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January 17, 2019
DENVER
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City unveils system for clearing pot convictions Mayor says effort is intended to correct ‘social injustices’ BY KATHLEEN FOODY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sean Workman stands in front of the damaged windows of The Hornet, his restaurant on Broadway. In the early hours of the morning on Dec. 1, a car crashed into the building for the third time this year. KAILYN LAMB
Not a drive-thru Restaurant owner asks for safety precautions after third car wreck BY KAILYN LAMB KLAMB@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Getting a phone call in the early hours of the morning saying a car has crashed through your restaurant window is not how many of us want to start our day. For Sean Workman, it happened three times last year. The Hornet, which opened at 76 Broadway in December 1995, fought
through a tough 2018 after three separate accidents brought cars crashing through its window. The restaurant sits on the corner of East First Avenue and Broadway. The first accident happened on Feb. 14, the second on Nov. 11 and the third on Dec. 1. Workman, co-owner of The Hornet, said there were three different circumstances to the accidents. The second two happened later at night when the restaurant was either closed, or in the process of closing, but the first accident happened on a crowded restaurant holiday. “We were full that day. It was right at noon on Valentine’s Day, and we
were packed and full,” Workman said. “Some regulars of ours were honestly about a half step away from death.” Despite the busy day, no one inside the restaurant was hit by the vehicle. Although the accident is handled by Workman’s building insurance and the insurance of the drivers, the restaurant still bears the cost of the accident. The insurance process is long and complicated. Workman said the first accident is still on the restaurant’s record. SEE RESTAURANT, P2
Denver has become the latest city in the nation to take steps to eliminate low-level marijuana convictions in places where the drug is now legal, acknowledging the barriers that such offenses pose to minority, low-income and other people. Denver officials said Colorado law doesn’t allow them to go as far as some other cities and states in automatically dismissing or pardoning convictions. Instead, on Jan. 9, they unveiled a program allowing thousands of people to avoid costly legal action by filling out an online form or attending an event to start the process with help from city officials. Such efforts across the country are intended to help repair problems that strict enforcement of marijuana laws caused in finding jobs and housing. “This is about equity for our communities of color and individuals who were disproportionately impacted by low-level marijuana convictions that are no longer crimes in Colorado,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said. SEE CITY, P2
THE BOTTOM LINE PERIODICAL
“We will never, ever, be outworked. We will never be stunted by a lack of imagination.” Jared Polis, new governor of Colorado | Page 7 INSIDE
VOICES: PAGE 6 | LIFE: PAGE 8 | CALENDAR: PAGE 4 VOLUME 92 | ISSUE 11