Washington Park Profile February 2023

Hertz Electrifies

A new, recently-announced public-private partnership initiative called Hertz Electri es is coming to Denver.

Baby At Ease

A new business that caters to babies’ nighttime needs recently opened in southwest Denver.

Founder Stephanie Patterson opened Baby

At Ease after having the business idea for several years. Patterson launched it as an online store in October 2021, and about year later, had saved enough money to open its brickand-mortar at 6460 E. Yale Ave.

As a mother, Patterson found she always had troubles at nighttime, so she wanted to create a business that could provide “comfort at night for baby and mother,” she said.

Most of the products that Baby At Ease carries cater to nighttime, such as pjs, swaddle blankets, plush toys and bathing products.

“ ey set the tone for the baby at night,” Patterson said.

Shoppers can customize a baby basket for individual family needs, and many of the shop’s pjs are adaptable so they can be worn during the day for an outing which can save a busy parent a lot time, Patterson added. e shop carries clothing in sizes newborn to 2T. It also has a consignment section that o ers customers the opportunity to get points to shop in the store when they bring in their gently-used clothing.

Baby At Ease o ers member subscriptions, which provides many perks — including a wash, fold and dry laundry service.

Patterson has been working with children her whole life — her own three daughters will be helping out at the shop sometimes, selling candy and chocolate in their spare time — and particularly enjoys hearing the ideas that parents and customers o er while shopping.

To learn more about Baby At Ease, visit babyatease.com.

Stephanie Patterson of Denver recently opened her Baby

At Ease shop at 6460 E. Yale Ave. in southeast Denver. Courtesy photo.

BookBar

BookBar, an independent bookstore located at 4280 Tennyson St. in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood that boasted a bar and café, closed on Jan. 31.

A letter posted on its website read:

“When we became a Public Bene t Corporation in November 2021, with our purchase of e Bookies Bookstore, I was optimistic about a business model framed around giving back to the community through books. at model will still live on at e Bookies but it is not sustainable for BookBar. We simply aren’t able to cover our expenses, much less while giving 10% of book sales to our nonpro t, BookGive, and I’m just no longer motivated to run a pro t-driven business without giving as its core mission.”

As stated in the letter, e Bookies will remain open. It is also an independent bookstore and is located at 4315 E. Mississippi Ave. in Glendale. To learn more, visit thebookies.com. To learn more about the nonpro t, BookGive, visit bookgivedenver.org.

Logo courtesy of BookBar website.

Black Legacy Project

e Black Legacy Project is issuing a nationwide call for musicians to assemble a band — the Black Legacy Project Band — to tour behind the upcoming debut album and subsequent releases of e Black Legacy Project, Vol. 1.

e Black Legacy Project is produced by the Atlanta-based nonpro t Music in Common. It is a national project that brings together artists of all backgrounds to celebrate Black history by recording present day interpretations of songs central to the Black American experience and composing originals relevant to the pressing calls for change of our time. e project kicked o in September 2021 and was in Denver in September 2022 — the songs that were created in Denver will appear on Vol 1.

e rst tour for the Black Legacy Project Band is scheduled for late May and will take place throughout the southeastern United States.

Interested musicians can audition online at theblacklegacyproject.org/audition. Auditions will close on Feb. 15 and nal band member selections will be made by the end of the month.

e Black Legacy Project Vol. 1 will be released on April 3, which is the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

To learn more about the Black Legacy Project, including its stop in Denver, visit theblacklegacyproject.org/Denver.

Courtesy logo.

YMCA

Registration for YMCA’s youth summer camps and sports opens in February.

Summer camp registration opens on Feb. 6.

ese o erings include Adventure Camp for ages 11-14; Sports Camp for ages 8-12; STEM Camp, Art Camp and Dance Camp, all for ages 7-12; Nature and Food-Dig In Camp for ages 9-13; and

Working in partnership with mayors across the country, Hertz Electri es aims further the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles and extend the bene ts of electri cation to communities throughout the United States, states a news release. “ e initiative has ve pillars: (1) electric vehicle and charging infrastructure; (2) creating jobs of the future; (3) broadening economic opportunity; (4) community engagement; and (5) policy and city planning analysis,” according to the news release. In Denver, the new initiative expects to bring 5,200 rental EVs to Denver for Hertz customers and rideshare drivers, install additional Level 2 and fast chargers at Denver International Airport and Hertz locations, work with a company called bp pulse to support the installation of publicly accessible EV chargers across neighborhoods in Denver, and o er various job opportunities and training programs for local youth.

To learn more about Hertz, a rental car company, visit hertz.com.

Ratio Beerworks

Ratio Beerworks celebrated the one-year anniversary of opening its second taproom in Denver’s Overland neighborhood in January. e brewery got its start about eight years ago, and boasts two Denver taprooms: 2920 Larimer St. in Five Points and 2030 S. Cherokee St. in Overland.

While not a live music venue, Ratio does host live music occasionally, as well as other special events.

Learn more at ratiobeerworks.com.

Logo courtesy of Ratio Beerworks Facebook.

The Crypt e Crypt, a “Tales From the Crypt” themed bar and restaurant in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood, celebrated its one-year anniversary in January.

Located at 1618 E. 17th Ave., e Crypt o ers a mostly-vegan menu, but also has options with meat. e drink menu o ers an extensive beer list, including beer on tap.

Learn more at thecryptdenver.com.

Logo courtesy of e Crypt website.

Bang Up to the Elephant!

Bang Up to the Elephant! celebrated its ve-year anniversary in January.

e restaurant is located at 1310 N. Pearl St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The Long Way Home: Colorado Community Media examines the impacts of the housing crisis

STAFF REPORT

People across the metro area are struggling to afford a place to live. Minimum wage earners might spend upwards of 60% of their paychecks on rent. Many millennials, now entering their 40s, have accumulated less wealth than prior generations and are struggling to find a first home they can afford. At the same time, those who might sell, baby boomers, are prone to hold onto their homes, unable to downsize in the supercharged market.

These and other factors, including homelessness, a history of racial disparities where 71% of White Coloradans own homes but only 42% of Black Coloradans do, and a slow down in building that began more than a decade ago during the Great Recession, add up to constitute what some experts call a crisis in housing affordability and availability.

Over the last six months, two dozen journalists, editors

and staff at Colorado Community Media worked to answer questions on why this is happening, how we got here and what the solutions are.

The work to find the answers carried our journalists along the Front Range to talk to mayors, housing authorities, experts and, most importantly, lower- and middleclass families experiencing the crisis first hand.

Our reporters and editors talked directly with prospective homebuyers, like the single mom worried that another rent increase could land her in her car and the real estate agent who understood the problems but worried about a lack of solutions.

Colorado Community Media’s the Long Way Home series provides an in-depth look at how the current crisis impacts our communities.

Contributors to theproject include:

Bang Up to the Elephant! features a vegan Caribbean-style style menu and tropical bar that is entirely plant-based. Learn more at banguptotheelephant.restaurant.

Image courtesy of Bang Up to the Elephant! website.

Vive Float Studio+

Vive Float Studio+ celebrated its ve-year anniversary in January. It is located at 250 Steele St., Ste 110, in

Leaders in Training Camp

for ages 12-14. Registration for Day Camp also opens, which is for ages 5-15, depending on the site. Before camp care is o ered at select locations.

Spring sports registration opens on Feb. 13.

e spring sport o erings are: volleyball, basketball, soccer and baseball.

To learn more about the YMCA’s summer camp and sport o erings, or to locate a YMCA near your neighborhood, visit denverymca.org. Courtesy logo.

Urban Peak

Urban Peak broke ground on Jan. 23

Denver’s Cherry Creek North.

Owner Andi Sigler opened the rst Vive in Frisco, and the Cherry Creek North location followed in January 2018. Sigler opened her third Vive in Chicago in March 2018.

Vive Float Studio is a rest and recovery wellness center that provides mental and physical restoration through its various therapies. Learn more at vive oatstudio.com.

Andi Sigler, founder/owner of ViveFloat Studio+, 250 Steele St. Suite 110, in Denver’s Cherry Creek North. Photo by Christy Stead-

on its new campus for youth experiencing homelessness commonly known as e Mothership.

Once it opens, the new campus will replace Urban Peak’s former shelter facility and will be able to provide case management, medical and mental health care, and education and employment services all on the one campus. It will all also provide temporary shelter for youth ages 15-24 and will have graduated, apartment-style housing. e project is estimated to cost about $37 million and is being funded through a variety of public and private sources.

Urban Peak is a local nonpro t that serves youth experiencing homelessness. To learn more, visit urbanpeak. org.

Urban Peak broke ground on a new campus in January. Courtesy of Evan Semón Photography.

Its been 6 years, and The Dentists on Pearl still want to get to know you! So, come on in or call today to schedule an appointment for the entire family. We will create a plan that will help you achieve and maintain a completely healthy smile! We accept most insurances and are accepting new patients! 1905

accepting new patients!

A performer stands in front of large taiko drum on Sado Island, Japan. Story on page 18.

COURTESY OF KODO TAIKO PERFORMING ARTS ENSEMBLE

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For the past 20 years, talk of addressing mental health issues within the health care industry circled around without much emphasis. at’s beginning to change, and it’s starting with the ne arts.

At the Colorado Resiliency Arts

Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, a team of doctors, therapists and literary scholars are doing just that: exploring how the ne arts can help nurses, doctors, surgeons and other healthcare workers heal from trauma.

The numbers

e team found that creative arts therapy not only decreases anxiety, feelings of burnout and depression, but also helps keep medical workers in their eld.

e study, published in the American Journal of Medicine in 2022 found that anxiety, depression, total PTSD and emotional exhaustion measurement scores decreased by 27.8%, 35.5%, 25.8% and 11.6%, respectively.

Katherine Reed, an art therapist for the program, said that 12% saw a reduction in the desire to leave the profession.

The art of healing

“It’s amazing in how basic it really is, and yet it’s creating these incredible results,” Reed said.

The program

Dr. Marc Moss, a doctor who is part of the CORAL team, said the program received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2019 to prove the value of the ne arts, after the National Endowment for the Arts requested proposals to show Congress that art was worth the money spent.

parks and etc.,’ but what’s the value of that?’” Moss said. “ ey wanted to have more scienti c evidence.”

From the results of the study, CORAL did just that. e program o ers group art therapy cohorts to healthcare workers to help them process their day-to-day lives.

students how to deal with it.

“You get into real-life medicine and suddenly (there are) personalities, narratives, stories and family members you’re not necessarily equipped to manage. You know how to transplant that heart, but do you know how to manage the mother’s panic or the father’s anger?” Reed said.

DEPENDABLE and

“It’s easy to say, ‘Wow, it’s great having a symphony’ or ‘It’s great having

It’s a 12-week program with weekly 90-minute sessions with between eight to 15 participants. Each session is guided by a creative arts therapist.

CORAL o ers art, music, dance and writing therapy with hopes to add drama therapy in the near future.

DEPENDABLE

and

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Reed explained that art intrinsically creates community, helps the healing process and connects people. ose characteristics are key to helping people overcome their trauma.

Another root cause can be the American healthcare system in general. Reed said doctors may need to see 20 patients in one day, which limits the time to actually talk with them since then they need to document those appointments.  at leads to longer hours and less time with loved ones, making it harder to nd a work-life balance.

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She said a reason burnout remains prevalent is due to the way humans isolate themselves and avoid conversations and expressions about what happened. In the group sessions, participants can show each other they aren’t alone and validate each others’ experiences.

Historically, she said, art was the basis of expression and communication. Egyptian Hieroglyphics morphed into language.

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Over the course of her 20-year career as an art therapist, Reed said she has a front-row seat to the limitations of language on expression, especially in children. Children — and adults — may lack the words or rhetoric to describe their experiences or their feelings, and music, painting, drama and other forms of art can act as a backdoor to expressing those feelings.

A lack of emotional learning for healthcare workers also hints at a broader issue at hand in general. Many parallels exist between healthcare workers and students, who may not know how to express or manage their own feelings, Reed said.  rough art therapy and CORAL, healthcare workers can learn to manage those feelings. Not only for their own well-being, but also to be more successful in their day-to-day job.

Economic value

A lack of those tools can lead to higher rates of turnover, and Moss said it makes the program all the more valuable.

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“(Children) can show you with sound and music what it feels like in their brain to remember the impact,” Reed said. “It’s a way of communicating that bypasses language. When we talk, we’re constantly ltering our words.”

It deepens the healing and clients don’t need to know how to draw, play an instrument or act out. It’s about interpreting your own symbols, song lyrics and paint color choices to nd meaning.

Common causes

Witnessing trauma like death, injury, illness and medical ethical dilemmas are all themes that come up in the workshops. In medical school, classes don’t necessarily exist to teach

“Turnover is expensive,” Moss said.  at piques interest in hospital administrators. Less burnout and turnover of employees is cost-e ective. Moss said the COVID-19 pandemic ampli ed the need for mental health resources for hospitals and administrators are looking for ways to do that.

So much so that the Children’s Hospital agreed to start a program outside of the grant. Once the grant from the National Endowment for the Arts nishes its 10-year period, not only does Moss think more programs will exist in Colorado, but also all across the country.

He sees a larger multicenter study occurring at multiple di erent hospitals in di erent cities to expand the evidence on the e ciency.

“If a pill had the results that CORAL has, every single person would be taking it because it’s a ordable and it works,” Reed said.

Healthcare workers engage in visual art making through the CORAL program that o ers art therapy to nurses, doctors and others within the medical profession. SCREENSHOT

Emotional learning through the fine arts, and how it’s helping healthcare workers

Adrian Miller wins second James Beard Award for latest book

BY KIRSTEN DAHL COLLINS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Denver food writer Adrian Miller loves pork spareribs so much he journeyed to Missouri to become a certified barbecue judge.

“A dream come true,” he wrote in his latest book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.”

When he entered the Kansas City Barbecue Society’s judging classroom, Miller looked around and realized he might wind up wearing an elastic belt.

“I was the only person in the room under ’two fiddy,’” he wrote, referring to the hefty average weight of the student body. “And I was OK with that being my future.”

But as Miller moved around the barbecue competition circuit, he noticed an absence of other Black judges — not to mention contestants. He watched the Food Network’s burgeoning coverage of barbecue, and noticed how few African American chefs were interviewed.

He got another shock in 2018 when he discovered that the first 27 inductees to the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in Kansas City included only one Black chef and one Native American.

Soon after, he started work on “Black Smoke.” Published in 2021, it recently won Miller his second James Beard Foundation Book Award. The birth of barbecue

A self-confessed ‘cue head, Miller has written a loving, humorous and unsparing account of both barbecue history and the contemporary scene, including profiles of Black and Native American pitmasters who should be much better known than they are. He traces the birth of barbecue, exploring West African styles of cooking which traveled to America along with the slave trade and may have influenced barbecue’s spicy seasoning and sauces. Another influence? The Caribbean’s Indigenous people, who cooked plants and small animals on raised platforms over outdoor fires. Their delicious  barbacoas  gave American barbecue its name.

Native Americans also contributed. In Virginia, early colonists and their enslaved workers encountered local Indians cooking on raised platforms, on rotating spits and over

shallow pits. Black cooks learned these techniques and adapted them, adding a powerful dose of hickory smoke.

In the antebellum South, large barbecues became the celebrations of choice for weddings, parties and political rallies. Whole hogs, ox, kid and other animals — including ‘possums and racoons — were smoked over open pits by expert Black cooks, who sat up all night, turning and basting.

“Even though (barbecue’s) roots in pit-style cooking on plantations are well known,” Miller wrote, “it’s largely attributed to the exceptional taste and unique skill of the White pitmasters who have claimed it as their own.”

He faults current media coverage, which tends to glorify White men as the most influential barbecue chefs. Kind of like claiming that Benny Goodman invented jazz.

In “Black Smoke,” Miller re-distributes the credit where it belongs.

From Denver to the White House and back

again

The Rosenberry Lecture series will present a talk by

Beard Award-winning author Adrian Miller from 1-2 p.m. on March 22 at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, in Denver.

Miller will provide an entertaining look at the people and places that shaped Colorado’s barbecue traditions, as described in his latest book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.” There will be a book signing after the talk. “Black Smoke” can be purchased through the History Colorado website, historycolorado.org, or at the museum gift shop. It is also sold at the Tattered Cover. Tickets cost $15 for the general public and $10 for History Colorado members. Tickets can be purchased on History Colorado’s website.

The author, who graduated — appropriately enough — from Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, did not expect to become the bard of barbecue. He went on to get a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., serve as a special assistant in the Clinton White House and as a policy analyst for former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.

To learn more about Miller and his books, visit adrianemiller.com.

Despite these prestigious posts, his heart lay elsewhere. He began exploring African American foodways with his first book, “Soul Food: the Surprising Story of an American

James

According to Denver author Adrian Miller, a self-described ‘cue head, “my barbecue touchstone is a pork sparerib. Everything else is secondary.” His book, “Black Smoke,” profiles the largely unsung African Americans who molded barbecue into a major cuisine.

PHOTO BY PAUL MILLER

SEE SOUL FOOD, P9

Colorado recognizes Denver’s unsung hero, Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose

BY CANDY PETROFSKY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

They say no two roses are alike.

And this is the case for one of Denver’s unsung heroes. There will never be another Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose.

The late Maj. Gen. Rose, of Denver, is known for being the highest-ranking Jewish general killed in action. Former presidents and generals, such as Gen. “Lightning” Joe Collins and Dwight D. Eisenhower, credited him for ending World War II.

And yet, children at the Basisschool Maurice Rose in the Netherlands - which is where Rose is buried - know more about him than the kids at Denver Public Schools.

Denver resident Paul Shamon is doing something about that.

“I think it’s safe to say, at one time, those kids (attending the Basisschool Maurice Rose) knew more about Rose than our state legislators, rabbis and historians combined,” Shamon said. “It’s nice to see a wrong being righted.”

A few years ago, Shamon attended a book signing by Denver author Marshall Fogel who penned: “Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, the most decorated battle tank commander in U.S. military history.”

Like Fogel, Shamon first learned of Rose after seeing his military helmet on display and a picture of him hanging in the lobby of Rose Medical Center — named in honor of the war hero — which is located at 4567 E. Ninth Ave. in Denver’s Hale neighborhood.

The helmet and picture made a great impression on Shamon, who was just a boy. And the same for Fogel, a former lawyer, who decided to write his book on Rose after he closed his law practice. The two eventually shared their great admiration for Rose and developed a strong kinship.

Peoples’ memories of Rose were fading, Shamon said.

“This man deserved to be honored and remembered for his extraordinary sacrifice,” Shamon added. “He deserved a statue.”

A statue in Rose’s honor

In 2019, during a time when statues were being torn down across the country, Fogel and Shamon started fundraising for the Rose statue. Their goal was to raise $8,000 to erect a 10-foot-tall statue of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, to stand proudly on the grounds of the Denver capitol.

“No taxpayer funds were spent on the statue,” Shamon said. “All fundraising, including the maintenance of the statue, will be taken care of privately, in perpetuity.”

George Lundeen of Loveland was hired to sculpt the statue.

Lundeen’s father was a pilot in WWII, but the sculptor had not known of Rose. The more he learned about him as he worked on the project, it became clear that Rose is “one of the greatest American heroes of WWII,” Lundeen said.

“It’s an honor to work on a piece like this,” Lundeen said.

After three long years, thousands of Coloradoans will finally get to see the Rose statue when it’s installed in its new home at the Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, with the best place for viewing being at 14th Avenue and Lincoln Street. The finished product will be complete with a QR code that statue visitors can scan to learn all about the late Rose. The statue’s dedication ceremony is expected to take place late Spring.

`The Clint Eastwood of the military’ Fogel described Rose as “the Clint Eastwood of the military.”

“He was a soldier’s soldier and that’s why his men loved him,” Fogel said.

Paul Shamon, a Denver resident and Rose advocate; George Lundeen, the statue’s sculptor; Marshall Fogel, a Rose biographer; Fabrice Dolegowski; and Seth Rosenman, the architect for the Rose statue project, gather for a photo at the Rose monument’s construction site at 14th and Lincoln in Denver.

PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN SEE HERO, P9

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When two friends joined forces to donate socks to homeless shelters in January 2012, they had no idea it would lead them on a path to creating a nonpro t that has collected nearly one million pairs of socks for people in need throughout the U.S.

e Sock It To ‘Em Sock Campaign, co-founded by Sue Lee and Phillis Shimamoto, collects and distributes new pairs of socks for people experiencing homelessness and those in need, such as low-income families, Marshall Fire victims and migrants who arrived in Denver in late 2022.

Although it was more than a decade ago, Lee remembers nearly every detail of how the nonpro t originated. She was in the soup aisle at King Soopers, shopping for anksgiving dinner on a Tuesday night in 2011.

“As I was literally grabbing a can of cream of mushroom soup, written in my head were yellow block letters with a red outline, and it went like a marquee and went across my head, inside my head, and it said, ‘Sock It To ‘Em Sock Campaign, socks for the homeless.’ And it kept rotating,” Lee said.

It made her stop in her tracks.

“Literally, it was written — so it wasn’t like a thought I had conjured up,” she said. “If the message were from God, I looked up and down the aisle to make sure nobody was around, and I said, ‘Seriously? You think I have nothing else to do?’”

e message kept repeating as she nished shopping. She walked to her car and, out loud, said, “OK, I’ll do it.”

“I got in the car and I called Phillis. And I said, ‘Phillis, you won’t believe what just happened. I might have gotten a divine message, I don’t know,’” Lee said.

Lee suggested they ask their friends to gather new pairs of socks through the end of December, and then take them to some homeless shelters in January.

“I was like, ‘Well, let’s do it,’” Shimamoto said.

During the rst week in January 2012, in 7-degree weather, Lee and Shimamoto took 575 pairs of socks to

Sock It To ‘EM

three locations.

“And at every location, they were saying, this is the number one clothing need,” Lee said.

Shimamoto said after they found out socks were “the most requested item and the least donated,” they decided to continue collecting socks.

“We said, well, let’s do what we can. Let’s try to make it as big as we can,” Shimamoto said. “And who knew that after all this time, we would be on our way to a million socks.”

The value of socks

Educating people about the value of socks, especially to people experiencing homelessness, is part of the nonpro t’s work, Lee said.

ere are an estimated 10,857 people experiencing homelessness on a given night in Colorado, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

e research article, “Foot Conditions among Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review,” cited a study that found people experiencing homelessness walked a median of ve miles each day.

In another study, it was reported “that only 61% of homeless participants changed to a clean pair of socks daily.”

With walking being their primary mode of transportation, many people experiencing homelessness go through their socks fairly quickly, Lee explained.

“A pair of socks on a homeless person might last two to three days,” she said. “It’s really important to be — have those constant socks out there at shelter services and agencies for them.”

Lee said people sometimes only picture men as experiencing homelessness. However, a November 2014 report by the American Institutes for Research stated approximately 2.5 million children are homeless each year in the U.S.

“We had to educate people that … we need socks for men, women and children,” she said.

Something else Lee informs people of is the danger of foot ailments for people experiencing homelessness.

“One of the main reasons a person who’s homeless goes into the emergency room is a foot ailment, and they can die from that,” Lee said. “One way to stop that from happening is for

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problems are high on the list of reasons people experiencing homelessness go to the emergency room.

“Especially around the wintertime, when you get really cold spikes, we tend to see more of it, especially in the days afterwards when they already have the frostbite,” Hill said. “ ey’re at a much higher risk just given their exposure levels and lack of appropriate clothing for that kind of environment.”

He noted people experiencing

homelessness come to the emergency room for other, variable reasons, such as issues related to mental health and hol-related issue or drug-related issue, them, you see that they actually have signi cant feet problems with that,” he said.

e toes are very susceptible to frostbite, he explained, saying having regular access to dry, clean socks is a big part of preventing foot ailments. “Access to good footwear, waterproof, recurrent socks, is a great thing,” Hill said.

Becoming a nonprofit

After continuing their work of

Tammie Limoges, the chief development and operations o cer of the nonprofit, smiles alongside Sue Lee, showing o the sock drawers in the nonprofit’s storage.

Nonprofit makes big impact to those in need

collecting socks in 2013, by 2014, Lee and Shimamoto realized they needed to o cially establish themselves as a nonpro t, which they did in 2015.

In the beginning, Lee and Shimamoto were counting, sorting, bagging and storing the socks themselves.

Now, members of the National Charity League do almost all of the counting, sorting and bagging for them, Lee said, and then the socks are stored in a storage unit until they’re ready for pickup from an organization that needs them.

e nonpro t collects and distributes socks in a variety of ways, and it has had in uence in least 47 states in the country, Lee said.

One of the methods for collecting socks is through sock ambassadors, which Lee said is any person, business, place of worship, or organization that collects new socks for the nonpro t.

“And then they get them to us, we count, sort and bag them, and we get them out to shelters, services and agencies,” Lee said.

Over the years, the nonpro t has given socks to more than 200 shelter services and agencies, Lee said. ey also give socks to individual people who may be assembling “blessing bags” and want to include socks in them for people experiencing homelessness, she added.

Among the extensive list of sock recipients is Cardenas Ministries, a family operated nonpro t based in Henderson, in Adams County, that

hosts a range of events and initiatives aimed at giving back to the community.

“We just enjoy doing stu in the community, whether it’s for kids who are underprivileged or whether it’s for the women’s shelters, homeless,” said Valerie Soto, one of the family members.

“We were buying socks and we never had enough socks to give out,” Soto said.

During one of their events, roughly four years ago, they connected with someone who introduced them to Lee and the Sock It To ‘Em nonpro t.

“Sue has just been a big blessing. We’ve been able to help so many people because of Sock It To ‘Em,” Soto said.

She said they’ve received thousands of socks from the nonpro t, which are distributed through e orts such as their holiday events, gift bags they assemble for people experiencing homelessness, and their school supplies donations to southern Colorado communities.

Recently, Cardenas Ministries’ had about 1,000 pairs of socks from Sock It To ‘Em to hand out during its December “Spirit of Giving Parade of Toys” event, in which they gave out hats, gloves, socks and toys to families at di erent housing developments in Brighton and Commerce City.

“ ey’re angels on earth,” said Gloria Estrada, the mother of Soto, about Sock It To ‘Em. “ e need is there.”

Soto said she can speak from experience, as when she was growing up, both of her parents were in college and there were “ ve of us kids.”

“We didn’t have enough clothes.

We were very, very poor at that time,” Soto said. “And we would have to share socks.”

When children come up at the events and pick the pair of socks they want, it creates a good feeling, Soto said.

“Sock It To ‘Em, I’m telling you, they are just so amazing,” Soto said.

Cathy Law — the project manager for the Volunteers of America Colorado AmeriCorps Seniors Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Denver, Douglas and western Arapahoe counties — also praised Sock It To ‘Em for its partnership with Volunteers of America.

“It’s an amazing partnership,” Law said, explaining they rst connected in 2016. “Sue and Phillis give me a bunch (of socks), and then I can distribute them in the community because we have partnerships with these other agencies.”

Law said she’s taken socks to many di erent places, such as to the Volunteers of America veterans’ service center and to food banks Volunteers of America works with.

“I really feel like it’s a heartbeat in the community, where they’re connecting people,” Law said about Sock It To ‘Em.

“ ey’re showing you that an act of kindness can go so far,” she added. “And that if you believe in something, you can make it happen.”

e nonpro t’s impact is also growing outside of Colorado, as Lee said the nonpro t gets submission forms from across the country of people wanting to do sock drives.

ere are also people called “sock sherpas” who o er to transport socks to areas outside of Colorado.

In some states, smaller networks of people working together to collect and donate socks are forming, Shimamoto said.

“ at’s always been our goal, is to be able to have pods of people in di erent states who can connect with one another and kind of build a small community,” Shimamoto said. “Hopefully, it just gets bigger and bigger.”

Support from Colorado cities, towns

Even before earning its o cial nonpro t status, Sock It To ‘Em began making a name for itself in Colorado cities and towns.

On the Friday before anksgiving in 2014, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock proclaimed the second Wednesday in December a “Sock It To ‘Em Work Day,” Lee said.

Following the proclamation, Lee emailed seven mayors the next Monday asking for their support as well. e next night, she went shopping for anksgiving in the same King Soopers at the same time as she had in 2011.

“I’m in the soup aisle and literally, I’m grabbing a can of cream of mushroom soup, and my phone goes o in my pocket,” she said.

It was Catherine Marinelli, the executive director of the Metro Mayors Caucus, a voluntary, regional association of 38 mayors. She told Lee two mayors had forwarded the email Lee sent to the caucus.

“And she goes, ‘We love this idea,’” Lee said.

Marinelli invited members of Sock It To ‘Em to attend the caucus’ legislative holiday party, which was the same day as the proclaimed work day, and said the mayors would be bringing socks to donate.

“And that got some other mayors interested in us,” Lee said.

One of those mayors was Clint Folsom, who was the mayor of Superior from 2014 to 2022. e town began collecting and distributing socks to people experiencing homelessness, Lee said.

When the 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County, displacing residents, Shimamoto reached out to Folsom to donate socks.

In total, they donated about 16,000 pairs of socks, Lee said.

“It was really cool to be able to give back to them after all that they had given to the community all of those years,” Shimamoto said. “It really warmed our hearts to be able to see that come full circle.”

A lot of the 16,000 pairs that went to Superior came from other cities who held Sock It To ‘Em sock drives, Lee said.

“It was really emotional,” she said. e cities of Centennial, Greenwood Village and Englewood hosted sock drives again in late 2022, collecting new pairs of socks of all types and sizes through mid-January.

Schools have also joined in on the sock drives, such as High Five Preschool in Castle Rock, Bradford Primary School in Littleton, and Timberline Elementary School in Centennial.

Some schools, on the other hand, are the recipients of socks through the nonpro t’s sock drawer program. ese drawers are typically implemented in Title I schools, which are schools receiving federal resources due to having a lower-income student population.

“Many of those kids go to school and they don’t have socks, and so we decided to do sock drawers,” Lee said. “And so we get them into schools and then we try to replenish them as we can.”

Some volunteers in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program gave back to Sock It To ‘Em by putting together sock drawers, Law said.

Since the 2022-23 school year began, the nonpro t established approximately 22 sock drawers in schools across the Denver metro area, Lee said.

Law re ected on how many people are involved in the collection and distribution of socks to people in need.

“By the time that individual gets that pair of socks, it’s not just a pair of socks. It’s those hands of love that say we’re thinking of you — and sometimes that’s more important, is just people knowing that someone’s thinking of them,” Law said.

Looking ahead Sock It To ‘Em plans to celebrate collecting one million pairs of socks on Feb. 16, re ecting on how the nonpro t has grown over the past decade and how it can continue to do so.

Expanding the sock drawer program, as well as the sock ambassador program, across the country are on the list of goals Lee has for the nonpro t’s future.

Another goal is raising funds.

“It would be signi cant to raise a quarter of a million dollars — that would allow us to really expand to the degree that we know we can,” Lee said, adding she would like to establish a facility for the nonpro t to

The son of a rabbi, Rose enlisted in the military at 17, after dropping out of Denver’s East High School. He had to lie about being Jewish or the Army wouldn’t accept him.

Rose had George Clooney-like looks and an obsession with winning WWII. He fought right alongside his soldiers in the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions - putting their needs before his - and he had the ear of all the top brass during the time.

“There are so many stories of how he made sure his men were fed before he ate. How he refused medical service to remove shrapnel until his men were taken care of first,” Fogel said. “He’s even buried in the Netherlands, right next to his men.”

In fact, his only criticism was that he didn’t wear all his ribbons

SOUL FOOD

Cuisine, One Plate at a Time,” which won Miller his first James Beard Foundation Book Award in 2014. Three years later he published “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet,” which introduced readers to the many talented Black chefs, some enslaved, who cooked in the White House.

Although “Black Smoke” has a national perspective, Miller dishes up many choice morsels of Denver barbecue lore. He takes his audience back to the 1880s when a group of Denver businessmen hired Columbus B. Hill, an African American barbecue chef, to cater a picnic for 2,500 people. The meal, Miller wrote,  featured pitsmoked “…beef, possum and other tempting delicacies.”

One problem: as Hill’s fame spread, thousands of uninvited guests began showing up at his barbecues.

“…and they were hungry,” Miller noted dryly in “Black Smoke.”      Even for possum.

Miller also profiles Denver’s most beloved pitmaster, “Daddy” Bruce Randolph. The Arkansas

SOCKS

operate in.

On top of its constant need for sock donations, the nonpro t also needs more volunteers, Lee said. Volunteer duties may include calling schools to see if they want a sock drawer, overseeing sock ambassadors, or transporting socks.

Lee encouraged those interested in learning more about the nonpro t and participating in it to ll out the submission form on their website: sockittoemsockcampaign.org.

Looking back at how the nonpro t has evolved over the years, Lee and Shimamoto encouraged people to pursue their ideas.

“If you have an idea, do it — and

To learn more about the Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose statue, visit rosemonument.org. “He was not only one of our bravest and best, but he was a leader who inspired his men to speedy accomplishment of tasks that to a lesser man would have appeared impossible.”

on his chest, added Fogel, and he always placed his command posts dangerously close to the front. In comparison, Rose’s accomplishments are too many to note. But some of Fogel’s most extraordinary findings include:

• As head of the 3rd Armored Division, Rose liberated numerous towns in France and Belgium.

• He was the first to breach the Siegfried Line.

• Rose led the first ground invasion in Germany from the west and fought three Nazi counter-attacks during the Battle of the Bulge.

• He was the first to shoot down a German plane on German soil and lead a tank unit into Nazi Germany.

• Rose held the record for the longest one-day advance in history, covering 100 miles.

• Rose captured Cologne, Germa-

native, who started barbecuing as a teen to earn extra money, arrived in Denver in 1960. Daddy Bruce did odd jobs until he could no longer resist the siren call of smoke. He was well into his 60s when he founded Daddy Bruce’s Bar-B-Q in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. His stellar reputation wafted all over town and eventually he became the official caterer of the Denver Broncos. Kind and deeply spiritual, Randolph also began the custom of serving free Thanksgiving dinners to the needy, a Denver tradition that continues today.

Introducing barbecue royalty

In sidebars throughout the book, Miller profiles 20 notable African American and Native American barbecue chefs. The book is also studded with 22 recipes “straight from the pit,” from Old Arthur’s Pork Belly Burnt Ends to Chef Kenny Gilbert’s Alligator Ribs.

There are no ‘possum recipes.  But most will not consider this a drawback.

A certified barbecue judge to the core, Miller ends “Black Smoke” by listing his 20 favorite African American barbecue restaurants throughout the country. In 2021,

don’t be afraid that you won’t know how to do it, because there will be enough people in your sphere of in uence that will know how to help you,” Lee said, encouraging people to ask themselves: “what if, what else and why not” when they have an idea.

e two friends expressed gratitude for all the ways people have supported their vision and nonpro t.

“We wouldn’t be able to be able to do what we do if it wasn’t for them,” Lee said. “It’s thousands of people who have really participated in where we are today.”

“Everybody’s contribution has meant something to someone,” Shimamoto added. “And everybody who has contributed one pair of socks has contributed to this large amount that just keeps growing every year.”

— Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe,

ny, and moved 16,000 soldiers in 24 hours to circle the Ruhr pocket. The encirclement led to the capture of 325,000 Nazi soldiers, and World War II comes to an end.

Rose earned every honor a general could at the time, including a Distinguished Service Cross, a Distinguished Service Medal, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Legion of Merit, a Purple Heart, a French Legion of Honor, a French Croix and a Belgian Croix.

Rose was killed in his Jeep during

when the book was published, no Denver restaurant made the cut. Still, in the past decade, Denver’s barbecue scene has caught fire and there are now many more contenders. Miller’s website currently lists more than a dozen of his favorite Denver-area barbecue sources, including several Blackowned establishments: Hungry Wolf BBQ in Aurora, Plates by the Pound BBQ also in Aurora and Mississippi Boy Catfish & Ribs in Denver’s Northeast Park Hill neighborhood.

April 2, 1945.

“More than any man in the world, he deserves credit for bringing this war to a conclusion at least ve or six months sooner than it would have been otherwise.”

— Maj. Gen. “Lightning Joe” Collins.

a random stop by the Germans. He was about to surrender, peacefully, when he was shot. According to Fogel, the Germans didn’t know of his rank because they left him to die on the side of the road. Two weeks later, WWII ended.

“Gen. Patton craved the media attention. Not Rose,” Shamon said. “He was just here to win both WWI and WWII. He always flew under the radar and that’s why he was so respected by regular people — and presidents.”

This June, the Mile High City will host the fourth Denver BBQ Festival at Empower Field, a massive cook-off that draws thousands of hungry ‘cue heads. Last year’s 14 competitors included only one Black pitmaster.

But as he surveys the barbecue scene, Miller still finds many reasons for hope. These include the fact that in 2019, the Royal American Barbecue Hall of Fame responded to his criticism about its lack of diversity — and invited him to join the board.

Show some love to freelancers this month

February is the month we acknowledge our loves and friendships, but there is another special group of people we must show gratitude to this month — freelancers.

According to the National Today website, Freelance Writers Appreciation Week is celebrated the second week of February each year.

I have some talented freelancers who certainly deserve some recognition this month. Every month, in fact.

While I may be the backbone of the publications as editor of the Life on Capitol Hill and Washington Park Pro le newspapers, the freelancers I work with certainly can be considered the rib cage. Without them, many of the wonderful stories you read

each month would not be in publication. I have a sentimental story for how each of them became acquainted with me and/or the newspaper. As a journalist, it has been instilled in me since Day 1 of J-school to always report without bias. But I will admit, I am biased when it comes to my freelancers — nobody can tell a story like they do. My freelancers are such a bright and talented group of people. Each have their own style in their writing talent and it is a lot of fun to work with each of them to develop it — them learning from me, and me learning from them.

I do assign stories to them sometimes, but I particularly enjoy working with them on their unique story ideas. Some of these begin with a simple something they observed

Radon: the leading cause of cancer in people who don’t smoke

Being a lifelong health enthusiast, health educator and tness trainer — and married to a primary care physician — my family and I were blindsided by my Stage 3A lung cancer diagnosis in October of 2018. We were shocked as I had no respiratory symptoms and I have never smoked. My cancer was found incidentally while investigating what later turned out to be a benign ovarian cyst.

It wasn’t until my son, an environmental engineer, asked me if I had ever tested our home for radon when I learned that virtually anyone with lungs can get lung cancer and that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is the rst leading cause of lung cancer in people who don’t have a history of smoking. Considering the risk for lung cancer is high, why aren’t people exposed to high radon levels eligible for lung cancer screening? e United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends people ages 50-80 with a 20-pack year history of smoking, or have quit in the past 15 years, get a low dose CT

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Workers deserve to be paid for the work that they do. is is a simple concept and seems like common sense, but folks would be surprised to learn that there are frequent cases in which employees are not paid correctly. We refer to this as “wage theft” and Coloradans lose roughly $728 million in stolen wages, annually.

Denver City Council unanimously voted in favor of providing Denver Labor new tools to ensure that employees are paid properly. Denver City Council should be lauded for doing the work to collaboratively pass this legislation.

LINDA SHAPLEY

scan, which is painless and takes only a few minutes. Based on the conversation with our son, we tested our home using methods recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency and discovered that the radon levels in our home were elevated above the threshold of 4 pico curies (pCi/L). e EPA strongly advises that any radon level at or above 4 pCi/L should be reduced through a radon mitigation system. Radon mitigation needs to be done by professionally accredited operators and most health departments — including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — post lists of accredited mitigators.

Radon is an invisible and odorless radioactive gas that can be found in many homes. It comes from the decomposition of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. When inhaled, radon can cause serious health problems including lung cancer. About half of all homes in Colorado have radon levels above the recommended limit of 4 pCi/L.

While there is no way for me to know with certainty if radon caused my lung cancer, I want people to know it is one risk factor that can be tested for and reduced to safe levels very easily. I

in Denver and want to explore further or a casual introduction to someone they nd particularly interesting. It is my freelancers’ intrigue that make papers shine each month.

My freelancers work hard, and are so dedicated to storytelling and ensuring their written word is the best that it can be for every story they write, every month. ey spend hours interviewing sources, researching information or news tips, gathering photos and in some cases, attending events.

So every time you see “Special to Colorado Community Media” in this February edition — and every month beyond — remember that it is the tireless work of one of my freelancers who brought that story to you.

Denver welcomes migrants today, and yesterday

GUEST COLUMN

Why Denver and why now? We wondered as we watched in early December as the quiet arrival of migrants from our southern border increased suddenly and noticeably. We watched with worry as they arrived to our city and were greeted with bone-chilling temperatures, full shelters and a city government on its heels, working overtime to welcome them the best it could.

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

ese new rules will require thoughtful implementation and a clear focus on equity since the majority of stolen wages target people of color, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. I’m running for auditor to bring this kind of forward-looking vision to the Denver Auditor’s O ce. Denver’s workers deserve leadership.

Erik Clarke is a manager at a large accounting rm focused on nancial advisory and strategy. He’s a candidate for Denver City Auditor in the upcoming municipal election.

Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA

Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN

Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS

Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Councilmember Robin Kniech

But Denver wasn’t the only city receiving men, women, families with children, people eeing violence, climate disruption and economic collapse abroad. And it wasn’t Denver’s rst time seeing a wave of cross-cultural migration. When life becomes untenable where you are, “somewhere else” becomes an answer — even at great cost and risk, without knowing what will come next.

We don’t have to look far back to see times when our city welcomed people taking such life-changing, risky journeys. History Colorado’s Colorado Encyclopedia chronicles Denver’s modern experience with these earlier eras:

· Waves of recruitment for immigrant labor largely drove waves of migration in the late 1800s into the early 1900s, including eastern European Jewish communities that formed in several neighborhoods of Denver.

SEE KNIECH, P11

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.

Christy Steadman

Heidi Nafman Onda

SEE RADON, P11

Orchids: A diverse family of plants and people

lesser-known champions of orchids. eir stories are as diverse as the orchid family itself.

GUEST COLUMN

Nick Snakenberg

The orchid family (Orchidaceae) is one of the largest and most diverse plant families on the planet. is diversity extends to the people who study, admire and grow these fascinating plant treasures.

Charles Darwin, Carl Linnaeus and William Cattley are names you may recognize, but the history of orchid research and cultivation is far richer than these more familiar names. is year’s Orchid Showcase at the Denver Botanic Gardens shines a spotlight on some

· e Great Migration from 1910-20s brought Black residents from southern states to Denver. Our response was not a welcoming one, with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan among Denver’s political leadership.

· Many Japanese Americans were forced from their West Coast homes into internment camps — more than 2,000 — then relocated to Denver from 1942-1944.

· Racially restrictive covenants meant that more than 75% of Denver’s Black residents lived in Five Points by 1929, the World-War II era brought another wave of newcomers and Five Points’ Black population doubled by 1950 with former servicemembers and others.

Housing crunch? Denver had one in the post-war era, too. Concerns about language barriers and cultural di erences? Europeans didn’t speak English when they came to build railroads or work in meat packing plants. City resources? Denver’s funds are not unlimited, but surely the city’s economic success of recent years puts us in one of the strongest positions we’ve ever been in. What about jobs and our economy? Today, we have a relatively low unemployment rate, and employers in construction, restaurants and other elds are still looking to

Rebecca Tyson Northern, who lived from 1910-2004, was an orchid advocate with a Colorado connection. She was a trained biologist with an M.A. from Mt. Holyoke College and along with her husband — a plant physiologist professor at the University of Wyoming — were members of the Denver Orchid Society who also traveled Central and South America studying orchids. Rebecca was also the author of numerous books on growing orchids. At a time when orchids were

ll positions. And every person who works in our community also buys goods and services, stimulating more economic activity that grows the pie, pays sales taxes on those purchases and funds infrastructure and services in our community.

While many may be passing through to other destinations, we can and should prioritize continuing to welcome and support those who stay. ey will become a part of our city’s fabric just as those who’ve come before. is will require even more creativity on housing, legal support, job connections and community integration than we’ve brought to bear to support Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, but we are Denver and we can.

But Denver shouldn’t act alone. e United States House of Representatives passed a federal immigration reform bill that would have created a path for individuals to apply for residency, work visas and a more orderly system at the border. It. Does. Not. Have. To. Be. is. Way. e Senate failed to act. But those with their backs against the wall and no options don’t give up hope. So we can’t give up the ght for comprehensive immigration reform either.

widely considered a hobby of the elite, her approachable writing style welcomed a new demographic to the orchid hobby. Decades after they were written, many of her books remain the go-to resource for beginner orchid growers.

In 2012, I had the pleasure of traveling to Peru and meeting Carmen Soto. Carmen attended Cusco National San Antonio Abad University and quickly put her biology degree to work protecting and conserving Andean ora and fauna in her native home. She was the chief biologist for Inkaterra Asociacion at Machu Picchu where she created

an extensive native orchid garden that has become a major tourist attraction and is a model for similar gardens around the world. With her passion for orchids, she mentored and inspired young biologists as well as tens of thousands of visitors to Inkaterra.

e Dracula Youth Reserve — named for an orchid genus growing within its borders — in Ecuador is a 244acre protected area of cloud forest and is in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. reatened by mining, the reserve is part of the larger 5,300 acres managed by partners EcoMinga, Rainforest Trust and Orchid

Conservation Alliance. e reserve is home to hundreds of orchid species — many new to science. e Dracula Youth Reserve is the rst entirely youth-funded nature reserve in the world with all funds generated by people 26 years of age or younger. You can learn more about the diverse people who have shaped the study and cultivation through history when you visit the Orchid Showcase at Denver Botanic Gardens. e exhibit is included in general admission and runs through Feb. 20.

Nick Snakenberg is the curator of Tropical Collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens

MAZING DENVER WITH WARREN STOKES

RADON

family history of lung cancer and air pollution are risk factors for lung cancer. Report any persistent symptoms you have to your doctor. Being young and having no known history of tobacco use does not make you immune to lung cancer, even if the risk is low.

Despite the well-known risks of radon, it concerns me that there isn’t more public

Robin Kniech is an at-large member of Denver City Council. She can be reached at kniechatlarge@denvergov.org or 720-337-7712. also want people to know that smoking and exposure to radon are not the only risk factors for lung cancer and that many people develop lung cancer despite having no known risk factors. Exposure to secondhand smoke,

This maze art features “Daddy” Bruce Randolph, a Denver restaurateur known for his humanitarianism -- particularly feeding the hungry. In Denver, he has both a school and a street named in his honor. This maze can be solved by starting at the S in any of the four corners, and mazing-out to about the middle of the picture to the W for win near Randolph’s eyes.

health messaging about radon, especially given its high prevalence in Colorado and many other states. e EPA estimates that radon kills approximately 21,000 people in the U.S. every year and about 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. ese numbers may be a low estimate, as I know my doctor never asked me if I knew the radon level

of my home when I was diagnosed. In fact, only a small number of family physicians transmit radon information to their patients. Please consider testing your home for radon at least every two years as recommended by the EPA because levels can change due to movement of soil, or new cracks in the foundation. Even if you have a mitigation system, testing is still recom-

mended. A mitigation system is like any other appliance, and it can malfunction or stop working.

Learn more about radon and radon mitigation from the EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Heidi Nafman Onda is a cancer survivor and health educator

Mile High Happenings is a monthly column featuring community events throughout Denver, highlighting events that take place in the central and central-south neighborhoods covered by the Washington Park Pro le and Life on Capitol Hill newspapers.

Event submissions from community members and organizations are welcome. Submissions should include brief details about the event and a photo

Jan. 20-Feb. 26

or event logo.

Deadline is the 20th of each month for the event to be listed the following month. Cycle for the column’s listings will typically begin on the rst weekend of the month, depending on publication dates.

Submissions can be emailed to Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

February 15-May 28

Jan. 12-March 9

DU’s Lamont School of Music: Winter 2023 Concerts and Events

Time: Varies.

Location: Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts on the DU campus, 2344 E. Ili Ave.

Cost: Free, $5 or $12 depending on the event.

e Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver presents upwards of 300 concerts and events every season, including performances by students, solo and collaborative recitals by the school’s esteemed faculty members, and worldclass guest artists. Student performances include orchestra, wind ensemble, choirs, jazz ensembles, opera and a number of world music ensembles. All performances are open to the public. A full schedule of events can be found online.

More information/reservations: bit. ly/lamontconcerts Courtesy logo.

Feb. 21

Meowdi Gras

Time: All day.

Location: Meow Wolf Convergence Station, 1338 First St., Denver.

Cost: $40-$45 is all ages event takes place on 2023’s Fat Tuesday and will include: tarot readings, art vendors, a mask and crown maker station, creole specials with vegetarian options available at Cafe Du’Meow and more.

More information/reservations: tinyurl.com/MeowWolf-MeowdiGras Image courtesy of Meow Wolf website.

70-Something

Time: Gallery hours: 1-4 p.m. Thursday - Sundays; 5-9 p.m. First Fridays; 5-8 p.m. Third Fridays.

Location: Niza Knoll Gallery, 915 Santa Fe Dr., Denver.

Cost: Free entry to gallery, artwork available for purchase.

Seven local artists whose ages range from the 70s to late 90s are showcasing their artwork — which includes ceramic sculptures, paintings and digital artwork — that they have created within the last ve years. Curated by Damon McLeese, the executive director of Access Gallery which is a nonpro t also located in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, the goal of this show i to combat ageism through art.

More information/reservations: nizaknollgallery. com

“Baby Zebra” by Howard Harris. Photo courtesy of press release from Niza Knoll Gallery.

Feb. 23

Vance Kirkland’s Cosmos

Time: Museum hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. WednesdaySaturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Location: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver.

Cost: $10-$12; free for members.

The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year. Vance Kirkland (1904-1981), the namesake of the museum, was among the most important Colorado and regional painters of the 20th century. This temporary exhibition of Kirkland’s work features examples from eight series of the visions of Kirkland’s cosmos from 1954 to 1981.

More information/reservations: kirklandmuseum.org

“Creation of Space” by Vance Kirkland. Courtesy of the collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver.

Joy on Tap at the Children’s Museum of Denver

Time: 7-10 p.m.

Location: Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, 2121 Children’s Museum Dr.

Cost: $45 is adults-only (21+) craft beer event will allow guests to taste beers from more than 15 local breweries, snack on light bites and enjoy an evening of play experiencing the museum’s exhibits. All proceeds support the Museum’s educational programming and initiatives.

More information/reservations: mychildsmuseum.org Logo courtesy of Children’s Museum of Denver website.

Feb. 24-May 28

Feb. 26-June 18

Breakthroughs: A Celebration of RedLine at 15

Time: Museum hours: noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, closed Monday.

Location: MCA Denver’s Fries Building, 1485 Delgany St.

Cost: Free to $10.

e Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) and RedLine Contemporary Art Center are teaming up to present this collaborative exhibition that celebrates RedLine’s 15th anniversary. e exhibition re ects the current creative practice of nearly 20 Colorado artists who are RedLine’s Resident Artist alumni and past Resource Artists. e artists’ works part of the exhibit have been created within the last two years, with the majority being on view for the rst time in Denver.

Untitled (Five Patterned Women on the Ledge with White Flowers) by Daisy Patton. Photo courtesy of Daisy Patton and K Contemporary.

March 4

Renewal: Sculptures by Tamara Kostianovsky

Time: Gallery hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Location: Freyer-Newman Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St.

Cost: Included with admission.

Tamara Kostianovsky is a textile sculpture whose works draw inspiration from her childhood home in Argentina. Repurposing clothing from her own wardrobe as well as clothes, linens, upholstery and towels from family and friends, Kostianovsky forges connections to loved ones and childhood memories.

More information/reservations: botanicgardens.org/art-exhibits “Redwood” by Tamara Kostianovsky. Created of clothing belonging to the artist’s father, discarded textiles and wood, 2018. Photo by Roni Mocan.

Feb. 25

Cupid’s Undie Run Denver

Time: Noon to 4 p.m.

Location: Stoney’s Bar and Grill, 1111 Lincoln St., Denver.

Cost: $45 registration.

Cupid’s Undie Runs are taking place across the nation to raise money for research to help end neuro bromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. e events kick o with drinking and dancing, and that is followed by a jog/run for about a mile. e event culminates with a dance party. Virtual run option is available.

More information/reservations: cupids.org/cupids-undie-run Courtesy logo.

March 18

History Colorado’s Tours and Treks: Bold Women and Bolder Dishes

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Capitol Hill Concerts: Peter Stoltzman

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 N. Lafayette St.

Cost: $20-$25 general admission.

Peter Stoltzman will perform an original contemporary jazz concert titled “Spiraling Inward.” Capitol Hill Concerts has a mission to o er high-caliber, musicallydiverse, family-friendly concerts, while also supporting local nonpro ts. A portion of the proceeds from this show will bene t the Colorado Music Bridge. Capitol Hill Concerts are livestreamed on YouTube for free but a donation is suggested.

More information/reservations: capitolhillconcerts.com

Photo courtesy of Capitol Hill Concerts website.

Location: History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway, Denver.

Cost: $135 nonmembers, $115 for members. is tour will include a visit to various woman-owned local businesses where they serve social justice advocacy alongside their delicious food and drinks. Included in the ticket price is coach transportation, guide and interpretation services, teas, co ee, snacks, lunch and an optional beer tasting. Registration deadline is March 6.

More information/reservations: historycolorado.org

Logo courtesy of History Colorado website.

Drought has eased in Colorado

Experts brace for 2023

BY JOSHUA PERRY THE COLORADO SUN

Recent increases in precipitation have brought much of Colorado out of drought and led to a solid start for winter snowpack in the mountains. Meteorologists are hopeful this could lead to a successful wet season, and even ease drought conditions this summer — but they aren’t making any calls just yet.

e latest U.S. Drought Monitor report indicated that 40% of Colorado was o cially drought-free, a signicant improvement from 0% this time last year. 9News meteorologist Chris Bianchi said the improvement was more than welcome.

“We’re not looking at just a blip in terms of drought impact,” Bianchi said. “ is is a substantial improvement.”

Heavy snow, mostly west of the Continental Divide, has helped in recent weeks, Bianchi said, but the entire state hasn’t been covered by snow. Still, Colorado is in a much better position overall, he said.

At the end of December, drought conditions were logged in about 86% of the state. e week of Jan. 3, most of the eastern plains still was dry, with severe or extreme conditions recorded along the state border.

As of Wednesday, statewide snowpack is at 127% of the median level and well above average in all river basins except the Arkansas and Upper Rio Grande, according to the Natural Resources and Conservation Service’s weekly Snow Survey. Colorado State Climatologist Russ Schumacher said these conditions have him cautiously optimistic.

“ e mountain snowpack in the winter is critical, because that’s our big natural reservoir of water serving both Colorado and the downstream states,” Schumacher said. “At least at this point in the snow accumulation, the numbers all look really good.”

ere’s also reason to be hopeful for good runo from the mountains in the spring, he said. After a wet summer in 2022, especially in the high country, Colorado entered the winter with better-hydrated soil than the past several years, according to Schumacher. is means that more snowmelt will make it to the rivers instead of being absorbed by the ground.

Schumacher is still waiting to see what the rest of winter has in store.

When it comes to predicting drought conditions later in the year, precipitation levels this early aren’t the best indicators, he said. Experts will know much more by April, when total snowpack accumulation is clearer and they can predict water levels in the rivers more accurately. For now, he said, the winter is at least o to a promising start.

Bianchi is also waiting to see what the coming months bring. e heart of Colorado’s wet season, from late February to the start of spring, will have a much greater impact on drought conditions and wild re risk for the rest of the year, he said. ese early-season precipitation levels are not a de nitive sign, especially not for communities on the Front Range,

he said.

“ is would be like the Broncos being at 14-nothing at halftime,” Bianchi said. “A great start, zero qualms about it. e problem is, it’s still only halftime.”

Dr. Benjamin Hatchett, a hydrometeorologist with the Nevada-based Desert Research Institute, said it was very encouraging to see areas with more severe drought classi cation improve on the Drought Monitor, even if they didn’t lose classi cation entirely. He’s also glad to see the Rocky Mountains with less drought, since their runo sustains so many downstream communities in the western U.S.

However, for a drought-stricken state like Colorado to recover substantially and replenish local reservoirs, consistent improvement in precipitation over the long term has to happen, Hatchett said. Otherwise, in the big picture, nothing will change.

“To get out of those problems, we’re going to really need not just one year, but back-to-back, probably three or four years of really good winters,” he said.

e likelihood of consistently exceptional precipitation over the long term is low, he admitted. In the short term, though, this weather certainly isn’t bad news. Coloradans can expect storms to continue feeding the snowpack over the next 10 days or so, according to Hatchett. en things look like they may dry out a bit. And for the rest of the winter, he said, forecasting models are much less accurate — in other words, only time will tell.

But Colorado is in a good spot. Even if things dry out more than expected in the coming months, Hatchett said, the state’s head start on snowpack accumulation will be an important advantage.

“We’ve built up a bit of a bu er right now. at’s good,” he said. “We’ve got some snow in the bank.” is story is from e Colorado Sun,

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

round, play based programs focusing on social development and academic enrichment for toddlers through Private Kindergarten. Popular Summer Adventure Camps for post

Thick snowfall o County Road 166 in northwestern Elbert County shows part of the moisture that is helping to ease Colorado’s drought.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Dr. Benjamin Hatchett, hydrometeorologist with the Nevada-based Desert Research Institute

For Girl Scouts, cookie sales generate a sense of accomplishment

This year’s cookie season runs Feb. 5-March 12

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e rst year that Denver Girl Scout Bianca Morris started selling Girl Scout Cookies, she was hesitant to stand at a grocery store booth because she had yet not built up her con dence with customer interactions.

Today, booth sales are her favorite part of the scouts’ annual cookie business. She enjoys joyful conversations with customers as she rings up sales, and gracefully accepts the “no, thank yous.”

Morris, who is 13 and in the eighth grade, has been in Girl Scouts since she was in the third grade. After muddling through the COVID-19 pandemic for the past couple of years, this year she is eager for more in-person encounters.

“It brings the community together,” Morris said of cookie season. “It’s something you can look forward to every year.”

Cookie sales run from Feb. 5 to March 12 and nine di erent kinds of cookies are going by the boxful: Adventurefuls, in Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Dos-Si-Dos and Lemon-Ups, S’mores and To eetastic. e cookies sell for $5 or $6 a box.

A new thin, chocolate-dipped

cookie, Raspberry Rally, won’t be on Morris’ counter, but available as an online-exclusive. e Girl Scouts’ Digital Cookie platforms will o er it starting Feb. 27.

“Everyone loves Girl Scout Cookies — but the program is about so much more than cookies,” said Leanna Clark, CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado, in a news release. “When you purchase cookies, you are helping girls power their Girl Scout leadership experience and you’re supporting female entrepreneurs.”

Cookie season focuses on ve lifelong skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

“I think the most valuable aspect of the program is the way the skills build upon each other and grow with the girls,” said Robin Morris, Bianca’s mom. “As a Brownie, the girls were developing their people skills — getting out into the community and talking to people. Now, as teens they are using management skills as they begin working at their rst jobs and saving towards college.”

Girl Scouts begin their journey as Daisies in kindergarten and rst grade. ey become Brownies in the second and third grade, then Juniors. Bianca Morris is currently a Cadette. Her next step will be a Senior as a ninth- and 10th-grader before she becomes an Ambassador in her junior and senior year of high school.

“Eating cookies is always a perk of cookie season,” Bianca Morris said.

But it’s the sense of accomplishment that is most rewarding.

rough the years, Bianca Morris has learned many skills — both as a Girl Scout and through cookie sales — that have carried through to di erent aspects of her life.

“Bianca’s con dence has soared as a result,” Robin Morris said.

She pointed to a recent example that her daughter experienced at school when one of the clubs Bianca Morris is part of was raising funds to donate to a charity.

“ ey were selling baked goods and the table was overrun by hungry middle schoolers anxious to buy,” Robin Morris said. “Bianca quickly jumped behind the counter and told her teachers she was experienced with cash handling from Girl Scouts and could help the teachers run the cash box.”

Cookie sales have been a staple for the scouts for more than 100 years.

e tradition started in 1917.

“I think every person may have some connection to selling, buying or eating Girl Scout Cookies,” Robin

HOW TO GET GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

1. Booth sales: There is a mobile app to help find the Girl Scout cookie booths, or text COOKIES to 59618. To use the Cookie Finder online, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org, and select Find Cookies. Enter your zip code in the Cookie Finder, and a new window will provide you with a list of dates, times and locations of a local Girl Scout cookie booth.

Bianca Morris, a 13-year-old Denver Girl Scout, is looking forward to selling cookies again this year — particularly the booth sales because that’s when she gets to interact with the community. Cookie season runs Feb. 5-March 12 this year. COURTESY PHOTO

Morris said. “Today’s Girl Scouts are excited to continue to create that experience for others as they build a foundation of practical life skills.”

2. Digital Cookie: If you know a Girl Scout, this might be the most direct way to get your cookies. Your Girl Scout might send you an invite to purchase cookies from her Digital Cookie site, but you can also ask her for her Digital Cookie link. Through Digital Cookie, you pay online and cookies are shipped.

Documenting Denver in the ‘80s and ‘90s

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Denver photographer Robert Weinberg has a surprising characteristic for someone who shoots pictures for a living.

He’s been legally blind since the 1990s.

Weinberg uses the latest technology to make the most of the little vision he has remaining to take photos, to get around on his own and to help other people learn how to live with blindness.

“ e World in Denver: e Photography of Robert Weinberg” exhibit opened Jan. 20 and will be on display for one year in the second- oor mezzanine at History Colorado. It features eight photos from his decades of photography.

“It’s kind of unbelievable,” Weinberg said. “Not only that it’s showing my work, but for a whole year.”

In a History Colorado rst, each exhibit photo will be accompanied by a sign written in Braille to better serve those who are sight-impaired.

“History Colorado means a great deal,” Weinberg said. “It’s one thing to archive your work and know it has a home. But showing the works you’ve done in the past, it gives (validation) to my work.”

But Weinberg, 75, has been through tough times as the world showed less and less of itself as the blindness advanced.

“I went through hell,” he said. “I was clinically depressed. It was years before I could go through all the training (to regain some sight). I did take a long time to learn a lot of things that help me.”

And help is available out there.

A text-reading software named JAWS (Job Access With Speech) helped Weinberg become a touch typist, easing the writing process.

“Now I can write all sorts of stu , use email and read websites,” he said. “It’s the best and most expensive text-reading software. When I

rst started losing my sight, a doctor said what I had was the best thing I could have had when you’re losing your sight.”

Closed-circuit TV has been another helpful tool. Its camera enlarges things, making them easier to see and read.

“It also has OCR — Optical Character Recognition — that can scan a printed-out page and read it to you,” Weinberg said.

Weinberg is a fan of the Colorado Talking Books Library at 180 Sheridan Blvd. in Denver’s Barnum West neighborhood. He downloads books to a ash drive and listens to the narrative.

“Which is wonderful,” he said.

Weinberg was drawn to photography in 1965 when he took his rst photo course at George Washington High School, using a pinhole camera.

“You’d work with printed-out paper, make an image work in the dark, x it and then you’d have a print without having had a negative,” he said.

He’s still taking photos — and gave himself an assignment to shoot a large project of workers replacing all the elevators in a residential building.

“So I documented all the cranes that were there,” Weinberg said.

He gave prints of his work to some of the workers.

Jeremy Morton, public engagement manager at History Colorado, praised Weinberg’s innate photography skills.

“He has this ability to take closeup portraits of people in a way that intrigues them and highlights their humanity, and see into the person, even if you don’t know the back story,” Morton said. “He’s considered one of the preeminent photographers in Denver in the 1980s and 1990s. The work he produced during that time is considered (to be) like the documentation of Denver.”

“Kenny” by Denver photographer Robert Weinberg. A collection of Weinberg’s photos are on display at the History Colorado Center in Denver. COURTESY OF WEINBERGPHOTOGRAPHICS.COM

“Cleo Parker Robinson” by Denver photographer Robert Weinberg. COURTESY OF WEINBERGPHOTOGRAPHICS.COM

“The World in Denver: The Photography of Robert Weinberg” exhibit is now on display at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, in Denver. The exhibit will

be up until January 2024. To learn more, visit historycolorado.org.

To view more of Weinberg’s photos online, visit weinbergphotographics.com.

Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble to appear at DU Feb. 18-19

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Off the west coast of Japan lies the island of Sado, home to luscious green forests, steep oceanside cli s and the most renowned taiko drummers in the world.

Early mornings on the island, residents are greeted with the deep, thumping sound of drumming as they make their way to work and school. e radiating sound of a gong can be heard for miles as the performers practice throughout the day to perfect their ancient craft. e drumming of the KODO Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble has been the soundtrack to the lives many Sado people as they go about their days for more than four decades. Sado Island is home to the Kodo Apprentice Center, the home for new hopefuls to complete a two-year apprenticeship program before becoming members of the o cial ensemble. Kodo apprentices live communally at the center, where they learn taiko, dance, song, bamboo ute and other traditional Japanese arts. ey live a very minimalist lifestyle, rid of distractions so they can concentrate on their rigorous training. Cell phones, computers and dating are strictly prohibited for apprentices while living on Sado.

duced to Japan in the sixth century CE through Korean and Chinese cultural in uence along the Silk Road, a pan-Eurasian trade system that lasted for nearly two millennia. Contemporarily used as traditional performance instruments, taiko have been used throughout Japanese history — during wartimes to organize troops, at royal processions, throughout religious rituals and sometimes as personal instruments. Performance taiko drumming evolved in the mid-20th century, becoming popular at Japanese festivals to entertain laypeople. Later in the 1980s, taiko performance would become popularized worldwide with traveling ensembles like Kodo.

e Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble will be performing at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver on Feb. 18 and 19. Kodo will perform its One Earth Tour entitled “Tsuzumi.”

e performance will be a highlight of Kodo’s home on Sado Island, sharing the tale of its ancient history and tranquil landscape.

“Kodo One Earth Tour: Tsuzumi is the rst production in a series of commemorative works we created for Kodo’s 40th anniversary celebrations in 2021,” said Director Yuichiro Funabashi in a news release. “ e theme of this work is our home base, Sado Island. With its lush nature and distinct history, this special place has been the starting point for Kodo’s diverse local and international activities for the past four decades. Conjured and honed on Sado, Kodo’s sound is like no other. I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy this performance and the visceral sound of Kodo’s taiko.”

Kodo member plays a set of taiko drums during a performance.

COURTESY OF KODO TAIKO PERFORMING ARTS ENSEMBLE

The Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble is performing at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver, 2344 E.

Waste No More will bring access to compost and recycling in Denver

tually had a greater interest in access to recycling.

BY ELICIA HESSELGRAVE

TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Bex Schmelzel is looking forward to the day that Recycle Island will no longer take over the tiny kitchen in their Capitol Hill apartment.

Schmelzel’s apartment building does not provide recycling. Recycle Island is what Schmelzel and their partner call the pile of recyclables they store until a friend — who works at a recycling center in Boulder — can pick up the recyclables and drop them o .

“It’s such a relief when we can get rid of it,” Schmelzel said.

ey added that when there are months that go by before the friend is able to help with their recyclables, Recycle Island has, at times, reached about two-by-two feet or more.

“I don’t like the idea of being wasteful,” Schmelzel said. “I literally feel bad in my heart for being wasteful.”

But until Schmelzel’s apartment complex starts o ering recycling, there’s little that they can do except let Recycle Island pile up. Schmelzel works at a school and is attending graduate school at the University of Denver so they are not able to a ord other sustainable options such as re ll shops.

ankfully for Schmelzel, Ballot Measure 306, known as Waste No More, passed in November with nearly a 71% yes vote. is law requires all buildings in Denver, like Schmelzel’s apartment building, to provide access to recycling.

Schmelzel hopes the Waste No More initiative will reframe how people think about recycling.

“It’s a good measure,” they said. “We want to be able to recycle.”  Still, it could be a number of months before Denver residents see any changes.

Denver is on the path to `Waste No More’ Ean Tafoya, a candidate for mayor who served as co-director of the

Waste No More campaign, and his colleagues worked on the measure for two years. In 2016, Tafoya was petitioning for the Denver Green Roof

Initiative — which voters passed in 2017 and is now known as the Green Buildings Ordinance — when he discovered that Denver residents ac-

So, he and a team went to work to start writing the Waste No More initiative in 2020 and collected more than 11,000 signatures to get Waste No More on the ballot. ey missed the deadline for the 2021 election, but knowing Denver residents cared about access to recycling, Tafoya and his team continued their work to ensure it was on the November 2022 ballot.

“ ere has been a delay in (the) climate action that science is asking for, and my generation is crying for,” Tafoya said. “It is clear from the vote of the Denver public, this is what we want.”

He added that Waste No More has the potential to make a signi cant impact on the local environment.

According to the most recent numbers available, Denver is sending about 75% of its waste to land ll. ese numbers, which are from 2021, demonstrate that Denver’s diversion rate — the amount of material that is not sent to landll — is at 25.7%. For comparison, the Boulder County Sustainability website reports its diversion rate is 35%, and the 2021 Fort Collins Waste Reduction & Recycling Report states its diversion rate was 55.5% for that year.

e city of Denver is making strides to improve its diversion rate and Waste No More will play a big role.

Once implemented, every building in Denver will be required to provide three waste bins: land ll, recycling and compost. is includes restaurants, businesses, o ces, stadiums and multi-family housing with more than four units. With greater access to recycling and composting, the people of Denver will have the opportunity to appropriately sort their trash.

Another important component of the policy requires construction and demolition sites to adopt more sustainable practices.

“Demolition waste accounts for half of our climate emissions and materials like metal, corrugate,

Bex Schmelzel will be glad when Waste No More will be implemented so that their Recycle Island will be a thing of the past. Schmelzel’s apartment in Denver currently does not o er recycling, so sometimes Recycle Island can pile up to two-by-two feet or more before a friend is able to pick up the recyclables and drop them o at a recycling center.

COURTESY PHOTO

But the citizen-led ordinance needs revisions before it can be enforced

glass, concrete and asphalt can be diverted from the land ll,” Tafoya said, adding that the Waste No More law will ensure these materials are properly recycled.

Timeline is di erent than other ballot measures

Waste No More will be enforced by the city of Denver with the O ce of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency taking the lead. But there is a lot of uncertainty about how the new law will work and it could be awhile before it is enforced.

Since Waste No More was a citizenled initiative, the timeline for enforcement looks a little di erent than other ballot measures written by city council. One cause for delay can be attributed to the language the initiative used because it is not what the city would use.

Grace Rink, Denver’s chief climate o cer, used a tra c violation as an example. When a person gets a tra c ticket, there are speci c guidelines for how to appeal that ticket. With Waste No More, how it will be enforced is not written into the language, Rink said. Additionally, Rink added, the way it is currently written implies that an apartment building can be ned for not complying, but it does not dene what the ne is or what an appeal looks like.

erefore, Rink said, the bill must be revised, but the language on the original ballot cannot be changed for

at least six months after the election. ere are a few steps the city is doing in the meantime to get things rolling. First, a task force must be created. is group of 25 individuals will consist of stakeholders from entities that are regulated by the ordinance. ese include recycling centers, trash haulers, special events companies, restaurant owners, organics processors and building owners. Waste No More ballot sponsors will hold two seats, according to Tafoya. Rink said the task force will hold regular meetings for six months, beginning in March and the public may attend and observe. e goal of this task force is not to rewrite the ordinance, but to make recommendations for adjustments to state concise rules and enforcement guidelines. ese regulation revisions must rst be approved by city sta and then presented to city council.

Ordinances working in tandem

In addition to Waste No More, other environmentally-focused proposals were recently adopted in Denver. ese include the “pay as you throw” trash pickup, which charges for land ll waste bins while recycling and compost are free; the Bring Your Own Bag program, which encourages reusable bag use by charging for disposable bags; and the Single-Use Accessory Restriction Ordinance which requires all retail food establishments to only provide single-use condiments and plasticware upon customer request.

A statewide Producer Responsibility Ordinance (PRO) was also signed last summer. e PRO will provide free

and equitable recycling to all Coloradoans as well as encourage more sustainable practices from Colorado manufacturers.

All of these ordinances will work in tandem to accelerate Denver’s goal. “CASR, in partnership with Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure and the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, recommends to divert 50% of all solid waste generated by 2027 and 70% by 2032,” according to devergov.org.

With regard to Waste No More speci cally, some businesses have already adopted the three waste stream practices.

Vital Root, a restaurant located at 3915 Tennyson St. in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood, has been o ering three waste streams for years. e restaurant has incorporated the use of compostable supplies, including takeaway containers.

One of the managers, Kathryn Begley, said it’s important to the company and the restaurant’s guests to be environmentally conscious.

“It is a big mission statement to us,” said Begley.

But the city needs to provide better education on how to sort waste material, Begley added.

Customers are receptive to the recycling and compost program at Vital Root, but Begley has noticed there are issues with people knowing what is compostable and what is not.

“Lots of people will send their whole trays to the trash, even though we have made an e ort to provide recycle and compostable bins,” Begley said. “ e general public needs

better education.”

Vital Root isn’t the only business struggling with material sorted by the public becoming contaminated.

A1 Organics processes all the composting in Denver and has reported seeing glass mixed in with composted materials, Rink said. Unfortunately, this contaminates the material that can be composted so all of it has to be taken to the land ll. To combat this, A1 has restricted the material it will accept to just the basics: food scraps and yard waste only.

e city is preparing to improve the education program to help residents learn how to properly dispose of their trash. Clear messaging in multiple languages, as well as the use of symbols, are part of these improvements.

“Right now, everywhere you go the recycling signs are di erent,” Rink said. “It only adds to the confusion.” Rink’s goal is to provide the same information citywide. Whether it’s at school, a restaurant or at home, the same trash/recycling/compost signage will be posted throughout Denver.

“Education is key,” Rink said. “It’s one thing to o er the three waste streams, but if we are not using it right, it defeats the purpose.”

To learn more about the Waste No More Implementation Task Force, visit tinyurl.com/TaskForce-WasteNoMore. Deadline to apply to serve on the task force was Jan. 27, but the webpage has a meeting schedule, which are open to the public.

‘Entanglements’ with nature

Lens-based exhibit looks at how people relate to environment

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Metropolitan State University’s Center for Visual Arts starts o a new year with “Entanglements,” a new lens-based exhibit of works by 11 national and international artists, which will run from Jan. 13 to March 25 at the CVA Gallery, 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. March is Denver’s Month of Photography, and these works interpret artists’ views about how we, as humans relate to nature and its resources.

Eleven di erent views, that is ...

“Entanglements” was curated by Cecily Cullen and Natascha Seideneck, who teaches at MSU.

ere is an agenda stated: Artists hope to inspire viewers into action that is supportive of the natural environment. Check the CVA website for programmed events as some artists will be speaking at the gallery. Example: Amy Hoagland will speak at 5 p.m. on March 9 and Regan Rosburg will speak at 5 p.m. on Feb. 9. She has written a book called “Church of Water: A Portrait of the Arctic.” She teaches at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakewood.

Other artists with works included in “Entanglements” include: Persijn

Brersen and Margit Lukacs; Dornith Doherty, Felicity Hammond, Jana Hartman, Marcella Kwe, Anastasia Samoylova, Sarah Sense and Alicia Wroblewska.

Hammond will have a photographic collage series titled “Hidden Gems,” described as “jumbled, chaotic mining landscapes with the detrius left by the mineral extraction industry.”

Hoagland’s installation, “ awing Web,” challenges the idea that human society exists separate from nature.

Broersen and Lukacs take recognizable landscapes and reimagine them in two works entitled “Mastering Bambi” and “Establishing Eden.”

Both lms feature familiar landscapes — familiar because they were used in popular lms, but minus the actors and set pieces ...

Hartman and Samoylova o er photographic series that juxtapose nature and human society while Sarah Sense (Chitimacha/Choctaw) studies the relationship of her ancestors to the environment through an exploration of their landscapes.

Rosburg calls a viewer to action with her work called “dear future” re ecting on what we could change by taking action now ...

IF YOU GO

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Admission free. 303-615-0282, msudenver.edu/cva.

Felicity Hammond’s “Hidden Gems,” a photographic collage series, will be part of Met-

Metropolitan State University’s Center for Visual Art is located at 965 Santa Fe Drive in Denver. FACEBOOK IMAGE FROM 2013

The CVA is located at 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. (It has parking by the entrance.)

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SOUTH DENVER

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Coloradans can always look to the west and see the mountains in the distance, but for some who live in the inner cities of Colorado, actually getting to the mountains can be a bigger task.

irty- ve fth-graders hit the slopes in Loveland for the rst time on Dec. 13, some even experiencing the mountains for the rst time.

Students from Laredo Elementary School in Aurora came to Loveland Ski Area to ski with professional skier and Snow Sports Hall of Fame inductee

Chris Anthony.

Anthony has been working with kids for many years and has hosted his youth program at Loveland for the past three.

e Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project works to improve the lives of kids through educational enrichment. One of the ways the foundation does this is by busing classes of fth-graders out to Loveland ski area to spend a day learning to ski.

Anthony’s foundation pays for the bus, winter clothes, ski rentals and passes for the children to come experience the slopes. Most kids who come have never skied, and some have

never spent time in the mountains despite living in Colorado.

Peter Zola is the teacher for the fthgraders at Laredo Elementary School.

“Every year we have at least two or three kids who have spent most of their life out on the plains in sight of the mountains but never in the mountains,” Zola said.

Zola has been taking his class to ski for eight years and said he always sees great behavior out of his students during this trip. He attributes that success to the active learning the kids get to see and experience on the mountain.

Anthony sees kids get o the bus with a wide range of emotions, from excitement to nervousness for the day. After a day on the slopes, he sees a common thread between all of them.

“No matter what, at the end of the day, all of them, you can see a bright light ignited in the process,” Anthony said.

Some of the kids were star-struck upon seeing Anthony, one even asking the hall of famer to sign his lunchbox.

After donning their coats and dancing out the morning jitters, the fth-graders were ready to go get tted for skis.

irty- ve fth-graders getting tted for boots, skis and helmets all at the same time was a bit chaotic, but the sta ers at Loveland have done this before. e kids buzzed with excitement and quickly learned about the cumbersome feeling of ski boots.

After getting their skis ready to go, the kids headed out to the snow with the instructors. ey learned how to put on their skis and quickly learned how to get up after they inevitably fell down.

Dan Huston is the director of the ski

and ride school at Loveland. He said one of the biggest barriers for people being able to ski is location/transportation.

“ e mountains and ski areas usually aren’t very close to urban population centers. We’re unique in that we are 56 miles from Denver,” he said.

After working with the program for a few years, Huston knows the impact it has on kids.

“ ey’re gonna remember this for the rest of their lives,” he said.

Mailene Hernandez, one of the fthgraders on the trip, had a lot to say about the day. She said the bus ride to the ski area was full of mixed emotions, but mostly excitement.

“It was a little bit chaotic, but it was good,” Hernandez said. “I was kinda feeling excited and nervous at the same time.”

Hernandez took to the sport easily and said the process of getting into her skis was pretty natural.

“While I was putting them on I guess I felt a little wobbly, but it was pretty easy,” she said.

Hernandez also had some advice for other kids who might be learning to ski for the rst time.

“It’s really a fun experience, but I do recommend having some ski clothes because of how cold it is, and because you’re going to fall,” she said.

She also went on to say how much of a blessing Chris Anthony was to her class and how happy she was that they even got the opportunity to come.

After lunch, the kids got their skis back on and some of them graduated from the Magic Carpet over to the ski lift. Skiing down the hill was a good opportunity to work on turns and pizza wedges for the fth-graders.  Anthony himself skied along with the kids throughout the day, helping to pick them up when they fell. His presence made the day even more exciting for the kids, with high- ves all around.

Hernandez and other students agreed that if they had the opportunity to ski again, they would de nitely take it.

Loveland saw flurries all day while the kids skied.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE

Loveland Ski Area partnered with the Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project to get fifth-graders onto the ski slopes

Free underwear for University of Denver hoopsters

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Members of the University of Denver men’s basketball team are more than just Pioneers — which is the nickname for all DU teams.

ey’re also pioneers.

e DU hoopsters have earned this title because they are rst DU collegiate athletes to join the many college athletes nationwide who are cutting their own deals based on the lifting of Name, Image, Likeness compensation restrictions.

e schools cannot make deals for

and business people serve on their school’s NIL Collective, which acts as an intermediary to help the athletes make deals. e DU collective did so in the case of Shinesty.

e deal was for just three DU players — Ben Bowen, Tyree Corbett and Tommy Bruner — but Shinesty supplied clothing to all the team members.

“ e athletic directors want to be at arm’s length” between athletes and potential sponsors, said Tim ompson, NIL alumni coordinator for DU athletes. “NILs are being formed all over the country. ese committees look for external opportunities for student-athletes.”

Shinesty supplies the clothes and in return, players promote the items via social media, by wearing them around the campus, wearing them

before games, etc.

Shinesty’s lines include men’s underwear and holiday-themed pants, as well as “fun and irreverent themed holiday clothing for men and women.” e brand evokes a sense of humor, such as testing boundaries with its Ball Hammock Pouch Underwear, designed to protect men’s nether regions — if you catch our drift.

Another example had a mistletoe in the crotch area. And a third advertisement said, “Get matching underwear that encourages spooning & tends to lead to forking.”

Shinesty is a Colorado company founded by Chris White and Jens Nicolaysen in 2014. It was recently named to Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies list for 2022.

Corbett, a graduate transfer student majoring in organiza-

tional leadership, said he wears the protective gear on game days, and wears the company’s shorts around the house, for shoot arounds, walk-

Baltimore, MD. “It’s a funny brand

Bowen is from Highlands Ranch, from Mountain Vista High School.

“We’re getting free clothes for social media exposure,” he said. “A lot of my friends sent me pictures of the photo shoot that came out on social media.”

He also gets three free meals each week at Saucy Southern BBQ Cuisine, thanks to the NIL program. Pre-NIL, NCAA athletes were forbidden to pro t o their celebrity and fame. But eventually, college athletes pushed the movement that has made it possible for them to make money based on their reputation and willingness to produce money, goods and/or services in exchange for their athletic abilities. Nationwide, many college athletes have earned money — some large sums in certain cases — through their sponsor deals.

“Shinesty thought we’d jump on the NIL train after seeing lots of talented student-athletes partnering with companies for what we thought were, frankly, pretty boring deals,” said Molly Steiner, marketing channel manager for Shinesty. “We worked with another local Colorado student-athlete and saw awesome results.”

Working with the DU men’s basketball team seemed like an exciting and logical next step, Steiner added.

“We love that the players like our product and we want them to tell everyone they know about it,” Steiner said. “On the Shinesty side, it’s amazing getting to work with Colorado student-athletes while getting the word out about our underwear.”

A behind-the-scenes photo of the three University of Denver collegiate athletes during their Name, Image, Likeness photo shoot with Shinesty.

An ad that features, from left, Tommy Bruner, Tyree Corbett and Ben Bowen that was part of the University of Denver’s hoopsters’ Name, Image, Likeness deal with Shinesty. COURTESY PHOTOS