Life On Capitol Hill 0919

Life On

September 2019 FREE

CAPITOL HILL

A ROYAL FAREWELL Longtime B&B owners sell property

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RIDE SAFE

Recent deaths spur safety push

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GOING, GOING, GOING! Denver’s big boom keeps booming

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CENTRAL UPGRADE

Downtown library set for renovation

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GOODBYE TOM’S

Favorite Colfax diner set to close

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2 Life On Capitol Hill

September 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, email Kailyn Lamb at klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

DEVELOPMENT Whole Foods BRR, an architecture firm, has filed papers with the city planning department to renovate and open the former Whole Foods location at 900 E. 11th Ave. as a grocery store and restaurant space. The papers feature the Whole Foods logo.

BRR is an architecture firm specializing in commercial spaces.

It is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The paperwork is in early stages and may change before approval by the city.

The grocery store chain closed the Capitol Hill location in November 2017. Since then, the building has sat vacant.

In early October last year, building owner Doug Antonoff spoke at a community meeting, telling attendees that Whole

Foods’ owner Amazon has a lease on the building for 13 years. At the time he was hopeful to bring the grocery store into conversations on how to redevelop the space for future use.

Modera Capitol Hill Milller Creek Residential opened its Modera Capitol Hill building project in mid-July.

The building features 197 units, including studios, one- and twobedroom and townhome units.

The building is located at 1200 Grant St. The building has luxury units, and has amenities such as a conference room, gym, social space, as well as a pool and spa.

BUSINESS OPENINGS American Grind Another restaurant from the Avanti Food and Beverage food hall has transitioned into its own brick-and-mortar business.

American Grind opened in the Speer neighborhood in late July.

The restaurant, located at 81 S. Pennsylvania St., serves freerange burgers. The new location also features new items such as

In this November file photo, the Modera project at 1200 Grant Street in Capitol Hill is under construction. Miller Creek Residential recently opened the building in July. FILE PHOTO chicken and pork sandwiches.

American Grind started as a food truck in 2014. It moved into the Avanti Food and Beverage food hall in 2017. The Avanti location closed shortly before the Pennsylvania one opened.

It sells ice cream from Ice Cream Alchemy in Boulder. The

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burger buns come from Rosenburg’s Bagels and Delicatessen.

West of Surrender Saloon & Kitchen A new restaurant is taking over the former Marlowe’s steakhouse space on the 16th Street Mall. West of Surrender Saloon

& Kitchen will have a Western theme. It will be located at 501 16th St. Mall.

“West of Surrender captures the spirit of America’s great migration west and an identity and attitude that lives to this day,” its website says. “It means: beyond giving up; too late to turn back; leaving failure behind; and chasing chance.”

The restaurant also listed hiring g events on the website that hap- A w pened in early August.

Marlowe’s closed in late December of last year. It had been open m in the space for 36 years. It was g part of Premiere Ventures, which a closed its other three restaurant b location last year as well: Para- t mount Cafe, Govn’rs Tavern and h b LaLa’s Wine Bar and Pizzeria.

M CLOSINGS Bella Vista Mexican RestaurantLounge Bella Vista Mexican RestaurantLounge has closed at 127 E. 20th Ave. The restaurant does not have a website listed online, and a Grubhub page says it is not taking orders at this time.

SEE BUSINESS, P3

Life On Capitol Hill 3

September 2019

Tom’s Diner heads for redevelopment In a surprise turn of events, residents withdraw historic application

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Tom Messina of Tom’s Diner has been granted non-historic status for his East Colfax Avenue property, allowing him to move forward with potential development plans.

Eleven days before Denver City Council members were to decide whether or not to give the restaurant property protected status as a historic landmark as had been requested by five city residents, the applicants withdrew their application on Aug. 15. The five residents had originally banded together to protect the building at 601 E. Colfax Ave. in May after Messina filed for non-historic status.

Business FROM PAGE 2

CHANGES Bruz Beers The Adams County brewery is coming to Colfax Avenue by

Tom Messina, owner of Tom’s Diner, has been working with Alberta Development on potential plans for the restaurant property. Those plans are one step closer to reality after the property was granted non-historic status in mid-August.

KAILYN LAMB “It is our firm belief that the future of the building is in good hands and think that interested parties can come to a conclusion as soon as possible,” the applicants said in a statement on Historic Denver’s website. “We hope that

the end of this year. Bruz Beers, which is focused on Belgian-style brews, opened its first location in 1685 W. 67th Ave. The brewery’s second location will open at 1495 York St. and is steps away from Colfax. The building is also home to Wax and Lash, a hair removal service, and Hot Mamas exercise studio.

new parties coming to the table can use creative strategies to include the preservation of the iconic Googie-style building in a development that enhances the Colfax corridor.”

Tom’s Diner was granted non-historic status

The second location will feature a two-story bar and back patio.

Colorado Gerontological Society In June, the Colorado Gerontological Society moved its offices to 1129 Pennsylvania St. in the Butters Mansion. The building is an old historic home.

on Aug. 16. The status is valid with the city for five years, although property owners can withdraw in that time. Messina has been working with Alberta Development. Messina stated during meetings on the historic designation that he planned to close the restaurant regardless of the final decision.

Messina did not respond to a request for comment from Life on Capitol Hill.

In a statement on its website, staff from Historic Denver wrote that the demolition ordinance allowed residents enough time to try to find a solution with Messina and Alberta.

The nonprofit, which focuses on preserving historic properties in the city, assisted the five residents with the application to make Tom’s Diner a historic landmark.

“The process has been successful as we’ve worked collaboratively to identify viable alternatives and shared a possible solution with the property owner and developer, Alberta Development,” the post reads. “Historic Denver will continue to urge those making decisions for the Diner to recognize the importance of this building and this place to Denver.”

The society offers services to senior adults such as Medicaid and Medicare, as well as health planning and literacy. It also acts as an advocate for older adults on the local, state and federal level.

Sotto Voce The new speakeasy opened in the basement of the Jovanina’s

Broken Italian restaurant space at 1520 Blake St. Jovanina’s opened in November of last year.

Sotto Voce is a sister-restaurant to Jovanina’s and opened in June.

The two restaurants share staff.

Sotto voce is a musical term directs people to use a quiet voice. It is derived from the Italian sottovoce.

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4 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

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Life On Capitol Hill 5

September 2019

Congress Park Pool to get a new look City seeks community input on new designs for ‘beloved’ facility

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

After several summers of quick fixes, city officials have started the community process to redesign the Congress Park Pool.

City officials held a public meeting on Aug. 12 to get community input from residents of the area.

Perkins and Will is the architecture firm working on the project, along with Counsilman Hunsaker Aquatics, a company specializing in pools, and Mundus Bishop, which will handle the landscape work around the pool space, which is located at 850 Josephine St. Staff from the city as well as the design team gave a quick presentation during the meeting, highlighting some of the different uses for outdoor pools, such as competitive training, recreation and swim lessons, as well as the growing use for wellness and therapy. The presentation also listed possible new amenities that could be added like a climbing wall or slides.

Rachel Griffin helps her daughters Emily and Kerry make comment cards for different amenities they are hoping for when the Congress Park pool is renovated. The city held a public meeting on the project in mid-August.

KAILYN LAMB Rachel Scarborough, a senior landscape architect with Mundus Bishop also said during the meeting that she encouraged people to give their opinions about the land around the pool.

“This is a beloved pool,” she said.

“We know the trees are cherished, the shade is cherished. This park really is the heart of the Congress Park community.”

Judy Lichtbach, a Park Hill

resident, pointed out during the meeting that the pool draws visitors from around the city, rather than just Congress Park residents.

It is the only 50-meter outdoor pool in Denver, and many people use it for exercise, she said.

Lichtbach also argued that several other pools in the city already have amenities, such as the climbing wall in the Carla Madison Recreation Center’s

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Similar repairs were made last pool. She is hopeful the city will summer as well as in years past. keep the pool at 50 meters. Many seniors, like herself, who can’t This fall, the city will also begin run anymore or do other forms on initial geotechnical work, Karof intense exercise, prefer to use vaski said. The ground surroundthe pool. ing the pool will be “This is it,” Lichexamined to see what tbach said, “there’s types of issues have FOR MORE nothing quite like happened overtime.

INFORMATION this.”

As of now, the city For more information on the is estimating that Cyndi Karvaksi, Congress Park Pool redesign, a spokesperson construction on for Denver Parks or to stay up to date on public the pool will meetings, go to https://www.den- begin sometime and Recreation, vergov.org/content/denvergov/ said in an email in 2021. en/denver-parks-and-recrethat the physical The pool is one ation/planning/park-facility- of the city’s oldest footprint of the projects.html. pool could possibly and was built in change depending on 1955. what people want. The Bond money approved pool is currently six lanes wide.

by Denver voters in 2017 will be Staff members from Perkins used for the project. Karvaski said and Will created a “build-a-pool” the pool received $8.3 million for sheet for the meeting, where peorenovation costs from the bond. ple could select different ameniShe added that the city will ties they wanted for the potential hold another meeting in October. new pool and could see estimated The time and location have not costs. The company said the form been determined yet. would also be available online.

“The design process will inThe pool almost didn’t open clude various means of gathering this summer, due to extensive community input to ensure the leaks and damages. Parks and Congress Park Pool remains a Recreation estimated it would special and valued asset for the cost $20,000 to fix. Former Disneighborhood,” Karvaski said. trict 10 Councilmember Wayne “Local neighborhood organizaNew gained approval from Mayor tions, schools, and community Michael B. Hancock to use disgroups are encouraged to be trict funds to pay for the repairs. involved.”

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6 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

Central Library to receive significant upgrades

The Central branch of the Denver Public Library is going to be renovated. The library is adding a Teen library and moving the Children’s library.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Teen library, cafe and bookstore among new additions in first renovation in 25 years

By Clarke Reader

T

Special to Life on Capitol Hill

here’s a whole lot to see and do in the downtown Denver area, but one of the hottest spots might come as a surprise – the Denver Public Library’s Central Library.

Located at 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, the library receives about 2,800 visitors daily. And for the first time in about 25 years, it’s going to receive a significant update.

“We will be creating a large programming space, to accommodate author talks, community meetings, focus groups and much, much more,” explained Rachel Fewell, library administrator at the Central Library.

“We’re excited to add an outdoor play space for children and families. We’ll be moving the children’s library and adding a new teen library.”

The majority of the renovations will be on the first floor, and will also include maintenance projects like new elevators and bathrooms.

Staff began studying the needs of the building in the summer of 2016, which led to the development of the 2017-2027 Facilities Plan, Fewell said.

In 2017, voters approved Measure 2E with about 70% in favor, which provides $38 million of the necessary $50 million for the project. The funds will come from the

taxpayer-funded Elevate Denver Bond. The additional funds needed will come from a capital campaign led by the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation.

“Libraries look different now than they did 25 years ago, and with the wear and tear and the evolution of libraries, the time is now,” Fewell added. “This summer, we hosted a couple of public meetings to gather feedback and ideas from the community. This feedback is being incorporated into the design.”

More than a library One of the things that makes the Central Library so important, according to Fewell, is that it is a focal point for literacy, learning and culture and welcomes people from all walks of life within. To that end, the library offers more than the typical services.

The fifth floor his home to the Western History and Genealogy department, one of the most significant collections of Western Americana in the country, according to Rachel Vagts, department manager.

“For more than 100 years, the library’s Western History and Genealogy Department has helped preserve materials telling the story of the American West,” she explained. “This important resource teaches others about the rich and diverse history of Colorado and the West and how it relates to their lives.”

SEE LIBRARY, P7

A young boy flips through a book in the Children’s Library of the Denver Public Library Central branch. Staff at the library are reaching out to the public now for input on the upcoming renovation to the building.

COURTESY DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY A library staff member helps a woman in the Western History and Genealogy department.

The department is located on the fifth floor and is one of the most significant collections of Western Americana in the country, according to library staff.

COURTESY DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

Life On Capitol Hill 7

September 2019

TIMELINE FOR THE CENTRAL LIBRARY UPDATE DESIGN TO BEGIN — MAY 2019

LISTEN (PUBLIC MEETINGS) — JULY 2019

SHARE — FALL 2019

REALIZE — SPRING 2020

CONSTRUCTION 2020-2024

To keep up to date on the project, visit website www. denverlibrary.org/elevate or the City & County of Denver’s Elevate Denver page at www. denvergov.org/elevatedenver.

Library FROM PAGE 6

The department is open for the same hours as the library and the general public is welcome to come and ask questions of researchers and work with genealogy staff to research and discover their own heritage.

“Our collection also includes books, magazines, archival collections and a fantastic collection of Western art,” Vagts said. “In addition, we have dozens of programs, lectures, workshops for customers to learn more about studying their family’s genealogy and ancestry.”

For something more modern, the location is one of five that hosts an ideaLab community makerspace. In the lab, customers can do everything from using 3D printers to sewing machines to create, or using software to make digital art, video games and more. There are even recording studios.

“We are very proud of the fact that we have developed an inclusive, equitable environment where everyone can experiment and learn through doing and find their creative outlet,” said Ashley Kazyaka, project coordinator of the Community Technology Center. “The purpose of the lab is to build community, learn through making, and enable everyone to succeed by having tools and technology available for anyone to use.”

The lab started as a teen-specific space, but became all ages in 2017. The idea is that anyone can be creative and learn something new when the technology is freely available.

“There are very few spaces where people can use tools or be creative for free, and even fewer that anyone can just walk in and start learning,” Kazyaka

A group plays a game of chess in the Central branch of the Denver Public Library. In the renovations happening at the library, new programming space will be added to accommodate events.

COURTESY DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY said. “Libraries have always been spaces where people can choose what they want to learn, and makerspaces are simply a form of hands-on learning.”

For those struggling in the here and now, the library is also home to a community resource team, which works with people experiencing challenges or are in need of resources. There are about four social workers and six peer navigators who work to connect clients with referrals to resources such as housing, mental health

support, substance use services, medical care and food resources.

“Large urban libraries, such as the Denver Public Library system, attract a diverse range of customers,” Fewell said. “Some of those customers, homeless or not, face adverse life challenges.

We strive to eliminate barriers to service for everyone.”

A timeline of change As this is the largest renovation to Central since the Michael Graves expansion in 1995, there

is still a lot to do to prepare for construction to begin. Staff are meeting weekly with the design team (made up of library staff, architects and a project manager from Denver Public Works) with the aim of hosting more public meetings this autumn to share designs and collect input.

Construction will begin in 2020 and is expected to last until around 2024, with the library remaining open as work gets underway.

Fewell is hopeful that the

renovations will create a more open and welcoming space for the library’s customers.

“With additional meeting spaces and areas where customers can work, either independently or in a group, individuals will feel more part of the community,” he said. “With the renovations to the children’s and teen areas, we will also create a more functioning, fun and inviting space for families. We envision that our new building will be a vital, vibrant community hub.”

History Colorado names new state historian William Wei is one of state’s top experts in Asian-American history Staff report William Wei, Ph.D., has taken over for Dr. Tom Noel as the state historian.

History Colorado made the announcement in mid-July, and Wei assumed the

position on Aug. 1, Colorado Day, according to a news release from the museum.

“We are all grateful for Dr. Noel’s accomplishments and his service as state historian this past term,” said Jason Hanson, History Colorado’s Chief Creative Officer and Director of Interpretation and Research.

“Throughout his 50 years of working with History Colorado, Dr. Noel has done so much to bring us all together for greater collaboration and deeper understanding about our history and culture.”

The position rotates annually “to create

better representation and reach for the state, to amplify different perspectives, and to reinforce the collaborative foundation of history and storytelling” as part of a fiveperson council, the release said. Last year the council helped put on more than 60 talks, lectures, events and programs.

Wei is a professor of history at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He joined the State Historian’s Council in 2018 when it first launched. Before that, he was a board member of History Colorado. He is recognized as one of Colorado’s foremost experts in Asian-

American history.

The council works across the state and in the West to expand knowledge of the area’s history, perspectives and culture. Councilmembers come from different education institutions around the state, and is facilitated

by History Colorado.

“I want to encourage council members to engage in more ‘applied history,’ translating their knowledge of the state’s history and culture into a form that everyday Coloradans can understand,” Wei said of his new role in the news release.

8 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

New organization hopes to fill in gaps Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill will cover four north central neighborhoods

FOR MORE INFOMATION For more information on Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill, visit their website at www.neighbors4caphill.com.

Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill is partnering with fellow Registered Neighborhood Organization, Uptown on the Hill, for an upcoming event to meet the newly elected city councilmembers Candi CdeBaca of District 9, and Chris Hinds of District 10. The event will be held on Oct. 2 at Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital in the Colorado Room, 1719 E. 19th Ave. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

After leaving Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods in April, a small group has formed their own neighborhood organization: Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill.

Caroline Schomp, the vice president for Neighbors of Greater Capitol Hill, said that she and her eight fellow board members are hoping to fill the gap of CHUN’s coverage.

“We had been feeling for some time that there was not enough focus on the matters that actually concern the neighbors,” she said.

“We thought this was a good way to fix that problem.”

Schomp added that Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill is hoping to have more neighborhood assemblies, in order to get as many voices heard on city or development projects as possible. “There hasn’t been much activity along those lines,” she said.

The new organization will cover Capitol Hill, Uptown, Cheesman Park and City Park West.

Schomp said that development in City Park West in particular has not been addressed as much as it should.

Travis Leiker, the president of the CHUN board, said the organization would continue working with other registered neighborhood

Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill recently launched as a new Registered Neighborhood Organization covering Capitol Hill, Uptown, City Park West and Cheesman Park. organizations (RNOs) whenever it made sense to. “We wish any RNO all the best in their endeavors,” he said.

CHUN is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and is refining its mission to have a greater focus on the future of the community, Leiker added.

The new mission means it is “doing things differently than what CHUN has done historically in the past,” he said. “That’s not to say that disagreements aren’t going to arise.”

Members of Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill wanted to concentrate on select areas because there are several other neighborhoods in north central Denver that already have robust neighborhood groups, such as Cherry Creek North and Alamo Placita, Schomp said. They also did not want to cover the same footprint as CHUN. “It just didn’t make any sense to us to try to replicate that,” she said.

CHUN covers from 22nd Avenue to First Avenue and from Colorado Boulevard to Broadway. This includes 10 different neighbor-

hoods. Each neighborhood has a number of representatives on the CHUN board. For more information go to www.chundenver.org.

For now, Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill has two committees: historic preservation, which will be headed by former CHUN member and founder Michael Henry. There will also be a committee on zoning, land-use, transportation and licensing.

“Recent actions and priorities by the leadership and the board of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods are very different from those of the neighborhood-serving organization that I worked with and loved for 48 years,” Henry said in an email on his transition to the new organization.

Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill filed its paperwork with the city in July. The zoning committee is meeting every other month, while historic preservation will meet monthly.

City rules state that new registered neighborhood organizations must apply to the city in January or July. Although a lot of specific details, such as membership dues and when the general board meeting will be held, have yet to be sorted out, Schomp and her fellow board members felt that they did not wish to wait.

While Schomp said there has been a little confusion about the two different neighborhood groups, she hopes that residents will see Neighbors of Greater Capitol Hill as a positive force trying to improve those four neighborhoods. Neighborhood organization are still relevant, she added.

“The city needs to have the citizen’s voice, coming from the citizen’s point of view and not from what the city wants,” Schomp said. “We provide a check on the city.”

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Life On Capitol Hill 9

September 2019

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10 Life On Capitol Hill

LOCAL

September 2019

VOICES

Embracing your inner crazy plant lady FROM THE EDITOR

Kailyn Lamb

T

here are few things that I am prouder of right now than my backyard garden.

I decided to leave Capitol Hill last summer for my current house in Englewood simply because it has a yard. Although my garden level apartment off of East 13th Avenue had beautiful windows and plenty of places for plants, it just wasn’t the same. I wanted to dig in the dirt and grow vegetables.

I moved too late last year to really take advantage of planting season. Instead, I spent months cleaning out the raised beds. Weeds and vines had taken over the neglected space, which is probably around 20 square feet.

This year, I was ready. I took advantage of seed sales and bought packets, upon packets of herbs, veggies and flowers.

I am not a garden expert, and this was my first year planting anything that I could harvest, let alone eat. I’ve spent years killing small basil plants from the grocery store. There was definitely some trial and error involved with planting seeds instead of fledgling plants. Starting with the fact that I bought way more seeds than I needed.

The raised beds sit on the north side of my yard. One of the beds is a wider rectangle, the other is long and skinny. I recruited a friend of mine who is as obsessed with gardening as I am, and we spent a sunny spring day clearing out the beds and planting. Vegetables, such as red onions, green beans, cucumbers and peppers went in the wider garden along with some herbs, while the flowers and remaining herbs went in the longer one.

Take me out to the Old Timers ball game

I

n this youth baseball league, we, the players, ran the show. No coaches needed. We rounded up our buddies, hopped on our bikes and pedaled our single-speed bikes to Old Timers Baseball games on the northeast side of City Park.

Old Timers Baseball, whether by design or good fortune, elevated sandlot baseball to a new level, and Denver’s aspiring baseball prodigies embraced it with the fervor deserving of summer traditions like swimming, fishing and evening neighborhood games like kickthe-can. What the league lacked in traditional structure — coaches, practices, meddling parents and certified umpires — it compensated with pure fun and the joy of play.

“I didn’t have a full appreciation of how great Old Timers Baseball was until I finished my high school-playing days at George Washington High School,” said Val Knopf, a baseball and football stalwart at the school during the mid ‘60s.

From 1943 to 1970, Old Timers Baseball hosted a summer league for Denver area youngsters. Teams were assembled primarily by neighborhood and school pals, and if additional players were needed to complete a team’s roster, there was a pool of unaffiliated players available. Ballpark locations were essentially aligned with the city’s quadrants, providing convenient access to participants walking, biking or riding a bus.

Old Timers Baseball was open to boys 11 to 17, divided by age classifications.

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By 1946, the Rocky Mountain News called the program the “largest of its kind in the Rocky Mountain Region.” In addition to Denver’s 99 teams, six other cities, including Englewood, Pueblo and four Western Slope communities were fielding programs. In Joe Carabello 1959, Jack Carberry wrote in the Rocky Mountain News that the state had 20,000 boys enrolled.

Alums of the program universally flash back to the uniforms of the day: gray wool baseball pants and full-length “stirrups,” plus a souvenir cap and T-shirt promoting local business sponsors.

Not only were the uniform pants unbearably hot, they also were customarily long for most kids, requiring a system known as “rolling” to fit them like their professional heroes wore. Players even wore thin, white “sanitary hose” — think old-school nursing uniforms — underneath the stirrups, making certain the higher cut in the stirrup faced backward.

In theory, these knee-high stockings prevented infections from cuts endured from base runners sliding into a base, since metal spikes were permitted.

GUEST COLUMN

SEE CARABELLO, P11

Hail killed the small sprouts of cucumber that had barely started to poke out of the ground early in the season. My onions … well, one sort of sprouted.

But the green beans flourished. Soon, the little leaves and stalks that came out of the ground had grown to large leaves with white flowers. I probably terrified neighbors with my squeals of delight when the tiniest of beans started to appear.

I was so encouraged by the success of the green beans that I drove to the grocery store and bought the last two cucumber plants they had, as well as a Roma tomato. I moved my indoor herb garden outside. I checked on the plants before I left for work and once again when I got home. I know that sounds over the SEE LAMB, P11

A path to address climate change in Denver “We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it” – President Barack Obama

GUEST COLUMN

I

n early August, Denver Public Schools students returned to sweltering classrooms that are unequipped for the sustained summer heat common nowadays.

Recently, the temperature in Denver reached 99 degrees, breaking a 33-year record.

Summers of extreme heat are becoming the norm in Colorado, leading to larger and more numerous wildfires.

Human activity is permanently harming our planet and challenging future generations who will live here, and the window of opportunity for change is closing. My colleagues and I recognize this urgency and are putting forward policies in Denver to make us a more sustainable city. City council recently considered referring to the November ballot a measure that would place an excise tax on commercial and industrial users for their use of gas and electricity and a companion ordinance that would establish an Office of Climate Action.

When these bills were first brought fourth, I had concerns about the lack of stakeholder engagement and lack of data and analysis that would allow council to evaluate the efficacy and impact of the proposals. When we are asking for taxpayer money to fund a large new government undertaking, let’s be diligent in how we structure it. As we move forward with climate action in Denver, there has to be appropriate oversight, transparency, and guardrails.

Councilmember Deborah Ortega

In voicing my concerns about the climate bill, I proposed an alternative that included a) establishing a strong Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency, b) immediate infusion of significant funds to accelerate current programs reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and c) a path for long-term financing of new climate efforts.

I encouraged my colleagues to consider this

alternative.

Shortly before the council vote on Aug. 26, a new path forward was found that addressed my concerns about oversight, transparency and stakeholder engagement in developing city policy while providing significant new funding in 2020. There will also be a formal process to examine Denver’s current climate work and identify gaps and the resources necessary to meet our climate goals with robust stakeholder participation. I look forward to working with all the stakeholders to build on our existing programs to achieve a strong response to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

Before the final council vote on this last month, Mayor Hancock and the seven councilmembers sponsoring the climate legislation announced a new plan that addresses concerns and moves forward SEE ORTEGA, P11

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Life On Capitol Hill 11

September 2019

Carabello FROM PAGE 10

Was this overkill? Probably. But our heroes in Major League Baseball wore them, so we were all in.

Another memorable nuance of our uniforms was the style in which we folded our caps to fit in our back pocket. This was necessitated since each field provided only one batting helmet.

Pedaling one’s bike through morning rush hour traffic in wool baggies was the antithesis of today’s spandex-clad, helmettopped, urban commuter. Since the weekday games were played in the mornings, parents and guardians were customarily at work or implicitly discouraged from attending. Old Timers was about the game.

Irv Brown, a former baseball coach at the University of Colorado from 1969 to 1980

Lamb FROM PAGE 10

top, but I have a very fluffy, fat cat who has eaten just about every plant I was ever proud of.

Flowers started blooming. The Roma grew several feet before I realized the tomato cage should have gone on before I planted it.

One morning when I went out to inspect the garden I was astonished to find that I had exactly one cucumber.

before the school disbanded its program, and a popular Denver radio talk show host, was a believer in the Old Timers program. He said it “encouraged leadership from the kids. Today’s youth activities are so highly structured, the kids never learn to make decisions for themselves. The absence of fans, coaches and parents provided the kids opportunities to develop leadership skills.” Brown passed away earlier this year.

The Denver civic community, specifically the judicial sector, was the driving force behind the founding and development of Old Timers Baseball. District Judge William A. Black conceived the idea, and served as president of the organization for more than a decade. Under the guidance and, more importantly, the influence of the judicial community, newspapers and police departments embraced the organization. Both the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News provided generous coverage and promotion of the league, frequently writ-

My social media was filled with plant pictures. My mother gets an updated “garden tour” every time she comes over. My grandma — who once asked if she could babysit my potted cactus — started getting regular updates on how many flowers I had. I became the crazy plant lady.

Although I have not tasted the fruits of my labor yet, outside of a few mojitos made with fresh garden mint, I have been very happy with the progress. With a few packets of seeds I was able

ing “feel-good” columns documenting the organization’s accomplishments. There was no fee for participation, thanks to vigorous fundraising efforts. Financial sponsorship fell in place as Denver’s business community seized the opportunity to promote wholesome activities.

Nowhere is the vibe of the postwar Americana psyche more evident than the registration form for Old Timers Baseball, which encouraged participants to “... promise to lead a good, clean life, obey my parents, and be at home at 10 p.m. every night.”

Old Timers Baseball filled the niche of play that was void of performance pressure, providing more laid-back or casual players an opportunity to play organized baseball for the love of the game.

Nearly equivalent to the joy of the baseball games was the camaraderie of post-game rides home, pedaling and cruising through tranquil Denver neighborhoods while strategically averting the busy streets our parents

to grow something that I could actually eat.

Although having visual results of the hard work I have put into the yard for the last year has been great, more than anything I have enjoyed spending the time outside. Throwing on some garden gloves, along with some tunes, and shifting my fingers through the soil helped me reconnect to myself. It helped me let go of some of the stress that weighed on my shoulders. While working in the garden, I was able to just simply be in the moment.

REFUSE & REUSE

told us to avoid. My crew sought routes with plenty of “bumps” as we referred to the intersections where the constant repaving of certain streets or avenues provided a virtual roller coaster effect.

My pals and I stopped at Mathis Drug Store, on 6th and Marion, when we got back to our neighborhood. I’m not sure which was best, the air-conditioned drug store or the Cokes at the soda fountain. On the way out, we scanned the comic book section for new releases and sometimes had money left over for baseball trading cards. Before riding the final few blocks home, the coolness of the dark-red brick on the north side of the drug store provided the perfect place to sit down and open the trading cards, in perpetual search for a coveted Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays or Hank Aaron.

Joe Carabello is a freelance journalist, entrepreneur and central Denver resident. He can be reached at jcarabello1@comcast.net

Ortega FROM PAGE 10

with immediate action on climate.

That new proposal establishes and funds a new Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, launches a formal process to shore up Denver’s existing climate work and identify gaps and funding needs, and engages experts, stakeholders and community members. Council action on the existing bills is delayed while this more robust process

moves forward.

I am pleased to see council work out a compromise intended to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating existing and exploring new programs and funding sources. Now let’s keep the momentum going to achieve a strong city response to the challenges of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Deborah Ortega is a councilmember at-large on the Denver City Council.

At-large council members represent the city as a whole. She can be reached at ortegaatlarge@denvergov.org.

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12 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

G R O W I N G PAINS

Managing ‘responsible growth’ in Denver

C

Construction may have hit its peak, but experts say building will continue

h 2 y u i y

By Kailyn Lamb

n c l b t

klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

L

ooking out over the horizon in Denver, cranes have become a common sight. They pop up as quickly as the buildings do, working to permanently alter the city skyline.

Just how many cranes go up is big news, with both local and national news outlets like The New York Times producing stories on city rankings. Last year, Denver ranked fifth in the United States for having the most cranes, according to data from Rider Levett Bucknall, an international construction firm. The company counted 28 tower cranes ABOUT throughout the city, compared to THE SERIES 29 the year before.

Rider Levett The final installreleases a crane ment of “Growindex analysis aning Pains,” a nually. series exploring The very slight development and decrease is somegrowth in Denver thing construction communities, and development wraps up this companies are seemonth with a look ing almost across at how constructhe board. But city tion impacts officials and exthe economy in perts say that while Denver. The first construction might segment in May be slowing down, focused on develit is certainly not opment citywide coming to a halt. and such issues “Just because as displacement something’s declin- and what Denver ing, doesn’t mean is doing to meet it’s negative,” said those challenges, Bill Mosher, the followed by the senior managing second piece on director of the how developColorado office of ment impacts Trammell Crow neighborhoods.

Development.

The third piece Construction focused on houshas both the biging costs and afgest visual and fordability in the physical impacts city. The August on development in issue looked at a city. People can how business see the construcis impacted by tion happening. It construction and may impact traffic rising rent costs. while they drive, or block sidewalks and parking in their neighborhood.

But, it also is a driver in the economy.

It creates jobs and brings billions of dollars into the city. Construction also comes with a set of problems of its own, with delays and labor shortages being some of issues that can creep up as building is underway.

SEE GROWTH, P13

w p t p a w b P D

p n p p o c t v i l c i

e m M h t f i fi

Che Derrera from the WorkNow program works on a construction site. WorkNow is run by Colorado Resource Partners and helps to connect people with job training and employment.

COURTESY OF ROBERT GRAHAM Big construction projects, such as this one at the Denver Art Museum, are often the most eyecatching.

But the city has also seen an increase in permits for tenant finish projects as new buildings are being leased out.

COURTESY DENVER ART MUSEUM

t b i b n

c c W e c t b v C I t s t

v t c P c b

u h c i

Life On Capitol Hill 13

September 2019

G R O W I N G PAINS

Growth

FINISHING THE SERIES

Although this is the final piece in our series, development certainly isn’t over in Denver. We will continue to write about projects as they arise in our coverage area.

FROM PAGE 12

Construction boom Construction really started happening in earnest in Denver in 2014 and 2015. For the last several years, those numbers have continued to go up. “The last six years in particular have been increases year over year,” said Mosher.

He added that although early numbers are suggesting that 2019 construction is going down slightly, he still expects that there will be more projects this year than in the early years of the boom.

The construction process starts with a company submitting site plans to the city. Project coordinators will then work with the company to see if the project is viable and what the construction impacts will be, said Scott Prisco, the chief building official with Community Planning and Development in Denver.

Once a project has been approved, the construction companies apply for the various building permits from the city. Those permits can give an idea of not only what is being built, but how construction will continue into the future, Prisco said. Since development plans have been coming in at an upward trend for the last two months, he expects large construction projects to continue into the foreseeable future.

Right now, single-family projects are remaining steady, and may be trending slightly down.

Multi-family projects on the other hand are on the rise compared to the last two years, Prisco said. As far as office projects go, the city is seeing more permits for tenant finish projects inside of buildings.

“Some of the large buildings that were built on spec, they’re being filled now,” he said, adding that those new tenants are building out office spaces for their needs.

The permits also require contractors to put an estimated cost of the project on the form.

While Prisco said it won’t give exact numbers of an individual construction contract, it can give the city an idea of how much is being spent on a project. The cost valuations follow the International Code Council, Prisco said. The ICC is a member-focused association that is develops the codes and standards for construction around the world, according to its website.

From 2015 to 2016, those cost valuations went from $2.4 billion to $3.7 billion in Denver, and have continued to go up ever since, Prisco said. He estimated that the city is on track to do around $5 billion this year.

“We’re seeing some incredible unprecedented growth right now,” he said. “There are not that many cities across the united states doing that volume of construction.”

“Growing Pains” focused on residents trying to find different solutions to the problems that new density can bring to the city — whether that was finding ways to bring customers to businesses in a construction zone, looking into affordable housing or ideas on how to bring more of Denver’s diverse voices into the planning process.

A construction worker cuts metal for the new welcome center at the Denver Art Museum North Building. The museum project broke ground last year and is on schedule to open in June 2020.

COURTESY DENVER ART MUSEUM Labor shortages As with other numbers starting to show a slight decline, so is the number of jobs, Mosher said. He estimated that there are around 100,000 construction workers in the Denver metro area where most of the work is concentrated. He thinks this year there will be a drop of about 3,000 jobs in the market.

Many contractors in the city are busy with projects. Delays can become inevitable as schedules start to stack up. Mosher said that it’s not necessarily the busy-ness causing delays, but a shortage of specialized construction workers. This is something happening on the national level, he said, not just in Denver.

Because there’s a shortage, the workers that are available have higher wages. But when it takes time for a contractor to find and hire that worker, it can cause the delay. And in this industry, “time is money,” Mosher said.

Companies like Colorado Resource Partners, which runs the WorkNow program in Denver, are hoping to close that gap. WorkNow helps to connect people with different employment barriers to construction jobs.

John Colin Ewer was on unemployment when he first heard about the WorkNow program. He had worked various jobs in the past, but nothing he would have called a career. Getting a job in construction was not something he has considered before, but he was intrigued by the program, Ewer said.

WorkNow helps to give people a leg up, and “get some help when you’re first starting off in your career,” he added. The program helps with school tuition and money for tools, as well as work boots for job sites.

Ewer is now working as an electrician apprentice. He said he’s been

appreciative of the program, and finding a possible career.

“It’s definitely a relief,” he said.

Starting to slow Another trend that can be seen in the industry is developers selling properties from one company to another. Mosher said this sometimes happens when one company’s plans for a new building fall through. The company will sell to another one that can possibly come up with a better plan for the building.

But even that trend is starting to slow. It’s a case of Denver possibly becoming its own worst enemy. As the city has become more popular to build in, the prices have started to follow.

“The business is a little hard right now because rent prices are slowing and land prices are high,” Mosher said.

In the realm of office space however, business is booming. “People want to buy ‘em,” Mosher said of office buildings.

The commercial market often follows the housing market. The market is primarily driven by residents. With more residents coming in, more housing needs to be built, and more office spaces need to be built to house the jobs created by those people coming here. They’re all inter-related, Mosher added.

Like the housing market, there’s a buyers’ and sellers’ market for commercial office spaces. Mosher believes that 2018 will prove to be the peak of activity in Denver, and that we’ll start to see construction and prices go down.

Building with conscience As residents have started to voice concern about growth, and others have altogether left the city due to rising costs, Denver officials have

put some policies in place to help control development.

Affordable housing has become a top priority for the city. Some of the fees from construction go toward an affordable housing fund.

“It’s really the focus of our planning,” Prisco said, “and a lot of conversations between different agencies that we’re having right now is ‘How do we get as much affordable housing built as possible?’”

Policies like this, as well as a green building ordinance passed earlier this year, help city officials manage “responsible growth in Denver,” Prisco said.

The city has also been working to gather resident input on the Neighborhood Planning Initiative.

The city began working with the northeast neighborhoods, creating an overall plan on how development should be handled. Plans are grouped by region and include several neighborhoods.

During a Congress Park Neighbors meeting on Aug. 21, city staff told residents that they upped their budget to make sure they were reaching out to the community as a whole — renters, people of color, homeowners, the refugee communities, low-income workers and more.

Although residents of Congress Park voiced concern on how density could impact their neighborhoods character, staff said that the new Blueprint Denver plan is striving to build density in every neighborhood in the city to help equalize some of the impacts.

Managing affordable housing is one of the most important aspects of equalizing Denver neighborhoods. Zocalo Community Development, the company behind the 1st Avenue Hotel project on South Broadway, has a goal to make its projects either 100% affordable or

If you are interested in learning more about a particular project, or have a story about how development has impacted your life, email Editor Kailyn Lamb at klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

close to it, said Mark Atkinson, the chief development officer.“We see affordability as being the next crisis of housing in Denver,” he said.

It also works to renovate historic properties as part of a project. The 1st Avenue Hotel, 49 W. First Ave., will feature 102 affordable units in a restored historic structure.

Although historic properties are often more complex, Atkinson said that Zocalo is not the type of development company that scrapes and builds in a “rinse and repeat” fashion. The company is also its own contractor and building manager, which means it stays in the neighborhood more long-term than other developers.

“We’re now a part of the neighborhood, we’re not just building and flipping projects,” Atkinson said.

This practice can be a benefit for neighbors concerned about losing the character of their neighborhoods. Denver residents are particularly concerned about historic preservation in the city. With so much growth happening, historic homes and buildings are being torn down in favor multi-family projects or other development projects.

Many developers, such as Zocalo, will work with registered neighborhood organizations and merchant associations to learn what those groups want out of new developments.

Prior to his job at Zocalo, Atkinson worked in mountain resort communities building projects with Shaw Construction. Small mountain towns are also feeling the pinch of development and a greater need for affordable housing, he said.

“Working in resort communities I developed a real sensitivity to small communities,” he said. “We’re there for the long haul, and we want to be good neighbors.”

14 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

Rethinking the front lawn

There are many ways to break away from tradition

By Mike Bone Special to Colorado Community Media

T

raditional lawns are everywhere, parks, golf courses, right of ways, ball fields — maybe even your front yard is a host to these seas of verdant green.

We are conditioned at an early age that here is where play happens. Roll down that hill, kick the ball, throw out a blanket and have a picnic.

GUEST They are also the source COLUMN of many wasted hours Mike Bone on weekends or evenings mowing, watering, spraying, drenching, fretting and competing with your neighbors to have the perfect lawn.

I can’t say the I am either for or against the big green monsters that occupy so many acres of public and private space. I do believe that it is time to shift our perceptions about lawns.

In a rethinking of what a lawn is or could be there are a plethora of interesting alternatives that provide more to a localized ecosystem then a nice place to sit.

Many of the grasses that constitute our lawn spaces come from a complicated and beautiful web of plant diversity. Many of the healthiest places have more than monoculture.

Introduce some flowers into your existing lawn. Trifoliumrepens or Dutch white clover has been a popular addition to turf areas for many years. This plant fixes atmospheric

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Bringing in different grasses and flowers to your lawn can help lower the amount of water you use, as well as the amount of time you spend maintaining your lawn.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

nitrogen in the soil, requires very little water, tolerates mowing, provides pollen and nectar for pollinators, and helps out compete less desirable weeds. There are also species of Erigeron or fleabane that will add to your lawn’s diverse ecosystem. Simply by embracing and introducing some diversity into your lawn you can greatly reduce the amount of irrigation needed to keep it green, lush and, healthy. You are also likely going to reduce the amount of herbicide and pesticide use in your space.

There are beautiful low to no water use alternatives to the traditional bluegrass fescue mix that is everywhere. Plant Select promotes Dog Tuff as an alternative to the high-water lawn. This grass requires water only a few times a year. The texture is incredibly fine and can either be mowed or left to hummock and billow. This is a favorite area for visitors to the Steppe Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens to kick off their shoes and go barefoot for a moment of connection to the ground and embrace the ever-soft texture. Another popular alternative is our own native Buchloedactyloides or buffalo grass. There are so many selections that there will undoubtedly be a perfect one for you and your space. Both grasses are warm season grasses so the length of time that they are green and actively growing are limited to warmer months in Colorado. The benefit to that is less water, fewer mowings and you can support bulb plantings giving your lawn a wash of color before it wakes up and knows anything even happened!

Now that we are strong and confident in the knowledge that we don’t need a lawn dictating our weekends, what’s next? The seeded

prairie super nature is a trend that is making big waves in the horticultural world. Denver Botanic Gardens has embraced this wondrous new trend by installing approximately 10,000 square feet along the Josephine Street scape. This living laboratory embraces the fact that plants do best when there is a diversity of forbes combined in a collage of steppe splendor. A stylized and diverse prairie takes care of itself with little help from us. There are seed companies that have meadow and prairie mixes ready for sowing. These mixes are developed with simplicity in mind — get them established and you will be inviting nature into your lives and creating habitat for a diminishing world of resources for birds, bees, butterflies and other important pollinators.

When we rethink what it means to have a lawn, we begin moving towards a more sustainable life right at our front doors. Do we need to be rid of all the turf grass? I don’t think so. Let’s leave them in the parks and the sports fields where we can play and enjoy them in ways that are appropriate to a community.

In our homes though, it’s time to cut the hose and embrace the natural world. Make some small or large changes to your outdoor-scape and you start a sea change of positivity for the world. There is a lot to learn and an endless number of options. Your home and area formerly known as lawn, should be unique and charismatic, just like you.

Mike Bone is the curator of Steppe Collections with the Denver Botanic Gardens. He can be reached at horticulture@denverbotanicgardens.org.

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Life On Capitol Hill 15

September 2019

‘The more art, the better’ Museum curator connects art and the visitor experience

Angelica Daneo is the chief curator at the Denver Art Museum. She recently helped to curate the new Claude Monet exhibit which is exclusively coming to Denver. COURTESY PHOTO at Museum Barberini in Germany.

With great masters like Monet, where most people know who they are, or have at least seen hen Angelica Daneo came to work some of their works, you can begin to take their skills as artists for granted. When curating this her first job in the United States exhibit, Daneo decided to bring in paintings after leaving Italy, she found the from the span of Monet’s life, from his first redeeper connection to museums corded painting at age 18, to one of the last ones that she had been looking for. During her inpainted before his death in 1926. ternship with the Smithsonian Institution She added that with masters like in Washington, D.C., she said she loved Monet, “you almost feel a pressure to the way the museum focused on like them.” She wants visitors to come visitors walking in its doors — and to the museum and rediscover the how they connected to the works Impressionist painter in a new way on the walls.

— then people can really decide for “That really sparked my wish themselves if they enjoy his works. and desire to work in museums,” Part of that experience is to create she said. “It really gives meaning to a narrative through the exhibit. what we do as curators.”

Daneo and other members of the Later, Daneo would move on to FOR MORE Denver Art Museum staff work the St. Louis Art Museum in MisINFORMATION together to find ways to help modern souri. In 2004, she got a call from museum visitors connect to paintthe Denver Art Museum, and was The Denver ings that can be hundreds of years offered the role of assistant curator of Art Museum’s old. Often, this includes quotes from painting and sculpture. She’s been in “Claude Monet: the artists displayed on the walls, or Denver ever since, becoming curator Truth in Nature” of the painting department in 2015, opens on Oct. 21. creating a small ballet studio mirror and then promoted to her current role A separate ticket display during Edgar Degas exhibit is needed to see last October. of chief curator in December 2018. te exhibit, which “You can have a wonderful work of Daneo has been bound to museart, but our role as a team is not to just ums her whole life, although she may will feature 120 painting from put it on the wall and assume you will not have realized it early on, she said.

Monet’s life. For like it,” Daneo said.

In Italy, her mother taught art history, more informaIn the 15 years she’s been here, and frequently brought Daneo and tion, or to buy her brother to museums. tickets, go to den- Daneo said she has seen Denver grow into a great art city. Since she came to Being exposed to a wealth of art verartmuseum. org/exhibitions/ Denver, the Museum of Contempohistory in Italy helped her relate to claude-monet. rary Art moved to a larger space in the culture. Walking through Italian 2007, and the Clyfford Still Museum cities “you are surrounded by historic opened in 2011. buildings that connect you to the past,” she “Everyday I’m energized by Denver,” she said. said. She began to be interested in learning how “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a city that’s people have expressed themselves creatively changed so much in just those 15 years.” through the centuries.

The city’s commitment to art is important, “Observation is at the core of what I do,” she Daneo added, because art is one of the most said. “Being aware of what’s around us and details is probably what lead me to this profession.” powerful unifying forces on the planet. For her, “the more art, the better.”

When she received a degree in art history But it doesn’t always have to be professional in Torino, Italy, she thought she would stay in works held in grand museums. Some of the best academia. She enjoyed writing, and she enjoyed the research, but realized there was little interac- art she’s seen came from her 6-year-old daughter’s class, Daneo said. Art is something that can tion with people. be understood by people from all walks of life.

Daneo continues to keep museum visitors at “It’s fundamental to people’s lives,” she said. the center of what she does at the Denver Art “Art is a language. It is one that actually can Museum. Most recently, she worked to co-cuunify people across countries and has done so rate the Claude Monet exhibit that is exclusively for a long time.” coming to Colorado before returning to Europe

By Kailyn Lamb

klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

W

DAM announces new assistant curator of Native arts Staff report On July 25, the Denver Art Museum announced Dakota Hoska as the new assistant curator of Native arts in a news release.

Hoska previously worked as the curatorial research assistant for the Arts of Africa and the Americas department at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, according to the release. She received a master of arts in art history, with a focus on Native American art history, from the University of St. Thomas in May 2019 and recently helped to curate an exhibit at the institute titled “Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists,” which opened in June.

Through this work, she facilitated communication between Native American board members, as well as museum staff, the release said.

“Dakota shares the Denver Art Museum’s ongoing commitment to engaging Native communities,” said Christoph Heinrich, director

at the DAM. “I look forward to seeing how she will strengthen the connection between the museum and its surrounding communities as assistant curator of Native arts.”

Hoska also worked on making exhibits at the Minneapolis Institute of Art more welcoming to its local Native community. She facilitated an engagement board comprised of 12 Native women to help with that during the “Hearts of Our People” exhibit. Hoska said she is hoping to continue that work here in Denver.

“I’m excited to serve and learn from the local Native populations from the Rocky Mountain region, while also studying those Native nations who traditionally called the Denver area their homeland,” she said in the news release. “I appreciate DAM’s commitment to the collection of Native art, both historical and contemporary, and I look forward to stewarding and growing this collection, hoping it will serve as a great source of inspiration and strength for Native people today and into the future.”

“I’ve Been Told I Have Arthritis in My Knee & There’s NOTHING That Can Be Done For It!” - ATTENTION ACTIVE DENVER ADULTS!

By Leading Physical Therapist, Dr. Brooke Olsen, DPT If you are being told that you have arthritis in your knees and there’s nothing that can be done for it, I highly recommend you continue to read on and get some clarity on what CAN be done without injections, pills or surgery!

If you say to yourself or your loved ones “I’m just getting old” and are learning to accept that “pain is the new normal” for you, then I’m glad you are here!

One of the most frequent things we talk to clients about is their knee XRAYS and how they’ve found “bone on bone” so they’ve been told there’s nothing that can be done for this according to their doctors. If this is you, I hope you continue to read on as I’ll tell you why in most cases… this is far from the truth.

Here’s the thing, naturally our bodies do “wear & tear” as we age (AKA arthritis, degeneration, etc.) yet not everyone experiences pain with this. Many research studies DO NOT support that XRAYS actually reflect that arthritis is the ROOT CAUSE of knee pain. Most of the time, from what we see, the pain most people experience is just normal tissue irritation from compensation and muscle imbalances that can cause more pains and aches than anything else in your knees.

If you remember anything from this article, remember this: Many people who have absolutely NO PAIN can have an XRAY done of their knee, show signs of having arthritis, yet have NO pain!

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16 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

Safety advocates seek to stop bicycle fatality trend Concerns focus on ways to protect vulnerable road users

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

O

n the north side of the street where South Marion Parkway curves into East Bayaud Avenue in Denver, stands a bicycle painted completely white. The bike is under a tree, with stacks of bouquets piled next to it and a circle of electric votive candles around it.

The ghost bike stands at the intersection where Alexis Bounds was killed on July 24 while riding in a designated bike lane. In the street, someone has written “another slain cyclist” in green paint.

During July, Colorado added several of these memorial ghost bikes to its streets.

Like crosses, or the blue city signs that read “Please drive safely,” followed by a victim’s name, they are a physical memorial — a testament to the lives lost on Colorado roadways.

For Brad K. Evans, the founder of Denver Cruisers, a monthly bike event organization, and former candidate for a seat on the Regional Transportation District’s board of directors, the ghost bikes are a stark symbol.

“We need a better conversation about the safety of our streets,” he said. “It’s essentially a gravestone.”

In the metro area including Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, 35 pedestrians and cyclists have died so far this year, according to data from the Colorado Department of Transportation as of Aug. 20. A majority of those fatalities happened in Denver where 10 pedestrians and two cyclists were killed. On Aug. 9, Denver also reported its first electric scooter death when Cameron Hagan died as the result of an accident earlier this month.

But it’s not just a problem in Denver, or even Colorado, said Megan Hottman, a lawyer who focuses on personal injury cases for cyclists as well as safety laws for bikes and pedestrians nationwide. This upward trend in deaths is happening across the country, Hottman said. In 2017, 52 bicyclists and pedestrians were killed in the metro area. That number rose to 60 in 2018, according to data from CDOT. Colorado officials and cycling advocates are exploring the need for new and harsher laws to prevent deaths of both pedestrians and cyclists on the road. More people are moving to the metro area, and as a result, more people are on the increasingly crowded roads.

In May, Gov. Jared Polis signed SB 19-175, a bill that deals with penalties given to drivers who seriously injure a vulnerable road user. The World Health Organization defines vulnerable road users as anyone who does not have an external shield. The bill made accidents resulting in serious injury a Class 1 traffic misdemeanor, in which the minimum penalty is 10 days in jail and/or a $300 fine.

As for cycling, Hottman also said that while car drivers bear a lot of the responsibility on the road, cyclists can be more aware as well. She said that cyclist advocates also need to be advocates for safety on the road, making sure cyclists are not using their phones while biking and otherwise setting a positive example. Most cyclists, she said are also motorists, and should operate their bikes with

Brad K. Evans helped to paint this ghost bike for his friend Scott Hendrickson. Evans said the ghost bikes are essentially gravestones on the streets.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Teri Vogel, left, speaks to a crowd of mourners at a memorial for her husband, Edward “Chuck” Vogel. Vogel was killed while riding his bicycle at the Centennial and Pine drives intersection. the same precaution as they would driving a car. With congested streets, Hottman also said that people are stressed because they’re running late, which can lead to speeding.

If people gave themselves more time to get places, it could help decrease traffic accidents.

“Frankly, we all just need to slow down a little bit,” she said.

The ‘most vulnerable’ Jack Todd, the communications and policy manager with Bicycle Colorado, a statewide advocacy group for cyclists’ rights, said the increase in cyclist deaths has been going on for a number of years.

In 2014, CDOT reported 10 bicycle deaths statewide, a decline from 12 the year before.

But in 2015, 14 deaths were reported. In 2016 and 2017, there were 16 deaths reported each year. Numbers from 2018 are still being

finalized, but preliminary data shows that 22 cyclists died last year in traffic accidents.

Eleven of those deaths last year happened in the metro area.

Pedestrian traffic deaths have seen similar increases over time. In 2015, 64 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in Colorado.

That number jumped to 84 in 2016, and jumped again to 92 in 2017. Last year there was a slight decrease with 90 reported deaths, with 49 in the metro area.

Although the organization has “bicycle” in the name, Todd says Bicycle Colorado is working to create protective laws for all vulnerable road users — bicyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and now the new group of electric scooter users.

In 2018, pedestrians represented about 14% of traffic deaths statewide, said Samual Cole, the traffic safety communications man-

For more information on the vulnerable road user law, SB19-175, go to https://leg.colorado. gov/bills/sb19-175.

For more information on Denver’s Vision Zero goals, go to denvergov. org/visionzero.

To learn more about Wesley Marshall’s research into bicycle and pedestrian safety, go to http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YwYeNz1jCkM.

ager with CDOT. The state’s transportation organization has adopted its own safety goals, and will be launching an education campaign specifically geared toward pedestrian safety in September, he said.

“Paying attention to our most vulnerable roadway users is critical to getting to zero,” he said.

Because vulnerable road users don’t have protection, it makes it more likely they will get hurt in the case of an accident, Todd added.

“They make up a smaller percentage of traffic crashes, but a much higher percentage of serious injuries or fatalities,” he said.

“Ultimately, what it comes down to is nobody should fear for their lives or die on our roadways.”

SEE GHOST BIKES, P17

Life On Capitol Hill 17

September 2019

Ghost bikes FROM PAGE 16

At a memorial event in Parker for bicyclist Edward “Chuck” Vogel on Aug. 9, Pete Piccolo, the CEO of Bicycle Colorado, spoke to dozens of mourners, saying that too often, the deaths of cyclists or pedestrians become a statistic, just another number in the group of people killed on the road. He added that he fears that his own wife and daughter will become part of those statistics.

“I’ve had close calls that have taken my breath away,” he said.

Vogel was hit on July 4 near the intersection of Pine and Centennial drives in Douglas County, near Parker, and died of his injuries. The driver fled the scene and a suspect was later arrested.

Fears for safety The increase in deaths is causing more people to hang up their bikes for good, said Hottman.

She believes there is safety in numbers.

When there are more cyclists, it becomes more normal for cars to drive alongside them. But that can be a hard sell for people not used to biking on the road.

“It’s hard to ask people to get on their bikes when all they see is death and destruction associated with it,” Hottman said.

Evans agreed, saying that even as someone who rides his bike frequently, he no longer feels safe on city streets.

This feeling is not limited to bicyclists either. Joanne Cdebaca, who lives down the street on West Bayaud Avenue from where cyclist Scott Hendrickson was hit on July 12, said that she won’t let her children walk in the neighborhood without an adult present.

She and her father, who lives next door, frequently see drivers speed on the roadway.

This concerns Cdebaca, because not only are there a lot of children in the neighborhood, they live near West-Bar-Val-Wood Park. Hendrickson was hit in the intersection at South Tejon Street and West Bayaud Avenue, adjacent to the park. He later died of his injuries.

“They don’t want to wait for you,” Cdebaca said of drivers near the park.

Part of the reason Hottman believes the number of vulnerable-user deaths are on the rise is because of a lack of laws, but also because more people are driving on Colorado roads. As people have been moving to the state by the thousands, the infrastructure of the roadways has not been able to keep up, she said. It “screams for the additional need for us to have infrastructure.”

Changing behavior In Fort Collins, Todd said, the city is changing the way local governments deal with bicycle infrastructure. Tessa Greegor, the active modes manager with FC Moves in Fort Collins, said the city has seen a 22% decline in accidents overall in the last five years. FC Moves is the transportation planning department for the city. As the active modes manager, Greegor helps with planning for all types of traffic, including pedestrians and bicyclists.

She added that city government there has been very supportive of bicycle infrastructure going as far back as the 1980s. Before that, Greegor said she found archive articles of The Coloradoan newspaper from the 1960s that talked about bicycle advocacy groups fighting for safer streets.

“That’s really been growing for several decades,” she said. “Not a lot has really changed as far as what we’re working to advance.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DENVER On Aug. 7, Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced that five roadways would have their speed limits decreased in the hopes of improving safety. The first to be announced was Evans Avenue from Federal Boulevard to Huron Street. The speed limit on that section of Evans was reduced from 35 to 30 mph at the end of August. The rest of the roadways will be announced throughout the fall, according to a news release from the city.

The city has posted a 2018 progress report on its Vision Zero goals online. Its goal was to build 14 miles of sidewalk a year from 2018-2019. In 2018, six miles of sidewalk was built. The goal jumps to 20 miles of sidewalk per year from 2020-2023.

For bike lanes, the Vision Zero goal from 2018-2019 was to build 20 miles of lanes per year. The city built 19 miles of new bike lanes in 2018. The goal jumps to 25 miles of lanes from 2020-2023.

Jill Locantore, the executive director of Walk Denver, a pedestrian advocacy organization, said she’s disappoined in the city’s sidewalk efforts.

“The need in terms of sidewalks is so huge,” she said.

On the city side, Rolf Eisinger, the program manager of Vision Zero with the city of Denver, said that it’s hard to pinpoint one reason why the number of deaths seems to be increasing this year.

The Vision Zero team works with departments across the city, such as Public Works and the Denver Police Department to try and meet the plan’s “ambitious” goals.

Jenn Hillhouse, the director of transportation with Public Works, said that every time there’s a fatal accident in the city, a response team goes out to access the area where it happened. The team is comprised of people from different departments in the city, and they work to see if there are any changes that could be made immediately to make that specific spot safer.

Hillhouse said they look for lighting issues, sightlines and even traffic signal timing.

Having people from different departments around the city helps make sure they’re not missing things, she said, adding “everybody brings a different perspective.”

The city is also concentrating on building better connections for the city’s bike lane network. Staff has also been working on streets within the High Injury Network.

“We’re really focused on Federal and East Colfax right now,” Hillhouse said.

Fort Collins now has a “dedicated bike culture,” she said, adding that you can go almost anywhere in the city on your bike.

Businesses, advocates, residents and city government all support the bicycle network.

Many people see bicycle infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes, as something that only benefits cyclists, said Wesley Marshall, an associate professor in the department of civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Denver.

Marshall has been doing research and data studies of cities with and without bicycle infrastructure. Narrower roads mean slower speeds, he said.

“Cities with a ton of bicycling are some of the safest in the world,” he said of his research. “The gist of it is about slowing cars down and building a bigger network.”

SEE GHOST BIKES, P18

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18 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

Ghost bikes FROM PAGE 17

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Fort Collins is currently working to update its bicycle and pedestrian master plans, Greegor said. Projects include improving street crossing areas on major streets.

Greegor said that if people don’t feel safe crossing a street, they often won’t ride their bikes or walk places.

The plans are also looking at places where the city can slow traffic. One thing that the data and all parties can agree on is that speed plays a large role in fatal accidents. The faster you go, the more likely it is that someone will not walk away from that accident, said Jill Locantore, the executive director of Walk Denver. Walk Denver is a pedestrian advocacy group.

On Aug. 7, Mayor Michael B. Hancock of Denver announced that the city would lower the speed limits on five arterial streets as a result of recent bicycle deaths. For Locantore, this is a good first step. Arterials are where most of the traffic happens. Because they are usually more complicated streets, they also need more complicated solutions when it comes to the safety of road users.

“We’re definitely glad to see them focusing on specifically arterials,” Locantore said.

Many of those arterials also make up what is called the High Injury Network in Denver.

That’s where 5% of the streets account for 50% of the fatalities. Some of those roads include Colfax Avenue, as well as Federal and Sheridan boulevards.

Several of those roads stretch into other cities in the metro area, such as Englewood and Lakewood. Sheridan in particular is dangerous for pedestrians, Locantore said, because there’s little-to-no sidewalk to speak

of. It’s also a major transit street.

“The farther away you get from Denver, the more highway-like those arterials become,” she added.

For CDOT, safety is the number one concern when building roadways, Cole said.

The department uses an engineering team on new projects, as well as improvement projects to make sure that streets are designed to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. Slower speeds, improved lighting and raised medians are some of the ways of handling that.

CDOT also has education campaigns on pedestrian safety, he said, adding “we’re not just building roads and leave it at that.”

Building a network Bicycle infrastructure can be frustrating for people trying to get from one place to another. Lanes in Denver are not well connected right now, Evans said, adding that “we haven’t really invested in creating a safe network.”

Historically, street planning has all been car-first, leaving pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate their way around that.

From city to city, this is also a problem.

Those bike networks don’t translate as the street flows from Denver into other metro area cities.

“There’s no program for Englewood to draw off what Denver has,” he said as an example.

Englewood recently added a painted bike lane to Dartmouth Avenue. The lane goes from Inca Street to South University Boulevard. University is on the border of Denver and Englewood.

Evans added that in Denver, there is no advocate group specifically for cyclists.

BikeDenver recently merged with Bicycle Colorado in May. When that happened, Evans said it created a vacuum, and Denver lost a voice working for change.

AVENHART

W/ SISTER

NEOPOLITAN

SEPT 14

For Evans, it doesn’t do people on either side any good to “demonize” drivers, cyclists or pedestrians. Their efforts would be better spent focusing on getting cities to make changes in how they build roadways.

Taking action One of the keys to success in Fort Collins has been having funding specifically for these bike projects, Greegor said. The city passed a sales tax initiative that pays for projects.

Through grants, the city is also able to have dedicated staff on its bicycle program.

The city also created a complete street standard that requires new streets or upgrade projects to consider the safety of all modes of transportation. “(New projects) have to meet these standards in order to build those developments,” Greegor said.

For a long time, Evans said he had been avoiding the ghost bike memorials. But when Scott Hendrickson, an avid cyclist and friend, was killed, Evans stepped in to help, painting an old bike of Hendrickson’s for the memorial placed in West-Bar-Val-Wood Park.

“This one kind of hit home when it was with Scott. It was one of his first road bikes,” he said of the bike he and Scott’s daughter Madison painted.

While Evans believes that the plans created for Vision Zero Denver are a great in theory, he feels that the city has been slow to implement it. He also added that 2011 plans from Denver Moves have also not been implemented quickly.

Locantore agrees.

She also added that although lowering speeds is a good first step, it is just that: a step. Roads like Colfax may have a posted speed limit of 35 mph, but they are designed so that drivers can go 10 or even 20 miles over that. Wider streets also make it hard for pedestrians to safely cross. These designs, Locantore said, often “put people in conflict with each other.”

“It’s the environment itself that’s causing those unsafe behaviors. We fundamentally need to redesign our streets,” she said.

“There’s only so much you can do to protect yourself as an individual.”

www.ColoradoCommun

PUBLIC N PUBLIC NOTICES www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

Public Notice legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED BUDGET AND NOTICE CONCERNING BUDGET AMENDMENT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the proposed budget for the ensuing year of 2020 has been submitted to the Colfax Business Improvement District ("District"). Such proposed budget will be considered at a meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District to be held at UMB Bank, 1635 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver, Colorado, at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2019.

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FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE! All games shown with sound.

Come watch on the Rooftop.

931 E. 11th ∙ 303-832-7667 theparktaverndenver.com

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that an amendment to the 2019 budget of the District may also be considered at the above-referenced meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District.

A copy of the proposed 2020 budget and the amended 2019 budget, if required, are available for public inspection at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, 8390 E. Crescent Pkwy., Suite 300, Greenwood Village, Colorado. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to final adoption of the 2020 budget and the amended 2019 budget, file or register any objections thereto.

Dated: August 27, 2019 COLFAX BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT By: /s/ Anna Jones, District Manager First Publication: September 5, 2019 Last Publication: September 5, 2019 Publisher: Life on Capitol Hill

Life On Capitol Hill 19

September 2019

Things to Do Submit calendar listings on our website, coloradocommunitymedia.com, go to the Calendar tab and click “Submit an Event.” Priority is given to non-profits, low- or no-cost events and locations within our distribution map.

Next Issue Deadline: Thursday, Sept. 20.

CLASSES, LECTURES, FORUMS Sunday Open Meditation 1st Sunday of the month.

The Center is open to the public for “drop-in” meditation and contemplative practices, 10 a.m.noon. Meditation instruction, 10:30 a.m., Padmasambhava Meditation Center, 1900 S. Cook St. padmasambhavameditationcenter. org English Learning Center Monday-Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. & Wednesday and Thursday 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The English Learning Center, the Evanston Center for Spiritual Wholeness & Healing at 2122 S. Lafayette St., offers affordable day and evening English classes.

For more enrollment info. call 303420-0172, or contact elcdenver@ gmail.com

Denver Laughter Club Meets every Monday except major holidays at Cheesman Park. Noon to 1 p.m., weather permitting.

Call Vicki for more info.

720-480-5421 Cheesman Park 1900 E. 11th Ave. denverlaughs.com Learn to Code Meetup Mondays, 6 p.m.

An open house/study group for anyone, at any level, with any interest in computer programming. No prior knowledge/future commitment needed.

720-865-1706 ideaLAB Community Technology Center DPL Central Library 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway meetup.com/learntocodedenver Belly Dancing Classes Classes held most Mondays, 7 p.m. beginners, 8 p.m. advanced.

Classes $10 drop-in — Cafe not open.

303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com Meditation at Noon Tuesdays, 12 p.m.

Take 30 minutes to connect to your heart, cultivate inner peace and happiness, and clarify your intention for the day, free.

303-813-9551 KMC Colorado Capitol Hill, 1081 Marion St. meditationincolorado.org

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Sundays 9:30 a.m.

Learn both Tibetan and rhythmic English chants and brief silent nityMedia.com/Notices meditations. Led by members of Yeshe Nyingpo Denver, a chapter of the Dudjom Tersar and aligned with the Dalailegals@coloradocommunitymedia.com Lama.

303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe 2199 California St. m mercurycafe.com

NOTICES Sunday Open House and Meditation Sundays 10 a.m.

A relaxed and informal Open House in the community room includes information about activities and meditation followed by a discussion and opportunity to meet others.

Meditation instruction is available.

Shambhala Meditation Center of Denver, 2305 S. Syracuse Way, Ste. 214 denver.shambhala.org Meditation and Kirtan Tuesdays 6 p.m.

Leave your troubles behind and practice meditation and Kirtan every Tuesday.

For more info call Ed. 720-810-9071 854 Pearl St., Denver

Words of Wisdom Tuesdays 2 p.m.

One word can say it all. Join us as we explore a key word from each week’s parsha and discover inspiration and guidance for our life’s journey.

303-316-6412 The Jewish Experience Center, 399 S. Monaco Parkway.

Argentine Tango, Practice and Lessons Every Tuesday 6:45 to 7:45 p.m.

Tango Colorado hosts these low cost Tango lessons, followed by a practice session where danc-

KIDSTUFF

ers can polish the steps they learned, interact with other students and advanced dancers and improve their skills.

303-710-2250 Denver Turnverein Event Center, 1570 Clarkson St. tangocolorado.org/lessons

All Ages Open Lab Sundays 1 p.m.

Have a project you want to work on as a family?

Want to learn more about Photoshop, 3D printing or anything else in the lab?

Come on in! Family open lab is all ages, but no unaccompanied adults or kids under 10, please!

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org

Tuesday Night Blues Tuesdays 7 p.m. intermediate, 8 p.m. advanced.

Classes $5, Dance 8:30 p.m., $8 ($10-12 with Live Band) 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com

Tattered Tales Storytime Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.

Young children are invited for a half hour of stories and fun, with a different topic each week. Free.

303-322-1965, ext. 2731 Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave. tatteredcover.com

UNNA Monthly Meeting Second Tuesday of the month Evanston Center for Spiritual Wholeness and Healing, 2122 S. Lafayette St. unna.shutterfly.com West Coast Swing Classes Wednesdays, 7 p.m. beginner/intermediate, 8 p.m. advanced.

Classes $8 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com Denver Socrates Cafe Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

Join a group that “seek truth by their own lights.” No regular attendance or preparation required.

Speak your own mind, then take turns playing Socrates by asking questions.

303-861-1447 Trinity United Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway meetup.com/DenverSocrates-Cafe Wednesday Nights Open Stage Wednesdays, 9 p.m.

Open Stage for musicians, comics & magicians. Free, sign up with Host 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com Thursday Evening Meditation Thursdays 7 p.m.

Free to the public - all are welcome. Dharma teachings on Buddhist principles by Tibetan meditation master Chhoje Rinpoche (live or video) followed by meditation instruction.

Padmasambhava Meditation Center, 1900 S. Cook St. padmasambhavameditationcenter.org

Daybreak Toastmasters Fridays, 7 a.m.

Cat got your tongue? Public speaking and more. Call Bob after 6 p.m. Now meeting on the second floor of the building.

720-308-9090 State of Colorado Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman St. daybreaktoastmasters.org Hard Times Meditation Fridays, 2:30 p.m.

Going through a tough time?

Developing mindfulness can often help us find new resiliency.

Join professional instructor Nancy Nielsen for a supportive mindfulness meditation class that’s free and open to all.

720-865-1111 Denver Public Library: Central branch, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway Happiness Hour Fridays 5 p.m.

A short talk and guided relaxing meditation to help increase a peaceful good heart. It is an ideal way to unwind after work and recharge for a great evening ahead. Free.

303-813-9551 KMC Colorado Downtown, 1336 Glenarm Place meditationincolorado.org

Slime Club Tuesdays 4 p.m.

Join us to make slime, have snacks and help us rename this weekly event that will happen every Tuesday. Ideal for ages 8-12.

720-865-0940 Virginia Village Branch Library, 1500 S. Dahlia St. www.denverlibrary.org/events Toddler Storytime Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

In the Berger Children’s Pavilion, Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their parents or caregivers.

Craft activity immediately follows the program. Free.

720-865-1111 Denver Public Library: Central branch, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org Art Works!

Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.

Preschool Art for ages 3 – 5. We’ll read a book or two and little artists will make a simple craft or experiment with different materials in openended art 720-865-0955 Ross-University Hills Branch Library, 4310 E. Amherst Ave. www.denverlibrary.org/events SEE THINGS TO DO, P20

20 Life On Capitol Hill

Things to Do FROM PAGE 19

All Ages Storytime Wednesdays 10:30 a.m Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for children of all ages and their parents or caregivers.

720-865-0135 Ross-Broadway Branch Library, 33 E. Bayaud Ave. denverlibrary.org Girls Who Code Wednesdays 4 p.m.

An afterschool program for girls in middle and high school to learn computer science in a collaborative, engaging and intensive manner, working with women who work in technology fields. Learn Python, build websites, create games and more, free.

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway http://denverlibrary.org/idealab Eazy Gaming Wednesdays 4 p.m.

Play great video games on a Wii, N64 and PS4. Ideal for ages 6-18.

720-865-0160 Byers Branch Library, 675 Santa Fe Drive www.denverlibrary.org/events

September 2019 Toddler Play & Explore Thursdays 11:30 a.m.

Enjoy unstructured play and social time for toddlers ages 1836 months and their caregivers. Enjoy books, music, and a variety of developmentally appropriate toys in our warm and inviting play space.

720-865-1111 Denver Public Library: Central branch, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org Drop-In Snack and Craft!

Thursdays 3 p.m.

Join us for a fun craft and yummy snack every Thursday! All ages. No registration.

While supplies last.

720-865-0220 Eugene Field Branch Library, 810 S. University Blvd. www.denverlibrary.org/events Imagination Station Thursdays, 3 p.m.

Join us for a drop-in playtime on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3-5:30 p.m. Children ages 6 months to 5 years are welcome. Caregivers must remain in the room with their children.

720-865-0220 Decker Branch Library, 1501 S. Logan St. www.denverlibrary.org

LEGO Time Thursdays 4 p.m.

Kids, join us to hang out with other Lego® lovers for some free-building time. We supply the blocks; you supply the creativity. Ages 4 & up. And, no...you don’t get to take the Legos® home, but you may return to build on another day!

720-865-0955 Ross-University Hills Branch Library, 4310 E. Amherst Ave. www.denverlibrary.org/events Code Club Saturdays 1 p.m.

Meet every Saturday to learn how to code! With a demonstration at 1 p.m. and then time to work on a project at 2 p.m., with new topics every month. Ages 10-19.

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway teens.denverlibrary.org Teen Open Lab Interested in recording music or editing videos?

Want to use the 3D printer or learn about Arduino? Want to learn how to make a video games? Ready to sew or paint a masterpiece?

Just want to hang out and play games? Dropin, for teens 12-19, free.

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway teens.denverlibrary.org

OUTREACH Nicotine Anonymous Sundays 12:30 p.m.

A fellowship of men and women helping each other to live our lives free of nicotine.

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 915 E. Ninth Ave. http://nicotine-anonymous.

Nar-Anon Sundays 6:45 p.m.

A twelve step support group for families and friends of addicts to help themselves cope.

First Unitarian Church, 1400 Lafayette St. nar-anon.org Grant Street Reach Mondays 8 a.m.

Providing meals at no cost to its clients and it is sustained by committed and compassionate volunteers. 303-839-1432 St. Paul Lutheran and Roman Catholic Community of Faith, 1600 Grant St. grantstreetreach.org

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Mondays 7 p.m.

Through shared experience and mutual support, join a meeting to help each other to recover from the disease of food addiction.

303-775-8062 Trinity United Methodist Church, e 1820 Broadway p foodaddicts.org m t Home for the Heart AL-ANON P Mondays - Group Al-Anon Adult Children of Alcoholics. Tuesday through Thursday - Group o Al-Anon. Fridays - Group Al-Anon (Meditation e the first 10 minutes). v Room 114, In lower level. Trinity United Methodist D Church, 1820 Broadway a al-anon-co.org c 3 History Matters Committee Meeting r Mondays 7 p.m.

This Historic Preservation Committee is respon- t sible for numerous historic districts as well as f individually designated homes and buildings. o Join us each month to learn what is happening t in your neighborhood and to add to your voice. m Castle Marne, 1572 Race St. F t Moderation Management d Tuesdays 6:30 p.m. e Weekly meetings for problem (vs. chronic) drink- o ers who want to reduce their intake of alcohol. t Email: denver@moderation.org. l First Unitarian Church, 1400 Lafayette St. moderation.org n e Joy AL-ANON b Tuesdays 8 p.m. t Al-Anon’s Purpose is to help friends and families p of alcoholics recover from the effects of living s with the problem drinking of a relative or t friend. In the Roberts Building, Room 103. a Saint John’s Cathedral, 1350 Washington St. a al-anon-co.org t a LifeRing Secular Recovery Meeting s Wednesdays 6 p.m.

M A network of people who support one another in l living free of alcohol and other non-medically a indicated addictive drugs. r 303-875-5088 1 First Unitarian Church, 1400 Lafayette St. b liferingcolorado.org a u t i t b

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Life On Capitol Hill 21

September 2019

Residents push for open space after golf course sale Park Hill course will need a zoning change before development

By Joe Carabello Special to Colorado Community Media

Politics, business and citizen activism Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb entangle the 155-acre Park Hill Golf Course speaks at a Denver Inter-Neighborhood property in the aftermath of its recent $24 Cooperation meeting about the Park Hill million sale from Clayton Early Education Golf Course. to Denver developer Westside Investment COURTESY OF GEORGIA GARNSEY Partners.

Clayton Early Education sold the property vision for the 155-acre property. He envisions open space as a component of a prospective on July 11 to help fund its mission providing development on the property, which has been early education to needy families in Denoperated under a lease agreement between ver, said staff at the nonprofit organization.

Clayton and Texas-based Arcis Golf. Westside Developing the property for commercial acquired Arcis’ lease rights in the deal. Arcis and residential will require rezoning, as the lease rights run through 2023, with an option city currently has the golf course at 4141 E. to renew for five years.

35th Ave. zoned for OS-B, or open spaceThe amount of land dedicated to open space recreation. will depend on Westside’s determination of Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperathe size and scale of various elements of a tion, a nonprofit coalition of representatives development project as well as from comfrom Denver’s registered neighborhood munity engagement, Ho said. The company organizations, insists the city should retain has not filed for a rezoning as of press time on the Perpetual Open Space Conservation EaseAug. 28. ment it designated when it paid the Clayton Park Hill Golf Course has been on the list of Foundation $2 million in 1997. INC fears that potential development the rapidly increasing properties in Denver density in Denver — CITY PARK GOLF for quite some time. In especially at the expense COURSE UPDATE 2017, the City of Denver of open space — negaoffered Clayton $24 miltively affects the city’s The Park Hill Golf Course was closed lion for the property. lifestyle. this season for the City of Denver to build a Arcis, which “We know we’re water-detention project on 60 acres of the had the right not gullible property. The City Park Golf Course closed in of first refusal enough to November 2017 for a similar water detention in its lease, believe that in project. subsequently the world of Denver officials have completed the projsued Clayton politics that ect and are waiting for the grass to return in April sometimes before reopening the City Park course, 2018, filing a there are according to Nancy Kuhn, director of marsecond comagreements, keting with Denver Public Works. This city plaint a year and then wants the turf to be fully established before later which there are allowing players to return to the course at added the city agreements,” 3181 E. 23rd Ave. This is done “in order to of Denver as a said former protect the new turf from being damaged,” co-defendant. The Mayor WelKuhn said. city later withdrew lington Webb in “Establishment of the turf is largely deits 2017 offer, conan address to INC pendent on the weather the rest of this year sidering the Arcis lease representatives Aug. and spring of next year,” she added. rights. Arcis’ suit against 10. “I don’t see a smart Kuhn also said First Tee of Denver will Clayton has since been businessman buying move into the City Park course clubhouse dismissed, according to a site for $24 million as soon as the city receives the certificate court records. unless he thinks he has of occupancy. The clubhouse will open for The city’s interest in the capacity to turn that special events, but will not open full-time acquiring the property into his project. Unless until the rest of the course does. was renewed in January there was an agreement 2019, when officials before that took place.” offered a deal where it would lease half During that meeting, voting the property for $300,000 a year for 30 members of INC passed a resolution years, or $9 million total, and purchase rejecting a zoning change required for half the property for $10 million. developing the property for any use Members of INC have been keepother than open space. INC deliving their eye on a potential sale of ered the resolution to all city council the property since the beginning. Woody members and Mayor Michael B. Hancock on Garnsey, a retired lawyer and longtime Park Aug. 23.

Hill resident, has been a central figure for INC The course temporarily closed this season and others who insist that Denver needs to to accommodate a city storm water detenprotect the Park Hill Golf Course open space tion project currently under construction on easement. The easement’s sole purpose was to 60 acres in the northeast corner of the golf protect open space in Denver. course. When the project is completed, it will “The perpetual conservation easement entail only 25 acres. states that it’s for maintaining the land’s scenic Kenneth Ho, a principal with Westside Inopen condition and for preserving the land for vestment Partners, said his company will seek recreational use,” he said. citizen and other stakeholders input on their

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Bobby McFerrin with the Colorado Symphony Chorus

OCT 26-27 SAT 7:30 ■ SUN 1:00

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NOVEMBER

Kristin Chenoweth in Concert with the Colorado Symphony

Disney in Concert: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

SEP 14 SAT 7:30

NOV 1-2 FRI-SAT 7:30

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. ©Disney.

All rights reserved. MPAA Rating: PG

Rick Steves - A Symphonic Journey with the Colorado Symphony

Halloween Spooktacular!

SEP 15 SUN 2:00

FAMILY

NOV 3 SUN 2:30

Opening Weekend: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto featuring Yumi Hwang-Williams

HalfNotes

Mozart Symphony No. 40 NOV 8-10 FRI- SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

SEP 20-22 FRI-SAT 7:30 ■ SUN 1:00

Renée Fleming - The Brightness of LightColorado Premiere

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NOV 15 & 17 FRI 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

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22 Life On Capitol Hill

September 2019

Castle Marne celebrates its last Colorado Day Longtime bed and breakfast to become vacation rental under new ownership

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The first of August has always been an important day to the Peiker family.

It was the day that Jim and Diane Peiker first bought the Castle Marne in 1988. Exactly one year later, the couple opened it as a bed and breakfast. In the 30 years the Peikers have

run the Castle Marne, many events have fallen on Aug. 1, but this year, in his final act with the property, Jim Peiker closed a deal to sell the bed and breakfast.

After Diane died last October, Jim decided it was time to move on from the bed-andbreakfast industry and put Castle Marne, 1572 Race St., on the market. For more information on Castle Marne and the Peiker family, read our story at https://lifeoncaphill.com/stories/ thankful-for-castle-marne,278832 In the years that Jim and Diane ran Castle Marne, their daughter and son-in-law eventually joined the business. Every year, the family has opened the historic building up to the public on Aug. 1 to celebrate Colorado Day. This year’s celebrations included cake, pop-

corn and live music from Brewglass.

Although it will be the last Colorado day for the Peikers and Castle Marne, Jim said that the new owners will continue to run the building as a Vacation Rental By Owners (VRBO) property. He added that the couple buying Castle Marne is from the area and runs a few other Capitol Hill

properties as well.

Jim will continue living in the carriage house on the property until all the details of the closing have been sorted out. He also said the owners plan on keeping the historic details of the property the same, although they will not continue to serve breakfast.

“We couldn’t ask for a better deal,” Jim said.

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Louie Feher-Peiker puts together a cotton candy stick at the Castle Marne Colorado Day Celebration. Feher-Peiker said that Colorado Day, Aug. 1, is a special day in the history of the bed and breakfast.

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Life On Capitol Hill 23

September 2019

By Nancy Profera

S

Special to Colorado Community Media

ummer is not quite over, and the mountains continue to draw many people away from the busy city. Did you know that Denver manages some of those mountain parks we know and love?

Denver Parks and Recreation manages Denver’s Mountain Parks, a system established in 1912 that today extends across four counties outside of Denver city limits. These include 22 accessible parks and 24 conservation areas comprising 14,000 acres. Together with Denver’s urban parks, this park system is one of the most expansive in the western United States.

There are 15 Denver Mountain Parks including Bergen, Corwina, Daniels, Dedisse, Echo Lake, Fillius, Genesee, Little, Lookout Mountain, Morrison, Newton, O’Fallon, Pence, Red Rocks and Summit Lake. Each is unique and offers a variety of hiking trails, early 20th-century built stone forts, picnic areas, scenic landscapes, golfing, fishing, bird-watching, outdoor concert-going, and camping and lodging, among other options.

Cyndi Karvaski, marketing and media relations for Denver Parks and Recreation, said it is estimated that more than 2 million people a year visit the parks. Brian Kitts, director of Red Rocks for Denver parks said that 1.3 million paid concert goers attend the Red Rocks amphitheater each season, along with another 1 million nonpaid visitors. That makes Red Rocks the most visited location in Colorado. Kitts added that at any given event, nearly 30% of those in attendance are from outside Denver.

Denver Mountain Parks also manages some conservation lands not open to the public. These include iconic landscapes and protected areas critical to wildlife habitats and to maintaining the natural and scenic character of the Denver foothills.

Here are some of the highlights of the Denver Mountain Parks: Bergen: 25 acres, recognized for its open grasslands and mature ponderosa pine forest. A 1917-built stone shelter sits in the center of the park and is made of white quartz and timber.

Located at Interstate 70 West to exit 252 onto Highway 74, County Road 65 in Evergreen.

Corwina: 298 acres, showcases various plant communities in Bear Creek Canyon, along with a stone shelter built in 1918.

The park straddles Bear Creek and Highway 74 and most is

d n o c Se l a u n An

O T E D I U G A VER’S

DENUNTAIN MO

S K R A P

Get out of the city and head to the mountains

Tress reflect on Echo Lake, a Denver-run mountain park.

The city runs 15 parks through the Denver Mountain Parks program.

COURTESY OF DENVER MOUNTAIN PARKS dominated by slopes of dense Ponderosa Pine and Douglas fir.

Located at 25280 CO-74 in Morrison.

Daniels: 1,000 acres and the only Denver park located in Douglas County. Features a unique sandstone ridge setting, historic ranch, bison herd and a 100-mile view of the Front Range extending from Pike’s Peak to the Mummy Range near the Wyoming border. Located at 7549 N. Daniels Park Road in Sedalia.

Dedisse Park and Evergreen Lake: 420 acres with views to the west towards Elephant Butte, Hicks Mountain and Bergen Peak. Also features the 18-hole Evergreen Golf Course. Located at 29200 Upper Bear Creek Road in Evergreen.

Echo Lake: 616 acres, features a natural lake at 10,600 feet in the valley at the base of Goliath Peak, surrounded by a thick spruce-fir forest. Located at CO-103 and Mt. Evans Road in Evergreen.

Fillius: 107 acres, is adjacent to Highway 74 going toward Squaw Pass and Evergreen. Features a stone shelter designed

by J.J.B. Benedict built in 1918, with views of the Continental Divide. Located at 1100-1178 Bergen Parkway in Evergreen.

Genesee: The site of the first acquisition for the Mountain Park system. A 1912 campaign to save its pine forest from becoming lumber was the impetus. At 2,413 acres, it is the largest park in the system. Located at 26771 Genesee Lane in Golden.

Little: 400 acres and the first park along Bear Creek Road west of Idledale. Features a unique octagonal-roofed well house built in 1919. Located at 21763 Miller Lane in Morrison.

Lookout: With a panoramic view from the Continental Divide to downtown Denver. Also features the grave and historic collection of Buffalo Bill, wooded foothills, mountain meadows, a distinctive stone shelter and a twisting scenic mountain road.

Located at 987 Lookout Mountain Road in Golden.

Newton: 600 acres, near Conifer along Highway 285 South with stands of aspens. Located at 11026 U.S. Highway 285 in Conifer.

Martin J. O’Fallon: 860-acre site donated to the park system in 1938. It connected Corwina and Pence Parks and the three now comprise 1,487 acres. Includes wetlands, riparian forest, open meadows, watershed and evergreen forests. Located at 25500 CO-74 in Morrison.

Pence: Consists of a large, northeast facing ridgeline (Independence Mountain) that provides a backdrop to Myers Gulch and Parmalee Gulch Road. Located at 4400 Parmalee Gulch Road in Evergreen.

Red Rocks and Morrison: 868 acres, named for its towering 300-foot sandstone rock formations. Features a unique natural amphitheater, stage and seating area. Located at 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison.

Summit Lake: At 12,840 feet and its 160-acre park is surrounded by National Forest lands and the Mt. Evans wilderness. Located at I-70 West to CO-103 South, Idaho Springs, exit 240 in Evergreen.

For more information on all of Denver’s mountain parks, go to https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denverparks-and-recreation/parks/mountain-parks.html.

Holiday

Craft Show and Mini-Market Admission is free to the public

Saturday Nov. 30

10am - 4pm

Sunday Dec. 1

10am - 2pm

Jefferson County Fairgrounds

15200 W. 6th Ave. Golden, CO.

Come shop for unique gifts and special items during the first-ever Colorado Community Media Holiday Craft Show and Mini-Market; With more than 100 exhibitors filling the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, this is the best place to find that special, personal gift for friends and family. The show will feature handmade crafts in all areas from metal and leather, to flowers, baskets, ceramics, and so much more.

Vendors Needed | Interested in selling your handmade crafts??

Contact Event Producer Thelma Grimes at tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com All applications must be approved to participate

24 Life On Capitol Hill

SEP 3–DEC FALL 2019 |

September 2019

RECYCLING 101

22

Denver Public Schools offers recycling, compost options in 170 locations

By Bruce Goldberg Special to Colorado Community Media

r | Jewelry Drawing | Fibe Ceramics | | Sculpture Book Arts | | Printmaking Photography Programs | Painting | th and Teen You | ies Mixed Media ting Artist Ser Visi | ops ksh Specialty Wor

FALL CLASSES HAVE STARTED!

ASLD is for you whether you’re picking up an art tool for the first time or the thousandth; whether you are teenish or oldish; and whether you are drawn to drawing or…anything!

Fall is the perfect time to go back to art school. Check out the new slate of classes in person or online.

200 Grant St. • Denver 303-778-6990 • ASLD.org

You can add recycling to reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic to the Denver Public Schools curriculum after students returned to classrooms following the summer break.

The trash, recycling and composting programs continue to grow in number at DPS, with more than 170 schools participating in the first two activities and 42 schools into composting.

The DPS Office of Sustainability started to pay for the addition of composting programs at schools last year, and several have added such programs this academic year.

“Before that, the compostable bag liners and hauling fee was kind of prohibitive for some schools’ budgets,” said Brad Paterson, a program administrator for Denver Recycles who also manages hauling contracts for DPS. The timing is good, given all the current news about environmental degradation.

“First and foremost, we’re teaching young students how to be responsible for their ways, and how to be stewards of the planet,” Paterson said.

“When a school adds composting in the cafeteria, we can see an increase in trash loads of 75%. All that food waste gets composted, lowering what goes into the landfill.

And it helps make facilities managers’ jobs easier, as they’re not lifting heavy food bags anymore.”

Students have formed green team clubs at some schools, creating ways to improve the program, decrease contamination, teach others how to follow green practices and

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sometimes collecting recycled items from classrooms.

“You also see kids get really involved, get really excited about the programs,” said Paterson, who also teaches these practices in school classrooms and assemblies. “They start accepting leadership roles and volunteer opportunities — in general, good life skills.”

Paterson said the district is also encouraging students to take ownership of the progam, and engage with their fellow students.

He’s also hopeful students will take what they learn to their homes.

Zack Thrower is a second-year social studies teacher at Compassion Road Academy, a DPS alternative high school with about 150 students in grades nine through 12 at 1000 Cherokee St. in the Golden Triangle.

He has resuscitated the academy’s recycling program, which previously proved unsuccessful. He faces ongoing challenges to involve more students, teach everyone to

properly sort one’s recyclables and to place them in the correct bin.

“To me, it’s kind of criminal that we don’t educate the public on what is recyclable and not recyclable,” he said. He finds it’s a problem outside of school as well when he notices inappropriate items placed into recycling bins at an alley near his residence.

“This program opens your eyes,” Thrower said. “There’s ‘wish recycling,’ where people think things are recyclable that aren’t.”

For example, he found that students didn’t know that a standard plastic bag will jam the sorter that divides up recycled items.

Still, he finds that “people are pretty optimistic” about the program, wanting to believe “they’re throwing that plastic bottle or can in the recycling bin, and that it’s going to go on and live another life,” Thrower said.

“The alternative is to put everything in the trash. In 2019, I don’t think anybody feels good about that.”

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