denver’s Walker Fine Art, was juror. She is active in the Denver arts community and focuses on making connections between artists and collectors, as well as having an ongoing involvement with Colorado’s arts organizations and galleries.

Garon awarded the first place / juror’s choice award to Denver

artist Sharon Brown’s charming portrait of an older couple, “The Joneses,” dressed up, smiling happily and holding hands, they stand in front of a hedge of pink roses on a sunny day. One thinks perhaps they have just attended a service at their favorite church and cheerfully look forward to a family dinner nearby.

Brown states: “I grew up with a number of artists in my family so it was natural for me to draw and paint from an early age.” She works in oil and watercolor in her studio and runs her own gallery, The Pattern Shop, in RiNo. She and her husband were among the eight artists who founded the River North Art District.

Watercolors and oils are presented in conventional techniques and there are some surprises. Aurora artist Cara Brewer’s “Cranes” is a photograph on metal. “Building the Family” draws the visitor’s eye as does Boulder artist Nancy Eastman’s “Summer Prairie” on handmade paper, including stitching, Under a glass bell just inside the entrance is “Forest Moss” a minithree-dimensional landscape with tiny logs and tinier leaves.

The juror will speak at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13. It’s always interesting to hear how they evaluated entries to create an exhibit.

Note that Greenwood Village’s newer event, Art on the Green, will return to Curtis Park on Sept. 17, 18. (Contact Curtis Director Chris Stevens for information.)

S

w o Sharon Brown’s “The Joneses” is part of the Curtis Center for the Arts’ All Colorado Art f COURTESY PHOTO t Show in Greenwood Village. s

IF YOU GO Curtis Center for the Arts is at 2349 East Orchard Road in Greenwood Village. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday. 303-797-1779. Admission is free. Parking just east of the gallery.

Pick up information on education programs.

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Washington Park Profile 15

August 1, 2022

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

S

ummer is here. And perhaps nothing defines the season as well as a cold, creamy scoop or two on a cone — or in a bowl, if you prefer. What else appeals so effortlessly to all ages, putting summertime smiles on kids and kids-at-heart?

In fact, Americans consume about 23 gallons of ice cream annually, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. And in case you didn’t know, July has been celebrated as National Ice Cream Month since Ronald Reagan signed the proclamation way back in ‘80s.

July is also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, tied with August for the two most popular months to eat ice cream — a statistic that surely surprises no one.

Ask a few people who has the best ice cream in the Denver metro area, and then sit back and be amazed at the number of answers you get.

In the old days, it was easy. There was Baskin Robbins and DQ, and for a special occasion, you might get a counter seat at Dolly Madison.

Then there was Farrell’s, and later, Swensen’s, but these were both chains that came here from other places. Nothing about them was particularly connected to Colorado. And in more recent history, the opening of Magill’s in Lakewood and Bonnie Brae in south Denver signaled that a new era was at hand.

These days, the continuing trend of boutique ice cream joints using premium ingredients has ushered in what is undoubtedly the golden era of cold and creamy goodness in the metro area. When you make a list, it’s easy to see there are several formidable contenders cranking out delicious frozen delights. So, making a list is what we have done.

To be clear, this is no contest. The order of the list is not scientific or any type of ranking at all, but merely the order in which they popped into the author’s head. You may use it as a type of map, as it were, to the coolest mini road trip in the metro. Pun intended.

• Bonnie Brae Ice Cream opened in 1986 and has been cranking out the cold stuff ever since.

• Little Man Ice Cream Company started in 2008 in the Lower High-

lands neighborhood and has grown to six distinct locations across the Front Range including — aside from the flagship store — The Little Man Ice Cream Factory, DANG Soft Serve, Old Town Churn, The Constellation and Sweet Cooies.

• Sweet Cow now has six locations plus a truck, the MooMobile. Their ice cream is made in small batches and crafted at each location.

• Liks Ice Cream has been a staple in Capitol Hill forever. They’re family-owned and now have a second location in Conifer.

• Nuggs, the brainchild of Chris and Nick O’Sullivan of Brother’s BBQ, has been serving cool, creamy treats to folks in Park Hill and Mayfair since 2014.

• Magill’s on the west side of Denver has had you covered for the last four decades. This unassuming Lakewood strip-mall shop has them lined up most evenings, no matter the weather. The huckleberry is to die for. Plus, it’s just fun to say huckleberry.

• Sweet Action opened on Broadway in 2009 and now has four locations serving flavors as fun as you’ll find anywhere, with plenty of vegan options in the mix. You can also find them in Washington Park, Uptown and Jefferson Park.

• High Point Creamery’s Erika Thomas and Chad Stutz have been serving ice cream with elevated flavor profiles in Hilltop, RINO and Berkeley. They also have a food truck they call “Big Pinky” — it’s pink — to cater to every ice cream need.

• Em’s Ice Cream in Park Hill is getting ready to launch a second location in Wheat Ridge at 26th and Kipling.

• Scrumptious can be discovered a bit further north in Olde Town Arvada. According to its website, the business makes all of their ice cream in-house.

• Inside Scoop in Littleton, with another location on Platte Street, serves 20 flavors that are homemade daily and go perfectly with a handcrafted waffle cone, which they also make fresh.

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August 1, 2022

THE JCC IS A PLACE FOR EVERYONE Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center in Denver celebrates its 100th anniversary

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

An 8-foot-tall J adorns the lobby of the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center in Denver. As part of the JCC Denver’s 100th anniversary, the J was installed 100 days before the Sept. 18 annual dinner event, which is when the JCC Denver will COURTESY OF THE STAENBERG-LOUP JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER celebrate its 100th anniversary.

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The Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St. in Denver, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Its Todah event takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Sept. 18.

Todah, which means thanks, is the new name for the JCC’s annual fundraising dinner event. Attendees are welcome to use the outdoor pool, and other attractions of the event include dinner and cocktails, and entertainment

by Paul Shapiro’s Ribs and Brisket Band, with a special arrangement of music from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

To inquire about sponsorships packages and event tickets, contact Beth Hornstein, jhornstein@jccdenver. org or 303-316-6382.

Additional upcoming events being put on by the JCC include: Family Weekend Day at Ranch Camp: 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 12-14. Activities include high ropes course, tie-dyeing, hiking, arts and crafts, archery, horseback riding, swimming and more.

Registration can be done on the JCC’s website. Second annual ReelAbilities International Film Festival: Aug. 24-27, in person; Aug. 24-31, virtual. For more information, visit JCCdenver.org/reel or call 303-316-6337.

To learn more about the JCC, visit jccdenver.org.

If there’s one characteristic of Denver’s Jewish community center that won’t change, it’s that everyone is welcome.

“One of the exciting things about this JCC is that the doors are open to everyone, whether Jewish or non-Jewish,” said the organization’s CEO Mike Sophir. “You can find a home, a place, a family here.”

This year, the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC Denver) celebrates its 100th anniversary, capped by a special Todah — which translates to thanks — event on Sept. 18.

“For those who are Jewish, they find, I hope, a (connection) to their community,” Sophir said. “We’re not a synagogue, we’re never going to be one. But we are a place to celebrate Judaism. For non-Jewish people, it’s a place to create that kind of connection, and to build knowledge, understanding and appreciation of what it all means.”

Sophir said the JCC Denver has had some lean years recently, but the team is doing its best to extend its hands and reintroduce the JCC Denver into the community.

“The doors are open,” Sophir said.

“We invite them in, we value their feedback and want to make this place a part of their daily life.”

Meanwhile, the JCC Denver is also creating plans to guide growth for the near future, working on improving programming and trying to communicate more frequently with members.

The full force of JCC life hit Sophir, who became JCC Denver’s CEO in January, on a recent day. He came in early, and by 5:30 a.m., people using the center for fitness were arriving. At 7:30 a.m., early-learning teachers were arriving for their 8 a.m. class. At about 11:30 a.m., teenagers were coming to swim.

By 3 p.m., full families appeared, and by 5:30 p.m., older adults were showing up to use the center’s amenities.

“Every day, this place is a life cycle,” Sophir said. “On that particular day, I saw it in its true form.”

Located at 350 S. Dahlia St. in the northwest corner of Denver’s Washington Virginia Vale neighborhood, the JCC Denver got its start in December 1922 at 13th Avenue and Decatur Street.

Back then, the neighborhood of lower West Colfax was described as the Jewish township on the scenic Platte River.

It moved to an old mansion at 16th Avenue and Irving Street in 1932, thanks to a gift from L.H. Guldman. The Guldman Community Center had workshops, club rooms, a library and assembly and dining halls.

Decisions to start fundraising to build a new Jewish community center came in 1957 and 1958, and the JCC Denver has been at the Dahlia Street location since then.

It’s easy to find JCC Denver members SEE JCC, P17

Washington Park Profile 17

August 1, 2022

The Harrison family rides horses in August 2017 during a family camp offered by the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center. The JCC Denver is celebrating its 100th COURTESY PHOTO anniversary this year.

JCC

FROM PAGE 16

like the Neustadts whose families have a long history with the organization.

When Kathy Neustadt’s children were young, she sought a community where she would feel comfortable.

“I was just looking for a community, and place to gather and meet people,” Neustadt said. “It came back to me in spades, and I’ve met some of my closest friends” at JCC Denver.

She and her children attended mommy-and-me classes and got involved with many programs at the

JCC Denver: karate, tumbling, the overnight Ranch Camp.

Neustadt’s children, who are now are in their 20s, both became counselors when they got older — her son, Josh, currently serves as manager of trips for the Ranch Camp.

Neustadt has also made many contributions to the JCC. She served as chair of JCC Denver’s board of directors from 2005 to 2008, and was chair of the Mizel Arts and Culture Center for 12 years. She funds literature prizes and helped fund the annual Jewish Authors, Artists, Musicians and Movies (JAAMM) festival.

JCC Denver “instills Jewish values without necessarily proselytizing or drilling down on the Jewishness of it,” Neustadt said. “It’s all in the values.

That’s what makes it so welcoming for people who are Jewish and aren’t Jewish, but want what Jewish culture and values bring.”

Kendra Harrison and her family also enjoy being involved with JCC Denver.

She specifically mentioned pottery lessons, swim lessons, soccer and basketball.

“I spent a lot of my life at the JCC,” Harrison said.

“We were always pretty involved. My dad was on the board. Now I’m on the board.”

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Harrison has three children. Her oldest, who is 8, stayed at the Ranch Camp for a while in summer 2021.

“She loved the counselors, arts and crafts, ropes course, riding horses, the pool,” Harrison said.

Her 6-year-old daughter is going to Ranch Camp this summer. While her 3-year-old son is too young still for the center’s activities, Harrison made good friends when she attended Jewish Baby University.

“I really connected with the other five women in the group and we’re still very close,” she said. “We get the kids together all the time.”

Kelli Pfaff and her hus-

band, Evan, have their two children, who are 12 and 9, involved with a number of JCC Denver activities, including Camp Chai, which is a day camp.

“They not only learned about Jewish values, it also was a high-quality, well-run camp experience,” Pfaff said.

She added that her daughter enjoyed bringing her non-Jewish friends to Camp Chai.

Sophir said he is struck by how attentive some kids are, adding that the nonJewish kids appreciate the culture they’re introduced to at the JCC Denver.

“It’s a place for everyone,” Sophir said.

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August 1, 2022

The forgotten history of Colorado’s ghost towns From the foothills of Douglas County to the cliffs of Battle Mountain, history abounds in Colorado’s uninhabited towns

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“There’s nothing abandoned in Colorado,” proclaims Melanie Roth from a set of wooden steps outside a cabin in St. Elmo — a ghost town in Chaffee County.

Roth’s assertion is a bold one considering the setting — a dead-silent main street consisting of 150-yearold buildings that haven’t been inhabited since the 1950s gives way to the towering foothills of Mount Princeton and the Collegiate Peaks.

Here, over a hundred miles from the bustling cityscape of metro Denver, it’s easy to feel isolated — yet not entirely alone.

St. Elmo is perhaps the most well preserved of Colorado’s many ghost towns — remnants of a bygone era when mining, agriculture and railroad routes largely governed where people lived.

While many of these settlements have been decimated by years of weathering — and in some cases, vandalism — a small group of dedicated historians have worked to preserve them as markers of Colorado’s history.

“Two things make Colorado ghost towns different than any other state,” said Lee Dahl, a member of the Ghost Town Club of Colorado.

“First of all, the setting; a lot of them are up in the mountains, that kind of makes them a little remote, off the beaten path, not a lot of people knew about it for a long time.

“The other thing is that a lot of those ghost towns had a huge infrastructure where you’d have a mine shaft, and a milling building, some rather large structures that were built rather stoutly for the industry. That made them interesting, also made them sturdy, so they’d withstand time,” Dahl continued.

At a 1958 meeting of Colorado historians in Golden, a man named John Farr stood up after a presentation on ghost towns and said, ‘We

The St. Elmo General Store, which still operates during the summer months.

ought to start a club.’ The Ghost Town Club of Colorado was formed shortly thereafter and remains active in educating and preserving Colorado’s towns of yesteryear.

Ethan Knightchilde, a documentary filmmaker and member of the Ghost Town Club, said that many of Colorado’s ghost towns followed a similar trajectory; a discovery was made, followed by a boom, then a bust — then, the town went “ghost.”

“When a town no longer had a reason to exist, it ceased to exist, in short. And so, a lot of the mining towns were built around a single commodity, whatever ore was in the ground. It’s a limited resource; when it ran out, the people left,” Knightchilde said.

Joan Fields, a member of the Ghost Town Club since 1979, explained the difference between the two main types of ghost towns commonly found in Colorado.

“It depends on where the ghost towns are. Because there are ghost towns out on the Eastern Plains, and a lot of those were based upon agriculture. The mountain towns, of course, if the minerals ran out or it wasn’t a particularly prosperous mine, oftentimes the towns would disappear,” Fields said.

In the roughshod days of the American West, settlers moved

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

A building in Dearfield, Weld County, slated for historic preservation.

COURTESY OF COLORADO’S MOST ENDANGERED PLACES

like locusts across the country, building up towns around a single commodity with little regard for maintaining anything for the next generation, according to Knightchilde. Most of the settlers were men looking for work in mines or on farms, which begat a largely nomadic population, according to Fields.

“A lot of communities didn’t have families. A lot of women didn’t move out west until they knew things were going to be settled, or there weren’t children involved.

So, you’d pack your frying pan and your mule, you’d pack your things,

and you’d just go,” Fields said.

Sometimes, according to Knightchilde, the difficulty of moving an entire household’s worth of possessions down a treacherous mountain pass made the task insurmountable, and settlers would simply move to the next town and start over.

Sometimes, the towns would become something else entirely.

“They’d become what we call ‘ghosts of their former selves,’” Dahl said.

SEE GHOST TOWNS, P20

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GHOST TOWNS FROM PAGE 18

Ghosts you see, ghosts you don’t “Technically, towns like Georgetown and Silverton are ghosts,” Knightchilde said. “You’d never want to say that to a resident — they will take offense. But they are shadows of their former selves in terms of size, and their continued existence is because they no longer make a living off of what started them.”

In a way, Knightchilde has a point — Georgetown today largely subsists as a tourist destination, far from its roots as a silver mining camp. When faced with the prospect of going ghost or reinventing themselves, towns of their ilk have been forced to find new ways to get by.

Other historic settlements haven’t been as lucky as the roadside mountain towns.

“In the old days, you’re traveling by horse and wagon, to travel 10 miles a day was a good trip,” said Ed Bathke, a member of the Ghost Town Club since 1961. “So, there were a lot of little towns that were about 10 miles apart.

“Today, you can go much greater distances in an auto pretty quickly, so therefore a lot of these little towns that were really supply points, business centers for their surrounding community, are now essentially ghost towns because people don’t need a supply point that close,” Bathke said.

“What would happen to Georgetown if I-70 wasn’t there, or had not gone through? Or before that, (Route) 40?” Knightchild wonders.

Towns that can’t reinvent themselves run the risk of falling by the wayside entirely.

Cotopaxi was a community established along the Arkansas river by primarily Russian-Jewish settlers in the 1880s. When the colony failed, most of its residents scattered to other parts of the country, leaving little of the original settlement in place, according to Bathke.

Uravan was a uranium mining town in Montrose County that went bust in the 1980s as the United States began sourcing uranium elsewhere. Due to radioactive contamination, the town’s buildings were burned, and everything else was thrown in a pit and buried there, according to Fields and Dahl.

Nevertheless, the town’s history

A present-day photo of Gilman, Colorado; a ghost town in Eagle County that became uninhabited in 1985.

isn’t entirely forgotten.

“The people of that area have an annual reunion — they still get together, the people who worked there, especially the descendants of those people,” Bathke said.

Some places don’t receive the same treatment. Dakan, a shortlived mining camp in Douglas County, is largely invisible to the naked eye.

“If you go out there today and look, you’ll see a pasture. There is no sign of it whatsoever,” said Larry Schlupp, president of the Larkspur Historical Society. “There were numerous mines out there at one time — it was a gold town. “ Despite the many challenges surrounding the task, efforts to preserve ghost towns have gained steam in recent years.

Dearfield, a historically Black settlement in Weld County, was in danger of seeing its few remaining buildings disintegrate before Colorado’s Most Endangered Places — an initiative of Colorado Preservation, Inc. — stepped in and listed the site on its “priority saves” list in an effort to raise funds and organize preservation efforts.

In doing so, one of the state’s earliest markers of Black independence will live on for future generations to learn from and experience. “(Dearfield) was a colony founded by pioneering Black settlers who understood that having some independence and owning land and maybe farming and building a

town was a greater way to achieve independence — freedom — in society,” said Kim Grant, director of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places.

“They actually prospered there for 20 years, and then the Dust Bowl came, and climatic factors intervened that nobody really foresaw and it just ruined the farm economy for nearly everybody. And the town just died away,” Grant continued.

While the town largely died off with its founder, Oliver Toussaint Jackson, in 1948, a few buildings — including a gas station, a diner and Jackson’s homestead — remain in rough shape. Now, with the help of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places, the buildings will be restored as tangible historical artifacts.

A modern-day ghost Unique even among the colorful history of Colorado ghost towns is Gilman, a modern-day ghost that couldn’t survive its own reinvention.

Early settlers arrived in Gilman around 1879, as overcrowding in Leadville forced miners to try their luck elsewhere. The town was formally settled in 1886 amid the Colorado silver boom. Gilman was initially named “Clinton” after John Clinton, a judge and speculator from nearby Red Cliff, but was later renamed in honor of Henry Gilman, a foreman of the Iron Mask Mine.

COURTESY OF KATHY HEICHER

Like many towns on Battle Mountain, life in Gilman revolved around mining. By 1890, the town had a growing population and a newspaper, the Gilman Enterprise.

Then, the silver crash hit.

“With the silver crash of 1893, a lot of the town was abandoned,” said Matthew Mickelson, the local history librarian for Eagle County.

“It went from a population of well over 1,000 down to 400 at that point.

Soon after that was when they started mining for zinc.”

Faced with similar prospects of other boomtowns of the era — reinvention or abandonment — Gilman chose the latter and became a profitable zinc mining outfit that was purchased by the New Jersey Zinc Company in 1912 with designs of turning the settlement into a company town.

“It was considered a model company town — a good one,” said Kathy Heicher, president of the Eagle County Historical Society and local history author.

Heicher added that during this time, Gilman had a hospital, a store and even a bowling alley. New Jersey Zinc had a reputation for taking care of their workers, and wages and accommodations in Gilman were good throughout much of the 20th century.

The population of Gilman hovered between 300-500 residents, with booms occurring around both SEE GHOST TOWNS, P23

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August 1, 2022

GHOST TOWNS FROM PAGE 18

world wars as demand for zinc increased. By the 1980s, however, natural resources in the mines were becoming depleted, and the town was growing less profitable.

On April 11, 1985, residents of Gilman received a letter from the Battle Mountain Corporation — the name of the company that owned and operated the town at the time — stating that they would need to vacate the premises by June 30.

The terms of the departure notice were severe.

“We would like to offer rent-free living until your departure from the premises. In addition, we would like to offer Joe Trujillo’s assistance with packing your belongings, if necessary,” stated the letter from Battle Mountain Corporation.

In an instant, Gilman — a mountain town that had prospered for almost a century — was gone.

However, its story as a ghost town was just beginning.

When the Battle Mountain Corporation abandoned the town, the property was completely abandoned, and the water pumps were shut off. Battle Mountain — which Heicher describes as a catacomb of mines — soon felt the impact of Gilman’s abandonment.

“They shut off the electricity that had been pumping the wastewater out of the mines, and the mines started filling up with water and it got decades of toxic waste in there,” Heicher said. “The water started flowing out into the Eagle River. The Eagle River was flowing orange.

You wouldn’t, in the 1980s, eat a fish that you caught in the Eagle River.”

In 1986, the mine was declared an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site and work began on quelling the contamination from the runoff. Cleanup work on the site was declared completed in 2001, but spikes in pollutants occur to this day, making the decontamination process ongoing.

The pollution at the site has put a damper on plans to revive the area. Various proposals to make Gilman into a ski resort or additional housing for Vail workers have stalled because of the con-

tamination.

The town was annexed into nearby Minturn in 2008 with the hopes of bringing a ski resort plan to fruition, but the developer backed out shortly thereafter in 2009.

Today, Crave Real Estate Ventures owns the townsite, which has become victimized by vandalism in recent years. Trespassers on the property are frequently cited.

Nevertheless, remnants of Gilman’s heyday can still be found at the site.

“They left in such a hurry, the people who have snuck into town say they went into the doctor’s office and there were X-rays lying around. One woman, whose dad had worked at the mine, was able to find his old paystub in the mine offices. That’s why people are really intrigued by it,” Heicher said.

Heicher added that the “boom or bust” nature of Gilman’s history is representative of larger trends in Colorado history.

“It was once a thriving, kind of utopian community, and people liked living there. Colorado is a boom and bust place. Whether it’s oil or whatever, it’s like a classic example of boom and bust,” Heicher said.

‘Take only photos, leave only footprints’ According to Knightchilde, the biggest threat to ghost towns isn’t time, or weather, or even pollutants — it’s people.

“A century and a half of weathering can bring a building down, but people have had a disastrous effect on what remains of these towns,” Knightchilde said.

Knightchilde and his Ghost Town Club compatriots rattle off examples of this problem — Lamartine was robbed of its wood, the Lee Mansion in Capitol City was dismantled for its bricks, Carson has nary a plank of wood without someone’s initials echoed into it, Caribou’s buildings have been tagged heavily with graffiti.

Human interference is not a new phenomenon — as Colorado’s even best-preserved ghost town can attest.

By 1957, St. Elmo’s population had dwindled to just two residents — siblings Tony and Annabelle Stark. Urban legends detailing the Starks’ descent into madness became fodder for campfire circles, but their true fate was far more

insidious.

“They weren’t (mentally incompetent) at all — they weren’t,” Roth said on the cabin steps.

“They might have been up here by themselves and they had a neighbor telling everybody they were loony tunes, and so they were declared mentally incompetent and removed.

“Before the ambulance reached Nathrop, all of their valuable possessions were stolen by the person who promoted their insanity and commitment,” Roth continued.

The town eventually was bequeathed to Marie Skogsberg, a family friend of the Starks, who passed down the legacy of preserving St. Elmo to her granddaughter — and Annabelle Stark’s goddaughter — Melanie Roth.

Roth’s efforts have preserved St. Elmo as a snapshot of Colorado’s history, replete with sturdy buildings, historical exhibits and a general store that operates in the summertime. Organizations like the Ghost Town Club and Colorado’s Most Endangered Places have worked to preserve similar sites throughout the state.

“We formed a preservation committee; we raise funds throughout the year and then at the end of each year we will present grants to deserving historical organizations in the state,” Bathke said of the Ghost Town Club. “Typically, they have to be 501(c)(3), so we avoid giving to an individual and we avoid any tax problems.”

Knightchilde said that preservation efforts have galvanized recently, spurred in part by damage incurred by urban development in the late 20th century.

“Preservation efforts have strengthened over the years.

It’s not just ghost towns. During America’s love affair with urban renewal during the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, we lost a lot. And that probably was galvanizing for preservation movements of all kinds,” Kightchilde said.

“You have beautiful historic theatres that were bulldozed for parking lots. And you have people that love those types of buildings that can only see so much of that before they band together to do something about it,” Kightchilde continued.

Members of the Ghost Town Club said that part of their mission is to educate people on the history of ghost towns, which they hope will in turn instill

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respect among visitors for the historic sites they go to. Fields said that one of the taglines of the Ghost Town Club is “Take only photos, leave only footprints.”

“One of our challenges is getting the word out. We get so many people that come into our mountain towns on their ATVs and all they want to do is run up and down the road as fast as they can,” Fields said.

Knightchilde said that traffic at ghost towns has been on the rise.

“The signs are there that they are increasingly being visited. If you are that interested, you will do some research, the way I did, the way everyone I’ve spoken to who has a love for these places did. And in doing so, you’ll gain respect for them. My hope is that once you’ve done that, you’re jazzed to go see the place in person, you know something about its history, and you have a respect for it. You’re not going to run roughshod over it,” Knightchilde said.

The allure of ghost towns varies from person to person. Some are drawn to the sites because they represent a beacon of a bygone era. Some, like Knightchilde, feel an intrinsic pull to their history.

“There is that haunting feeling that the building is looking back at you. It’s almost like it’s beckoning you to know its history. People came under unbelievable odds to get to this place and they brought their hopes, their dreams, their fears.

They lived and died in these places. There’s this weight of history surrounding you,” Knightchilde said.

“It’s part of our history. Many of us like to preserve our history,” Bathke added. “They say, ‘If you ignore your history, you’re only going to repeat the mistakes that were made in the past.’ There’s always that longing to go back to our roots, and that’s all part of it.”

Members of the Ghost Town Club understandably bristled at the mention of vandalism.

“Vandalism makes my blood boil because that just shows someone that’s completely lacking in any kind of sensitivity,” Kngihtchilde said.

“You need tangible things to remind you of where you’ve been, who you’ve been, as a society,” Kngihtchilde continued.

For Coloradans of nearly all backgrounds, ghost towns are exactly that.

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August 1, 2022

Celebrating 35 years of Colorado artists

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Griffin Callahan, left, and John Hamilton will be sharing a booth at this year’s Summer Art Market, which is put on by the Art Students League of Denver and takes place PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF DENVER Aug. 27 and 28.

Located in the historic Sherman School at 200 Grant St. in Denver, the Art Students League of Denver is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

IF YOU GO The Art Students League of Denver’s 2021 Summer Art Market takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 27 and 28.

The outdoor event will take place in the blocks near the ASLD, which is located at 200 Grant St. in Denver.

Tickets cost $5 per person and children age 12 and younger are free. Every ticket purchase goes toward supporting the ASLD and its programming.

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

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

To learn more about ASLD or the Summer Art Market, visit asld.org.

Growing up in Denver, Griffin Callahan enjoyed going to the Art Students League of Denver’s annual Summer Art Market.

At the Summer Art Market, “you get to see the whole ASLD community on display in such a large way,” Callahan said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone has been working so hard on through the year.”

Callahan graduated from Denver East High School in 2014, then headed to Illinois to attend college at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He then came back to Denver and in 2021, started working at the ASLD. Today, he wears three hats at the ASLD — he works with registration in the administration department, he is the ceramics studio technician and he teaches wheel throwing.

“My passion for teaching has grown more than expected,” Callahan said, adding he enjoys seeing students get excited about something new they’re learning. “I love seeing people get that creative engine going.”

Though Callahan has been involved with the Summer Art Market in various ways in the past, this will be the first year he’ll be an artist vendor. He and John Hamilton, the ceramics studio manager, will be sharing a booth this year. Both are looking forward to engaging with the community on topics such as technique and process.

The Summer Art Market — known affectionately as SAM among attendees and participants — takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Aug. 27 and 28 in the blocks surrounding the ASLD building at Second Avenue and Grant Street in Denver’s Speer neighborhood.

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Market, and there will be about 125 vendor artists there. All mediums will be represented, and one of the best things about the Summer Art Market is that it showcases all the mediums that people can a take a course on at the ASLD, said Tessa Crisman, the communications manager for ASLD. These mediums include ceramics, fiber arts, mixed media/book art, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, jewelry and sculpture.

ASLD faculty instructors will be giving two artist demos each day — one in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

Summer Art Market offers such a friendly vibe, Crisman said.

There will be artists who have been selling their work at Summer Art Market for many years, and others who are, for the first time, testing the waters of selling their art, Crisman said.

Because there will be a wide variety of artists and mediums, there will be a wide variety of price points.

“There will be something in everybody’s price range,” Crisman said.

Another great attraction to Summer Art Market is that all the artists have a tie to ASLD — whether they are a student, volunteer, member, serve on the board, instructor or other staffer, Crisman said.

“It’s community-focused,” Crisman said. “And oriented toward local artists and what this state has to offer.”

The Summer Art Market is a fun event on its own, but this year, there is even more reason to come out. The ASLD, which is a nonprofit arts organization, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. In August 1987, it was incorporated as a nonprofit. Its humble beginnings started with about five courses, 100 students and a handful of instructors.

Today, there are about 130 faculty instructors, 125 course offerings per month and the organization annually serves about 14,000 students of all abilities and ages through its various community engagement programs, fine arts classes, workshops, teen studios and summer camps.

It is located in the historic Sherman School. Built in 1893, the Sherman School is one of only a few of architect Henry Dozier’s structures still in existence, states the ASLD’s website.

“It’s such a fun and creative environment to be in. People absolutely love this place,” Callahan said.

And “our community is crucial to our existence.”

Being a nonprofit, the Summer Art Market is an annual fundraiser for ASLD. Proceeds go toward the ASLD’s community engagement programs, scholarships, classes and general operations.

But it’s also a time to celebrate Colorado’s local art scene, Crisman said.

Summer Art Market “is a celebration of our community, and even more so this year,” Crisman said. “We’re so excited to be celebrating our roots with our anniversary this year.”