Life On Capitol Hill 0419

Life On

April 2019 FREE

CAPITOL HILL SAYING GOODBYE

City Park resident selling his bed and breakfast

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‘DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY’ Historic downtown block wrestles with development

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LEAK REPAIR

DENVER VOTES Learn about your candidates

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Congress Park Pool to reopen for summer

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DENVER’S CHANGING MENU Restaurant week leaves lasting impact

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2 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Capitol Hill post office opens after leak repair

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

After nearly six months, the Capitol Hill post office location reopened in March after building repairs.

The post office at 1541 N. Marion St. closed Sept. 7, following damage caused to the building by a large leak.

Officials from the U.S. Postal Service told news outlets at the time that the organization hoped to reopen the location within a few weeks.

On March 2, USPS held an opening reception at the building. In addition to mailbox services, the Marion Street location has a retail counter.

In the six months the post office was closed, about 1,200 customers with mailboxes at the location were impacted. Mail from these people’s post office boxes was instead rerouted the nearby Annex during construction,

said Marcela Rivera, a strategic communication specialist with USPS. The Annex building, 1551 N. Downing St., usually only handles packages.

During the closure, many residents were confused by a lack of information coming from the post office. The next closest post office locations are both a little over a mile away from the Marion location.

“The Capitol Hill Post Office is a leased facility and we have worked with the building owner to ensure the quality completion of all repairs,” said Denver Postmaster Lora McLucas in a news release from USPS. “We apologize for any inconvenience the temporary suspension of operations may have caused our customers.”

The news release also stated that the USPS does not receive tax dollars for its operating costs, and instead relies on postage and retail sales.

The property on Marion was built in 1967 and is owned by J. Leonard Spodek, according to city records.

Spodek owned a company called First Nationwide Postal Holdings in Florida, which managed and leased post office buildings across the country. Spodek died in March 2016 at age 70, according to a chapel service site, Dignity Memorial. The business is still active, according to Florida Department of State records. The mailing address is listed under Andrew Spodek.

Andrew Spodek is also CEO and founder of Nationwide Postal Management, which has more than 650 properties across the country. About 90 percent of them are leased by the USPS, according to the Nationwide Postal Management website.

With the post office’s reopening, mail service at the Marion location has returned to normal, Rivera said.

The Capitol Hill post office on Marion Street reopened last month. The branch held an opening party with refreshments on March 2. All mail services at that location have returned to normal.

COURTESY PHOTO

Denver Workforce Services offers youth job fairs this month Staff Report Denver Workforce Services will be offering two Summer Job and Resource Fairs this month for young adults ages 16-24. The events have a focus on summer jobs. Youths must

turn 16 prior to May 1 to attend.

Adams County Workforce and Business Center and Arapahoe/ Douglas Works! Workforce Center help to put on the events in conjunction with Denver Workforce Services, as well as the Governor’s Summer Job

Hunt Program.

The governor’s program was launched in 1981 to connect young people with workforce centers and employers. The website also has resources on different steps in the job-hunting process, such as inter-

views, resumes and applications. For more information, go to https://www. colorado.gov/pacific/gsjh.

Summer Job and Resource Fairs: Athmar Recreation Center When: April 13, 10 a.m. to noon Where: 2680 W. Mexico Ave.,

Denver Central Park Recreation Center When: April 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: 9651 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Denver To create a profile for the events go to www.ConnectingColorado.com.

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Life On Capitol Hill 3

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4 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Business Matters

By Kailyn Lamb | klamb@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, please email Kailyn Lamb at klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

DEVELOPMENTS 990 Bannock St. An office building at 990 Bannock St. was demolished last month in the Golden Triangle.

The building was five stories and was built in 1982. There are currently no development plans submitted to the city for the property, according to Denver records. The property is owned by LMC 10th and Acoma Holdings, according to city records. LMC is run by Lennar Multifamily Communities.

The neighboring property, 921 and 951 Acoma St., has a development plan under review by the city for a 17-story building with 389 units. The building would also have 460 parking spaces. Lennar Multifamily Communities owns this property as well.

BUSINESS OPENINGS Block 21 Fitness A dance-based workout gym will be opening at 900 Lincoln St. this summer. The classes are 50 minutes long, and drop-ins cost $15.

Block 21 classes are currently being offered in

a separate dance studio in the Baker neighborhood, 336 S. Broadway. Classes are meant to feel more casual, like a dance party.

Carboy Winery Carboy Winery will be taking over the former Govnr’s Park Tavern space at 672 Logan St. The Littleton-based winery will open its doors this summer. Carboy first opened in Littleton in 2016. The winery also has a second location in Breckenridge.

Govnr’s Park Taven closed in November.

Its owner, Premier Ventures Inc., announced in September 2018 that it would close all four of its restaurants as their leases expired.

Paramount Cafe on the 16th Street Mall closed first, followed by Govnr’s Park Tavern, Marlowe’s and Lala’s Wine Bar and Pizzeria. Lala’s shared a corner on East Seventh Avenue and Logan Street with Govnr’s Park Tavern.

Govnr’s Park Tavern first opened in 1976.

Hydrate IV Bar Hydrate IV Bar opened a third location this month at 2717 E. Third Ave. in Cherry Creek, according to the company’s website. Hydrate uses intravenous therapy to put vitamins and other nutrients directly into the bloodstream.

Prices range from $30 to $169 depending on the service. The business uses registered nurses for injections.

Hydrate opened its first location in Bonnie Brae in 2016, followed by a second location in the Highlands in 2017.

Choice Market Choice Market, a convenience store at 1770 N. Broadway, is opening two new shops this year.

The first will open this summer in west Denver.

This fall, a third location will be opening at 2200 E. Colfax Ave. The store will be the first choice market to feature gas pumps and charging stations for electric vehicles, as well as its convenience store.

The Colfax location was Choice Market will be opening a third lacation at 2200 formerly a Chinese food E. Colfax Ave. this October. The property was formerly a restaurant.

Chinese restaurant.

KAILYN LAMB Amazon Books Amazon Books opened its first Colorado store in Denver in early March. The store opened at 2787 E. Second Ave. The online company opened its first brick and mortar book store in Seattle. The stores carry popular titles as well as Amazon’s electronic book reading device, the Kindle.

AKT AKT, a cardio dance studio is heading to Cherry Creek. The company has a location at 2445 E. Third Ave. listed as coming soon on its website. The studios are run as franchise businesses.

The fitness routines were developed by AKT

founder Anna Kaiser. The Cherry Creek location will be the first AKT studio in Colorado.

CLOSINGS Departure Restaurant + Lounge Departure Restaurant + Lounge, a modern Asian restaurant in Cherry Creek, closed its doors last month. The restaurant was located inside the Halcyon Hotel, 245 Columbine St. Departure was operated by the Sage Restaurant Group, which also owns a location in Portland, Oregon. The Denver location opened in 2016.

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Life On Capitol Hill 5

April 2019

Congress Park Pool will open this summer after all After input from the community, mayor’s office authorizes district funds Staff Report Pool season is on the horizon, but one of Denver’s oldest pools almost didn’t make the cut this year.

Congress Park Pool has long been one of Denver’s most expensive pools to maintain, according to the Parks and Recreation website.

Earlier this year the department initially said it would not open the pool this summer because of leaks and damages. The pool was first built in 1955.

In February, Congress Park community members asked Councilmember Wayne New to help keep the pool open, said Tom Conis, president of the Congress Park Neighbors, the

The Congress Park Pool received money from the 2017 General Obligation Bond and will be reconstructed. The city started the design process for the new pool last summer.

COURTESY OF DENVER PARKS AND RECREATION

Registered Neighborhood Organization for the area.

“It’s a good example of grass roots — the

community wanted it and presented it to Councilman New,” Conis said.

New wrote on the District 10 Facebook page

Business

19th St. Vesper Gray offers facials as well as waxing services and more.

FROM PAGE 4

Tandem Bar The bar neighboring Denver Bicycle Cafe has been renovated and reopened as Tandem Bar, 1308 E. 17th Ave. in Uptown. A grand opening party for the bar was held on March 23.

The organization will be holding its spring flea market at the Coors Field parking garage in the River North neighborhood at 27th and Blake streets from April 13-14. Fetch Market will also have a permanent retail store inside the Dairy Block building, 1800 Wazee St. For more information go to, www.thisissfetch.com.

CHANGES Vesper Gray Vesper Gray, a skin care and eyelash studio, is moving locations to 1940 Pennsylvania St. The business was formerly located at 671 E.

Fetch Market Denver Flea has rebranded as Fetch Market.

Atelier by Radex The French restaurant at 2011 E. 17th Ave. in the City Park neighborhood temporarily

that he contacted Parks and Recreation about the repairs. The department estimated it would cost $20,000 to fix leaks. New offered to use district funds to cover the cost, which was approved by the Mayor’s Office later in February.

The pool is set for an upgrade as well. In 2017, when Denver residents voted to approve $937 million in General Obligation Bond projects, construction on Congress Park Pool was included. A total of $8.3 million was allocated toward construction of the pool.

Since the pool will be open this summer, construction on the new facility will begin in 2020 with an estimated opening in 2021, according to the Parks and Recreation website. For more information, visit https://www.denvergov.org/ content/denvergov/en/denver-parks-andrecreation/recreation-centers-pools/swimmingpools.html Conis said he was happy to see the park reopen, adding “It’s a great service for the kids in the neighborhood. There are a lot of adults, too.”

closed last month due to an electrical fire.

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Same Cafe The nonprofit restaurant will be adding a food truck to its resume this spring. Same Cafe, 2023 E. Colfax Ave., has a pay-what-youcan model. The restaurant also lets customers pay it forward for others.

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6 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

BUILDING ‘NO NAME PARK’

Park Avenue in Uptown divides several square park areas that have not been used or updated by the city. The park off of East 17th Avenue is the largest, and residents like Jude Aiello are hoping to build garden spaces here.

KAILYN LAMB

Uptown residents fight for better park space along Park Avenue

By Stacey McDole and Kailyn Lamb Special to Life on Capitol Hill

Eric Dallimore, an Uptown resident and business owner, has been working with the neighborhood to try and create active park space along Park Avenue. One of the larger parks on Park and East 17th Avenue is used by homeless people for drugs and other activities, residents say.

KAILYN LAMB

W

hen driving along Park Avenue, specifically along its historically designated portion between Colfax and East 20th avenues, it’s easy to ignore the triangles of land that flank either side of the street.

But 20 parcels along Park Avenue make up what residents refer to as No Name Park. At nearly five acres when measured together, these plots were once larger parks before being bisected when the city finished the diagonal run of Park Avenue in 1893.

Very little has been done with them since.

“Uptown on the Hill is grateful for those triangular parks along Park Avenue, as they are a green respite in what is becoming a crowded neighborhood,” said Judy Trompeter, president of Uptown on the Hill Registered Neighborhood Organization, or RNO. The city planted new trees over the past few years, which Trompeter said the community appreciates. But making the parks more than a place to drive through is what the RNO would like to see.

“We would like to see those parks be more active than passive,” she said.

Problems at No Name Square Several members of the Uptown neighborhood have been trying to do just that – turn the parks into more active areas.

However, residents say they worry the parks are becoming places where homeless people camp in adjacent alleys and use drugs.

“I’ve been aggressively harassed by people who frequent this park,” said Eric Dallimore, owner of Leon Gallery at 1112 E. 17th Ave., next to the largest of the two parks known locally as No Name Square.

Dallimore added that he’s heard residents give less savory names to the park, calling them urinals or other nicknames. It makes him sad to know that people think so lowly of the neighborhood park.

Some have “even dubbed it Drinking

Park,” he said, “and it is a known meeting place for addicts.”

Dallimore, a longtime resident of the Uptown neighborhood in addition to being a business owner, says he’s witnessed dumpster fires and has found firearms, condoms and scores of used syringes in No Name Square. Often, the items apparently come from people who use the alleys to camp near the park.

Cmdr. Aaron Sanchez with District 6 of the Denver Police Department, which oversees the Uptown park spaces, said he attends several meetings a day about homeless issues in the area. Many people in the homeless community in Denver are dealing with a range of mental health issues, and officers have started to receive training on how to work with those people.

Working with the homeless population has become more of a collaborative effort with several departments throughout the city government to deal with crime within the homeless community as well as helping individuals with mental health issues, Sanchez added.

“The homeless situation is bigger than the police department,” he said.

Scott Gilmore, deputy executive director of parks and planning, said all the parcels have been designated park land by the city. Park rangers patrol the area to ensure individuals are not camping overnight in the parks, which is against city park rules.

But if people are using the adjacent alleys to camp, the parks department has no control over those areas.

“If somebody’s in the alley, I don’t have any authority to tell people they cannot be in that alley,” he said.

Parks rangers make sure people have not built structures in the parks, and also carry brochures to give to the homeless to help inform them about different shelters and resources in Denver, Gilmore added.

Fighting for parks Some residents, such as Jude Aiello, are trying to take action to bring the community back into the parks.

Aiello completed the Denver Urban Gardens’ (DUG) Master Community Gardener program. Part of the program requires students to volunteer 30 hours of “GiveBack” time, which is spent teaching others, using skills new graduates have learned, or helping with existing gardens.

“I thought it would be a no-brainer to donate this time to developing a new community garden in one of the triangle parks,” said Aiello.

Aiello and Dallimore worked together on the urban garden idea. The park already had water and a concrete slab perfect for a greenhouse. Dallimore wanted the garden to be a way to help the homeless population by teaching them to garden a few plots.

Aiello has also been working with the city, which is updating the master plan for east central neighborhoods in Denver, including Uptown, Capitol Hill and City Park. Within the East Central Plan for the city, Aiello hopes to have a master plan for the lots. The land is historically designated, so projects such as the greenhouse would still need approval through the Landmark Preservation Committee. But having a master plan in place is at least a step in the right direction.

“As you can see, many steps still to go with no guarantee that there would be approval for community gardens or any kinds of structures,” he said, “but at least it gives us a shot.”

Arlin Raedke, a retired member of the Uptown neighborhood, partnered with Dallimore and other community members to find other active uses for the parks.

While Dallimore concentrated on one park, Raedke identified best possible uses for 12 of the bisected-park areas: exercise equipment next to the fire station at 1616

Along Park Avenue from Colfax to East 20th avenues, there are several small triangle-shaped parks along the street.

Although they are designated park land by the city, there is little being done with them outside of maintaining the grass.

COURTESY OF DENVER PARKS AND RECREATION

Park Ave. West, rock gardens in smaller parks and a children’s playground in No Name Square, which is one of the larger parcels.

He went so far as to hire a local design firm to render mock-ups of what the parks could potentially look like if developed. But navigating several departments within the city has made things complicated, he said.

They aren’t giving up, but Raedke, Aiello, Dallimore and others said they have not received a definitive answer from the city regarding their plans. Each has been confronted with the complicated processes to alter historically designated parks.

Now that Denver voters have approved a .25 percent increase to the city sales tax for park projects, Dallimore is hoping neighbhorhood residents can revisit the idea of working witht the city. The sales tax is estimated to bring in more than $37 million toward park projects.

Although the city does not have plans for the parks right now, Cynthia Karvaski, a spokesperson for the parks department, said the Parks and Recreation department is conducting community outreach to decide how to use the new tax funds. Staff are also creating the frameworks for Game Plan for a Healthy City, she said. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2Fl2KnD.

S

Life On Capitol Hill 7

April 2019

Larimer Square’s history

looms large

Developers seek community’s feedback before moving forward with repairs in city’s first historic district

S

160 YEARS OF HISTORY

Established by William Larimer in 1858, Denver’s Larimer Square is known as the birthplace of Denver. The square, which runs along Larimer Street between 14th and 5th streets, was considered Denver’s first main street and was the site on which Denver’s first house was built.

After the street deteriorated in the Depression era, Denver preservationist Dana Crawford sought to restore the area, having come across it when her car broke down on Larimer Street. Crawford spent the 1960s refurbishing the buildings in Larimer Square and bringing in businesses that would restore the area’s lively atmosphere. In 1971, the square was named Denver’s first historical district, and an ordinance protecting its historical integrity was written in 1974.

By Casey Van Divier caseyvandivier@yahoo.com

andwiched between two retail shops, 1411 Larimer St. is a skinny building, hardly 10 feet wide, a single room.

Within this tight space, real estate developers have crammed the entire history of Denver’s renowned Larimer Square — from a detailed timeline across the wall to bricks that have fallen off of the square’s 150-year-old buildings.

The miniature museum, known as the Community Engagement Center, was created in February by Urban Villages. For two years, the company has handled the pending Larimer Square developments in partnership with the square’s longtime owner, Jeff Hermanson. Hermanson aims to address the infrastructural, electrical and plumbing issues present in every building on Larimer Square.

In 2018, developers presented the community with an initial proposal to repair damages and build new spaces that could finance these repairs. That proposal required partial demolition of some buildings and the creation of two buildings hundreds of feet high. Currently, the tallest building in Larimer Square stands at 64 feet.

But in June 2018, Urban Villages announced it would be rethinking its plans after groups and individuals voiced disapproval. The company confirmed in early January that it would not go forward with the original proposal.

“For many decades, the city has made a really concerted commitment to saying that this will be the low, human-scale part of downtown,” Annie Levinsky said. Levinsky is the executive director at Historic Denver, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historic landmarks across Denver.

“Larimer Square is where the historic buildings are,” she said,” and the scale is an authentic part of its history.”

To be sure, many community members have expressed that the large scope of the developers’ plans seems unusual, if not unprecedented, for a historical district in Denver.

But with an unusual proposal has come an unusual commitment to gathering community input, as well: The company has spent more than a year acquiring feedback, culminating thus far in the establishment of the community center.

Development associate Jesse Bank led the charge in designing the space, hoping to eliminate the challenges that led to previous controversies.

“It’s like how in math class, if you just write the answer, the teacher will say `show your work,’ ” Bank said. “That’s what this is place is for. This is us showing our work.”

Preparing for the next proposal When visitors walk into the center, they come face to face with a timeline that highlights key moments in the district’s past: Dana Crawford’s effort to transform the square from its previously rundown state in the 1960s, the square’s 1971 establishment as a historic

Today, the square is owned by Jeff Hermanson, who purchased Larimer Square in 1993. The street is home to historical sites such as Lincoln Hall, a dance hall built in the 1880s, and the Granite Building, which sits atop one of the first sites Larimer built upon. Larimer Square also boasts more than a dozen retailers and restaurants, bringing thousands of Denverites to the square each day.

An afternoon in Larimer Square, known as one of the most beloved and authentic districts in Denver. Residents have been pushing back against development here. CASEY VAN DIVIER district and Hermanson’s 1993 purchase of the square.

After following the timeline to the back of the room, visitors find information about the current state of the buildings and what repairs are needed.

They then have the opportunity to let developers know what they would like to see through one of several methods. Some visitors write their comments on the colorful banner pinned to the center’s wall, while others toy around with a miniature model of Larimer Square — built mostly of white Legos — moving blocks around to reflect what certain changes may look like in the real Larimer Square.

Jon Buerge, chief development officer at Urban Villages, said the center will likely stay open to the public until construction begins.

Ideally, he said, Urban Villages will roll out possibilities for a new proposal by the summer of 2019. However, developers are waiting to get more feedback before laying out an official timeline.

His team is still unsure what the potential proposal will include, he said. While Urban Villages has committed to staying away from demolition, the company continues to explore the possibility of building new structures in places where there are not already historic buildings.

It is also entertaining the idea of creating a building taller than 64 feet in one of several places, most likely on the lot with the parking garage at 1422 Market St. The suggestion has yet to be agreed upon by the developers and submitted to the city.

However, several citizens have already expressed skepticism on the grounds that such a tall building would be inauthentic to the history of the area.

The company’s interest in taller buildings stems from a desire to create more affordable housing in Larimer Square. While building a low-rise luxury condo could help finance the

project, Buerge said, the company would prefer to raise the same amount of money from apartments that a broader range of tenants could afford.

This would require more tenants, therefore requiring more stories in the building. But Buerge views the plan as a preferable and inclusive alternative to building luxury housing.

“We don’t want to just do the bare minimum,” Buerge said. “We’re committed to doing things the right way.”

Amending the district’s ordinance Adding such a building to the area would require city council to amend the ordinance that lays out construction guidelines in Larimer Square. Currently, that ordinance caps building height at 64 feet.

In some ways, said Denver’s landmark preservation supervisor Jennifer Cappeto, the amendment would be the first of its kind.

“There have been amendments to ordinances because buildings burned down or situations like that, but not a height amendment, and not something with the same ramifications,” she said.

For Lisa Purdy, the question of whether to amend the ordinance hits especially close to home. Purdy spearheaded a 10-year effort to create the Lower Downtown historic district.

The district stretches from Wewatta Street to the alley between Market and Larimer streets, making it the district directly adjacent to Larimer Square.

Like Levinsky and those at Historic Denver, Purdy expressed concerns about what a taller building would do to the historical authenticity of Larimer Square.

“It sets a terrible precedent if developers decide they don’t like the regulations of a historic district,” she said.

Levinsky agreed.

“Larimer Square is our city’s first historic district,” she said. “If it isn’t really protected in an authentic way, then what is?”

Source: www.larimersquare.com

TO LEARN MORE The developers at Urban Villages continue to seek input on what citizens like about Larimer Square and what they would like to see in the future.

Those interested can provide feedback at Urban Villages’ community engagement center, 1411 Larimer St. They can also email to info@ urban-villages.com.

For more information about Urban Villages, visit www.urban-villages.com.

She added that Historic Denver fully supports any development in compliance the district’s guidelines.

“Historic places are not frozen in time — they can evolve and should evolve to meet our community’s needs,” she said. “But they can do that in a way that is respectful of the scale and allows us to have continuity in these places.”

To assist this process, Historic Denver has sought to help Urban Villages find solutions that would not require taller buildings.

Primarily, the nonprofit has provided the company with information about acquiring funding from local and national sources, such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Buerge said the company plans to utilize such funds. However, he added that, in a bestcase scenario, these finances will cover less than a third of the project’s estimated budget of $130 million or more.

While the solution to funding the project remains unclear, all parties involved said they agreed on one thing: the renovations should protect the widely beloved experience of Larimer Square and refurbish buildings so that tenants can stay for many years to come.

“It’s a really vibrant part of downtown, and it catalyzed the preservation movement throughout the city,” Cappeto said, “so the buildings need to be repaired and have life in them.”

8 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Growing power

Uptown freight train garden set to grow community food FREIGHT-TRAIN GARDENING

By Kailyn Lamb

Near the door to the entrance of the Metro Caring freight train garden is where the plants get their start. First, the plants stay in a seedling sitter where gardener and community activator Jess Harper can control how close the light is to the plants.

She can also control how warm or cool the lights are.

klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

O

n the corner of Lafayette Street and East 18th Avenue, Metro Caring has partnered with Saint Joseph Hospital, planting the seeds for a small but powerful garden that the entities hope will become a new tool for community members.

The garden is housed in a former freight train car, which is 40 feet long and sits in one of the parking lots at the hospital. The hospital provided the location to Metro Caring, a nonprofit at 1100 E. 18th Ave. Metro Caring provides a food pantry for the community as well as education on food and nutrition. Saint Joseph is also paying the utilities for the garden.

Sister Jennifer Gordon, the vice president of mission integration at Saint Joseph, said it was “a very easy decision” to join in with Metro Caring on the freight garden. She added that since the hospital’s foundation in 1873, it has been in the heart of the city working with other organizations to help the Denver community thrive. Saint Joseph already works with Metro Caring, offering small garden plots for community members to grow food.

The freight garden was the next step in a growing partnership with the nonprofit, she said.

SEE FREIGHT, P9

After a few weeks, the plants move to the germination station. Plants are watered from the bottom because Harper said that is more gentle on them. The shelves for the seedling sitter and the germination station line one of the walls of the small freight.

On the wall above the germination station are containers of plant nutrients. Like everything else, Harper controls what nutrients the plants get and when. Seedlings and young plants need different nutrients than adult plants, she added.

From the germination station, adult plants move into the towers that line the rest of the freight garden. There, they are watered with a drip system. Metro Caring trucks the water in to the garden, but because the plants aren’t planted in soil, the freight uses less water.

Teva Sienicki, right, cuts the ribbon to the new freight garden in Uptown. Sienicki is the CEO of Metro Caring, which partnered with Saint Joseph Hospital and the Mordridge Family Foundation to bring the new garden to a parking lot at the hospital.

KAILYN LAMB

To watch the plants grow, visit Metro Caring’s Instagram and Facebook pages, @metrocaring.

PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT

The False Choice of Initiative 300 Denver voters will be faced with a false choice in May, when they are asked to vote on Initiative 300.

The ballot language reads: Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt a measure that secures and enforces basic rights for all people within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver, including the right to rest and shelter oneself from the elements in a nonobstructive manner in outdoor public spaces; to eat, share accept or give free food in any public space where food is not prohibited; to occupy one’s own legally parked motor vehicle, or occupy a legally parked motor vehicle belonging to another, with the owner’s permission; and to have a right and expectation of privacy and safety of or in one’s person and property?

This is a false choice and offers no hope. While the proponents would like you to believe that choosing yes

would offer the homeless community safety and shelters. This initiative says nothing about providing funding or support for affordable housing, shelters, outreach services, mental health counseling or job training for people experiencing homelessness.

This initiative opens our open spaces to unregulated use and allows people to camp indefinitely in and around Denver, this includes parks, sidewalks, alleys.

Service providers across the city have expressed their concern. The Homeless Leadership council comprised of leaders of the following organizations: • Catholic Charities of Denver • Colorado Coalition for the Homeless • The Delores Project • Denver Rescue Mission • The Gathering Place

• • • •

St. Francis Center The Salvation Army Urban Peak Volunteers of America

Released this statement We are concerned that if the initiative becomes law, it will lower the prevailing standard of human welfare in our community potentially reducing the expectation of ‘need’ met by our human service organizations, community members and government.

Instead the focus will be sheer physical survival in outdoor spaces that are not suitable for human habitation...This minimal concept of ‘survival’ provided by the initiative offers little to improve the welfare or security of the unsheltered homeless community in Denver.

Individuals experiencing homelessness will remain susceptible to volatility of life on the streets—exposed to extreme climate, violence, injury, exploitation, and even death. The HLC believes

Paid for by Together Denver

there are more narrowly tailored policy alternatives that would protect individuals experiencing homelessness from discrimination, enhance their trust of law enforcement and service providers, and reduce interactions with the criminal justice system.

I don’t disagree that the homeless community and service providers need better resources and the city government should be leading on solutions for the health and safety of the entire community including the homeless community. But Initiative 300 is a false choice for a community that needs hope.

I urge all Denver voters to vote no on initiative 300 this May.

WELLINGTON E. WEBB FORMER MAYOR OF DENVER

Life On Capitol Hill 9

April 2019

Freight FROM PAGE 8

“We need partners like Metro Caring who have expertise in something other than healthcare,” Gordon said. “We’re dipping our toe into food.”

Inside the freight are long rows of lights and thin metal towers where the plants grow.

Sisi Dong Brinn, the chief impact officer with Metro Caring, said the garden can grow about two acres of food. The plants are held by pieces of foam, instead of soil, which also means the freight can recycle the water it uses to water the plants.

“It’s water that can go back into the ground uncontaminated,” Dong Brinn said.

Jess Harper, a gardener and community activator with Metro Caring, said the freight car has four rows of towers in the garden.

Each plant tower can grow between 10 and 13 plants, she said. The tower rows will grow in rotations, with a quarter of the plants being fully grown. This means that Metro Caring can grow between 500-600 plants every week.

Harper is able to control everything inside the freight car, from temperature to humidity, even the type of light shining on the plants. A humidifier in the freight car pulls 6-7 gallons of water out of the air and puts it through a drip system that waters the plants. In addition, Metro Caring staff will bring in 10 gallons of water every day for the plants.

The water loses its nutritional value for the plants after six weeks, Dong Brinn said. At that point, Metro Caring will give the used water to a nearby Denver Urban Gardens plot.

Eventually, Harper said the freight car will be connected to an app and she will be able

The freight garden is in a parking lot at Saint Joseph Hospital in Uptown. The garden space can grow up to two acres of food inside a controlled environment.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB to control everything from her phone. People can also watch the plants’ progress on the Metro Caring Instagram account, Harper said.

“There’s lots of ways for people to be able to plug in,” she said.

Freight gardening is a “growing movement in the food world,” Metro Caring CEO Teva Sienicki said during a ribbon cutting for the Saint Joseph garden on March 5. The Morgridge Family Foundation provided the freight to Metro Caring, which is valued at $98,000.

Attendees for the ribbon cutting helped plant seeds for butter head and red fire lettuce that day. Harper said leafy plants and herbs grow better in the towers since they are not very deep. She added that Metro Caring may

THE GREAT DENVER

CLEANUP

experiment with some of the smaller root vegetables such as radishes. Learning what plants grow well in the freight environment will be part of the community experiment in Uptown.

Dong Brinn said the goal of the garden ties into the mission at Metro Caring. The nonprofit has been around since 1974, and provides food to people in need. But more recently, the nonprofit began looking into educating the community on food as well. In addition to its food pantry, Metro Caring has garden plots all over the city that its users can apply to grow food in. It also offers cooking classes. Education and hands-on growing experience allows Metro Caring to work “with our community instead of for it,” Dong Brinn said.

Jessica Harper holds a small dirt pod that a seed will be planted in. Harper is the gardener and community activator at Metro Caring.

“We want to dream with our community,” she said.

For the new freight garden, Dong Brinn said the community already sees a lot of potential.

Users at Metro Caring have suggested creating a farm stand with plants grown in the garden. This would could bring business training to people using services at Metro Caring as well, Dong Brinn said.

Harper added that using new farming technology is something she is excited to share with the Denver community. The clean environment and strict plant control ensures that people can pick a plant from one of the towers and it eat it right away.

“It’s such a cool branch of what we do,” Harper said. “In the city you just don’t have the opportunity to grow clean, local food at this scale.”

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10 Life On Capitol Hill

LOCAL

April 2019

VOICES ‘Soul-nourishing’ music to live by

FROM THE EDITOR

Kailyn Lamb

M

usic has filled every corner of my life since I was a child.

I can remember early mornings at my dad’s house. I was supposed to be awake and getting ready for school. Instead, I turned my alarm off and pulled the covers over my head. I am not a morning person and likely never will be.

But my dad had a strategy for this. He would walk over to our living-room stereo, pop in “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and blast “Good Morning, Good Morning.” Then he’d throw the door of my room open and say “Arise, Sir Loin of Beef.” (For those of you who don’t know, that’s an old Bugs Bunny gag.)

Both of my parents are big music lovers.

My dad was the district manager for a record store chain back in the 1990s, and my mom is an avid musical theater fan. Singing out loud was not an unusual occurrence in either of their houses, and is now something I joyfully do in my own home — much to my boyfriend’s annoyance.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t listen to music.

I listen to a classical music station at work. I flip through radio stations while I drive and have a large stack of CDs on hand should I get annoyed with commercials. I have three pairs of headphones — one each for home, the office and my purse. This way, I always have a way to listen to tunes.

Much of this comes from my dad. He grew up in a tiny town in southern Illinois, and music was his escape. He and his friends would frequently drive to Springfield and spend hours combing through records.

Some of the bands my dad already knew. Others, he picked simply because he liked the album cover. To this day, I have yet to meet a person who knows more about music than my dad.

Famed neurologist and author Oliver Sacks was also a music lover. During his long career studying the brain, he frequently looked into how music impacted the mind. His book “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain” talks about several conditions in which music made an impact — brain development, memory and strange cases where people hear music in their heads. The book also talks about how Sacks got his own love of music from his parents.

Last month, I wrote about self-care for my column.

For me, listening to music is one of the best forms of self-care I know. Certain songs still give me chills when I listen to them, even if I’ve listened to them hundreds of times.

In “Musicophilia,” Sacks had this to say about how the art form impacts our emotions: “Music, uniquely among the arts, is both completely abstract and profoundly emotional. It has no power to represent anything particular or external, but it has a unique power to express inner states or feelings. Music can pierce the

heart directly.”

We all have artists to whom we can relate: Ones that help us get through hard times, cheer us up on sad days or just make us feel like we want to dance.

After Tom Petty died in 2017, I texted my dad to say I was bummed. His response was “At every point in my life, high or low, there was always great Tom Petty music to get me through. And even though he’s gone now, there still is.”

David Bowie is my artist of choice. For nearly 50 years, Bowie made music across genres and for every mood. I love to dance to “Golden Years” and “Never Let Me Down.” On sad days I listen to “Dollar Days,” a song from the “Blackstar” album that Bowie released days before his death in 2016. I’m listening to “Starman” while writing this column.

In 2002, during an interview with LiveWire, Bowie had this to say about music: “On the other hand, what I like my music to do to me is awaken the ghosts inside of me. Not the demons you understand, but the ghosts.”

Though our favorite artists may be gone, they still contribute to what my dad calls “the soul-nourishing power of music.” Music connects people. It heals them.

When I’ve had a bad day, I put on show tunes and sing my heart out. I’ve made lifelong friendships based on people’s similar tastes in bands. No matter where I am, or how I feel, music grounds me and makes me feel at peace.

Public Works procedures aim to lessen construction impact

I

n response to my efforts to alleviate construction project management issues throughout the city, Denver Public Works (DPW) has released updated procedures that aim to GUEST lessen construcCOLUMN tion impacts to residents and businesses. As of Feb. 1, contractors will now be required to include the following in their permit applications:

Traffic management plan for all transportation modes • A contractor’s traffic control plan will be required to show how all modes will be provided safe and convenient detours around a project site. This includes: pedestrians, people on bikes and scooters, transit

Councilmember Wayne New

Life On

CAPITOL HILL

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riders and drivers. Specifically, the traffic control plan will be required to have a strong focus on pedestrian safety.

• Additional barricades, signs and provisions for pedestrians will be required in the traffic control plan, which DPW must approve before the permit is issued.

Pedestrian canopies • New permits: Pedestrian canopies will be required on projects where vertical construction is occurring directly adjacent to a pedestrian pathway (ex: multi-story building).

• Existing large projects will be reviewed to determine if any mobility improvements can be made.

Construction worker parking plan • Large projects (greater than $100,000 and lasting longer than a week) will be required to submit a parking plan for their workers and SEE NEW, P11

JERRY HEALEY President

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

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Life On Capitol Hill 11

April 2019

‘She was one in a million’ Diana Helper was a ‘tireless’ advocate for parks, sustainability

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Diana Helper, a well-known community leader and passionate advocate for city parks who wrote for The Washington Park Profile for many years, died March 1 after a battle with liver cancer. She is survived by her husband, John, her son and several grandchildren.

Helper was in her 80s and moved to Denver in 1955.

She spent decades working to better the community in Denver. As a member of the Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC), she worked on several committees, including parks and recreation.

“Diana worked so hard on many of INC’s committees and left a mark on them all,” said Maggie Price, co-chair of the Parks and Recreation committee, in an email. “She was one in a million.”

Helper also worked with her Registered Neighborhood Organization, the University Park Community Council (UPCC). Her pride and joy was helping create Prairie Park at 2551 Buchtel Blvd. South. The park, which preserves natural grasslands in the area, was designated in 2014.

Helper fought for 38 years to convert the 14-acre long stretch into official park land. The area, which runs along Buchtel Boulevard in the University Park neighborhood, was first owned by a railroad company before being passed along to the Regional Transportation District, which then gave the land to the Den-

New FROM PAGE 10

their subcontractors’ workers who will access the construction site when requesting new or renewing existing right-of-way permits.

• The parking plan must aim to minimize impacts to surrounding businesses and residences.

• Workers can use the front of the project site for parking, but otherwise they must utilize off-site parking that the contractor will be required to provide.

• The lack of an approved parking plan will not allow right-of-way permits to be issued for a project.

Along with the above permitting requirements, the following policy and procedure improvements are being made:

Diana Helper, center, sings a song she wrote to the tune of “Oh, Susanna” at the 33rd annual Denver INC Awards. Helper passed away on March 1.

KAILYN LAMB ver City Council, according to the University Park Community Council website. A billboard gives more information on the history of the land at Prairie Park.

John Helper brought a bouquet of roses to the billboard and placed them there after Diana’s death.

George Mayl, president of the INC, said the organization is looking into dedicating a memorial bench to Helper, possibly one along Buchtel Boulevard.

For more than 30 years, Helper has been a contributing writer to the Profile, writing the monthly column “Helper Here and Now.” Her columns also have run more recently in Life on Capitol Hill.

Diana Helper and her husband John, on their wedding day in 1954. The couple was married for 64 years.

COURTESY PHOTO

“I don’t remember a time before Diana Helper,” said Councilmember Paul Kashmann, who began working at the Profile shortly after it was founded in 1978. He took over as owner in 1983, the same year Helper began to write monthly columns for the paper. Her column, then called “University Park News and Views,” helped raise the profile of the neighborhood, Kashmann said.

“She was a steadfast, unique voice for her community. She had a love for words and puns and poetry and song,” he said. “She was an integral part of a great project.”

In the past several months, Helper’s columns began to focus more on sustainability. Going green was her new passion project, and she

participated in sustainability groups in the INC and UPCC. She also helped with community outreach on the topic at the United Methodist Church in University Park.

After Kashmann left the Profile and was elected to Denver City Council in 2015, he continued working with Helper, who he called a “tireless advocate” for city parks. Although she was passionate in fighting for what she believed in, Kashmann said Helper also was a great listener, even in her last weeks.

“She was as bright and on-point and energized as she ever has been,” he said. “She was a gentle person.”

This article will be updated with memorial information as it becomes available.

vacancies to allow for better enforcement.

Intersection and alley signage • Signage at intersections and alleys where parking occupancy typically meets or exceeds 75 percent can now be requested through 311.

This will help improve driver visibility when entering intersections and exiting alleys.

Damage to infrastructure and streetscape • The required construction performance bonds for every construction project will now be used to repair damage to infrastructure and streetscape to its original condition.

Construction coordination meetings • Routine construction meetings will be held in areas under significant construction to coordinate project activities, such as street closures and meter management, that may affect retailers, the public and residents.

I continue to work on evaluating construction hours for noise and the use of a public inconvenience fee to further reduce the closures of sidewalks, bike lanes and streets.

In addition to the policy updates, later this spring, Denver Public Works will also propose changes to Denver’s Rules and Regulations for permitting construction projects in the public right-of-way. The proposed changes will update the current rules and regulations, which were written in 2007, to prioritize safe pedestrian and bike travel.

Parking management and enforcement • License plate recognition equipment will be used • Right-of-way enforcement staff salaries and benefits have been improved to reduce

Denver Councilmember Wayne New represents District 10. The district covers north central Denver, including Capitol Hill, Congress Park and Cherry Creek. He can be reached at wayne. new@denvergov.org.

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12 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Thankful for

Owner of bed and breakfast says it’s time to say goodbye

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CASTLE MARNE O

Jim Peiker stands outside of the Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast in City Park West. He and his wife Diane first bought the business in 1988.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

THE ARCHITECTURE OF CASTLE MARNE Castle Marne was designed by architect William Lang. In the 1880s, Lang was the premier residential architect in Denver, said Annie Levinsky, executive director of Historic Denver. Lang designed many wellknown houses in the city, including Castle Marne and Molly Brown’s home, which is now a museum run by Historic Denver.

Like Castle Marne, the Molly Brown House Museum is built of stone.

Lang fell on hard times in 1893 during the

silver crash in the state of Colorado. There were very few completed homes designed by the architect after that, Levinsky said.

Pieces that were completed are easily recognizable because of Lang’s love for stone, Levinsky said.

“We do see them still dotting older neighborhoods across the city and they are often identifiable for their rusticated stonework, the use of towers or turrets, and their general elaborate ornamentation,” she said.

PUTTING CASTLE MARNE FOR SALE Jim and Diane Peiker bought the Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast in the fall of 1988 for $184,500.

Peiker and his daughter, who helps run the 10,000-square-foot bed and breakfast, decided to sell the business after Diane died in October. They listed Castle Marne in February for $2.3 million. The listing includes the carriage house on the property that Peiker and Diane lived in for many years.

The Peikers owned the business for 30 years.

Peiker said he is hoping someone will buy the building and convert it into a family home.

Although Peiker said he wants to sell the carriage house and main building together, some buyers have been more interested in one property over the other.

For more information on the bed and breakfast, visit https://castlemarne.com/.

n a cold January day in 1988, Jim Peiker and his wife Diane were hunting for a bed and breakfast in City Park West, in the hopes of buying it and starting a new career. Across the street from the bed and breakfast the Peikers were looking at stood an old vacant stone house at East 16th Avenue and Race Street.

As they peeked through the windows, they saw a “Keep out” sign — a rough welcome.

“It was a mess,” Peiker remembers. “It was in such shape that we kept looking and kept looking, and kept coming back and kept coming back.”

But the old house had picked them. And that was the start of the Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Peiker said of his 30 years running the business.

Time to let go Today, Peiker is a walking encyclopedia on the castle he and Diane bought in the fall of 1988. They spent the next several months trying to persuade banks to lend them money — during a recession — to renovate the building.

Through hard work and research at the library, the couple was able to bring the historic mansion at 1572 Race St. back to its former glory.

But Peiker is ready for the next step in his life. Diane died in October, and in February Peiker celebrated his 84th birthday. The bed-and breakfast-industry has changed, Peiker said. Denver also has what seems like an ever-increasing number of new hotel rooms, he added. Overall through the years, business has been good.

In previous years, Peiker said they would sometimes get overflow business from historic hotels that were fully booked such as the Brown Palace downtown. More recently though, its become harder to market to young people.

Earlier this year, Peiker and his daughter put the bed and breakfast up for sale. It’s time to let it go, Peiker said.

“It seems to be the right time in our lives,” he said. “What am I going to do? I don’t know, we’ll find out.”

Castle Marne, built in the 1880s, sits on property that was part of the Wyman Addition to the city of Denver. A group of developers bought 65 acres of land that became known as the Wyman Addition in the early 1880s. They began to build out new neighborhoods that became City Park and Uptown, Peiker said.

Previously, the land was open space. Peiker has pictures from when Castle Marne was first built that show the monstous house sitting on an open plot of land.

The development company asked architect William Lang to design the building as a model home for the new neighborhood, Peiker said.

Its walls are made of Castle Rock rhyolite stone and are 22 inches thick.

After finding old photographs of the home at the Denver Public Library, Peiker and his family were able to recreate many of the handpainted details within the original house.

“We tried to not to copy it because we couldn’t,” he said. “We tried to bring the building back to as much of its original glory as we could.”

Castle Marne was a home for a while, then converted into seven apartments after World War I. The next building owner converted Castle Marne into offices in the 1970s. Around that time the carriage house building on the

Jim Peiker looks out the stained glass window at the Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast. After 30 years running the business, Peiker decided to put the building up for sale. property was sold. Although the main building was abandoned when the Peikers bought Castle Marne, the carriage house was home to a thenthriving graphic design firm, Peiker said.

Peiker had been in sales and Diane was a teacher who had worked at Denver Public Schools before transitioning to St. Mary’s Academy in Englewood. The couple decided they wanted to run a family-owned business.

Peiker began working on renovations full-time, while Diane continued to teach. Two years after opening the business, Diane also started working at Castle Marne full-time. Peiker still thinks of Diane as the “queen” of the castle.

“She was pretty much the driver,” he said.

Rebuilding Caslte Marne Renovating the castle was a labor of love.

After buying the house, Peiker said it took them seven months to raise the money for renovations. Eventually, they found a banker who gave them a small-business loan for $400,000.

“We just had a terrible time trying to find the money,” Peiker said. “I talked to virtually every bank in the city. It just was not the right time and it certainly was not the right product.”

The couple broke ground in February 1989, 100 years after the house was first built. It took them the better part of a year to renovate. They opened in August that year.

All the wood in the house is original, Peiker said. This includes a large, hand-carved fireplace in a living-room area. There are stylized carved dolphins on top of the fireplace and a creature of legend called “the green man” along the sides.

During the renovations and for a few years while they ran Castle Marne, the Peikers lived in several rooms toward the back of the building. Eventually, they bought the carriage house and moved into that building.

Both Peiker and Diane were raised in Denver. Peiker grew up a few blocks away from Washington Park, Diane in the Alamo Placita neighborhood. Now that he’s retiring from the bed-and-breakfast industry, Peiker said he has no desire to pack up and move to Florida.

Instead, he hopes to stay in north Denver.

“I’ve always enjoyed this neighborhood,” he said. “It’s wonderful.”

In many ways, Castle Marne has become as much a person in Peiker’s life as his wife and children. Sometimes, the castle gives advice, he noted.

SEE CASTLE, P13

Life On Capitol Hill 13

April 2019

The simple violet marks springtime in gardens

D

uring springtime in Colorado, gardens are suddenly filled with an explosion of flowers and blossoms that bring us excitement after the long winter.

Among all this cheerfulness, the violet GUEST — with its simple apCOLUMN pearance and aromatic Ebi Kondo fragrance — is one of the plants most loved and cultivated by people for centuries. ‘Longing for Spring’ is a song composed by Amadeus Mozart about a little boy who is looking forward to seeing the flowering violets in his garden.

Probably, this violet was the most common violet we often see in our garden: Sweet Violet (Viola odorata).

This perennial ground cover was traded in markets in Athens as long ago as 400 B.C. It was sold for its fragrance and edible leaves and flower, although the seeds and roots of violets are not edible.

In the Middle East, the flowers were made into candies which were enjoyed by elites.

Much later, in the 19th century, Frederic Chopin favored the sugar-coated violet flower candies every morning in a cup of hot chocolate to start his day (no wonder he came up with copious amounts of his wonderfully romantic creations).

Unlike its popular ornamental annual cousins Pansy (Viola x wittorokiana) and JohnnyJump-Up (Viola tricolor), Viola odorata has gotten a bad rap from some homeowners as it has a habit of spreading by seeds and runners.

However, the popular cultivar ‘Konigin Charlotte’ with its classic violet flower and `Rosina’ with pink flower are the cultivar relatively well behaved in the garden. I personally never had a problem with this violet as long as I monitor my gardens often and confine them in the right spots with sun to semi-shade. We sometime see the weedy violet with lavender and white bi-colored flower take over turf areas.

We think it is an unidentified hybrid of Viola odorata. Do not plant this type in your garden.

The `Purple leaved Labrador violet’ (Viola labradorica purpurea) has a simpler appearance yet possess beautiful purple leaves adding color to shade gardens even after its flowers are gone in late spring. I have been warned this violet might spread in the garden, however, my co-workers and I think it was confused with Viola riviniara that has identical looks and a vigorous spreading habit. Contrary to these testimonials, I have had a hard time keeping `Purple leaved Labrador violet’ in my gardens, as they have often disappeared over the years, regardless of the fact I’ve given them adequate moisture and sheltered light in semi-shaded areas. When I acquire Viola labradorica purpurea, I always make sure to get it from reputable sources so as not to be mixed up with a wild impersonator.

The less fragrant V. Corsica is an excellent violet for Colorado gardens because it is

drought tolerant and has a longer flowering performance with blueish purple showy flowers in sunny spots in the gardens. It is part of the Plant Select® program.

Although much simpler in its appearance, one of the quintessential violets is V. adunca.

This North American native perennial can be spotted easily in the forest and meadows while hiking as a sign of the arrival of the short summer season in the Colorado Montane and Alpine.

There are about 600 species of violets around the globe from temperate climate to desert, even in steppe. Many of them are a flower well worth enjoying. As a famous quote by Mark Twain says: “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”

Castle

window was 100 years old.

The business owner “walked in, introduced himself, stood at the bottom of the stairs,” Peiker said. “He looked up and he said, `My great-grandfather Clarence made that window.’ I can tell you the house talks to us.

People laugh at us when I say that.”

Running a business for several decades comes with its share of memories.

Interesting guests, such as Kenny Loggins and Tiny Tim, have roamed the halls. Peiker wrote a book on the history of Castle Marne.

He plans to add a chapter about Diane’s contributions to the house before its second printing. Peiker’s grandchildren also grew up in the bed and breakfast. Peiker’s daughter lived in the neighborhood with the kids, and he and

Diane would frequently babysit.

“The house is kind of special,” he said. “They grew up crawling around under the chairs and under the tables. I thank the Castle Marne every night for raising my three grandchildren.”

FROM PAGE 12

At one point after opening the bed and breakfast, the Peikers needed to repair the large stained glass window. As Peiker was looking at different businesses in the Yellow Pages, a voice popped up in the back of his mind and told him to select a Littleton-based company. At the time, the

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14 Life On Capitol Hill

ELECTIONS 2019

City Council District 9 Albus Brooks Has lived in Denver for 20 years.

Profession: Denver City Council member. Brooks was first elected in 2015.

Campaign Website: http:// albusbrooks.com/

Candi CdeBaca Is a fifth-generation Denver native from District 9.

Profession: Nonprofit Campaign Website: www.

CandiforCouncil.com

David Oletski

April 2019

Why are you seeking this office?

What makes you the best choice for this office?

I am seeking office to build a truly inclusive city. An inclusive city is one where everyone can find a place where they feel a sense of belonging, and can afford to raise a family there. I’m running so that I can build the social and physical infrastructure of our city, starting with more affordable housing, better transit and mobility, and investments in our youngest residents. It’s time to harness our growth to build an inclusive Denver.

I’ve been a councilmember, and council president, for two terms, and have been hard at work! Our district has more new affordable housing, sidewalks, bike lanes, social services, and cultural institutions than any other district. I have a bold vision for an inclusive city, and I actually know how to get the job done. From funding and expanding Denver Preschool Program to give universal access to preschool for all 4-year-olds, to creating our first affordable housing fund of $300 million, I’ve been hard at work.

In Denver we have concentrated our resources and services in an urban core that is less accessible daily. We need to focus on the big issues from a neighborhood perspective and each neighborhood has to be a self-reliant, fully functional ecosystem. In order to remain a beacon and livable city, we must leverage our growth and diversity for racial, social and economic justice. Man-made policy has led us to the inequity we experience today. We can make policy that is intentional and compassionate to address our most pressing challenges.

As a fifth-generation native of District 9, a product of DPS schools and a nonprofit executive — I have devoted my career to improving our neighborhoods and ensuring representation and equity in all sectors of society. I believe we can meaningfully address the challenges we face across District 9 and build complete neighborhoods that are sustainable and co-governed by their residents. City council will be an opportunity to scale proven concepts and steer Denver in a direction of responsible growth, people-centered transportation and government we can trust.

Because of all my years of family history and all of my personal life history. I have a lot to offer that no one else has to offer.

There again, life experience, business experience and history.

The political system in Denver’s local municipality is broken and must be reset. We have elected officials that prioritize profits, selfpreservation, and special interests over the people. Denver residents have longed to have any say in the development of the city. We have a reactive regime type of local government, instead of a proactive community involved approach. Issues such as housing, homelessness, violent crimes, pollution, traffic congestion, mental health, opioid addiction, and human trafficking have been progressively getting worse, not better with the current administration.

I am best fit for this office because I believe that balance is key to sustainability. My campaign and personal position regarding campaign financing are direct examples of the integrity I feel lacks within our local government. There are zero ties to special interests or agendas, my priorities are directly involved in the people. My military service, business experience and educational background fill the voids currently held by current elected officials.

Why are you seeking this office?

What makes you the best choice for this office?

I’ve been an advocate at the local and state levels for years now. My neighbors kept asking me to speak on their behalf because they felt like they didn’t have a champion at City Hall who was representing their interests. I’ve served on Blueprint, multiple RNOs (Registered Neighborhood Organizations) including CHUN (Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods), successfully lobbied the state Legislature, and even have a law named after me. We need qualified representation, and I’m ready to fight for District 10.

The Chris Hinds Act proves that I have the skill and disposition to listen to all sides of the conversation to create something that works for everyone. But don’t take just my word for it — look at ChrisForDenver.com and you’ll see the more than 60 elected officials and organizations who agree that I’m the best person to serve District 10.

Better yet, call me at 303-717-9174, and let’s talk about what matters most to you.

I’m running for city council because I want to represent our entire district, not just one subsection. Denver is growing fast and we need leadership to address some of the challenges we are facing as a result of that growth — lack of affordable housing, a growing homeless population, increased pollution, and poor infrastructure. I believe our leadership needs to be focused on building the Denver of tomorrow, not preserving the Denver of yesterday.

I’ve spent my entire career as a public servant — from serving a class of third-graders in Newark, New Jersey to teaching a class of Andorran high schoolers English as a Fulbright Fellow to serving as deputy chief of staff for two Colorado lieutenant governors. My varied experiences in public service gives me the tools necessary to lead on day one. My unique background has prepared me to take on the challenges of effective city governance.

Grateful for current successes, I want to do more. My whole life is a blend of public service and business management, making me the most qualified. My first term gives me hands-on knowledge and enables me to get more things done. District 10 is beautiful and diverse with art, history, unique neighborhoods, parks, character, and vibrancy. I love representing the “heart of Denver” and I want to continue serving, protecting and enhancing our quality of life.

Before my election, I earned 30-plus years’ experience with children’s hospital management. The city, like hospitals, has almost 70 percent labor costs, operates 24/7, and meets daily citizen needs dealing with quality-of-life issues. Through education and experience, I have great insight into financial operations and extensive operational improvement experience. I am an inclusive facilitator, able to bring community leaders and city officials together, creating the most effective, quality solutions for our neighborhoods and businesses.

I am seeking this office because I strongly believe that Denverites are missing a connection to local government — I will represent District 10’s diversity, because we all need to feel represented and have a connection to local government. I want to be a proactive strong voice for their concerns, focusing on listening to District 10’s residents’ concerns and learning from them.

When I look at City Council, I see a group of individuals rather than a team. As shown by my time at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and on various city commissions, and boards of directors, I am a proven collaborator and coalition builder, and I can help build coalitions on city council and with the myriad of city agencies and departments on crucial issues facing the city. We need people on council that can relate to all people, be proactive, relatable and passionately serve our citizens.

»

Has been in Denver for 64 years.

Profession: Retired

Jonathan Patrick Woodley Has lived in Denver since 2000.

Profession: Sergeant in the National Guard, Master of Arts student at the University of Denver (graduating 2020).

Campaign Website: jpwoodley.org

City Council District 10 Chris Hinds Has lived in Denver for the last 12 years.

Profession: Financial analyst Campaign Website: https:// ChrisForDenver.com/

Antonio A. Mendez Has lived in Denver since 2011.

Profession: Executive director at Serve Colorado Campaign Website: www. mendezfordenver.com

Wayne New Has lived in Denver since 1999.

Profession: Denver City Council member. New was elected in 2015.

Campaign Website: www. wayneforcouncil.com

Tony Smith Has lived in Denver since 2000.

Profession: Cherry Creek Arts Festival Campaign Website: www. tonyfordenver.com

»

Life On Capitol Hill 15

April 2019

What are the most important duties for a member of council?

What should be done to ensure a high quality of life for residents as Denver’s population continues to grow?

What will be your top priority if you are elected to this office?

The most important job of a councilmember is to listen, then lead. I’ve conducted listening tours, neighborhood chats, surveys, and knocked on doors every year in office. A good councilmember responds to constituents (my office resolves 400-plus cases per year), then represents their needs with policy.

Quality of life comes from building a city where everyone can find a place where they feel a sense of belonging, and can afford to raise a family there. This means that the shared rhythms of neighbors need to be built on a solid foundation of housing for all, greater mobility and transit, and investing in our youngest residents.

My priority will be to deliver immediate, tangible results in three areas: housing for all, greater mobility and transit, and investing in our youth. Within the year I will have accomplished the following: host a convening with the city, state, DPS, RTD, & DHA to identify land that can be developed for workforce housing; propose a $50 million annual funding strategy to complete Denver Moves for increased transit and mobility; fund the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to identify areas of impact to serve our young men of color.

Many people underestimate the power of councilmembers. Councilmembers authorize millions of dollars every week and most importantly approve zoning and land-use changes that shape the fundamental functions and purpose of every block in the city. City council members essentially tell us when, where, and how we can live, shop, work, walk, sell, drive, park, etc. In a home-rule city like Denver, city council is virtually the only check/balance to our mayor, which makes them/us the most important conduit for representation of our needs and desires.

We need to take a step back and decide how we want to grow.

Responsible growth is about centering people in our city, not just profit. Unmanaged growth will not automatically result in high-quality life experiences for our residents. The cost of growth has the potential to degrade our quality of life if we do not plan for it thoughtfully. Denverites need to collectively define what a high quality life looks and feels like. Then we have to devote the appropriate resources to manifesting that vision.

Nothing we are building in this city matters more than building up our people. I believe in collective ownership of land, labor, resources and the distribution of resources. This is OUR city, it literally belongs to us. I would like to craft and implement policies that require and enable co-governance and participatory democracy giving the people the power to shape our city. Establishing a public bank, devoting city resources to community land trusts and investing in cooperative and employee-owned businesses are a few of my priorities.

To listen to your constituents and to do what the voters want in their neighborhood.

All neighborhoods should be healthy, clean and safe. All neighborhoods should be equal as far as amenities and services.

To make sure all neighborhoods are healthy,clean and safe. To make sure all neighborhoods have access to amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants and dentists and all services needed.

The most important duties for a member of city council include creating a vision for the city with the inclusion of the community and experts; to create, implement, and sustain growth and enrichment. A councilmember needs to be the driving force in their respective district and neighboring area for progress to all residents, not just selected few. They need to maintain the integrity of office by providing an environment where residents are empowered, not powerless. To defend against social and economic injustice, not be the cause for it.

First step is to elect new leaders, it is time to hit that reset button.

From there, it is time to include all voices in the conversation. We must start building affordable housing. High-density areas should be expected; however, we really need solutions to our infrastructure problems. We cannot continue to build and build without proper outlets and parking. We must build a better foundation for our city, and this has to happen yesterday.

Number one has been housing. City leaders have not done enough to provide affordable housing. The affordable housing fund that is “bragged” about is a result of very minimal linkage fees aimed at developers as a “way out” of providing affordable units. This is what happens when elected officials are in the pockets of large developers. Our housing issues trickle down to most other issues we have in Denver. Rising costs lead to displacement.

What should be done to ensure a high quality of life for residents as Denver’s population continues to grow?

What will be your top priority if you are elected to this office?

What are the most important duties for a member of council?

A representative’s most important duty is to represent. That means having a fully staffed office that can field and respond to calls, and it also means a representative that actively visits every neighborhood in the district at times when constituents are available. People consistently tell me that I’m “everywhere.” While that’s factually impossible, many tell me they have no challenge finding me to share concerns. (Also, I honestly have no twin brothers or body doubles!)

We need viable car alternatives. Fix our busted and broken sidewalks. Install protected bike lanes. Improve mass transit. We all deserve the freedom to get from A to B and feel safe while getting there. Let’s make sure everything needed to thrive is available in each neighborhood within a 20-minute walk or roll. It helps the planet and our physical health. It helps community, too, because we see our neighbors more and develop stronger bonds.

We must restore trust in residents that all of District 10 is represented. I’ve already spoken with thousands in District 10, and we will formalize the many ways everyone in 10 can share input. We will once again have a champion for the district, someone who’s ready and willing to fight for the needs of 10. Let’s preserve what makes us special while also welcoming newcomers to our wonderful city. I hope you’ll join us!

The most important duty of a city council member, at this moment, is to represent their community. Our current city council members are criticized heavily by residents who feel they are beholden to private interests and no longer have the interest of the people at heart. This next city council has to re-instill faith in leadership and government before they can work on the city budget or new community plans.

City council needs to address Denver’s environmental concern including water, air, and natural lands. We’ve seen the rise in ozone-related air quality issues affect our citizens negatively and an increase in heart and lung problems. With all the growth in Denver (over 100,000 people in the last seven years) water demand will soon exceed supply. Conservation is in our city’s DNA so we need to make sure to prioritize from a policy and legislative perspective.

Addressing our city’s affordable housing problem. Many know that wages have not kept pace with inflation and the growth in our city, the shortage of housing supply, especially condos, in our housing market, and other factors have led to a housing crisis in our city. City council’s efforts have barely made an impact and more concentrated efforts and innovation are needed to truly address this issue.

Being accessible and communicating regularly with all constituents. I achieve this through constant, responsive office assistance; weekly in-the-community office hours; informative newsletters and emails; and resident surveys on key city issues. Having a thorough understanding of the zoning code and processes is indispensable. Lastly, having a broad perspective on both current and future citywide needs, in order to build cooperation among city council and the mayor to promote and maintain smart strategies for the future.

We need strategic, synergistic planning that identifies implementation and funding. Our three most pressing issues, affordable housing, homelessness, and transportation, should have integrated solutions. Smarter solutions solve more than one issue simultaneously, costing less. Reducing neighborhood traffic as well as crime enhances public safety. Preserving the quality of parks contributes to health and well-being. A city is its people. Elected officials and all city employees must remember: We serve the people first!

I run my office on what I call the five E’s: Education to build understanding; Effectiveness to eliminate waste and respond quickly to constituents; Efficiency to spend your tax dollars delivering value and the quality of life you deserve; Enforcement of existing regulations; and Enhancement of the environment to protect and maintain the beauty and quality of our neighborhoods, parks, open space, and natural resources. I love Denver.

The most important duty is to listen, respond and represent the views of their district. I will work tirelessly to make sure District 10 is fairly and fully represented on council. Furthermore, we need city council to more effectively manage the growth of the city.

We need to expand affordable and low-income housing options in the city, provide increased services for our growing homeless population, proactively work to preserve the character of our neighborhoods, provide access to a more robust transportation network and educate residents on the incredible city resources available for health and wellness.

My top priority will certainly be to expand affordable and lowincome housing in Denver. Too many residents are struggling to find places to live, and we must focus on equitable solutions for all.

16 Life On Capitol Hill

ELECTIONS 2019

Mayoral Election Lisa Calderón Is a Denver native.

Profession: Faculty at Regis University in the sociology and criminology departments Campaign Website: www.

Lisa4DenverMayor.org

Jamie Giellis Has been in Denver for 13 years.

Profession: Urban planning consultant Campaign Website: www. jaimefordenver.com

Michael B. Hancock Has lived in Denver since he was 10 months old.

Profession: Mayor of Denver. Hancock was elected in 2011.

Campaign Website: www. hancockfordenver.com

Penfield Tate III Has lived in Denver for 38 years.

Profession: Attorney Campaign Website: www. tatefordenver.com

Stephan “Seku” Evans

Why are you seeking this office?

April 2019

What makes you the best choice for this office?

I am running for mayor because I love my city and because I believe Denver can be a city that is more fair, more just, and more equitable for all of its residents. I believe that by working together, we can build a city based on shared power and accountability — one where residents and workers are included in the policy decisions that most affect them.

I have spent 30 years in the service of others as an organizer, educator, nonprofit director and community leader. I have the heart, the skills and the policy know-how to lead this city in a new direction, one that places people first and prioritizes the needs of women, workers and residents in Denver over the interests of an elite group of political and corporate power brokers. Working together, we will build a city that provides more opportunities for more people and where we all will thrive.

I decided to run for mayor after extensive work with neighborhoods across Denver who were struggling with our vast growth and seeing its consequences to their quality of life and opportunity here. Growth that has benefited a few and delivered extraordinary challenges for many. Denver is growing, but we can do it in a thoughtful way. To grow thoughtfully, we must grow smart. I understand how cities work and the complex problems they face. I have worked in almost every quadrant of this city and with every city agency.

I have been a champion for building coalitions of community members who can work with local government to improve cities. I’ve helped address challenges large and small by bringing together diverse (and sometimes disparate voices) to find common ground. Common sense and creative thinking are a hallmark of my work. In my time in Denver, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a diversity of issues – from affordable housing, to zoning and design, environmental issues, safe streets, homelessness, and the arts.

I grew up in Denver. My family moved from Park Hill, to Montbello, to Whittier and then to Five Points when we finally secured public housing. From the age of 12, I wanted to be mayor because I saw how a city could help kids just like me. We have big important issues to tackle.

I’m working on these issues because I have something to give back to a city that gave me so much.

I have the plans, experience and teams of experts to achieve Denver’s affordability, mobility, sustainability and equity goals. No other candidate in this race has my track record, budget plan or understanding of the ways in which the city and community work together successfully.

I love our home, and I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished in eight years. I’m truly excited about the opportunities we have to deliver a more equitable, welcoming, and progressive city.

Denver is in need of a mayor that will lead Denver’s future. For the last eight years, we’ve had an administration that puts the needs of the wealthy few ahead of the rest of us. As mayor, I will hit the reset button and start tackling the major issues facing Denver. We need real solutions to unmanaged growth, homelessness, traffic congestion, and environmental stewardship. I will bring stakeholders together to craft solutions that work.

I will lead this city from day one in an ethical and transparent fashion.

Having owned a small business, served in the Peña and Romer administrations, was a state representative and state senator and led the Denver Water Board, I understand how city government works, how to move policy forward and more importantly, my administration will be responsive and available to ALL our residents.

»

Stephan Evans did not respond to a request from Colorado Community Media

Campaign Website: https:// www.facebook.com/pages/ category/Politician/ChairmanSeku-317487221794758/

Kalyn Rose Heffernan

Kalyn Heffernan did not respond to a request from Colorado Community Media

Campaign Website: www. kalyn4mayor.com

Staff Report There will be two initiatives on the May ballot. The initiatives cover drug legalization, and homeless camping. Below are brief explanations of each.

Denver Right to Survive Initiative This initiative would give people the right to rest or take shelter in public spaces. It also would allow people to give or share food as long as the location they are in allows food. Right to survive would allow people to stay in legally parked cars.

The initiative allows people to rest, as long as they are doing so in a way that does not obstruct paths, or is creating a hazard. It would be unlawful for city employees, police, or security guards to prevent someone from

camping in public spaces if this ordinance were to pass.

Psilocybin Initiative This initiative would decriminalize the possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms, or psychedelic mushrooms, for people aged 21 and older.

Under this ordinance, the city would no longer use resources to impose penalties on people legally using mushrooms under the ordinance.

In addition, the city would create a policy review panel with 11 members by Dec. 31, 2019. The panel would include city council members and residents, as well as an officer from the Denver Police Department and an addiction counselor. The panel would send reports to regular reports and recommendations on how the policy is working.

MORE ELECTION INFORMATION ONLINE

For more information about candidates for city council-at-large, clerk and recorder and city auditor, visit lifeoncaphill.com

Life On Capitol Hill 17

April 2019

What are the most important duties for the mayor of Denver?

What should be done to ensure a high quality of life for residents as Denver’s population continues to grow?

What will be your top priority if you are elected to this office?

The most important duty for a mayor is to provide for the prosperity of all residents in Denver in an equitable, fair and just manner.

The mayor should promote policies that support the health, safety, well-being and revitalization of all neighborhoods regardless of status, income and zip code. As the city’s top executive, the mayor should provide the example for the 11,000 city workers, maintain a system of checks and balances to guard against government abuses, and ensure the fiscal and moral integrity of the city.

Denver’s growth and prosperity works for some, but not for enough of us; our working people and families are being left behind. I will invest the resources we need to make development more residentand community-driven, with particular attention to sustainability, affordable and attainable housing, and truly multimodal transportation throughout our neighborhoods.

The pillars of my campaign are equity, fairness, and justice. A top priority for me is equity for workers and being able to afford to live in the city. I support a livable wage for supporting the basic needs of working families, with a commitment to regular increases to keep pace with the cost of living in Denver. I will implement policies that achieve fairness through accountability, checks and balances, and transparency. We should not have one set of rules for the mayor and another for city workers.

There are three important duties for a mayor: 1. To serve all the people of Denver and ensure my administration is ethical, accountable and transparent. The mayor sets the tone for the rest of the city. 2. To be both a visionary and a manager. The mayor sets the city’s budget and hires every major department head. 3. To be willing to take bold steps to protect EVERYBODY’s quality of life. We must be willing to acknowledge communities that have been left behind, and meet neighbors where they are.

My campaign is focused on five core areas: 1. Managed growth, development, density and design: Good cities understand that planning means allowing growth to happen strategically. 2. Building an intra-city transit network. 3. Get attainable housing built: My focus will be on lifting cost burdens to attainable development, fast-tracking permitting times and reducing fees for affordable developers. 4. Protect our parks and green space, and improve our environment. 5.

Thoughtful solutions for homelessness.

When elected, I will immediately address the way Denver approaches growth and development. I will look at zoning and design and how the Denveright plan, if passed by City Council on April 16, will be implemented. I will also immediately begin the process of implementing a Department of Transportation and identifying how we will get transit built.

Finally, action on homelessness must be priority action. If Initiative 300 passes, I believe it will become an even more pressing matter for us to manage thoughtfully.

It has been my greatest honor to serve the people of Denver, and I will always cherish the trust and responsibility placed in me. I believe a mayor is responsible for protecting the health, safety and welfare of all people – maintaining critical functions of city government and the infrastructure of our city; improving what makes Denver a great place to live with good jobs, beautiful parks and vibrant neighborhoods; and ensuring economic opportunities for all.

I’ve spent my entire life in Denver, and like you, I’ve watched our city grow. We’ve become a vibrant city, a leader in progressive values with a modern economy. But we must continue to strongly manage the growth so that it reflects all that we love about our home.

We have specific plans – created side-by-side with thousands of Denverites – to better preserve our unique neighborhoods, creating a more inclusive, connected and healthy city for everyone.

I’m excited to continue our progress to create more equity and accessibility and to deliver a more welcoming, modern and progressive city for everyone. This requires enhancing programs that’ll protect our people and neighborhoods and increase access to opportunity. We’re focused on increasing affordable housing; improving services for those experiencing homelessness; offering more mobility options and addressing traffic congestion; delivering on the Elevate Denver Bond Program; fighting climate change; and ensuring that Denver remains safe.

The mayor needs to lead and to listen. It isn’t enough to have great ideas. As mayor, I will bring community, policy experts, and stakeholders together to craft a plan to lead Denver’s future. I will recruit and retain the top people in their fields to address the crisis we are facing in Denver and I will have the political will to stand up to wealthy interests to fight for everyday working people.

Over 80,000 people are moving to Denver each year. I believe the city has a responsibility to make sure that we grow in a fair and equitable way that is compatible with our vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. Growth has to be designed, planned, and managed in a way that works for and with us and not just done to us.

Development must include a range of attainable housing options as well as green space in our city.

Our city has too many dire needs to have a singular priority.

However, my administration will be particularly focused on helping the homeless off the street in my first 100 days, as well as sitting down with developers to set new rules and standards for development of affordable housing.

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18 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Eating your way around Denver This year’s Denver Restaurant Week brought in millions in revenue

TO LEARN MORE Denver Restaurant Week is an annual event that provides Denver diners with deals to a selection of locations around the city and metro area. To learn more about the event, go to https://www.denver.org/denver-restaurant-week/.

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Restaurants and diners alike benefit from a 10-day event that highlights culinary business across the metro area: From Feb. 22 to March 3, diners snagged deals on some of the best restaurants throughout the area as the Mile High City celebrated 15 years of Denver Restaurant Week this year.

Denver Restaurant Week offers multi-course options to diners throughout the Front Range, with options at $25, $35 and $45.

Although considered a staple now, Denver Restaurant Week started as a way for the city to prove itself after a reader poll in “Travel + Leisure” magazine placed Denver 24th out of the top 25 dining scenes. The poll was a blow to lovers of the culinary scene, so staff at Visit Denver, Eat Denver and other community organizations formed a partnership, said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“Denver Restaurant Week originally sought to change that impression, to showcase what we had to offer as a city,” Scharf said. “Now, it’s become a real celebration of what we have today.”

In 2005, when the event first launched, 83 restaurants participated. This year, Denver Restaurant Week tripled in size with 251

Tamayo general manager Miranda McFarlan said that many of the restaurant’s regular customers first started coming during Denver Restaurant Week. The event helps to introduce people to restaurants they may not typically try, she added.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMAYO restaurants in the metro area. Visit Denver did not have an official count, but it estimated that hundreds of thousands of meals were served, with an economic impact reaching into the millions.

Restaurant owners such as Gene Tang, owner and chef at 1515 Restaurant in Denver, a fine dining restaurant, said the event is an

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opportunity to bring new customers in the door.

“People have a perception of us being expensive. This is a good chance for them to try us out,” he said. “Restaurant week is great for, I think, the restaurants and the people of Denver — people get to try the restaurant, and we get exposed to more people.”

The first year was a bit of an experiment, said Beth Gruitch, co-owner of Crafted Concepts, which owns five restaurants including Bistro Vendome and Rioja.

Both restaurants participated in the first Denver Restaurant Week. Customers didn’t know about it the first year, and Gruitch said she and her business partner were unsure how their special restaurant week menu would sell.

Back in 2005, “people were Gruitch kind of into the chains,” she added. Restaurateurs in Denver were hopeful the event would bring in new customers.

Over the years, Gruitch said there has been a water-cooler effect with people talking about their experiences during Denver Restaurant Week. Each year, the event has grown, she said. Restaurant owners said they have seen repeat customers come in after the event.

“Word of mouth is so important, and we wanted to get people talking about dining out,” Scharf said. “If your locals do not believe your brand, visitors will not either.”

SEE RESTAURANT, P27

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Life On Capitol Hill 19

com

ing

soo

n!

April 2019

TLC Fashion Director Monte Durham, right, takes a selfie with a Denver Public Schools student. The television show “Say Yes to the Prom” came to Denver and gave hundreds of students clothes for prom.

COURTESY OF DISCOVERY EDUCATION

School selection sees record participation Students from DPS receive fashion makeovers for prom Staff Report DPS sees record participation in SchoolChoice Last month the district estimated that staff sent out more than 27,000 emails and text to families letting them know which schools their students made it into after the first round of SchoolChoice ended.

SchoolChoice selection at Denver Public Schools closed on Feb. 20. SchoolChoice allows families to select their top schools from anywhere in the district. The goal of SchoolChoice is to level the playing field by giving all DPS students access to a quality education, regardless of their address or socio-economic background, said a release from the district.

This year, DPS shifted the first round of SchoolChoice earlier by one month in order to give out results to parents sooner. The district also opened a walk-in enrollment center this year.

Round two of SchoolChoice will open on April 3, and will allow new families to participate, as well as families that did not participate in round one. Families who have already received their top three matches from the first round of SchoolChoice can re-explore their options during the second round, the release said.

For more information on SchoolChoice, go to http://schoolchoice.dpsk12.org/.

TLC television show helps students with prom clothes On March 19, nearly 250 students from DPS schools received prom make overs from the TLC television show “Say Yes to the Prom.” The network selected five cities this year for the opportunity, including Denver.

The show aims to help deserving students with outfits and makeovers for the prom, said a release from the district. The event also works to go beyond the dress and tuxedo to build selfconfidence and prepare students for college and careers by featuring scholarship, internship and mentorship opportunities.

The Cable Center at the University of Denver, 2000 Buchtel Blvd. South was filled with selections of tuxedos and dresses for students on March 19.

Monte Durham, TLC’s fashion director, had oneon-one styling sessions with students.

DPS releases Superintendent Entry Plan DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova released her entry plan at the end of February, shortly after the teachers’ strike ended. The plan outlines her goals and next steps as the head of Denver’s school district.

“In this entry plan as superintendent, my goal is to create a foundation upon which we can build a stronger future — for our community, for our DPS team members and, most importantly, for our students,” Cordova wrote in the plan. “My vision is that every single one of our students thrives — not by accident, but by design.”

Cordova will release a summary report before the start of the 2019-2020 school year. To learn more about the entry plan, go to https://www. dpsk12.org/wp-content/uploads/SusanaCordova_EntryPlan.pdf.

Sandy Cameron APRIL

M AY

APR 4 THU 7:30

MAY 2-3 THU-FRI 7:30

Christopher Dragon, conductor Tracksuit Wedding

Arnie Roth, conductor Colorado Symphony Chorus

Colorado Symphony Ball

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta para la Familia

APR 6 SAT 6:00

MAY 5 SUN 2:30

Fillmore Auditorium

Christopher Dragon, conductor Presented in collaboration with the Mexican Cultural Center

Women of Rock

Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY

Brahms Symphony No. 4 APR 12-14 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00

HalfNotes

HalfNotes

■

Brett Mitchell, conductor Peter Cooper, oboe

Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture & Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky

Brett Mitchell, conductor Conrad Tao, piano

MAY 10-12 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

APR 26-28 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Rossen Milanov, conductor Avery Amereau, mezzo-soprano Colorado Symphony Chorus, Duain Wolfe, director

Danny Elfman Violin Concerto featuring Sandy Cameron MAY 17-19 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Christopher Dragon, conductor Sandy Cameron, violin

Carmina Burana Conducted by Brett Mitchell MAY 24-26 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Brett Mitchell, conductor Colorado Symphony Chorus, Duain Wolfe, director Colorado Children’s Chorale, Deborah DeSantis, artistic director

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

also supported by

COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG

20 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Hickenlooper enters presidential race

F

ormer Colorado governor John Hickenlooper made a stop in Denver last month to launch his presidential campaign. The rally at Civic Center park included speeches from Colorado politicians including current Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and former mayor Wellington Webb. The event on March 7 started with a performance by Denver artist SuCh, followed by speeches. Hickenlooper took the stage and spoke about many of his successes in Colorado. After Hickenlooper finished his speech, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats finished the rallly with a short musical set.

Former Colorado governor, John Hickenlooper, launched his presidential campaign at Civic Center park in Denver on March 7. Hickenlooper spoke about Colorado’s economic success, as well as bills he helped pass as governor during his speech.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

Nathaniel Rateliff plays “I Need Never Get Old” during a set at Civic Center park. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats played three songs to wrap up John Hickenlooper’s presidential campaign launch. The band is based in Denver.

SuCh, a Denver soul singer, performs at the campaign launch for John Hickenlooper. SuCh opened the event, singing songs about love and unity onstage at Civic Center.

Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb spoke about the power of community at the presidential campaign launch for John Hickenlooper. Webb called Hickenlooper the most qualified person to run for president in the history of the United States.

Why should young people learn personal finance skills? tor of Communications for JA. “We know from research that individuals who received personal finance education as a student are more likely to have stronger credit scores and are more likely to set life goals and take ownership of their economic success.”

“Financial education must be introduced early in childhood and reinforced throughout one’s life,” said Cassen loans, taxes, and more. As they begin to LaBounty, Managing Director and Head of Direct Conwork, many are not investing, which can tact Center at TIAA “We are thrilled to work with JA to hinder their life goals. Meanwhile, credit help our community’s youth begin to build the financial card debt in the United States is currently knowledge they need – knowledge that will serve as a at its highest point ever. As technology foundation of success for years to come.” Hundreds of has made it easier than ever before to purTIAA employees volunteer in JA classrooms throughout chase goods and services instantly and onthe year. demand, it’s crucial we set our kids up for This month, for Financial Literacy Awareness month, success.

Junior Achievement and TIAA are encouraging commuThrough a network of corporate and com- nity members to show their support for improving finanmunity volunteers, Junior Achievement Employees from TIAA volunteering for Junior Achievement at cial knowledge for our community’s kids by taking a delivers hands-on, experiential learning in pledge for student success. Individuals can quickly subSwansea Elementary in Denver.

K-12 classrooms that foster financial literacy mit their pledge at www.jacolorado.org/take-thepledge. skills, as well as entrepreneurial and career readiness Imagine knowing back in high school what you know skills. This year, Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain now about money, budgeting, and investing. How much (JA) will serve 118,000 students in Colorado and Wyobetter off would you be as you transitioned into adultming. hood?

“We want to inspire and prepare our community’s Too many students are graduating high school without young people to succeed,” said Chris Silberman, Direcan understanding of credit cards, budgeting, student

Take the Pledge for Student

SUCCESS

jacolorado.org/take-the-pledge

April 2019

Things to Do

Life On Capitol Hill 21

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, April 18.

EVENTS Veterans Free Monthly Non-Narcotic Care Pop Up Clinic 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 6 Healing Warriors Program (HWP) offers free non-narcotic clinic therapy for pain and PTS on the 2nd Saturday of the month in Denver at VFW Post 1 for all service members and spouse/ partner/parent. Therapies include Acupuncture, CranioSacral Therapy and Healing Touch Therapy. Please bring proof of military service, i.e. DD214 or military ID. VFW Post 1, 841 Santa Fe Dr. healingwarriorsprogram.org Colorado Women: Golda Meir, Choices & Chances 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6 In this performance by Helen M. Trencher, you’ll have a rare opportunity to “meet” the soonto-be former Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Golda Meir, as she reflects on the early years of her storied career, 1914 to 1948.

Members $12, Nonmembers $15, Children $12 303- 620-4933 Center for Colorado Women’s History at Byers-Evans House 1310 Bannock St. historycolorado.org

Box City 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 13 Calling all kids in grades K–5!

Start with a building permit, draft a sketch in the design studio, stop at the hardware store for cardboard and paper, then head to the construction zone. An urban planner will help you find the right site. You’ll get a certificate of occupancy with a photo of you and your building.

Preregistration is required.

303-HISTORY History Colorado 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org

Intro to Beekeeping Noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 11 Learn about how honeybees live, discuss different hive designs, and how you can get started as a beekeeper. Free, registration required. One registration includes participant and their care provider. $41, $36 member 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org

Victorian Garden Tea 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13 Spring has officially sprung, and we want to celebrate with a Victorian Garden Tea! We’ll start with a tour of the periodrestored home of the Byers and Evans families, then we’ll gather in the spring-themed tea room while enjoying a three-course tea with fresh fruit, scones, and muffins.

Members $20, Nonmembers $25, Children $20 303- 620-4933 Center for Colorado Women’s History at Byers-Evans House 1310 Bannock St. historycolorado.org

Trauma Responsive Care Training 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 12 Learn about Adverse Childhood, Experiences (ACEs) and brain/ body adaptations to trauma. You will need to login or create an account, and click on “Learning Experiences” to find the course.

CoBank Leadership Center, Busse Board Room, 711 Park Ave. West coloradocsti.org.

Stories on Stage presents “Strange Interludes” 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13 Diana Dresser, Matthew Schneck and Allison Watrous entertain with stories of odd, surprising and questionable romance.

Single tickets are $15-$28 303-494-0523.

Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center 721 Santa Fe Dr. storiesonstage.org

Foxy and Shmoxy: Art Detectives 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 14 To find the foxes, visit level 1, pick up a letter from the Fox Box, and then follow the riddles into the galleries.

Free with general admission; youth 18 and younger free. No reservations required.

720-865-5000 Denver Art Museum 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. denverartmuseum.org Paints, beads, Quills and Gratitude with artist Dyani White Hawk 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 15 Dyani White Hawk incorporates the practices of painting, beadwork, and porcupine quillwork, creating works that are tied to and build upon the histories and intersections of modern abstraction and Lakota art forms.

720-865-5000 Denver Art Museum 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. denverartmuseum.org Tiny Library Concert Featuring Freddie Gowdy & Chris Daniels 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 Join us for a very special Tiny Library Concert season finale, featuring Chris Daniels’ Better Days Project with Freddie Gowdy.

Members $10, Non-members $13 303-HISTORY History Colorado 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org

Café Botanique 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 17 Café Botanique is a lecture series associated with the School of Botanical Art & Illustration and is open to Botanical Art and Illustration students, Gardens’ members, the general public, academia and artists. The 30-40 minute talk is followed by a discussion. The April topic is “Rethinking Roadsides: Exploring Right-of-Way as Habitat” with Haley Stratton, environmental scientist, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, Denver.

720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org The Cook’s Herb Garden Workshop and Dinner 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 Learn about growing, harvesting and culinary uses of seven of the most popular culinary herbs including marjoram, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives and basil. $54, $49 member 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org The Science Lounge: Dragons 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 18 Embark on a fantastic adventure in search of dragons! Gather knowledge about dragon myths in different cultures, and paint your own dragon egg. Whether you’re a dungeon master or the mother

of dragons, you’ll get fired up about this mythical creature.

Ages 21+ $13 member, $15 nonmember. Cash bar 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org LEGO Building Workshop 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20 Build (and keep!) your own Colorado-style LEGO® set, then take a special guided museum tour based on your creation. The kit includes a colorful airshow jet plane toy plus a pilot minifigure. The set will take about 30 minutes to build and is best for ages 5-12.

Cost is $35 (members pay $30) and includes one adult and one child museum admission as well as the LEGOs and instructions in the kit.

303-HISTORY History Colorado 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org Bumblebee Jamboree 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 20 This unique, indoor musical experience is perfect for children ages 0-8 and their parents.

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. The April performer is Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta. $13 adult, $11 member adult, $8 child, $6 member child, Free for children 2 and younger 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P24

22 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Holy Week/Easter Worship Palm Sunday - April 14 8 a.m. • 10:30 a.m.

Breakfast 8–10 a.m.

Maundy Thursday - April 18 11 a.m. • 7 p.m.

Good Friday - April 19 Noon • 7 p.m.

Easter Sunday - April 21 8 a.m. • 9:30 a.m. • 11 a.m.

Easter Egg Hunt 10:35 a.m.

5000 E Alameda Ave | Denver CO 80246 303-388-4678 | www.augustanadenver.org

Episcopal Church of the Holy Redeemer Our Schedule for Holy Week: Palm Sunday, April 14—10am Maundy Thursday, April 18— 7pm Good Friday Services, April 19—Noon & 7pm Easter Sunday, April 21—10am. Service is followed by an Easter Egg hunt for children and brunch for all!

All are welcome! Please join us!

2552 Williams Street Denver, CO 80205 holyredeemerdenver.org

Catholics and Lutherans Bethany Lutheran Church

H O LY W E E K & E A S T E R 4500 E HAMPDEN AVE | 303.758.2820

WWW.BETHANY-DENVER.ORG

Together

Welcome You to

Holy Week APRIL 18

Maundy Thursday – 7 pm PALM SUNDAY SUNDAY, APRIL 14 8:15 & 10:30 AM

APRIL 19

Good Friday – 7 pm APRIL 20

Vigil of Easter – 8 pm

MAUNDY THURSDAY THURSDAY, APRIL 18 Noon & 7:00 PM

APRIL 21

Easter Sunday – 10:30 am

GOOD FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Noon & 7:00 PM EARLY EASTER SATURDAY, APRIL 20 4 PM Easter Egg Hunt 5 PM Full Easter Worship

St. Paul

EASTER SUNDAY SUNDAY, APRIL 21 6:15 AM Sunrise Service 7:45, 9:15, 10:45 AM Worship

Lutheran & Catholic Community of Faith 16th and Grant, Denver

303.839.1432 | saintpauldenver.com

Life On Capitol Hill 23

April 2019 Celebrate the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection at

St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church DENVER’S JESUIT PARISH

Come Join Us For Holy Thursday, April 18, Mass at 7 pm Good Friday, April 19, Stations of the Cross at 6 pm; Liturgy at 7 pm Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 20, Mass at 8:15 pm Easter Sunday, April 21, Mass at 7:30 am Easter Sunday, April 21, Mass at 10:00 am

A warm, diverse community at the northwest corner of City Park

2301 York Street, Denver, CO | York Street and 23rd Avenue 303.322.8042

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE Holy 4/18 7:00 pm Good Friday 4/19 7:00 pm Easter Vigil 4/20 8:00 pm 2626 E. 7th Ave. Pkwy.

(303) 322-7706

Holy Week & Easter Schedule: Palm/Passion Sunday

April 14th • 7:45 and 9:30 AM

Easter Sunday 4/21 6:45 am 8:30 am 10:15 am Noon 5:00 pm

Come Join us for...

Maundy Thursday Eucharist with Foot Washing April 18th • 7:00 PM

Good Friday Liturgy April 19th • 7:00 PM

The Great Vigil of Easter April 20th • 7:00 PM

Easter Sunday Services

Easter Sunday

April 21st

April 21st • 7:45 and 9:30 AM (Easter Brunch between services)

St. Barnabas Episcopal Parish 1280 Vine Street Denver, CO 80206 (303) 388-6469

8:30AM in the Wasser Chapel 11:00AM in the Main Sanctuary

UNIVERSITY PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2180 S. UNIVERSITY BLVD. • 303-722-5736 www.uparkumc.org

24 Life On Capitol Hill

Things to Do FROM PAGE 21

A Walk Through Thyme Tour 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21 From common household herbs to grasses and favorite garden bulbs, plants are central to our lives and this is an opportunity to let them walk you through history. This is a onehour tour led by docents. $14, $12 member, $10 student 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org Climate Change: Science and Solutions 7 p.m. Monday, April 22 Denver7 Meteorologist Mike Nelson will moderate a discussion among top experts in fields related to climate change, energy technology, and policy as they address the science behind the issue and solutions for the future. $8 member, $10 nonmember 303-370-6000 Phipps Theater Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org

April 2019 Diversify Your Funding: The People and The Approaches 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 23 Join us for a panel discussion about how to diversify your revenue strategies and partners.

Free for Colorado Nonprofit Association members | $65 general Cleo Parker Robinson Dance 119 Park Ave West coloradononprofits.org

Teen Lounge: Our Senses 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 26 Teens take over the Museum at this totally free, uniquely teen night. Overwhelm your senses as we feature our new temporary exhibit Our Senses. Chill with friends, move to the music, and eat free snacks after hours!

303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org

Tibetan Singing Bowls Concert 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 23-24 Yoga instructor and sound healer Chris Anne Coviello and her husband, Jason Coviello, perform together in this warming winter concert. The concert begins with the Hang Drum, a rare steel drum that is tuned to notes that vibrationally correspond to the heart chakra. Jason and Chris Anne then play the Tibetan singing bowls. Since the body is made up of mostly water, the vibrational effect of the Tibetan singing bowls feels like a full body cellular massage. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat or blanket. $18, $15 member 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org

Release party for “Get Down to the Brass Tracks” Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26 After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign and a few studio sessions at Colorado’s premiere studios, Mighty Fine Productions, Tivoli Club Brass Band is ready to rock, and pulling out all the stops for an unforgettable album release party experience.

Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 day of show 26 LFX Filmworks, 1701 31st St. bit.ly/TCBBReleaseParty.

Historical Craft Society: Stamp Making 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27 Discover creative methods of stamping your way into spring with the Historical Craft Society. Making impressions on wax seals with brass stamps and using various materials to create impressed designs both pre-date the rubber stamps of the 19th century. In our workshop you’ll practice multiple ways to stamp designs and put a final design onto a tote bag!

Members $8, Nonmembers $10, Children $8 303- 620-4933 Center for Colorado Women’s History at Byers-Evans House 1310 Bannock St. historycolorado.org Ovation West Performing Arts presents “Singing Peace” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27 “Singing Peace” focuses on bringing peace and compassion to the world through the power of choral singing.

Tickets are $30 Adults; $26 seniors (62+), $20 Youth (18 and under), $25 groups of 10 or more 303-674-4002 Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 S. Colorado Blvd. ovationwest.org.

René Heredia and his Flamenco Fantasy Dance Theatre 8 to 10 p.m Saturday, April 27 Maestro René Heredia, “world-renowned virtuoso” (Denver Post) and “Denver’s living flamenco legend” (KUVO radio), will present one of the finest flamenco shows of Gypsy music and dance featuring his Flamenco Fantasy Dance Theatre.

Tickets: $25-$27 Swallow Hill Music, Daniels Hall, 71 E. Yale Ave. reneheredia.com/evening-gypsy-flamenco/ 18th Annual Día del Niño Celebration 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 28 The Denver Art Museum (DAM) will host a Día del Niño (Day of the Child) celebration in the Golden Triangle Creative District on Sunday, April 28, with free general admission for all, bilingual activities, hands-on artmaking and performances.

720-865-5000 Denver Art Museum 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. denverartmuseum.org

Comedy with Roger Mondays 10 p.m.

303-320-9200 Lion’s Lair, 2022 E. Colfax Ave. lionslairco.com/events Baker Historic Neighborhood Association General Meeting 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month.

As always, we will hear from our Community Resource Officer from Denver Police and learn about different items impacting Baker. Come a little early to socialize and meet some fellow Bakerties.

Hirschfeld Tower, 333 W. Ellsworth Ave. bakerneighborhood.org

East Evans Business Association Meeting Meets every 4th Tuesday This meeting provides a great opportunity for local businesses to meet, network and raise awareness of what’s happening on the East Evans corridor.

303-671-6639 Panorama Building, 2055 S. Oneida St. Chamberlin Observatory Public Night Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 p.m.

All public nights start with an informative, multi-media astronomy presentation.

Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for kids and is payable online via PayPal. Reservations are recommended, as nights sell out.

Times vary by season.

Observatory Park 2930 E. Warren Ave. denverastro.org/das/public-nights Why Not Wednesday Wednesdays 4 p.m.

We open wines that most stores wouldn’t dare to open. Whether it’s grand cru champagne, cult cabernet or an amazing bottle of Amarone. Find out what the wine of the week is on our website!

303-282-5103 Pearl Wine Company, 1886 S. Pearl St. pearlwinecompany.com Friends and Neighbors (FANS) of Washington Park 6 p.m., second Wednesday of each month Meetings typically include a brief overview of the latest park news and often feature a guest speaker. Check out the website for the topic of the month.

Washington Park Dos Chappell Bath House, 600 S. Marion Parkway fanswashingtonpark.org Denver GOP First Friday Breakfast First Friday of the month 7 a.m.

Great speakers and conservative camaraderie. This months speakers are former Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams and Denver Clerk & Recorder. Please RSVP and order breakfast to support Pete’s.

303-782-9555 Pete’s Greek Town Cafe 2910 E. Colfax Ave. www.denvergop.org House District 2 Democratic Party Meeting Third Saturday of the month Monthly meeting covering business/topics at hand.

303-830-8242 Washington Street Community Center, 809 S. Washington St. www.denverdemocrats.org

Life On Capitol Hill 25

April 2019

Vote No on 300 Unsafe. Ineffective. Unworthy of our City.

We love Denver and want our city to be a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, but allowing people to camp in parks and sleep on sidewalks isn’t safe, healthy or helpful for people experiencing homelessness or the community.

Initiative 300 will be on your Denver ballot this May: • Allows people to occupy all outdoor public places, including parks and sidewalks, indefinitely.

• Prohibits Denver from enforcing essential laws that protect public safety.

• Fails to provide meaningful support to people experiencing homelessness today or address causes of homelessness.

Homelessness is a challenge for our community, but Initiative 300 is not the answer.

“First responders – firefighters, paramedics – need to know where they’re going and what they’re walking into.

I’m worried that Initiative 300 would put our first responders in danger and spread even more thin the already limited resources that Denver Fire and other city agencies have to protect the public’s safety and health.”

– Larry Trujillo, Denver Fire Chief, (retired)

3 Things You Can Do: Learn more & get involved: TogetherDenver.com Connect with us on social media: Facebook.com/TogetherDenver Twitter.com/TogetherDenver Vote No on 300 on your Denver ballot

Election Day is May 7. Ballots will be mailed April 15. Vote No on 300.

Take action today: TogetherDenver.com Paid for by Together Denver

26 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

By Kailyn Lamb

Meet your neighbor:

klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Meet your neighbor spotlights interesting people and projects outside of the traditional Life on Capitol Hill coverage area that caught our attention. If you have suggestions email Kailyn Lamb at klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Catherine Jaffee

T

Bringing podcast creation to people throughout Denver

Catherine Jaffee in one of the studios at House of Pod in Five Points. House of Pod helps to train people on how to create podcasts and tell their own stories.

KAILYN LAMB

hroughout her career in audio production, Catherine Jaffee has come to think of herself as a professional listener. At any given time, she estimated she’s listening to more than 180 different podcasts of a wide variety, soaking in the medium and its versatility in storytelling.

While she started her career by telling the stories of others, Jaffee has now taken a step back to let people speak for themselves.

“I always thought it was really unfair, actually,” she said about tellling other people’s stories. “We have these systems where there’s a storyteller and then there’s someone who’s actually telling the story, and we just start harvesting those things and the rewards don’t really come back to that person.”

Jaffee opened House of Pod at 2565 Curtis St. in the Five Points neighborhood in 2018.

The goal of House of Pod is to teach people not only how to produce a podcast, but also how to tell an impactful story. By giving people access to an easy medium like podcasts, as well as access to quality equipment, more minority populations will be able to share their stories, Jaffee said.

“I saw the need to extend this to other communities that could use this space to level the playing field a little bit more,” she said. “We all need to listen better — and they’re not voiceless.”

Since opening House of Pod, Jaffee has brought in two full-time staff members, who also produce their own podcast shows. People can buy memberships to House of Pod, which gives them access to studio space for $100 a month for individuals, $500 a month for

companies of more than five people. People can also rent space on a drop-in basis for $60 an hour for the first session, and then $1 per minute after that.

Producers have come in from around the country to do one-month consultations with House of Pod, Jaffee said. Many users come in for a short period of time to produce a show. Jaffee estimated that between 15 and 35 of members are people who come in frequently to produce recurring shows.

“They’re pillars of our community. We’re rooting for them,” Jaffee said. “We’re really trying to make sure that their shows take off because it benefits all of us.”

Several podcasts have already come out of the business. Members are producing regular podcasts such as Parental, about Fatherhood; Podcasts in Color, which talks about shows produced by people of color; Singleing, a show about dating; and more.

In addition to production studios, House of Pod offers free beginners classes on creating podcasts. House of Pod helped one student create an oral history of the Five Points neighborhood. For those looking to get a more in-depth grasp of the medium, House of Pod offers more advanced classes for a fee.

House of Pod is also working with schools in Denver, such as Manual High School and Denver School of the Arts, to teach young people how to produce their own podcasts.

This year, Jaffee said the business will start producing more of its own shows. House of Pod runs two branded shows currently. One is the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on anthropology called Homosapiens.org. The other, Mile High Hustle, is done with the city of Denver.

Those branded shows help to bring in revenue to the business. While membership and studio fees also generate revenue, Jaffee said it has been an interesting challenge to find a ways to fund House of Pod. Since podcasts are a trendy medium right now, Jaffee said it’s helped to drive up interest in the studio.

“I’m excited to solve that problem and make it sustainable for us,” she said. “There’s a lot of hope on the horizon, but also the hardships are real.”

LIFE ON CAPITOL HILL

SERVICE DIRECTORY Farm Products & Produce

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Life On Capitol Hill 27

April 2019

SAFE SPACE Teens’ creativity in PRODUCES ‘REALLY soars nonprofit’s art FANTASTIC ART’ studio class

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

fter setting up tables for class, teenagers come to collect paints, markers, paper or brushes for their individual projects. Often, they stop to chat with Karl Poulson, an art teacher who has been teaching the Teen Studio at the Art Students League of Denver since 2011.

The students are relaxed, and that’s how Poulson, 29, likes to run the class. Instead of lecturing on different art forms, he is here more as someone to talk to if students need advice or guidance. The informal environment encourages students to open up, not just with their art, Poulson said, but as individuals free to talk about whatever they want.

“You’re able to find new materials you’ve never used before, you’re able to try something that you can totally fail at because you’re safe to,” Poulson said. “That’s what I crave so much as a young artist myself. The ability to be good at failure is something that’s really powerful.”

The Art Students League of Denver, 200 Grant St., is a nonprofit that offers a wide range of art classes for children, teens and adults.

Restaurant FROM PAGE 18

Jacqualine Bonanno from Bonanno Concepts said their flagship restauran Mizuna was the first restaurant to sign up for Denver Restaurant Week 15 years ago. She said that while restaurant week customers may not be the best target audience to convert into repeat diners, they do spread the word. Bonanno restaurants like Mizuna, a French restaurant, now use the strategy of bringing well-loved and simple foods to the table during restaurant week.

But Fridays are reserved for teen classes, said Leticia Salinas, program director at the ASLD. Teens may feel nervous or intimidated in adult art classes, and often spend more time helping younger kids in classes geared toward youth. Giving teens their own set time creates a safe space for creation, Salinas said.

Teen Studio is offered on Friday nights from 6-9 p.m. for teens ages 14-17. In January, the ASLD received a $10,000 grant from the Harvey Family Foundation for the Teen Studio. Before the grant, the nonprofit offered drop-in rates for the Friday class at $15. The Harvey Family grant enabled the ASLD to subsidize the cost, dropping the rate to $10. Scholarships are also available. The goal is to eventually make the class free for everyone, Salinas said.

The program has grown since Rachel Bayse, executive director of ASLD, first decided to offer Teen Studio. On peak days, 30 to 35 teens drop in for the program. Overall, the program serves about 900 teens from across the Front Range, Salinas said.

“It’s really thinking about how do we provide teens with quality art training, portfolio-building

opportunities and really looking at what are those art classes that can go beyond what their school is offering,” Salinas said.

Theo Zender has been coming to the class for 3 1/2 years along with Tabitha Peña. The pair used to attend the same school, but after Zender transferred, going to the art class together allowed the friends to stay close.

For Zender, Poulson is part of what makes the class so special. “I wouldn’t be half the person I am without meeting Karl,” Zender said.

Both Zender and Peña agreed they look forward to the art class at the end of the week. The class also allowed them to experiment with new materials they wouldn’t have at home, Zender said.

“It’s a very supportive community,” Zender said. “This was such a good place for me to find myself in that and find my artistic self.”

“Having other people to talk to with new opinions and new ideas is really nice,” Peña added.

Poulson is a professional artist who works under the name Karl Orion. He grew up in Denver and attended classes at the ASLD starting at the age of 9. He then attended Denver School of the Arts and

“We aim for the simplest of our fares—food that everyone loves—and we try to do it in abundance for a true value. Heaping bowls of fresh pasta, a grilled ribeye with garlic butter, fresh halibut,” Bonanno said. “Our experience is that the service needs to be brisk, and the food can’t be too fancy or complicated. If there’s a dish that needs to be explained, it’s the wrong dish for Restaurant Week.”

Miranda McFarlan, general manager at Tamayo, a Mexican restaurant on Larimer Street, said she has some customers that specifically come every year for Denver Restaurant Week. Other customers became regulars after visiting for the first time during the event.

At first, Denver Restaurant Week used the $52.80 model, which let diners have multiple courses from the participating location of their choice.

Over the years, Visit Denver also added a summer event. More recently, the event has changed to the scaling price point. McFarlen said this model works well for restaurants.

It also allows more restaurants to participate in the event, said Josh Wolkon, owner of Secret Sauce Food and Beverage, which includes the Vesta, Ace Eat Serve, Stuebens restaurants.

Although $52.80 for a meal was a fun marketing concept, some of the more casual restaurants such as Ace Eat Serve and Stuebens didn’t have

Theo Zander paints a project during the Teen Studio class at the Art Students League of Denver. Zender has been attending the Teen Studio for the last 3 1/2 years and said part of the draw is the ability to experiment with new materials. COURTESY OF ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF DENVER the Art Institute of Chicago. As a working artist, Poulson hopes that students can use him as a resource in their own creative ventures. But he said he also learns from the teens.

Hearing students talk about topics as wide-ranging as global politics, sexual orientation and technology, Poulson said his students are in the know of what’s going on in society.

“Some of the smartest people I’ve ever met are in this class,” he said.

“Change is happening — I get to have a front row seat to it.”

A year and a half ago, Ashley “Z” Farrell began teaching the class along with Poulson. Ferrell helps

students with more sculptural projects and 3D art. Poulson said that Ferrell has helped expand the class into more mixed media.

For Ferrell, joining the class has meant helping students expand their knowledge of art outside the two-dimensional space. But after working with Poulson and the students, she said she also witnesses the students creating their own community and safe space. It’s one of her favorite parts of the class.

“I enjoy helping them be more emotionally stable as teens,” she said.

“With the safe space comes really fantastic art.”

the menu options at that cost, Wolkon said. At the $35 level, Steubens is able to participate by offering a threecourse meal consisting clam chowder, a lobster roll and dessert. The lobster roll alone costs $28 at Steubens.

Restaurant week helped to change the landscape in Denver’s restaurant scene, Wolkon said. Dessert is a hard sell for customers on a typical night, with only 25 to 30 percent of people buying it, Wolkon said. But during restaurant week it usually comes with the meal. His pastry chefs churn out a lot more product during restaurant week, he said, adding “It’s important, because that’s their last bite.”

The event also generates customers

during a traditionally low period of the year. Wolkon’s restaurant Vesta, which offers a seasonally based menu with fresh ingredients, is usually sold out during restaurant week.

“It’s just a great way to boost energy for staff and the room,” he said.

McFarlen added that restaurant week is fun for people working in the industry as well. Every year, she is excited to see what special menu items the chefs at Tamayo come up with for the event.

It’s also a reminder of how many places there are to eat around the city, she said. “It’s a fun way to get out and remind yourself of all the restaurants that have been around.”

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28 Life On Capitol Hill

April 2019

Many veterans ‘Still Coming Home’ Writing workshop leads to book of veterans’ stories

By Casey Van Divier caseyvandivier@yahoo.com

When a dozen or so Denver veterans joined a writing workshop in 2017, they had no idea they would be reading their work to hundreds of community members just a year later — and that they would be published, too.

In August 2018, the Denver Veterans Writing Workshop published 13 participants’ work in the workshop’s first anthology, “Still Coming Home.” All contributors were regular participants in the workshop, started by author and veteran Jason Arment in 2015 after finding there were no consistent writing workshops for veterans in Denver.

Arment quickly realized one of his biggest challenges would be spreading the word about the group.

“For people who want to get stuff started with veterans, it’s ridiculously hard to get the word out,” he said, adding that most organizations offering veteran services are extremely busy.

“All these places are maxed out as far as what they can do,” he said. “There’s no organization I can call to say `disseminate this information.’ ” Advertising fell to Arment, and he accepted

the challenge, putting thousands of flyers up around town.

He also reached out to other writers, as well as Colorado Humanities’ Center for the Book. The center supported the workshop, which regularly attracts 10 to 15 participants each month, as part of its mission to connect local veterans with the humanities.

“We asked veterans what we could help them change, and they confirmed that their difficulty was coming home,” said Colorado Humanities’ Josephine Jones, director of programs and Center for the Book. “And they said if people could hear their stories and know them as individuals, it would help.”

Colorado Humanities invited Arment to submit writers’ work to appear in an anthology, which the organization assisted in publishing.

One title, countless stories For many of the writers, the anthology was their first experience publishing work, just as the workshop was their first experience sharing their work with anyone.

“I’ve actually written poetry all my life.

I’ve just never shown it to anyone until then,” said veteran Michael McAndrew, who wrote several of the poems in the anthology.

“I guess if I had any goal, it was just to meet other veterans,” he said. “I wanted to hear what they had to say and say something myself.”

While most of the group members have served in the military, the workshop welcomes any local writers. One such writer, Crisosto Apache, simply wanted to be around

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other writers.

Apache has never served in the military; however, one of his favorite parts of the workshop is having the opportunity to hear from the veterans in his community.

“I’m so appreciative, because I’m sitting in a group people who have served in the military,” he said. “It’s nice to listen to their experiences.”

He particularly values his co-members’ military experience, as it often brings helpful insight into his work. His pieces — which are based on his experience as a Native American and member of the LGBTQ community — play a role in his effort to resolve his feelings about past events. This is something his fellow group members understand well, he said.

“Still Coming Home” includes essays, poetry and fiction. Each piece ties into the title of the book, which was decided upon by the contributors and the book’s editors, Arment, Steven Dunn and Bethany Strout.

The theme applies to each contributor’s work in different ways.

Luke Martinez, for example, is a veteran and genealogist whose work focuses on his ancestor who fought in the Civil War. He said he appreciates the way the title applies to his co-members’ modern day pieces as well as his historically based story.

“Even though we’re 150 years after the Civil War, people are still coming home,” he said. “People still continue to serve and come home after their service experience in all these different conflicts.”

For McAndrew, his writing is a way to understand the significance of key moments

TO LEARN MORE The Denver Veterans Writing Workshop meets at 3 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop, 1515 Race St., Denver.

Over the next few months, Colorado Humanities, which helped publish the workshop’s first anthology “Still Coming Home,” has planned various events at which veterans will read their work at locations throughout the Denver metro area. You can find a schedule at coloradohumanities.org.

You can also obtain a free copy of the book by emailing info@coloradohumanities.org or by attending one of the events.

For more information, go to coloradohumanities.org/content/veterans-writing. during his deployment — from a simple meal to the moment he saw a man throw his wedding ring into the ocean.

“It’s reflecting on what that moment meant to me then,” he said, “but also what it means to me now.”

For those who contributed to the first anthology, the workshop now represents an opportunity to continue growing in a craft they all enjoy.

“We’ve made some writers out of people who didn’t realize they were writers, and now they do,” Arment said. “And we’ve definitely pushed veteran issues forward in ways that just weren’t happening.”

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