e Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), an organization that represents and works on behalf of governments throughout the Denver metro area on regional issues, is funding and leading a Sheridan Boulevard safety study between Hampden Boulevard and Interstate 76.
Sheridan Boulevard has been identied by DRCOG as a high-injury network street, one of the streets in the Denver metro area that has a disproportionate number of fatal and serious-injury crashes. e study focused on making the road safer for people that drive, walk, roll, and use transit. As previously reported in the Denver North Star, residents along both sides of Sheridan have expressed frustration in the dangers of the road including speeding and dangerous drivers. e program manager for this study, Nora Kern, said “ e most overwhelming theme we’ve heard so far (both from the general public and Civic Advisory Committee) has been that Sheridan feels scary and unsafe for everyone — whether they are on foot or bike trying to cross the street, standing along Sheridan waiting for the bus, or driving along Sheridan. It’s really not currently working well for anyone.”
SEE COUNCIL, P15
WHAT’S INSIDE
CERTIFIED AFFORDABLE
Metro State starts income-restricted housing certifi cate program
EASTBOUND AND DOWN
Local businesses feeling the strain of E. Colfax BRT project
BOND, OBLIGATION BOND
Denver sets meetings to discuss potential projects for November vote
MIND-EXPANDING
Comedy show seeks to explore humor through psychedelic lens
Cesar Chavez Day parade returns to North Denver
BY ERNEST GURULÉ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Speeding down a highway and seeing elds populated with men and women hunched over rows of crops, it is hard to imagine that one of them might one day become an American icon.
But it did happen.
After toiling in the harshest conditions, burning sun, freezing cold, backbreaking labor and meager pay, Cesar Chavez drew the line and helped tell the story of America’s farmworkers.
e Chavez story is complicated. He certainly did tireless work to bring the plight of farm workers to light. He organized, took on the big growers, helped workers earn a deserved dignity, better working conditions and higher pay. But iconography has a price.
Chavez earned the ire of some of those he once worked both with and for. He also won the enmity of others—politi-
cians including former President Ronald Reagan. Chavez and Reagan were committed ideological adversaries.
But it is Chavez’s commitment to America’s invisible laborers, service workers and farmworkers, for which he is both remembered and revered.
Over the decades of organizing, leading boycotts and standing against American labor bosses and agribusiness, Chavez is today a symbol of humildad y corazon, or humility and heart. And in Denver and across the nation, he will once again be celebrated.
At 8:30 a.m. April 5, there will be a mass and march honoring Chavez. e mass at Regis University’s Saint John’s Chapel will be followed by a march by several hundred young, old, men and women to Cesar Chavez Park at 41st Avenue and Utica Street, said longtime educator and organizer Dr. Ramon Del Castillo.
At the park, Del Castillo will be among
a handful of speakers. He will also read a poem he has written honoring Chavez, “Una Despedida,” “ e Farewell.”
Del Castillo, now retired from a career of teaching Chicano Studies at Metropolitan State University-Denver, said the march, long a tool employed by Chavez to bring attention to farmworkers, represents “a spiritual connection” with Chavez and his cause.
“He dedicated his life for the betterment of others,” Del Castillo said.
Chavez, who died in 1993, visited Denver a number of times over the years. Del Castillo’s rst encounter with him was in the early 1970’s. “We brought him to UNC,” he said. en, a much younger Del Castillo was heading up a lettuce boycott at the University of Northern Colorado.
“ ere was a lot of animosity,” Del Castillo recalled.
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Denver mayor threatened with jail during testimony
Mayors testify on immigration policies
BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN
Mayor Mike Johnston, called before a congressional committee March 5 to answer for Denver’s status as a so-called sanctuary city, said providing refuge for the tens of thousands of migrants who arrived in Denver was both a requirement of his job and a moral obligation.
Several Republican members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, however, said Johnston — along with the mayors of Chicago, New York and Boston — should be prosecuted and jailed for violating federal law that prohibits “harboring illegal aliens.”
Four hours into the heated hearing, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said she would request that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi investigate the mayors. A referral from a member of Congress does not guarantee the U.S. Department of Justice will investigate.
“I’m not doing that in an e ort to bully you guys but I do believe that your policies are hurting the American people,” she said. “If you guys continue doing what you are doing, you are not going to help anyone. You are going to hurt more people and that’s exactly
CORRECTIONS
The Denver North Star asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.
Email linda@cotln.org if you notice a possible error you would like us to look at.
why I’m tired of it. e American people are tired of it.”
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican, referenced a previous comment by Johnston that the Denver mayor was willing to go to jail to prevent immigration raids at schools and churches in his city.
“One of you said you were willing to go to jail,” Higgins said at the end of ery remarks about the dangers of illegal immigration. “We might give you that opportunity.”
Johnston faced multiple rounds of tough questioning, including from U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, after he described how Denver housed and fed many of the 42,000 mi-
grants who arrived in the city in an 18-month period beginning in December 2022.
“We are each entitled to our own opinion about what should happen at the border,” Johnston said in his opening remarks to the Republican-controlled committee. “But that was not the question facing Denver. e question Denver faced is: what will you do with a mom and two kids dropped on the streets of our city with no warm clothes, no food and no place to stay?”
Johnston also quoted from the Bible as he spoke to the panel.
Thieves do up to $50k of damage to city’s EV chargers — and get $120 of copper
Three EV chargers at Scheitler Recreation Center will be o ine for up to two months
BY ISHAN THAKORE DENVERITE
ieves stole copper cabling from all three EV chargers stationed at Denver’s Scheitler Recreation Center on Feb. 14, rendering them unusable for up to two months, o cials say.
Copper wires run through EV charging cables, helping conduct electricity so it ows from the station to vehicles. But in recent months copper prices have surged, and EV chargers have become low-hanging fruitfor thieves looking to cash in.
Denver’s O ce of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) owns and operates chargers at recreation centers and dozens of other sites around the city. CASR said that they see roughly one to three similar thefts per year, which incapacitates charging stations and requires expensive repairs.
e agency said that the stolen copper would only net a paltry $20 per cable, and cutting an active cable could be “potentially lethal.” Each station had both its cables cut. But replacing the chargers at the Northwest Denver recreation center could cost the city up to $50,000 in total.
“Unfortunately, we have seen vandalism like this at other public chargers across the city,” the o ce said in an emailed statement. “ is is
one of the reasons we’re considering the switch to the model that is more expensive upfront but allows for more repairability.”
Park rangers originally reported the theft to the Denver Police Department, who said no arrests have been made. Denver’s Parks and Recreation department did not have information about the suspects.
“ e city is working to improve surveillance and exploring design improvements to prevent this from happening in the future,” said Stephanie Figueroa, a communications specialist for Denver’s Parks and Recreation Department, in a statement. “Despite this vandalism, the city remains committed to charging electric vehicles for the public.”
In 2025, Denver police said there have been at least nine reported cases of EV charger thefts, and that one station in Elyria Swansea has been hit repeatedly. ChargePoint, a company which helps manage that station but does not own it, said in a statement it was working to combat vandalism nationwide by introducing cut-resistant cables and better alarm systems.
“ChargePoint believes the customers and partners that elect to use its cut-resistant cable design can make any charging station more resistant to tampering and therefore more dependable for all EV drivers,” the company wrote in a statement.
is story is from Denverite, a nonpro t Denver news source a liated with CPR News. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and mayors from New York, Chicago and Boston spoke to congressional members of the House Oversight Committee on March 5 to discuss and defend their immigration policies.
Metro State University opens A ordable Housing Institute
Participants
can earn certificate through real estate, finance, social work courses
BY NATALIE KERR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
In 2019, Stacey Berry left Texas with her children to escape a domestic violence situation. She experienced rsthand the importance — and challenge — of accessing a ordable housing.
Now, as a paralegal, realtor and founder of Harriet’s Liberation Society, an LLC supporting victims of domestic violence, Berry is using her knowledge to give back to women in need. rough Metropolitan State University’s new A ordable Housing Institute program, she is working to connect her realty skills with Denver’s a ordable housing industry.
“When I heard they had the a ordable housing class, I’m like, boom, that is where I can put my real estate license and give back,” said Berry, who is currently in her junior year at MSU.
MSU’s A ordable Housing Institute ofcially launched in January, o ering students and community members the opportunity to earn an A ordable Housing Management Certi cate by completing courses in real estate, nance and social work. e program was made possible in part through donations from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, and a seven- gure gift from FHLBank of Topeka.
“ is partnership with MSU Denver will nurture new talent to make the affordable housing industry stronger and improve communities across Colorado and the region,” wrote Je Kuzbel, FHLBank Topeka president and CEO. “We
look forward to the unique educational bene ts the institute will provide the workforce across our district, which ultimately should translate into increased housing supply.”
Students can enroll in the program and complete six for-credit courses, and community members can enroll in a fourweek, non-credit program at msudenver. edu/a ordable-housing-institute. e next non-credit session will begin April 3, and for-credit courses are o ered each semester.
e program is led by director andnance lecturer Andy Proctor, who has more than 20 years of experience working in Denver’s a ordable housing industry. Proctor witnessed the gap in formal training for those working in a ordable housing. Most would come in with little background experience, hoping their employer would provide adequate training, and employers taking a risk on inexperienced hires.
“Our goal is to put the two of those together,” Proctor said. “It’s workforce development at a fundamental level. Ultimately, can we produce a workforce that helps with the a ordable housing crisis?”
e institute is supported by an industry advisory committee of working professionals who o er input on how the program can best meet the current needs of the a ordable housing industry, Proctor said.
Discussions in the advisory committee for MSU’s real estate program were the original impetus for the A ordable Housing Institute several years ago be-
cause real estate courses didn’t cover the speci cs of a ordable housing, Proctor said.
For Proctor, the program will be a success if students can successfully land internships and jobs — which will be aided by MSU’s industry navigator, whose role is to connect students with employment opportunities — and, once in those jobs, if students can successfully contribute to a ordable housing solutions.
Between 2005 and 2019, housing in Denver for those at or above 120% AMI accounted for 68% of total household growth — about 45,000 households, according to the City of Denver Housing Market Analysis Expansion. For those earning less than 60% AMI, housing actually decreased by 10,500 units.
People seeking a ordable housing are often at or below 30% average median income, which is classi ed as extremely low income. In Denver, more than 10% of the population is considered to be living in poverty, and in 2021, one in three Denver households was paying more than 30% of its income for housing, according to the 2024 Census data.
Berry is hoping to gain the con dence she needs to successfully navigate the affordable housing industry, like learning speci c terminology, legal requirements and how to help someone through the often complex and overwhelmed housing system, she said.
“It’s a ton of information that you don’t learn in real estate school,” Berry said. “It never went over a ordable housing or anything that’s under the a ord-
able housing umbrella, and I feel like it should have.”
Already, it’s been gratifying to see students engage with the course material and become excited at new ideas and possibilities, Proctor said.
“All of a sudden you see a student get it or people who’ve been really silent and won’t make eye contact are giving you st bumps on the way out of class everyday,” Proctor said. “ at’s pretty awesome.”
The Clara Brown Commons is an a ordable housing development in the Cole neighborhood. FILE PHOTO
BRT project makes headway on East Colfax
Project seeks to bring long-term benefits to corridor but store owners feel immediate impact
BY MERYL PHAIR
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
At the corner of Colfax and Grant, Capitol Hill Books has o ered a wide selection of used books for decades. New this year for the long-time Denver business are the nearby orange construction cones and blocked sidewalks, part of the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that is making its way along East Colfax. e bookstore is among the rst establishments to feel the impact of the roadway gutting. Owner Ben Hall said the most signi cant impact they have felt is a loss of foot tra c from o Colfax and the lack of parking in the area.
“It’s side streets or nothing,” Hall said. “ ere’s no parking on Colfax for these several blocks.”
As construction moves down the busy
street, Hall said he is “slightly” more optimistic about business improving as construction machines and blocked-o sidewalks will disappear from directly outside the bookstore but that parking will still be an issue throughout the entirety of operations.
“In theory when they nish the project, it will be much easier for pedestrians along Colfax,” Hall said. “Unfortunately, that’s in the future, and I have to pay rent.”
e BRT is intended to improve the efciency of public transportation and in the long run bring more foot tra c to area businesses, boosting the commerce of the area. When construction is completed, two side-by-side bus lanes will run down the busy roadway with a lane on either side for general-purpose vehicles.
e project broke ground in October
and the rst phase from Broadway to Williams Street is currently underway. Construction is projected to move down the street in ve phases with each segment spanning about 18 months.
Work will progress from Williams Street to Monroe Street, then to Niagara Street, Yosemite Street and the light rail R-Line Station at I-225. Budgeted at $280 million, the BRT is slated to reach completion by 2027.
Work is currently occurring within the rst two segments from Broadway to Gareld Street and is reported to be moving smoothly with no delays. e ongoing construction covers a host of upgrades such as improvements to side streets and sidewalks, storm drainage, ADA-compliant ramps, waterline improvements, trafc signal foundations and station construction is progressing at several sites.
years are over.”
He also noted the segmentation of the project has allowed the RTD to address each section as quickly as possible, aiding business owners with getting back to their normal operations. In the meantime, the top concerns he’s heard from residents include tra c, parking or the lack of on surrounding streets and of course, the impact to businesses. Residents in the area in particular have felt the impact of parked cars on side streets.
“On the side streets everything is packed,” said Constance Mortell, who lives two blocks from Colfax and noted she typically avoids driving through the area completely now. “It used to be crowded, but it has ever been as bad as it is now.”
“As spring approaches, work will largely resemble current activities, though a few new BRT stations will become more visibly prominent,” said Nancy Kuhn, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Kuhn also noted that as work on the BRT progresses on the south side of the street, utility relocation work is being done simultaneously on the north side by several third parties including Xcel Energy to relocate necessary infrastructure for future work assisted with the BRT.
With three years to go until the nal deadline, not only businesses in the immediate construction zone but those further down on Colfax are feeling the pinch of road work such as Mile-Hi Sweets and Treats on the corner of East Colfax and Milwaukee Street. Having opened its doors this October, owner Phil Cardenas said he didn’t know about the construction project until after the building was purchased and he opened his doors.
“People avoid construction like the plague,” said Cardenas, who’s heard from many customers that they don’t like to come down to Colfax due to construction. “ is section of Colfax was much busier up until construction. People have been o Colfax entirely.”
Chris Nicholson, RTD Director for District A where construction is underway, stressed the long-term bene ts of the project such as increases to property values along the corridor, improving the business environment and making the neighborhood more enticing to residents and pedestrians.
“ is is a huge infrastructure project, and people are going to feel it,” said Nicholson. “It’s worth keeping in mind what we will get out of this when these three
To adapt to the business challenges, Cardenas said he’s focusing on other ways to promote his business besides his brick and mortar store. He’s been focusing on his online shop and plans to bring candy packages to dispensaries and other neighboring businesses to see if he can sell products at other locations.
The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is progressing eastward along the busy Denver roadway.
Capitol Hill Books on Colfax Avenue and Grant Street has felt the strains of construction.
PHOTOS BY MERYL PHAIR
City to host Vibrant Denver Bond community conversations regarding general obligation bonds
Project ideas must be approved by voters in November election
BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and members of Denver City Council recently announced a series of community conversations intended to help shape and de ne which projects, repairs and improvements will be prioritized through the Vibrant Denver Bond Program. e initiative, which the mayor’s o ce stated will not raise taxes, must be approved by voters in November. General Obligation (GO) bond programs like the Vibrant Denver Bond are used to fund new public parks, recreation centers, libraries, arts and cultural venues, roads, bridges, police stations, and other public facilities, as well as maintain and improve existing facilities.
A preliminary schedule of community conversations for the Vibrant Denver Bond is listed below. Due to limited space, those interested in attending the conversations are encouraged to RSVP through the city’s website. Additional details will be available online denvergov.org/ vibrantbond as they are nalized. Also available is a toolkit for community members to host their own conversations. Ambassadors can use the toolkit to reach out to their community, convene discussions about project ideas, and share feedback with the city
BRT PROJECT
Cardenas like Hall will also be applying for the Business Impact Opportunity Fund (BIO) grant program through the Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) o ce, which is providing some nancial relief to a ected establishments.
A partnership between the city, Mile High United Way and the Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), the grant applications opened on Feb. 18 and applications will be accepted through March 18 with a focus on businesses located between Broadway to Williams Street a ected by construction within 350 feet of their location. e one-time grant
to get their voices heard.
Other locations throughout the city are available on the city’s website that are outside e Denver North Star’s coverage area.
• Mayor’s o ce, Councilman Darrell Watson (District 9) 5:15-6:45 p.m. ursday, March 20, 5:15-6:45 p.m. Glenarm Recreation Center, 2800 Glenarm Place
• Mayor’s o ce, Council President Amanda P. Sandoval (District 1) 5:15-6:45 p.m. ursday, April 3, Skinner Middle School cafeteria, 3435 W. 40th Ave.
• Mayor’s o ce, Council President Amanda P. Sandoval (District 1) 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5, Habitat for Humanity, 430 S Navajo St.
Denver residents will be involved in every stage of development of the Vibrant Denver Bond Program, according to the mayor’s o ce.
In addition to community conversations, Denverites can submit project ideas via online surveys as well as through those available at recreation centers and libraries citywide. Surveys will be open through March 31.
Community-led committees will review public input as well as city recommendations from the Capital Improvement Plan to help rene project lists before the nal list is considered by Denver City Council this summer.
of up to $15,000 will also include a business support program.
“Denver’s local businesses are the heart and soul of the community, and Denver is deeply committed to helping small, local businesses thrive,” Kuhn said.
Store owners have also received support from the BID who have taken the lead on coordinating assistance to area businesses along with directing tra c to area locations. In addition to monthly Chats on Colfax and marketing campaigns such as “We Back the Fax,” the BID has tackled other initiatives such as installing purple ags indicating businesses are open.
“It’s a big theater production and our job is to ensure the neighborhood that comes to see the show will work for them in the long run,” Nicholson said. “ e process is well underway and it may be a struggle but we will get there.”
The newly renovated Schlessman Hall inside Denver Central Library. The Central Library and 10 other Denver libraries were funded by a similar bond program, known as Elevate Denver, voters approved in 2017.
Shaping the future by learning from our past: The history of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Irecently re-read Kathryn White’s column on Dennis Gallagher’s life, written on the occasion of his funeral. She reminded us that Dennis, who preceded me in these history columns, called his monthly contributions “Shaping the Future by Learning from Our Past.”
As an homage to Dennis, I have decided to reuse his title on my current and future columns.
From the earliest years, the Catholic Church played a central role in Colorado. Bishop Joseph Machebeuf focused particular attention on the Mexican-American community. Although he sometimes exhibited a patronizing attitude towards his
HISTORY COLUMN
So, they began to ask for their own parishes.
tosi in Mexico. Soon the parish included a school and community center.
When I was pregnant with my one and only child in 1997, vaccinations had come into question with the indication that they could be the cause of autism. I did extensive reading on the subject and mostly became further confused. As a result, I ended up doing a sort of random scheduling of my son’s vaccines, testing the waters to make sure he had no negative reactions.
As he grew, we began to observe at his school, new rounds of vaccine-preventable illnesses happening in the student population, like whooping cough and measles – this was equally scary and confusing.
Rebecca A. Hunt
“Mexican” parishioners, he and his successors promoted churches and services for Hispanics.
Early Hispanics, Tejanos, New Mexicans and Mexican nationals attended the Sacred Heart Parish in the neighborhood north of downtown. ey sent their children to Sacred Heart School. ey also shared quarters in the German and Irish Catholic churches in Auraria, something that was not always a satisfactory situation.
e eatine fathers opened St. Cajetan’s on 9th Street in Auraria, ministering to the west side Mexican-Americans and Mexicans. e eatines felt that the Northside population also needed a religious center. So, in the 1930s, Our Lady of Guadalupe church opened its doors in North Denver as the Mexican National Church.
In 1935, the fathers began o ering Sunday services at Slavin’s Corner, an abandoned storefront at 1201 W. 36th Ave. e parish built the current church in 1948, adding a bell that came from San Luis Po-
Over time, the parish gained a reputation for becoming especially relevant to their evolving community. In the 1960s, the parish priest, Father José Lara, welcomed Chicano leaders like Corky Gonzales into the church.
Father Lara initiated mariachi masses, Mexican-American estas, and reinstituted Las Posadas, the annual Christmas time search for a place for the Christ child. It also gained a reputation as a center for Chicano activism.
Tackling the ‘what ifs’ in healthcare and nutrition
LETTERS FROM MISS JILL
e United States has recently experienced upticks in measles cases at the same time that thousands of CDC workers have been let
Whether you believe in vaccinations or are concerned that those protections and other critical medications might become harder to come by as we transition to a new secretary of health, I feel like we all need a backup plan right now.
Common-sense precautions like washing hands, getting fresh air and avoiding long exposure to large groups of people indoors are a start at protecting ourselves and our children against illness. Eating right and knowing some simple home remedies can be helpful also. I will note that the suggestions I make here are food for thought and that everyone needs to research their own uses of herbs and medicines.
For decades, I have consulted the guide Prescription for Nutritional Healing. I discovered this hefty resource, now in its sixth edition, in 1995 after I did not recover from an extreme case of food
poisoning. My doctor at the time did not speak about the need to re-hydrate myself or eat in a way to rebuild the good bacteria in my system. He simply suggested I battle the ongoing stomach discomfort with saltines and soda pop! I soon learned how to hydrate e ciently (with electrolytes) and the bene ts of eating yogurt as a probiotic, but this was not common knowledge at the time and caused me to proceed to ask detailed questions of my doctor whenever a pharmaceutical might be prescribed. When my son was an infant, I ended
Finding your own ways out of loneliness
Humans are inherently social beings. We evolved that way! Cooperating to ward o predators, to cultivate food productively, and to care for our young ensured our species’ rise to the top of the food chain.
While modern humans may not need our neighbors to thwart the advances of saber-toothed tigers, strong social connections lead to increased happiness, improved health, and a longer lifespan. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, coined the term “social tness” to describe one’s ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.
One of his studies, running since 1938, assesses the importance of friendship and connection. According to the ndings of this study, social tness far outweighs factors like genetics, wealth, or intellect when it comes to leading a long, ful lling life.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Loneliness and isolation aren’t the same thing. We can be isolated without feeling lonely, while we can have frequent contact with other humans and still feel lonely. Loneliness comes from lacking ful lling relationships. Historically, people grew connected through localized communities, shared experiences in neighborhoods, common interests within groups, family ties, and participation in local events.
In today’s world, humans often migrate from the communities in which they are raised. Economic opportunity, education, and all sorts of things have many communities of origin ung across the globe. is can make it di cult to maintain deep connections. Technology is often blamed for making people more isolated, and while this may be true in many cases; recent studies also show that teaching older people to use social media and other online forms of connection may help with their loneliness and that younger people, who are used to the online world, can form deeply meaningful relationships online. e truth is that there is no one, single cause of the loneliness epidemic, and there is no one single solution.
Loneliness is not inevitable! While the world keeps changing and long-established means of maintaining relationships often no longer apply, loneliness is not
Behind the altar was a painting of La Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe who is the patron saint of Mexico. In 1976, local muralist Carlotta EspinoZa approached Father Lara with an idea. She felt called to paint a mural of the Virgin. He approved and she covered the entire wall behind the altar with the image. It was a beloved symbol of the faith of the local Latino community.
On March 23, 1976 the Denver Police Department SWAT team picked the lock on Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, expecting to nd guns and dynamite gathered for a Chicano revolution. Much to their chagrin, all they uncovered was a stack of 100-pound bags of pinto beans stored for the neighborhood food pantry. Archbishop James Casey, although he had nothing to do with the raid, preached an Easter Sunday apology sermon at Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Father Marshall Gourley, the parish priest from the 1980s until he left in 1997, was also controversial. Father Gourley appeared in the newspapers,
necessarily unavoidable or permanent. ere are many ways to nd and maintain deep, meaningful social connections even in this modern world.
Even small gestures of connection can go a long way in building strong relationships. Brief checkins with friends and family demonstrate care and strengthen bonds. A quick text when someone we care about crosses our mind may be all it takes to give both the sender and receiver a boost of connection.
Although every connection counts, there is little doubt it’s the deep connections, formed over time and with consistent care, that lead to the greatest health and longevity bene ts.
Forming deeper connections
Self-care: First and foremost, taking care of our physical and mental health allows us to be more present and engaged in our relationships. Keeping our bodies as mobile as possible means we are up for it when our friend suggests a walk. Managing stress, anxiety, and depression can help ensure that when life presents opportunities for connection, we are ready to seize them. is is a bit of a chicken and egg situation, to be sure. e more we do the work to foster meaningful social connections, the more our health is likely to improve.
Seek out shared interests: Joining groups or organizations centered around your hobbies or interests provides opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. If you have an acquaintance you’d like to deepen your relationship with, invite them to join you in an activity you enjoy. is could include exercising together, attending cultural events, or simply enjoying a meal together. Maybe attend a new community event alone or with a neighbor. is is a great way to see who in your community is also looking for connections.
Volunteer your time: Volunteering for a cause we care about can be a ful lling
buying gang members’ guns and fasting for peace, as each year he buried young people killed in gang violence. e current priest, Father Lopez, continues to work to expand his church’s services to the immigrant community.
In 2009, there was a new pope, a new Archbishop in Denver and a new priest, Father Benito Hernandez. He led an effort to put up a wall, completely covering the Our Lady mural. Members of the church and the local Latino community protested, held rallies, talked to the press and wrote letters to Archbishop Chaput. e church held rm to the idea that the mural took away from the o cial vision of Catholic liturgy, that it should hold Jesus at the center. is re ected on new theological teachings that deemphasized the role of female spirituality in the modern church.
Next month read more about our Latino community and identity.
Dr. Rebecca A. Hunt has been a resident of North Denver since 1993. She worked in museums and then taught museum studies and Colorado, Denver, women’s and immigration history at the University of Colorado Denver until she retired in 2020.
way to meet new people who care about the same things we do and make a di erence at the same time. Can’t think where to start? Visit the front desk of your local assisted living community or elementary school. Ask if there is an activity there you can support. You get to connect with some humans and have the opportunity to form intergenerational friendships, which offer a whole other menu of bene ts to both parties.
Connect (or reconnect) with neighbors: When was the last time you knocked on your neighbor’s door? A simple “hello” can go a long way. If you see a neighbor struggling with something, o er to lend a hand. Carry groceries, mow the lawn, or watch their kids for an hour. Not only will your help be appreciated but a connection will also start to form.
Learn to ask for help: O ering and asking for help strengthens relationships and creates a sense of mutual trust and reliance. Asking for help builds trust and deepens relationships by allowing others to feel valued. Both o ering and asking for help create a positive feedback loop, leading to stronger relationships and a deeper sense of community.
Express gratitude: anking people is not merely a polite gesture; it is a cornerstone of robust and enduring relationships. When we feel appreciated, we are more likely to reciprocate those feelings, creating a cycle of opportunity for connec-
tion. A simple “thank you” can go a long way in nurturing friendships and building a strong support network.
Seek professional help: A therapist or other trusted professional can provide guidance and support in building and maintaining healthy relationships. Remember, you are not the only one struggling in this way, but you are the only one experiencing it exactly the same way you are. While there are ways to easily increase the level of connection you feel, there may be complicating factors that must be addressed rst. Ignoring them only increases the di culty we might have connecting. In today’s fast-paced and increasingly fractionated world, making social connections a priority is more important than ever. It’s never too late! Take one small step today to nd or nurture a meaningful social connection. Can’t think of anyone to start with? You know where to nd me. We can take a step together.
Erika Taylor is a community wellness instigator at Taylored Fitness, the original online wellness mentoring system. Taylored Fitness believes that everyone can discover small changes in order to make themselves and their communities more vibrant, and that it is only possible to do our best work in the world if we make a daily commitment to our health. Visit facebook.com/erika.taylor.303 or email erika@taylored tness.com.
Autism Awareness Month punctuated by author’s novel
April is Autism Awareness Month, and to get ahead of next month, this month’s book features an autistic protagonist, written by a neurodivergent author.
“ e Framed Women of Ardemore House” by Brandy Schillace follows Jo Jones, who was recently divorced, recently red and is grieving her mother’s death. With nothing left to lose and no real home to call her own, Jo leaves Chicago for the sprawling English estate she inherited from her mother. Once occupied by her estranged uncle, the estate has been long abandoned and has fallen into grievous disrepair.
Upon her arrival in England, Jo sparks the ire of the estate’s caretaker, Sid, and the scrutiny of the attorney handling the paperwork by insisting she move into the
CARSTENS
When my son was an infant, I ended up driving him to the emergency room with severe ear infections and later extreme cases of croup where his breathing would be compromised. In those tense moments, I would have accepted any medication to help my child. But as he grew and I became a more con dent mom, I started to predict the ear ache or croup coming on and learned of home remedies to prevent a full-on episode that would require a doctor visit. With croup, we learned to get into the bathroom, place towels at the bottom
CHECK
IT OUT
Wendy Thomas
cottage on the property. Sid ensures Jo feels unwelcome in the town and rails against her in the local pub.
While wandering the manor, Jo nds a locked room that none of her keys will open. She breaks in and discovers a portrait of a woman hidden behind a piece of furniture. e painting is in the same style as portraits of the former Lord and Lady that hang prominently in the grand hall. More than 100 years ago, the Lord and Lady suddenly left the estate without explanation and never returned.
When Jo leaves the mysterious painting
of the door and turn on the hot water to create a steam bath. If we did this at the onset, the croup would not manifest so severely.
Ear infections were prescribed with antibiotics and talk of tubes in the ears.
Once a doctor actually told me that antibiotics do not cure the infection but only the symptoms. In response to this I learned about an alternative MD in Denver, Dr. Philip Incao (now deceased) and visited him to learn about other ways to prevent a severe ear infection.
During our visit I learned about a simple technique where we would cut a garlic bulb or onion in half, wrap it in cheesecloth and hold it gently against the a ected ear for a good 20-30 minutes. e result was a draining of the
unattended for a moment, it disappears. Soon after, Jo nds Sid dead outside her cottage. Jo knows the murder is somehow connected to the painting, but the police don’t believe her and consider her a suspect. Following her instincts, Jo uncovers secrets that have remained hidden for a century.
Jo is a true gem of a character, speaking her mind while being aware that her thoughts don’t always land as intended with the neurotypical community around her. Her tenacity and integrity help her navigate the extraordinary circumstances and uncover the mystery behind the stolen painting and the murder.
With elements of historical ction and gothic horror, this twisting tale has appeal across multiple genres. Want to know whodunnit? Check out “ e Framed
uid that was causing the pain. Later, we graduated to Garlic Mullein drops found at the natural food store and they did the trick just as well, eventually eliminating the need to go to the doctor as the infection would not persist.
I have friends who live in the mountains who do not use health insurance. ey are a model of what to do if our health care system as we know it falls apart or becomes nancially prohibitive. ey follow some basic ways of conducting their lives that help them avoid getting sick in the rst •place:
• ey eat healthy, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, reasonable portions and minimal meat;
• ey live an outdoor mountain life, full of fresh air;
• ey avoid large indoor groups of people in the winter months when it is harder to avoid germs;
• ey enact monthly cleanses where they abstain from sugar, gluten, preser-
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Women of Ardemore House” at a Denver Public Library branch near you. Smiley Branch Library events e Smiley Branch Library is pleased to announce two new programs starting in April! Join us the second Wednesday of the month from 1:30-2:30 p.m. for No Strings Attached Book Chat where you read what you want and attend whenever you can. Share a recent read, an old favorite, or anything in between. Our rst meeting will be April 9. Visit denverlibrary.org/ events for more information. Also in April, join instructor Roy Willey as he leads participants in singing beautiful and simple songs from around the world at Circle Singing for People 50+ from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday, April 23.
vatives and alcohol to purge their bodies of toxins; and
When they might begin to feel a cold coming on, they use natural and herbal remedies to reduce the term of an illness or to help prevent it in the rst place. During COVID, we did not see them much as they chose to not use the vaccine. ey both contracted the virus, suffered, but made it through the other side healthy, utilizing my friend’s knowledge of herbs and supplements.
I am by no means telling folks not to get vaccinated or to quit going to the doctor. But I do think it is a good idea, in general, to nd out ways to boost our immunity, prevent illnesses and know some home remedies to tackle the onset of a virus.
Jill Carstens taught for 30 years and now enjoys writing about that time here and in her recently published memoir, “Getting Over Vivian.” Find out more at www.jillcarstenswriter.com.
Dear Colorado Community, I know many of you, like me, are feeling the pressure of these challenging times. As a nine-year Colorado resident, mother, small business owner, community volunteer, and commercial lender, I’m reaching out to urge you to contact your congressional representatives about the proposed tax changes and federal spending cuts being negotiated in Washington.
e proposed extension of the 2017 federal tax cuts, as part of Project 2025, would once again bene t the wealthiest 5% of earners while leaving the bottom 40% with little to nothing. is is especially concerning for Colorado, where federal tax changes automatically impact our state tax code, and TABOR prevents us from raising the necessary revenue. ese cuts would threaten the services we rely on, putting our communities at risk.
Please contact your Congressional members and urge them to vote no on these tax cuts, which would widen the inequality gap and harm hardworking families across our state.
e proposed federal spending cuts are equally alarming. Cutting $2.6 trillion from Medicaid would devastate the health and stability of many Coloradans, including older adults, people with disabilities and families relying on nursing care. Nearly 35% of our children depend on Medicaid, and six out of ten people in Colorado nursing homes rely on it. ese cuts would have a ripple effect, leading to job losses, economic instability and disrupted lives.
Here are the key impacts of these proposed cuts:
• Medicaid coverage for 1.1 million Coloradans would be at risk, with 280,000 losing coverage and $29.5 billion in lost federal funding;
Zeppelin pushes back against receiver e orts to sell RiNo building
BY THOMAS GOUNLEY
BUSINESSDEN
Last month, RiNo developer Kyle Zeppelin clashed with the receiver he never wanted appointed in the rst place, pushing back against e orts to sell one of his signature projects — and hinting that ski giant Alterra might want to buy it.
At a Feb. 27 hearing, Patrick Akers of Fennemore, an attorney representing Zeppelin Development’s RiNo Tod LLC, argued that the court-appointed Stapleton Group should not be attempting to nd a buyer for the Zeppelin Station building at 3501 Wazee St.
“It is wholly inappropriate to market a property that could not get to the nish line — it’s a waste of time and money,” Akers said.
e four-story, 100,000-square-foot Zeppelin Station building, which has a food hall on the ground oor, was completed in 2018. Stapleton Group has overseen it since last spring. e rm was appointed as receiver at the request of Wells Fargo, which lent Zeppelin Development $32 million in 2019. at loan is in default.
Before Stapleton’s appointment, Zeppelin Development argued that the building shouldn’t be placed into receivership — and that, if it was, a di erent rm should be hired. ose arguments were unsuccessful.
In a January court ling, which covered what Stapleton had done in December, the rm said it had hired JLL to market the property for sale. A listing was subse-
quently posted on JLL’s website.
On Feb. 5, however, Zeppelin wrote that it had concerns about what Stapleton was doing.
ose concerns were largely explained in court lings hidden from public view. But one public ling indicates that Zeppelin requested, and received, a copy of communications between the receiver and Alterra Mountain Co.
Alterra, the rm behind skiing’s Ikon Pass, has headquarters in Zeppelin Station and is the building’s largest tenant. In 2022, however, the rm listed its space there for sublease. No deal has materialized, but the listing indicated that Alterra was considering leaving the building, at least at that time.
Zeppelin’s concerns prompted a court date Feb. 27. Appearing before Judge A. Bruce Jones, Akers argued that Stapleton was supposed to maintain the status quo. He said Stapleton didn’t have the authority to market the building for sale without a judge explicitly ordering the rm to do so.
An attorney for Stapleton, Kevin Walton of Snell & Wilmer, argued that Zeppelin Development had tried to sell Zeppelin Station before the building entered receivership — and thus marketing it was indeed maintaining the status quo.
Asked by Jones what the downside of marketing the building might be, Akers said it could result in a loss of leverage if a major tenant were interested in buying the building — a clear reference to Alterra.
A spokeswoman for Alterra didn’t respond to BusinessDen when asked if the company was interested in buying Zeppelin Station.
Jones ultimately split the di erence. He said Stapleton could be “putting out feelers, testing the market,” but the rm needs to come back to him if it reaches a point “where the receiver is recommending we go forward with a sale.”
Akers declined to comment after the hearing. Zeppelin didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Zeppelin switched up his legal team in
the middle of the clash with Stapleton. He was originally represented by Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher before Akers and Patrick Hickey of Fennemore stepped in. Hiring JLL to market Zeppelin Station isn’t all the receiver has done. It also signed a lease with Josh Schmitz of Ruckus Hospitality for the food hall space. Schmitz is bringing in animatronic dinosaurs. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with BusinessDen, a news site covering local business news in the Denver metro area.
Zeppelin Station is an o ce building in RiNo with a food hall on the first floor.
Catch a mind-expanding comedy show at The Bug
Comedians to provide humorous experience through psychedelic lens
It’s not every day that you’ll nd a comedy show featuring a festival DJ, psychedelic multimedia visuals and a long-haired juggler using glow-in-the-dark balls. is experimental environment is exactly what audience members can expect at “ e Dose: A Psychedelic Comedy Experience” on April 5 at e Bug eatre, 3654 Navajo St. e Dose is the creation of comic Steven Gillespie, who has been performing stand-up for almost 20 years, having appeared on shows such as “Conan,” Amazon Prime’s “Inside Joke,” and Fox’s “Laughs: All Stars.”
e idea for e Dose came about as Gillespie was attending psychedelic festivals. He said he thought to himself, “It would be really cool to gure out how to do stand-up in these settings.”
Gillespie soon got invited to do a festival in Arizona and another in North Carolina, where he started to experiment with the idea of a stand-up show in a psychedelic headspace.
By 2023, Gillespie had decided to run with the idea, and e Dose was born at a now-defunct Denver theater, Knew Conscious.
Today, Gillespie runs the show alongside producer and DJ Kelsey T Wood, as well as DJ and producer and performer Nic Dean. e upcoming Denver show will take place at e Bug eatre, which has been a Highland hub for the performing arts for decades. e theater is known to be a space that welcomes diverse and experimental acts.
We
Gillespie said he is excited about hosting e Dose in a new space.
“ e Bug is just really cool to the standup and arts communities,” he said. “And we’re going to be able to really take it over in the sense of bringing our own visuals and multimedia.”
During the show, both the performers and the audience are welcome to experiment—although Gillespie is very clear that the show does not provide or sell any mind-bending substances. e show just creates a space that is safe for adult experimentation.
You
GUARANTEE
shows also feature special guests. At the upcoming show, ve di erent comics will take audience members for a ride. Past guests include Josh Johnson, Chris Mejia, Chris Maddock, Mike Lester, Brian Sullivan, Shanel Hughes and Bo Johnson. Denver is an ideal place for psychedelicfriendly comedy, not only because it is legal to consume some psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin, psilocin and mescaline, in the state of Colorado but also because Denver is simply a great city for comedy, Gillespie said.
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I am so happy with National Debt Relief. They just resolved one account and saved me over $11,000. They keep me in the loop and work with me to get the most savings.
Steven Gillespie
Comedians onstage during a recent performance of “The Dose: A Psychedelic Comedy Experience.” The Dose will take place April 5 at The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St. PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVEN GILLESPIE
Denver Home Show to take place
March 21-23 at National Western Complex
BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF
e Denver Home Show returns to the National Western Complex, March 21-23, featuring design and renovation experts, interactive exhibits and exclusive deals for home-improvement needs. People can get home and design tips from Craig Conover from Bravo’s “Southern Charm” on Friday and Saturday. Explore the roots of inspiration displays for lush and innovative design ideas from local landscapers. Step into a world of creativity and ambition as Denver’s Children’s Entrepreneur Market hosts more than 50 young innovators eager to share their creations on Saturday and Sunday. Attendees can also support local small businesses in the Made in Colorado Marketplace and be sure to visit the annual Sogetsu Ikebana Flower Display. is is the ideal place to save with more than 250 experts in kitchens and baths, ooring, windows, cabinetry, décor, and more. For more information, to plan your trip and save on tickets, visit DenverHomeShow. com.
People will also be able to enjoy the annual Sogetsu Ikebana Flower Display. For tickets and details, visit DenverHomeShow.com.
National Western Stock Show names Wes Allison next president and CEO
Allison’s tenure begins May 5; NWSS
BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF
e National Western Stock Show (NWSS) recently announced Wes Allison as its next president and CEO.
“Allison’s decades of leadership experience and deep-rooted agricultural background comes at a pivotal time as the National Western Stock Show prepares to expand its impact with the opening of e Legacy Building and the Sue Anschutz Rogers Livestock Center for the 2026 Stock Show,” NWSS stated in a recent press release.
Allison spent nearly 23 years as president and CEO of the Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo, where he signi cantly expanded operations and the Houston livestock exhibits, advanced agricultural education programs and transformed it into a thriving year-round multi-event venue, NWSS stated. Prior to that, Allison oversaw livestock exhibits at the Houston Livestock Show, one of the largest events of its kind.
• Health premiums for 225,000 Coloradans would increase by 50%, or 70% in rural areas, as health premium tax credits are eliminated;
• 540,000 Medicaid participants would face new work requirements, endangering their healthcare; SNAP bene ts for 1 in 10 Coloradans would be reduced by $380 million over 10 years; and
says he brings ‘decades of leadership experience’ in livestock industry
“After an extensive search, we are excited to welcome Wes Allison as our next president and CEO,” said Douglas Jones, chairman of the Board of the National Western Stock Show. “Wes is a proven, innovative leader in the livestock industry and his deep roots in agriculture –coupled with his commitment to youth scholarships and vast experience in event development – make him the perfect t to lead National Western into the future. We look forward to o cially welcoming him on May 5 and know that he will embody the We Are the West spirit that we so proudly value.”
Raised in West Texas, Allison’s lifelong connection to agriculture began with 4-H and youth rodeo competitions. According to NWSS, his father, a county extension agent, instilled in him a passion for agricultural education and youth development. A proud graduate of Texas A&M University, he holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics and a Master of Science in agriculture.
• Funding for low-income families and crucial infrastructure programs would be slashed.
ese cuts would hurt our most vulnerable, weaken our communities and slow our state’s progress. I urge you to reach out to your congressional representatives and demand they oppose these harmful proposals to protect Colorado’s families, businesses, and future.
ank you for taking action on this critical issue.
-Sheila Wheeler, Denver
“ e National Western Stock Show is a pillar of agriculture and Western heritage, and I am honored to join this legendary organization,” Allison stated.
“With new facilities and a bright future ahead, I look forward to expanding our impact, growing our programs and ensuring this institution continues to thrive for generations to come.”
Allison replaces outgoing CEO and president Paul Andrews, who announced his retirement last year after holding the position for 15 years.
As the NWSS celebrates its 120th anniversary from Jan. 10-25, 2026, the organization stated Allison will play a pivotal role in shaping its future while honoring the organization’s Western heritage and spirit.
Wes Allison
People can get home-improvement advice and tips during the Denver Home Show, taking place March 21-23 at the National Western Complex. COURTESY OF DENVER HOME SHOW
People can get home-improvement tips from Craig Conover of Bravo’s “Southern Charm” on March 21 and 22 at the Denver Home Show. PHOTO BY BLAKE SHORTER
TESTIMONY
“As mayor I have to protect the health and safety of everyone in our city. As a man of faith I have a moral obligation to care for those in need,” he said. “As scripture says, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.’ So that’s what we did.”
At the height of the migration to Denver, 10 or 11 buses were arriving per day, carrying hundreds of people, many of them women and children in T-shirts and sandals in the middle of winter, Johnston said. Denver set up eight city-funded shelters, which are now closed, and helped 8,700 people apply for work authorization. e mayor pointed out during the hearing that many of the buses were sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“When buses started showing up lled with migrants some in my city were afraid, just like I’m sure some of your constituents are afraid,” Johnston said. “ ey were afraid about crime and homelessness and worried about what these new people might take away from them. I understand that fear. e truth is people who are new to this country do good and bad just like
THE BUG
“I think it’s one of the best comedy scenes in the country,” he said. “ ere are a lot of good comics and a lot of people doing some big things here. It’s been really fun to be in the scene and be pushed by my peers.”
all of us.
“When those buses kept on coming, Denver made a choice as a city, not to hate each other, but to help each other.”
Boebert, whose district includes Douglas County, Loveland and the rural Eastern Plains, is on the committee, and three other Colorado Republicans — Reps. Je Crank, Je Hurd and Gabe Evans — asked to take part in the hearing.
Besides threats of jail, the hearing could have big implications for Denver and the other cities, as members of Congress have called for ending federal funding to cities that do not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In Colorado, it’s against state law for local law enforcement to hold immigrants in jail for the purpose of waiting for ICE to pick them up.
Boebert, limited to ve minutes like the rest of the panel, peppered Johnston with questions and wanted “yes” or “no” answers. When he tried to speak longer, she cut him o .
Boebert questioned why the mayor hired a lawyer “to help cover your ass for Denver’s sanctuary city policies for this hearing” and said she has documentation “that proves you were shipping illegal aliens to Aurora, their crime was increasing while you were hiding under laws that you will not demand be repealed.”
She asked about a 2017 Denver ordi-
Gillespie and his team also take e Dose on tour. e 2025 tour of e Dose includes cities such as Chicago, Tulsa, Minneapolis, Boise, Milwaukee and New Orleans. e show has received such a great reception that, according to Gillespie, they’ve sold out almost every show.
Audiences can also nd Gillespie performing in more traditional comedy settings throughout the Denver area at venues like e Comedy Lounge, River North
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nance, called the Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act, that prohibits city employees from asking about someone’s immigration status or reporting it to federal immigration authorities.
“Would a city employee be red for communicating, coordinating, talking with an agent from the EPA?” Boebert asked.
“What about Health and Human Services?”
“So they would only be red for talking to federal law enforcement o cers?”
Johnston countered that Denver does cooperate with federal authorities, including by notifying ICE when someone in the local jail is wanted on an immigration detainer. Local authorities tell immigration agents when that person will be released, but they will not hold the person longer.
Denver has made such noti cations to ICE 1,226 times in the past seven years, the mayor said.
Johnston also faced a round of aggressive questions from U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, who asked the Denver mayor about an ICE arrest last week of an immigrant charged with aggravated assault and held in jail for about a year. Jordan said Denver authorities gave ICE only about an hour’s notice before they released Abraham Gonzalez, who was picked up in the jail parking lot Friday after being chased by multiple federal of-
Brewery and Gnarly’s in Golden.
“ e Dose: A Psychedelic Comedy Experience” will play April 5 at e Bug eatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are listed as $22 if bought online, $25 at the door and $32 for VIP seating.
Anti-Hero Film Festival
Another upcoming event is the AntiHero Film Festival, a teen lm festival sharing underrepresented narratives, at 6
cers.
A Denver Department of Public Safety video shows ICE o cers tackling Gonzalez, a situation that the Ohio congressman said was made dangerous because of Denver’s refusal to keep Gonzalez in custody. Jordan said an ICE o cer was assaulted and tasers were used during the arrest.
“Why not give them more of a heads up?” Jordan asked. “Why not release him to ICE.”
Johnston said he had reviewed the video and o ered to meet with ICE about procedures the city could change.
Johnston was noti ed in a Jan. 27 letter that the committee was “investigating sanctuary jurisdictions” across the country and “their impact on public safety and the e ectiveness of federal e orts to enforce the immigration laws of the United States.”
“Denver is a sanctuary jurisdiction under Colorado law, and Mayor Mike Johnston con rmed that he was prepared to go to jail to protect illegal aliens from federal immigration authorities,” the letter said, citing a Fox News story that quoted Johnston about how the city would try to prevent a mass deportation. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
p.m. April 11 MCA Denver at the Holiday eater.
According to the festival’s website, the event seeks to “share and celebrate perspectives, narratives and experiences that have been left out of history by highlighting the voices of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities.”
Examples of the short lms can be found at mcadenver.org/teen-anti-heroshort- lm-festival.
Judge rejects Denver Public Schools’ attempt to block Trump ICE guidance
BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT
A federal judge on Friday rejected Denver Public Schools’ attempt to reinstate a federal policy that treated schools as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public.
U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico said there is little practical difference between the prior policy, the last iteration of which was issued in 2021 under former President Biden, and a pair of memos issued by the Trump administration in January.
“ e concern was that there would be no limitations or no protections for schools, necessarily, under the new memo,” Domenico said in a ruling from the bench. “ at is an overstatement. And the fact that there have been no actions on school property in the time since the memo was released here, or as far as we know anywhere else, highlights that fact.”
Neither the old nor the new policy completely bans immigration enforcement actions at schools and other sensitive locations. e 2021 policy allowed such actions “either with prior higher-level approval or under exigent circumstances.” e new guidance from the Trump administration instructs ICE agents to use discretion “and a healthy dose of common sense.”
Denver Public Schools sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 12 and requested a preliminary injunction that would have voided the Trump policy in favor of the previous iteration while the legal case proceeds. A week earlier, on Feb. 5, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had raided apartment complexes in Denver and Aurora where some students lived, which the district said caused drops in attendance and widespread fear.
But Domenico said it’s uncertain whether reverting to the 2021 policy would have prevented the ICE raid at Denver’s Cedar Run apartment complex, which is located near several schools.
“I do understand that attendance is down from last year, particularly in schools with high populations of immigrant families,” Domenico said, referencing one of the main arguments that Denver Public Schools made in its lawsuit. “Teachers and administrators are having to spend some portion of their time responding to these concerns.”
But Domenico said Denver Public Schools failed to show how much, if any, of that impact was caused by the Trump administration’s guidance “as opposed to broader concerns about increased immigration enforcement.”
Domenico was nominated to the court by Trump during his rst term as president. Born and raised in Boulder, Domenico said Friday that his mother was a teacher who taught English as a second language to immigrant students and that he understands that “it’s a hard thing to run a school.”
“I do not think DPS has met its high burden in this case,” Domenico said.
Domenico’s ruling on the preliminary injunction allows the Trump administration’s guidance to stand while the legal case continues.
In a statement after the ruling, Denver Public Schools said that, “While we are disappointed in the judge’s ruling, it is important to note that he acknowledged
the real damages public schools have suffered.
“He also acknowledged that there are no fundamental di erences between the 2021 and 2025 policy, which had not been known prior to our court ruling.”
Shortly after Trump took o ce in January, his administration abolished a decades-old policy that treated schools, child care centers, churches, and hospitals as sensitive locations where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public.
Denver Public Schools’ lawsuit argued that student attendance has “decreased noticeably” since the sensitive locations policy was rescinded. Student attendance was down 3% this February compared to last February, with drops of up to 4.7% at schools that serve many new immigrant students, according to a subsequent motion the district led last week.
e district also argued it has been “forced to divert resources from its educational mission” to prepare for potential immigration arrests at schools.
“In addition, teachers are spending time (a precious resource) responding to fears about the 2025 Policy instead of educating students,” said the district’s most recent motion.
e U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded in a motion of its own by saying there have been no immigration raids at schools since the policy was rescinded, and that the prospect of such enforcement has not caused su cient harm to the district.
e department argued that the drops in Denver’s student attendance were caused by fear and false reports of ICE raids, not the changing guidance. e department also said Denver Public Schools misunderstood the policy it’s seeking to reinstate.
Lawyers from Denver Public Schools and lawyers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security each had 30 minutes to make their case at Friday’s hearing as Domenico peppered them with questions.
Domenico repeatedly asked attorneys for Denver Public Schools what would change if he ruled in their favor and reinstated the 2021 memo. He said there hasn’t been “a single instance” of the Trump administration’s policy “resulting in someone doing something that wouldn’t have happened under the prior policy.”
Claire Mueller, an outside attorney representing the school district in this case, argued that the previous policy provided a level of certainty that the new policy does not. DPS knew immigration agents could only show up to schools under certain circumstances, which she said “gave the organization and its community a certain level of security.”
Denver Public Schools serves about 90,000 students, about 52% of whom are Latino. Starting in late 2022, the city of Denver saw an in ux of migrants from Venezuela and other countries, and the school district had enrolled about 4,000 new immigrant students by the end of last year. About 80% of those students were still enrolled this fall, according to district data.
A federal judge in Maryland temporarily reinstated the sensitive locations policy with regard to churches and other houses of worship, in response to a lawsuit brought by several religious organizations. But the Feb. 24 ruling didn’t extend to schools.
Students walked out of several Denver high schools to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Feb. 5, the same day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided several apartment complexes in Denver and Aurora.
If your home is enrolled in the Lead Reduction Program, be sure to use the water pitcher and lter provided for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula. Boiling water does not remove lead, so lter rst.
Si tu casa está inscrita en el Programa de reducción de plomo, asegúrate de utilizar la jarra de agua provista con su ltro cada vez que vayas a cocinar, beber o preparar fórmula para biberones. Recuerda que hervir el agua no elimina el plomo, primero debes ltrarla.
Kern said she has also heard lots of concerns from people that walk. ey have told her the sidewalks are in poor condition, often too narrow, and there are sections with no sidewalks.
ere are also long distances between safe pedestrian crossings, where residents have to walk quite a ways to nd a safe place to cross. Even where there are signalized crossings, pedestrians and people on scooters and bicycles “are often in conict with turning vehicles.”
In the last ve years in North Denver, there have been ve fatal crashes along Sheridan Boulevard. Two of them involved drivers running red lights in separate incidents that killed a pedestrian who was walking at West 48th Avenue, and another incident in 2023 involving Logan Rocklin, who was biking to dinner across Sheridan
PARADE
It was, of course, the ’70s and the news was dominated by the Vietnam War. Nightly newscasts were introducing the country to the names of obscure villages in Vietnam where young Americans were dying. At home, the country was
at West 38th Avenue. Another involved a speeding driver at West 35th Avenue, and a person on a motorcycle was killed on the 1700 block of Sheridan Boulevard by a driver.
While led by DRCOG, this particular study is a collaboration between the cities of Denver, Lakewood, Edgewater, Wheat Ridge, Mountain View and Lakeside. e study kicked o in November, and DRCOG is currently soliciting feedback through an online survey. Residents can go to engage. drcog.org/sheridansafety by March 17 to give feedback on trouble spots along the corridor where residents have safety concerns for walking, biking, driving, or taking transit. is rst phase of the study is focusing on identifying the current conditions and problems along Sheridan today and understanding what the community’s concerns are. DRCOG will start to focus on drafting potential ideas for improvements this spring and summer. Kern said that they “expect to focus our recommen-
also in the midst of a tension created by the demand for long-denied civil rights by women and historically marginalized Americans.
e Denver march, Del Castillo said, is a way to teach or remind younger people of a time not that long ago when “we were invisible.” Chavez, among others, brought attention to a movement that shined a light on farmworkers but also millions of invisible American workers.
dations on high crash and high risk locations.”
e nal plan is forecasted to be done by February 2026. e plan is the rst step that can lead to further infrastructure investment in safety projects along the Sheridan corridor.
In the meantime, the Colorado Department of Transportation is leading a project to improve Sheridan in Edgewater between West 17th Avenue and West 26 Avenue that includes wider sidewalks, safer crossings, a median and improved lighting along with other changes. e project is currently in the design phase, and construction may begin as soon as next year.
Given that so many improvements are going to be made on this section of Sheridan between Edgewater and Denver’s Sloan’s Lake neighborhood, Kern said that this study “won’t be looking to make many additional recommendations in this stretch, but will certainly be looking to this design as a model for what might be possible in other sections.”
Denver is among scores of American cities and states that have created an ocial Cesar Chavez Day. In 2014, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation to make Cesar Chavez an o cial United States holiday. e city of Denver will honor the labor and civil rights leader on March 31. Most city o ces will be closed except for essential services, including police and re departments.
Although it has been many years, Del Castillo recalled each of the three times he met Chavez, including once at Regis University.
“I sat there between him and Corky. I was in awe,” he said.
Corky, of course, was Corky Gonzales, another iconic civil rights era voice. In the event of weather, Del Castillo said, the event will be moved to Denver’s Su Teatro, at 721 Santa Fe Drive.
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Two scooter riders wait to cross Sheridan Boulevard at West 20th Ave as they leave Sloans Lake Park.
