Life On Capitol Hill 0519

Life On

May 2019 FREE

CAPITOL HILL TIME TO SPRING CLEAN

‘GIVE AND TAKE’

Volunteers spruce up Cheesman

P12

The seesaw effects of Denver growth P6

PARTY POOP-ERS Geese leave too many calling cards

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POSITIVE MOVEMENT

Dance companies offer free, low-cost classes

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CONJURING TRICKS Magicians weave magic in Uptown

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2 Life On Capitol Hill

May 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.

DEVELOPMENTS Parq on Speer A new apartment complex in the Golden Triangle is accepting applications from tenants to move in this summer. The building has studios, as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Parq on Speer is at 909 Bannock St. Denver Health On April 16, Denver Health held a ceremony to place the final beam on its new Outpatient Medical Center, estimated to open in 2020. Mayor Michael B. Hancock joined Denver Health CEO Robin Wittenstein, Turner Construction Construction executive Laura Prendergast, construction workers and hospital staff at the ceremony. People signed the beam before it was placed.

The beam completed the structure of the building, which will be seven stories and 293,000 square feet. The building will centralize numerous outpatient services under one roof and will include a day surgery center, expanded pharmacy operations, lab services and radiology, according to a news release from the Denver Department of Finance.

Hilton Garden Inn The 233-room Hilton Garden Inn at Union Station, 1999 Chestnut Place, opened its doors last month. One of Denver’s oldest firehouses is part of the property, and the hotel was designed to preserve the historic building. The building was restored, and the hotel restaurant Woodie Fisher is located inside. The restaurant is named for one of Denver’s earliest firefighters, according to a Hilton news release.

BUSINESS OPENINGS Lazo Empanadas Lazo Empanadas will be opening a second location at the 16th Street Mall in the the former Duck Soup spot. Signs on the windows at 303 16th St. say the restaurant is coming soon.

Duck Soup opened in 2013 and closed in 2018.

The restaurant’s first location is near Coors Field at 1319 22nd St. B Bar MD Uptown has a new type of beauty bar, which its owner, Dr. Helen Yeon is hoping will bring convenience into cosmetic medical injections.

Yeon said she wanted the business to be easy and convenient for all her patients.

“I wanted to make it almost like getting gas,” Yeon said.

Yeon, who has more than a decade of experience in medical aesthetics, offers several non-surgical options such as Botox. The business is at 1801 Williams St. To learn more, visit https://www.bbarmd.com/.

Signs for Lazo Empanadas show that the restaurant will soon be opening on the 16th Street Mall. Lazo has another location on 22nd Street near Coors Field.

KAILYN LAMB Ivy on 7th Ivy on 7th, a new breakfast-and-brunch restaurant, opened last month in the former Lala’s Wine Bar and Pizzeria. Lala’s, as well as several other Denver restaurants, was run by Premier Ventures Inc. It closed in December of last year. Ivy on 7th is at 410 E. Seventh Ave. Chef Rebecca Weitzman, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, will be heading Ivy. The restaurant is run by the same organization that operates Carboy Winery, which will be opening next door to Ivy. Yeti The cooler brand will be opening a store at 3033 E. First Ave. in Cherry Creek North later this year. Yeti opened its first brick-andmortar store in Austin in 2017. The company is also based there. The Cherry Creek North store will be the only Yeti location in Denver.

Yeti also sells its products in outdoor stores such as REI and Cabela’s.

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Noble Riot Noble Riot, a new wine bar in the River North neighborhood, opened at 1336 27th St. early last month. The bar is operated by a team of sommeliers.

In addition to its selection of wine, Noble Riot also offers a small food menu, including cheese plates. The bar also plans to offer wine classes, from beginning to master’s courses, according to a news release.

“We believe wine is about pleasure and discovery. Pretension should never be a part of the conversation,” said Scott Mattson, one of the co-owners, in the release. “Guiding someone to that `ah-ha’ moment with wine fires us up big time. There are so many great flavors and sensations to be experienced, and Noble Riot was created to celebrate those experiences.”

Anise Anise, a Vietnamese restaurant, will be going into the former DJ’s Cafe location at 865 Lincoln St. A website for the restaurant says it is set to open this month.

DJ’s was a breakfast cafe that opened on Lincoln in 2013. It was the second location

for DJ’s. The original opened in the Berkeley neighborhood in 2005. Both locations closed in December 2017.

Vital Outdoors Vital Outdoors opened in early March at 900 Lincoln St. The space has been vacant since 2017. The space was previously Watson’s, a grocery and liquor store.

This is the second location for Vital Outdoors, which first opened in Golden. The store sells outdoor equipment and clothing.

A Line Boutique A Line Boutique, a women’s clothing store, has opened a fourth location near Union Station at 1750 Wewatta St. The store opened on April 22, according to its website.

The store offers appointments and tailoring for clothing and has stylists to help customers pick out clothing.

CLOSINGS Only in Colorado A Colorado-themed gift shop on the 16th Street Mall closed last month. The store, at 601 16th St., had a sign saying it had closed and moved. There was no information on a new location.

Ad Hominem The Golden Triangle restaurant closed in late March. A sign on the door from the owners said Ad Hominem, 43 W. Ninth Ave., would be closed until further notice. Ad Hominem first opened in April 2018.

CHANGES Glazed & Confused The doughnut store opened a kiosk inside the Broadway Market food hall last month.

This is the second location for Glazed & Confused, which also operates in the Stanley Marketplace food hall. A third location is planned for the Denver Tech Center, according to a news release.

The company makes the doughnuts in a commissary kitchen and delivers them to Broadway Market each day.

Life On Capitol Hill 3

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4 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

Poet laureate found humor, even in lifelong struggles Memorial service for Frederick “Freddy” N. Bosco held last month

By Bill Sonn Special to Colorado Community Media

Longtime Denver writer Frederick “Freddy” Bosco, who often wrote about the inner lives and aspirations of the city’s lost and infirm, died peacefully Dec. 19 surrounded by friends and family at University of Colorado Hospital.

He was 70 years old.

Son of Francis Neal Bosco and Anne C. Hooks, both of whom predeceased him, Freddy is survived by his sisters Carol Anne Bosco of Cedaredge, Colorado, as well as Karen Leak, her husband Denny and family of Wrangell, Alaska.

A graduate of the University Bosco of Denver, he was a former Poet Laureate of Denver, a talented writer, sketch artist, piano player and, not least, a clever poet even on his sickbed. His last amused advice to a friend: “If the phone rings and it’s cancer, don’t answer.”

Able to find humor even in his lifelong struggles with various illnesses and addictions, he was also a strong man able to bend those trials into a life filled with friends, poetry books and a pursuit of Peace Education with the Prem Rawat community in Denver.

After a characteristically colorful sojourn in New York as a young man (think brief stints at everything from an elite accounting firm to a bullpen of fellow hungry writers grinding out a daily quota of stories for pulp magazines) he returned to Denver. There, his work — which was often centered on his haunts on Denver’s Capitol Hill and East Colfax, as well as his gratitude for life, breath and mindfulness — appeared in many places, including The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News, Harper’s Magazine, The New Yorker, The Straight Creek Journal, Westword, The Denver Voice and, most recently, Life on Capitol Hill.

He worked for many years, too, at the CHARG Resource Center in Capitol Hill, which offers therapeutic and life-skills support to adults living with major mental illness. He also regularly explained mental illness and its challenges to classes of medical residents and nursing and social work students at the Anschutz Medical Campus. A member of two local writers’ groups, he generously offered his mentoring and editing assistance to others.

As Lois Harvey of West Side Books once put it: “Being a friend of Freddy Bosco means many things. Jokes delivered by phone.

Articles in sundry publications. Hand-lettered original books. Original art that is poetry and vice versa.”

A memorial service was held April 14 at the Mercury Cafe in Denver.

Editor’s Note: To see Freddy Bosco’s most recent work in Life on Capitol Hill, go to http:// lifeoncaphill.com/stories/ode-to-the-city-andcounty-bosco,270852?

Thom Adorney speaks at a celebration of life event for Freddy Bosco, saying “this Earth is not the same without you. You added immensely to my life.” Adorney filmed a short documentary on Bosco and his poetry.

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Life On Capitol Hill 5

May 2019

‘Anything is possible’ with a little magic Two Denver magicians create intimate shows in Uptown

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Convincing an audience that stage magic is real takes more than knowing the steps to pull off a trick off. Denver magicians Gregg Tobo and William Rader say the performance is every bit as important.

“There’s a huge gap between just knowing the secret, and actually being able to entertain someone,” Tobo said. “The purpose of magic is just to remind you that anything is possible.”

Much is similar about Tobo, 51, and Rader, 32, who started doing their own show in the El Dorado room of Avenue Grill, 630 E. 17th Ave., a few months ago. Both had uncles who were amateur magicians who inspired them to learn. Both enjoy digging into the history of magic and performing. Tobo finds books from the 1920s and `30s about old tricks; Rader likes looking into older tricks to see the trends of magician performances at the time.

The two “split the difference,” as Tobo says, between the two types of magicians: those who love to create a secret trick, and those who love to perform. Tobo and Rader enjoy mastering the nuances of individual tricks.

But they also enjoy seeing the wonder and reactions from a crowd as they perform.

“I think magic becomes an art when it’s performed,” Rader said. “You never really know if the magic is real.”

The two men started performing last June at Avenue Theater, also on East 17th Avenue in Denver. But after the theater closed in early March, Tobo and Rader decided to continue on their own.

Their Denver Magic Show happens on the first Thursday of every month at Avenue Grill.

Their 90-minute shows are in a small and narrow room with two rows of chairs. They typically set up between 30 and 35 chairs — they like the intimacy created by small settings.

And the smaller shows are a selling point, Tobo said. People can see the magic up close, the way it “ought to be seen.”

The two magicians have different styles and skills, Rader said.

Rader likes to play off the stereotypes of magic, updating old, “classic” tricks. Tobo likes to find stories to accompany his magic tricks. He’s known for performances as the

Gregg Tobo, left, one of the magicians in the Denver Magic Show, does tricks involving math. He is known as the “Master of Pi” and can solve Rubik’s Cube blindfolded.

COURTESY OF DENVER MAGIC SHOW “Man who Mastered Pi,” and holds a record for having memorized more than 1,100 digits in the mathematical figure.

Having these different skill sets allows them to change up the show, Rader said. That way, returning customers won’t be seeing the same show every time.

Their magic business is a fulltime proposition, Tobo and Rader say. They also perform at private events and have performed around the world.

Mastering a magic trick can be a long process.

Tobo spends a lot of time breaking down the trick to learn it. Then he’ll go to Rader or other magician friends and perform the trick to see their reaction. This part of the process allows magicians to gauge audience reaction.

Instead of emphasizing one section of a trick, magicians might notice that audiences actually react to a different part of it, Rader said.

Then, Tobo takes his performance to a slightly larger audience by attending local open mic nights. After that, the trick is ready for prime time.

“You don’t really know until you do it,” Rader said. “You need the stage time to figure it out.”

IF YOU GO The Denver Magic Show happens on the first Thursday of the month in the El Dorado room at the Avenue Grill, 630 E. 17th Ave. Tickets are $45, and the shows are 90 minutes. The

restaurant also offers free parking.

For more information, go to https://denvermagicshow.com.

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6 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

G R O W I N G PAINS

Making sure‘it’s

Residents, city officials talk about how development impacts the city The problems are well known: Expensive rents and home sales prices that make the city unaffordable for many, pushing them rchie Bill, who lives near out to the suburbs or even out City Park, doesn’t see a downside to business de- of state. Roadways that can’t accommodate increasing traffic velopment: Businesses in congestion. A loss of lifestyle and local neighborhoods benefit those green spaces. who live there.

What sometimes gets lost in The process, he notes, is “a give the excitement to capitalize on and take.” growth, residents But housing development is another ABOUT THE SERIES say, is exactly matter. A spike in This month, we kick off an on- how developresidential projects going series called “Growing ment affects their daily lives and the and a high demand Pains” about the impact of for living spaces have development and growth on character of their neighborhoods. made living in Denver Denver communities. This Neighborunaffordable for some first installment provides an of the city’s longtime overall look at development hoods in north Denver have seen residents, he says. citywide with a focus on “With regular such issues as displacement displacement of development, you and what Denver is doing to its residents as housing prices also have residential meet challenges. Subsedevelopment,” Bill quent segments will explore increased. City councilmember said. “Somebody how development specifiseems to lose out. It’s cally affects neighborhoods, Albus Brooks, who reprenot balanced.” business growth, housing sents District 9, Development in affordability and the conDenver was a key nection between construc- which includes downtown, Five campaign issue in the tion and the economy. If mayor and council you have a story about how Points and Elyria Swansea, said the races that will be development has affected decided May 7. The your life, email Editor Kailyn 80205 zip code saw the most distopic has been at the Lamb at klamb@coloradoplacement of any forefront of city discommunitymedia.com. neighborhood in cussion and resident the city. The zip code covers much concerns for many years now, since of north Denver, from 20th Street the continuing population influx over to Colorado Boulevard. into the state has created a demand for housing and sparked commercial boon.

SEE DEVELOPMENT, P8

By Kailyn Lamb

development A that we want’

klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Last year, 12,000 apartment units were completed in the city of Denver, according to Robert Bradley with the CBRE. Most of those units are all in the luxury market.

Irene Aguilar talks about her new role fighting displacement

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Irene Aguilar has spent her life working in public service, although her roles in the community have changed over time.

Currently, she works as program director for a new effort started by Denver in

October — the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Team (NEST). Since taking the job, Aguilar has traveled all over the city, often joking at speaking events that she needs to learn to say no more often.

NEST works to provide resources for low-income businesses and residents that may be at risk for displacement. Aguilar was offered the position after serving two terms as a state senator.

Aguilar Aguilar, 59, represented District 32, which includes parts of

Denver, for two terms from 2011-2018.

She was appointed to her first term by a vacancy committee to replace Sen. Chris Romer, who was running for mayor of Denver at the time.

After spending 22 years as a primary care physician at Denver Health, Aguilar said she was drawn to working in government after a commission was created to reform health care in the 2007-2008 session. Aguilar has a daughter who has developmental disabilities and wanted to learn more about how care was handled here versus how it was handled in countries around the world.

“I realized that Medicaid would be her

KAILYN LAMB

lifeline,” she said of her daughter’s health.

“I wanted to become an advocate for health care reform.”

As a physician she had also been working with patients with disabilities and advocating for health-related issues in the Latino population.

When she moved into her new role with NEST, she knew she wanted to look into housing stability and how that affects a person’s overall health. Having stability in income and housing is “essential to public health,” she said.

“In many ways,” Aguilar said, “what I’m doing is I’m still advocating for those same patients.”

Life On Capitol Hill 7

May 2019

G R O W I N G PAINS

‘Zoning is the catalyst for the plan’ Knowing your neighborhood’s zoning code gives you a window to development

WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? The city of Denver has several maps on its website that can help residents keep track of zoning or development projects in their area.

The zoning map, https://www.denvergov.org/Maps/map/zoning, is color-coded to show different zoning areas in the city. Clicking on the map will bring up an information box with that area’s zone.

People can then click on the zone to go to the city’s Planning and Development page for a definition of that zoning code, including its uses.

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia

Denver city councilmember Jolon Clark says the city is experiencing a multitude of use-by-right development. That means if a project fits within a property’s existing zoning code, developers can legally build there even if the neighborhood objects.

Although some developers will work with neighborhoods, others don’t. The projects also don’t come through city council for approval, said Clark, whose District 7 encompasses Baker, West Washington Park and Overland. They simply apply for building permits through the city.

Those kinds of projects are often a source of tension between developers and communities because of the lack of public comment, Clark said. “There is legally no way to stop what someone could do.”

But residents can get an idea of potential development by looking at zoning codes in their areas, said councilmember Wayne New, who represents District 10, which includes Capitol Hill, Uptown and Cherry Creek. Developers must follow the city’s zoning code, and if their projects don’t meet that code, they need city council’s approval for changes.

“What really creates action is the zoning,” New said. “That tells you what’s going to happen and how it’s going to happen. The zoning is the catalyst for the plan.”

The site development plan map, https://www.denvergov.org/Maps/ map/sitedevelopmentplans, shows plans for development projects that are under review or have been approved by city council. Brown parcels are approved projects and yellow ones are under review by the city. The map does not include single-family or duplex projects.

Following any zoning planning or changes in a neighborhood can help residents predict what type of developments might be happening there, said Denver City Councilmember Wayne New. The city also notifies residents about possible zoning changes in their area.

KAILYN LAMB Paul Kashmann, whose District 6 represents Washington Park, University and Virginia Village on city council, agreed, saying residents can get ahead of the issue by knowing the zoning in their area.

“The potential for development is considerably more than what’s on the ground now,” he said.

Much of the current construction in Cherry Creek, for instance, was planned through zoning changes, New said.

The city assessed the area to see how much development it could handle, New said.

Then Denver Planning and Development ap-

The proposed zone amendments map, https://www.denvergov.org/ Maps/map/proposedzonemapamendments, shows applications for zoning code change. Clicking on a parcel will bring up an information box that shows the current zoning code and the proposed change.

A full list of the city of Denver’s maps can be found at https://www. denvergov.org/Maps/search.

proved any zoning changes, which were then sent to city council for approval.

The city expected those projects would be built in a more staggered fashion, but development has instead occured more quickly, New said.

When those projects are completed, the square footage of residential and commercial buildings in Cherry Creek will nearly double, New said.

Zoning laws are meant to protect neighborhoods from high-rise buildings emerging in quiet blocks filled with single-family homes. But some residents

worry that’s not enough.

Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, which acts as a liaison between Denver residents and city officials, opposed the city’s Denveright plans. In a February letter to Mayor Michael B. Hancock, the organization said the plans didn’t do enough to address housing, homelessness and other development-related issues. City council held a vote on the some of the plans on April 22.

Both the Comprehensive Plan and Blueprint Denver were approved by city council votes.

A council hearing for the park plan will happen next month.

WHAT RESIDENTS THINK OF DENVER DEVELOPMENT Cheesman Park resident “It wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but I think Denver city officials are doing the best they can considering the circumstances.”

Valdez wants to see more being done to keep people in their homes. She also said that development in the city has started to better connect some neighborhoods to amenities like grocery stores and parks. As an environmentalist, Valdez said neighborhoods and cities need to be more walkable.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

Capitol Hill resident “Denver’s become a lot more interesting in the last 15-20 years.”

Calendaria went on to say that development has been good and bad for the city. While things like traffic and parking have worsened, home values have risen. Candelaria said he bought his home in the 1990s when it was still affordable to buy in Capitol Hill.

Five Points resident “To me it seems to be like a high developing city.”

Betz moved to the city in August to start her master’s degree at the University of Colorado in Denver.

Betz, originally from Germany, said that in some ways Denver has developed faster than countries in Europe, such as in technology fields, saying the focus between the two continents is different.

She added that job opportunities continue to grow here as the city’s population continues to rise.

Although she is still learning the streets that have bike lanes, she said construction near her apartment has sometimes made it difficult to ride her bike in the city. But she still enjoys going for rides.

“I feel like they’re making more and more efforts to make it bike friendly.”

8 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

G R O W I N G PAINS

Development FROM PAGE 6

Fighting displacement In October, the mayor’s office created a new team to combat displacement in the hopes of keeping more long-term residents in their homes. Irene Aguilar, a former state senator in Colorado, took the role of program director of the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Team (NEST).

One of Aguilar’s key initial efforts is outreach with neighborhoods.

“Often,” she said, “people don’t even know what type of supports we provide.”

Those supports, which can be as simple as providing funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Development for community projects, can be catered to what individuals or neighborhoods need, she said.

So far, the team’s efforts have focused on neighborhoods such as Park Hill in northeastDenver and Elyria Swansea that have already been impactedby displacement. Every three weeks, her team meets with other city departments that work with local businesses and housing to see where their resources are most needed.

The NEST team has helped local businesses work with the city’s Department of Public Health and Environment office to make sure they stay in compliance. Later this year, Aguilar said NESTwill have the Office of Financial Empowerment provide a list of residents who did not pay property taxes.

NEST will use the list to do outreach and see if any of those residents need assistance.

“That may be a good proactive way to provide support to people to stay in the community,” she said.

A construction mess Brooks and Wayne New, the councilmember representing District 10, which encompasses Cherry Creek, Capitol Hill and Congress Park, also are looking for ways to help ease construction woes and development issues for their residents. Between the two, they represent more than 20 neighborhoods in north central Denver.

How developers have engaged with the community and whether they are hiring local residents for jobs is important to Brooks. He also looks at development projects that bring benefits to neighborhoods such as grocery stores.

“There’s that fine line between looking for services, and folks feeling the burden of what construction is really like,” Brooks said. He tries to make sure “it’s development that we want, not development that’s happening to us.”

In addition to taking up valuable parking space, construction projects often block sidewalks for pedestrians.

New has worked with the city’s Public Works department to create a set of rules for construction projects, such as having a parking plan for construction workers.

“We finally got some teeth in some of it, so we just need to monitor it,” he said of the regulations.

For the past several years, the city of Denver has been working on creating a way to better deal with traffic and growth. Denveright, a plan for growth and development is comprised of four sections: Comprehensive Plan 2040 looks at where the city overall will goin the next 20 years. Blueprint Denver specifically addresses land use and transportation. Both of these plans were approved

Welders working on the inside of a building. With the population boom in Denver construction on new apartments is happening all over the city. Residents often have concerns about what the new density will do to parking and traffic in their neighborhoods.

KAILYN LAMB

ABOUT DENVERIGHT Denveright is the city’s plan for growth over the next 20 years. It is divided into four parts: Comprensive Plan 2040, Blueprint Denver, the Parks and Recreation Game Plan and Denver Moves: Transit Pedestrians and Trails. Both Comprensive Plan and Blueprint Denver were approved by city council on April 22.

For more information, go to https://www. denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denveright.html.

A map of Blueprint Denver, which shows areas of change, can be found at, https:// www.denvergov.org/Maps/map/blueprintdenver. by city council on April 22. The other two sections tackle park space and how to move people throughout the city through mass transit or trails.

The new Blueprint Denver version is an update to one first adopted by the city in the early 2000s, following a growth period in the 1990s, said David Gaspers, Blueprint Denver’s project manager. The updated plan has a specific strategy of dealing with growth within Denver’s neighborhoods, such as keeping building development near transit centers and focusing on design quality to make sure projects fit the context of certain neighborhoods.

“We wanted to take a fresh look at how we wanted to be directing growth,” he said. “It was the right time to update the plan.”

Luxury overwhelms affordability More than 12,000 units were completed in Denver in 2018, said Robert Bratley, first vice president of capital markets with the CBRE in Denver, a nationwide real estate services and investment firm. A majority of the development projects sold last year — nearly 90 percent — were bought by out-of-state

companies and individuals, Bratley added.

He believes developers will continue to build in Denver because prices are better than what companies are seeing on the coasts.

Building luxury units is how developers make money back on their projects, Bratley said. A high demand for those units means the city will continue to see more of those projects. The demand for affordability, however, also is pushing a new trend of micro-units that could help fill a “desperately needed” inventory of affordable units, he said. (Zumper, a website for rental home and apartment listings, says micro-units are typically about 350 square feet.)

“That’s going to continue in Denver for the foreseeable future,” Bratley said. “The affordability factor is coming back in.”

But rents listed in Apartment List, another website for rental listings, show at least one micro-unit complex isn’t advertising lower prices. The website says the average rent for a studio in Denver is $870 a month and for one-bedroom units $1,063. RiDE, a new micro-apartment development in the River North neighborhood, is charging $1,249 for a 393-square-foot unit.

Cathy Alderman, vice president of communications and public policy for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, doesn’t see relief any time soon.

The federal government calculates area median income, or AMI, based on census data for geographic regions. According to the office of economic opportunity and development in Denver, the AMI for the Denver area is $63,000 for a one-person household and nearly $90,000 for a household of four.

For people making less than the AMI, housing is becoming difficult to find, Alderman said. Often,housing prices are forcing people to move out of the city they work in, Alderman said. For the homeless population, which at one point was growing at the same rate as the rest of Denver’s population, it’s even more difficult, she said.

“They don’t even have a shot at finding a

place to live,” Alderman said.

Home sales is another area that has see a spike in prices. There are still some areas in Denver that are affordable, said Tom Snyder, a Realtor with Snyder Realty Team, but they are becoming more scarce.

In places like Capitol Hill, much of the development has focused on building apartments. Areas with higher density areas lend themselves to people who are interested in the apartment lifestyle, Snyder said. It is more difficult to sell single-family homes in those areas.

“The days of single-family homes in Cap Hill are numbered,” he said. “It’s really hard to find buyers for a single-family home surrounded by high density.”

But north Denver is beginning to see a saturation of development. More projects are starting to move south, Snyder said. In the next five years, Snyder hopes to see a shift in the market toward condos. Condos can be a more affordable option for people looking to buy a home, but who can’t afford Denver prices.

“That’s going to have a very, I think, positive effect. I’d love to see a lot more condo stock,” Snyder said. “Part of what makes Denver not affordable is we have very limited single-family homes, we’re not creating more of that and, of course, those prices just keep going up and up and up.”

For her part, Aguilar pushed for people to accept the Denveright plans, even if they thought it wasn’t enough.

In her time in the state Senate from 201119, Aguilar said she learned that progress in government doesn’t happen overnight.

Denveright, at the least, gives neighborhoods the tools to push for better rules regarding development, she said. She also is hoping that NEST can begin looking more into the policy side of development.

It is, she said, a start in the right direction.

“For an idea to become a reality,” Aguilar said, “it takes a long time.”

Life On Capitol Hill 9

May 2019

Shot-detection system expands to downtown, Uptown Denver City Council expands ShotSpotter, which detects gunfire in neighborhoods

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A gunshot detection system will be expanded into the downtown and Uptown neighborhoods later this year to try to decrease violent crime in Denver.

City Council voted in early April to extend its contract with ShotSpotter, a system that uses sensors to detect the sounds of gunfire. Once the system detects a shot, it triangulates the location and sends it to police officers’ smart phones, said Chief Joe Montoya, the division chief of investigations with the Denver Police Department. Although the location is not exact, it’s close enough that it improves officer response time drastically.

When there’s gunfire in neighborhoods, Montoya said, people often are scared and may not call right away, or they may not recognize that the sound is gunfire. By the time police get the call and have time to respond, criminals may be gone.

“Who knows how much time might have lapsed?” Montoya said in a recent interview. ShotSpotter “bypasses some-

one calling it in.”

The city was already using ShotSpotter in some neighborhoods in the northeastern part of Denver. A federal grant brought it into the city initially, Montoya said. The expansion of the contract will add areas in downtown and Uptown to the system’s coverage.

The new contract is more than $2.8 million, according to city records.

Councilmember Albus Brooks, who represents District 9, which covers the downtown areas as well as Five Points, City Park and more, said it is “money well spent.”

Denver police are still ironing out the expansion’s final details, Montoya said, but he hopes to have it ready to go by this summer.

DPD has already used ShotSpotter with some success, Montoya said, noting it has helped the department solve homicide cases. The department has made 134 arrests and recovered 112 firearms since the program was implemented in 2015.

Brooks and fellow councilmember Wayne New, whose District, 10, is also in the new coverage area, support the system. Any new technology that can help police officers with their jobs is important, New said.

For Brooks, the need for the system also struck a personal chord.

He has heard gunshots in his neighborhood, once as many as 50 rounds going off near his house, he said. As the father of three children, Brooks worries

for their safety. Decreasing violence in the city is some of the most important work he does as a councilman, Brooks said.

“It’s not just me as a councilman,” he said. “It’s me as a dad, it’s me as a husband and a community leader.”

In addition to the quicker response times, Montoya also said ShotSpotter can help police create a database of bullet casings similar to the ones for fingerprints. Guns leave marks on used bullets that are specific to that weapon. Police can then use those bullets as evidence to see if they tie back to any other crimes.

Montoya is hopeful that other metroarea police departments can also use ShotSpotter to add to this data as well.

“There’s no boundaries for a lot of these individuals,” he said. “The more of us that are involved in trying to solve this problem the more effective it’s going to be.”

Although the system helps police identify gunfire, Montoya still encourages people to call in a report if they suspect a gun has been shot in their area. The goal of this system is to get people wrongfully using guns off the streets.

Part of the push to bring ShotSpotter downtown was because of an increase of shootings in the area, Montoya said.

“We felt it was time to move into downtown in light of some of the most recent incidents,” he said. “We want to maintain that downtown area as a safe place.”

This screenshot shows what the ShotSpotter app looks like from an officer’s phone. ShotSpotter triangulates where the shooting occurred and the number in the pin indicates how many gunshots the system heard.

COURTESY OF DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT

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10 Life On Capitol Hill

LOCAL

May 2019

VOICES

Ongoing series tackles how development affects our lives FROM THE EDITOR

Kailyn Lamb

D

enver has changed a lot from when I was a kid growing up here. Even just within the past five years since I finished college, the city has grown by leaps and bounds.

This growth is not new to anyone. It has been one of the biggest topics of discussion in recent years among residents and local politicians. Development. Parking. Construction. A seemingly never-ending cycle.

This month, we kick off “Growing Pains” as an ongoing series that looks at how this development is affecting your neighborhoods and everyday life.

The initial story looks at overall development and how it has impacted the lives of Denver residents.

Going forward, the series will tackle topics such as housing, business and green spaces.

We can, most likely, agree that not all development is bad: Like people evolving over time, a city must grow and change to fit its needs.

I have fond memories of coming downtown from my hometown of Arvada for field trips to the Denver Art Museum or going to Coors Field for Rockies games. My stepdad used to work for the museum, so we would have family dinners at the Denver Diner to close out one of his shifts. I burned my hands many times on the sun-scorched bronze hippo statue across from the hippo enclosure inside the Denver Zoo. But if I wanted to try sushi as a kid, forget it.

Denver was a steak-and-potatoes town. Now, with more people moving into the city, Denver has adapted by adding more restaurants to fit the

desires of its growing diverse population. There’s a booming brewery scene. People living in Denver want to support its small businesses.

The unemployment rate in Denver has been steadily going down. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the Denver, Aurora and Broomfield area was 9.3 percent in February 2010. It fell to 6.1 percent in February 2014. By February of 2018 it was down to 3.2 percent. This February it was at 3.1 percent.

Whole new neighborhoods have sprouted.

In college, I interned at Out Front magazine in the River North neighborhood before it became RiNo. Driving up Walnut Street, surrounded by SEE LAMB, P11

Construction program provides jobs, livable wages

U

Keeping up with the changing rules of the road GUEST COLUMN

Russ Eldore

H

ave you heard the rumor that driving a black car on Sundays in Denver will get you a ticket or even arrested?

Although this purported “law” is actually more of an urban legend, it points to just one of many common misconceptions about driving and raises a bigger question: When was the last time you actually refreshed your knowledge of current traffic laws?

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

New traffic laws are passed with a frequency that most people probably don’t even realize, and it’s easy to forget about some of the smaller driving nuances you learned all those years ago in drivers ed class, too.

So, what can you do to ensure you’re up-to-speed with the latest rules of the road? Here are three tips for keeping pace with today’s regulations.

SEE ELDORE, P11

nprecedented investments are being made by the city and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in infrastructure projects. CDOT is reconstructing Interstate 70 from Brighton Boulevard to Chambers Road. The city is investing $778 million in phase 1 and 2 of the new National Western Center campus and an additional $937 million in infrastructure projects over the next 10 years.

These projects present an unprecedented opportunity to train and employ our residents for jobs in the construction industry that pay family-supporting wages.

I began working with CDOT five years ago to target residents living along the I-70 corridor for job training and employment opportunities.

An impressive coalition including CDOT, service providers, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, training programs, construction companies, chambers of commerce and foundations came together to develop the WorkNow collaborative.

WorkNow is a new and unique structure that integrates construction industry job training and community resource partners to provide a comprehensive construction workforce readiness and career success program. WorkNow has brought the core partners together in a new way to

help people find and keep livable wage jobs.

This approach is working.

In the first year and a quarter of operation WorkNow has enrolled 906 workers, provided 315 with basic and 158 Deborah Ortega training with training to upgrade their skills. Of those, 381 people secured a new construction job and 243 current workers were supported with additional training or services. Ninetythree people have been placed in registered apprenticeship programs and are earning on average $19.11 per hour. Others have been placed in construction offices, professional and craft jobs.

Fifty-nine percent of the enrollees received supportive services in the form of work boots, tools, transportation assistance, dues and fees. The one-on-one math tutoring program has achieved an 88 percent pass rate.

Best of all, 80 percent of the participants are on the job after six months.

This program proves that when you provide opportunity — training

GUEST COLUMN

SEE ORTEGA, P11

JERRY HEALEY President

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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Life On Capitol Hill 11

May 2019

Lamb FROM PAGE 10

industrial buildings, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Five years later, RiNo is the “it” neighborhood with several breweries, two food halls and tons of restaurants.

Eldore FROM PAGE 10

Check your ego at the (car) door Everyone thinks new drivers are the biggest danger on the road due to their lack of experience. However, one of the biggest dangers to experienced drivers is complacency and overconfidence.

For example, when I begin a new drivers’ education class I ask the parents in the room what color a yield sign is. It’s shocking to see how many parents will say a yield sign is yellow, when in actuality the yield sign is red and white and has been since the 1970s.

This is a lighthearted example that addresses a more serious issue — people often tune out their own faults, especially with driving. Experienced and educated

Ortega FROM PAGE 10

with support and job placement services — people succeed.

I have long advocated for Denver to adopt local hire-andapprenticeship goals for city contracts. Why? It is a proven

But how do we manage growth to support people who have been living in this city for generations?

When I was working at the Summit Daily in the mountains, the running joke was that Colorado natives, like myself, did not exist. We were called unicorns.

It’s a phrase that carries down the western slope and into the city. So many people have moved to Colorad that meeting a

native feels few and far between.

High prices are pushing residents out into the suburbs, moving further and further away from the city. After moving back to Denver from the mountains, I was shocked to find new apartment developments in Arvada were just as expensive as ones in Denver. I frequently get calls from real estate call centers asking if I want to sell my house in Arvada — my dad’s

house — which I don’t even own.

People are what make a city great.

People run the businesses here. They make up the community centers and teach Denver’s children. Growing Pains will dive deeper into the world of development in Denver. In this series we can get a better picture of the residents who are living through — and dealing with — change every day.

do not necessarily go hand and hand, and considering many people can’t even recall the correct color of a yield sign, it shows.

Remember: Just because you’ve been driving for years doesn’t mean you don’t have something to learn, too.

looking at a text or grabbing something from the backseat — to completely lose control.

No matter how comfortable you are behind the wheel, remember that it’s your responsibility to remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings.

courses that many drivers’ education facilities offer, or simply spend a few minutes every couple of months doing your own research on new and even older traffic laws to ensure you’re obeying all rules of the road.

While it’s easy for driving to feel like second nature at some point, these tips can certainly serve as a starting point to keep yourself alert and up-to-date with the latest driving laws. By taking the time to review the most current set of regulations, as well as those that you may have simply just forgotten about over time, you’re ensuring your safety and the safety of others around you.

Turn autopilot off Have you ever driven to your destination and wondered how you actually got there? Chances are you’ve been driving the same route to work or through your town for long enough for it to feel like second-nature. How quickly we can forget that we’re actually maneuvering large hunks of metal and plastic weighing an average of more than 4,000 pounds.

A car travels 90 feet per second at 60 miles per hour. In a little over three seconds, your car has traveled the length of a football field. All it takes is three seconds — whether that be adjusting the radio,

method to move people into jobs and careers that pay familysupporting wages and benefits. It is a way to make sure our public investments in infrastructure are also an investment in our people.

I am pleased that Denver is launching the Denver Construction Career (DCC) pilot program with apprenticeship goals for

Study like a student Let’s be honest: When is the last time you actually reviewed the latest traffic laws? It’s probably been a while — and you’re not alone. But, a quick refresher can go a long way in preventing an accident or even a ticket.

The Colorado Driver Handbook provides easy-to-comprehend updates on the latest traffic laws and new regulations. Not only does it detail the rules of the road, but it also details potential penalties you could be facing for breaking traffic laws.

Consider taking advantage of refresher

the large Elevate Denver bond projects. This is an important first step in developing a robust local hire-and-apprenticeship program. The DCC program establishes a goal of 15 percent of all project construction hours be performed by apprentices and implements targeted outreach, marketing and training to resi-

Russ Eldore owns 911 Driving School in Westminster, a driving school franchise providing education programs for teens, adults and mature drivers. He can be reached at westminster@911drivingschool.com.

dents of economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, the homeless and those exiting the foster care system. The program will partner with WorkNow to ensure participants have the training and support needed to succeed in the program.

If you or someone you know

want to learn more, go to www. work-now.org.

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

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12 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

Volunteers help with cleanup, maintenance tasks in Cheesman Park

CHEESMAN PARK

GETS A SPRING CLEANING

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

“Since I live right here and I could walk … it’s perfect.”

Sherry Richardson, Volunteer

Sherry Richardson paints a curb near the Pavilion at Cheesman Park. Richardson lives near the park and frequently volunteers for Spark the Change, one of the organizations that participated in the April cleanup event.

KAILYN LAMB

Clouds of dust rose from piles of mulch as more than 30 volunteers, easily distinguishable by their bright green shirts, shoveled them into wheelbarrows around Cheesman Park, where they also did other maintenance tasks for Denver Parks and Recreation.

Throughout the day on April 8, volunteers spread 24 yards of mulch, painted curbs throughout the park, raked playground mulch and picked up 160 gallons of trash.

Sherry Richardson, a volunteer who lives nearby, said she wanted to help with the cleanup because Cheesman, at 1599 E. Eighth Ave., is her local park.

“Since I live right here and I could walk … it’s perfect,” said Richardson, who enjoys volunteering in her free time.

A little over half of the volunteers were local workers from Bimbo Bakeries USA, the parent company for Oroweat Bread. The company is organizing park cleanups around the nation as part of a marketing campaign for its bread. A local office for Janus Henderson, a financial investment firm, also brought employees out for a volunteer day.

David Westall with Janus said his company does a volunteer project every year. Cheesman Park is close to its office, so it was an ideal opportunity to get out into the community.

Organizers from BBU also reached out to Spark the Change, a company that pulls together lists of volunteer opportunities around the state and emails them to subscribers. That’s how Mike Bustos and Richardson joined the Cheesman cleanup.

Lawrence Luevano, a field supervisor with Denver Parks and Recreation, was on hand during the day handing out supplies and helping volunteers with projects.

Working with volunteers saves the city a lot of money and allows it to get projects done that park rangers wouldn’t be able to complete quickly by themselves, Luevano said.

A park like Cheesman has hundreds of trees. To mulch the whole park, for instance, would probably take a team of volunteers about a month of working every day, he said.

Even trash pickup is time-consuming. Rangers are unable to go through the whole park for small pieces of trash, Luevano said.

“We have staff that come out first thing in the morning and try to get the big stuff up,” he said. “But they can’t actually cover the whole park cause it would take up probably the whole day and they wouldn’t do their other duties out there.”

A group of volunteers can cover a lot more ground, he said. And “that helps out a lot.”

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Life On Capitol Hill 13

May 2019

Y

Bulbs: not just for spring anymore

ou may be familiar with the spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, crocus and daffodils. But what about bulbs that flower in the summer?

These heat-loving bulbs are a great way to give your garden color in the later part of the growing season. When your other perennial plants are busy setting seed and preparing for dormancy in fall, these plants are still going strong up until our first frost.

Unlike the spring bloomers that are planted in the GUEST fall, summer flowering bulbs COLUMN are planted in the spring Angie Andrade after the danger of frost is over, which is usually around mid-May for us in Denver. These plants are treated like annuals and will not survive our cold winter temperatures, but with a little extra work they can be saved from year to year. The bulbs can be dug up after the first frost that knocks out all the tender foliage and before the ground is too frozen to dig. The bulbs can then be stored in a cool dry place for the winter and replanted in the spring.

Very often the bulbs will multiply during the summer and can be divided to create more plants. This is a great way to get your money’s worth out of what can sometimes be a big investment.

Here are a few options that are easy to grow and that will wow your neighbors: Dahlias are at the top of my list because of the variety and beauty of their blooms. You can find dahlias in all shapes and sizes from the dinnerplate varieties, that are literally the size of a din-

ner plate, to the pompom varieties that look like perfectly round puff balls. The variety of colors is endless, and you are sure to find one that will match your tastes. Dahlias can grow quite tall and be somewhat brittle with the weight of their flowers, so it is important to stake them when they are small. I fall in love with dahlias every season, and they are definitely worth the extra work.

Cannas, or sometimes called Canna Lilies, are another great option for a garden bed or a container. Contrary to the name, Cannas are not related to lilies but closely related to ginger and banana families. This plant provides a great vertical element to your garden with its large tropicallooking leaves and brightly colored flowers.

Caladiums are a great option to brighten up a shady garden. Caladiums rarely flower and are grown for their brilliant foliage of red, pink, chartreuse and green. Be on the lookout for the new sun-tolerant varieties.

If you want to get a jump on the season, all of these plants can get started inside before they are planted in the garden. They all need nutrient rich soil and like to stay moist, but never soggy for risk of the tubers rotting. It’s really that easy to grow summer blooming bulbs and you will be rewarded with a beautiful display of flowers and foliage.

The Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale at Denver Botanic Gardens on May 10-11 has a diverse variety of summer bulbs!

Angie Andrade is a senior horticulturist with the Denver Botanic Gardens. She can be reached at horticulture@denverbotanicgardens.org.

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14 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE POOP Large goose populations cause problems with turf, park water migrate out of state,” wrote Cyndi Karvaski, the marketing and media relations representative for Denver Parks and Recreation, in an email. n a sunny day in Denver, parks But estimates from district supervisor overflow with residents enjoying Kendra Cross for the Animal and Plant the outdoors. But more and more Health Inspection Service division of the people also are finding themselves U.S. Department of Agriculture show about co-existing with the large amounts of geese 44,000 mating pairs along the Front Range. who call the parks home — and the slimy, Canada geese require three conditions to green poop they leave in their stead. establish residency — safety, food sources Following the creation of the Migraand mobility. City and Washington parks tory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, many Denver provide all three of these in abundance. parks, including Washington Park and City Canada geese need open bodies of water to Park, began experiencing an overabundance of Canada protect themselves from predators, as geese. The U.S. Department of the well as access to closely cropped turf Interior drafted the legislation to protect grasses and open fields for predator an endangered migratory species of sight lines and landing strips.

Canada geese — not The geese the resident ones. population began That distinction that has become the its noticeable rise in the late 1990s, when crux of a dispute surrounding the climate changes including drought waterfowl: Conflicts involving wildlife A goose has a stretch while eating out in the and rising temperatures left Denver’s and people seem field at Washington Park. turf lawns relatively to elicit passionate clear of snow cover and park lakes free of and spirited opinions from both sides of the ice, research shows. Before that, Denver was issue. primarily a flyway stopover for migrating “I have lived in South City Park for 30 geese. years and I believe the geese have a right “In the past few years there has been an to be here,” said Bonita Lahey. “They are increased interest and effort in the Denver protected by international law.” metro area to reduce and control goose David Scarbeary, also a 30-year resident numbers,” said Jim Gammonly, an avian of City Park South, finds the volume of research section leader for the Colorado goose excrement unacceptable. He laments cleaning goose poop from his dog, as well as Department of Natural Resources. “Hazing and egg-oiling efforts by property owners himself. He also feels the geese are responcontinues, but there is an increased desire to sible for the lawn erosion on the banks of be more aggressive about lethal control.”

Ferril Lake in City Park.

Oiling involves coating nest eggs with “The east shore of the lake between common household cooking oils to block the lake and park road was fully dead, no air passages, preventing the embryo from grass, noxious spiky weeds had taken over,” developing. Hazing, using dogs or other Scarbeary said. “Overgrazing by geese and noise makers, disturbs the geese’s sense of then the bulk of their poop had killed most security in the hopes it will move on from of the grass.” a location. Such tools include the use of a Canada geese are prodigious consumers remote-controlled robot referred to as a of cultivated turf lawns. And where there is Goosinator, which simulates a predator. foraging, there is defecation. Lots of defecaBut Vicki Vargas-Madrid, Denver Parks tion. Geese poop every 20 seconds, dropping Wildlife administrator, said the method is 1 1/2 to 3 pounds of feces a day, according not foolproof. to Colorado Fish and Wildlife, the Audubon “A hazed flock might return to the same Society and other stakeholders. spot in as little as an hour, or by the next Just how many geese are creating large day,” she said. amounts of waste is also up for debate.

“As many as 20,000 Canada geese are residents of the Front Range and no longer SEE GEESE, P18

By Joe Carabello

Special to Colorado Community Media

O

Alli, who declined to give her last name, feeds the geese in Washington Park last month.

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William Johnson with his son Chase feed the geese by Grasmere Lake in Washington Park on a Saturday in April.

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Life On Capitol Hill 15

May 2019

Ballet companies help children, homeless Wonderbound and Colorado Ballet put on dance classes for all members of community

Several students from University Preparatory School practice moves learned in a Colorado Ballet swing dancing class. The class was one of several put on as part of a residency coordinated

by Colorado Ballet. PHOTO

By Casey Van Divier Special to Colorado Community Media

E

very Tuesday morning, a bus rolls up outside 1075 Santa Fe Drive, bringing a full class of preschoolers to Colorado Ballet for their free weekly dance class.

Those preschoolers go to the school at Warren Village, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting low-income, single-parent families as they transition from poverty to economic stability.

For the preschoolers who attend the ballet classes, the experience feeds a passion for dance and movement that continues all week long.

“We hear from the parents that the kids dance at home,” said Kacy Grady, a preschool teacher from Warren Village. “We have girls that have gone out and bought ballet shoes — it’s been great to see.”

The program is just one of many in a city brimming with free and reduced-cost dance opportunities. For years, Denver-based companies Colorado Ballet and Wonderbound have offered dance programs for a variety of groups across the community. And in 2019, their efforts continue to expand.

“For many young people, growing up to be a ballet dancer is a dream that they carry for years,” said Emily Aalbers, education depart-

COURTESY OF EMILY AALBERS

ment manager at Colorado Ballet. “But having access to dance can have many obstacles.”

The company works hard to break down many of those barriers that low-income families face, such as securing transportation to dance classes and the cost associated with some classes, Aalbers said. “We really strive to get into as many pockets of the community as possible.”

Denver’s homeless find dance community in Wonderbound In a sense, Wonderbound’s community engagement efforts fell into place by chance.

When Wonderbound was located in its old building at Park Avenue West and Broadway —the company has since moved to 2535 E. 40th Ave. — its dancers found themselves sur-

TO LEARN MORE Wonderbound and Colorado Ballet invite all members of the community to participate in the dance programming they run throughout the year.

Wonderbound programs include in-school opportunities and Pari Passu, a class that connects Denver’s homeless with Wonderbound dancers. Contact Lauren Turner at lturner@ wonderbound.com for more information.

Colorado Ballet programs include its partnership with the students at Warren Village, in-school programming and workshops with local libraries. Contact Emily Aalbers at emily.aalbers@ coloradoballet.org for more information.

To learn more about dance opportunities in Denver, visit www.wonderbound.com or www. coloradoballet.org.

rounded by people who would come into the studio after hearing the music from nearby.

“If we were there, the doors were open,” said Lauren Turner, marketing manager at Wonderbound. “So if you were outside, the chances of you hearing the music or seeing the dancing were really high.”

After talking with the visitors who came in, Turner and the others at Wonderbound learned that many were part of the homeless community. It wasn’t long before Wonderbound director Dawn Fay sought to create a program to give these visitors better access to the company’s opportunities.

The result: Pari Passu, a program in collaboration with the St. Francis Center in which instructor Heather Sutton and Wonderbound

dancers lead classes for the city’s homeless population. These classes take place biweekly at the St. Francis Center, 2323 Curtis St., a refuge center for the city’s homeless.

“They can open up in a way that they don’t typically have the space to,” Turner said. “It gives them a way to come together and do something that everyone can do, which is dancing.”

In addition, she said, Wonderbound often takes participants to see free performances of Wonderbound shows.

Wonderbound also puts on a variety of interactive performances in schools around the area, reaching about 22,000 students from SEE BALLET P18

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16 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

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New bill defines community schools DPS sees improvement after initiative, Daniels Fund Scholars announced Staff report

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Béla Fleck: Friends & Family featuring the Colorado Symphony, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Abigail Washburn MAY 30 THU 7:30 Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO TICKETS: AXS.COM

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DPS sees boost in student achievement after 2011 initiative In 2011, DPS started a six-year initiative with new “principal pipelines.” The program implemented rigorous leader standards, high-quality preservice preparation, selective hiring and placement, and on-the-job support and evaluation for its principals, according to a district news release. The initiative cost $85 million for all six participating districts and was funded by the Wallace Foundation. DPS received $12.5 million of that.

A new RAND Corporation report shows that all six districts participating in the initiative, including DPS, saw improvements. Schools with newly placed principals in pipeline districts outperformed comparison schools by 6.22 percentile points in reading and 2.87 percentile points in math, the release said.

RAND is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization. For more information on the study, go to https://www.rand. org/pubs/research_reports/RR2666.html.

The district hired 176 new principals through this initiative, 63 percent of which are still working in DPS today.

Daniels Fund awards scholarships to 218 students Last month, the Daniels Fund announced the 218 recipients of its annual scholarship from among 1,850 applicants from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Of the recipients, 134 were from Colorado, a news release from the foundation said. A list of Daniels Fund Scholars can be found at, DanielsFund. org/2019DanielsScholars.

The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation. It first began offering the scholarships in 2000 and has since awarded $188 million to more than 4,000 students, including the ones from this year.

JUL 14 SUN 7:30 TICKETS: AXS.COM

■

Gov. Polis signs Community School Bill On April 8, Gov. Jared Polis signed SB 19-102, or the Community Schools Bill, into law. The bill defines a community school and allows public schools to include in its innovation plan that it will operate as a community school.

Community schools offer a range of services to Polis students and parents that address some of the challenges they face outside of the classroom. They strengthen students, support parents and build up neighborhoods by aligning schools with community resources through strategic partnerships, according to a news release from the Colorado Education Association.

“While some Colorado school districts are threatening to turn over the public education of our children to national, for-profit companies, this law gives power to local people who want a better path forward to meet the diverse needs of the students they know and hold dear,” said Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association, in the release. “Community Schools are a phenomenal opportunity for all stakeholders to engage and find local solutions that will support students, families and educators.”

Denver Public Schools already runs a handful of innovation schools in the district, according to its website. For more information on the types of schools in DPS, go to https://portfolio.dpsk12.org/ dps-family-of-schools.

For more information on SB 19-102, go to http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-102.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Rachel

Zenzinger and State Rep. Brianna Titone, both Democrats representing Jefferson County.

also supported by

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City seeking people for healthy food commission Staff report Denver is asking residents to apply for 11 spots on a commission for healthy food in schools.

The commission was included in the Healthy Food For Denver Kids, or Ordinance 302, which implemented a .08 percent sales tax raise for the city and county of Denver — or 8 cents per $100 spent. The ordiance passed on the ballot last November.

Applicants must be a member of the Denver community.

Healthy Food for Denver kids will sunset after 10 years. It will raise $11.5 million annually for healthy food programming and education services for schools. The program will focus on lowincome and at-risk youth.

For more information, or to apply for the position, go to https://bit. ly/2GyJ3ZV.

Life On Capitol Hill 17

May 2019

Symphony looks to stay in Denver for new home Initial agreement promises about $16.7 million toward new concert space

By Clarke Reader Special to Colorado Community Media

During the spring and summer months, the Colorado Symphony is as likely to be rehearsing a Brahms concert as it is to be working on the score to a Harry Potter film or boning up on some Tenacious D tunes.

That’s what happens when an orchestra becomes very, very good at what it does.

And audiences are noticing.

“We’re doing what Colorado’s orchestra should be doing. We’re not passive because we understand the gift the community

gives us,” said Tony Pierce, chief artistic officer with the symphony. “Our main charge is to ensure there’s a future for live symphonic music here. And if that means we have to be creative and challenge ourselves, we’re ready to do it.”

Whatever the symphony is doing seems to be working, and the city wants to ensure it stays in Denver. In February, the city announced it would begin planning to replace Boettcher Concert Hall, the space the symphony currently calls home. Additionally, the symphony can look for another residence, so long as it remains inside Denver city limits.

An initial agreement between the city and the symphony also allows the symphony to consider setting up shop at the site of its current office building at 1245 Champa St.

The Colorado Symphony performs at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver. The symphony is in talks with the city to find a new performance space or rebuild Boettcher.

SEE SYMPHONY, P23

PHOTO BY BRANDON MARSHALL

LGBTQ center changes name to reflect community clude everyone we serve and those who contribute to our vibrant community, including women, bisexual people and transgender individuals,” said The Center’s CEO Debra Pollock in the release. “Our new name is intended to welcome all members of the community as

The Center has been serving the LGBTQ community in Colorado since it opened in 1976 as the Gay Community Center of Colorado. It now serves 52,000 people annually, the release said.

“As we have evolved over the years, we’ve made changes to in-

Staff report The GLBT Community Center of Colorado changed its name in late March to The Center on Colfax to better reflect the community it serves, according to a news release.

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The center offers programming for people of all ages. Rainbow Alley serves LGBTQ youth in Denver, while SAGE of the Rockies is meant for older adults. The Center also offers a program for transgender people, as well as legal

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18 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

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More geese, more problems Canada geese know no boundaries, leaving dense swaths of feces on lawns, sidewalks, roads, trails, plazas and playgrounds. The volume and mess from the defecation have discouraged some Denver citizens from using the parks.

“Without any publicity, we gathered nearly 1,500 signatures from an online petition urging the city to address our concerns about the overabundance of Canada geese in Washington Park,” said Steve Spirn, who works with a grassroots organization Citizens to Restore the Parks (CRP).

It’s more than just goose poop causing problems. Geese are traffic hazards when they cross streets, Spirn said. There are health concerns from pathogens and bacteria in their feces.

Gammonly noted that health concerns are not significant, but people with CRP disagree.

CRP found research from institutions like Cornell University and Ohio State University that warn of waterfowl-borne bacteria leading to infectious diseases in humans. Researchers also found unusually high levels of such pathogens as coliform in Canada geese-infested reservoirs that supply drinking water.

One variable all parties agree on is the damage caused by goose excrement in water: The increase in nitrogen to the water of Denver

Parks lakes and ponds encourages robust algae growth, robbing the water of the oxygen required to sustain a healthy fish and aquatic population.

Complicating the decision-making and administrative oversight of managing Canada geese is the labyrinth of federal, state and local agencies involved. Ultimately, the U.S. Department of the Interior regulates policies of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife division, which mandates regional, state and local policy.

Through it, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture assesses flock damage. It, in turn, authorizes the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to oversee local management policies. If non-lethal logistics have been exhausted without results, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife will consider authorizing a depredation permit, which allows people to euthanize the birds.

Citizens to Restore the Parks offered assistance to the city, submitting strategy proposing the formation of a group of volunteers, but it has not been accepted. According to Spirin, city officials haven’t shown interest in pursuing his organization’s proposal.

The officials with Parks and Recreation say they are still finalizing their plan for dealing with geese this year.

“Our office of Natural Resources Wildlife Program has not yet finalized our goose management program for 2019,” Karvaski said.

“There is no permit at this time that allows cities/counties/municipalities to lethally control Canada geese.”

Ballet FROM PAGE 15

Title I schools. These schools qualify for federal funding based on the number of their students who come from low-income families .

“We really want to make dance accessible, because everyone should have access to the arts,” Turner said. “The dancers and I really enjoy this side of what we do.”

Students ‘realize full potential’ at Colorado Ballet Likewise, Colorado Ballet has made a coordinated effort to make dance accessible to the entire community. The ballet brings no-cost or low-cost dance opportunities to more than 35,000 individuals in 300 schools and organizations each year.

“Our classes are really an opportunity for students to move their body, connect with others and experience creative selfexpression in a supportive environment,” Aalbers said. “Those are skills and experiences they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Like Wonderbound, the ballet brings its work to schools in and around the Denver area, putting on series of after-school workshops, assemblies and field trips in which students can watch dress rehearsals at Colorado Ballet.

These efforts also demonstrate a dedication to serving Title I students — in particular, this population is served through the student-matinee field trips, at which more than 50 percent of attendees are Title I students.

“There’s no better feeling than when you see your child thriving,” said Jill Jones, whose six-year-old son, Mason, first started dancing through the ballet’s Leap-N-Learn program, an after-school program that varies in cost based on each school’s budget.

Since Mason was introduced to Colorado Ballet in 2017, he has received a scholarship to participate in classes with the ballet and has continued to develop “a sense of awareness about his body and self,” Jones said.

“Mason is just having fun, in dancing and with the people around him,” she said.

“And now that I’ve seen him carve out his own path in dance and music, the positive overflow into his school work is hard to miss.”

The ballet also offers creative movement classes for all children in the area and their caregivers through its partnership with Denver Public Libraries. Designed for children ages 0-5, these classes take place in 32 different libraries.

Upcoming library classes will be posted on the libraries’ online calendars. Aalbers said the ballet puts on about four library workshops per month.

“This outreach is a really important component of what we do at Colorado Ballet,” said artistic director Gil Boggs.

“And personally, it brings me great joy to see the way dance can light up a child’s face when they see it for the first time.”

For the preschoolers Grady teaches, that joy does not only stem from the dancing experience. It’s also a product of the connection the students have with their Colorado Ballet instructors and the encouragement they receive from them.

“We serve a lot of children who don’t necessarily get exposure to these kind of extracurricular activities,” Grady said.

“This gives them a chance to realize what their full potential could be, and we are so grateful.”

May 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, May 16.

EVENTS The Furry Scurry 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 4 at Washington Park, Kentucky & Franklin.

The Furry Scurry is a 2 mile dogfriendly walk and fun run benefitting homeless pets and horses at the Dumb Friends League. furryscurry.org Family Tree’s 26th Annual Celebration of Achievement 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9 at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.

This event raises critical funds to support vital programs and services for people impacted by child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness in the Denver metro area.

TheFamilyTree.org/Events, the Facebook event or by contacting Tami Mawhir at tmawhir@thefamilytree.org 2019 Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown and Gameroom Expo 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Saturday, May 25, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 27.

At this event play a huge game list and variety of themes in pinball machines and classic arcade video games -- No quarters needed. Play, buy, sell, mod, repair, tournament, education, meetup, and have fun. Price: $35/ day adult; $18/day kids 7-12; kids 6 and under free.

Denver Marriott Tech Center 4900 S. Syracuse St. pinballshowdown.com Yoga for All Sundays 10 a.m.

Free or donation.

Multi-generational and multiability class.

720-2448252 Washington Street Community Center 809 S. Washington St.

Comedy with Roger Mondays 10 p.m.

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

As always, we will hear from our Community Resource Officer from Denver Police and learn about different items impacting Baker.

Come a little early to socialize and meet some fellow Bakerties.

Hirschfeld Tower, 333 W. Ellsworth Ave. bakerneighborhood.org East Evans Business Association Meeting Meets every 4th Tuesday This meeting provides a great opportunity for local businesses to meet, network and raise awareness of what’s happening on the East Evans corridor.

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

All public nights start with an informative, multi-media astronomy presentation. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for kids and is payable online via PayPal. Reservations are recommended, as nights sell out.

Times vary by season.

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

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

303-282-5103 Pearl Wine Company, 1886 S. Pearl St. pearlwinecompany.com

Friends and Neighbors (FANS) of Washington Park 6 p.m., second Wednesday of each month Meetings typically include a brief overview of the latest park news and often feature a guest speaker.

Check out the website for the topic of the month.

Washington Park Dos Chappell Bath House, 600 S. Marion Parkway fanswashingtonpark.org Denver GOP First Friday Breakfast First Friday of the month 8 a.m.

Great speakers and conservative camaraderie. Please RSVP and order breakfast to support Pete’s.

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

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

ART Stampede Public Tours Occurs every day through May 19 In this daily 45-minute tour, see how animals have captivated artists throughout history in “Stampede: Animals in Art.” Discover and consider the role animals play through themes such as personal connections with animals, how animal materials have been used in art, how animals are used to tell stories or represent political ideas, and how artists use animals in imaginative ways. No reservations necessary. Meet on level 1 of the Hamilton Building. 720-865-5000 Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverartmuseum.org

DaVinci X – The Machines & You Exhibition Hours:Monday Closed for Groups and Private Events, Tuesday through Saturday – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday – Noon till 5 p.m.

Guided Tour Times – (Subject to Docent Availability) 1 p.m. Weekdays 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Weekends The DaVinci Machines Exhibition displaying hand-crafted inventions built from Leonardo’s 500 year old designs brought to life.

DaVinci X Exhibition, Located on the 2nd Floor of the Denver Pavilions – Suite 268 Take Escalator to 2nd Floor Next to Henry’s Tavern at 16th and Welton Check Mall Directories As Well discoverdavinci.com Clyfford Still Museum Free Day Wednesday, May 22 In appreciation of supporters of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SFCD), and in the spirit of community engagement, the Museum offers free admission once per month. Friday admission is $5 from 5-8 p.m.

720-354-4880 Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. clyffordstillmuseum.org

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

Free to the public - all welcome. The Center is open to the public for “drop-in” meditation and contemplative practices, 10 a.m.-noon.

Meditation instruction, 10:30 a.m., Padmasambhava Meditation Center, 1900 S. Cook St. padmasambhavameditationcenter. org English Learning Center Monday-Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. & Wednesday and Thursday 6:30 to 8 p.m.

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

For more enrollment info. call 303420-0172, or contact elcdenver@ gmail.com Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Sundays 9:30 a.m.

Learn both Tibetan and rhythmic English chants and brief silent meditations. Led by members of Yeshe Nyingpo Denver, a chapter of the Dudjom Tersar and aligned with the Dalai Lama.

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

Life On Capitol Hill 19

Sunday Open House and Meditation Sundays 10 a.m.

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

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

Leave your troubles behind and practice meditation and Kirtan every Tuesday. For more info call Ed. 720-810-9071 854 Pearl St., Denver Denver Laughter Club Meets every Monday except major holidays at St. Barnabas Church.

11:45 a.m.

Call Meredee for more info.

303-877-9086 St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 1280 Vine St. denverlaughs.com Learn to Code Meetup Mondays, 6 p.m.

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

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

Classes $10 drop-in — Cafe not open.

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

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

303-813-9551 KMC Colorado Capitol Hill, 1081 Marion St. meditationincolorado.org Words of Wisdom Tuesdays 2 p.m.

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

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

SEE THINGS TO DO, P20

20 Life On Capitol Hill

Things to Do FROM PAGE 19

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

Tango Colorado hosts these low cost Tango lessons, followed by a practice session where dancers can polish the steps they learned, interact with other students and advanced dancers and improve their skills.

303-710-2250 Denver Turnverein Event Center, 1570 Clarkson St. tangocolorado.org/lessons Tuesday Night Blues Tuesdays 7 p.m. intermediate, 8 p.m. advanced.

Classes $5, Dance 8:30 p.m., $8 ($10-12 with Live Band) 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com UNNA Monthly Meeting Second Tuesday of the month Evanston Center for Spiritual Wholeness and Healing, 2122 S. Lafayette St. unna.shutterfly.com West Coast Swing Classes Wednesdays, 7 p.m. beginner/intermediate, 8 p.m. advanced.

Classes $8 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com Denver Socrates Cafe Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m.

Join a group that “seek truth by their own lights.” No regular attendance or preparation required. Speak your own mind, then take turns playing Socrates by asking questions.

303-861-1447 Trinity United Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway meetup.com/Denver-Socrates-Cafe Thursday Evening Meditation Thursdays 7 p.m.

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

May 2019 Padmasambhava Meditation Center, 1900 S. Cook St. padmasambhavameditationcenter.org

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

Daybreak Toastmasters Fridays, 7:00 a.m.

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

720-308-9090 State of Colorado Centennial Building, 1313 Sherman St. daybreaktoastmasters.org

Slime Club Tuesdays 4:00 p.m.

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

720-865-0940 Virginia Village Branch Library, 1500 S. Dahlia St. denverlibrary.org/events

Hard Times Meditation Fridays, 2:30 p.m.

Going through a tough time? Developing mindfulness can often help us find new resiliency.

Join professional instructor Nancy Nielsen for a supportive mindfulness meditation class that’s free and open to all. 720-865-1111 Denver Public Library: Central branch, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway

Toddler Storytime Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

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

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

Happiness Hour Fridays 5:00 p.m.

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

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

KIDSTUFF All Ages Open Lab Sundays 1:00 p.m.

Have a project you want to work on as a family? Want to learn more about Photoshop, 3D printing or anything else in the lab?

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

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org Tattered Tales Storytime Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.

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

Art Works!

Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.

Preschool Art for ages 3 – 5. We’ll read a book or two and little artists will make a simple craft or experiment with different materials in open-ended art 720-865-0955 Ross-University Hills Branch Library 4310 E. Amherst Ave. denverlibrary.org/events All Ages Storytime Wednesdays 10:30 a.m Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for children of all ages and their parents or caregivers.

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

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

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library

10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org/idealab Eazy Gaming Wednesdays 4:00 p.m.

Play great video games on a Wii, N64 and PS4.

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720-865-0160 Byers Branch Library, 675 Santa Fe Dr. www.denverlibrary.org/events Toddler Play & Explore Thursdays 11:30 a.m.

Enjoy unstructured play and social time for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their caregivers. Enjoy books, music, and a variety of developmentally appropriate toys in our warm and inviting play space.

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

Thursdays 3 p.m.

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

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

Join us for a drop-in playtime on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 3-5:30 p.m. Children ages 6 months to 5 years are welcome.

Caregivers must remain in the room with their children.

720-865-0220 Decker Branch Library, 1501 S. Logan St. denverlibrary.org LEGO Time Thursdays 4:00 p.m.

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

720-865-0955 Ross-University Hills Branch Library 4310 E. Amherst Ave. www.denverlibrary.org/events

CORRECTION: We made a mistake. Together Denver placed an advertisement in the April edition of Life on Capitol Hill which incorrectly identified the organization Together Colorado as the sponsor of the ad.

Together Denver paid for the ad. Together Denver is not affiliated with Together Colorado. We apologize for the error.

Paid for by Together Denver

Life On Capitol Hill 21

May 2019

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22 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

Schools address students’ needs after closure Denver Public Schools increased mental health services following threat

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

After a threat caused schools around the Front Range to close for a day, Denver Public Schools and mental health providers turned their focus to the needs of students.

DPS joined other districts across the state and closed its schools on April 17, following a perceived threat from 18-year-old Florida resident Sol Pais, who the FBI reported was “infatuated” with the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Following a manhunt, Pais was found dead by suicide near Mount Evans that same day, law enforcement officials reported.

Principals and administrators with DPS spent

the closure holding conferences on how to address student mental health needs, said Ellen Kelty, the district’s director of student equity and opportunity.

The district also compiled materials from the National Association of School Psychology, which provided tips to parents on how to talk to their children about school shootings. The information was posted on the main page of the DPS website and available in several languages.

Emily Garcia, program manager for schoolbased services at the Mental Health Center of Denver, a network of service centers and programming focusing on mental well-being, said it is important to let your kids know they have a safe place to talk. With younger children, the best practice is to find out how much they already know and to address any feelings such as fear and confusion.

“We have to give credit to the kids that they do often understand more than we think,” she said. “If we aren’t being available to them, they may hear it from somewhere else.”

Kelty said that the district had prepared some of the materials before the threat happened, but the closure pushed schools to prepare for students troubled by the event.

“Anniversaries of traumatic events are hard for people,” she said. “Unfortunately we needed it more than we would have hoped.”

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. Law enforcement officials later reported that Pais, found near Mount Evans, likely killed herself on April 15, authorities from the Clear Creek Sheriff ’s Department said.

In a news conference after investigators found Pais’ body, FBI Special Agent Dean Phillips declined to comment on her mental health or social media activity.

The week of the closure, DPS worked with the Denver Police Department, which increased patrols near schools. Division Chief of Patrol Ron Thomas said the police department looks at all threats to schools and uses its intelligence team to determine if they are credible.

DPD’s intelligence team vets threats by look-

ing at the location of the person as well as if he or she has the means to carry out a particular threat.

“We pay very close attention to anniversary dates,” Thomas said.

DPS reopened schools April 18, but DPD p continued its increased patrols throughout the o week. Thomas said he felt comfortable with the o safety plans put in place by police officers as m well as security at DPS. The district works hard to make sure schools M are safe, Kelty said. “We really have a lot of pro- a s tocols in place to make sure that happens.”

Reopening schools can also help with student A mental health, Garcia said. A regular routine is g healthy for children. Since children often spend t a lot of time in schools, parents also want to z make sure their children feel safe there.

Although there were many unknowns on the day of the closure, Garcia said it’s important to c s return to a routine in situations like this.

“We don’t want to do more harm by causing p O anxiety about a place that is safe,” she said. o i p

Denver recognized for environmental building design Staff report The U.S. Green Building Council certified the city of Denver as LEED platinum, a designation only given to a handful of cities, according to a news release.

LEED for Cities, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, helps cities measure goals toward sustainable building.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for the work that Denver is doing to push our city forward in addressing

the real issues of climate change and working toward a more affordable, reliable and sustainable future in everything from energy and transportation to education and health,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said in the news release. “Being certified Platinum in

the USGBC’s LEED for Cities program is one more step we’re taking as a city to affect change at the local level and support greater equity for our residents and neighborhoods.”

Denver is the 11th community worldwide to be awarded the plati-

w t m i

num designation, according to the release. Denver was rated based on a several factors, including the city’s t Climate Action Plan, goals to reduce f emissions and mobility data.

For more information on LEED certification, go to new.usgbc.org/.

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Life On Capitol Hill 23

May 2019

Bringing nonprofits together in Colorado

Building PIVOT The three founders came together in May of last year to create PIVOT. Mueller is the CEO of Cuvée, a luxury travel company that hosts an annual charity fundraiser, Flight to Luxury. In September, funds from Flight to Luxury went toward PIVOT. The

event raised $279,800, which GALS received in December.

With some of that money, it started a yearlong mentorship with The Boys and Girls Club of Denver in December. GALS partnered 40 sophomores with college-educated mentors who can help guide students through issues in their day-to-day lives, Mueller said.

PIVOT hopes to follow students not only through their middle and high school careers, but also as they continue into higher education and future careers, Mueller said.

“We’re already interweaving that into the school day,” Bower said of mentorship programming at GALS. PIVOT “brought up another layer for us to impact our students really well.”

For the nutrition program, the funds will go toward education as well as a garden at the school. The school and PIVOT are partnering with Big Green, a national nonprofit that brings gardens to low-income schools to help build a nutrition program. Garden spaces were installed on April 5 with students planting batches of lettuce and kale.

Deysi Parga and Iliana De La Rosa are 10thgrade students at GALS. Parga enjoyed planting, saying it made her feel like she was part of the community. De La Rosa agreed, saying the nutrition and gardening component of the program will help give her an understanding of where food comes from.

Both students have also been working with mentors through the PIVOT grant.

“It’s just free help, honestly,” Parga said.

“Scholarships, college. They train you for the future.”

GALS will be working with the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver for the mental health focus.

The school’s dean, Dr. Shelly Smith-Acuña, said hiring for the program is underway. The university will give support as needed at GALS, which already had some mental health classes for its students.

“They really do a lovely job at looking at social and emotional development,” Smith-Acuña said. “You have to work with the community to know what the community needs are.”

GALS is already teaching students that it is OK to talk about mental health, Smith-Acuña said. This helps students think about and learn to address stress and other struggles with mental health.

The fact that GALS already had some programming in place was part of the reason PIVOT selected the school for the pilot program, Mueller said.

Bower is someone who thinks outside of the box, to the benefit of her students, he said.

For her part, Bower said the funding is an “amazing bolster” to programming important to the school.

Mueller hopes the organization will raise enough money to expand in Colorado. His goal is to raise $10 million within the next two years.

“One of the focuses at PIVOT is to execute that strategy,” he said. “The opportunity is large, but what it really takes is money and leadership.”

agreed to contribute about $16.7 million to the project as long as the symphony remains in the city limits. Funds will come from the Better Denver Bond program. The symphony will have to launch a capital campaign to raise the rest of the money for the project.

According to Brian Kitts, director of marketing and business development in the City and County of Denver’s arts and venues department, the city is finishing up feasibility and potential use studies associated with remodeling the DCPA, independently of the work Boettcher would need.

“We hope that this will be done later this summer and some decisions regarding next steps can be made after that,” Kitts said.

The symphony was formed in 1990 after the Denver Symphony went into bankruptcy, and there have been several attempts in ensuing years to find a more state-of-the-art home. Funding has been a key component

throughout these processes, and Kern said that beginning in late 2011 until current times, the symphony has eliminated about $2 million in negative surplus and has been surplus-positive the last four years.

Part of that increase is a result of the many ways the symphony has evolved to expand its audience. In addition to playing along to popular film scores like Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Star Wars, Pierce said the Colorado Symphony has become one of the go-to musical groups for pop artists looking to create a unique concert experience. Artists like The Flaming Lips, Gregory Alan Isakov and “Weird Al” Yankovic have all worked with the symphony.

But it’s still vitally important the symphony remains tied to the community, especially through education.

“We need to make sure people are given access to a live symphonic experience. If we’re

not providing that, no one is,” Pierce said.

“We do seven public benefit concerts a year, including Martin Luther King Jr., Latin beats and we’ll be returning to Civic Center Park on July 3 for a big patriotic, traditional show.”

Conversations are underway with developers and land owners on properties that might be a good fit for the symphony, with the aim of finalizing a site by June 30. Kern said there’s a lot of excitement about the possibilities of a new home — and what that will mean to performers and audiences.

“Right now, the way our lease with the city is structured, there are limits on what we can do. In a new home we could expand the nature of our repertoire and use the space the way other orchestras do,” he said. “People are beginning to realize what a great orchestra and community treasure the symphony is.

Everyone in the organization and community should be proud. I am.”

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A new nonprofit created by three Colorado philanthropists aims to help children throughout their school careers and beyond by bringing other nonprofit organizations together.

PIVOT — founded by Broncos general manager John Elway and businessmen Larry Mueller and George Solich — will focus on the areas of nutrition, mental health and mentorship. It will start as a pilot program at the Girls Athletic Leadership Schools (GALS), a single gender-focused group of charter schools.

The name PIVOT came from the idea that this is “a slight movement of an existing organization,” Mueller said.

By bringing in multiple nonprofits, PIVOT can help schools focus on the whole child instead of the individual missions of specific nonprofits, said Mueller, the treasurer of PIVOT. One example Mueller used was after-school organizations, which focus on what the child is doing while they are participating in their programming.

“I think they should also have a focus on what happens to those kids when they walk out the door,” Mueller said. “They’re dealing with many issues that ultimately affect how they do in school.”

GALS operates a girls-only middle school and high school and a boys-only high school, the Boys School of Denver. The pilot will focus on the girls’ middle and high schools,

Symphony FROM PAGE 17

“So much time has gone by, Boettcher is practically at risk of blowing down. It’d be cheaper to tear it down and build out a new hall,” said Jerry Kern, CEO of the symphony. “Right now, we’ve zeroed in on what would be required at a new concert hall beyond the auditorium itself. We’re close to having very definitive numbers about what it’s likely to cost.”

While there currently isn’t Kern an agreement to build a new hall, this is an important first step in the process. As part of the initial agreement, Denver

Girls Athletic Leadership Schools Principal Carol Bowers speaks at the opening of a new garden plot at the school. The school received a grant from a new nonprofit to build the gardens.

KAILYN LAMB 750 Galapago St., Principal Carol Bower said.

The schools have 620 students across all three programs with 480 in the girls’ schools. Some of the mental health programming will also go into the boys’ school, Bower said.

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24 Life On Capitol Hill

May 2019

New exhibit celebrates Colorado women

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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To celebrate its one-year anniversary, the Center for Colorado Women’s History opened Women/Work/Justice, a new exhibit highlighting the work of women who made change in the state.

The exhibit doesn’t just focus just on women in politics, center director Jillian Allison said. It also looks at some of the untold stories from workers and women who fought for change. She hopes these stories will be inspiring for the people who walk in the doors of the museum, which first opened in the Byers-Evans House Museum, 1310 Bannock St., in March of last year.

“We wanted to take time to focus on the ways women impacted their community outside of the polling place,” she said. “I hope that we can sort of show that change is within our grasp, that these things are not impossible.”

The exhibit features seven stories featuring women, including the Laundry Girls Law of 1912, which ensured that women were only working eight-hour work days. The women’s stories are lined up on plaques in the lobby of Byers-Evans. People who attend the museum start in that room before going on tours of the house. The gallery space is free to visit.

Tours of the house are $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under.

Tours also highlight the group of women who lived in the Byers-Evans house and their contributions to Denver, Allison said.

The Evans family lived in the home for 92

Argonaut Has It!

Jillian Allison, director of Center for Colorado Women’s History, cuts the ribbon at the opening on March 21, 2018. At the end of March, the Center opened a new exhibit, Women/Work/Justice.

COURTESY OF CENTER FOR COLORADO WOMEN’S HISTORY years, Allison said, adding that the family donated the house to become a museum. The family also donated almost everything inside the house.

The museum is run by History Colorado.

Ann Evans lived in the house for 40 years and helped to found the Denver Art Museum and was the first woman president of the library commission.

“Part of the reason to do it here is that there were so many inspirational women who lived in this house and, also, untold stories,” Allison

said. “The women who worked in this house also have really interesting stories to explore.”

Exhibits at the Center for Colorado Women’s History also tie in to events, Allison said. The museum will be hosting a talk on equal pay for women. In 2020, the museum will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Women/Work/Justice will be on display at the Center for Colorado Women’s History until March 1, 2020.

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