Life on Capitol Hill 0220

Life On

February 2020

CAPITOL HILL

IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS

DENVER’S DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS

CHUN celebrates its first S.E.E.D. award recipients

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23 fire academy grads join Denver Fire Department

P5

DELICIOUS GOALS

OUT WITH THE OLD

COLORADO’S QUALITY OF LIFE

Local Girl Scouts learn life skills through cookie sales

Colfax to get 27 new bus shelters

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Lawmakers discuss issues of focus in 2020 legislative session

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2 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

Business Matters

Mothers and babies gather at the Mothers’ Milk Bank Baby Café in Arvada last summer.

Another location will open Feb. 5 at the Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St. in Denver.

By Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com Business Matters is a monthly column on the changing landscape of business and development in north Denver. If there are any inquiries on new developments in your area, or if you are a local business wishing to highlight an upcoming milestone, email Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

BUSINESS OPENINGS New eateries at Broadway Market Two new restaurant concepts have opened at Broadway Market. They are Broadway Gardens, a salad-and-smoothie venue; and a street taco restaurant called Tacos al Chile.

The two new concepts come from Denver chef Jesusio Silva, who is co-owner and executive chef at Broadway Market’s Misaki and Tora Ramen. Silva was born in Mexico and came to Colorado as a teenager. He has been cooking since he was twelve years old.

“We added salad and smoothies to give everyone an extra, healthy option when they’re here,” Silva said in a news release.

“The recipes for everything at Tacos al Chile are a part of who I am, straight from my childhood.”

Broadway Market is a food hall and urban marketplace located at 950 Broadway, which borders the Golden Triangle and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.

CLOSINGS Pete’s Gyros Place Pete’s Gyros Place, 2819 E. Colfax Ave., closed in late December for the owners to be able to do renovations and repairs on the building. However, there is no timeline for those repairs to be done, according to 9news. The restaurant had been in operation with its current owners since 1991.

Pete’s Gyros Place is named after the late Pete Contos, a local restauranteur who died in May at age 85. His family is now running Contos’ other five Denver-based Pete’s Restaurants — the Satire Lounge, Pete’s Kitchen, University Park Café, Greek Town and Central One. Central One, 300 S. Pearl St., a finedining Greek restaurant, reopened on Dec. 2 after having been closed since August 2018 because of a kitchen fire.

Papyrus Papyrus’ Denver locations are expected to close after its parent company, Schurman Fine Papers, which is based in Tennessee, filed for bankruptcy in January, according to BusinessDen. Papyrus is a chain store based in California that sells greeting cards and stationery. According to BusinessDen, its four Denver locations are closing — Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Denver Pavilions along the 16th Street Mall, Park Meadows and Flatiron Crossing.

SEE BUSINESS, P12

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Mothers’ Milk Bank to open Baby Café in February Staff report Pregnant and new mothers can learn about breastfeeding in a friendly and comfortable environment at the Mothers’ Milk Bank Baby Café, which will open Feb. 5 at the Jewish Community Center. The cafe will be launched with a party from 10 a.m. to noon.

In the Baby Café, mothers can drop in to relax, share tips and techniques, and socialize with other moms. One-on-one help professional lactation support is provided for no charge by certified lactation specialists, and babies are weighed before and after feeding.

“Mothers’ Milk Bank Baby Café at the Jewish Community Center will offer a space where parents can come and get free breastfeeding guidance and support from a lactation specialist,” Abby Malman Case, international board-certified lacta-

tion consultant and manager of donor relations at Mothers’ Milk Bank, said in a news release.

“Lactation support can often be very expensive, and we want to help all parents meet their breastfeeding goals.”

The grand opening is open to the public and will offer refreshments, music for the infants, and a raffle.

The special event coincides with the week of c Tu Bishvat. In the Jewish tradition, Tu Bishvat is the “new year of the trees” and it is customary to plant trees in celebration of this holiday. In the t spirit of Tu Bishvat, the Jewish community will t plant a tree and planting seeds will be available fort guests to take home.

M After Feb. 5, Baby Café at Jewish Commus nity Center will be open from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays at 350 S. Dahlia St. in Denver. Ev- t erything will be free including the weight checks s for babies.

Life On Capitol Hill 3

February 2020 Bianca Morris, 10, stands with a delivery of Girl Scout cookies. She and the other girls in her troop will be spending a third of this year’s revenue on a fun day out, saving a third of it for a future troop trip and investing a third of it to go toward their Bronze project, which will benefit the community. COURTESY PHOTO

Skills and deliciousness go hand-inhand with cookie sales Girl Scouts will be selling cookies Feb. 2-March 8

By Christy Steadman

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Robin Morris, a Girl Scout troop leader and mom, loves what the annual cookie sales does for the girls.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity,” Morris said, “because they learn skills that they will take with them through adulthood.”

It begins with setting reasonable sales goals and time management

that’s accomplishable within their other commitments such as family and school. It then proceeds to learning business ethics, money management and people/communication skills during the approximate month of sales.

Finally, learned skills circle back to decision-making such as how the girls will use their cookie sales revenue.

“That’s a lot of responsibility for a 10-year-old,” Morris said. But “cookie sales — and Girl Scouts in general — teaches those skills in age-appropriate ways. And they (the girls) will build on those skills each year. It’s amazing to watch.”

Girl Scout cookie sales began on

Feb. 2 and will continue through March 8.

Individual troops get to decide among themselves how they will use their cookie money revenue.

The girls in Morris’ troop — Girl Scout Troop 65698, which includes the Hilltop and Lowery neighborhoods in Denver — will be working toward what they call the Three S’s — Spend, Save and Share.

Bianca Morris, Robin Morris’ daughter and one of four members in Troop 65698 explained: Spend will be on a to-be-determined fun day this spring or summer SEE COOKIES, P4

Denver updating group living laws

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

As the population of the city continues to grow, city staff are hoping that an update to the group living rules of the city code will allow for more people to live together and will help create more affordable housing opportunities.

The way city law stands right now, only two unrelated people are allowed to live together in Denver.

Residents and staff alike agree that the rule is outdated, and Andrew Webb, a senior city planner, said that many don’t follow the rules to begin with.

“It’s the most limited code that we’ve been able to find in Western cities,” he said. “By updating the household definition, that will allow some of the things that we know already exist out there.”

The city has put together a committee made up of residents, city councilmembers and other stakeholders to help come up with a new definition, as well as some rules around other group living situations such as senior housing, artist lofts and medical living such as rehabilitation facilities.

The city first held public outreach meetings about the current law and what changes could be made in 2018.

The committee has since been working on changes to the code. One idea that

OPEN HOUSES ON DENVER’S GROUP LIVING POLICY Denver’s Group Living Advisory Committee is hosting two open houses to inform residents about proposed code updates concerning group living.

Public Open House #1 takes place from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 11 at Bruce Randolph School, 3955 Steele St. Public Open House #2 takes place 9-11 a.m. Feb. 22 at Goldrick Elementary School, 1050 S. Zuni St. To learn more, visit www.DenverGov.org/groupliving.

has been proposed is to raise the number of people who can live together to eight.

Marty Jones, an Uptown resident, said he feels the city has been working behind closed doors when putting together a new proposal for group living.

Eight, he said is too high. He worries about the implications the new number will have on the cost of housing. The process, he said, has been “rushed and short-sighted.”

When Denver began planning new laws for short-term rentals such as SEE GROUP LIVING, P12

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4 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

The iconic Longhorn cattle drive makes its way along the parade route during the Stock Show Kick-off Parade in downtown Denver on Jan. 9.

CHRISTY STEADMAN

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Longhorn drive launches stock show

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Thousands of people lined 17th Street in downtown Denver to watch the annual National Western Stock Show Kick-off Parade on Jan. 9. The parade highlighted Colorado’s Western heritage with equestrian organizations, horsemanship performances and the traditional longhorn cattle drive. This year’s grand marshal was Jake Jabs of American Furniture Warehouse fame.

The stock show is a Colorado tradition

Cookies FROM PAGE 3

Meet your new partner in health.

Sara Corr, MD Internal Medicine

that could include Elitch’s, bowling, camping or roller skating, for example. Save means the money will be put toward a troop trip to Costa Rica, to take place in another two years when all the girls turn 12. And share will be the portion of proceeds that will fund the girls’ Bronze project this fall. The Bronze project is still in planning phase, but one idea in the mix is to fund a clothing drive for a homeless shelter.

“Girl Scouts look forward to cookie sales every year because you get excited to work toward your goal,” Bianca Morris said, who has been a Girl Scout for three years. “And it’s (selling cookies) is something you can do with your troop or alone.”

Bianca Morris particularly likes booth sales, such as those set up outside of local grocery

established in 1906. It features Western heritage, education and entertainment throughout the event, including professional rodeos, livestock exhibits and shows, fiddle competitions, artisans and vendors. The Stock Show prides itself on youth involvement, such the Westernaires, 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

The National Western Stock Show took place this year from Jan. 11-26 at the National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. To learn more, visit nationalwestern.com. stores, because that’s when she generally sells the most cookies, she said.

“It’s important not to be shy when selling cookies,” Bianca Morris said.

Robin Morris added that although the girls do learn sales pitches and how to approach potential customers in a friendly manner, they also learn how to take rejection in stride.

“A ‘no, thank you,’ is part of the process,” Robin Morris said.

Bianca Morris is also looking forward to the new cookie this year. Lemon-Ups is a crispy lemon cookie, baked with inspirational messages submitted by actual Girl Scouts.

Lemon-Ups are replacing Savannah Smiles, and joins Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, DosSi-Dos, S’mores and the gluten-free Toffee-tastic.

“All Girl Scout cookies are delicious,” Bianca Morris said. “But people always want to try the new cookie.”

She added that she doesn’t blame them.

“They sound pretty good.”

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Life On Capitol Hill 5

February 2020

ONE THOUSAND AND COUNTING

By Christy Steadman

T

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

he Denver Fire Department welcomed its newest members during its 2019-03 graduation ceremony on Jan. 17, marking the recruits’ successful completion of the fire academy. They bring the Denver Fire Department to 1,042 active members. The third class of graduates of 2019 totaled 23 people who range in diversity from a professional boxer and a former tight-end for the Denver Broncos, to two female military veterans and a man currently deployed with the military. Denver firefighters are dedicated and held to high expectations, said Chief of Department Eric Tade in his speech during the graduation.

“Our people join the Denver Fire Department to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

Carly Taylor smiles as she receives her badge during the Denver Fire Department’s Class 2019-03 graduation ceremony on Jan. 17.

The newest members of the Denver Fire Department take the Oath of Office during the Denver Fire Department’s Class 2019-03 graduation ceremony on Jan. 17. The class totaled 23 people.

Daniel Ennis hugs his mom Stacey Ennis following the Denver Fire Department’s Class 2019-03 graduation ceremony on Jan. 17. Stacey Ennis flew in from Wisconsin to celebrate her son’s accomplishments in fire rescue.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

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6 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

G N I C N A ENH l o t i p a e th C

y t i n u m m o c l l i H

CHUN honors inaugural S.E.E.D. funding recipients, 2020 Good Neighbors

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

Representatives from the Harm Reduction Action Center get silly during their photo op upon receiving their S.E.E.D. Funding Program award.

COURTESY OF DONNY BOULANGER

community-implemented mini library, a mural commissioned by a local group, or the establishment of a support program for neighbors.

Whatever shape it takes, “there are many wonderful projects enhancing the character of CHUN neighborhoods,” said Travis Leiker, president of the board of directors for Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods. “If CHUN can play some part in supporting these programs and bringing to light civic entrepreneurship, then this is a job well done.”

Bringing back a regenerated form of its since-suspended community grants program, CHUN launched its S.E.E.D. Funding Program last year.

“As our financial status grew healthier, the board sought new ways to have a positive impact in the community,” Leiker said.

“Direct financial investments made the most sense.”

The S.E.E.D. Funding Program exists to “meet immediate funding needs of smaller projects that would be brought to scale if another organization provided direct financial support,” Leiker added.

To be awarded S.E.E.D. funding, a project must enhance the greater Capitol Hill community and align with CHUN’s mission and values. S.E.E.D. is an acronym for Smart development, Enrichment, Environmental sustainability, and Diversity in the community.

“Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods is excited to foster collaboration throughout our neighborhoods and support the community we love and cherish,” said Vickie Berkley, a CHUN board member who chaired the S.E.E.D. application review committee.

S.E.E.D. funding awards range between $500 and $1,000 per recipient. Funding came from the income generated through CHUN’s Tears-McFarlane House and Community Center, 1290 Williams St., and the organization’s membership program.

“The support of our benefactors, members and patrons of the Tears-McFarlane House made this new initiative possible (and) we hope to support more S.E.E.D. projects in 2020 and beyond,” Leiker said in a news release. “This initiative is an opportunity for our 50-year old organization to put creative ideas into action and for CHUN to improve neighborhoods through impact investing.”

SEE S.E.E.D., P7

Life On Capitol Hill 7

February 2020

S.E.E.D. FROM PAGE 6

List of honorees Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods celebrated its inaugural S.E.E.D. Funding Program recipients and recognized those receiving a 2020 Good Neighbor Award on Jan. 9. Here is a look at the honorees:

Harm Reduction Action Center http://harmreductionactioncenter.org/ The Harm Reduction Action Center is a local public health organization that exists to reduce the harms associated with drug use. It will use its S.E.E.D. Award funding to underwrite ongoing harm reduction community clean-ups, which facilitate conversations with people who are homeless and neighbors who inject drugs. The clean-ups take place throughout Capitol Hill and include removing improperly disposed syringes and syringe-related litter.

Friends of Morey Middle School PTO https://morey.dpsk12.org/parents/ friends-of-morey/ The Friends of Morey Middle School PTO will use its S.E.E.D. Award funding to support student access to basic hygiene needs, school supplies and after-school enrichment; and to purchase Chromebooks for students who lack access to technology. Morey Middle School is located at 840 E. 14th Ave. in Denver.

The Blue Bench https://thebluebench.org/ The Blue Bench is a nonprofit that strives to eliminate sexual assault incidents and diminish the impact sexual assault has on individuals and community. The organization will use its S.E.E.D. Award funding to conduct Safe Bars trainings in the Capitol Hill community, which will help prepare staff at alcohol-serving establishments to recognize and respond to incidents of sexual harassment and assault.

Historic Denver https://mollybrown.org/ The Molly Brown House Museum will benefit from Historic Denver’s S.E.E.D. Award funding. The historic house located at 1340 Pennsylvania St. will receive access amenities such as railings and a wheelchair lift. Historic Denver is a local historic preservation and advocacy organization that got its start by saving the Molly Brown House — the 1889 home of Titanic survivor Margaret “Molly” Brown — from demolition in 1970.

Denver Turnverein https://denverturnverein.com/ The Denver Turnverein, 1570 Clarkson St., is a local, nonprofit dance hall and education center where members learn the educational, social and physical benefits of dancing. It will use its S.E.E.D. Award funding to enhance its neighborhood block by adding greenery and environmentally/climate appropriate landscaping.

Warren Village https://warrenvillage.org/ Warren Village, a residential community located at 1323 Gilpin St. that serves homeless or housing insecure single-parent households, will use its S.E.E.D. Award funding for a new resident mural. The mural will be located on the first floor of the building and will be representative of the cultures and diversity of the families living at Warren Village.

Spirit of the Sun www.spiritofthesun.org Spirit of the Sun works in partnership with Native American communities to empower Native youths to become leaders, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals who will help guide their communities toward wellness, prosperity and cultural revitalization. The nonprofit will use its S.E.E.D. Award funding to for its Indigenous Youth Art & Culture program, which strengthens cultural ties and provides an outlet for emotional expression to indigenous peoples residing in the greater Capitol Hill community.

2020 Good Neighbor Award recipients Margie Valdez — The Tom Knorr Award for Community Service Molly Williams — The Roger Armstrong Outstanding Volunteer Award Rose Andom Center — Safe Neighborhood Award Ivy on 7th and Carboy Winery — Neighborhood Character Award Denver NEST Program — Homelessness and Affordable Housing Award

Molly Barfuss, volunteer services coordinator at Warren Village, listens as Warren Village is recognized for its community work.

ABOVE: Shannon Francis, executive director of Spirit of the Sun, center, stands with Travis Leiker, president of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods’ board of directors, left, and CHUN board member Vickie Berkley, for a photo on Jan. 9. LEFT: Andrea Malcomb, museum director of the Molly Brown House Museum, accepts the S.E.E.D. Funding award from Travis Leiker. PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

8 Life On Capitol Hill

LOCAL

February 2020

VOICES

Everybody has a story — tell me yours

I

FROM THE EDITOR

Christina Steadman

ronically enough, after I had just started my new Denver beat in mid-December, I ran into the chief of police of my former beat, Golden, which I covered for four-and-a-half years.

Busy holiday shoppers walked around us at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center but time seemed still for a moment as the chief and I stood there, trying to figure out if our eyes were playing a trick on us.

While the chief was spending one of his vacation days to enjoy Cherry Creek, he may have thought I was playing hooky from my responsibilities with the Golden Transcript. But I was actually out gathering interviews for the first story with my byline to be published in the Life on Capitol Hill newspaper.

The chief and I exchanged hellos, engaged in a few minutes of friendly chitchat, then he wished me luck in my new professional role and we went our separate ways.

When a reporter changes beats within a greater metropolitan area, places that seemed familiar or commonplace before are now viewed through a different lens.

The mural on Colfax Avenue — the one I’ve driven past probably thousands of times — is no longer just a cool painting on the side of a building. It sparks an entirely new curiosity.

I wonder who the artist is? What was the inspiration for this particular piece?

And once you’ve earned some experience in a new beat, you gain a sense of ownership. The small, quirky live-music venue was before just a fun place where my boyfriend’s band would play from time to time. Now, I’m invested in it because it’s in my new coverage area.

Changing beats is like moving to a new community after living in a nearby one for a number of years.

Neonicotinoids on topic for environmental policy

T

he 2020 Colorado General Assembly has kicked off with more than 100 bills filed the first day, including from my count at least 26 bills that are related to environmental policy. Last year, 22 bills related to environmental policy went the distance and were signed into law.

Topics include fire mitigation, water quality, energy, air pollution, recycling, regenerative agriculture and open space conservation.

Last month, I highlighted some bills that dealt with plastics and pesticide pollution. Well, one more pesticide bill joined the mix in January, and it seeks to ban neonicotinoid pesticides from retail shelves. Large retail chains have begun to phase out of these chemicals over the past few years due to public pressure, but this retail ban is just the first step in reducing the use, according to proponents Environment Colorado.

Neonicotinoids disorient bees and inhibit them from returning to the hive, which leads to population decline. These systemic chemicals can also be absorbed into the plant and have been detected in pollen and nectar, which means they can show up in the honey within the hive and have far reaching effects on population of

the hive.

Gov. Jared Polis’s beekeeper — yes, that’s right, the governor has a beekeeper — Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera and First Gentleman Ean Thomas Tafoya Marlon Reis joined a half dozen legislators at the press conference for the bill. Environmental Colorado collected over 22 thousand petitions from Colorado residents in support of the ban.

So, what is going on with RTD? I promised we would take a look at this last month.

RTD just had board elections and Angie Rivera-Malpiede from District C in Denver has been elected chair. She becomes the first Latina ever elected to this position, and in her remarks, she talked of her first-hand knowledge of equity and transit as she balanced work and being a single mother raising children. Also in January, RTD shared the five finalists for an interim general manager and they sought input from the community.

ENVIRONMENT WITH EAN

Life On

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By the time this will publish, it is likely that an interim will be selected and the search for a general manager will begin. Several of the RTD directors have stated they hope the search will include candidates nationwide, rather than strictly internal.

Beginning in late February, RTD will hold 18 public meetings to solicit feedback to the proposed route service cuts due to the driver shortage. Sen. Jack Tate has pulled a title for a bill concerning RTD. It seeks additional financial accountability, in addition to new governor-appointed positions to the board that would focus on equity and accessibility. There have also been advocates suggesting that the state legislature should remove the fair recovery percentage, and allow RTD to make its own budget decisions. Perhaps even make it free.

People like to do things that are free, and public transit will play a pivotal role in a Green New Deal to face the climate crisis head on.

Join me next month where we will take a look at the various public initiatives seeking to regulate oil and gas extraction in Denver and statewide.

Ean Thomas Tafoya is a climate and government activist. He can be reached at @BelieveEan on Twitter.

It’s a little intimidating at first, and sure, I’ll have to plug every address into my GPS for a while. But I’ll eventually learn the best routes to get around the city and, of course, get to know the neighbors.

That’s when the fun starts.

Perhaps it’s a story about the barista at your favorite mom-and-pop coffee shop around the corner.

Or the neighbor who spends all summer knitting to have enough warm, winterwear to donate to the nearby homeless shelter. Or the small business celebrating a milestone anniversary in the community.

I love local journalism for all the discoveries yet to be had. And I believe everybody has a story. So tell me yours. You can always find me at csteadman@ coloradocommunitymedia.com or 303-566-4107.

I’m looking forward to hearing all your stories and then sharing them with your neighbors by means of the written word in Life on Capitol Hill.

Beneficial impacts of Denver policies are growing

T

his year, my annual look back and 2020 preview looks back further and deeper, not just at what passed, but at actual outcomes. There are rarely single solutions to big-city challenges, but when we pursue a range of strategies and track results, we can see positive impacts and grow them with important values like aligning wages and expanding affordable housing so more folks can afford Denver, and fighting climate change.

Stagnant wages are a significant factor in the struggle residents face making ends meet, so in 2019 we focused on raising incomes: In early 2019, we passed a phased minimum wage policy for city employees, contractors and tenants that will reach $15 by 2021. When the legislature gave cities permission to address income inequality for all our residents, we passed a citywide minimum wage ordinance.

More than 90,000 people who live and work in Denver will get a raise to $15.87/hour by 2022, which also reduces disparities for women and people of color.

Construction careers pay family-supporting wages. So Denver added construction apprenticeship training, and targeted outreach on a

pilot set of city construction projects in 2019. So far, an average of 13% of project hours are going to apprentice trainees and more than 231 workers from Denver’s most vulnerCouncilmember able zip codes were hired.

Robin Kniech Outcomes will grow in 2020 as the program ramps up.

Affordable housing and homelessness are still priorities for Denverites: The housing fund I championed in 2016 was doubled in 2018, and has increased housing stability for 20,000 households to date, including creating/preserving more than 2,200 affordable homes. It is always cheaper to keep someone housed than to find a new home or serve them in homelessness. A total of 2,051 households kept housing through the Temporary Rent and

GUEST COLUMN

SEE KNIECH, P9

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Life On Capitol Hill 9

February 2020

O

Getting started with orchids

nce considered a hobby for the elite, new propagation techniques and the mass production of orchids has made the joy of growing these amazing plants accessible to everyone.

Unfortunately, orchids have developed an undeserved reputation of being difficult to grow. While some can be finicky and demanding, others are quite easy to cultivate in the home.

Good plants for beginners Perhaps the No. 1 choice for the first-time orchid grower is the Phalaenopsis, or, moth orchid. They readily adapt to our home conditions and reward the grower with flowers that can last for months at a time. Phalaenopsis plants prefer warm temperatures, low light levels and need to stay constantly moist — but never soggy.

Another popular choice for beginning orchid growers are Paphiopedilum, or, slipper orchids. The flowers can be so ugly they are beautiful — it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

Paphiopedilum orchids generally prefer low light levels, warm temperatures and must stay moist but not soggy. Paphiopedilum flowers are also long-lasting.

Oncidium, or, dancing lady orchids produce long sprays of smallish flowers that can resemble ladies in colorful ball gowns. They come in a variety of colors and many have a lovely fragrance as well. Some can grow quite large, so be careful to choose a plant that will fit your growing area for the long haul. Oncidium orchids generally need bright light, normal household temperatures and can dry out slightly between waterings.

The genus Dendrobium contains hundreds of species so there are a wide variety of cultural requirements for this group of plants.

Most sold in garden centers will require

Kniech FROM PAGE 8

Utility Assistance program. The Low-income Eviction Legal Defense services program, piloted by council in 2018, has aided 1,000 households, helping many win more time and/ or keep an eviction off their record.

In 2019, we legalized and supported Tiny Home Villages — one of the fastest and least expensive temporary paths off the streets — through amendments to Denver’s zoning/ building codes, city land and $125,000 for supportive services. Growing new villages to help residents off the streets while expanding permanent housing solutions must be a 2020 priority.

Supportive Housing is apartments without time limits where residents have leases and pay rent — it’s NOT shelter — with on-site services that promote safety and stability. Since 2016, 330 people moved from parks, alleys and streets into SH through a Social Impact Bond, with 79% of participants still housed two years after entering housing. Additional SH outside the bond is showing similar positive results.

In 2020 and beyond, new Supportive Housing will be built in neighborhoods across the city, supported by the Housing Fund.

Several Capitol Hill neighborhood leaders helped my office create a Neighborhood Engagement Guide, to be released in 2020, that will help housing teams and communities learn and prepare to engage respectfully

bright light, but can dry out slightly between waterings. Some will require a dry rest period in the fall and/ or a drop in temperatures to encourage good blooming. You’ll need to research the specific Dendrobium you have.

Most people associate Cattleya flowers with corsages. Naturally occurring Cattleya orchids can be quite large but thankfully hybridizers have developed smaller plants that most hobbyists can find room to accommodate. Cattleya orchids need bright light, average household temperatures and can dry slightly between waterings.

GUEST COLUMN Nick Snakenberg

Want to learn more?

Over the next couple of months, Denver Botanic Gardens is offering several great opportunities to view these exotic blossoms and maybe even purchase plants to try at home.

The annual Orchid Showcase in the Orangery is on view through Feb. 16. Hundreds of blossoms are on exhibit and while the display plants are not for sale, a local orchid grower is on site on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with plants for purchase, during the run of the show. And don’t miss the Denver Orchid Society’s Show and Sale March 14-15. Local hobbyists will display their home-grown plants and compete for prizes. Experts will also answer any of your orchid questions.

Again, display plants will not be for sale but there will be plenty of plants to choose from at their sales table.

Whether an experienced orchid grower or someone new to the hobby, drop in and see what all the fuss is about!

Nick Snakenberg is the curator of orchids at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

around proposals for new Supportive Housing.

While a new Climate Task Force launches in 2020 to look at big, catalytic policies to fund the renewable energy, efficiency and transportation solutions needed to reduce our climate impact, earlier policies will also produce results: The Energize Denver Commercial Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting standards I championed in 2016 resulted in an energy reduction of 4.5% by 1,161 reporting buildings in its first year, saving $13.5 million and thousands of pounds of C02.

Denver adopted a City Electric Vehicle Purchasing Policy I advocated for, which will help prevent 11,500 tons of emissions over 10 years.

I’m also working to ensure we prioritize transforming our solid waste system to incentivize diversion in 2020.

Together, policy and dedicated funding had big impacts on affordable housing. Based on the consistent requests of my constituents and huge unmet needs, ensuring we have similar, dedicated revenue for climate, multi-modal transportation and addressing homelessness will be among my highest priorities for this coming year.

My office hopes to hear from you. Please email Kniechatlarge@denvergov.org to continue the conversation.

Robin Kniech is a councilmember at-large on the Denver City Council. At-large council members represent the city as a whole. She can be reached at kniechatlarge@denvergov.org.

Orchids on display at Denver Botanic Gardens.

COURTESY PHOTO

Find Out More Reasons Why Back Pain Lasts Longer Than It Should - ATTENTION ACTIVE DENVER ADULTS! Help is coming your way if you are experiencing pain. Doctor of Physical Therapy, Brooke Olsen is planning a free, one-hour community educational event called “How to End Your Lingering Back Pains to Live Your Most Active & Confident Life”.

It starts at 6:00PM on Tuesday, February 18th at The Physio Revolution in Denver, CO and is aimed at people who: • Suffer with back or leg pain when they stand or walk.

• Pain when they sit for long periods of time.

• Experience pain, numbness, or tingling.

• Experience their lower back “giving out” or “acting up” frequently.

• Are afraid their pain will get worse if they don’t do anything about it Brooke said, “Back pain and sciatica issues can completely ruin people’s life. It can have people needing to lean on the shopping cart when they are walking through the supermarket. It can stop you from a good night’s sleep, mess up travel

plans, force you to question your retirement dreams and simply drain any enjoyment out of life until it is gone.”

But help doesn’t have to involve pills or surgery. The workshop will highlight the mistakes which stop people from healing, the 3 most common causes of lower back pain, the best treatments and how to pick the right one. To secure a seat, contact (720)-772-1133.

If you are an active adult with back aches or pain that just won’t go away, this workshop is for you! Brooke will personally teach you how to get them to completely go away naturally WITHOUT resorting to medications, surgeries, or injections. This is a FREE community educational event - There is no cost to attend - To keep it valuable, interactive, and fun, we’ve capped it to ONLY 12 spots available.

Contact Our Client Care Specialist, Annie at (720)-772-1133 or claim your spot by going to www.ThePhysioRevolution.Com/ Back-Workshop/ Event Details: 6:00PM on Tuesday, February 18th at The Physio Revolution 1224 S. Acoma St Denver CO 80223.

10 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

L E G I S L AT I V E S E S S I O N 2 0 2 0

Battle lines drawn for legislative session Transportation, gas tax, less-known Labor Peace Act emerge as top 2020 contention points

By Ellis Arnold

I From left, House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Cooke, House Speaker K.C. Becker and Senate President Leroy Garcia on stage at the annual Business Legislative Preview. The Jan. 7 event in downtown Denver was hosted by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Competitive Council, a business advocacy organization.

ELLIS ARNOLD

Transportation, education, medical care also in spotlight for legislators

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

F

or the past three years, Colorado has had the No. 1 economy in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report, which also has ranked Denver as the second-best place to live in the nation for the past three years.

Those assertions come from U.S. News & World Report, and were brought to the attention of the hundreds of attendees of the seventh annual Business Legislative Preview on Jan. 7 at the Grand Hyatt Denver.

“But we can’t maintain that position if we are not thoughtful about policy,” said Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kelly Brough in her closing remarks at the event.

Maintaining a strong economy is only one of the many issues that Denver’s legislators will be focusing on in 2020.

One legislative goal that was accomplished in 2019 was the passing of House Bill 1262, which provides free full-day kindergarten to Colorado families, said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver. Making sure that future budgets will allow free kindergarGarnett ten to continue is one issue Garnett will be paying attention to, he said.

School funding in general — specifically for Denver Public Schools — is another concern of Garnett’s constituents in House District 2, he said. The district includes Washington Park.

“Education is key,” Garnett said, adding that “the Wash-

ington Park community knows education is the path to utilizing all the opportunities Colorado has to offer.”

Garnett is also committed to ending Colorado’s wait list for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities who need what he called “wrap-around services,” meaning care or services available 24/7.

Other issues Garnett will be focusing on include gun safety — especially in schools, he said — and the high suicide rate among teens.

Similarly, Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, whose district includes Capitol Hill, will put attention on mental health issues and, separately but sometimes related, substance abuse.

These issues, as well as criminal justice reform, “affect our everyday lives,” Herod said. “Mental health affects us all. We need to address it.”

What Herod calls “quality of life issues” Herod will be another focus of hers in 2020. These stem from the concerns that come directly from talking with constituents, Herod said.

One such issue is fertility treatment not being covered by insurance. Colorado is not one of the 17 states in the U.S. that includes fertility treatment in insurance plans, and one in eight Colorado couples and/or families need fertility treatment options, Herod said.

Herod also said that “Colorado has underfunded infrastructure for decades — in Denver-metro and across the state.”

She expects the 2020 legislative session to include ongoing conversations about quality roads and public transit infrastructure, and funding for these issues.

Lowering healthcare costs, the high cost of living in Colorado and housing affordability are also matters the General Assembly will be focusing on, Herod and Garnett said.

But “these priorities are just the beginning,” Brough said.

“There’s dozens of other bills that we will deal with — from data privacy to school funding to pharmaceutical pricing.

And we will keep track of those issues as well.”

earnold@coloradocommunitymedia.com

n Colorado’s second year of total statehouse control

by Democrats after the 2018 election, one top Republican is hanging onto his optimism.

“I know the constitution very well,” said Chris Holbert, state Senate minority leader. “I take some level of positive outlook on I know how this game must be played and not be played.”

Colorado has a long history of bipartisan cooperation, Holbert said in a phone call ahead of the Jan. 8 kickoff of this year’s state legislative session, the roughly four-month period in which bills are passed.

State House Speaker K.C. Becker sounded similar notes, saying her Democrats constantly try to shape bills Holbert in a bipartisan way despite their wide majority.

For all the talk of cooperation, though, the state Legislature is headed for friction on both well-worn fights — such as transportation funding and health care costs — and lesser-known nuggets, including the state’s Labor Peace Act, which affects how workers decide to form unions.

Becker Another defining issue for Democrats will be paid family leave, a proposal that returns this year after lawmakers in 2019 approved a study on how it would work.

Here’s a look at what both sides are saying about those issues and how they may play out in this year’s session.

Gassed up The multi-billion-dollar shortfall at the Colorado Department of Transportation rolls onward, and Holbert, the state senator from Parker, argues the state has enough money in its current revenue structure to pay a large amount down each year.

“We want the minimum each year to be $300 million for transportation,” Holbert said, adding he’d like that amount to go toward paying back bonds, or debt that governments take on to pay for long-term projects.

Becker, of Boulder, took issue with the characterization that the state hasn’t recently prioritized transportation funding enough.

“Our transportation was initially intended to be funded by the gas tax,” Becker said in a phone call. That’s important “especially given that the state picks up a greater and greater share of K-12 education than it did 30 years ago.”

A dollar in gas tax revenue today was worth much more decades ago when the tax was first passed, Becker said. One idea is to tie the tax — which has long sat at 22 cents per gallon — to inflation.

SEE LEGISLATURE, P11

Life On Capitol Hill 11

February 2020

L E G I S L AT I V E S E S S I O N 2 0 2 0

Infrastructure and wilderness — and everything between DeGette discusses national and local issues with media

By Christy Steadman

U

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-CO, hosted a meetand-greet with local print media representatives on Jan. 17 in her office in downtown Denver.

She entertained an hour-long, on-the-record discussion on current issues including the Trump

impeachment trial, funding for roads on a national level, immigration and U.S. border detention centers, the rising costs of insulin and federal cannabis regulations.

The congresswoman also briefed attendees about some of the bills that passed last session, which ones need more work and what she expects to pass this upcoming year.

“We passed over 400 bills in the House last year” which are still waiting to go forward in the Senate, DeGette said. “About two-thirds of those bills are bipartisan bills.”

And there’s “still some bipartisan things happening,” she added.

Here are some of the issues DeGette mentioned: Infrastructure bill

This bill would include “not just roads and highways, but also medical record interoperability, healthcare issues (and) water projects.”

Reduce methane waste from oil and gas sites across the country

Smoking age

“One thing that didn’t get very much press, but is huge, is the appropriations bill that we did in the (last) session. We raised the smoking age to 21 and that was a bill that I was working on for some years.”

“It’s win-win bill because if you can reduce the methane gas, it’s good for the environment. But it’s also good economically for the oil and gas companies. We passed this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee and now we’re trying to get it through the Natural Resources Committee.”

U.S. Olympic Committee

“I developed legislation which would create an independent commission to reform the U.S. Olympic Committee, so that it’s focused more on the athletes and less on winning at all costs.”

Legislature FROM PAGE 10

It’s unclear exactly how much more money that would pull in: Over a few decades, it would garner somewhere in the billions, Becker said. It isn’t a total solution on its own, but “it stops the bleeding,” she added.

Holbert currently opposes a gas tax increase, arguing the state already pulls in enough to pay for transportation if it chose to, but he said an increase would likely have bipartisan support.

“I’ve heard from voters, even in Douglas County, who say if you want more transportation money, do it through the gas tax,” Holbert said.

Health care options Some Democrats’ desire for a public option — a governmentrun type of health insurance Coloradans could choose — drew fire even before the session kicked off.

“There’s no appetite on our side of the aisle,” Holbert said.

“There’s not unanimous appetite on the Democrat side too … I’m hearing secondhand.”

State House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, a Castle Rock Republican, argued a public option would drive health care costs up

Colorado Wilderness Act

“This is a bill that protects over 600,000 acres of Colorado (land) - 32 separate areas across the state … (It) was brought to me by a group of citizen activists in 1999 and I’ve been working on it ever since. It passed the Natural Resources Committee this fall and … if it passes the House, it’ll be the largest wilderness bill to pass in Colorado.”

and push doctors out of the state.

“Quite frankly, the public option scares the heck out of me. It’s not a small step toward single-payer — it’s a giant leap toward single-payer,” Neville said on stage Jan. 7 at the Business Legislative Preview in downtown Denver.

“Single-payer” — which is not being proposed — means one government-run agency oversees health insurance for everyone, rather than having multiple competing insurance companies.

A public option, on the other hand, would add a government program alongside the current private insurance. Supporters of a public option say it would drive costs down by creating more competition for private companies.

The state government would oversee the program, but private insurance carriers would administer it and hold the financial risk, according to a fact sheet by the state, which refers to the plan as a public-private partnership.

Colorado taxpayers would not fund the health care plans, specifically, but the program hopes to make care more affordable, partly by changing the rate at which providers are reimbursed, using a hospital-specific formula.

If the federal government gives the green light, the state could also use $89 million to lower

deductibles and out-of-pocket, or other, costs to consumers.

An alternative route is the “total cost of care” proposal, Becker said at the Jan. 7 event, referring to a limit for how much costs can rise for each sector of the healthcare industry.

Republicans say they want to focus on more on price transparency than price controls. Becker pointed to a lack of accountability in different parts of the insurance system.

“People across the nation are dealing with growing and growing and growing healthcare costs,” Becker said. “You have pharmaceutical companies point to the (pharmacy benefit managers) and PBMs point to insurers and insurers point to hospitals and everyone says, ‘It’s their fault.’”

Leave is back In 2019, Democrats’ push to allow workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave — to care for a sick family member, tend to a personal medical issue or take care of a new child — eventually lost steam, with lawmakers passing a study on the program instead.

The program would have required the state to collect a premium on each person’s paycheck, with employees and employers sharing the cost.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-CO, listens to a question asked by a local newspaper reporter during a media meet-and-greet and on-the-record discussion about current issues on Jan. 17.

CHRISTY STEADMAN

Someone earning between $12,001 and $20,000 a year would pay from $38 to $64 a year into the fund, and employees earning $60,001 to $80,000 would pay from $192 to $256.

“I’m glad we took a pause to not pass it last year and get a real actuarial analysis done,” Becker said.

Unlike during last year, the Legislature now may consider a “private marketplace solution” instead of a more state-led model, Becker added. It’s unclear how the proposal will ultimately shape up.

Fears about how a family leave program could affect small businesses were one of the reasons the proposal couldn’t succeed last year, Becker said.

“Those things have to be revisited. My district includes a lot of seasonal workers,” Becker said, adding that this year’s attempt needs to “provide greater assurances to small business.”

Laboring in details Something even local political junkies may not have encountered before is the Colorado Labor Peace Act, a law that labor advocates want to change.

In some states, approval by more than 50% of workers is enough to create a union, but Colorado’s law requires two rounds of voting, according to

the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. The first, a “vote-to-have-a-vote,” requires approval from 50%, plus one of the employees in the company, according to Metro Denver. If that hurdle is cleared, a second vote takes place, and if 75% approve, all employees must pay dues and belong to the union.

Some advocates want to make it easier to unionize. Neville and Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Cooke, a Greeley Republican, said they aren’t interested at all in changes.

If the bar for unionizing gets lower, “we’re going to see a huge (conflict) between labor and management,” Cooke said at the Jan. 7 Legislative Preview downtown, which was hosted by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Competitive Council, a business advocacy organization.

Becker framed the issue within “the broader topic” of how workers are doing in Colorado and said Democrats want to make sure “no one feels left behind in this economy.”

“It’s one idea to say: How do we make sure everyone is benefiting, that workers have their best opportunity to benefit from a thriving economy?” said Becker.

“So I think that’s one solution folks are looking at.”

12 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

Business

Colorado Blvd., which is slated to close at the end of March, BusinessDen reported.

FROM PAGE 2

CHANGES

According to the New York Times, Schurman operates 254 stores — Papyrus, American Greetings and Carlton Card chains. “All three store chains will close, but the branded cards they sell will still be available at other retailers,” the New York Times stated.

Hallmark Two Denver-area Hallmark stores are closing, according to BusinessDen. First up was Hallmark’s HMK store in Cherry Creek, 2940 E. 2nd Ave. It closed on Jan. 27, BusinessDen reported. The second will be Stacy’s Hallmark Shop, 2730 S.

Group Living FROM PAGE 3

Airbnb, Jones said the city held dozens of outreach meetings and really worked to get public input. He said the city should be following that same process for the new laws around group living.

There’s been “none of that careful planning, outreach and thought,” he said. “We need to come up with a better system.”

City staff argue that with the short-term rental rules, there was not language in the code to start from. Public outreach was crucial in that sense because the city didn’t have a starting point and needed to create a definition, Webb said. With group living, it’s more about updating the laws to help remove barriers for people looking for housing.

The city will begin finalizing its proposal this month. In February, they will do public outreach

F E B R U A R Y

M A R C H

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring Fabio Bidini

Strauss A Hero’s Life conducted by Brett Mitchell

FEB 7-9 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00

MAR 6-8 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00

■

S Crawford Hill Mansion c Crawford Hill Mansion in Capitol Hill is C on the market with a listing price of $7.25 P n million, according to BusinessDen. The listing includes a 0.22-acre parking d lot south of the mansion, which is zoned N for a mixed-use development up to five stories, BusinessDen states.

The mansion, 150 E. 10th Ave., was built in 1906 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, according to BusinessDen. It is three stories and 19,005-square-feet. For the past 30 years, a I law firm called Haddon, Morgan and Foreman has occupied the property.

on the proposal with open house meetings, Webb said.

Councilmember Robin Kniech, who is on the committee, said that they are hoping to get as much consensus around the laws as they can. One of the difficulties that they have come across is people concerned about how having that many people allowed in an apartment will impact fire code laws and trash. Group living, she said, strictly deals with zoning. Other laws G and enforcement will handle some of those other issues, she said.

“You can’t solve all human behaviors in a zoning code,” Kniech said.

For her, this issue is about having solutions for situations that are already happening in the city. Having appropriate language in the city code will give staff a way to intentionally handle group living in Denver.

J “We have people living in these situations today,” she said, adding “either way, they’re coming home.”

■

FAMILY

A Symphonic Valentine

Carnival of the Animals

FEB 14 FRI 7:30

MAR 15 SUN 2:30

SYMPHONY POPS

Legendary Women’s Voices: An Evening with Cynthia Erivo

HalfNotes

S

Marin Alsop Conducts MAR 20-22 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

FEB 15 SAT 7:30

Music and Art: A Symphonic Exploration

FAMILY

Denver Young Artists Orchestra Side By Side 2020 FEB 16 SUN 2:30

MAR 27 FRI 7:30 HalfNotes

Disney’s Fantasia In Concert

MOVIE AT THE SYMPHONY

MAR 28-29 SAT 7:30 SUN 2:30 ■

HalfNotes

Presentation licensed by Disney Concert Library ©Disney

Beethoven Missa Solemnis featuring the Colorado Symphony Chorus

HalfNotes Please join us for family-friendly activities 1 hour before the concert.

FEB 21-23 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Star Wars Return of the Jedi in Concert MOVIE AT THE SYMPHONY

L

These performances include FULL SCREENING OF THE FEATURE FILM!

FEB 27-29 THU-FRI 7:30 ■ SAT 2:00 © 2019 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © DISNEY. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Warner/Chappell Music

S presenting sponsor

also supported by

COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG

Life On Capitol Hill 13

February 2020

Things to Do

Submit calendar listings on our website, coloradocommunitymedia.com, go to the Calendar tab and click “Submit an Event.”

Priority is given to non-profits, low- or no-cost events and locations within our distribution map.

Next Issue Deadline: Thursday, Feb. 20.

EVENTS

Insiders Tour: The Hidden Language of Victorian Valentines: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 N. Pennsylvania St. Victorians were known to have secret languages (be careful not to drop your fan!), and Valentines were no exception.

Learn about the hidden language of love, as well as some of the more colorful language being used at the time while we take a look behind closed doors. Adults: $14, Seniors/ Military/Teachers/College: $13, Juniors (6-18 y.o.): $10. Visit mollybrown.org for more information.

Garden Guru Orchid Tour: 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. Nick Snakenberg, curator of tropical collections and associate director of horticulture, shares information about the colorful, peculiar plants from habitats around the globe. $17, $15 member. Visit botanicgardens.org for more information.

Junk Raft: 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Ricketson Auditorium, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. Author Marcus Eriksen will share how a grassroots movement developed into massive global coalitions demanding better waste management and corporate responsibility to make smarter products and packaging. $12 Museum member, $15 nonmember. Visit dmns. org for more information.

Salon Series: Remember the Ladies: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 at Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 N. Pennsylvania St. A free community conversation event, the Salon Series at the Molly Brown House Museum connects current headlines to historical events relevant to women’s issues and social activism. Starting with a fun Women’s History 101 lesson, each Salon is themed around a topic that connects the issues of Margaret Brown’s time to those that impact our lives today. Visit mollybrown.org for more information.

Look and Make: Early Years Tour and Workshop – Pastels: 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. Like any budding artist, Still learned foundational techniques as he began his career. Join a Clyfford Still Museum educator in the Early Years exhibition to see how Still applied these techniques in his early work, then move into The Making Space to try it yourself during a playful 30-minute, handson workshop led by the Art Students League of Denver. Materials for each workshop are included. Visit clyffordstillmuseum.org for more information.

STILLness: Meditation in the Galleries: 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. Join us each month to clear your mind and refresh your spirit with guided meditation sessions led by experienced meditation practitioners. All are welcome; no prior experience with meditation is required. Presented in collaboration

with the Zen Center of Denver and the Shambhala Meditation Center of Denver.

Visit clyffordstillmuseum.org for more information.

Music in the Galleries: Ivalas Quartet: Performances at 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. Join us for a program as exciting and eclectic as the record collection of Clyfford Still that inspires it. Experience live performances surrounded by Still’s vibrant paintings and award-winning architecture. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Visit clyffordstillmuseum.org for more information.

Mystery Dinner Theatre: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at Highlands Masonic Temple, 3550 Federal Boulevard.

Cost: $25.00/Adults; $15/12 and under; under 3 free. Reservations required by Feb. 3. Please make checks payable to: El Mejdel Temple No. 47.

See flyer for reservation information or contact: Annette Stewart at 720-6568630.

All the Feels: A Multisensory Tour: 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. The stunning visual experience you’ve come to expect from a Museum visit will be enhanced with evocative scents, sounds, and tactile experiences, connecting you with the artwork in new, powerful ways. Included with Museum admission (kids 17 and under are always free!) Visit clyffordstillmuseum.org for more information.

SPARK! Gallery Tour: 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. Presented in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, these experiences are designed for visitors with early-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia, and their care partners. Tours present opportunities for discussion, storytelling, artmaking, and interactive engagement with Clyfford Still’s art and archives. The theme for each tour will be different, so join us each month! This month’s tour theme is architecture. Visit clyffordstillmuseum.org for more information.

One Painting at a Time: Kalyn Heffernan: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. “People should look at the work itself,” Clyfford Still once said, “and determine its meaning to them.” Discover personal interpretations of Still’s art with a new guest each session, spending time with a single painting and going beyond your first impression. Artist Kalyn Heffernan will host the February 11 One Painting at a Time. Visit clyffordstillmuseum. org for more information.

InSights & InPerson: Preparing Objects for Exhibit: 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 12 at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway.

Exhibiting objects takes a lot of preparation, consideration, and care. Join Kimberly Kronwall, exhibits and loan registrar at the History Colorado Center, for an exploration of the process of preparing objects for safe and appropriate exhibition with a focus on

Ouray’s chief’s blanket, now on exhibit in Written on the Land: Ute Voices, Ute History.

The program requires some walking, so please wear comfortable shoes. Visit historycolorado.org for more information.

After Hours, History Colorado Event and Lecture: Carol Anderson: 7 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 12 at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway. As we enter a historic presidential election year, best-selling author Carol Anderson explores the impact of gerrymandering, poll closures, and purging voter rolls on American voting rights and democracy. $25. Members $15. Students $10. Colorado Room Visit historycolorado.org for more information.

A Valentine’s Day Roast: 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.

Whether you celebrate Valentine’s or Galentine’s, spice it up with dissections, demos, and a Valentine’s Day roast. Early nerd pricing (available through February 6): $25 Museum member, $30 nonmember. Ticket price increases to $30 member, $35 nonmember on February 7. Cash Bar. Ages 21+.

Visit dmns.org for more information.

History Colorado Event and Lecture: Day of Remembrance: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway. The Mile High Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League is hosting the annual Day of Remembrance event marking February 19, 1942—the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, clearing the way for 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry to be incarcerated in American concentration camps during World War II. Visit historycolorado.org for more information.

The Anderman Photography Lecture Series: Linda Connor: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Avenue Pkwy. Linda Connor, inspired by places with rich cultural history, creates photographs that explore human connection to the spiritual world through monuments, sites, objects and ritual. Tickets are free for Museum Friends, $15 for DAM members, $20 for nonmembers, $5 for students. Visit denverartmuseum.org for more information.

Diego Rivera in El Pedregal: Constructing a Pyramid, Found a Museum with Cristóbal Jacóme-Moreno: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 20 at Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Avenue Pkwy. This presentation focuses on Diego Rivera’s appropriation of Pre-Columbian spaces and figures in one of his most renowned works: the Anahuacalli museum of archaeology (1940-1957). Free for Museum Friends, $15 for DAM members, $20 for nonmembers, and $5 for students.

Visit denverartmuseum.org for more information.

Colorado Women’s Vote Centennial Symposium: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, Feb. 22 at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway. The Mile High Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League is hosting the annual Day of

Remembrance event marking February 19, 1942—the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, clearing the way for 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry to be incarcerated in American concentration camps during World War II. Visit historycolorado.org for more information.

Bumblebee Jamboree: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. This unique musical experience is perfect for children up to age 12 and their parents or caregivers. Children are invited to dress as a favorite pollinator such as a bee, butterfly or bird and dance and sing along with the musical guests.

Adult: $13, Member Adult: $11, Child: $8, Member child: $6, free for children 2 and younger. Visit botanicgardens.org for more information.

Corsets to Congress Tea: 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 N. Pennsylvania St. How did women in the late 1800s and early 1900s move out of their corseted existence and into the halls of Congress?

We’ll introduce you to women of the suffrage movement and the battles they fought to give women equality at the ballot box. Included in the tea is a tour of the Museum--our favorite suffragist’s home! Suggested for ages 12 and up. Events take place on 3rd floor of Museum which is only accessible via stairs. Tickets: $32. Visit mollybrown.org for more information.

Battling the Japanese Beetle: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. Japanese beetles are causing severe plant destruction and consternation for homeowners. Learn about the options and products to battle this unwelcome beetle as an adult and larvae that lives in grass turf. $31, $26 member. Visit botanicgardens.org for more information.

‘Chicago’: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27-29 and March 5-7, 2:30 p.m. March 8 at Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theatre, King Center Auraria Campus.

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Theatre Department and Music Department proudly present “Chicago.” Adults: $21, MSU Denver Students free with ID, MSU Denver Faculty/Staff: $11, Other students with ID $11. The box office will assess a $1 per ticket transaction fee. Children under five are not permitted in the theatre as a courtesy to our actors and other patrons. Reservations recommended. For reservations, please call 303-556-2296.

Black History Live Tour: Becky Stone as Rosa Parks: 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28 at Windsor Gardens Community Center, 595 S. Clinton St. Living history portrayal will give insight into how and why Rosa Parks prepared for her pivotal act of resistance. Call 303-894-7951 or go to coloradohumanities. org.

A New Gardener Boot Camp: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29 at Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. Join us for a full day packed with answers to all your gardening questions. Get started on the right foot this year with our best beginner classes, carefully designed to equip you with all the tools you need to master that garden once and for all!

Classes include: Garden Planning 101, Soils 101, Beginning Vegetable Gardening, Annuals and Perennials for Color in the Garden. $80, $60 member, includes lunch. Visit botanicgardens.org for more information.

14 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

New ‘urban furniture’ coming to Colfax Street will get 27 new bus shelters between Broadway, I-225

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

As some Regional Transportation District bus routes face potential cuts, the 15L route along Colfax Avenue will be seeing some

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upgrades in the new year: bus shelters with lighting, security cameras and screens with real-time bus schedules.

The transportation organization will be installing 27 new bus shelters along Colfax from Broadway east all the way to Interstate 225, said Ali Imansepahi, a project manager and bus rapid transit engineering lead with RTD. He added that depending on how many riders use a certain stop, the most-used shelters will be larger.

Although not every stop will get lighting, security cameras or digital schedules, Imansepahi said the shelters themselves are an improvement for many of the stops, which previously just had RTD flags. The new shelters are the first improvements along the route in more than 30 years, he added.

He added that RTD is “beefing up” on transit signal priority, a traffic light that allows buses to move ahead of the rest of traffic. The organization is also installing curb extensions at some stops, which makes exiting the bus safer for passengers.

The 15 and 15L route combined sees around 22,000 boardings per day, Imansepahi said.

“That rivals some of our busiest rail lines,” he said.

The designs have all been approved for the shelters, Imansepahi said. He hopes they will begin to arrive in April and will be completely installed by late summer.

A lot goes into creating new bus shelters, said Ignacio Correa-Ortiz, an urban designer with RTD, adding that installing new shelters in is like bringing “urban furniture” to the Colfax environment. The hope, is that like with newer furniture in your home, people will use the new and upgraded bus shelters more, he

said in an email.

RTD hosted public outreach meetings to determine the different needs of people riding the buses along Colfax. Staff also talked to people on the buses and at different stops along the route.

“The design of the shelters developed over time to respond to the aspirations of the users, the needs of RTD operators, and the maintenance of the improvements,” Correa-Oritz said.

Because Colfax Avenue is also up for bus rapid transit planning with the City of Denver, Imansepahi said RTD made sure to design shelters that could be easily moved for the new plan. The new design for the bus rapid transit will move the bus stops from along the sides of the street to the center lanes.

For more information on the new rapid transit plans, read our story at https://lifeoncaphill.com/stories/revising-colfaxs-blueprint,270843.

Imansepahi said the new Colfax shelters are made of aluminum so that they can unbolted from the side of the road and more easily moved to wherever the new transit lines will be. The old shelters on Colfax had steel structures sitting on concrete blocks. Those concrete blocks all needed to be demolished for the new shelters.

“We basically pick these up, put them on a flatbed and take them to their new home,” Imansepahi said of the new shelters. “Everything associated with the shelters are completely mobile if you will.”

Correa-Oritz said RTD also had to plan ahead for the use of the shelters. Since the 15 is such a popular bus route, he said the shelters needed to withstand a lot of usage. They are

New bus shelters will be coming to Colfax Avenue in 2020. This rendering shows what the new shelters will look like.

Depending on how popular a particular stop is, RTD staff said the shelters would be larger or smaller to accomodate riders.

COURTESY OF RTD

also designed to sustain and mitigate potential vandalism that might happen.

Because the transportation organization is putting shelters on such a long distance of the street, Correa-Oritz said there was challenges in designing around the different areas of Colfax from Broadway to I-225.

“Although Colfax is unique, it varies along the corridor, therefore the shelters have to reflect that,” he said. “The right-of-way conditions vary and at some point it is very narrow; access to power and data is challenging.”

Life On Capitol Hill

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Life On Capitol Hill 15

February 2020

Thousands participate in annual Womxn’s March Staff report About 10,000 people participated in this year’s Womxn’s March, which took place on Jan. 18 at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. The event also included a community engagement workshop, live recording of a podcast and an Impact Expo in the McNichols Building at Civic Center Park. The Impact Expo featured representatives from community nonprofits, grassroots efforts and collectives that focus on serving womxn and girls, as well as art exhibits. To learn more about this year’s Womxn’s March, visit www. womxnsmarchdenver.org.

This year’s Womxn’s March took place on Jan. 18 at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. The event included the annual march and an Impact Expo. COURTESY OF AIMEE CUTCHER

This year’s annual Womxn’s March drew a crowd of an estimated 10,000 marchers. The event took place on Jan. 18 at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.

COURTESY OF SOPHIA INDA

Many of the 10,000 marchers participating in this year’s Womxn’s March carried peaceful protest signs. The event took place on Jan. 18 at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.

COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE BASSIN

About 10,000 people marched in this year’s Womxn’s March, which took place on Jan. 18 at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.

COURTESY OF DIANA ODEM

16 Life On Capitol Hill

February 2020

Putting Israel in the ‘front and center’ of discussion Denver Jewish Film Festival takes place Feb. 5-19

IF YOU GO...

By Bruce Goldberg Special to Colorado Community Media

So what’s it like to boss around Billy Crystal on a movie set?

Matt Ratner chuckled at the question, then thanked Crystal, who’s starring in Ratner’s film director debut, “Standing Up, Falling Down.”

“The thing that was amazing working with Billy is he’s such a talented actor who cares so deeply about getting it right,” Ratner said.

“To work with people who are committed to telling the story is just a dream. From our first meeting, he had always been that way.”

In the film, Crystal plays Marty, a dermatologist and “charming barfly with a penchant for karaoke.” He becomes friends with failed standup comedian Scott, played by Ben Schwartz of “Parks and Recreation.”

They form a friendship as they try to muddle through life.

“It’s a film that will have you laughing uproariously, but there are real moments of humanity,” Ratner said.

The Denver premiere of “Standing Up, Falling Down” shows at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 8. It is one of 43 films

“Picture of His Life” is a documentary about Amos Nachoum, known to be one of the greatest underwater photographers of all time. Its Denver premier takes place on Feb. 10 as part of the 24th annual JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center’s Denver Jewish Film Festival. COURTESY OF HEY JUDE PRODUCTIONS that are part of the 24th annual JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center’s Denver Jewish Film Festival.

Ratner will attend the showing of “Standing Up, Falling Down” and will be answering audience questions afterwards.

“They’re always incredibly rewarding,” Ratner said of showings, seeing “people respond to the humor and pathos in the movie.”

This year’s Denver Jewish Film

Festival takes place Feb. 5-19. It is presented by the Sturm Family Foundation.

“The film festival remains our signature program,” said Steve Wilson, executive artistic director of the JCC Mizel Arts & Culture Center. “It brings Israel front and center to the discussion, no matter where you sit in Israeli politics.”

Wilson added that the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center’s primary

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The 24th annual JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center’s Denver Jewish Film Festival takes place Feb. 5-19. Most of the films will be shown in the Elaine Wolf Theatre at the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., in Denver.

Tickets cost $14 for adults and $12 for seniors and students per movie. Ticket packages including festival passes and ticket 10-packs are available.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office, which is open Monday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. for walk-ups and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for phone inquiries. The box office can be reached at 303316-6360.

To learn more about the Denver Jewish Film Festival, or to purchase tickets online, visit https:// www.jccdenver.org/. mission is to get people together and talk.

“The film festival does that almost better than anything else we have,” he said.

The festival’s films focus on Israeli-and-Jewish cinema from around the world. This year’s festival features films from 12 countries.

The films carry a variety of themes, such as coming-of-age debuts and intergenerational heart-

warmers, for example. Genres include dramas, documentaries, comedies and biographies, such as one about Moe Berg — a Major League Baseball catcher who also was a U.S. spy — a fashion designer, Israeli politicians and a media mogul.

Wilson and Amy Weiner, director of the JCC’s festivals, work on the event year-round. With lots of help from two volunteer review committees, they chose this year’s films from a selection of about 75 candidates.

Among Weiner’s favorites this year are “Leona,” a romance from Mexico that shows on Feb. 12, and “Tel Aviv on Fire,” in which an inexperienced young Palestinian man becomes a writer on a soap opera after a chance meeting with an Israeli soldier. It plays Feb. 16.

Wilson’s picks are “Aulcie,” which is about Aulcie Perry — a basketball legend who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to an upset victory in the 1977 European Championship — that shows on Feb. 15; and “Those Who Remained,” a Holocaust narrative that was Hungary’s submission for 2020 Foreign Language Oscar. “Those Who Remained” shows on Feb. 9.

“The Denver Jewish Film Festival,” Wilson said in a news release, “provides an opportunity for people of all faiths and backgrounds, film lovers and international film buffs to watch a variety of one-of-a-kind movies that are not available in other theaters in Colorado.”

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