Life On Capitol Hill 1019

Life On

October 2019 FREE

CAPITOL HILL

PROVIDING STABILITY

BUILDING BRIDGES

NonproďŹ t moves to convert church into housing for homeless

Museum powwow event celebrates 30 years

P21

P7

BALLOT GUIDE

Q&As with the school board candidates

Pages 12-15

SONGBIRDS Swallow Hill celebrates 40 years of music

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2 Life On Capitol Hill

October 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

Tammen Hall, a development project geared specifically toward senior living, opened last month. The project has 49 apartments.

COURTESY OF LACASSE PHOTOGRAPHY

Tammen Hall Tammen Hall, an affordable housing project for seniors opened last month in the City Park West neighborhood. The building is located at 1010 E. 19th Ave. The project includes 49 one- and two-bedroom units, according to a news release.

The first and top floors of the eight-story building are common areas for residents, including a theater and rooftop patio. The Tammen Hall building was first built in 1930 as a dormitory for nurses working at the Childrens Hospital, the release said. It has been vacant since 2007.

The building will serve seniors who are aged 62 older, and make 60% or less of the area median income. The project broke ground in June 2018.

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BUSINESS OPENINGS Smokehouse17 The new barbecue restaurant opened in the Uptown neighborhood on Sept. 6. Smokehouse17 is located at 1612 E. 17th Ave., and features a menu of meat platters, sandwiches and boards. A vegetarian sandwich made with portobello mushrooms is also available.

The space was formerly home to the Knotty Neighbor restaurant. The restaurant only lasted a few months, according to Westword. Prior to that, it was the Southern restaurant Bread N Butter, which opened in 2016 and closed two years later.

Carboy Winery Carboy Winery opened in the former LaLa’s Wine Bar & Pizzeria space at 400 E. Seventh St. last month. The winery is based in Littleton.

Governor’s Park restaurant is the second location for Carboy.

Nearby, Counter Culture Brewing + Grille also opened a new restaurant and taproom at 205 E. Seventh Ave. The brewery had a soft opening, and is planning to expand its beer list and menu this month.

Both locations opened in early September.

Snarfburger The Capitol Hill Snarfburger opened in mid-September at 1001 E. 11th Ave. The new restaurant neighbors its sister-chain, Snarf ’s Sandwiches. The first Snarfburger opened in Boulder in 2013.

According to a Facebook post from the restaurant, the Capitol Hill Snarfburger has temporary soft opening hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Capitol Hill location is the second Snarfburger in Denver. Another location opened off of Federal Boulevard earlier this summer.

Ritual Social House Ritual Social House will be taking the place of Nicolo’s Pizza, which closed in July. Nicolo’s had been in the space at 1209 E. 13th Ave. for 10 years.

Ritual will focus on Sicilian-style pizza, and will have a selection of wine, beer and cocktails.

Ritual’s Facebook page says it will be opening this fall. Pictures from the page also show a new mural with a bear being painted on the side of the building, as well as interior renovations with stripped tree trunks used as pillars.

CLOSINGS Broadway Market Two of the concepts inside the Golden Triangle food hall have closed shop. Broadway Market, located at 950 Broadway, still has several food concepts open in the food hall, as well as one retail shop.

Wonder Press, a Boulder-based juice company, closed in August.

Luna & Jasper, a women’s boutique clothing store, closed in the food hall earlier this summer. The company has a brick & mortar store in West Highland off 32nd Avenue.

Bayou Bob’s Bayou Bob’s, a Cajun restaurant located near the 16th Street Mall closed, it’s doors at the end of August.

“We are old, tired and the fish are biting, so from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you,” read a post on Facebook about the restaurant’s closing.

The restaurant first opened in a food court off of Stout Street in 1986. Bayou Bob’s began offering full restaurant service in 1990. It relocated to 1635 Glenarm St. in 1995.

CHANGES ChoLon Modern Asian ChoLon is celebrating nine years in the Lower Downtown neighborhood this month.

The restaurant is holding a special event to celebrate on Oct. 9 from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $99 each. ChoLon is located at 1555 Blake St. on the 16th Street Mall.

The restaurant is also celebrating the opening of its second location, which will open its doors in November at 10195 E. 29th Drive in Stapleton.

Salvation Army Crossroads Resource Center Officials with the city of Denver agreed to buy the Salvation Army’s Crossroads Resource Center for $10.5 million in August. The shelter is in the River North neighborhood and serves homeless men.

The Salvation Army will lease the building from the city for the next three years in order to continue providing shelter services. The building has enough room for 400 homeless each night.

The shelter, located at 1901 29th St., was built in 1993. City council adopted the resolution in early September and the deal was expected to close by the end of that month.

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Life On Capitol Hill 3

October 2019

Firman to step down as Denver sheriff Staff report After four years on the job, Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman will step down later this month.

Firman will leave the position on Oct. 14.

The news came from a release from the city on the evening of Sept. 11. The next day the city announced that Frances Gomez was appointed by the Hancock administration as the interim sheriff.

Gomez is currently the director of professional standards in the Denver Sheriff ’s Department. She will be the first woman to take the role of sheriff in the department’s history.

Firman was first appointed sheriff by Mayor Michael B. Hancock in October 2015. His four years in the role has been marked with controversy. Earlier this summer, former inmate Diana Sanchez filed a lawsuit against the City and County of Denver, after giving birth unassisted in a city jail cell in 2018. In September, the Denver City Council approved a $1.55

million settlement with 15 female sheriff ’s deputies who claimed they had been sexually harassed while working.

“Sheriff Firman has weathered criticism, fair and unfair, over his tenure at the department, but he remained dedicated his personal commitment to corrections reform, equity, ethical leadership and a passion for serving the people of Denver,” Hancock said in the news release.

“He is a loyal and dedicated public servant, and a compassionate and humane man working in an environment where both qualities are

sorely needed.”

The release also outlined some of Firman’s successes after four years as the Denver sheriff, such as a new use-of-force policy that centered on de-escalation. He also added an employee wellness program and increased the number of mental health providers, the release said.

Executive Director of Public Safety Troy Riggs will begin the search for a new sheriff in the coming months. He will present his findings to Hancock and his team in January.

City releases draft of 2020 Housing Action Plan Affordability in spotlight in proposal gathering public input through Oct. 10 Staff report As the city continues to try and find ways to offer affordable housing, Denver officials have released a new plan informed by the city’s Housing an Inclusive Denver plan.

The Denver Economic Development &

Opportunity office released the Housing Action Plan last month. The public is able to make comments on the draft through Oct. 10, according to a news release from the office.

For more information on the plan, go to https://bit.ly/2kxlzwo. The plan is also available in Spanish. To make comments on the plan, fill out this survey at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/MN9GG9H. Comments and changes to the plan will be considered by the Housing Advisory Committee this fall.

Housing an Inclusive Denver is a five-year

comprehensive housing plan that launched in 2018. The plan outlines 28 different priority strategies, 10 of which have been completed so far, the news release said.

Some of those include doubling the Affordable Housing Fund from $15 million to $30 million by adding an additional 2% sales tax to recreational marijuana. The city has also increased the minimum affordability period on rental housing units from 20 to 60 years.

The 2020 Housing Action Plan addresses these points: Current housing and demographic conditions to drive prioritization of housing

resources in 2020; Overview of 2020 resources available for investment in development, preservation and programs; Projected investments and outcomes in 2020 based on current pipeline of projects and programs; Key action items from the Housing an Inclusive Denver plan that the city and its partners will focus on in 2020 to expand the affordable housing toolbox and promote the core goals of the plan; and The city and its partners’ steps to implement the 2020 Action Plan priorities.

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4 Life On Capitol Hill

One

October 2019

foot in front of the other

Seth Bradley taking 75,000 steps around park to mark 75th birthday

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Seth Bradley trains at Cheesman Park in preparation to do 75,000 steps for his 75th birthday.

Bradley will attempt to walk 75,000 steps in 24 hours around the park on Oct. 1 and 2. KAILYN LAMB

or his 75th birthday, Seth Bradley wants people to get outside and go walking.

Starting on the night of Oct. 1, Bradley will walk 75,000 steps in 24 hours around Cheesman Park for his birthday.

The step count equals about 38 miles, or just over 25 1.5-mile laps around the park.

“Every half hour or so you can find me coming around,” Bradley said of his hopes to have people joining him during the day.

The idea started when Bradley was still working as a commercial banker for UMB Bank. The company offered $100 a month toward health insurance if people made and kept certain fitness goals. Bradley decided to walk 10,000 steps a day consistently, and with dieting hoped to lose 60 pounds. After making that goal, he continued walking, even getting into friendly competitions to see who could walk more steps a day.

Bradley is a third-generation Denver native. He grew up around the park and had trained there before for marathons he ran in the 1970s and 1980s. Although he lives in Lakewood now, Bradley spends a lot of time in the park because he likes walking the trail.

In addition to walking and running mara-

thons, Bradley is an avid hiker. “I’ve always been interested in running, walking, hiking,” he said. He’s done all of the 14ers in Colorado, and has even done 40 of them twice.

By the time his 70th birthday rolled around, Bradley decided he wanted to walk 70,000 steps around the park. He chose Cheesman because there’s parking nearby for people who wanted to join him. He also liked that the path was a soft gravel, which is easier to walk on. Add in the trees and nearby Denver Botanic Gardens, and Bradley said the route is ideal.

After telling co-workers about the plan for his 70th, a flyer was sent out to 3,200 employees at the bank. “I said, ‘Uh oh, well, I better do it,’” he said, adding “I started training and (people) said they wanted to join.”

During his 70th birthday walk, a total of 50 people walked the park with him during different times of the day. If they couldn’t make it to the actual park, Bradley asked that they walk wherever they were. He said that someone was walking in every state west of the Mississippi River, including Hawaii. He also had walkers in New York City and Atlanta.

People joined on the walk internationally, including Paris, Italy, Hong Kong and the Australian Outback.

He’s hopeful that people will join him again for his 75th birthday this year. Bradley will do a short walking shift from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 1. He will start walking again the next day. He hopes to finish all 75,000 steps in 24 hours.

“The whole idea of walking and going out in a nice place is just to get out and walk and get as many other people as possible,” he said. “You can meet a lot of other people and just have conversations.”

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Life On Capitol Hill 5

October 2019

The future of CHUN

Neighborhood advocates celebrate 50 years with new projects

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

C

apitol Hill United Neighborhoods celebrated 50 years last month and announced several new projects that will move it into the future.

The anniversary party was held at the Denver Botanic Gardens on Sept. 18. Community restaurants offered small selections from their menus and there was a silent auction to help fundraise for the registered neighborhood organization. The organization estimated that the event raised more than $30,000 for CHUN. Travis Leiker, president of CHUN’s board, also announced several new initiatives for the organization.

As Denver continues to grow, CHUN board members are pushing to become more inclusive of the diverse community it represents. The board officially adopted its diversity statement in August. The full statement can be read here: https://bit.ly/2kRSMml. CHUN represents around 100,000 people, Leiker said at the event. The organization’s boundaries are from 22nd Avenue to First Avenue and from Broadway to Colorado Boulevard.

CHUN also launched two new initiatives, One Little Kindness and SEED awards. One Little Kindness will recognize people doing good deeds in the community. The project is in partnership with Mark Whistler, who owns the Goods Restaurant on Colfax Avenue.

The SEED awards will promote entrepreneurship within CHUN’s borders, Leiker said. SEED awards will be given under these categories: Smart, solutions-oriented development; Enrichment through educational programming and other lifelong learning opportunities; Environmental sustainability and combating climate change at the neighborhood level; and Diversity efforts and projects fostering an inclusive community.

Lastly, Leiker announced a renovation project that will build the Tears-McFarlane House into a community center. The building is 120 years old. CHUN has owned the

CHUN board members and residents pose for a picture with District 10 Councilmember Chris Hinds, center. As a registered neighborhood organization, CHUN works with the city and local developers to make sure residents of the area are heard.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB building for the last 15 years.

The building recently became a funding avenue for CHUN, which rents out office space in the building. Leiker added that CHUN will continue to let other nonprofits host events at the building free of charge.

“The ultimate goal is to make it a jewel of the neighborhood where people can gather – have a cup of coffee, have a glass of wine, hear a lecture, host a special event,” Leiker said. “We need to give this 120-year-old immense responsibility, but also wonderful property, the tender loving care that it actually deserves and needs.”

A proclamation from the city of Denver sits on display at the CHUN 50th anniversary event. The proclamation recognized the milestone for the nonprofit and its achievements over the years.

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6

Swallow Hill builds community through music

The nonprofit is celebrating 40 years in Denver

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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or the last 40 years, Swallow Hill Music has been steadily growing its footprint in the Denver area.

What started as a small collective of musicians has grown to a school and concert programmer that reaches tens of thousands of people annually.

For concert-goers and volunteers like Christy Ramee, the nonprofit has become more than just a place where she can listen to local music. For her, its a community and a place where she’s met close friends.

When Ramee moved from Atlanta 25 years ago, she immediately began research to find Denver’s music community. In Atlanta, she and her husband had friends to go to concerts with, and enjoyed mingling with music lovers.

“When we moved here, I didn’t know anybody. I wanted to find the music community,” Ramee said. “It very quickly came to light that Swallow Hill was the place.”

Swallow Hill runs concerts in three venues in its own building, located at 71 E. Yale Ave. The building also houses its school and staff. In addition to the Yale building, the school has two smaller locations in Denver. Swallow Hill also runs concerts in venues across the city, and helps book musicians for other organization’s events.

Last year, 64,000 people attended concerts through Swallow Hill and there were 64,000 visits to the school, said CEO Paul Lhevine.

Little Swallows The nonprofit also offers outreach programming to low-income families and schools. Music education is a large part of what they do at Swallow Hill, Lhevine said. Swallow Hill also works in music therapy, particularly in memory care with adult Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

Music helps to bridge the gap between the left and right side of the brain, Lhevine said. For young students, this can eventually help with math, behavior and language skills.

“Music as an educational component drives math and language and social positive emotional behaviors,” Lhevine said. “You can’t think about half beats or full rests or three-quarter time without thinking about math.”

For Lhevine, the potential to grow Swallow Hill’s outreach programming was what drew him to the job back in 2015.

In addition to its paid school, Swallow Hill offers classes to K-12 schools and

early childhood education with the Little Swallows program for locations that have at least 85% of their students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

When Lhevine started, outreach only represented about 1% to 2% of Swallow Hill’s programming. Now, that number is closer to 30%, he said.

This year Swallow Hill will be in 125 classrooms each week working with around 1,700 kids Lhevine said. Four years ago, it was only in one school and worked with 65 kids.

Lhevine said donors are excited about the program, which has helped Little Swallows expand into more schools. More schools are also seeing its success and asking for the program.

“There are so many early childhood education school and centers in our seven-county area that are in deep need and we are only skimming the surface,” he said.

“Yes, we have been blessed with funding, and we can do so much more for so many kids that need it.”

Outreach programming got started in Denver schools. Swallow Hill is now expanding to Mapleton and Aurora.

Lhevine said the goal is to get to all seven counties.

Lhevine Musical history Forty years ago, Swallow Hill got its start in a north Denver neighborhood of the same name.

It was originally located on East 17th Avenue, across the street from where Steuben’s is now.

As the school grew, Swallow Hill moved to Breuer South Pearl Street. Then in 1998 it moved to the current location on Yale.

Swallow Hill also puts on around 250 concert events throughout the year. Staff runs sound at events throughout Denver, such as the Oriental Theater, Four Mile Historic Park, the Denver Botanic Gardens and more.

“It’s everything literally from 75 seats to 5,000,” Lhevine said. “We’re pretty active all over the concert space.”

At first, Swallow Hill was a program run by the Denver Folklore Center, which

enrichment FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information on Swallow Hill Music, go to https://swallowhillmusic.org/.

People can register for classes or buy tickets to Swallow Hill concerts through the website.

The school at Swallow Hill also offers a tuition assistance program, said school director Tyler Breuer. For more information on that, go to https://swallowhillmusic.org/musicschool/tuition-assistance/.

RENOVATIONS ON YALE AVENUE Swallow Hill Music’s CEO Paul Lhevine said the nonprofit will be launching a $3 million capitol campaign project to renovate the building at 71 E. Yale Ave. The renovations will begin in 2020 and will mainly focus on the lobby area at Swallow Hill and help to make the building more accessible Lhevine said.

A Warren Village student jumps during a Swallow Hill class. Swallow Hill CEO Paul Lhevine said the opportunity to expand outreach programming was part of the reason he wanted to join the nonprofit.

ANDREW KOWALYSHYN/AK PHOTO

sells instruments. After buying an instrument, the store would sometimes be able to offer lessons for an individual.

Those lessons turned into classes with multiple people and kept growing from there, Lhevine said.

“It literally kind of grew and blossomed,” he said. “From 2005 to 2015, in that decade we doubled the size of our music school.”

The school is now the second largest acoustic school in the country.

It’s never too late The acoustic music school, which is mainly housed at the Yale location, takes music even further. Tyler Breuer said that many of their students come in as older adults to learn to play an instrument for the first time. In fact, Lhevine said, 80% of the students are adults.

That was the case for Ramee. Around 10 years ago, she began taking music lessons for the first time. Ramee had inherited a ukulele from her in-laws, and she wanted to give it a try. With no prior musical experience, she jumped in to learn.

Now, she plays in a ukulele club once a week, and said that some of her very best friends were people she met through the class.

Five years ago, when she won a guitar at a Swallow Hill concert, there was no

question about where she would turn for lessons. Although this time, she had a little more confidence in her skills.

“They were very welcoming to students with no music background,” she said.

“The teachers were able to get down to a real beginner lesson.”

For Breuer, this is the goal of the school. He wants people to realize that it’s not too late to pick up an instrument and learn. Breuer said he’s also hopeful that people will begin to feel empowered through their own creativity, even if it’s just for yourself.

“I describe (the school) as a place where people can come and get empowerment,” Breuer said. “At the core of it, our biggest deal is community. It’s mixing it up in a classroom that you don’t know the musician next to you, but after eight weeks of classes you’re going to be collaborators with that person. You’re going to be peers.”

Ramee agreed, saying that learning to play has made music a “much richer experience” for her. She now enjoys playing in group sessions at Swallow Hill.

For Lhevine, Swallow Hill means community — one where people can enjoy an experience that brings people together.

“Music enriches our lives,” he added.

“From being the place where we go in the happiest of times, or that place where we go in sad times,” he said, “music rounds us out and does bring joy.”

Life On Capitol Hill 7

October 2019

Meeting people ‘where they’re at’

Ved Price answers the phone at the St. Francis Center Employment Services office.

ANDREW SPINKS

A rendering of what the proposed development for the Warren Methodist Church could look like when converted into affordable housing.

St. Francis Center, a nonprofit that works with homeless populations, is buying the building which is nearby to Cheesman Park. COURTESY IMAGE

Denver nonprofit looks to convert former church into affordable housing

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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nonprofit has set its sights on an old church near Cheesman Park as the home of a new affordable housing project. While some residents think the project will serve a need in the community, others have voiced concern over bringing more density into an already dense neighborhood.

St. Francis Center, which is buying the Warren Methodist Church building for $1.25 million, will renovate the building to have 42 units. Because the building is considered a historic landmark, Denver law states that the outside of the building and its structure cannot be changed without approval. Tom Luehrs, the executive director of St. Francis, said the nonprofit does not plan on filing for a zoning change since the building is already set for mixed use. This makes the project a use-by-right development. St. Francis is a 36-year-old nonprofit that works to provide housing, jobs and other services to the metro area’s homeless community.

Each unit will be 125 square feet and will be furnished. Instead of having individual bathrooms and kitchens in each unit, there will be communal ones in the building. The renovations will cost around $7 million, Luehrs said.

Luehrs said that the project will be meant for people using St. Francis services who already have a job. The housing will provide them that last step of stability to get them on track to more permanent housing options. The rent of a unit will be based off the individual renter’s income.

“The idea of the program is really to help people who are employment-eligible, and maybe working already, but can’t find housing at this point to kind of balance their job and a place to live,” Luehrs said.

“We’re trying to give people the opportunity to be stable in their jobs with the housing.”

The Warren Methodist Church, 1630 E. 14th Ave., has been closed since July 2014. Since then, the building has been used as temporary event space or for other community needs. St. Francis has worked out of the building providing employment services for the last 10 years.

instead of individuals. The nonprofit was The affordable balancing act Adam Larkey, a resident who lives across unable to find a ratio of units that accommodated families with children and the street from the church, said that one subsidies that would work. of his biggest concerns is the cost of the Although he said Warren Village would project for so few units, particularly since be unable to use the building itself, Hemtax dollars are being used. He and a group ming is looking forward to the possibilities of neighbors also had other concerns of collaborating with St. Francis on proabout the project as well. Larkey is also the gramming for the different communities director of sales and leasing with Zeppelin the two nonprofits serve. He added that he Development. prefers to “start from the assumption that “The need in our community for these partnership is possible,” rather than the services is clear,” he said in an email, “but differences between the group has conthe two organizacerns about issues FOR MORE INFORMATION tions. such as density of “(St. Francis is) similar social sergoing after the vices on the same For more information on the St. Fransame things we are: city block, parking, cis Center, go to www.sfcdenver.org. working with people zoning as it relates to To ask a question, or leave a comment where they’re at,” he a historic property on the Warren Church housing project, said. and the best use of email St. Francis Executive Director Tom Noreen Keleshian, government funds Luehrs. the treasurer and for building a project director of adminof this type.” istrative services In order for nonwith Mountain Sky, said that it is part of profits such as St. Francis to offer units at the church’s overall mission to make a an affordable rate, they use tax credits and difference in the communities they are in. other funding avenues to make up for the Because of that, she said, it was important market-rate difference. to them to find a new owner for the church The problem, Luehrs said, is that land building that had a mission to help those has gotten expensive in Denver. It is hard in need. for a nonprofit to find locations that fit all “We were very fortunate that the St. their needs — the right price, the right Francis Center had an interest in buying location and the right number of units.

It can be a balancing act to find the num- the building to do just that,” she said. ber of units that’s feasible in an affordable Density concerns housing project, he added.

In addition to costs, Caroline Schomp, Indeed, Mountain Sky Conference of the the vice president of the Neighbors for United Methodist Church, which owns the Greater Capitol Hill, said they had conbuilding, originally offered it to Warren cerns about the particulars of the zoning Village, which neighbors the church. For for group housing in this project, as well the last 45 years, Warren Village, 1323 as parking concerns when bringing more Gilpin St., has provided housing to lowpeople into the neighborhood. income single parents who are working or The building is zoned as G-MU-3, or going to school.

General Urban-Multi-Unit with three Warren Village has its roots in the stories max height. Luehrs said the project church’s history, said CEO Ethan Hemwill fit within that zoning, and will not ming. Dr. Myron Waddell, an active memrequire any meetings with city officials to ber of the church, saw the needs of single parents in the community and worked with make changes. However, it was important to him and other staff members at the nonthe congregation to provide them with a profit to begin speaking to neighbors about space to live in 1974. the project early on.

Hemming said that it wasn’t feasible for He said they first met with then counWarren Village to use the church building cilmember Wayne New in February, and for housing because they serve families

then began meetings with local Registered Neighborhood Organizations after that. St. Francis held the first open house for the project in August.

Travis Leiker, the president of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, said that his RNO has begun working with St. Francis to develop a Good Neighbor Agreement for the project to ensure that neighbor concerns are being addressed. He added that he thinks the project will “activate the block and provide critical services.”

Leiker added that hopes that other residents will inform themselves on the issue so that neighbors can continue to have dialogue on affordable housing.

“It’s important for us to be solutions oriented,” he said. “It can only take place if people and parties are willing to put emotions aside.”

St. Francis has some housing projects near its headquarters at 2323 Curtis St. Those units are more traditional onebedrooms, and have kitchen and bathroom spaces in each one. Although the units will be different, many of the services the nonprofit provides will be the same.

Luehrs said that St. Francis has staff on hand in their buildings to help residents with job and housing resources. Part of this is helping guide residents toward more permanent housing options. He added that there will not be a time restriction for how long tenants stay in the new Warren church units.

As for cars, Luehrs said that often people who were formerly homeless did not have vehicles to begin with. Only 4% of the tenants living in their Curtis Street units have cars. He said he expects the new project to have a similar ratio.

Luehrs is hopeful that the residents with concerns over the project will come around. The nonprofit will continue working with the community to address questions that they have. Increased services is the best way to help get people out of the homeless cycle, Luehrs said, but for him, the project is about providing people in need with a private space to call home.

“These type of programs are very effective,” Luehrs said. “Just being able, when you have your own place, to shower when you want to. A lot of those things are taken for granted.”

8 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

Two Denver tax initiatives tackle climate change Proposals push for taxing electricity and natural gas use

By Nancy Profera Special to Colorado Community Media

Denver city officials and residents continue to push for climate policy as two new carbon tax initiatives are planned for next year’s ballot.

A recent citizens initiative was introduced, as well as one by Denver City Council members.

Each propose funding a new Denver Office of Climate Action and Resiliency. The citizens initiative gained enough signatures to be on the November 2020 ballot.

“We missed the deadline for November 2019, but certified for the 2020 ballot,” said Ean Tafoya, a representative for Resilient Denver, a citizens activist group fighting climate change. This initiative would establish an excise tax on commercial and residential building electricity and natural gas use. The bill exempts businesses using below average energy consumption.

Meanwhile, Denver City Council has introduced a similar bill proposing an excise tax on

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

businesses, but unlike the citizens initiative, it would not tax residences. This bill is also designed to help fund a proposed new climate office.

According to Resilient Denver, the new office will ensure urgent and proactive climate mitigation efforts while preparing for the effects of climate change and protecting vulnerable populations. It will also ensure Denver meets or exceeds all science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions recommended by the International Panel on Climate Change.

“Our climate efforts are all spread out and we want to streamline and elevate the issue of climate change,” said Jolon Clark, city council president and District

7 representative. “Denver is doing a lot of great work—it’s just that none of it is moving anywhere near fast enough.”

This seems to be the rally call for both initiatives: do more and move faster on climate action. The good news is that the city and citizens have been working together to align and define their efforts.

“Council too tried to make the November 2019 ballot and a deal was brokered with the mayor’s office to create a stakeholders group, invest money in the 2020 budget, and create a new office,” said Tafoya.

“Our members have been working with the city from within and outside for many years on sustainability and climate goals,” said Tafoya. “We work as organizers,

city committee and stakeholder members via initiatives.”

Clark added that it would be unlikely that both items move forward to the 2020 ballot since they are so similar.

By Denver’s own estimates, commercial and industrial buildings contribute 41% of greenhouse gas emissions in the city. Transportation contributes 36%, and with buildings, make up the greatest emitters of pollutants. The city considers these sectors slow to change and wants to take action.

Denver has long been in the forefront in creating environmental policies. In 2007 Denver became one of the first major U.S. cities to publish a climate action plan. In 2019, the city was ranked #8 out of 75 large cities nationally for clean energy policy and programs by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Denver has also been ranked a top U.S. city for solar energy efficiency, as well as being named a global city for climate reporting by the nonprofit Disclosure Insight Action/Carbon Disclosure Project.

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment published the “80 x 50 Climate Action Plan” in July 2018. It set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 from a 2005 baseline, and to do so by le-

veraging existing efforts across the energy efficiency, transportation, and electricity generation sectors already in place in Denver.

The new citizens initiative is the latest in a stream of residentled efforts. Denver voters also initiated and approved green roof and green buildings ordinances between 2017 and 2018.

“Implementation is going well.

New developments have eight compliance options and existing buildings five,” said Ann Cecchine-Williams, deputy executive director, Department of Public Health and Environment for Denver.

Compliance options include energy efficiency, solar, green space on the roof or on the ground, or a combination of options. Around 30 projects have received permits since 2018, about two-thirds of which are remodels and additions to existing buildings. Some projects are opting to pursue even greater energy efficiency than is required by the code, CecchineWilliams said.

“We have been excited to see the variety of options project teams are selecting,” she said. “Some buildings that are able to support the weight of vegetation on the roof are choosing to do so, while others are opting for important green space on the ground.”

Denver joins fight against repeal of Clean Power Plan Trump administration aims to replace protections from Obama era

parent preview

Staff report

Friday, November 8, 2019 Come for a tour of our picturesque campus, including our outdoor classroom.

9:00 Welcome 9:15 Campus Tours

10:00 Comments & Questions 10:15 Panel Discussion

St. Anne’s Episcopal School • Dining Hall 2701 S. York Street • Denver, CO 80210

Marcia 303.756.9481 x210 or st-annes.org/parent-preview If you are unable to attend the Parent Preview but would like to schedule a tour of St. Anne’s Episcopal School, please contact the Admissions Office at 303.756.9481 x210 or visit our website: st-annes.org.

The City and County of Denver has filed a challenge against the Environmental Protection Agency’s repeal of the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, according to a news release from the city.

President Trump first signed an executive order to review the plan in March 2017, according to the EPA website.

Earlier this summer, the EPA replaced the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which the city of Denver argues “would allow highly polluting, uneconomical fossil fuel generating power plants to continue operating longer than climate science indicates they should be, while setting no overall emissionsreduction requirements,” the news release said.

“Now is not the time for the federal government to be in full retreat from safeguarding our environment from the devastating effects of climate change,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said in the

news release. “Repealing the Clean Power Plan is the Trump administration dealing yet another blow to worldwide efforts to combat the greatest environmental threat to the security and well-being of our nation and planet.”

For more information on the Affordable Clean Energy rule, go to https://www.epa. gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule.

After the Clean Power Plan was replaced, a coalition of 29 states and cities, including Colorado and the City of Boulder, filed a Petition for Review, the news release said.

The City of Denver has its own clean energy goals, per its Climate Action Plan, which aims to have 100% renewable electricity by 2030. The plan also hopes to reduce emissions in the city by 80% by 2050. This work would be supported by the Clean Power Plan, which by 2030, would cut carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fueled electrical generation facilities by 32% respective to 2005 levels, the news release said. The new Affordable Clean Energy rule would hinder progress on this plan.

For more information on the city of Denver’s Climate Action plan, go to https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/environmental-health/environmental-quality/climate.html.

Life On Capitol Hill 9

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10 Life On Capitol Hill

LOCAL

October 2019

VOICES The power of creative expression A

FROM THE EDITOR

Kailyn Lamb

s a former high school drama kid, and devoted lover of the arts, I often see the impact of theater firsthand.

In college, I worked at Colorado Ballet in a variety of roles. Seeing joy on a child’s face as they walk into their first dance class, or as they watch their heroes perform on the big stage, is simply indescribable.

Stepping a little further back in time, each year in high school I performed in the spring musical. I moved from ensemble to speaking lines in productions of “The Wiz,” “Anything Goes,” “The Music Man” and “Oliver.” I learned a lot about myself by being someone else. I also learned a lot about friendship.

Spending hours backstage with your fellow perform-

ers bonds you in a way that few things do.

Although I didn’t continue working with my love of theater, I do continue to work in the arts through writing. Creative expression has always been a powerful force in my life.

In this issue you will find a story that speaks to how theater and creative expression has impacted a very specific group of people: Colorado inmates. The story is on a budding initiative by the University of Denver that brings different arts into prisons, such as theater, podcasts and newspapers.

As a journalist, it is part of my job to bring transparency in how I write stories, and I made a very conscious decision in the way I wrote this story. I did

not ask the inmates what got them in prison.

To me, this story is about people using available resources to better their lives. For the men and women in prison, those resources can be scarce. In speaking with members of the cast and crew of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” run by the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative, I learned that many of them saw this production as a ray of hope.

Few people have the privilege of stepping into the shoes of another person, even temporarily. For incarcerated men and women, the opportunity is even more rare.

SEE LAMB, P11

Raising wages will bring better quality of life in Denver GUEST COLUMN

Giving your garden a second wind GUEST COLUMN Mike Kintgen

G

rasses come into their peak in autumn and winter, giving the garden a second wind. Changing from a quiet green backdrop for spring and summers flowers, to the main attraction in September and October, ornamental grasses belong in almost every Colorado garden. Autumn is a perfect time to plan where to add them to the garden next spring.

Lucky for us, Plant Select — a cooperative

Life On

CAPITOL HILL

A publication of

Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or visit www.lifeoncaphill.com/subscribe

program administered by Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University in concert with horticulturists and nurseries — has done much of the hard work of sorting through the hundreds of species and cultivars of ornamental grasses available.

All Plant Select recommendations perform beautifully in most Denver gardens.

I especially enjoy the native selections SEE GARDEN, P11

Councilmember Robin Kniech and Mayor Michael B. Hancock

T

hroughout our time in elected office, we’ve worked with each other as well as city partners and the community to address the cost of living challenges faced by Denver residents — especially on affordable housing, but also on access to food, healthcare and transportation. But incomes have not kept up with the rising cost of living here in Denver or nationally, increasing the pressure on working families more and more each year.

Income inequality and economic insecurity is one of the single largest issue facing Denver residents. It is felt when single moms have to pick up an extra job to pay for what one used to cover. It is choosing between healthy food for your family or paying for your medicine. It is choosing between paying the rent on time or fixing the car that takes you to work. Fair wages are central to ensuring Denver remains inclusive and affordable for everyone. And a livable wage is critical to ensuring greater racial and gender equity in our city: More than half of all Latinx residents who live and work in Denver, and 38% of African-Americans, are earning less than $15.87 an hour.

Earlier this year, we began addressing this challenge by giving workers doing business with the city a path to earning $15/hr by July 2021. A few months later, a coalition of community and labor partners worked with the legislature to give local governments like SEE WAGES, P11

JERRY HEALEY President

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

KAILYN LAMB Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

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Email letters to klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

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Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of Life in Cap Hill.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please Include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Life On Capitol Hill 11

October 2019

Lamb FROM PAGE 10

Ashley Hamilton, the director of the production and director of the DU initiative, said these men and women are reminded of their crimes every day simply by being where they are. It’s something she and the performers cannot ignore while they work on projects, but, she added, the crimes

Wages FROM PAGE 10

Denver the local power to raise the minimum wage city-wide. Now, we are proud to announce a proposal to raise wages for all Denver workers starting January 1, 2020.

Decades of research shows that minimum wage increases put more money in the pockets of workers who need it most, which are then re-invested right back into our local economy through increased spending. Evidence from cities that have led the way, like Seattle and Washington, D.C., show no real negative impacts to employment or prices. Higher wages also help retain talent and cut down on turnover costs, both of which can help companies in this competitive job market.

Increased wages represent more than

Garden FROM PAGE 10

of ornamental grasses promoted by the program. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) are all native within the borders of Colorado.

Ruby muhly (Muhlenbergia reverchonii) and giant sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii) are native to neighboring states and do very well in Denver. Using native grasses has several benefits — they are well adapted to the weather extremes of Denver, use less water than most non-native ornamental grasses and provide habitat for birds and insects.

The smallest native section from Plant Select is Bouteloua gracilis — “Blonde Ambition.” Blue grama also happens to be Colorado’s state grass and large expanses of it were present in the shortgrass prairie that once dominated the Front Range.

Growing 18-24 inches tall and about as wide, this grass loves sun and heat. Plant it in full sun and you will rarely have to water it once established. Its main season of glory is autumn and winter when the beautiful delicate eyelash-like seed heads turn to a beautiful blond color that last well into early springs.

The Undaunted strain of ruby muhly grass (Muhlenbergia revercnoii) is about the same height as “Blonde Ambition,” but grows up to three feet wide. It loves sun and a good deep soak every week or two seems to keep it looking best. This is one of the last grasses to come into bloom and doesn’t really shine until early September.

Next up in size is Schizocaprum scopar-

themselves are something they rarely talk about. For each inmate, it can be a personal, and often shameful discussion.

Hamilton said that while the harm caused is not something she wants to ignore, she does want to help guide inmates in having the tools to move forward, and to teach them “that they can be free while still living inside.”

This was not a decision I took lightly.

On the drive to the Women’s Correctional Facility to see the performance, I was still

grappling with the idea of asking inmates what happened. But as I heard them begin to describe what this program meant, I realized it was also their second chance to be a new person.

These men have been judged for their crimes. This story is about what they are doing to improve themselves and their lives. For some inmates, it was also about paying those opportunities forward and teaching other inmates about opportunities through creative expression.

This decision was driven home for me when Christopher Shetskie McAllister talked about having the courage to take on this particular play during a questionand-answer session with inmates from the women’s prison. McAllister played Dr. Spivey in the show. He said that while you can’t let go of the past, you also can’t let it dictate who you are now.

“While it may be true that you’re a prisoner, you’re still a person,” McAllister said.

“You’re still here, you’re still going.”

dollars for Denver’s residents. Research from the University of North Carolina published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health demonstrates that higher wages and the economic stability they bring actually improves health: lower depression and suicide rates, increased use of healthcare to treat physical and mental health conditions, reductions in premature deaths, teen births, child neglect reports, and more.

For all these reasons, we are launching a community dialogue on raising the minimum wage city-wide here in Denver. Our proposal is to follow the incremental path provided by the Legislature, raising wages to $13.80 an hour on January 1, 2020, and then to a $15.87 an hour in 2021. Wages would then increase based on the cost of living in 2020 and beyond. We are in the midst of a robust stakeholder and public

feedback process including businesses large and small, neighborhoods, faith and community organizations, as well as workers and their representatives. The formal council process begins in November.

Raising Denver’s minimum wage will improve the quality of life for 100,000 hardworking individuals who call Denver home and make our thriving economy possible.

We look forward to feedback on the proposal and a community dialogue on how higher wages for Denver workers can help combat income inequality and severe racial

disparities in earnings, improve economic security for Denver residents, and help attract and retain talent in a competitive labor market. Please go to www.denvergov. org/livablewage to read the full proposal and find a public meeting.

ium, “Standing Ovation,” a form of little bluestem that stays upright where other forms flop from too much water. Like the “Blonde Ambition,” this grass is perfect for sunny, dry sites. Too much shade and water will make it flop. We also recommend “Blue Heaven,” which is bluer and taller.

Two larger grasses are Andropogon gerardii “Windwalker” and Sorghastrum nutans “Thinman.” These grow four to six feet tall and make excellent backdrop plants. They do best in full sun, with little water (deep soakings once a week or less should suffice). Both have beautiful bluish foliage that is a wonderful contrast to other plants in the garden.

The largest native grass offered by Plant Select is giant sacaton grass (Spropbolus wrightii) that reaches five to eight feet tall and wide. Give this grass plenty room and sun. It can be a good substitute for the ravenna grass or hardy pampas grass (Sacharum ravennae) which has shown invasive tendencies.

Additional wonderful non-native grasses from Plant Select include the Undaunted strain of alpine spike grass (Acanantherum calamagrostis) and Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytrycha). Both require more water and shade then the native grasses, but they still need at least six hours of sun to truly be at their best.

Lastly, do not rush cutting your grasses down in the fall. Leave them for winter interest and shelter for native insects and wildlife. You can cut your grasses back in late February or March, once a heavy snow has flattened them.

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

Robin Kniech represents the city of Denver as a councilmember-at-large. She can be reached at robin.kniech@denvergov.org.

Michael B. Hancock is the 45th mayor of Denver. His office can be reached at 720865-9000.

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

people who:

It starts at 6:00PM on Thursday, October 24th at The Physio Revolution in Denver, CO and is aimed at

• Suffer with knee pain when they stand, walk, run, or bike.

• Stiffness or pain in their knees after sitting for long periods of time.

• Experience sharp or achey pain when going up or down the stairs.

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

• Are afraid their pain will get worse if they don’t do anything about it Brooke said, “Knee pain is one of the biggest issues that can completely ruin people’s life. It can have people needing to lean on the shopping cart when they are walking through the supermarket. It can stop you from feeling comfortable in a short walk or force you to question going up or down the stairs. It can simply drain your freedom and independence if not addressed.”

But help doesn’t have to involve pills or surgery. The workshop will highlight the mistakes which stop people from healing, the 3 most common causes of knee pain, the best treatments and how to pick the right one. To secure 1 of only 8 seats contact (720)-772-1133.

If you are an active adult with knee aches or pain that just won’t go away, this workshop is for you! Brooke will personally teach you how to get them to completely go away naturally WITHOUT resorting to medications, surgeries or injections. This is a FREE community educational event. There is no cost to attend - To keep it valuable, interactive, and fun, we’ve capped it to only 8 spots available.

Contact Annie at (720)-772-1133 or claim your spot by going to Https://ThePhysioRevolution.Lpages.Co/KneeWorkshop Event Details: 6:00-7:00PM on Thursday, October 24th at The Physio Revolution, 1224 S. Acoma St, Denver CO 80223.

12 Life On Capitol Hill

ELECTIONS 2019

School Board, District 1

October 2019

Why are you seeking this office and what makes you the best choice?

What are the most important duties of a district director of the Denver school board?

Scott Baldermann

I’ve had enough of Denver Public Schools disrespecting teachers, mismanaging tax dollars and experimenting on our kids with failed reforms. Current policies are leading to 20% teacher turnover and 35% turnover for paraprofessionals. We need to review educator compensation and benefits, so we avoid future strikes like the one that disrupted the entire Denver community and economy in February. Too many taxpayer dollars are being diverted to central office bureaucracy. We need to get back to basics and properly fund classrooms where it really matters — for the direct benefit of students.

The role of the board is to govern — to direct major decisions of the school district — and to monitor the performance of management and committees. The board also acts as the direct supervisor of the superintendent, taking ultimate responsibility for the actions of the administration. The board should serve as a representative that is engaged with the community. This means actively consulting the community — engaging parents, students, teachers and elders. With that wisdom, board members can implement policy changes to serve all students better.

Diana Romero Campbell

I am running because I love our Denver community, and have a deep commitment to education. I want to ensure that all our students achieve their full potential and thrive. I know that my lifelong experience with early childhood education and policy, and my experience as a parent and nonprofit leader, will be an asset to the board, the district, and the students and families we serve. I’ve spent my life working on improving early childhood education for our youngest children. I will work to ensure excellent education for every student in District 1.

As an elected leader, I will be a public servant who represents the people of my district, by listening to and working alongside parents, students, educators and community members to ensure that DPS is providing excellent education to all students. As someone who has served on multiple boards, I know my first responsibility is to be accountable and transparent.

M. Radhika Nath, Ph.D.

Ever since my sons joined kindergarten, I have had to make time to support them at school. Both my sons are on an individualized education plan. English language learners are falling behind, black children are being disproportionately disciplined, children with disabilities are being pushed out of inclusion and children with trauma or poverty are not receiving resources that would allow them to overcome challenges.

My policy expertise, my experience as a former foster parent and my disabilities advocacy make me well prepared to take on the mantle of overseeing DPS and ensuring that public funding is reaching and serving our children first.

Oversight of DPS policies and budget are the most important duties of the school board. These policies must (a) first serve our children, ensuring equity and their success; (b) strengthen and stabilize our educators and workforce, and; (c) be transparent and manage public funds with integrity.

In the past 15 years, the number of non-traditional schools which are exempt from many regulations that traditional public schools are subject to has grown exponentially; they are now over 50% of all schools.

If it is a public school and receives public dollars, it must be subject to full public oversight.

Why are you seeking this office and what makes you the best choice?

What are the most important duties of a district director of the Denver school board?

The families in my district deserve a representative who will be a champion for all our students, especially our English language learners, our students with disabilities, and our LGBTQ+ youth. The teachers in Denver deserve a representative who understands the rewards as well as the challenges of being in the classroom on a daily basis.

As a school board member, I am committed to supporting teachers and students by: (1) advocating for the teachers’ right to unionize and bargain collectively, and (2) advocating for financial transparency, ensuring that taxpayer dollars entrusted to DPS are making their way to the schools and classrooms as intended.

As an elected official, a DPS board member is entrusted with representing the values of its constituents; demanding transparency and accountability in fiduciary policies and practices; drafting and garnering support for policy that is culturally responsive and affirming; listening and collaborating with all stakeholders, specifically students, families, and the teacher and support staff unions; fostering an organization that fights injustices and discrimination of all forms; and above all is safe and trustworthy.

My parents were teachers. They instilled in me, at an early age, the importance of attaining an education. I have three kids: Hazel, Olive, and Gabriel. When Hazel was a baby, I became involved with Northwest Parents for Excellent Schools. We hosted community conversations to determine how we could help improve education at our local schools. This experience underscored for me the truth that we learn best when we listen. I went on to serve on the Collaborative School Committee for about six years. I also served on the Citizens Planning Advisory Committee for the 2016 bond, and I currently serve on the Bond Oversight Committee.

Essentially, there are three core duties to serving as a board director: policy creation, financial oversight, and superintendent partnership/accountability. I add to those duties my belief that an elected representative should represent all voices (not just the loudest or wealthiest). I also believe that Susana Cordova can be a great superintendent. I want to be a thought partner with her to develop and implement a plan that delivers on our promise to DPS kids.

Understanding where we are as a district, as well as developing and implementing a plan to promote the ongoing improvement of our school district, is critical to achieving the Denver Plan 2020 goals.

I’m a DPS parent and classroom volunteer. As pastor of Highlands United Methodist Church, we have fed the hungry, housed the homeless, and built relationships that matter. The opportunity to further serve students, teachers, and the community led me to run for school board. I can bring the change our community is longing for, like I heard in the chants of teachers. This election is that moment for change.

The board’s primary role is bringing the voice of the community into action through oversight and vision. My work will be guided by the people of my district. Academic success relies on a system that honors the potential of every student by giving them: a strong foundation through early preparation with an emphasis on reading; nurtured curiosity through teaching to learn instead of to test; and preparation for both academic and professional possibilities after they graduate. We must do the hard work to make sure there is no gap between who receives these keys to success and who does not.

Grew up in Aurora, has lived in Denver since 2002.

Profession: Self-employed/ entrepreneur Campaign website: www. scott4schools.org

Denver native, DPS graduate and parent.

Profession: President of Scholars Unlimited Campaign website: www.

DianaforDPS.com

Denver resident since 2010, and Colorado resident since 2001.

Profession: Policy and analytics Campaign website: www.RadForEd. org

School Board, District 5 Julie Bañuelos Has lived in Denver for most of her life.

Profession: Freelance bilingual education specialist and assessor, and former District 5 teacher at DPS Campaign website: www.juliefordps. com

Tony Curcio Has lived in Denver for 21 years.

Profession: Engineer Campaign website: www. tonycurciofordenverkids.com

Bradley Laurvick

Has lived in north Denver for seven years and in the metro area for 25 years.

Profession: Pastor at Highlands United Methodist Church Campaign website: www.

BradForDenverSchools.com

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October 2019

ELECTIONS 2019

Life On Capitol Hill 13

What should be done to ensure that Denver students receive a high-quality education in a healthy environment?

How should the district be moving forward with teacher relations after the strike earlier this year?

What will be your top three priorities once elected?

My plan will ensure every student is supported in and out of school by providing equitable funding, resources, staff, services and curriculum. I believe our first steps should be to: • Introduce school board resolu- for students with individual tions to require comprehensive education plans or 504 plans, as well as gifted and talented mental health programs, as well as to require rich music and students and twice-exceptional students. art programs.

• Strategically locate schools • Increase funding allocations and community zones that for free and reduced lunch and host family opportunity centers English language learners.

• Introduce funding allocations throughout the city of Denver.

I began attending DPS/DCTA Pro-Comp bargaining sessions in late 2017. That was my first experience seeing the disconnect between the teachers and the administration. I got involved supporting teachers because of bad-faith bargaining. Inadequate proposals were delivered by the district, which prolonged the process and ultimately led to the strike.

The district and teachers association must reconcile to benefit students. This begins with getting both parties communicating immediately to prepare for the 2022 Master Agreement. The district must also work closely with the city of Denver and neighborhood associations to provide affordable housing options for teachers and paraprofessionals.

I want to equitably fund every school with core resources, staff, curriculum and services regardless of their zip code.

Approximately half of DPS schools are waiving various teacher rights, which leaves them unprotected. Unsurprisingly, teachers then look to neighboring school districts for better opportunities.

We must provide teachers and paraprofessionals with support, resources and professional development they need to be successful.

I want to see DPS become an integral part of Denver’s neighborhoods. If we want strong schools in every neighborhood and for teachers to be able to afford living in Denver, we must work with local communities.

Given today’s national climate, it is my top priority that our students and families know they are coming to an environment where they can thrive, can succeed, and are safe. This is not a time to take human rights for granted. I am focused on ensuring that all DPS students have a warm and welcoming environment where they can learn and grow. As a board member, I will work to increase support of social, emotional, and mental health support in schools across District 1 and throughout DPS.

I am the daughter of public school teachers, and when I was a young girl, I walked picket lines with my father when he was on strike. This past school year, I watched educators, parents, students, and community members navigate a strike. For many, it was a unifying experience to lift up the voices of teachers. I still believe that more work can be done to ensure that their voices are heard. I will work to shift the mindset of division between the district and educators, and work toward an environment within DPS that respects teachers by providing them with the resources they need.

I believe that in a district of 95,000 students, we can and should recruit our future teacher leaders, particularly teachers of color, from the brilliance that exists within our community. Specifically, we must build a recruitment pipeline that builds leadership to prepare students and community leaders to become educators.

I will also work to elevate community voices in board decisionmaking. I will respect the autonomy of each school’s culture while also holding them accountable to ensuring high expectations for all students.

My third priority will be expanding college and career readiness.

Students need support throughout their school experience to be exposed to multiple pathways for success.

Choice is an illusion if only those who are hustling the hardest or winning a lottery can access a high-quality education. Choice has created winners and losers. We need all our kids to succeed and be included and accepted. We need every school to be a high-quality school rather than create a choice patchwork.

We need smaller class sizes where children are learning, playing, creating, communicating, resolving conflicts and bonding with teachers and trusted adults. We need dedicated mental health nurse and other specialists (OT, speech, PT) in our schools to help our children.

Teacher empowerment is an issue in our system. Many of our schools have exempted themselves from collective bargaining with DPS administration approval. This has created a destabilized work setting for traditional public schools which are not exempt from collective bargaining rules. We need teachers to be better paid so they can aspire, at least, to a middle-class life, living in the communities they serve and feeling accomplished rather than overworked and underappreciated. We need to remove the stress of teaching to the test and allow teachers the time to teach kids to be curious and learn a variety of content and subjects.

In District 1, schools serve children with higher needs. We need these schools to receive additional resources and more compassionate schooling for the children with the most needs.

Secondly, we need to remove the high-stakes testing which has become the basis of the school performance. This has led to resources being diverted to teaching to the test rather than a focus on high-quality, holistic education.

Our tax dollars don’t make it to the classrooms. The elected board is unable to fully oversee our schools because 53% have appointed layers of management that prevent a free flow of data about students and teaching coming before the elected board.

How should the district be moving forward with teacher relations after the strike earlier this year?

What will be your top three priorities once elected?

4) Licensed and experienced teachers that are respected, paid livable wages, trusted and retained every year; 5) Authentic parent/family engagement inspired by culturally affirming activities; 6) Focus on student’s love of learning instead of standardized testing; 7) A school that complies with consent decree and mandated instructions for students on specialized plans and an OrtonGillingham team.

If we learned anything from the strike, it was that our teachers and special service providers can’t afford to live in the city where they work.

A major reason why the district sends less than 50% of total funding directly to schools while also cutting wages and benefits is the mismanagement of its budget. The district is failing to hire and compensate teachers and staff, maintain and upgrade buildings, and provide well-resourced classrooms for all students in Denver.

It starts with aligning priorities with stated values, which would then be reflected in all budgeting decisions. It will also require ongoing recognition of teachers as respected professionals.

With a program-planning-budgeting system of accounting, people can be assured that classrooms will be resourced comprehensively. Likewise, our teachers, special service providers and students must be valued more than an assessment score.

Protecting students and educators from guns is critical, but at the forefront is safety inside schools. Safety in our schools is critical for trust to exist between students and teachers, and between the district and families.

Too often, schools with a high number of English language learners and students of color are the ones that experience school closure. Hiring teachers of color with similar backgrounds to students is critical for progressive education.

I’d like to focus this response on our LGBTQ+ students. All students must feel safe and have a sense of belonging in their place of learning. While our society has made incredible strides since the days of the Stonewall riots, we still have a long way to go towards ensuring that all of our students — especially our LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming students — feel safe and respected for who they are. Towards our shared goal, DPS policy and culture must have: No place for hate, Mental health supports, More LGBTQ+ affinity groups.

People who care about children receiving a quality education cannot afford to be divided. We must do everything we can to rebuild trust and healthy relationships, and then turn our collective energy towards advocacy for increased state funding. Colorado remains $2,700 below the national average in per-pupil funding. Imagine if Colorado got closer to the national average? Perhaps then, teachers would not have to pay for classroom supplies out of their own pockets! Plus, we could look sooner to raising the minimum wage for all classified employees to $15/hour.

1. We must attract, retain, and support great school leaders and fantastic teachers in all of our schools, especially educators of color. In study after study, quality leaders and teachers are the number one factor impacting school and student success.

2. DPS has the third largest achievement gap in the country. Every student, no matter their zip code, should be getting a world-class education from DPS. 3. We need safe and supportive school environments for our students and teachers. We need to ensure our schools are safe, provide mental health services, and protect the most vulnerable communities in our schools, including our LGBTQ+ community.

Students must be provided resources to be successful in their learning. What side of the street you live on should not determine the resources available to you. Teachers must have classroom resources, a deep team of support and intervention professionals, and culturally responsive curriculum. Our education teams must represent the diversity of our students. We must recruit and retain teachers of color for the benefit of every student and our system as a whole. These resources can only be made available by changing our budget structure away from the institution and toward the mission and values we claim.

The district’s work with the teachers must be collaborative and proactive in identifying problems and monitoring progress. Working with a shared vision to care for students and teachers must be facilitated by a transparency and follow-through that builds trust. We must handle differences in ways that do not create an “us versus them” mentality. We must work together to ensure our students receive the best DPS can offer them. As the District 5 candidate endorsed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, I actively supported our teachers during the strike.

My leadership is driven by the community’s voice, financial transparency, and providing adequate resources to all students.

Students must be provided the resources they need to be successful in their learning and development. We must also have the difficult conversations necessary to address racial and socioeconomic disparities in how we equip students for success. This is not a problem of their achievement, but a failure of our system.

Another need is a review of how the flaws in our choice model and rating system undermine neighborhood schools. Our choice model should provide access to variety, without being a search quality.

What should be done to ensure that Denver students receive a high-quality education in a healthy environment?

1) Class sizes of 25 students; 2) Teaching staff ratio that matches students and neighborhood demographics; trained and experienced in cultural competency, anti-bias training and trauma-informed practices; and trained in restorative practices and de-escalation strategies 3) Comprehensive and sustained funding for neighborhood schools with a full-time nurse and social worker or psychologist;

14 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

ELECTIONS 2019

School Board, at-large Tay Anderson Has lived in Denver for six years.

Profession: Restorative justice coordinator at North High School Campaign Website: www. tayanderson.org

Alexis Menocal Harrigan Campaign Website: www. alexisfordps.com

Natela Alexandrovna Manunkseva

Profession: Vocational school instructor and businesswoman Campaign Website: www. natelaforcolorado.com

Why are you seeking this office and what makes you the best choice?

What are the most important duties of a district director of the Denver school board?

I am the son of a single mother who didn’t go to college because she had me in her senior year of high school. It was educators who invested in me that helped me find my passion and my path.

I want to serve the students because I was once one of them and understand their struggles. It is one thing to talk about what is best for black students. It is another to have recently been that black student with that lived experience. This campaign is about the lessons I have learned as a student and educator, and applying them to make policy that works for everyone.

The most important duties of a director on the school board is to demand transparency and accountability of DPS, provide values-based leadership for DPS and the community, and carefully build towards meaningful policy solutions while creating the coalitions needed to implement them in order to ensure the success of every DPS student.

Right now, there are no DPS parents on our school board. I am a mother, a lifelong educator who has worked in schools across Denver and an experienced policymaker. I have worked in Denver Public Schools, advised former Gov. John Hickenlooper on education policy, I was a student in DPS and first-generation high school graduate. I believe deeply in the power of our communities and our children. I have the experience, the passion and the willingness to demand change to serve as the at-large representative in Denver Public Schools.

The DPS Board of Education is responsible for overseeing 232 schools and a billion-dollar budget. The stakes are high and experience is necessary. Our schools need leadership that is thoughtful, mature and prepared to ensure that all students across DPS have access to consistently high-quality programming that nurtures their brilliance, sparks their curiosity and keeps them safe.

Our school board has to ensure that we are responsible for our budget — I am committed to being fiscally responsible and fighting for our dollars to be directed closest to the classroom and have the most impact on student progress.

To create better schools for all. As a non-native English speaker, businesswoman and refugee, I know how important education is to be successful. Education is so important to me that I have been a part-time instructor at a vocational school for over 12 years. I see what students and teachers are going through in DPS. We need to cultivate an environment where teachers feel supported, students feel motivated and parents are empowered to create better schools for all.

The most important duty for a director on the school board is to raise pride in the community and cultivate an inclusive environment for our schools to thrive. With that, we will address the burnout experienced by our teachers, students, and parents who are all working hard to succeed.

¶ Quality Senior Living ¶

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»

TEACHERS UNION MEMBERS VOTE IN NEW PRESIDENT Members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association voted in Tiffany Choi as the new president in September, according to a news release from the union. Voting happened from Aug. 28-Sept. 18.

Choi began her term on Sept. 24. She will serve through the end of the 2020-2021 school year, the news release said. Choi is currently a French teacher at East High School in the City Park neighborhood. She was previously the Northeast Director of the DCTA board, and acted as a strike captain during contract negotiations with the Denver Public Schools District earlier this year.

Henry Roman, the outgoing presidnet of the DCTA, served in the role for the last 10 years, the relase said.

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October 2019

ELECTIONS 2019

What should be done to ensure that Denver students receive a high-quality education in a healthy environment?

Life On Capitol Hill 15

How should the district be moving forward with teacher relations after the strike earlier this year?

What will be your top three priorities once elected?

It is my priority to address the school-to-prison pipeline. We can’t expect our black, brown and indigenous students to succeed while we criminalize behavior their white counterparts get a pass on. I will ensure that our differently-abled students have a place in the regular classroom. I will support our students by focusing on mental health counselors and supports. I will call for accountability and solutions for our student achievement gap. I will carefully review the budget and I will ask questions about it until we all understand and can have our voices heard.

As a professional trained in restorative justice, I know that working through conflict is an opportunity for growth. Teachers did not want to strike earlier this year, but felt like they had to in order to be heard and respected. As a member of the school board, I will take a leadership role and use my professional skills to ensure that moving forward DPS and its teachers have ongoing productive conversations based on transparency and doing what is best for students.

My top three priorities are 1) School safety and mental health; 2) Equity among students of all races, genders, etc.; 3) Supporting our educators with resources and respect. If we do these three things, we will be well on our way to creating a platform for our students to learn how to thrive.

Currently, in Denver Public Schools, we do not meet the American Psychological Association recommendations for student mental health support. I am committed to adding additional counselors to our schools, bolstering the trauma-informed practices program and increasing resources to our classrooms to ensure that our students experience joy in learning every day.

Right now, Denver has one of the worst achievement gaps in the United States: 8 out of 10 white students are meeting college readiness expectations whereas 4 out of 10 students of color are ready for college. We must ensure that we are creating equitable systems where ALL our students are prepared for a life of opportunity.

Great teachers change lives. I was proud to support the pay increase for teachers during the strike and march with my own sons’ teachers. I believe that we should always be improving how we recruit and retain the best teachers — which is something I am committed to exploring.

I am committed to giving our teachers the freedom and support that they need to help our students make progress. Too often, we hear from our teachers that the district’s bureaucracy gets in the way of innovation and ability to adapt. I believe that when communities are given the power to build solutions, our children benefit.

1. Safe and welcoming schools: My son described the stress and anxiety he felt after experiencing a lockdown drill. Students who have undocumented family members are coming to school every day fearful that their parents could be picked up while they are at school. As the daughter of undocumented immigrants, I know this fear intimately. Our schools need to be places where students are nurtured and well.

2. Community empowered schools: Our schools and communities deserve control over decision making and the ability to be creative with the programming we offer.

3. Letting our teachers lead: Teachers deserve the respect and resources that they need to help students succeed.

We need to take a look at all the underlying issues affecting everyone in the classroom and get creative to make DPS a place where Coloradans want to send their kids — by providing the tools necessary to make better schools for all.

It is imperative to make sure that teachers feel empowered and respected within the community, providing them with resources they are in need of. We need to make sure that teachers are able to be solely focused on teaching our children and preparing them for the future. Often, the system as a whole puts stress on a teacher to handle problems that a family or government entity is more able to address. I want to work with teachers to get them the resources they need so they don’t feel they have to strike just to draw awareness to problems in the classroom.

I want to make sure every student feels that school is a safe place to learn, grow and thrive as an individual without boundaries.

I want to incorporate the involvement of the immigrant community.

I want to provide the necessary tools for teachers to feel confident and supported in teaching our future generations the knowledge they need to succeed.

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16 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

STAGES OF HOPE

University theater program aims to give inmates tools for creative expression

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

Reanna Magruder, a theater student at the University of Denver, played Nurse Ratched in the play.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” was the first large performance by the DU Prison Arts Initiative.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

Brett Phillips plays Randal McMurphy in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” for an audience at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. Phillips and the rest of the play’s cast are incarcerated men at the Sterling Correctional Facility. Phillips said that participating in the performance was “enlivening” for many of the inmates.

Ashley Hamilton, right, gets the actors ready for their performance at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. Hamilton directed “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and is also the director of the Prison Arts Initiative at DU.

s cast members from the Sterling Correctional Facility got ready for their final performance of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” play director Ashley Hamilton lead them through exercises to help them get in character.

They went in a circle, with each man describing his emotions while performing a related action — nervous, excited, happy.

For many of the cast, traveling to the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility for the performance on Sept.

10 was the first time they had gotten into a car since being incarcerated.

The play was the first large performance from a two-year old initiative launched by Hamilton at the University of Denver. The DU Prison Arts Initiative aims to give incarcerated men and women access to theater.

Later this year, the women’s group will be performing “A Christmas Carol.”

For the last decade, Hamilton has been working with inmates. Like so many hoping for a career in theater, she moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actress. While there, she found a group of people working to bring theater into prisons, and she was instantly hooked. For Hamilton, it was about “chances for growth and transformation.”

When she came to DU two years ago, it was under the condition that she could continue doing theater with inmates.

“I met folks who were working in this way and was really blown away by using the arts in a way to create spaces like this,” Hamilton said. “I’ve just seen on the ground how transformative it is.”

DU recently signed a contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections for the next three years.

The program will expand into 10 prisons, with three to four large productions per year. Hamilton also said the program is expanding into other forms of creative expression. She hosts a podcast called “With(in)” along with one male and one female inmate. The initiative has also started a statewide newspaper with the DOC. The power of art For Vernon McKinnie, who played Henry Harry in the ensemble cast of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” the initiative was an opportunity to explore the arts — something he said he has always been interested in. He first joined the program a year ago. Moving forward, McKinnie said he wants to continue working in theater for the rest of his life.

The Prison Arts Initiative taught him a lot about expressing himself, but it also taught him about the power of art.

“It’s taught me to always be hope-

ful,” McKinnie said. “Art can be expressed in the darkest of places.”

Inmates were behind the entire play, from acting to production to set and costume design. Cast members and crew members alike agreed that while the play has given them skills they can use for work, it also has taught them about relationships.

Many of the cast and crew went through an emotional process to put together the play. Stephen Sparks, 56, the stage manager of the show, said that for him, he sees the program as an opportunity to pay it forward. Many young men who are incarcerated in prison do not have any hope, Sparks said. Opportunities like this can bring that back. He hopes to continue being a leader and educating new prisoners as he serves his sentence. “(Hamilton) brought humanity to us,” he said. “It opened up what we had hidden.”

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was written by Ken Kesey in 1962. It was later adapted as a play

by Dale Wasserman. It follows Randle P. McMurphy, who is committed to a mental institution. McMurphy meets other patients at the facility, and tries to boost their courage, all while getting into a battle of wills with the facility’s head nurse.

For Sparks, the content of the play was particularly relevant to how society deals with mental health.

When he was first incarcerated more than 30 years ago, men and women with mental health issues were told to “suck it up.” Now, it’s become a bigger part of the conversation, and many are receiving treatment. “I’m glad people have the ability to speak up,” he said.

Hamilton said that it has always been her goal to do this play in a prison because the themes between it and life in prison are so similar.

But, “it also terrified me,” she said of the play’s content.

“The themes are really hard, they’re really complex, but I also think they’re really important,”Hamilton said. “We had to have a lot of really hard conversations along the way.”

While a quality performance is certainly a perk of the program, for Hamilton her goals go deeper. During a question and answer session after the performance at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility, she said “the real intention of this is to create a space where you all get to choose who you get to be.”

Hamilton added that she sees herself as a guide in the growth process of the inmates. She trusts their instincts during a performance.

Through a therapeutic creative space, she hopes these men and women will start to heal.

“There are whole groups of people that do not see them as just their crimes,” Hamilton said of the performances. “That is a part of their story, but not all of their story.”

Life On Capitol Hill 17

October 2019

Experts struggle to gauge potency of cannabis edibles Chocolate obscures true reading for reasons not yet clear to scientists

By Carla K. Johnson Associated Press

How much marijuana is really in that pot brownie? Chocolate can throw off potency tests so labels aren’t always accurate, and now scientists are trying to figure out why.

In states where marijuana is legal, pot comes in cookies, mints, gummies, protein bars — even pretzels. These commercial products are labeled with the amount of high-inducing THC. That helps medical marijuana patients get the desired dose and other consumers attune their buzz.

But something about chocolate, chemists say, seems to interfere with potency testing. A chocolate labeled as 10 milligrams of THC could have far more and send someone to the emergency room with hallucinations.

The latest research on chocolate, presented in a recent gathering in San Diego, is one example of chemistry’s growing role in the marijuana industry. Besides chocolate’s quirks, chemists are working on extending shelf life, mimicking marijuana’s earthy aroma and making products safer.

The marijuana business is at a crossroads in its push for legitimacy. The federal government still considers marijuana illegal,

d n o c Se l a u n An

yet more than 30 U.S. states allow it for at least medical use. Even in those states, there are no recognized standard methods for testing products for safety and quality.

Chemists working for marijuana companies and testing labs are developing those standards and some are legally protecting their ideas.

Scores of cannabis-related inventions have received U.S. patents, said Boston attorney Vincent Capuano, who holds a doctorate in organic chemistry. Inventors have patented ways of putting cannabis into milk, coffee pods, ice pops and chewing gum.

“There’s a lot of flash and hipness, snake oil and marketing. But there’s still a lot of real chemical advance happening,” Capuano said of the industry. “It’s right in center field for chemists.”

Complicated blend Marijuana contains hundreds of chemicals, including cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, a trendy ingredient with unproven health claims. Some pose challenges when they’re processed. Chocolate is a good example.

“The chocolate itself is affecting our ability to measure the cannabinoids within it,” said David Dawson, chemist and lead researcher at CW Analytical Laboratories in Oakland, California, which tests marijuana.

The more chocolate in the vial, the less accurate the test results, he found. He thinks some of the THC is clinging to the fat in chocolate, effectively hiding from

the test.

Dawson’s research was presented recently at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego. The conference included 20 presentations about marijuana’s technical challenges, said Markus Roggen, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based chemist organizing the program. That’s a big change from a few years ago when presenters didn’t get much beyond the basics such as: “This is THC. This is CBD.” Some in the marijuana industry hold “a mythical belief in the goddess of cannabis,” Roggen said, but chemists view marijuana more objectively. For its part, the industry is learning to accept the “new guard of scientists with a different approach to the plant,” he said.

Another focus of research is a group of chemicals called terpenes that give the marijuana plant its pungent aroma. Many terpenes get lost or changed in the process of making a THC or CBD extract. But users want a certain smell and taste, said chemist Jeffrey Raber.

Raber heads the Werc Shop, a Los Angeles company that mixes terpenes from lavender, oranges, black pepper and other plants to mimic the flavor and scent of cannabis varieties. The mashups are sold to companies who add them to oils, tinctures and foods.

Monica Vialpando, a San Francisco chemist, is working to prevent drinks with CBD and THC oils from separating into unappealing layers while sitting on the shelf. The oils don’t dissolve in water, a problem for companies trying to create

new drinks.

Chemists solve the problem by increasing the surface area of the oil particles and adding ingredients, called surfactants and emulsifiers, to prevent separation.

Lack of testing creates enigma But for now, exactly what happens in the human body with most of these products is unclear, Vialpando said, because there’s been very little safety testing of cannabis emulsions in animals, much less in humans.

In Ottawa, Ontario, a Canadian government lab is working on a sensor to help police identify stoned drivers. The goal is to detect cannabinoid molecules in saliva or breath droplets, using light and nanoparticles. Still years away from roadside use, the technology might someday also be used by marijuana growers to determine the peak time to harvest, said chemist Li-Lin Tay, who leads the work for National Research Council of Canada.

To do his work with chocolate, Dawson grinds a THC-infused chocolate bar in a commercial food processor, weighs samples, adds solvent to the material (“It starts looking like chocolate milk,” he says), before measuring the THC potency.

He’s tested cocoa powder, baking chocolate and white chocolate to try to determine what ingredients are hiding the THC during testing.

This will lead to better testing standards and safer products, he said.

“We need good ‘capital S’ science,” he said.

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18 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

DPD to focus on education with new scooter ordinance E-scooter riders must use bike lanes or streets instead of sidewalks

By Joe Carabello Special to Colorado Community Media

The Denver Police Department’s traffic enforcement division is currently approaching electric scooter riders with an agenda of education and training.

Since the unexpected introduction of rental scooters in Denver during the spring of 2018, Denver Public Works has struggled to create an ordinance governing the safe and practical use of electric mobility devices — commonly referred to as scooters or e-scooters.

“We are not approaching this issue from a punitive perspective,” said Sonny Jackson, director of communications for the Denver Police Department. Jackson said there was not a designated time frame for implementing the new policy, but he expected it would last several months.

Including Lime and Bird fleets of 550 each, there are approximately 2,703 licensed scooters in Denver,according to Denver Public Works. Electric rental

A group of scooters sit along the edge of Downing Street at Washington Park. The Denver Police Department is currently working on education for the new scooter laws which do not allow people to ride the electric vehicles on the sidewalk.

KAILYN LAMB bicycles are not included in this count, nor have they created the safety issues associated with scooters.

The current ordinance, which was passed by the Denver City Council on Aug. 27, bans scooters from sidewalks, with the exceptions of starting a ride, ending a ride to park the scooter and where speed limits are greater than 30 MPH. These exceptions limit sidewalk speed to 6 MPH. Scooters are banned in certain pedestrian zones like the 16th Street Mall, Union Station and close proximity to Coors Field on game days.

The average number of times a scooter is unlocked for riding is more than 6,700 per day, with an average distance of 1.3 miles per ride, according to data from Public Works.

Since the time e-scooters were mobilized on Denver streets during the spring of 2018, DPD has issued 56 citations under the category of non criminal/non traffic designations. Scooter citations involving automobiles are filed under a different chapter of Denver’s traffic ordinance. Citations written in District 6, which includes Washington Park, University of Denver and Virginia Village, accounted for 33 such citations. District 1 had seven citations and District 2 had 10.

Safety and congestion on sidewalks are the two most frequent complaints about scooters from Denver citizens according to Nancy Kuhn, communications director for the Denver Public Works.

Since the scooters were a new phenomenon when they arrived in Denver last year, they fell under an ordinance classification for “toy vehicles,” requiring use on sidewalks. After several months of chaos and confusion by riders, citizens and city officials, Denver Public Works notified Lime and Bird, the first two companies introducing scooters in Denver, to suspend operations until regulations could be revised.

City Council approved the revised ordinance in a unanimous vote in July 2018,

referring to the ordinance as a one-year pilot program effective August 1.

Lime, Bird and subsequent providers Lyft, Spin and Razor did not respond to requests for comment on Denver’s scooter policies.

After the pilot program launched, there was more congestion and concern, particularly regarding pedestrian safety.

The revised ordinance stipulated sidewalks as the legal median for scooters. Denver Public Works subsequently revised the ordinance when the pilot program expired in August of this year, having witnessed an increase in accidents and complaints about scooters on sidewalks.

“This is an extremely difficult ordinance to enforce,” said District 6 Councilman Paul Kashmann.

He added that it’s hard for officers who can’t possibly oversee all of the streets where scooters roam, including intensive use in Washington Park. Kashmann said his constituents are relatively evenly divided among those who favor, object or are neutral in their opinions about scooters in their neighborhoods.

Cyndi Karvaski, spokesperson for Denver Parks and Recreation, anticipates a trial period of up to six months to determine the scooters best and safest use in the parks. Parks and Recreation will also focus on educating riders with tools like signage and park ranger interactions with riders.

Doug Schepman, DPD Media Relations spokesperson, wrote in an email that the department is focusing on educating the public first.

“DPD is first focused on providing training to officers on proper enforcement of the new ordinance,” he wrote. “In these early stages of implementation, officers will continue focusing on educating riders they contact regarding safe and legal operation before phasing in citations.”

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Life On Capitol Hill 19

October 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, Oct. 24.

EVENTS Enchanted Hollows 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 3 through Oct. 25 As basking light through the trees surrounding Denver Zoo fades at twilight, the darkness beckons you to return. The temperature cools and a forest comes alive with the nocturnal calls and stirring rustles of a shadowy world. Travel an eerie trail where the darkness has almost all but taken hold, echoes of the roots of Halloween, creatures and spirits infamous in stories and lore, rise to life. $10 – $15 Member Denver Zoo 2300 Steele St. denverzoo.org Denver Zombie Crawl Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 Grab your friends and dress in your best zombie costume to try and win the Head Zombie trophy! Please note: fake and replica prop weapons of any type are prohibited at the Denver Zombie Crawl.

Skyline Park 1500 Arapahoe St. denverzombiecrawl.com Walking for Intergenerational Justice 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 At the age of 69, Bob McCormick walked to Washington, D.C. to bring awareness to how today’s actions will impact his grandchildren and generations to come. Hear about this amazing journey and feel inspired to take action!

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org After Hours, History Colorado Event and Lecture: Samantha Power 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, Samantha Power has an international reputation as a crusader for human rights.

In her book The Education of an Idealist, the Pulit-

zer Prize winner offers an urgent response to the question, “What can one person do?” - and a call for a clearer eye, a kinder heart, and a more open and civil hand in our politics and daily lives.

Ticket Price: $40 (includes book). Members $30 (includes book). Students $10 (book not included). Book available for purchase.

303-447-8679 History Colorado Center 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org Make Your Own Diwali Lantern 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 Create a Diwali lantern to celebrate this popular festival of lights in India. Ideal for ages 3 to 8 - accompanied by an adult.

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Digital Earth: Extreme Environments 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 Climb to the peaks of Everest and traverse the hottest desert with space science curator Dr. Ka Chun Yu and geologist Dr. Bob Raynolds. With immersive satellite images projected onto the planetarium’s full dome, you’ll be transported to some of Earth’s most extreme environments, no passports or specialized gear required. $8 member, $10 nonmember 303-370-6000 Gates Planetarium, Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org Taps and Tails 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 10 through Oct. 24 As the season brings a radiant display of new colors we invite you to Fall in love again with natural beauty while sipping on local ambers and IPAs. Please join us for a drink in this pop-up bier hall inside Denver Zoo featuring Colorado’s best breweries, sustainably-farmed culinary creations, and a dynamic entertainment lineup. $10 – $15 Member • Ages 21+ Denver Zoo 2300 Steele St. denverzoo.org

Family Make and Take: Día de los Muertos Miniature Nicho Planters 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 Nichos are small, hand-made three-dimensional display boxes used to display lovingly crafted scenarios and are often used as a remembrance to an important figure or loved one. Families are encouraged to bring photos of loved ones to include in their nicho.

Materials provided are appropriate for children ages 5 and up. $15, $12 member 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org 14th Annual Colorado VisionWalk 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 The 14th Annual Colorado VisionWalk will be a fun-filled morning featuring a DJ and live entertainment, refreshments, family-friendly games, bounce house, and a 5k walk around the park. This event is free - no registration fee is required (but donations will be gratefully accepted)!

City Park 2001 Colorado Blvd. give.fightingblindness.org/coloradovisionwalk Fall Family Bike Ride 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 Bike riding together is a great way to bond outdoors and make exercise fun for all! Join us on a fun family bike ride around Park Hill with Bicycle Colorado, NorthEast Transportation Connections, and the Denver Public Library!

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Japanese Garden: 40 Years of History 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 12 Shofu-en (Wind and Pine) is a traditional Japanese garden that draws inspiration from the climate and plants of Colorado’s Rocky

Mountains. This class explores the symbolism and culture that shapes Shofu-en’s design. $35, $30 member 720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org End of the World Pub Crawl 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to crawl through The Dead Zone to all participating venues while avoiding the Zombies trying to take your life (flags). Do so and you have a chance at winning one of several, amazing prizes. Lose your life (flags) and still finish the crawl and you will have a chance to win one of many other prizes.

Larimer Street between 20th and 21st Streets.

Active Minds: Spain 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 From its heights as the dominant country in the world in the 16th century, Spain currently struggles with a high debt burden and separatist challenges from Catalonia. Join Active Minds as we explore the roots and legacy of the Spanish Empire and how this important country fits into the regional and global puzzle today.

Central Library 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org The Raptors of North America: A Live Falcon Demonstration 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 Enjoy a live falcon demonstration in the Museum’s wildlife halls with Anne Price, curator at the Raptor Education Foundation and an avid falconer since age 16. Price will feature her new publication “The Raptors of North America: A Coloring Book of Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, and Owls.” $12 member, $15 nonmember • Ages 21 + • cash bar • book sale 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org

Science Lounge: Bloodsuckers 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 17 Enjoy a mind-expanding experience with cocktails and entertainment the third Thursday of the month. For ages 21 and up. This month, vampires, bats and parasites galore! Beware of all things that bite during this night dedicated to creatures who feast on blood. Costumes encouraged. $13 member, $15 nonmember 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org Underground Comedy Club: Nancy Norton 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 2018 Winner of the prestigious Boston Comedy Festival, and ONLY female to ever win that festival- Comedian, Nancy Norton. Nancy’s performances are in the moment, intuitive, authentic, high energy, and fast paced. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Eighteen and over only due to adult content.

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Colorado Homegrown Tales: Ghostlight 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18 and 19 Let’s float from room to room in the historic Byers-Evans House for a readers’ theatre presentation of spine-tingling theatrical ghost stories.

Tickets are $10 for History Colorado members and $13 for non-members.

303-620-4933 Center for Colorado Women’s History at Byers-Evans House 1310 Bannock St. historycolorado.org Para Mi Pueblo: Chicana/o Murals of Colorado Conference 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19 This conference brings together scholars and artists to discuss the visual legacy of Chicana/o muralists as advocates and activists whose art has shaped our communities and given a voice to the peoples and places of Colorado. The symposium is open to the public, including college and high school students.

303-447-8679 History Colorado Center 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P20

20 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

Things to Do FROM PAGE 19

STEAM Program: Halloween Card with Circuits & Lights 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 Make light up Halloween Cards, the perfect spooky craft for a friend or loved one. We’ll be using copper tape, LEDs, and paper to craft some frightful and festive cards.

Ideal for ages 6 and up - accompanied by an adult.

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Dear Mary: Letters Home from the 10th Mountain Division (1944–1945) 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 In Dear Mary: Letters Home from the 10th Mountain Division, author Sydney M. Williams III uses the correspondence between his parents—a married couple in their thirties with four young children—to show what the war was like both on the battlefield and on the home front.

Central Library 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org

OCTOBER

N O V E M B E R

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 conducted by Brett Mitchell

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

OCT 4-6 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00

NOV 1-2 FRI-SAT 7:30

■

The Goonies in Concert OCT 11 FRI 7:30

HalfNotes

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. ©Disney.

All rights reserved. MPAA Rating: PG HalfNotes

MPAA Rating: PG © 1985 Warner Bros. Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Music of Selena

Halloween Spooktacular!

NOV 3 SUN 2:30

HalfNotes

Mozart Symphony No. 40

OCT 12-13 SAT 7:30 SUN 2:00 ■

NOV 8-10 FRI- SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00

140 Years of History Colorado 1 to 2 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 History Colorado is nearly as old as the state of Colorado. Preserving our collective Colorado history was one of the earliest priorities of our state’s leaders.

Through the last 140 years, we’ve proudly carried this important responsibility. Join History Colorado’s Public Programs Manager, Michael Vincent, as he brings to life the rich history of this organization and shares how we continue to build a dynamic statewide institution of the future that honors and celebrates the past.

303-447-8679 History Colorado Center 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org

■

Dvořák Symphony No. 7

Renée Fleming - The Brightness of LightColorado Premiere

OCT 18-20 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

NOV 15 & 17 FRI 7:30 SUN 1:00

Verdi Requiem – 35 Anniversary Celebration – Colorado Symphony Chorus th

■

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

OCT 26-27 SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

NOV 22-24 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Home Alone in Concert NOV 29 FRI 7:30 HalfNotes Please join us for family-friendly activities 1 hour before the concert.

These performances include full screening of the feature film!

presenting sponsor

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Glow at the Gardens Monday-Friday, Oct 21-25 The Gardens dresses up for Halloween with luminaria-lined pathways, spooky lighting displays and hundreds of carved, glowing gourds. $21 adult, $19 adult member, $17 child (Ages 3-15), $15 child member, Free for children 2 or younger.

720-865-3500 Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org DIY Paper Book Pumpkins for Adults 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 Transform an old book into a holiday pumpkin with cutting implements and creativity!

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Living History: A Concert in the Hall 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 Enjoy a unique evening inside beautiful Botswana Hall. Living History is a first-ofits-kind event, in partnership with Groupmuse, that will explore how human and natural history are constantly reshaped.

$27 member, $33 nonmember • Ages 21 + • cash bar 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org Trick Or Treat Street 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 Enjoy trick or treating and not-so-scary fun activities throughout the Central Library.

Join us for a Monster Mash Dance Party with a live band in the Conference Center at 4 p.m. Costumes are optional, but welcome. Ideal for ages 0-12 and caregivers.

Central Library 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org Teen After Hours Halloween Party 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 Come to the library AFTER HOURS (spooky!) for a Halloween party. Wear your costume, eat pizza and candy, and play Murder in the Dark! Ideal for Teens ages 11-17. *Permission slip required, pre-registration suggested. Download the permission slip or stop by the library.

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Tricks and Treats! Family Overnight 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 & 26 Spend a memorable night experiencing the magic of the Museum with your whole family! Check out the spooky science all around us and learn about things that go BUMP in the night. Get all dressed up to go trick or treating in the Museum before finding your “resting place” in our worldfamous diorama halls.

Enjoy a hot breakfast the next morning before heading home.

Grades K–8 with adult • member: $65 adult, $55 child/junior • nonmember: $80 adult, $70 child/junior 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org The Evolution of Pixar 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 Don’t miss this unique opportunity to view Pixar shorts from the last 30 years on the big screen, from “Luxo Jr.” (1986) to “Bao” (2018). Explore the evolution of Pixar films with Craig Svonkin, associate professor of English, Metropolitan State University of Denver. This event is cosponsored by D-phi (The Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry). $12 member, $15 nonmember 303-370-6000 Phipps Theater Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org 4th Annual Trunk or Treat 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 Peoples Presbyterian Church is inviting the community to come and hangout in a relaxed and fun atmosphere for your family to meet other families in the neighborhood.

303-297-9071 Peoples Presbyterian Church 2780 York St.

Life On Capitol Hill 21

October 2019

P I H Denver Art Museum event celebrates native culture, arts S D N FRIE ARKS

M W O W POW

R A E Y H T 30

Joseph Cyrus dances with the junior boys at the Sept. 7 Friendship Powwow in Denver.

PHOTOS BY SHANNA FORTIER

Kylie Charles, of Westminster, represents the Diné (Navajo) tribe in the junior girls fancy dance at the 30th annual Friendship Powwow.

By Shanna Fortier

Special to Colorado Community Media

A

steady beat resonated from the hide stretched out over large drums and bells on dresses jangled, giving native dancers a song as they entered the arena Sept. 7 at the 30th annual Friendship Powwow held at the Denver Art Museum.

“Arts and culture for indigenous people are so intertwined,” said John Lukavic, the Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Native Arts for the museum. “This is an opportunity for people to see some of that.”

Lukavic said the event is an extension of what happens inside the museum. The American Indian Collection is the largest single collection at the Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. For a while, the museum’s identity was tied to that collection, Lukavic said.

By next year’s Friendship Powwow, the renovated Martin Building — previously the North Building — is expected to be open, according to Lukavic.

In November 2017, the north side of the Denver Art Museum campus closed to the public for major renovations. The renovated spaces will reopen in phases starting in 2020 and will include the renovated and reinstalled Northwest Coast and Alaska Native collection on the second level.

The powwow started in 1990 after the passing of Scientific and Cultural Facilities District funds for the first time, as a way of celebrating the collection and the community connected to it. Over the years, it has

grown as not only an arts and culture event, but also an educational event for the broader community.

“Indigenous people are so often invisible in larger society even though they were the first people here and they never went anywhere,” Lukavic said. “So having this powwow is a great opportunity for visitors to come out and experience the vibrant culture that’s represented here.”

The free event is held the Saturday after Labor Day each year. Entrance to the museum is also always free on the day of the powwow.

“Having an event like this, it reminds the community that the native community is still around and we still have a strong culture,” said Travis Goldtooth, who is known as Buffalo Barbie. “It also helps educate people that have questions about culture differences — it bridges the communities.”

One area Buffalo Barbie, who has been dancing in powwows representing the Diné (Navajo) tribe for over 25 years, educates people on is the Two Spirit community.

Two Spirit refers to Native Americans who identify as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit.

The powwow connects native individuals from not only Colorado, but throughout the United States.

It also connects generations.

“It makes us proud and happy to see the kids out here dancing,” said Tony Hedgepth, who lives in Aurora and is part of the Saponi tribe, of North Carolina. “If anything, it keeps traditions alive. It also shows the community that we’re still here, still thriving.”

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Gerald Montour, of Northglenn, dances during the grand entry at Friendship Powwow.

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David Cyrus, of the Crow Nation, dances at the DAM in Denver.

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Lauren YoungDog-Shepherd, of Denver, was one of many teen dancers at the 30th annual Friendship Powwow.

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22 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

Museum launches system to aid visually impaired visitors Staff report Last month, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science launched a new system that uses micronavigation to aid visually impaired guests who are walking through exhibits.

EdgGuide was developed by the museum, the

Blind Institute of Technology and CACI, according to a news release.

“Widespread adoption of technology like EdgGuide is key to solving the opportunity gap for people with disabilities seeking to participate in the modern world,” said Mike Hess, founder and executive director of the Blind Institute of

Technology, in the news release.

Hess, who has been blind since the third grade, added: “It’s hard to put into words the emotions that swirl when I think of all the opportunities EdgGuide will create for those with visual impairments. Personally, the ability to independently explore the museum and the wealth of details that

EdgGuide provided nearly brought me to tears.”

The EdgGuide system uses wall-mounted anchors, a wearable tag and an iOS application to direct users through the museum. The sensors can tell where people are standing within 20 centimeters, the release said. The app will also give users information on exhibits.

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Life On Capitol Hill 23

October 2019

Tiny homes to get council vote this month Ordinance would allow for people to build residences within city limits

By Bruce Goldberg Special to Colorado Community Media

Giving citizens a larger role in dealing with Denver’s homelessness problem is at stake when the Denver City Council votes Oct. 7 on the tiny home ordinance.

If passed, the measure could be a breakthrough for people experiencing homelessness and their advocates, as people then would be able to apply for permits (good for either six months or two years) to build a tiny home and/ or community village inside Denver’s borders.

Robin Kniech, an at-large council member in her third term, is optimistic about how the council will vote.

“It has strong support from the council,” said Kniech. The proposed ordinance passed

its first reading at an earlier council meeting, and Kniech added that there were no proposed changes during the meeting.

“Some (councilmembers) are very motivated by the crisis we have of people living on the streets and finding solutions for that,” she said.

“We need to have more strategies … and the desire to have more housing solutions.”

On Oct. 7, the council’s final vote on the ordinance will be preceded by a public hearing on the same topic.

Tiny houses generally range between 100 and 400 square feet, rarely exceeding 500 square feet. You could fit 144 tiny houses on a football field, according to realtor.com. The tiny home movement took off after the Great Recession in 2008.

Tiny-home advocates in Denver have been preparing for this day, trying to satisfy three basics required by the city: to find land upon which to build, obtaining financing and creating an operational plan. Village organizers must engage the community early in the process and explain their management plans.

Kniech also wants the city to arrange for

social services to be available at the villages.

Beloved Community Village was the first tiny village in Denver. It opened on July 21, 2017 and ran on temporary permits. The village had 11 homes, gardens, and a shared shower house and common room. It was scheduled to move to the Taxi Campus in December 2018, but that fell through when Denver denied its permit application.

Beloved Community Village did not respond to a request for comment.

The additional tiny home opportunities would benefit more than just people experiencing homelessness.

“This would affect Trailer Made Trailers tremendously,” said Damon DesChamp, who co-owns the Olathe-based company with his wife Natalie. “We are the industry leaders for tiny house kits. I may see an instant increase of 30% in my business.”

The company is accustomed to growth. He and Natalie started the business in 2013 in a 3,500-square-foot space. In August, the company completed its fourth move in six years and now operates in 35,000 square feet of space.

Trailer Made Trailers sold 1,266 tiny home kits in 2018, DesChamp said, with an average price of $8,000. And business is growing: The company just landed a big contract to supply 150 completed tiny homes in 24 months to an affordable housing provider on the Western Slope.

“That’s going to create another 20 to 25 jobs in the state, on the Western Slope, because of the tiny home movement,” DesChamp said.

“We’ll have a total of 45 to 50 people under my roof because of jobs created in the tiny house industry.”

He adds this perspective: Though tiny homes are a hot topic, they have “been around for 50 years – they’ve been called mobile homes, modular homes, prefabs (and more),” DesChamp said. State governments have taken notice as tiny homes have gained more attention.

“Laws have been changing at the municipal, state and county level,” he said. Texas, California, Wisconsin, Kansas and Utah are just some of the states that have relaxed their accessory dwelling laws to help tiny homes, DesChamp said.

Childhood care coalition announces new president/CEO Staff report Executives Partnering to Invest in Children announced last month that Nicole Riehl would be the new president and CEO of the organization, according to a news release.

The organization is a coalition of business leaders, nonprofits and foundations that aim to make early childhood care and education one of Colorado’s highest priorities. EPIC works with public officials to create legislation toward these goals, as well

as with childcare facilities to increase school readiness, the news release said.

Prior to joining EPIC on Sept. 3, Riehl was the chief operating officer for the Denver Early Childhood Council. She has worked with the council for the last eight years.

“Nicole’s leadership, expertise and relationship building have been instrumental in the development of Denver’s Early Childhood Council, and we look forward to her taking EPIC to new levels of success,” said Emily Bustos, the CEO of the Denver

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24 Life On Capitol Hill

October 2019

Water corrodes pipes such as these lead ones, which then causes lead to get in drinking water.

Denver Water has created a proposal to remove all lead pipes from its system over the next 15 years.

TREASURES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER WATER

Denver Water presents lead pipe removal plan to EPA Staff Report

October 18 - 20

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A 30-day public comment period has started after Denver Water submitted a proposal to remove all the lead pipes from its system to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The utility organization will be taking comments and sending them to the EPA as well as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment until Oct. 10, according to a news release. People can submit comments here: https://www.denverwater.org/ your-water/water-quality/lead/lead-reductionprogram/comment.

Denver Water announced the plan in July.

Jim Lochhead, the CEO and manager of the company, said that removing lead pipes was the most efficient way of ensuring that

water will stay free of lead. If the plan is not approved, Denver Water will move forward with a plan from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which asks that the utility provider add orthophosphate to water. The additive coats pipes, which helps prevent lead from leaking into the water.

Oftentimes customers do not realize their homes have lead pipes, Lochhead said. Denver Water offers free water quality testing to its customers. The company serves around 1.4 million people in metro Denver.

Because Denver Water is unsure how many lead pipes are in its system, Lochhead estimated the removal plan would cost between $300 million and $500 million.

To learn more about the plan, read our story from the August issue of Life on Capitol Hill at https://bit.ly/2lSrQCY.

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